IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM Pumps
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th June 1872.-A communication from abroad by Andrew
Jackson Reynolds, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM Pumps," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and important improvement in
apparatus for raising water whereby the pressure of the atmosphere is
utilized to a greater extent than in apparatus heretofore constructed, and
consists in the novel arrangement of check valves between the steam
chests and condensers for the purpose of producing initial vacuum in the
steam cylinders, and for keeping water out as herein-after more fully
described.

page_text: A, A, represent the cylinders; B, B, the pistons; C, C, the discharge
pipes; D, D, are the foot valves in the channel plate K, K; E is the
supply pipe; F, F, represents the upper exhaust pipes and.condensers;
G is the balance wheel; H, the shaft; I, the crank. The pump may be
driven by means of a working beam if desired. J, J, are the lower
exhaust and drip pipes; M, M, are check valves in the upper exhaust;
N is the steam valve; O, O, steam valve rods; P, P, lugs on the steam
valve rods. Q is a chamber between the valves N and M. R, R,
represent the steam pipes; S; S, represent pins through the connecting
rods; T, T, are the condensing troughs; U, U, are rose heads on the ends
of the exhaust pipes F. V is the piston rod; W, the connecting rods;
X, X, the steam chests; Y, Y, the steam ports; Z, Z, valves.
•
.
The particular parts of which the engine consists having been thus
identified, I will now proceed to describe its operation. The engine is
filled with water through the discharge valve (not shown), and the
balance wheel is turned in either direction. When the upward move-
ment takes place the pin S on the connecting rod strikes the lug P, on
the valve rod and moves the valve N up, thus throwing open the steam
port Y, and admitting steam into the cylinder A on to the piston B, and
forcing the piston down to the bed plate K. This displaces the water in
the cylinder and forces it above the valve D into the discharge pipe C,
and forcing the exhaust steam and drip above the piston through the
valve of the lower exhaust and drip pipe J. The last inch of this
downward motion changes the opening in the steam port Y by the pin
S striking the lug P so as to cut off steam and admit the exhaust steam:
into the exhaust pipe F, at the same time that it opens the exhaust
pipe J. This is accomplished by the crank I turning with the shaft H,
which allows the piston rod V to descend. Now supposing the action
above described to have taken place in the right hand side of the
engine, the motion being continuous from this point the process is
repeated in the left hand side and in the same manner with this
addition.
. The first inch of the upward motion of the piston on the right
hand side closes the exhaust pipe after the first exhaust steam has
been discharged with the water in the discharge pipe C, and the last
inch closes the chamber Q and steam port Y in the left hand side
and admits the steam to have the same action as it did on the other
side. At the same time the piston B rises and the water in the

page_text: discharge pipe falls, the exhaust steam escapes rapidly through the pipe
F, condensing in the trough T, until the valve N closes the chamber Q,
and piston B has ascended half way up cylinder A, when the steam
remaining in cylinder A is condensed, and that remaining in chamber Q
is also condensed. The check valve M prevents water, steam, or air,
from passing back from the discharge pipe F, making two vacuums in
the cylinders A to be filled from below by atmospheric pressure, and the
other in chamber Q closed at both ends ready for a revolution of the
shaft H to reopen by the valve N the passage to the exhaust pipe F,
when the exhaust rushes in to fill the vacuum and finds its way through
the check valve M and pipe F, to the condenser or trough T.
The motion and momentum of each side of the engine assists the
action of the steam and the atmospheric pressure reciprocally throughout
the operation.