Improvements in Steam Engine Air Pumps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Reprinted as amended in accordance with the decision of the Chief Examiner
dated the 13th day of March 1908.
The amendments are shown in erased and italic type).
Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Engine Air Pumps.
I, FREDERICK EDWARDS, of 62 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, E.C. Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-...
-4b.
My invention has reference to steam engine air pumps of the kind forming the
subject of my prior Patent No. 5175 of 1894 wherein the bucket acts as a piston valve.
An object I have in view is to provide for causing the admission, to the barrel of as,
large a quantity of air as practicable within a. given time thereby obviating or miti-
gating pulsations of pressure and consequent waste of power. For this purpose I com-
bine with the barrel and the bottom casing of the pump an upper external casing or
extension in such a manner as to form outside the barrel an air vessel or receiver.
adapted to store the air as near the entrances to the barrel as possible. In some cases
I make the bucket with its upper surface of such a form (for example convex or partly
inclined and curved downward towards the periphery) as to give an increased depth of
water over the outer portion of the top of the bucket next the wall of the barrel thereby,
forming a more effective water seal."
I so actuate the bucket that when at the end of its downward stroke the lowest
part of the top of the bucket shall not be below the lower edges of the inlets to the
barrel.
1.9
In order to render it easy to locate any leakage past either of the head valves, I con-
struct, the head valve seat with walls that form for each valve a separate shallow
compartment; thus by removing the door of the top chamber it can be seen from which
valve compartment leakage is or has been taking place.
I also provide a small annular water channel around the bucket rod where it passes
through the joint between the cover and the head valve seat.
In order to enable any leakage between the head valve seat and the barrel or between,
the barrel and the casing to be readily detected, I provide a weir in some convenient
part of the top chamber, it may be opposite the doorway.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1896.
3.
For the Applicant
*
3.07 at
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page_text: I, FREDERICK EDWARDS, of 62 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, E.C.,
Engineer, 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:-
My invention has reference to steam engine air pumps of the kind forming the
subject of my prior Patent No. 5175 of 1894 wherein the bucket acts as a piston
valve.
The objects I have in view are to provide for causing the admission to the barrel of
as large a quantity of air as practicable within a given time, and to obviate or mitigate
pulsations of pressure and consequent waste of power;-and-ts--enable-the-efficieney-of
the-pump-and-whether-the-various-parts-are-leaking-to-be-aseertained.
For these
this purposes I combine with the barrel and the bottom casing of the pump an upper
external casing or extension in such a manner as to form outside the barrel an air
vessel or receiver adapted to store the air as near the entrances to the barrel-as
possible.
5. In some cases-I--make-the-bucket-with-its--upper--surface--of-such-a--form-(for
example, eonvex-or-partly-inclined-and-eurved-downward-towards-the-periphery)-as
to-give-an-increased-depth-of-water-over-the--outer-portion-of--the-top-of-the-bucket
In-some-eases-I-so-construct-the-pump-that-when-the-bucket-is--at-the-end-of--its
downward-stroke-the-lowest-part-of-the-top-of--the-bucket-shall--not--be--below-the
next-the-wall-of-the-barrel-thereby-forming-n-more-effective-water-seal.
lower-edges-of-the-inlets-to-the-barrel.
In-order-to-render-it-easy-to-locate-any-leakage-past-either-of-the-valves,-I-een-
struet-the-valve-seat-with-walls-that-form-for-each-valve-a-separate-shallow-compart-
ment-thus,-by-removing-the-door-of-the-top-chamber;-it--aan--he--seen-from-which
valve-compartment-leakage-is-or-has-been-taking-place:
I-also--provide-a-small--annular--water--chanuel--around-the--bucket-red-where-it
passes-through-the-joint-between-the-eover-and-the-valve-seat--In-order-to-enable
any leakage between-the-valve-seat-and--the-barrel--or--between-the-barrel-and--the
easing-to-be-readily-detected,-I-provide--a-weir-in-some--convenient--part-of-the-top
ehamber;-it-may-be-opposite-the-doorway:
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 shows in central vertical
section a steam engine air pump according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal
section in two planes, the upper portion being on the line ab Fig. 1 and the lower
on the line c d, part of the valve seat, and its supporting flange being broken away.
1 is the pump barrel with valveless inlet openings 2 in its lower part; 3 the valve-
less bucket that serves as a piston valve in relation to said openings, and 4 a chamber
into which water air and vapour can flow, and whence water displaced by the descent
of the bucket is caused by the guiding edges 4" of the chamber to pass through the
openings 2 into the barrel above the bucket and to assist air and vapour to also enter
the barrel through the said openings in the manner described in the specification of
my above mentioned Letters Patent.
Above the guiding edges 4 of the chamber 4 is a passage 5 through which air and
vapour-can flow to all the inlet openings 2 of the barrel. 6 is an upper external casing
or extension so arranged in relation to the barrel 1 and the passage 5 of the pump as
to form outside the barrel an air vessel or receiver 7 that is in free communication with
the passage 5 and is adapted to store the air as near the entrances to the barrel as
possible.

page_text: The-bucket-3-instead-of-being-flat-may--be-made--with--its--upper--surface-convex
and-curved-downward-towards-the-periphery--as-indieated-on-the-right-hand-side-of
Fig-1-60-as-to-form-a-more-effective-water-seals-the--underside--of--the--valve-seat-S..
is-shaped -te--eorrespond--with-the-top-of-the-basket--se-as-to-rednee-the-elearance.
On-the-left-hand-side-of-Fig-l-a-modified-form--of--bueket--top--and--under-side--of
valve seat-is-shown-the-top-of-the-bucket--being-partly-inclined--and--parily--hori
zontal, the horizontal portion-being-at-its eirenmf.renee; -this-form-has-less-tendeney,
whilst-at-the-same-time-it-inereases-the-depth-of-the-water-seal. With buckets-and
to-obstrnet-the-entering-air-than-that-shown-on-the-right--kand--side-of-the-figure
valve seats-thus-formed-the-water-strikes-the-under-side--of-the--valve-sent-around-
its-onter-edge-first,-instead-of-simultaneously-all-over;-as in-the-ease-of-a-fat-bucket
and-valve-seats,-and-a-blow-or-water-hammer-is-thus avoided-even though the pump
be-worked-at-high-speeds:-The-thickness-of--the-barrel--at-the--lower-edges--of--the
inlets-2--if-above-or--on-a-level-with-the-top-of-the-bucket--is--such-that--it--would
through-them-there-would-necessarily-be-more-or-less-friction-which-would-tend-to
retard-or-prevent-the-air-and-water-from-entering-the-barrel-To-obviate--this-I-so
actuate-the-bucket-that,-when-it-is-at-the-end-of-its--downward-stroke,--the--lowest
part of-its-top-will-not-be-below-the-lower-edges-of-the--inlets-2-but-above-as-shown
form-short-passages-or-pipes-between the-sides--of-which-and-air-and-water-flowing.
thereby-avoiding all-possible-friction--which--the-lower--edges--of--the-inlets-might:
eause. Moreover, the resistance;-or-obstruction-to-the-entry-et--air-or-water-is-only
The-valve-seat-S-is-constructed-with-walls S-that-extend-around-the-outer-eirenm-
that-due-to-the-friction-between-the-same-and-the-extreme-edge-of-the-bucket:
ferenes-of-the-valve-seat-and-around-the-aperture-therein-through-which-the-bucket
red-passes-and-also-extend-in-the-form-of--conneeting--ribs-as--seen--in-Fig-2-from
ene-to-the-other-of-these-eircular-walls-between each-two-adjacent--valves--there-is
thus-formed-for-each-valve--a--separate--shallow--compartment. A--small-annular
water-channel-10-is-also-provided-around--the-bucket--red--where--it--passes-through
the-valve-sent-plate:
Upon-removing-the-door-any-leakage-between-the-valve--seat--8-and-the-barrel--t,
er-between-barrel-1-and-the-easing-or-from-which-valve-compartment--leakage-is-or
has-been-taking-plaee-can-be-readily-detected--by-noticing--the-level-to-which-the
surface-of-the-water-in-the-valve--ehamber-falls.-The-outlet--branch--is--at-such-a
level-that-there-is-maintained, when--no--leakage--oeeurs-a--sufficient-head-of-water
above-the-valves.
Fig. 3-shows-the-apper-part-of-a-pump-aecording-to-this--invention-in--which-the
door-9-is-at-the-side-of-the-valve-chamber-at-a--lower-level--than-the-ontlet-braneh.
In-this-ease;-1-provide-a-weir-lt-which-maintains-a-head--of--water-above-the-valve
seat-thus-enabling--leakage--to-be-detected-and--which--also--prevents--the--water
flowing-out-through-the-door-The-weir-is-preferably-plaeed--where- there--is-most
head-room-over-it.
This arrangement-is-desirable-in--eases--where--height-is--of--consequence;--as--for
instance-in-light-dranght or-shallow-steamers,-as--it--enables- the--door-to-be--made
with-suffieient-joint-surface, and-the-opening-closed-by-it-to-be-made-large-enough-for
a-man-to-do-all-that-may-be-required-through-it-without-loss-of-water.
Pumps-construeted-as-hereinbefore-deseribed--and--shown--in--the--accompanying
drawings-can-be-easily-examined-and-any-leakage--detected-and-obviated--with-very
little trouble. The-arrangements whereby-the--entry-of-air-into-the-barrel-is-facili-
tated-render-it-possible-to-decrease-the--depth-of-the-inlets--2--to-the-barrel-which
I-de-by-lowering-their-upper-edges.
As-the-height-of-the-port-affeets-the-effieieney
of-the-pump-these-improvements-inerease-its efficiency:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a steam engine air pump of the kind referred to, the combination with the
harral and the bottom casing of the numn of an unner external casing that forms ont-