Improvements in Pumps, Air-compressors, Water Meters, Steam and other Engines or Motors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 189
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pumps, Air-compressors, Water Meters, Steam
and other Engines or Motors.
We, FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United
States of America, Engineer, and FREDERICK THOMAS GOODMAN, of 59 and
60 Broad Street Avenue, Blomfield Street, in the City of London, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention is applicable to pumps, air-compressors, water meters, steam and
other engines or motors and relates more particularly to a novel and simplified
arrangement of parts, whereby the working parts are reduced and a more precise
action is obtained.
In carrying the invention into effect we adopt two concentric pistons, one within
the other to work in the interior of the pump or engine cylinder according to the
character of the apparatus.
The two pistons are movably connected together by a lever and link and are
coupled to the crank pin of the driving shaft by a single connecting rod on which
the above mentioned lever is formed in such manner that both pistons receive a
to and fro motion in the interior of the cylinder, they at the same time perform
a sliding motion relatively to each other.
This relative sliding inotion of the two pistons in conjunction with suitably
arranged port openings in both pistons and cylinder effect a prompt inlet and
cut-off.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood we will first describe
the action of the improved arrangement in connection with a pump worked directly
by a steam engine both of which are supposed to be provided with the improved
compound piston and connection.
The pump cylinder is fitted with two valve pistons, the outer one of which is
fitted to slide in the interior of the cylinder which is provided with a suitable port
or opening. The ends of the outer piston are made to fit the cylinder and an
annular recess of length equal to about the throw of the crank plus the port
opening, is provided around its periphery and leads to a number of ports which
open into the interior of said outer piston. The rear end of the outer piston
containing the ports is of annular form and the inner piston fits and works within
the same, the end area of both pistons being alike for the purpose of equalizing
the strains on their common connecting rod. The inner piston is provided with
a number of port openings corresponding with the ports in the outer piston.
The end of the connecting rod attached to the pistons is of T form and provided
with two eyes; it is connected by a pin in one of said eyes to the outer piston,
and by
a pin in the other eye to a forked link which latter is also pinjointed to
a lug secured to the central piston.
The other end of the connecting rod is connected with the crank pin of the crank
of the driving shaft in any suitable manner.
In describing the action of the pump it will be readily understood that in moving
the piston and crank from the initial position to the half stroke, a partial vacuum
as been formed between the pistons and the closed end of the cylinder which,
hrough the simultaneous opening of ports in the inner piston into the central or

page_text: crank chamber causes a suction action and enables water from the latter to pass
through the said ports into the space behind the pistons.
When the crank arrives at the dead centre on the outstroke the central piston
has moved relatively to the outer piston so as to interrupt communication between
the ports in the inner piston and the central chamber and on the instroke they are
gradually moved in relation to each other and thereby open communication between
the ports in the outer and inner pistons and a port in the cylinder, or in other words
between the water chamber behind the pistons and the discharge opening in the
cylinder.
It need only be mentioned that the action of the pistons and the direction of
movement of the crank in an air compressor will be identical with that described
in respect to pumps.
In steam and other engines or motors as well as in a water meter the action and
the movements will be reversed, and in these latter cases the motor fluid would
enter through the port in the cylinder and through the open ports in the outer and
inner pistons behind the said pistons. The latter under the influence of the pressure
exerted by the motor fluid are driven outwards aud by their combined action on the
connecting rod compel the crank and driving shaft to rotate. It will be noticed
that the impulse takes place during the outstroke only and exhaust during the
return stroke of the pistons.
When it is desired to obtain a cut-off at any point before the end of the outstroke
of the pistons the rear part of the outer piston is prolonged over the ports in this
latter piston to the required length.
As the cut-off takes place through the motion of the outer piston it will be
obvious that the action will be much sharper and quicker than that of the ordinary
slide valve especially so where the cut-off is arranged to take place at half stroke,
when the piston is at its greatest velocity.
In one arrangement the steam engine and the pump are connected by a common
driving shaft on which is fixed a fly wheel.
Although a single cylinder may be employed it will in most cases be more
advantageous to have two or more cylinders, each provided with compound inner
and outer pistons, arranged to act on a common crank which arrangements are
well known and require no detailed description. We would have it understood
that without departing from the nature of the invention we may in some cases have
to vary the details of same.
Dated this 28th day of May 1896.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Pumps, Air Compressors, Water Meters, Steam
and other Engines or Motors.
We, FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United
States of America, Engineer, and FREDERICK THOMAS GOODMAN, of 59 and
60 Broad Street Avenue, Blomfield Street, in the City of London, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The invention is applicable to pumps, air compressors, water meters, steam and
other engines or motors and relates more particularly to a novel and simplified
arrangement of parts, whereby the working parts are reduced and a more precise
action is obtained.

page_text: In carrying the invention into effect we adopt two concentric pistons, one within
the other to work in the interior of the pump or engine cylinder according to the
character of the apparatus. The two pistons are movably connected together by a
lever and link and are coupled to the crank pin of the driving shaft by a single
connecting rod on which the above mentioned lever is formed in such manner that
both pistons receive a to and fro motion in the interior of the cylinder, they at the
same time perform a sliding motion relatively to each other.
This relative sliding motion of the two pistons in conjunction with suitably
arranged port openings in both pistons and cylinder effects a prompt inlet and
cut-off.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood we will first by the
aid of the accompanying drawings describe the action of the improved arrangement
in connection with a pump.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show different positions of the pistons.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the arrangement with the connecting rod in section.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through the outer piston.
Figures 6 to 11 show the connecting rod and link connection in detail.
Fig. 12 represents in elevation a pump worked directly by a steam engine both
of which are supposed to be provided with the improved compound piston and
connection.
Fig. 13 shows the invention applied to a water meter.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by the same letters of reference.
a. bare the two valve pistons, the outer one a of which is fitted to slide in the
interior of the cylinder c the latter being indicated only by its interior walls
provided with a suitable port or opening c. As will be seen only the ends of the
piston a are made to fit the cylinder c and an annular recess a¹ of length equal to
about the throw of the crank plus the port opening, is provided around its
periphery and leads to a number of ports a' which open into the interior of said
piston a.
The rear end of the piston a, containing the ports a² is of annular form and the
inner piston b fits and works within the same, the end area of both pistons being
alike for the purpose of equalizing the strains on their common connecting rod.
The inner piston b is provided with a number of port openings b₁ corresponding
with the ports a² in the outer piston a.
The end of the connecting rod d attached to the pistons is of T form and provided
with two eyes; it is connected by a pin e in one of said eyes to the outer piston a,
and by a pin f in the other eye to a forked link g which latter is also pinjointed
at h to the lug i secured to the central piston b. The other end of the connecting
rod d is connected with the crank pin k of the crank of the driving shaft k in any
suitable manner.
In describing the action of the pump, the crank rotates in the direction of the
arrow, Figures 1, 2 and 3 and it will be easily understood from a comparison of
Figures 1 and 2 that in moving the piston and crank from the initial position shown
at Fig. 1 to that represented at Fig. 2 or half stroke, a partial vacuum has been
formed between the pistons and the closed end of the cylinder which, through the
simultaneous opening of ports 61 into the central or crank chamber causes a suction
action and enables water from the latter to pass through the ports b' into the space
behind the pistons.
When the crank arrives at the dead centre on the outstroke the central piston b
has moved relatively to the outer piston a so as to interrupt communication between
the ports and the central chamber and on the instroke they are gradually moved
into the position shown at Fig. 3 and thereby open communication between the
ports a, b and the port c in the cylinder c or in other words between the water
chamber behind the pistons and the discharge opening in the cylinder.
It need only he mentioned that the action of the pistons and the direction of
movement of the crauk in an air compressor will be identical with that described in
respect to pumps.

page_text: In steam and other engines or motors as well as in a water meter the action and
the movemente will be reversed, and in these latter cases, Fig. 3 would represent
the outstroke and the motor fluid would enter through the port e' in the cylinder
and through the open ports a behind the pistons a and b. The latter under the
influence of the pressure exerted by the motor fluid are driven outwards and by
their combined action on the connecting rod d compel the crank and driving shaft k
to rotate. As will be noticed the impulse takes place during the outstroke only and
exhaust during the return stroke of the pistons.
When it is desired to obtain a cut-off at any point before the end of the outstroke
of the pistons the rear part of the onter piston a is prolonged over the ports a to
the required length as indicated by broken lines a' Fig. 2.
As the cut-off takes place through the motion of the outer piston it will be
obvious that the action will be much sharper and quicker than that of the ordinary
slide valve especially so where the ent-off is arranged to take place at half stroke,
when the piston is at its greatest velocity.
In the arrangement shown at Fig. 12, A represents the steam engine and B the
pump connected by a common driving shaft on which is fixed a fly wheel C.
D represents the delivery pipe of the pump and E the inlet pipe and starting valve
for the steam engine.
Although a single cylinder may be employed it will in most cases be more
advantageous to have two or more cylinders A, each provided with compound
pistons a. arranged to act on a common crank as indicated at Fig. 13 which
arrangements are well known and require no detailed description. We would have
it understood that without departing from the nature of the invention we may in
some cases have to vary the details of same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In pumps, air compressors, water meters, steam and other engines or motore,
a combined piston and valve-gear, consisting of two enncentric pistons of equal end
area, one working within the other, and provided with port holes adapted to serve
either as inlet or exhaust, a connecting rod having a T shaped end to which the
said pistons are pin jointed thereby to equalize the etrains from the piston on the
latter and direct them through the central line thereof, and a cylinder open at one
end and adapted to receive such pistons, substantially as shown and described.
2. In pumps, air compressors, water meters, steam and other engines or motors
the combination with a cylinder open at one end, of a combined piston and valve-
gear arranged and working in such cylinder, and consisting of two concentric
pistons operated by a single connecting rod, one piston working within the other,
and provided with port holes adapted to act as inlet or exhaust through an annular
space or recess in the periphery of the outer piston of a length equal to about the
throw of the crank plus the port opening in the cylinder, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
3. In pumps, air compressors, water meters, steam and other engines or motors,
the combination with a cylinder open at one end, of a combined piston and valve
gear, arranged and working in said cylinder, and consisting of two concentric
pistons operated by a single connecting rod, and one working within the other, the
outer piston being provided with an annular recess on its periphery equal to about
the throw of the crank plus the port opening, and with port holes leading from the
annular recess into the reduced part in the interior of said outer piston, and the
smaller or central piston fitting and sliding in the reduced part of the outer piston,
and provided with port holes adapted to register with the port holes of said outer
piston, a connecting rod having a T shaped end, and the said outer piston being
directly pin jointed to one eye of the said T shaped end of the said connecting rod,
and the smaller central piston being connected by a link to the other eye of the
Tshaped end of said connecting rod, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 4. In pumps, air compressors, water meters, steam and other engines or motors,.
the combination with a cylinder open at one end, of a combined piston and valve
gear, arranged and working in said cylinder, and consisting of two concentric
pistons, one working within the other, and provided with registering port holes, a
single connecting rod provided with a T shaped head having eyes equidistant from
the centre line of said rod and adapted to be firmly secured by a cross pin directly
to one of said combined pistons and valves and by a link to the other combined
piston and valve for the purposes of directing the strains thereon through its centre
line, and of producing a relative sliding movement between the two pistons and.
valves as well as an advancing or return motion thereof in the interior of the
cylinder, substantially as described.
Dated February 26th 1897
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS.
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.