IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPING- ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION AND EMISSION OR FLOW OF FLUID IN STEAM-ENGINES AND OTHER APPARATUS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mark Silvester, of Mayall Road, Brixton, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPING-
ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING
THE ADMISSION AND EMISSION OR FLOW OF FLUID IN STEAM-ENGINES AND
OTHER APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mark Silvester at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1881.
"
MARK SILVESTER, of Mayall Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPING ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION AND EMISSION OR FLOW OF FLUID
IN STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER APPARATUS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in pumping engines, parts of
which improvements are applicable for regulating the admission and emission or
flow of fluid in steam engines and other apparatus.
.
My Invention has reference primarily to pumping engines wherein the flow of
fluid to and from the pump cylinder is regulated by a slide valve; and according to
my Invention, this valve is constructed and arranged so as to expose to the fluid
pressure two or more surfaces or faces, each provided with ports for the passage of
fluid. The valve so arranged I guide or support and guide in the valve box or case,
by and between guides or slides, one or more of which is or are adjustable, and
which, where the valve is square or polygonal in cross-section, are so arranged at
the angles of the valve as to afford the lap necessary to prevent leakage, but to
allow of the fluid pressure acting equally on all the working sides or faces of the
valve, and in the case of a horizontal valve upon an increased area at the under
part sufficient to balance the weight of the valve.
The arrangement I prefer for pumps is a double face, one-face working against
a fixed surface with the usual ports, and the other face working against an adjustable
guide or slide.
My Invention furthermore relates to arrangements whereby the pump delivery
and exhaust are rendered capable of reversal by means of a single valve. This

page_text: valve is arranged in a chamber that serves also as an air vessel, and which is
provided with passages leading to the respective ends of the pump cylinder, as also
with other passages serving indifferently as suction or delivery, according to the
position of the valve for the time being. The valve has a cavity or passage
forming a connection between two of the passages leading from the valve chamber,
and also has a way through it. In one position of the valve fluid will be drawn
via one of the passages through the cavity in the valve into the pump cylinder,
and delivered thence through and over the said valve and into and through the air
vessel. In another position of the valve fluid will be drawn into the air vessel
over and through the said valve to the pump cylinder, whence it will be forced
through the cavity of the valve and away by the passage which in the previously
described position of the valve was the suction passage.
It will be evident that equilibrium valves, as also valves whereby the suction and
delivery of a pump can be reversed as described, may be made in various forms
according to my Invention; also that slide valves, according to my Invention, may
be used to regulate the admission and emission of actuating fluid to and from
engines employed for various purposes.
One arrangement suitable for a steam engine is as follows:-
The valve is rectangular in cross section, and at each of its four sides has ports
which may be of the usual kind. This valve is placed in the valve box with its
sides diagonal to those of that box, upon adjustable guides or slides, which guides
or slides have ports communicating, through a chamber in the valve box, with each
other, and with each end of the cylinder, and with the exhaust in the usual way.
In the cover or in the upper part of the valve box are also fitted guides or slides,
which fit also the other surfaces of the slide valve not covered by the other slides
in the valve box. These guides or slides have also ports communicating through
an external chamber with the corresponding ports in the valve box, and are held in
position in the valve box or cover by suitable bolts. A steam tight joint is thus
made where the ports of the slide meet those of the external chamber, and rigidity
of the guides or slides is attained. To adjust the valve, or to take up any wear,
the guides or slides in the valve box or cover are set down upon the slide valve by
suitable set screws in the cover of the valve box, the bolts being first slightly eased.
Upon the bolts being again tightened, the adjustable slides are rendered rigid,
and the fluid pressure will be therefore equal upon each plane or side of the
valve.
Valves of other cross-sections, whether polygonal or circular, may be arranged
according to my Invention.
I would also remark that my method of reversing the suction and delivery by a
single valve is applicable to various forms of pumps.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Mark Silvester in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st July
1881.
MARK SILVESTER, of Mayall Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPING ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE FOR REGULATING THE ADMISSION AND EMISSION OR FLOW OF FLUID
IN STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER APPARATUS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in pumping engines, parts of
which improvements are applicable for regulating the admission and emission or
flow of fluid in steam engines and other apparatus.
This Invention has reference primarily to pumping engines wherein the flow of
fluid to and from the pump cylinder is regulated by a slide valve.
According to my Invention this valve is constructed and arranged so as to expose
to the fluid pressure two or more surfaces or faces, each provided with ports for
the
passage of fluid, and so arranged that the fluid pressure on each face of the
valve will balance the fluid pressure on the opposite face or faces, and in the case
of a horizontal valve will act upon such an increased area on the under face or
faces of the valve as will balance the weight of the valve in addition to the fluid
pressure on its upper face or faces. The valve so arranged I guide or support and
guide in the valve box or case between guides or slides, one or more of which is or
are adjustable. The guides or slides have the usual ports upon their working
faces, and have also ports by which through suitable passages in the valve box or
case corresponding ports in the working faces communicate with each other and
with the ends of the cylinder and with the exhaust or delivery in the usual way.
The adjustable guides or slides are connected to the valve box or case by bolts or
other suitable means.
Referring to the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of a pumping engine according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; and
Fig. 3 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a cross section in line x, x, of Fig. 5, of a pump cylinder and
valve chest according to my Invention; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through
the valve and ports of the said cylinder in line y, y, of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a cross
section similar to Fig. 4, in line z, z, of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan taken
along the centre lines of the piston and valve rods; and Fig. 8 is a plan.
a is a double faced valve working between two valve faces, in each of which
there are three ports, b, c, d, of which c, c, communicate with the outlet e; b, b, com-
municate with the right hand end of the cylinder by the passage f, and d, d, with
the left hand end by the passage g; h is an adjustable guide or slide, which can be
adjusted to take up any wear of the valve or valve faces by the set screws i, i, and
is secured in the valve chest by the screws j, j.
In operation the valve is exposed to fluid pressure on its upper and lower, and
on both its end surfaces, and consequently is, supposing the opposite surfaces to be
equal as far as such pressure is concerned, in equilibrium. As shewn in the
Drawings, the fluid entering the valve chest at k passes through the ports b, b, and
conduit to the cylinder, where it follows the piston towards the left, at the same
time the fluid drawn in at the left hand end of the cylinder at the previous stroke
is being forced by the piston through the conduit g, the ports d, d, and the upper
and lower valve cavities into the exhaust ports c, c, and delivery passage e.
Fig. 9, is a cross section similar to Fig. 4 through the pump cylinder and valve
chest of a pumping engine in which the lower guide or slide of the valve is made
removable as well as the upper one. In a pump of this construction the whole of
"

page_text: the working faces can be constructed of superior metal to the body of the pump,
and can be exchanged or renewed from time to time. Fig. 8b is a cross section of
a vertical pump according to my Invention, in which each guide or slide is both
removable and adjustable.
My Invention furthermore relates to an arrangement which I term a reversing 5
valve, whereby the delivery and suction passages are rendered capable of reversal
by means of a single valve. This valve is arranged in a chamber, which chamber
serves also as an air vessel, and is provided with suitable passages leading to the
respective ends of the pump cylinder, as also with two other passages serving
indifferently as suction and delivery according to the position of the valve for the 1
time being. The valve has a cavity or passage forming a connection between two
of the passages leading from the valve chamber, and also has a passage through it.
In one position of the valve fluid will be drawn via one of the passages through
the cavity in the valve into the pump cylinder, and delivered thence through the
valve into and through the air vessel. In the other position of the valve fluid will 1
be drawn from the air vessel through the said valve to the pump cylinder, whence
it will be forced through the cavity in the valve and into the passage, which in the
previously described position of the valve was the suction passage.
Fig. 10, Sheet 3, is an elevation of a reversing valve arrangement whereby the
delivery and suction ports or passages of a pump are rendered capable of reversal
by means of a single valve; Fig. 11 is a vertical central section; Fig. 12 is a
plan of the ports or passages at line x, y, Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a plan of the face
of the valve; and Fig. 14 is a section in the line W, W, of Fig. 12, shewing some
of the passages.
The valve
When
The casing n of the reversible valve has four apertures, R¹, A1, S1, T¹, of which
R¹ is connected to the suction pipes, A¹ to the delivery pipes, S¹ to the pump
suction inlet, and T¹ to the pump delivery outlet; m is the reversible valve
operated by the valve spindle m', and situated within the air vessel o.
rotates on a stud p let into a recess in the valve seating in which are the three
ports R, S, and T, and has its cavity so arranged as to cover and connect two of
the ports, while the third is in communication with the port or passage u.
the valve is in the ordinary position, as shewn in the Drawings, fluid flowing into
the pump will enter the reversible valve casing at R¹, pass through the cavity
of the valve, and down the passage S to the suction inlet of the pump. After
being drawn through the pump and emitted at the delivery outlet, it enters the
casing again at T₁, and passes through the port u to the air vessel and the delivery
outlet A¹. When however the position of the valve is changed so that its cavity
covers and connects the ports R and T, the fluid then flows from the air vessel
through the port u to the passage S, and the suction inlet of the pump, by which
it is delivered by the passage T to the cavity of the valve and the passage R, which
thus becomes the delivery outlet of the pump.
It will be evident that equilibrium valves, as also valves whereby the suction
and delivery of a pump can be reversed as described, may be made in various
forms according to my Invention, and that my method of reversing the suction
and delivery ports and passages by a single valve is applicable to various forms of
pumps.
It will be evident also that slide valves, according to my Invention, may be used
to regulate the admission and emission of actuating fluid to and from engines
employed for various purposes. For instance, the arrangements shewn in Figs.
4, 5, 6, and 7 are also applicable to steam and other engines which have been
described as applied to a pump cylinder, and if what has been described as the
suction inlet were supplied with an actuating fluid, such as steam, and what has
been described as the delivery outlet were connected to an exhaust outlet or
condenser, the pump cylinder would work as the cylinder of a steam engine.
Fig. 8 shews in cross section an arrangement of a four-faced valve suitable
for a steam engine, the ports and passages however being shewn large enough for
a pump.

page_text: The valve.1 is rectangular in cross section, and at each of its four sides has ports,
which may be of the usual kind. This valve is placed in the valve box, with its
sides diagonal to those of that box, upon guides or slides 2, 2, which guides or
slides have ports communicating, through a chamber in the valve box, with each
other, and with each end of the cylinder, and with the exhaust in the usual way.
In the front part of the valve box are fitted adjustable guides or slides 4, 4, which
fit also the other surfaces of the slide valve not covered by the other slides in the
valve box. These guides or slides have also ports communicating with the corre-
sponding ports in the valve box, and are held in position in the valve box by the
bolts or screws 5, 5, and 6, 6. A steam tight joint is thus made where the ports
of the slide meet those of the valve box, and rigidity of the guides or slides is
attained. To adjust the valve, or to take up any wear, the guides or slides 4, 4,
in the valve box are set down upon the slide valve by the set screws 5, 5, in the
valve box, the bolts or screws 6, 6, in the valve box cover being first slightly eased.
Upon these bolts being again tightened the adjustable slides are rendered rigid, and
the fluid pressure being therefore equal upon each of its planes or sides the valve
will work in equilibrio.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
have it understood that what I-consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as secured to me under the Letters Patent hereinbefore in part recited
is,―
1. In a pumping or other engine wherein the flow of actuating or other fluid
is controlled by a valve having two or more operating faces, each working along
a guide or slide, making the fluid pressure on each of such working or operating
faces equal, or, in other words, making the valve work in equilibrio by means of
adjustable guides or slides, having ports and communications to inlet or suction,
to outlet or exhaust, and to the respective ends of the cylinder, substantially as
hereinabove described.
2. In a pumping or other engine the combination of parts constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive,
also the modification illustrated in Fig. 9, and also in Fig. 8° and in Fig. 8b.
3. The arrangement whereby the direction of flow of fluid through a pump
is rendered capable of reversal by a single valve, substantially as described and
shewn.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Mark Silvester, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty first day of July, in the year of our Lord One
M. SILVESTER. (L.S.)