IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM PUMPS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lumley, of Harborne, in the County
of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM PUMPS."
Scaled the 26th June 1874, and dated the 31st January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lumley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st January 1874.
I, THOMAS LUMLEY, of Harborne, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts
herein-after described to be used in place of the steam chest and
valves ordinarily employed for working the steam cylinders of steam
pumps.

page_text: о
According to my Invention I fix at each end of the steam cylinder
a small chamber containing a slide valve which by its motion puts the
end of the cylinder in communication either with the exhaust or with
the steam. The sliding part of the said valve is fixed to a small piston
rod the piston of which works in a small short cylinder in the said
chamber, which cylinder I will call the valve cylinder. The top of the
said small piston rod passes through a hole in the end of the steam
cylinder and in the exhaust position of the said valve projects a short
distance into the said cylinder. In the said steam cylinder are two
openings situated at a distance from the ends of the steam cylinder
respectively a little greater than the thickness of the piston, the opening
at one end of the cylinder being connected by a pipe or other com-
munication with the bottom of the valve cylinder at the other end of
the steam cylinder.
As the piston of the steam cylinder approaches one end of the said
cylinder it first passes over the opening near that end of the cylinder
and immediately strikes against the piston rod of the valve piston at the
same end of the said cylinder. By the piston passing the opening in
the steam cylinder steam is permitted to escape through the said
opening and acting upon the piston in the valve cylinder at the opposite
end of the steam cylinder brings the slide valve at that end into the
position which connects the steam cylinder with the exhaust and the
steam escapes from the steam cylinder. By striking on the piston rod
of the valve cylinder at that end of the steam cylinder at which the
piston has arrived it closes the exhaust and opens the steam way at that
end of the said cylinder, and steam entering the steam cylinder the
piston is urged to the other end of the steam cylinder. Thus in com-
pleting its stroke in either direction the piston by passing one of the
openings described and striking one of the valve piston rods so acts
upon the valves as to change that which was the exhaust side into the
steam side of the piston, and that which was the steam side into the
exhaust side of the piston, and thus effects the required working of the
steam numn

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Lumley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LUMLEY, of Harborne, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Lumley, Her special license that
I, the said Thomas Lumley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Lumley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Lumley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Lumley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts
herein-after described to be used in place of the steam chest and
valves ordinarily employed for working the steam cylinders of steam
pumps.
According to my Invention I fix at each end of the steam cylinder
a small chamber containing a slide valve which by its motion puts the

page_text: end of the cylinder in communication either with the exhaust or with
the steam. The sliding part of the said valve is fixed to a small piston
rod, the piston of which works in a small short cylinder in the said
chamber, which cylinder I will call the valve cylinder. The end of the
said small piston rod passes through a hole in the end of the steam
cylinder and in the exhaust position of the said valve projects a short
distance into the said cylinder. In the said steam cylinder are two
openings situated at a distance from the ends of the steam cylinder
respectively, a little greater than the thickness of the piston, the opening
at one end of the cylinder being connected by a pipe or other com-
munication with the bottom of the valve cylinder at the other end of the
steam cylinder.
As the piston of the steam cylinder approaches one end of the said
cylinder it first passes over the opening near that end of the cylinder
and immediately strikes against the piston rod of the valve piston at the
same end of the said cylinder. By the piston passing the opening in
the steam cylinder steam is permitted to escape through the said
opening and acting upon the piston in the valve cylinder at the opposite
end of the steam cylinder brings the slide valve at that end into a position
which connects that end of the steam cylinder with the exhaust and the
steam escapes from the steam cylinder. By striking on the piston rod
of the valve cylinder at that end of the steam cylinder at which the
piston has arrived it closes the exhaust and opens the steam way at that
end of the said cylinder, and steam entering the steam cylinder the
piston is urged to the other end of the steam cylinder. Thus in
completing its stroke in either direction the piston by passing one of
the openings described and striking one of the valve piston rods so acts
upon the valves as to change that which was the exhaust side into the
steam side of the piston, and that which was the steam side into the
exhaust side of the piston, and thus effects the required working of the
steam pump.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner
in which the same is to be performed.

page_text: cross section of the same taken on the line e, f, of Figure 1; Figures 3
and 4 represent another form of my Invention as herein-after explained.
The same letters indicate like parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
A represents the main cylinder of the engine; B, the piston moving
therein with a piston rod passing out through a stuffing box in the usual
manner; C and C¹ are the two steam chests placed at the ends of the
main cylinder A respectively, and supplied with steam or other motive
fluid through the connecting pipe D, D. At the bottom of these steam
chests there are planed faces on which the slide valves E, E', work, and
in these planed faces are formed ports or passages, those marked F, F¹,
leading direct into the ends of the main cylinder A, and those
marked G, G¹, leading away to the combined exhaust or exit pipe H;
I, I, are the small short valve cylinders at the ends of the steam
chests C, C¹. These valve chambers are bored out to receive small
pistons J, J, the piston rods K, K³, of which pass through the valve
chambers or steam chests C, C¹, and project a short distance into the
main cylinder A. These small piston rods K, K', move the slide
valves E, E¹, to and fro by means of collars fastened to them and
fitting between two horns cast or formed on the backs of the said
slide valves; L is a lever or fly placed in one of the steam chests C, C¹,
for moving the slide valve if required by hand at starting. This fly acts
upon horns cast on the back of the slide valve E sufficient space being
left between the said horns for the slide valve to make its usual stroke
without moving the said fly; M, M', are ports or passages leading from
opposite ends of the main cylinder A near its ends to the outer ends of
the small valve cylinders I, I', the port M leading from the right-hand
end of the cylinder to the outer end of the left-hand valve cylinder I, as
shown in Figure 1, and the port M³, the position of which is indicated in
Figure 2, leading from near the left-hand end of the cylinder A to the
outer end of the right-hand valve cylinder I'. Small passages N, N¹,
are made from the inner ends of the valve chambers I, I, to the exhaust
ports G, G¹, so that the inner faces of the small pistons J, J', arc always
exposed to the pressure of the exhaust.
The action is as follows:-The main piston B is supposed to be
moving to the left hand, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow
on the piston B, Figure 1, steam or other motive fluid is entering the
pipe D' and steam chest C' and port F¹ to the right-hand end of the

page_text: cylinder A, and the exhaust from the left hand of the main piston B is
going through the port F under the recess in the slide valve E into the
exhaust port G. When the piston B arrives near the end of its stroke
to the left hand it will strike against the end small piston rod K
projecting into the cylinder and push it back, thereby shifting the left
hand slide valve E so as to cut off the exhaust at that end and admit
steam pressure from the steam chest C through the port F to act on the
left hand of the piston B. At the same time that the piston B strikes
the rod K. the said piston passes over the hole or port M' (not shown in
Figure 1, but indicated in Figure 2), the said port M¹ having the same
relative position to the left-hand end of the cylinder A. as the port M
has to the right-hand end. By the passage of the piston B over the
port M¹, steam is allowed to pass from behind the piston B into the
right-hand end of the valve chamber I', where it acts on the piston J',
moving it and the slide valve E¹ with it to the left hand, and thereby
cutting off the pressure from the right hand of the cylinder, and putting
that end in connection with the exhaust through the port G. The
piston will then move to the right hand and will pass over the port M,
Figure 1, allowing steam to pass along the said port and act upon the
left-hand end of the small piston J, moving it to the right hand, and at
the same time also pushing the piston rod K¹ to the right hand and
thereby reversing the distribution of the steam.
Instead of a slide valve E a cylindrical or piston valve may be
employed without substantially departing from my Invention.
Figures 3 and 4 represent another modification of my Invention ;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line g, h, of Figure 4;
and Figure 4 is a plan of the same. This modification is especially
adapted for working in a vertical position. The letters of reference in
Figures 3 and 4 generally indicate the same parts as are indicated by
the said letters respectively in Figures 1 and 2.
A is the main cylinder; B, the main piston; C, the steam chest
supplied with steam or other motive fluid through the pipe D; E is the
slide valve working on the planed face at the bottom of the steam
chest C. This face has three ports or passages formed in it, that
marked F leading to the top end of the main cylinder A, and that a
marked O to the bottom end of the said cylinder. The port G leads to
the exhaust pipe H; I is the small valve cylinder having a piston J.

page_text: working in it, the piston rod K of which actuates the slide valve, as
previously explained with reference to Figure 1 and 2, but does not
project into the main cylinder A; M is the port leading from near the
opposite end or bottom of the cylinder A to the outer end of the small
cylinder I; N is the small port connecting the inner end of the
cylinder I with the exhaust passage G; L is the fly or lever for starting
the slide valve if required by hand; R is a small sliding rod projecting
into the cylinder A at the top, and so connected to the piston rod K
(either by having a wedge formed on it as shown, or else by means of a
bell-crank lever as indicated in dotted lines), which rod R on being
struck up by the piston B moves the piston rod K, and with it the slide
valve E and piston J to the right, the cylinder A being supposed to be
placed in a vertical position. When the piston B descends this sliding
rod R will return to its former position.
The action is as follows:-The piston B in moving upwards, as shown
by the arrow, strikes or pushes up the rod R, this causes the small
piston rod K and slide valve E to move to the right hand, thereby
putting the port O in connection with the exhaust port G and the
port F in connection with the pressure in the steam chest C and thus
reversing the motion of the main piston B which descends until it passes
over the port M near the bottom of the cylinder when steam from
behind the piston B will pass up the port M into the right-hand end of
the small valve cylinder I. This steam acting on the right-hand face
of the piston J moves it back again to the position shown in the
Figure.
The valve in the modification, Figures 3 and 4, may be wholly worked
by steam, that is to say, the rod R and the bell-crank lever described
may be dispensed with, and each end of the rod K be provided with a
piston similar to the piston J working in a cylinder similar to the
cylinder I. An arrangement of parts with respect to the pistons and
cylinders at both ends of the rod K is adopted, similar to the arrange-
ment described with respect to the piston J and cylinder I. I have not
thought it necessary to represent this modification of my Invention as
I believe it will be sufficiently understood by the description I have
given read in connection with the parts at one end of the rod K, the said
modification consisting only of a duplication of the said parts.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I claim as my Invention of improvements in steam pumps :-
First. Fixing at each end of the steam cylinder of the steam pump
a small chamber containing a slide valve, which valves by their motion
put the ends of the cylinder in communication either with the exhaust
or with the steam, the said slide valves being brought into the required
positions during the working of the steam pump by the action of the
piston on the valve piston rods and ports or openings in the steam
cylinder, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The modifications herein described with reference to
Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawing, whereby the working of the steam
pistons of steam pumps is effected by the use of a steam chest and slide
valve at one end only of the steam cylinder, the valve being worked by
the action of the piston of the steam cylinder on a striker connected
with the valve piston rod and on the ports or steam ways described.
Thirdly. The modification described with reference to Figures 3 and 4,
whereby the slide valve is worked by the action of the steam piston on
the ports or steam ways in the steam cylinder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lumley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRET,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
THOMAS LUMLEY. (L.S.)