IMPROVE- MENTS IN CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR STEAM PUMPING ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Binnie, of London, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR STEAM PUMPING ENGINES."
Sealed the 4th June 1875, and dated the 14th December 1874.

page_text: mouth pipe and stationary or adjustable disc placed over the end of the
pipe for regulating the width or area of the annulas opening, from which
the steam is discharged into the suction pipe, in the meantime the
pump is made to draw its water through an annulas opening formed by
the inside of the suction pipe and outside of the bell-mouth steam pipe.
The width or area of this annulas water passage is adjusted by moving
the steam pipe. The object of these combined annulas steam and water
passages is to cause the greatest possible surfaces of steam and water to
meet in the suction pipe for insureing an instantaneous condensation of
steam with the least quantity of water, and at all times insureing as
good a vacuum as can possibly be obtained by this mode of condensing.
The said condensing apparatus is usually applied inside the suction pipe
near the pump, but may be placed in any part of the suction pipe
between the surface of water being drawn and the pump if desired.
The accompanying Drawings represent two modes of applying the
condensing apparatus.
u
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of the suction
and steam pipe leading from the pump and steam cylinder. A is a
suction pipe; B is the steam pipe; O is an adjustable steam pipe inside
the suction pipe, as represented, provided with a bell mouth-piece d at 1
its end and stationary disc e, which are made to form the annulas steam
passage f. In this case the disc e and bell mouth-piece d are united
together, as represented in Fig. 3, thereby making the area of the
annuls steam passage the same at all times, but the area of the water
passage k around the outside of the steam pipe or bell mouth-piece and
inside of the suction pipe is varied by elevating or lowering the steam
pipe by the adjusting screw h, as represented. The suction pipe leading
into the well is attached at D, while the E end of the pipe is attached to
the pump by an elbow pipe (not represented), and the exhaust steam
pipe from the cylinder is attached to pipe F leading into the suction pipe a
or chamber A.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the suction and steam
pipe with the condensing apparatus attached thereto, similar in every
respect to that represented in Fig. 1, excepting the disc e over the end
of the bell mouth-piece. d is made adjustable by the screw spindle g
and wheel J, as represented, for regulating the width or area of the
annulas steam passage opening f if required, or closing it entirely when

page_text: first starting the pump to work. The Drawing, Fig. 2, fully represents
the structure of the condensing apparatus without further specifying it.
If desired the circular bell mouth-picce d on the end of the steam
pipe and the suction pipe opposite the bell mouth-pieco may be made
square, or any other shape transversly, which will serve equaly as well
to accomplish the object of the improvement, namely, causing the
greatest possible quantities of exhaust steam and water to meet each
other in annulas or concentric sheets for effecting as perfect condensation
of steam as possible, as before stated.
The arrows marked on the Drawings show the direction of the currents
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Binnie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th June 1875.
-
7
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BINNIE, of London, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Binnie, Her special
licence that I, the said Robert Binnie, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Binnie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 CONDENSING APPARATUS FOR STEAM POMPING ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Binnic, 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

page_text: 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 Robert Binnic, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My said improvement is more particularly intended for direct acting
steam pumps used in mines and for other purposes, but may be used in
connection with other form of pumping engines.
The improvement consists in discharging the exhaust steam from the
cylinder into the suction pipe of the pump through an annulas opening
formed by a bell-mouthed pipe, and stationary or adjustable disc placed
over the end of said pipe for regulating the width or area of the annulas
opening, from which the steam is discharged into the suction pipe. In
the meantime the pump is made to draw its water through an annulas
opening formed by the inside of the suction pipe and outside of the
bell-mouthed steam pipe. The width or area of this annulas water
passage is adjusted by moving the steam pipe. The object of these com-
bined annulas annulas steam and water passages are to cause the greatest
possible surfaces of steam and water to meet in the suction pipe for
insureing an instantaneous condensation of steam with the least quantity
of water, an consequently as good a vacuum as can possibly be obtained
by the use of this mode of condensing. The said condensing apparatus
is usually applied inside the suction pipe near the pump, but may be
placed in any part of the suction pipe between the surface of the water
being drawn and the pump if desired.
In order to give a fuller understanding of the said improvement
reference will be made to the accompanying Drawings forming part of
this Specification by the figures and letters of reference marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of one form of the apparatus,
and Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form. The condenser is shewn
without being attached to a steam cylinder or pump. The direction of
the currents of steam and water through the condenser and its parts are
indicated by the arrows. A, Fig. 1, represents the condensing chamber,

page_text: and when placed for use it is attached to the pump by the pipe E, and
the suction pipe, a part of which is shewn, is attached at D. The
exhaust steam enters the condenser by the pipe B and m. The pipe m
is usually a tube permanently fit into the upper part of the condenser A,
as represented, or in any, other suitable manner. The tube C has a
sliding fit on the outside of the pipe or tube m, as represented, and is
made to carry the cones a, d, and e. These cones are vertically adjusted
by the screw spindle 9 and wheel J, or by any other equivalent means
for regulating the annulas water space k between the curved sides of the
condenser A and outside of the cone piece d. The exhaust steam from
the cylinder enters the condensing chamber from the pipe m through the
annulas spaces h and f, and is condensed by mingling with the water
drawn into the pump through the suction pipe D. The annulas steam
passages h and ƒ are formed by the cone pieces a, d, and e, as repre-
sented.
We will suppose the condenser represented by Fig. 1 is ready for use,
which is made to work in the following described manner :- -When the.
engine is, first started the steam from the cylinder is usually discharged
into the air until the pump is filled with water and at work. The steam
is then discharged into the condenser through the pipe B and m and
annulas passages
h and f, as before described. Any suitable valve may
be employed for connecting the exhaust steam or pipe with the con-
denser, such a three-way cock, for discharging the steam into the air
or condenser as may be required. The spring S on the lower part of the
spindle g is employed partly for holding the cones to their place and for
permitting them to yield or drop in or to increase or diminish the area
of the annulas water passage / to suit the speed of the pump or quantity
of water being drawn through the condensing chamber at any time.
The cone a is attached to the sliding tube C by a sleeve, as represented,
and the cones d and a and c and d are usually united to each other at
points by rivetting, or if desired they can be joined together at points
in the process of casting.
The plan of condenser represented by Fig. 2 is similar in its action to
that shown by Fig. 1, excepting the water space or area k. Between the
curved inside of the condensing chamber and outside of the steam cone
piece d is entirely regulated by the screw spindle.g, to which the cones
d, e, and sliding tube C are attached. The Drawings will fully represent

page_text: the action of this condenser from the description herein-before made of
Fig. 1.
Having now described the nature of my improvement, what I claim
as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the manner of con-
structing and forming the parts of the condenser for making and causing
annular currents of steam and water to meet each other for condensing
purposes, as and for the purposes herein-before described and repre-
sented by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Binnie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.