Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
ROBERT RICHARDSON Engineer 7 Bonnytoun Terrace Govan Renfrewshire do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has special reference to vertical pumps, and in the steam end to an
improved cataract cylinder & piston arrangement, in conjunction with an auxilliary
steam cylinder & slide valve to operate and control the main slide valve.
And in the water end, of a piston pump an improved means of giving quick and
ready access to remove the valve & valve seats none of which are fixed in the main
casting, being held down by a triangular cover.
Also an improved arrangement of double acting (one packing) ram, which will
give the minimum of compactness and special facilities for packing purposes.
In carrying out my invention, and in one arrangement the cylinder casting has
three chambers, viz. the cylinder, the main valve chamber, and the auxilliary valve
chamber, all made circular and bored parallel with each other, and preferably on the
same line of centres. The main vaive chamber would be next the cylinder, and the
auxilliary outside. All three have the same level on top, and one cover would do for
all. The cylinder is supported from the water end by a frame or columns.
The pump rod has a crosshead which imparts positive motion to one end of a
horizontal lever which is fulcrumed from the frame, the other end of lever has a
link which engages with a packed valve spindle to give motion to the auxilliary
valve in the before mentioned chamber.
The top end of the main valve chamber would have a liner with a closed
bottom, fixed into it to form a double acting auxilliary steam cylinder, and has
steam and exhaust parts bored through from the auxilliary valve chamber. The
auxilliary piston rod passes through a hole in the bottom of the liner and engages
with the main slide valve, the rod is carried down and has a piston on its bottom
end, which works in a cylinder cast in a piece with the bottom chamber cover.
This cylinder is closed at bottom and open at top to the main valve chamber,
and hangs down below the level of drainage of the chamber.
This cylinder gets filled with condensed water and acts as a cataract to control
the speed at which the auxilliary piston would move the valve. In this case the
main cylinder has single ports and to provide a cushion for the main piston.
The cataract piston is made to travel a given distance between two collars on
its spindle, so that the main valve would have an instantaneous movement to
bring it to the centre position so as to stop both inlet and exhaust. The valve
would then open slowly by the action of the cataract piston, the valve has a little
steam and exhaust lap, a regulating hole is bored in a line through cataract
piston & collars, and the piston would be prevented from turning by suitable
means. The piston rod would be carried through the auxilliary steam cylinder
cover, so that the spindle could be turned to bring the holes in the collars
opposite or away from the holes in the cataract piston. Steam from the boiler
enters the main valve chamber at one side and a small passage connects the
auxilliary valve chamber thereto. The cataract cylinder is always open to the
steam pressure, and it will be seen that it differs from an ordinary cataract cylinder,
as the piston must not be less in area than the auxilliary steam piston, for in the

page_text: up stroke the water would be lifted into the chamber before getting time to pass
through the hole in the piston.
A modification may be made thus:-the liner on the main valve chamber is
dispensed with, and another piston is added to the spindle below the valve.
Steam from the boiler enters between the pistons, and the cataract cylinder is open
to the bottom auxilliary piston and is exposed to steam and exhaust alternately,
the main steam cylinder may have duplex ports and the cataract piston may be
fixed to the spindle, a by-pass can be arranged outside the cataract cylinder and
regulated by a cock. The cataract spindle may be separate from the auxilliary
and engage in the valve with lost motion.
Pumps. My improvement in the pump or water end has for its object, to simplify &
give quick and easy access for removing the valves & seats. In this case the pump is of
the piston type and the valves are in front, one chamber to right and the other to left,
the discharge valves being directly above the suction valve in the usual way with small
pumps. The valve cover is formed of a triangular shape, but instead of a plain casting
it is made deep and cored out to form a hollow shell, and has three holes on the
under side one at each corner, the suction valve seats are dropped in loose, the
suction valves are then placed on the seats. The discharge seats are formed with
lanterns, and do not rest on the body of the main casting, but round the edge of
the suction seats, the top of the discharge seats just fill the holes & come level
with the pump cover, a soft ring joint rests partly on the seat and partly on the
body of main casting. The cover holds down the seats, and being hollow form,
a discharge chest to allow the water to pass down through the third hole to a
branch in the body of the main casting and right in front.
A single bolt in the centre of the triangular cover holds it down, the tour
valves are all the same size, this would be applicable to group valves with circular
seats.
Ram Pump. The same steam arrangement may be used to work a double
acting ram pump constructed in the following manner.
A vertical column of rectangular horizontal section with a division up the centre,
to form it into a double square, has near the bottom on one side a pump chamber,
this chamber is closed on the bottom end, forms the sole along with the bottom
of the column.
A passage leads from this chamber into one side of the column, and between
a suction and delivery valve a second chamber or header is formed higher up, &
on the top of column a circular seat for steam eylinder the bottom chamber header
and seat are cast in a piece with the column. The header has a passage into
valve in the opposite square from the bottom chamber, the header has a hole just
sufficient in top and bottom to allow the ram to pass through a thin loose chamber
is jointed by a flange to the under side of the header, and is carried down into
the stuffing box, this stuffing box is made separate. A packing gland fits the
outside of the thin chamber before mentioned.
The object of having the stuffing box loose, is to allow of the chamber being
shipped, which could not be done if it were cast on, a bolt on either side holds
down the loose stuffing box and also acts as packing gland studs. The header
has a cover on top side with a gland for packing the pump rod.
Doors are provided on the narrow sides of the column to get at the valves,
above the doors on either side are discharge branches, and below the doors suction
branches. The loose stuffing box has preferably side walls only the bottom being
on the chambers.

page_text: I, ROBERT RICHARDSON, 7 Bonnytoun Terrace, Govan, Renfrew, 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 :-
This invention has special reference to vertical pumps, in the steam end, to an
improved cataract cylinder and piston arrangement in conjunction with an auxiliary
steam cylinder and slide valve to operate and control the main slide valve, and in
the water end of the piston pump to improved means for giving quick and ready
access to remove the valves and valve seats, none of which are fixed in the main
casting, but are held down by a triangular cover.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a
vertical section of part of the improved pump, Figure 2 a vertical section of a
modification showing the arrangement of the valves and seats in the water end of
the pump and Figures 3 and 4 part vertical section at right angles and part
horizontal section respectively of the water end of the pump.
In carrying out my invention under one modification and referring particularly
to Figures 1 and 2 the cylinder casting has three chambers viz., the cylinder A, the
main valve chamber B and the auxiliary valve chamber C, or the valve chambers
may be in a separate piece bolted to the steam cylinder, these chambers being all
made circular and bored parallel with each other, and preferably on the same line of
centres. The main valve chamber B would be next the cylinder, and the auxiliary
valve chamber Coutside. All three have the same level on top, so that one cover
does for all. The cylinder is supported from the water end by a frame or columns.
The pump rod D the piston D of which works in the cylinder A has a crosshead E
which imparts positive motion to one end of a horizontal lever F fulcrumed on the
frame as shewn at Figure 2 or adjustable as shewn at Figure 1 hereinafter described,
the other end of this lever having a link G which engages with a packed valve
spindle H or the valve spindle may be connected direct to the lever F between the
fulcrum and the pump rod D as shewn at Figure 1 to give motion to the auxiliary
valve in the before-mentioned chamber C. Or the lever F may be fulcrumed as
shewn at Figure 1 on a block carried upon a horizontal screw f₁ having its bearings
on the frame, said block being capable of adjustment by turning the screw fi to
lengthen or shorten the travel of the auxiliary valve. The top end of the main valve
chamber may have a liner with a closed bottom fixed into it to form a double acting
auxiliary steam cylinder J, or as shewn at Figure 1 the liner may be dispensed with,
in either case steam and exhaust ports are provided in communication with the
auxiliary valve chamber C. Suitable valves C₁ are provided to open and close the
steam and exhaust ports and admit steam at one end as illustrated at Figure 1 or at
both ends as shewn at Figure 2 in a manner well-known in regard to pumps. A
piston K the rod K' of which works in this auxiliary steam cylinder J passes through
a hole in the bottom of the liner and engages with the main slide valve B'.
rod K¹ of the piston K is carried down and has a piston K' on its lower end which
works in a cylinder L cast in a piece with the bottom chamber cover. This cylinder L
is closed at the bottom and open at the top to the main valve chamber B and hangs
down below the level of drainage of the chamber.
The
The cylinder L gets filled with condensed water and acts as a cataract to control
the speed at which the auxiliary piston K moves the valve B². In this case the main
cylinder A bas single ports as shewn at Figure 1 and to provide a cushion for the
main piston, the cataract piston K' is made to travel a given distance between two
collars on the spindle K so that the main valve B' has an instantaneous movement
to bring it to the centre position so as to cover both inlet and exhaust passages, the
valve B then opens slowly by the action of the cataract piston K', and the valve B¹

page_text: has a little steam and exhaust lap. A hole is bored to allow the water to pass through
the cataract piston K2. Steam from the boiler enters the main valve chamber B at
one side, the auxiliary valve chamber C being in common with the main valve
chamber. The cataract cylinder L is always open to the steam pressure, and it will
be seen that it differs from an ordinary cataract cylinder in that the piston K' must
not be less in area than the auxiliary steam piston K or on the up stroke of the
piston rod K' the water would be lifted into the chamber B before getting time to
pass through the hole in the piston K2. The main steam cylinder A may have duplex
ports A1, A2, as shewn at Figure 2, and the cataract piston K³ may be fixed to the
spindle. A by-pass can be arranged outside the cataract cylinder L and regulated by
a cock as shewn at Figure 2, the hole in the cataract piston being thus dispensed
with.
My improvement in the pump or water end is illustrated by Figures 2, 3 and 4 and
has for its object to simplify and provide quick and easy access for removing the
valve seats. In this case the pump is of the piston type and the valves are situated
in front, one chamber to the right and the other to the left, the discharge valves M
being directly above the suction valves N in the usual way with small pumps. The
valve cover O is formed of a triangular shape but instead of a plain casting it is made
deep and cored out to form a hollow shell having three holes 01 on its under side
one at each corner. The suction valve seats N¹ are dropped in loose, and the
suction valves N are then placed on their seats. The discharge valve seats M' are
formed with lanterns and do not rest on the body of the main casting P but around
the edge of the suction valve seats N', the top of the discharge valve seats M' being
so made as to fill the holes and come level with the pump cover O. A soft ring joint Q
rests partly on the seat and partly on the body of the inain casting P. The cover O
holds down the seats M, N, and being hollow forms a discharge chest to allow the
water to pass down through the third hole O' to a branch R in the body of the main
casting P and right in front or it may be on either side as shewn by the dotted lines
at Figure 4. A single bolt in the centre of the triangular cover O holds said
cover down or three or more bolts as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 4 may be
used. The four valves M, N, are all the same size and the arrangement is thus
applicable to group valves with circular seats.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. A direct acting pump the parts of which are constructed, arranged and combined
substantially as herein before described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. In a direct acting pump the employment of a cataract cylinder and piston
arranged and operated to control the steam distributing valve substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings.
3. In a pump the arrangement of the valves and valve seats resting loosely in
their casings and retained in place by the casing cover substantially as described
with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings.
Dated this 12th day of May 1896.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.