Improvement in Steam Pumps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Steam Pumps.
We, GEORGE DEXTER RAND, Manufacturer, and ANDREW JOHN KOLLMYER,
Machinist, residing at No. 312 South Sixth Street, and No. 112 North Fourth
Street, respectively, in the City of Keokuk, County of Lee, State of Iowa, and
United States of America, 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 present invention relates, in a general way, to certain improvements in
steam pumps of the kind or class sometimes called cycloidal or gyratory pumps,-
the latter, perhaps, being the preferable term illustrated in Letters Patent of
the United States of America No. 406,098 granted to Edward C. Johnson
dated 2nd July 1889. The particular objects we have in view are, first, to
regulate the counterbalance of upwardly and downwardly acting forces operative
on the gyratory steam piston at different points on its upper exposed surface;
second, to do the like work as regards the water piston; and, in the third place,
by other minor features of construction, to improve the efficiency and operativeness
of the pump.
In the drawings hereto annexed in six sheets,
Figure 1 is a transverse, vertical section through the axis of the pump.
Figure 2, Sheet 2, is a top or plan view of the lower body portion or cylinder,
and with the steam piston and water piston shown in position at what may be
termed the beginning of the piston stroke or motion.
Figure 3 is a similar view, but showing the position of the same devices at the
first quarter stroke.
Figure 4, Sheet 3, is a like view, illustrating the position of the devices at the
half stroke.
Figure shows the position of the same devices at the three quarter stroke.
Figures 2-5 are made to the same scale, but to a slightly smaller scale than
Figure 1. The detail sections of Figure 24 and Figure 2", on Sheet 2, made
respectively on the lines and y, are enlarged slightly, and approximately to the
scale of Figure 1.
Figures 6-9, Sheet 4, represent modifications hereinafter to be described, but
to a somewhat smaller scale.
Figure 10, Sheet 5, is a top or plan view of the steam piston plate and of the
cap which covers the water piston plate, and made with particular reference to
illustrating the eccentricity of the cap.
The
Figures 10 and 10%, on the same sheet, are sectional views respectively, through
the joints made by cap and flange in the vertical planes of the lines a and w.
scale of these Figures 10 and 10 is approximately that of Figure 1.
Figure 11, Sheet 6, is a top or plan view, but to a smaller scale, of the steam
piston plate and of the water piston plate, and
Figure 12 is an inverted view of the same two plates and showing the pistons on
the under side.
In any suitable pedestal, foundation or supporting base, we make a water supply
port or passage 100, which, by a suitable port 2, opens into the annular water
chamber or cylinder 3. In the same foundation or pedestal, we make the water
exit or discharge passage 101, into and out of which the water is ejected or forced
from the cylinder 3, passing in so doing through the port 4. The pedestal or
foundation 102 also furnishes the foundation or support for the mechanisms
employed, and has a partition 103, by which to separate the inlet and outlet
passages 100 and 101.
In other respects, it may be made in any desired way.

page_text: The annular steam cylinder is represented at 8, and in it is the annular steam
piston A. The latter is made as a part of, or is fixedly connected with an annular
cap or plate 6, preferably stiffened on its upper side by means of a ring 7. This
piston plate 6 is made broad enough, for purposes presently to be explained, so as
to overlap on both sides the walls of the annular steam cylinder 8 in which the
annular ring-piston A. operates by a sort of gyratory motion as presently to be
explained. The opposite edges of the piston plate 6 may be considered in one
aspect of the case, simply as flanges which project from opposite sides of the upper
edge of the steam piston A, and these act as counterbalancing flanges or as a
counterbalancing plate, in their relationship to the piston A, and at the same time
perform the function of carrying the piston, as well as of transmitting its motion to
the water piston. A circular opening is made at the middle of this piston plate 6,
immediately over the water cylinder 3. An annular water piston B is arranged in
the water cylinder 3, and is made as a part of, or is rigidly connected with a
circular water piston plate 10 which fits with a good degree of accuracy in the
circular hole made in the piston plate 6. The water piston B has the proper
gyratory motion for taking in water at the port 2, and forcing it out at the
port 4, substantially, in the manner described in the Johnson Patent above
referred to.
Around the central opening in which the water piston plate 10 is thus placed,
we make on the piston plate 6 a raised flange 1, and over this we place the inverted
or downwardly flanged cap 13, which goes on somewhat like the lid of a blacking
box, but with an interposed spring packing as at 5. The cap 13 is secured to the
water piston plate 10, and the latter to the steam piston 6, in any suitable way as
by dowel pins 15, by bolts or otherwise, in such manner that any motion imparted
to the piston plate 6 shall be transmitted to, or a like motion given to, the water
piston 10. The whole device or mechanism thus described, is covered by any
suitable top plate or plates 16, 17, made in one, two or more pieces, and secured
in place by bolts or other suitable known means.
Steam for the purpose of operating the pump, is admitted at any suitable steam
port 18, so as entering steam cylinder 8, it may become operative on the annular
ring-piston A, as presently to be described. Of course, it will at the same time
exert an upward pressure on the under side of the piston plate 6 which covers the
annular cylinder 8, and will thereby tend to lift such plate, and with it the piston A,
out of working position. Also, the resistance or back pressure produced by the
water in the water cylinder 3, being operative on the under side of the water piston
plate 10, will tend to lift such plate, and with it the water piston B, out of working
position. To counterbalance these upwardly acting forces, steam is allowed to
pass through any suitable port 19 into the open space under the cover plates 16
and 17 so as acting downwardly on top of the working mechanisms, it shall counter-
balance the upwardly acting forces referred to. Of course, and for reasons well
understood in the art, the aggregate downward pressure should be somewhat in
excess of the aggregate upward pressure. All this is provided for in a general
way in the Johnson Patent above referred to, though the devices employed are
not, in all respects, the same.
In Figures 2-5, I have illustrated the working positions of the steam and water
pistons. These also are found in the Johnson apparatus, but a brief explanation
of the same is necessary to an understanding of our invention.
The annular steam cylinder 8 is divided or cut across by the diaphragm 21, and
the water cylinder or chamber 3 by the diaphragm 22,-both substantially as
provided by Johnson. But instead of providing steam ports through the ends of
the steam piston A, as provided for by Johnson, we prefer to cut away the ends
of the rings a little, so that the steam in entering the cylinder or chamber 8, as
well as in exhausting from it, will pass between the ends of such rings and the
abutment 21. It will readily be seen, commencing with the devices shown in
the position in Figure 2, that live steam entering at the port 18, will first pass
inside the steam piston A, and acting between it and the inner wall 23 of the

page_text: chamber 8, will gradually move said ring, and with it the steam piston plate 6
over to the position illustrated in Figure 3, which may be termed the quarter
stroke position. While this has been going on, it will be seen that the open ends
of the piston A, have been moving away from the outer wall 24 of the chamber 8,
so as to allow live steam to pass outside of said piston. Live steam now con-
tinuing to act both inside and outside of the piston A, the devices will be shifted
to the position illustrated in Figure 4, which may be termed the half stroke
position. The open ends of the piston A, having now come in contact with the
inner wall 23 of the chamber 8, all the steam enclosed between such piston A
and the inner wall 23, must act only expansively, and in fact, less and less so as,
the gyratory motion continuing, the piston A. is brought around to the position
illustrated in Figure 5, at which point steam is being exhausted from inside the
ring-piston, past its free end, and out at the exhaust port 25. From this description.
it will be seen that through all or the greater part of the first half of the piston
stroke or motion, live steam is operative as live steam on the under side of the
steam piston plate 6, and, consequently, tends to lift such plate on what in the
drawings is represented (Figures 2-5) as the left hand side or half of the pump,
with the greatest possible force. But it will also be seen that through the residue
or latter half of the piston stroke or motion, there is but very little live steam
action, or, more accurately speaking, on that part of the ring-piston which acts
through the right hand half of the pump, live steam is operative to but a very
small extent. The steam action here involved, is chiefly and for the most part, the
expansive force of steam after the supply has been cut off, and so continues until
near the end of the stroke or motion, when the exhaust port is opened and the
steam pressure becomes still less. Consequently, through approximately the whole
of the movement effected in the right hand half or section of the pump, the steam
is acting with its least efficiency or pressure, or with a less efficiency or pressure
than on the other side or half. Hence, the upward pressures which have to be
counterbalanced are greater on the live steam side of the pump than on the exhaust
steam side. The first point of our invention is directed to making a proper
counterbalance to this variable upward pressure.
The downward pressure is practically constant, and also is practically uniform
over the entire upper area of the moving mechanism. Hence, to make the counter-
balance uniform, that is, so that the difference between upward and downward
pressures shall be practically or approximately the same throughout, we refer
now to the steam piston only, we vary the area of surface exposed to upward
pressure in what may be termed the packing grooves. That is to say, we provide
one or more packing grooves in the upper or working surface of the exterior
wall 24 of the steam cylinder 8, and we vary the area or cross-section of such
packing grooves so that say on the right hand side of the pump or where the
upward pressure of the steam is least, a broader groove or larger area of packing
surface, accessible to steam pressure, shall supplement or add to the upward
pressure of the steam in the cylinder, to such extent that the two pressures,
that is, the cylinder pressure and the packing groove pressure, shall be approxi-
mately equal to the upward live steam cylinder pressure on the other side. The
arrangement and construction of these grooves is illustrated in Figures 1-5, but
for greater clearness herein, I have shown sectional views thereof by separate
figures, in Figure 24 and Figure 2B, Sheet 2, the former being a section on the
line, and the latter on the line 3. As thus illustrated, we provide two packing
grooves, of which the inner one 76, we have represented to be of uniform size
in cross-section at all points simply for general purposes of packing, and which
consequently does not constitute a necessary part of the invention now in question.
The other groove 77, however, has this for its express purpose. It will be
observed that it is narrowest at or near that part of its circumference where the.
live steam is acting with greatest effect, as shown in Fig. 2. At this point it may
be made smaller yet, and in fact, wholly disappear. As illustrated in Figure 2ª,
this groove 77 is made broadest or of the greatest area, and at or approximately

page_text: at that point at which, the steam is operating with its least efficiency. Between
these two points, the groove area may be varied at pleasure, but for ordinary
purposes we regard it as best to make it tapering, or with a regularly progressive
increase from one to the other. Of course, some portion of this groove should
always be open to the steam pressure, or at least sufficiently so to secure the
proper steam pressure therein or else one or more small steam supply ports should
lead thereto. It will now be seen that for practical purposes, the steam piston
plate 6, on the side on which ordinary steam pressure is least, will be subject to
an upward steam pressure in the groove 77 greater than in the same groove on the
opposite side, and that by a proper proportioning of such groove, the deficiency in
upwardly acting steam pressure on that side of the cylinder where it is least, will
be supplemented by the excess of upwardly acting steam pressure in the broader
parts of the groove 77. Or, as another way of saying the same thing, so much of
the plate 6 as in operation overlaps the groove 77, is equally balanced above and
below, and consequently there is so much the less of area subject to dominant
downward pressure on the right hand side of the pump, or through that part of its
operation where the steam in the cylinder operates least efficiently. As a result of
this, we attain approximately, a uniform difference between upward and downward
pressures at all points around the steam cylinder and piston.
As this part of our invention depends on the variability of area subject to
steam pressure in the working faces of the wall 24, and of the piston plate 6, it
will be seen that the groove 77, instead of being made in the outer part of the
wall 24, may be made near its inner edge, as illustrated in Figure 6, and it is also
true that both the grooves may be varied in transverse area in accordance with the
rules and for the purposes above stated, and such modification is also illustrated
in Figure 6. Also, such variable groove may be made in the lower face of the
piston plate itself, as illustrated in Figure 7, and at any desirable point on the lower
working face of said plate where it may perform the function described.
The next part of our invention relates to doing the same work, that is, of
securing a practically uniform counterbalance on all sides of the water piston.
For it will be seen that as the water is taken in at the port 2, and forced out at
the port 4, the resistance, or in other words, the upward pressure, on the underside
of the plate 10, will be much the greatest on the right hand or delivery side of
the pump (right and left being used with reference to Figures 2-5) than on the
left hand. We do not think it necessary to explain this in greater detail, as we
think it will be obvious to those skilled in hydraulics, from an inspection of the
drawings, especially if it be remembered that the water piston ring B necessarily
has imparted to it exactly the same motions as those which belong to the steam
ring-piston A, and that such motions will necessarily result in taking in water by
the port 2, and forcing it out by the port 4. In order now to secure a uniform
counterbalance all around on the water piston, we make the cap 13 a little eccentric,
that is to say, a little fuller or larger over that part of the piston where the upward
water pressure is the greatest. This we have represented more particularly in
Figure 10, Sheet 6, where a represents the center of the opening (shown by dotted
lines) in which the plate 10 (Fig. 1) is inserted, and b represents the center of the
top face of the cap itself. The upwardly projecting flange 1 already mentioned
which surrounds the opening in the plate 6, in which latter we put the plate 10, is
made broader on the exhaust or delivery side of the water chamber as represented
in Figure 10, than it is on the other side, as represented in Figure 10. But for
convenience of construction, the outer periphery of this flange is made circular,
but from a different center from that of the opening in the plate 6, or rather,
eccentric to such opening, but so that the fullest side, or the side or area of the
cap 13 which shall be the larger, shall be over the chamber 3 on the delivery side.
Consequently, the downward steam pressure on that side will be the greater,
because on such side there will be a larger area subject to downward steam
pressure. Hence, we have the greater steam pressure acting against the greater
water pressure on the delivery side of the water cylinder, and a lesser downward

page_text: steam pressure acting against the lesser upward water pressure on the receiving
side of the water cylinder. The rules governing the amount of eccentricity to be
given to the top plate 13, are well understood by hydraulic engineers, in view of
the proportions of parts, and steam and water pressures to be dealt with.
It should also be noted in this connection, that the eccentricity of the plate 13,
being on the side, or having its full side toward that part or side of the pump on
which steam pressure in che steam cylinder operates with the least efficiency, as
already explained, such eccentricity, to the extent or amount of it, lessens the area
of surface in the plate 6, which otherwise would be subject to downward steam
pressure, on the right hand side of the pump, and consequently, to that extent,
aids in securing the proper counterbalance of steam pressures already referred to.
Hence, while the counterbalance of steam pressures on the plate 6 may be regulated
in the manner already described, it is also true that such counterbalance, or the
regulation thereof may be effected in part by means of the eccentricity of the
piston plate 13, as thus stated.
The cap 13, instead of being of cap form or construction, may, while retaining
its eccentricity, be made of piston form or construction, as illustrated in Figures 8
and 9. But in this case, the flange 1, raised on the piston plate 6, should be
eccentric as regards the opening in the plate 6, in which the plate 10 is inserted.
This is given merely as one possible modification.
As regards the grooves 76 and 77, or such of them as may be made of different
widths at different points, the introduction of them amounts simply to varying the
areas of working surfaces as between the piston plate 6 and the walls or abutments
on which it rests and operates, or in other words the cutting away of certain parts
of one or the other of such working faces, so that the area of contact working
faces as between plate and abutment shall be greater on the ride or at the part at
or near which live steam is admitted than it is on the side or part at which the
steam is working only or for the most part expansively.
In pumps of this class, it is highly important to guard against excessive con-
densation of steam. To this end, the chambers 30 are provided between the
cylinders and 8, and may be packed in any suitable way. But as to this feature
we make no claim. But we have made a further improvement in this direction by
making one or more chambers 31 in the top of the removable water piston plate 10,
or between it and its cap 13. This space we fill with asbestos, or other suitable
non-conducting material, in order more perfectly to guard against the cooling or
condensation of the steam through the influence of the water in the chamber 3.
And we have also found that the operation of the apparatus is improved somewhat
in consequence of the introduction and use of a telescopic joint by which to connect
the cap 13 with the plate 6. This is illustrated in Figures 1, 104 and 10", where
the flange on the cap 13 is shown as slipping down over the flange 1 which is raised
around the opening in the plate 6. A spring packing ring is put in to complete
the joint. And a joint of like character is shown in connection with the modifica-
tion of Fig. 9.
In Figure 1, 50 represents a starting bar operated by a lever 51, and the purpose
of which is, by taking hold with the wrist and link connection, to provide means
for shifting the plate 6 so that the pump will readily be started. The hole 52 may
be closed by a screw plug or lubricator, or otherwise at pleasure.
In a general way it may be stated, that in the preferred construction of this
pump, the proportions of 1 to 4 have been found thus far most advantageous, as
between the vertical depth of the steam cylinder, and the diameter of its counter-
balancing plate. But we do not limit ourselves to these proportions, as they may
be varied at pleasure. Also, as regards other features of construction generally,
and the combinations made thereby, we do not limit ourselves to exact details nor
proportions, but claiming the benefit of the doctrine of mechanical equivalents, we
include herein as of our invention, all combinations substantially the same in view
of the work performed and the manner of performing it.
It will be understood that an advantageous result in the construction of pumps

page_text: of this class, will be attained by the use of the counterbalancing mechanism
described as applied to the steam piston plate only, so that in connection therewith
a separate or special counterbalance of the water piston, such as we have described,
may not in all cases, be absolutely necessary. In other words, the eccentricity by
means of which counterbalancing is secured in the water piston, may, if so desired,
be omitted, and any known suitable appliances for connecting the water piston with
the steam piston plate, may be substituted.
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:
1st. The combination of the top plate of a gyratory piston, and the annular wall
or abutment on which it operates, said plate and abutinent having between them
an area of contact working surfaces greater on the side or part at or near which
live steam is admitted than it is on the side or part at which the steam is working
only or for the most part expansively, substantially as set forth.
2nd. The combination of the top plate of a gyratory piston, and the annular
wall or abutment on which it operates, said plate and abutment having between
them an area of contact working surfaces which decreases in transverse measure-
ment in any desired ratio from at or near the point where the steam acts most
efficiently as live steam, to or toward the point where it acts chiefly by expansion,
substantially as set forth.
3rd. In combination with a gyratory steam piston plate having a central opening
for the insertion from above of a similarly moving water piston, a water piston
for insertion therein, the top or cap plate of which is eccentric as regards the water
piston center, substantially as set forth.
4th. The combination of an annular steam piston variably counterbalanced by
variations in the areas of working surfaces subject to steam pressure, and a water
piston variably counterbalanced by means of an eccentric cap plate or cover,
substantially as set forth.
5th. A water piston B and its plate 10, insertible from above in an opening made
therefor in the steam piston plate 6, in combination with a cap 13 for covering the
same, and a telescopic joint between the cap and the steam piston plate, substan-
tially as set forth.
6th. In a gyratory steam pump, a steam piston plate 6 carrying the steam piston,
and having a central opening therein, in combination with a water piston plate 10
carrying a water piston, the two being secured together so as to have a common
gyratory movement, but otherwise free to be separately counterbalanced, substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated. at Keokuk. Iowa. U.S.A.. this Twenty-third day of September
A.D. 1891.
Witnesses :-
WM. A. LOEFFLER.
WM. ANDRUS.
GEORGE DEXTER RAND.
ANDREW JOHN KOLLMYER.