IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS FOR STEAM PUMPS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONDENSERS FOR STEAM PUMPS." -A communication from abroad by
William Craig, of Newark, in the State of New Jersey, and Henry
Lefferts Brevoort, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st November 1870.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS
FOR STEAM PUMPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application to steam pumps of a con-
1

page_text: By lateral
side of the steam piston at each stroke of the pump, and the heat of the
exhaust steam be communicated to the water forced by the pumps. The
condenser is, by preference, constructed with a water jacket, with the
bottom of which the water supply pipe is connected.
openings near its upper part the central chamber of the condenser is
supplied with water, and openings at the top of the jacket leading to
an upper chamber allow of the water passing thereto. The exhaust
steam is led to a central tube fitted in this chamber. This tube is
provided with longitudinal side openings, and into it projects the upper
end of the hollow stem of a float that fits loosely in the central chamber.
This float acts on its rise and fall as a valve to close and open the lateral
openings which admit water from the jacket to the central chamber, and
the hollow stem acts in a similar manner to control the passage of the
water through the lateral openings in the perforated tube. The water
in passing through the condenser meets with the exhaust steam, and
absorbing the heat therefrom passes down the hollow stem of the float
into the central chamber, and is discharged thence in a heated state.
The water supply pipe it is preferred to provide with a hand valve,
whereby the passage of water up the pipe into the, condenser may be
controlled as required, and the float, which automatically prevents
flooding of the condenser, may be relieved from constant or excessive
motion. In some cases the water jacket which serves to absorb the
beat that otherwise would pass, through the exterior of the condenser
may be omitted, or it might in conjunction with its floating valve be
used exclusively and without the co-operation of the perforated tube
under valvular control, as described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Ohancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty- 3

page_text: fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONDENSERS For Steam Pumps," being a communication
to me from abroad by William Craig, of Newark, in the State of New
Jersey, and Henry Lefferts Brevoort, of Brooklyn, in the State of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the.
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
:-
This Invention relates to the application to steam pumps of a con-
denser by means of which a vacuum may be produced on the exhaust
side of the steam piston at each stroke of the pump, and the heat of
the exhaust steam be communicated to the water forced by the pump.
The Invention comprises a perforated upper suction tube within the
condensing chamber of the condenser, the same virtually forming an
extension from the suction pipe leading up into the condenser, also a
float operating as a valve by the rise and fall of the water in the con-
denser, to open and close communication between the suction pipe and
condenser. The suction pipe it is preferred to provide with a hand
valve, whereby the passage of water up the said pipe into the condenser
may be controlled as required, and the float, which automatically

page_text: prevents the flooding of the condenser may be relieved from constant
or excessive motion.
The Invention also consists in or includes a water jacket or chamber
arranged to surround the condenser and in communication with the
suction pipe by which it is supplied, also in communications above by
perforations with the condenser under control of a float within the con-
denser, operating as a valve, as and for the like purpose described with
reference to the perforations in the upper suction tube. In some cases
this outer water jacket which serves to absorb the heat that otherwise
would pass through the exterior of the condenser may be omitted, or it
might in conjunction with its floating valve be used exclusively and
without the co-operation of the perforated upper suction tube under
valvular control, as described.
Having thus specified the object and nature of the Invention, its
description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
Figures 1 and 2 represent sectional elevations at right angles to cach
other of a condenser constructed in accordance with the Invention, and
as applied to a steam pump; Fig. 3 is a plan of the body of the con-
denser with its cap portion removed; and Fig. 4 a horizontal section
through the condenser, taken as indicated by the line x, x, in Fig. 1.
In the Drawing A represents the body of the condenser, connected by
a branch pipe B with the inlet of the water cylinder C of a steam pump,
which latter may be of ordinary or any suitable construction; A¹ is the
upper or cap portion of the condenser; D is the suction pipe from a well
or other suitable water source, and fitted with a valve E controlable by
hand. This suction pipe D connects with a water jacket F surrounding
the body of the condenser, and forming part of the latter as it were, the
same being in communication with the body A by perforations b, b, and
with the cap portion A¹ by openings 6¹, b¹. In communication with the
suction pipe D, and arranged within the upper portion or cap of the
condenser is a perforated tube D', virtually forming an upper detached
extension of the suction pipe D. The perforations c, c, in this tube D'
are in the aggregate preferably of greater area than it or than the
suction pipe D. The exhaust steam from the steam cylinder of the
pump enters the condenser or tube D' therein by a pipe G, and coming
in contact with the water in the upper portion of the condenser is
immediately condensed, thereby producing a vacuum on the exhaust

page_text: side of the steam piston, which augments the power of the pump, and
communicates the heat of the exhaust steam to the water forced by the
pump that draws its supply by the pipe B from the condenser; H is a
float arranged within the body A of the condenser, and operating as a
valve to open or close the perforations b, b, also having connected with
it a tube H', which operates as a second or additional valve to control
the perforations c, c, in the tube D'. These valves may if preferred be
formed of independent floats, thus an annular float might be used to
control the perforations b, b, and a secondary float inside of the first and
surrounding a stationary downward extension of the tube D' be arranged
to control the perforations c, c.
Under the present arrangement,
however, the tube H₁ forms a moveable or sliding extension of the
perforated tube D¹, operating as a valve to the latter, and being in
communication below with the body of the condenser. The float or
double valve H, H³, rises when the water stands unduly high in the
condenser, and contracts or closes the perforations b, b, and c, c, the
latter of which it is preferred to make of an oblong vertical shape.
Thus the float as it is caused to move will perfectly regulate the supply:
of water to the condenser. The float being raised as described will not
fall again to re-establish free communication between the condenser and
the suction pipe until the pump has made one or more strokes and
drawn the surplus water from the condenser. The closing action of the
float on the perforated tube D' prevents the condenser from becoming
choked with water, and also prevents the passage of the latter by the
pipe G into the steam cylinder of the pump. The water jacket F takes
up the heat from the exhaust steam, which otherwise would pass through
the exterior or shell of the condenser, and imparts the same to the water
forced by the pump, said water jacket being in communication above,
as described, with the condensing chamber, which provision practically
converts the water jacket F into a water supply course or passage to
the condenser. d, d, are vertical grooves formed in the body A of the
condenser, to establish water courses extending above and below the
perforations b, b, and over which the float is free to travel. While it
is considered preferable to employ both means for supplying the con-
denser with water, either the perforated tube D' with its valve float, or
the jacket F with its valve float may be used separately if desired. The
float may either be sustained by its own buoyancy, or be supported by
balance weights, and have its limits of stroke controlled by suitable
stops. When the pump is required to be stopped for any considerable

page_text: time the valve E is closed, or in case of it being necessary to run the
pump slowly for a lengthened period, the said valve may be partially
closed, thereby relieving the float from constant or excessive motion.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Condensers for Steam Pumps," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. A condenser for steam pumps, provided with a perforated
suction tube or extension D¹, arranged to lead the flow from the suction
pipe to the upper portion of the condenser, substantially as specified.
Secondly. The combination with the perforated suction tube or ex-
tension D¹ of a float operating as a valve, to control in an automatic
manner the ingress of water to the condenser, essentially as and for the
purpose or purposes
herein set forth.
Thirdly. The water jacket F, in communication with the suction
pipe D below, and with the condenser above, in combination with a
float operating as an automatic valve to the discharge apertures of the
jacket, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.