Improvements applicable to Steam Pumps and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements applicable to Steam Pumps and the like.
I, JOHN MILLER of 54 Sandilands Road Wandsworth Bridge Road Fulham
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce simple and reliable valve gearing for
controlling the supply of steam, air, water, gas, or other suitable motive power to a
cylinder or its equivalent, for use more particularly in connection with pumping or
In
air compressing machinery but applicable also to other similar purposes.
carrying out my invention I make use of a piston valve, as near as possible
perfectly balanced, which controls the admission and exhaust of the steam or other
motive power, and this is effected by means of the movement of the main piston
(at any pre arranged distance from either end of the stroke) being caused to
promote motion to a pivotted arm or beam which 1 so mount in conjunction with a
supplementary cylinder or cylinders or the equivalent that it is always being
pressed back upon its fulcrum and therefore when moved in either direction past its
dead centre, the direction is retained and the motion maintained by action of the
said cylinder which also tends to hold the beam in its final position until the main
piston again causes the motion to be reversed. In order to allow the supplementary
cylinder to act freely when once the beam passes its dead centre the connection
between the pivot beam and the main piston or its accessories, is through a cross
pin and elongated hole, and by a suitable slot in the piston rod of the valve it
receives a definite and rapid reversing action directly from the supplementary
cylinder & beam, that is to say whilst the main piston determines when the valve
movement shall take place the supplementary cylinder is the medium employed to
produce that movement.
This supplementary steam cylinder I feed through the spindle upon which it
oscillates, this being made hollow for that purpose. The piston I make of the ram
or plunger type & so attach it to the spindle causing the cylinder to be the
travelling portion. Lugs are fitted to this cylinder which are connected by a pin
of the above mentioned pivotted arm.
The piston or plunger is bored through to form a steam passage and the cylinder
end is fitted with a small valve held on its seat by an adjustable spring; this
valve projects within the cylinder and is of such length, that when the pivotted
beam is on its dead centre (that is when the piston is at its farthest distance within
the cylinder) the end of this valve plugs the steam inlet hole in the plunger and is
lifted slightly off its seat so that a steam or water escape passage is provided for a
moment. The valve for this reason has grooves or flats upon its sides. The
movement of the main piston being controlled by the above explained valve gear,
it is obvious its motion may be utilized for any convenient purpose, for instance
water pumping air compressing gas exhausting & the like. It will be understood
that I do not confine myself to the exact details described which may obviously be
modified in many ways within the scope of my invention.
Dated this 26th day of October 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements applicable to Steam Pumps and the like.
I, JOHN MILLER, 54 Sandilands Road, Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, S. W.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to reciprocating engines with automatic valve gear, driven
by steam or other fluid pressure, for use more particularly in connection with
pumping fluids, air compressing, and other analogous purposes; and its object
is to effect improvements in, and in connection with the valve gear of such
engines.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawing, being a sectional
elevation, illustrating my invention.
A is the cylinder. Bis the piston fitted with a tubular rod . R is a plate or
collar attached to the piston. s is a rod, the smaller end passing through the
collar R, and fitted with a button s', and the upper end being enlarged to form a
shoulder at 2. The upper end of the rod passes through a stuffing box, as shown,
and is fitted with a link D having a slot d formed therein to receive a stud at the
end of the lever C. This lever is pivoted at c'. An enlargement of the lever (
works in the slot T, in a link attached to the valve rod a. is the valve chest.
aa are two piston valves, fast on the rod a. The valve a is slightly larger in
area than the valve a² (when applied to a vertical engine) to balance the weight of
the valves and rod. There are two induction ports e and f, and two eduction
ports and g. The exhaust chamber is situate behind the valve chest a, the
entrances to the exhaust chamber (not shown in the drawing) being at the extreme
ends of the valve box v. O is the inlet pipe for steam or other fluid, and P is the
exhaust pipe. N is a pipe leading from the pipe O to the hollow trunnion F of the
oscillating cylinder H. G is the piston or plunger having a through passage y
open to the trunnion F. K is a small valve in the cover of the cylinder F,
adjusted by the milled headed screw L passing through and held to its seat by the
spring M. Jis a lug formed in one with the cover of the cylinder H. This lug is
pivoted to the stud at the end of the lever C.
The operation is as follows:-In the position shown in the drawing, the steam or
other motive fluid passes from the supply pipe O into the valve box v, through the
port to the underside of the piston B, whereby the piston is raised. The rod s
remains stationary until the collar R comes in contact with the shoulder s². The
motion thereby imparted to the rods raises the lever C and the auxiliary
cylinder H to a position beyond the dead point. The pressure in the auxiliary
cylinder H then drives the link D, attached to the rod s, and also the lever C
upwards, until the lever C raises the valve rod a and valves a' and a² sufficiently to
reverse the engine, thereby closing the ports & and and opening the induction
port e and eduction port g. On the descent of the piston the cylinder H, lever C
and valves a a² remain stationary until the collar R comes in contact with the
buttons, and thus reverses the position of the valves.
When the cylinder H is being caused to approach the dead point, the plunger G
being at or about its farthest distance within the cylinder H, forces open the
valve K against the strength of the spring M, thus allowing any waste steam or
water to escape, (the valve K having grooves in its sides for this purpose) while
the end of the valve K plugs the passage y in the plunger G.
Instead of using a cylinder H, actuated by steam or other fluid pressure, a
spring or other equivalent device may be applied to effect the same object.
The movements of the main piston being controlled by the above described valve
gear, it is obvious that its motion may be utilised for any convenient purpose, such

page_text: as pumping water, compressing or pumping air, or gas exhausting, and other
analogous operations.
I do not confine myself to the exact details of my invention, as above described
and illustrated, as they may be modified for operating vertically or horizontally,
or otherwise, without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an engine for pumping and analogous uses, the combination of a main
cylinder A, fitted with a piston B, tubular piston rod w, rods operated by a
collar R at or near each end of the stroke, such rod operating upon and being.
itself carried to its full stroke by its connection with the oscillating auxiliary
cylinder H, or its equivalent, all severally connected with the lever C and valve
rod a for controlling the action and effecting the reversal of the valves, substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawing.
2. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of the several and
respective parts, together forming my invention of improvements applicable to
steam pumps and to similar or equivalent purposes, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated by the drawing.
Dated 1st May 1893.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.