Improvements in and relating to the Controlling. Gear of Direct- acting Pumping Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Controlling. Gear of Direct-
acting Pumping Engines.
We, HENRY GARRETT GOURLAY, CHARLES GERSHOM GOURLAY, and
JAMES GORDON LYON, all of the firm of Gourlay Brothers and Company, Engineers
and Shipbuilders, of Dundee, Forfarshire, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the controlling
gear of direct-acting feed pumping engines, and has for its object to automatically
regulate the discharge of pump by controlling the speed of the feed donkey that it
throws only such quantity of water as is being condensed by the engines, or used
from the boiler into which the water is fed, and the pump barrel being always fully
charged with water, air is prevented from being pumped into the boilers, as is the
case with ordinary feed pumps; the improved arrangement also acts as a feed heater
and water circulator. As applied to a direct-acting feed pumping engine, when
this is to be used as a donkey feed on board ship or elsewhere, of the class the
present applicants have applied, for provisional protection of same date, in which
an auxiliary fixed. cylinder and slide valve is used to control the action of the
engine, the improvements consist in fitting a three-way cock or valve to the supply
inlet branch of the valve casing of said auxiliary cylinder, and coupling or con-
necting another branch of this cock to a pipe leading from the water in the bottom
of the boiler, or it might be the steam from the boiler, and connecting the third
branch of this cock to a pipe leading to hot-well, from which the donkey engine is
drawing its water. A regulating ground valve plug is fitted in this three-way cock or
valve chest with hand spindle passing through stuffing box and cover and with a lever
outside connected by a rod to a float in the hot-well direct or through other lever
connections.. This cock and valve is constructed with an annular port and so con-
nected with the float that as the water rises in the hot-well above a normal
regulated height, it opens the port in the valve through from the branch connected
to the water or steam in the boiler to open it to the branch leading to the valve
chest to set on the pumping engine, and gradually shut it off to slow or stop the
engine as the float fell in the hot-well below the normal level. And further when
the water fell to a dangerously low level in the hot-well, to turn the valve after
closing the branch to the valve chest, to make the port in it slightly open the branch
from the boiler to the branch leading to the hot-well so that the pump which gets
its supply from the hot-well could never draw in air, and so prevent the possibility
of its forcing air into the boiler. It will be understood that this float regulated
valve is also applicable for being fitted to the valve chests of ordinary steam feed
pumping engines as well as the special valve chest of the arrangement of engine
hereinbefore described, to regulate their speed and pumping action proportionate
to the level of the water in the hot-well.
Dated the 11th September 1890.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Controlling Gear of Direct-
acting Pumping Engines.
We, HENRY GARRETT GOURLAY, CHARLES GERSHOM GOURLAY, and JAMES
GORDON LYON, all of the firm of Gourlay Brothers and Company, Engineers
and Shipbuilders, of Dundee, Forfarshire, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, that
is to say :-
:-
Our invention has reference to and comprises improvements in the controlling
gear of direct-acting feed pumping engines, and has for its object to automatically
regulate the discharge of pump by so controlling the speed of the feed donkey that
it throws only such quantity of water as is being condensed by the engines, or used
from the boiler into which the water is fed, and the pump barrel being always
fully charged with water, air prevented from being pumped into the boilers, as is
the case with ordinary feed pumps; the improved arrangement also acts as a feed
heater and water circulator.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure
on Sheet 1 represents a sectional side elevation, and Figure 2 an end view corre-
sponding to and at right angles to Figure 1, of a new or improved construction of
cock Q and key Q' for being actuated by a float in the hot-well of the engine to
control the supply of feed water in accordance with our improvements. Figure 3
on Sheet 2, is a diagram side elevation of a set of marine steam engines as fitted
with our improved arrangements for automatically controlling and regulating the
supply of and heating of the feed water to the steam boilers of said engines
the heater G being shown in section in this view. And Figure 4 is a half
or partial end view of the engines at right angles to Figure 3 and showing the
hot-well B in section forming one of the hollow columns with one arrangement of
lever float Q, Q5, fitted therein.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of these drawings:-As applied to a direct-acting
feed pumping engine, when this is to be used as a donkey feed pump on board ship
or elsewhere, of the class for which the present applicants have made application
for, Patent No. 14402 Septr. 12 1890, and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the
Specification thereof, the improvements consist in fitting a three-way cock or valve
case and key Q, Q', by one of its branches q to the supply inlet branch of the casing
of the auxiliary cylinder, which controls the steam slide valve of the engine and
pump, and coupling or connecting another branch q' of this cock to a pipe leading
from the water in the boiler, or it might be the steam from the boiler, when applied
to the steam chest and valve of the cylinders which moved the slide valve of the
engine and pump as shown in the arrangement Figures 3 to 5 of the Specification
of our said Patent of even date, and connecting the third branch y² of this cock to
a pipe leading to the hot-well B, from which the donkey engine is drawing its water.
A regulating ground valve plug Q' is fitted in this three-way cock or valve chest Q
with the spindle Q" of the key Q' passing through a stuffing box in cover and
with a lever Q outside connected by a rod Q2 to a float as Q in Sheet 2 in the
hot-well B direct or through other lever connections. The key Q' of the cock Q is
constructed with an annular port 3 and so connected by its levers and rods with
the float Q, that as the water rises in the hot-well B above a normal regulated
height, it opens the port 3 in the valve Q through from the brauch y¹ connected to
the water or steam in the boiler to open it to the branch leading to the valve chest
to set on the pumping engine, and gradually shut it off to slow or stop the engine
9

page_text: as the float Q fell in the hot-well B below the normal level. And further when
the water fell to a dangerously low level in the hot-well B to turn the key or
valve Q' after closing the branch q to the valve chest, to make the port q³ in it
slightly open the branch q' from the boiler to the branch leading to the hot-well B
so that the feed pump or pumps which get the supply from the hot-well could
never draw in air, and so prevent the possibility of air being forced into the boiler.
It will be understood that this float regulated cock or valve chest Q, Q', is also
applicable for being fitted to the valve chests of ordinary steam feed pumping
engines as well as the special valve chest of the arrangement of engine hereinbefore
referred to, of Patent No. 14,402 of 1890, to regulate their speed and pumping
action proportionate to the level of the water in the hot-well.
Referring to the general arrangement of the application of our improvements
shown in Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2, A indicates the cylinders of the main
engines supported on the top of three double hollow columns B', to B, bolted to
the ends and centre of the bed plate or frame C the hot-well B being formed in the
lower part of the columns B', where the air pump D is fitted in front, discharging
the water into it at D' and worked by the beam levers at D2 carried and oscillating
in bearings on the upper outside of the column B'. While the feed pumps E, E¹, are
shown as secured to the front of the surface condenser F, fitted between the end
columns B', B³, under one of the centre columns B³, and drawing their water from
the hot-well B, in an ordinary manner by pipes not shown in the drawings. An
improved arrangement of tubular feed water heater G is fitted vertically, but it
might be arranged horizontally, in front of the outside column B, and has the main
feed pipe E2 from the pumps E, E', led in by a lower branch E³ to the casing G to
circulate in this casing round the outer circumference of the heating tubes g
between the end tube plates G¹, G', and pass out by the upper branch and
pipe E, to the boilers of the main engine. A two-branch modification of the
cock Q described in reference to Figures 1 and 2 is here shown as bolted by an
end flange to the one side of the hot-well B, so that the spindle of its key Q', passes
right through both ends of its case Q, having the inner end of its spindle coupled
to the oscillating spindle Q3 of the levers and float Q, Q5, as shown particularly
in the vertical section Figure 4 and the horizontal section Figure 5 of the
column B corresponding to Figure 3. In this case only two branches 7, 9', 9², are
formed on the cock Q, the one q' having a pipe 3 leading from the water of the
boiler, and the other q² having a pipe leading from it to the lower end
chamber G2 of the water heater G, so that the water when set on through these
pipes flows up through the tubes y of the water heater, to the upper end
chamber G³, to heat the water passing through the heater G from the pumps, and
passes off by the pipe q, from the top end G3 of heater, to the column B₁ of
and to the hot-well B, all as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, the cock Qin
this case having the branches ¹² in line opposite each other as shown in
Figures 3 and 5, and the key only requires a straight port through it. The
action of the arrangement is as follows:--When the water in the hot-well B falls
below its normal level the float Q also falls and opens the cock QQ to admit
water through the pipes . ',, direct from the boiler to the hot-well B, which at
once raises the float Q and shuts off the cock QQ' again, thus ensuring a regular
and full supply for the pumps. On its way from the cock Q Q' to the hot-well B
this water is caused to pass through the tubes y of the heater G round which the
feed discharge from the pump circulates on its way to the boiler, thus raising the
temperature of the feed water and somewhat lowering the temperature of water
from boiler before entering hot-well B.
The object of this arrangement is, that with a given piston speed of donkey, the
hot-well B may be kept steadily charged to a certain point, whatever quantity of
water is being condensed by the main engines; thus the pump barrel is always fully
charged with water, and air is prevented from being pumped into the boilers, as is
the case with ordinary feed pumps.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the. same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is..
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of the
controlling gear of direct-acting feed pumping engines, having a cock regulated
by a float in hot-well, to automatically control the supply of feed water to the
pumps, and with feed heating and water circulating connections, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described in reference to and by way of application shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The combination and use of a cock controlled by a float in hot-
well, for automatically regulating the supply of feed water to and from main
boilers to hot-well, and regulating the action of the pumping engine, substantially as
and in the manner herein described in reference to and by way of application shown
in the accompanying drawings.
lוינ.. מ
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1001
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.