Improvements in and in connection with Pumps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Pumps.
I, FREDERICK EDWARDS, of 62, Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in reciprocating pumps that are required
to throw large quantities of water and to work at high speeds, objects being to
increase the efficiency of the pumps, to enable them to be worked at higher speeds
than heretofore without developing unsatisfactory results in working, to enable
the number of valves to be reduced, and, to permit one or more of them to be
renewed without stopping the pump, and, in some cases, to entirely obviate the
use of valves.
As is well known, the bucket or plunger of a pump, on making its suction
stroke, causes the atmosphere to set the water travelling in a corresponding
direction, and, if the water level of the supply be above the pump, the speed of
the water is increased by the pressure due to the head of the water; after the com-
pletion of its suction stroke, the pump bucket or plunger, on commencing to make
the return stroke, travels in the reverse or opposite direction to the water, which
may, in some cases, be a long column of water, forming so to speak a battering
ram and acting on the principle of the well known hydraulic ram. The result
of this is that the water before its direction is changed, is stopped by the bucket
or plunger, and a blow, shock, noise, waste of power and unsatisfactory working
condition thus caused. The same action takes place in circulating pumps on board
steamers in which it is almost invariably necessary to admit air in order that it
may form a cushion between the bucket or plunger and the water, which is thereby
stopped and its direction changed more gradually and the pump thus enabled to
work quietly.
Where the available pressure for driving water into a reciprocating pump is
great, as, for instance, when the level of the water supply is above the pump, or
where long suction pipes are used, an air vessel is sometimes fitted to the suction
pipe.
Thus power or force is to some extent temporarily absorbed by the air vessel
and afterwards given out again, when it sometimes acts to drive water away from
the pump, thereby tending to set up pulsations.
Now according to this invention I make use of the power which is stored in the
water entering the pump. Furthermore I in some cases provide means whereby
the power stored in the water is increased and usefully employed.
The improvements herein described can be applied to pumps used for various
purposes and working under many different pressures and conditions, but I will
describe my improvements as applied to circulating pumps for use on board steam-
ships.
In such cases the water is caused to flow into the pump by the pressure of the
atmosphere and is generally further accelerated by the pressure due to a head of

page_text: water corresponding to the height of the water level on the outside of the steamer
above the pump.
In the pump according to my invention the water, instead of being stopped, and
its direction abruptly changed or reversed, is caused to flow in after the bucket
or plunger at a high velocity and the bucket or plunger and the pump barrel are.
so constructed that when the bucket or plunger finishes its suction stroke and
commences the return stroke, and it and the water meet, the direction of the water
is only slightly changed, whereby the shock, noise, loss of power, &c. due to an
entire reversal or abrupt change of its direction are avoided, and the power or
force in the water is consequently not taken out of it or uselessly spent but is
used to assist in making it travel in the desired direction.
For this purpose, according to one arrangement, the suction side of the bucket
or plunger is tapered or coned and at the sides of the pump barrel delivery open-
ings or passages are formed, the arrangement being such that the water which
has had imparted to it during the suction stroke a certain velocity in the required
direction is, on the commencement of and during the return stroke, deflected
towards the said delivery openings, which may be fitted with valves, in such a
manner that its velocity will be but slightly retarded.
Furthermore with pumps constructed according to this invention although the
direction of the water is only slightly changed by the discharge stroke of the
pump, the speed of the water is greatly accelerated, the result being that it is or
may be forced through the delivery openings or passages without the assistance
of suction valves which may therefore be dispensed with.
In some cases I so proportion and form the pump and the pipes leading to it
that the water will travel into the pump with great ease and consequently high
velocity, and that, nevertheless it will be difficult by reason of the friction and
resistance offered for the water to travel out or return through the passage by
which it entered.
This may be effected in various ways. According to one arrangement for the
purpose the suction pipe or passages may be formed with vanes or pockets or both
so arranged that the water in flowing towards the pump will pass by them without
difficulty but that, as water is moved backwardly, it or some of it will enter the
pockets or pass to the backs of the vanes or both rather than be forced out along
the suction pipe and thus outward flow will be checked.
Sometimes in order to reduce the loads which come on the pump I fit on its
discharge side an air vessel that may be open to the atmosphere and in which a
large quantity of water can be stored without materially increasing the head;
this air vessel is placed at such a level that water will flow from it through the
condenser by gravity. As the pressure increases only in proportion to the head,
a more regular flow of water through the condenser is obtained with this arrange-
ment.
In order to store power where it is wanted and prevent it being wasted, each end
of a double acting pump may, according to this invention, be fitted with a suction
pipe and air vessel and with a delivery pipe and air vessel. For the more com-
plete control of the water two air vessels may be fitted on one suction pipe.
With pumps according to this invention, which are designed to work at high
speeds, I prefer to employ in place of or in addition to a valve of the type now
generally fitted at the lower part of a steamer, an improved sea inlet-valve, so
arranged that if, when the engines are going slow, it be only slightly opened it
acts automatically as a lift valve; the valve will admit ample water and prevent
its return after the manner of an ordinary suction valve and will thereby ensure
the proper action of the pump at low speeds. When the engines are driven at
higher speeds the valve is opened wider and thus put out of automatic action so
that wear due to such action is stopped, but the amount of water passing through
can be regulated. This may in one arrangement be effected by so fitting the
valve on its spindle that it will be capable of limited movement relatively thereto
and that in the one extreme position of the spindle the valve will be held closed,

page_text: in the intermediate position it will be free to rise and fall as a suction valve and
in its other extreme position it will be held wide open.
A pump constructed in accordance with this invention is less liable to break
down, if through any cause the discharge becomes choked as there is (under
ordinary working conditions) no closed valve in the suction inlet passages to pre-
vent the water from passing out through them and thus the pressure in the pump
cannot rise above what is sufficient to overcome the inertia of the water.
To each suction and delivery pipe of a pump according to this invention a
separate stop valve box may be applied-so that one half of the pump can be shut
off while the other is working; consequently the working valves in the half of the
pump which is shut off can be renewed etc. while the other half is working.
According to another part of my invention the suction or inlet passages and
pipes and the discharge passages and pipes or all are so arranged and constructed
that the water itself acts as substitute for valves, so that part or the whole of the
valves may be dispensed with. To cause the water to so act I make use of its
inertia or momentum, as is done in a centrifugal pump, in which the movement
of the water or its momentum prevents it being forced back by pressure or in
ordinary language sucked back.
I, FREDERICK EDWARDS, of 62, Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of
London, 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;-
This invention relates to improvements in reciprocating pumps that are required
to throw large quantities of water and to work at high speeds, objects being to
increase the efficiency of the pumps, to enable them to be worked at higher speeds
than heretofore without developing unsatisfactory results in working, to enable
the number of valves to be reduced, and, in some cases, to entirely obviate the use
of valves.
some
As is well known, the bucket or plunger of a pump, on making its suction
stroke, causes the atmosphere to set the water travelling in a corresponding
direction, and, if the water level of the supply be above the pump, the speed of
the water is increased by the pressure due to the head of the water; after the com-
pletion of its suction stroke, the pump bucket or plunger, on commencing to make
the return stroke, travels in the reverse or opposite direction to the water, which
may in
cases, be a long column of water, forming so to speak a
ram and acting on the principle of the well known hydraulic ram. The result
of this is that the water before its direction is changed, is stopped by the bucket
or plunger, and a blow, shock, noise, waste of power and unsatisfactory working
condition thus caused. The same action takes place in circulating pumps on board
steamers in which it is almost invariably necessary to admit air in order that it
may form a cushion between the bucket or plunger and the water, which is thereby
stopped and its direction changed more gradually and the pump thus enabled to
work quietly.

page_text: Where the available pressure for driving water into a reciprocating pump is
great, as, for instance, when the level of the water supply is above the pump, or
where long suction pipes are used, an air vessel is sometimes fitted to the suction
pipe. Thus energy is to some extent temporarily absorbed by the air vessel
and afterwards given out again, when it sometimes acts to drive water away from
the pump, thereby tending to set up pulsations.
Now according to this invention I make use of the energy which is stored in the
water entering the pump. Furthermore I in some cases provide means whereby
the energy stored in the water is increased and usefully employed.
The improvements herein described can be applied to pumps used for various
purposes and working under many different pressures and conditions, but I will
for simplicity describe my improvements as applied to single-acting circulating
pumps for use on board steamships, though the invention is applicable to double
acting pumps.
In such cases the water is caused to flow into the pump by the pressure of
the atmosphere and is generally further accelerated by the pressure due to a head
of water corresponding to the height of the water level on the outside of the
steamer above the pump.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 illustrates in central vertical section a circulating pump constructed
according to this invention and suitable for use on board steamers and where the
water supply is above the level of the pump.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line a b Fig. 1.
1 is the pump barrel with valveless inlet opening 2 and 3 is a reciprocating
plunger which enters the barrel through a stuffing box 4 and is tapered or coned
at its inner end 3ª as shown. At the sides of the barrel, delivery openings 5 are
formed. In the example there are three pairs of openings 5 arranged at equal dis-
tances apart around the barrel, and each of said openings is fitted with a rubber
valve 6, preferably fixed to the seat by its lower edge and provided with a guard 7,
as shown. The plunger does not fit the barrel, and around the latter is an annular
delivery passage or chamber 8 which preferably has its discharge aperture 8" co
located and is of such a size as to form an air vessel which tends to equalize the
discharge of water from the pump.
With such an arrangement water can flow, in all positions of the plunger, into
the barrel by the inlet 2 and away through the delivery openings 5 at the sides
thereof, without obstruction and without its direction of motion being materially
changed.
The operation of the pump, which should preferably be driven at a high speed,
is as follows:-During the suction stroke of the plunger 3, the valves 6 being
closed, a vacuum is formed in the barrel 1 and the water in the suction pipe,
having imparted to it by atmospheric pressure and the pressure due to the head
of water a certain velocity in the required direction, enters the barrel at a high
speed. Upon the return stroke of the plunger 3, its point meets the incoming
water silently and without shock and its tapering or conical and cylindrical parts
successively enter the water which, instead of being stopped and its direction
abruptly changed, is driven or deflected through the delivery openings 5, where
least resistance to escape is offered owing to the water in the barrel being urged
forward, or, at any rate, prevented from passing back through the inlet opening 2
by the ramming action of the body of incoming water which renders
the use of suction valves unnecessary. Furthermore, by the discharge
stroke of the pump the speed of the water is accelerated. The ramming
action continues, irrespective of the position of the plunger, to aid in driving the
water forward until its momentum is exhausted in overcoming retarding forces,
such as friction, by which time the plunger will be again ascending and the water
in the suction pipe will have again had a high velocity imparted to it as above
described. Thus the inertia of the water is made to serve the purpose of the usual
suction valves.

page_text: In the pump shown in Figs. 3 and 4 which are corresponding views to Figs. 1
and 2, the openings 5 are replaced by a series of inclined passages 5° formed
between inclined annular vanes 9, the arrangement of which is such that as the
plunger descends, the incoming water is forced between the vanes, against their
inner surfaces and its upward movement thereby accelerated but without its
direction being much changed. In this case all the passages 5ª lead to a common
delivery passage 88* the upper part 8* of which is of enlarged area and
communicates with the lower part 8 by openings 10 formed in a valve seat 11 and
provided with a valve 11. The series of vanes 9 may be of suitable metal,
such as brass, cast in one piece together with connecting ribs; this casting can
be fixed in position within the lower part 8 of the delivery passage so as to form
part of the pump barrel.
Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of a modified construction of pump accord-
ing to this invention, in which the plunger 3 in making its discharge stroke travels
in the same direction as the water entering the barrel 1. The inlet 2 is, in the
example illustrated, at the top of the barrel 1 and the delivery opening 6 at the
bottom, where one or more delivery valves 6ª may be fitted, if required. The
inner end of the plunger may be flat or cupped or formed with a conical recess 3b as
shown so that the instroke of the plunger may be more effective in driving out
the water which is travelling in the same direction, than would otherwise be the
the flat cupped or recessed end tending to prevent the water passing back
around the plunger.
case,
Fig. 6 illustrates a construction of pump in which there are no delivery valves
the water itself acting as a substitute. For this purpose the upper part of the
delivery passage 8 is formed with one or more outlets 8ª and between said outlets
and the barrel proper of the pump with an outer annular enlargement or pocket 8b
arranged as shown so that water discharged from the barrel 1 through the passage 8
will readily pass by the mouth of the pocket 8b to the outlets 8 but that water
returning from said pipes towards the barrel will pass into the pocket 8b,
the form of which is such that the water will be caused to follow the course
indicated by the arrows. The obstruction caused by the reversal of the stream of
water in the pocket 8b will tend to act as a delivery valve and thus retard water
re-entering the barrel.
The cross sectional form of each of the two outlets 8 may, as in the example,
gradually change from crescent shape, where it communicates with the delivery
passage 8 to circular, or other convenient section, at the outer end 8°.
Although in the example just described only one annular pocket 8b is shown two
or more pockets may be formed in the delivery passages or pipes of the pump so
that the water in being discharged from the pump will have to pass by all of them.
The form of the pockets may be modified to suit the requirements of any particular
case. provided they be arranged so as to allow an unobstructed flow of the water
in the required direction and to offer resistance to its flow in the reverse direction.
Moreover, similar pockets arranged to act in the same way may be provided in
the suction passages or pipes of the pump.
The construction of pump illustrated in Fig. 7 is similar to that illustrated in
Fig. 6 but the outlets 8 and the suction passage are respectively provided with
a delivery valve 12 and a suction valve 13 each adapted to be placed in action when
required, so as to enable the pump to be worked at low speeds or to be started,
even if placed above the water supply. The pump having started, the valves can
be put out of action, when the pump will continue to work as above described and
all wear of the valves be obviated. The valves 12 and 13 are mounted on movable
seats 12, 13, fitted with rods 12b, 13b extending through stuffing boxes 12°. 13°
at the outer ends of recesses 12ª, 13d into which the valve seats and valves can be
withdrawn and wear of the valves thus avoided, by means of handles 12, 13°
attached to the rods 12b, 13b respectively. The valve seats 12, 13" are formed
with inclined or wedge-like surfaces which, when the valves are in the working
positions, bear against corresponding surfaces around the delivery and suction

page_text: passages in suchwise that the seats are forced into close contact with the surfaces
on which they rest and leakage past the valves prevented. Removable valves
such as just described may be used with types of pumps according to this invention
other than that illustrated in Fig. 7.
In some cases, I form the suction pipe or passages with pockets or recesses 14 or
with vanes 14 as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 respectively. In
some cases both vanes and pockets may be employed and both the pump and the
passages leading to and from it may be formed so as to check flow of water in the
reverse direction to that desired.
Sometimes in order to reduce the loads which come on the pump I fit on its
discharge side an air vessel that may be open to the atmosphere and in which a
large quantity of water can be stored without materially increasing the head; this
air vessel is placed at such a level that water will flow from it through the con-
denser by gravity. Such an arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically in
Fig. 10. 16 is the pump whose discharge pipe 20 enters the vessel 21, which is
open to the atmosphere, and preferably extends above the usual water level, as
shown. From the bottom of the vessel 21 a pipe 22 leads to the condenser 23.
With such an arrangement the pump has to force the water always to the same
level and, as the water is continually flowing by gravity through the condenser
at a practically uniform speed no extra load is brought on the pump in starting
the water to move through the condenser as is usually the case. If the vessel be
closed to the atmosphere, it acts as an air vessel.
In order to store power where it is wanted and prevent it being wasted, each
end of a double acting pump may according to this invention, be fitted with a
suction pipe and air vessel and with a delivery pipe and air vessel. For the more
complete control of the water two air vessels may be fitted on one suction pipe.
A pump constructed in accordance with this invention is less liable to break
down, if through any cause the discharge becomes choked as there is (under
ordinary working conditions) no closed valve in the suction inlet passages to
prevent the water from passing out through them and thus the pressure in the
pump cannot rise above what is sufficient to overcome the inertia of the water.
With pumps according to this invention, which are designed to work at high
speeds, I prefer to employ in place of or in addition to a valve of the type now
generally fitted at the lower, part of a steamer, an improved sea inlet-valve, so
arranged that if, when the engines are going slow, it be only slightly opened it
acts automatically as a lift valve; the valve will admit ample water and prevent
its return after the manner of an ordinary suction valve and will thereby ensure
the proper action of the pump at low speeds. When the engines are driven at
higher speeds the valve is opened wider and thus put out of automatic action so
that wear due to such action is stopped, but the amount of water passing through
can be regulated.
Fig. 11 illustrates in section an arrangement of sea inlet valve adapted to work
in this manner.
The valve 24 is secured to its spindle 24" by means of a collar 24b so that it will
be capable of limited movement relatively to the spindle. In the lowest position
of the spindle, the valve will be held closed, in the intermediate position it will
be free to rise and fall as a suction valve and in its other extreme position it will
be held wide open.
The spindle 24 is screw threaded as shown and works in a
correspondingly threaded part of a sleeve 24d which is screwed into the cover 24°.
With such an arrangement by the relative movement of the sleeve and spindle
the lift of the valve can be adjusted and when the valve is not in use as a suction
valve, it can be held fast, the upper portion of the stirrup piece being then gripped
between the collar 24b and the lower end of the sleeve 24d.
To each suction and delivery pipe of a pump according to this invention a
separate stop valve box may be applied-so that one half of the pump can be shut
off while the other is working; consequently the working valves in the half of
the pump which is shut off can be renewed etc., while the other half is working.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A pump of the kind referred to in which the barrel is formed with a valve-
less inlet and with a passage establishing direct communication between said inlet
and an outlet in all positions of the pump plunger, substantially as described.
2. A pump of the kind referred to having a plunger tapered or coned at its inner
end and, at the sides of the barrel, delivery openings or passages which may be
fitted with valves, the construction and arrangement being such that water set
in motion during the suction stroke is deflected towards the delivery openings or
passages in such a manner that its velocity is but slightly retarded, substantially
as described.
3. In a pump of the kind referred to forming either the pump barrel, or the
inlets, or the outlets thereof, or some or all of them with means such as vanes or
pockets or both whereby backward flow of water is checked without its forward
movement being retarded substantially as described.
4. A pump having suction or delivery valves or both provided with means
whereby they can be moved in and out of action as required substantially as
described with reference to Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.
5. A pump of the kind referred to constructed as described with reference to
and shown respectively in Figs. 1 and 2; in Figs. 3 and 4; in Fig. 5; in Fig. 6;
or in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.
6. A pump the suction pipe of which is provided with an inlet valve so con-
structed and arranged that it can be caused to act as an automatic lift valve or its
automatic action be stopped and the valve used as a stop valve, as described with
reference to Fig. 11 of the accompanying drawings.