IMPROVEMENTS In Direct- ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walker, of Newton Moor, in the County
of Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS In Direct-
ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES.”
Sealed the 5th January 1875, and dated the 7th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1874.
I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Newton Moor, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN. DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
:
My Invention relates to the now well-known class of steam pumps or
pumping engines in which the valves employed to regulate the admission
and emmission of the steam to and from the cylinders are actuated
without the aid of rotating shafts, and the principal object of my said
Invention is to promote economy in the consumption of steam in such

page_text: i
pumps or engines. To this end I-arrange such pumps to work expan-
sively in the following manner:-Iemploy an elongated piston, having
two ends provided with packing, of a diameter to suit the bore of the
steam cylinder, and having a cylindrical portion of a lesser diameter
extending between the said ends, the said cylindrical portion being fitted
to work in a suitably steam-tight manner in a partition, which is formed
by contracting the bore of the cylinder, at or near the centre of the
cylinder, or by fixing in such position an annular shaped block or
partition piece. Annular chambers are thus formed, into which steam
is admitted to act upon the smaller areas of the piston ends, and is
afterwards expanded into the spaces between the piston ends and the
cylinder covers to act upon the larger areas of the said piston.
. To regulate the movements of the steam I employ a cylindrical valve
or two cylindrical valves connected together, each valve being formed
with a passage to connect two ports, through which steam passes from
the annular steam space into the larger steam space between the piston
end and the cylinder cover, and also with a passage which connects the
said larger steam space with the exhaust passage. Steam is admitted
into a space between the two valves, and finds its way by leakage into
the end spaces between the said valves and the valve box covers. The
last-named end spaces are connected by passages with ports formed in
the aforesaid partition, and as the piston moves to and fro passages
formed in the said piston establish a communication between the said
ports and a port leading into the exhaust passage, the effect being that
when the said piston nears the end of its stroke in one direction a
passage of communication between one of the said end spaces and the
said exhaust passage is opened, whereby the excess of pressure in the
other end space is caused to move the valves into position to effect
the reversal of the direction of motion of the piston.
.
The arrangements herein described are applicable to pumps employed
in the raising, forcing, or exhausting of water air

page_text: SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WALKER, of Newton Moor, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Walker, Her special licence that I, the
said William Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Walker, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times 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 DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Walker,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 William Walker, 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 (and accompanying Drawings) that is to say :-
_ My Invention relates to the now well-known class of steam pumps or
pumping engines, in which the valves employed to regulate the admission
and emission of the steam to and from the cylinders are actuated.
without the aid of rotating shafts, and the principal object of my said
Invention is to promote economy in the consumption of steam in such

page_text: .
pumps or engines. To this end I arrange such pumps to work expan-
sively in the following manner:-I employ an elongated piston having
two ends provided with packing of a diameter to suit the bore of the
steam cylinder, and having a cylindrical portion of a lesser diameter
extending between the said ends, the said cylindrical portion being fitted
to work in a suitably steam-tight manner in a partition, which is formed
by contracting the bore of the cylinder at or near the centre of the
cylinder, or by fixing in such position an annular shaped block or
partition piece. Annular chambers are thus formed, into which steam
is admitted to act upon the smaller areas of the piston ends, and is
afterwards expanded into the spaces between the piston ends and the
cylinder covers to act upon the larger arcas of the said piston.
To regulate the movements of the steam I employ a cylindrical valve,
or two cylindrical valves connected together, each valve being formed
with a passage to connect, two ports, through which steam passes from
the annular steam space into the larger steam space between the piston
end and the cylinder cover, and also with a passage which connects the
said larger steam space with the exhaust passage. Steam is admitted
into a space between the two valves and finds its way by leakage into
the end spaces between the said valves and the valve box covers. The
last-named end spaces are connected by passages with ports formed in
the aforesaid partition, and as the piston moves to and fro passages
formed in the said piston establish a communication between the said
ports and a port leading into the exhaust passage, the effect being that
when the said piston nears the end of its stroke in one direction a
passage of communication between one of the said end spaces and the
said exhaust passage is opened, whereby the excess of pressure in the
other end space is caused to move the valves into position to effect
the reversal of the direction of motion of the piston.
The arrangements herein described are applicable to pumps employed
in the raising, forcing, or exhausting of water, air, or other fluids.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I will
now refer to the Sheet of Drawings which has been prepared to accom-
pany this Specification, the said Drawings being made about one quarter
of the full size, and representing a "steam pump" constructed in
accordance with my Invention.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the steam pump with the steam
cylinder in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line A, and Fig. 3
a vertical section on the line B, in Fig. 1.
In the said Figs. C is the piston which is formed with two heads a, a,
connected together by means of a barrel part. b. The said heads are
made to fit the interior of the cylinder D, and are provided with packing
or packing rings in the usual or in a suitable manner. At about the
centre of the length of the said cylinder an annular partition c is fixed,
the said partition being bored and provided with packing to suit the
barrel 6, and the said barrel being turned and fitted to slide within the
said partition in a suitably steam-tight manner. A key fixed in the said
partition and entering a groove formed in the barrel 6 prevents the said
barrel from rotating. Other means may be employed to prevent such
rotation if preferred. The cylinder D is formed with a valve chest or
chamber E which is bored out to receive the slide valve F, which is
fitted to slide to and fro within the said chamber. The said valve
consists of two parts which are connected together at d so as to form
one casting, but if preferred the said valve may consist of two.castings
suitably connected together. The two sections of the valve are formed
with passages e, f, which serve to establish.communications for the flow.
of steam from the annular spaces g, h, to the end. spaces i, j, of the
cylinder, and with recesses k, l, which at the proper times. establish
communications between the passages m, n, and the exhaust passages ó.
The said valve is. not required to be quite. steam-tight within the
chamber F and therefore is not provided with packing rings, but such
rings may be employed if thought to be necessary. Steam is admitted
to the central space. between the two sections of the valve through an
opening at p, and part of such steam finds its way by leakage into the end
spaces q, r. A passage 8, formed in the cylinder casting, extends from
the space q
to a port formed in the partition c, as represented by the
dotted lines in Fig. 1. A similar passage textends from the space ŕ to
à second port formed in the said partition, but as the said passage is
formed in the part which is represented as being cut away in Fig. 1 if
does not appear in the said Figure. Two passages u and v are formed
in the barrel 6 in such a manner and in such positions as that when the
piston c approaches the termination of its stroke in either direction.one
of the last-named passages will connect the passages or t, as the case

page_text: •
may be, with a passage w which extends into the exhaust passage; the
effect being that steam will flow from the space or, as the case may
be, into the said exhaust passage, and the equilibrium of pressure upon
the ends of the valve being thereby disturbed the said valve will be
moved in the direction towards the space which has been so exhausted.
Supposing the parts. to be in the positions: as represented in the
Drawings high-pressure steam would be flowing through the port. x into
the annular space h, and at the same time the steam, which had acted
during the immediately previous stroke would be flowing through the
porty and passages e and m into the space i, into which space the said
steam would expand, and the piston would therefore be propelled in the
direction. indicated by the arrow, the exhaust steam flowing from the
space through the passages n and into the exhaust passage o. The
movement of the piston in the said direction would continue until
the passage u in the piston had moved into position to connect the two
passages 8 and io, in manner as seen in Fig. 2, when steam would flow
from the space q into the exhaust passage o, and the excess of pressure
within the space would force the valve towards the end of the valve
chamber marked 9. The effect of this movement of the valve would be
for the admission of high-pressure steam into the
annular space g, and to establish. a thoroughfare for the flow of
expanding steam from the annular space through the passages x, fi
and into the space j, the passage' m. being caused to communicate with
the exhaust passage o, whereby the reversal of the direction of motion
of the piston would be effected. A starting handle z is provided in
order that the valve may be worked by hand when the pump is
to be set in motion after being at rest. The said handle is mounted
on a rocking shaft, on which is fixed or formed a lever which gives
motion to the valve when the shaft is rocked by means of the said
handle.
to open the port
The pump proper G may be of any ordinary or suitable form and
construction, as may be preferred, or as may be suitable to varying
requirements.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which I carry the same into practical
effect, I would in conclusion have it to be understood that I claim the
general construction and arrangement of the parts, and the general

page_text: arrangement of the steam passages, the whole acting substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five.
Signed and sealed by the
said William Walker, in
the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentee,
3, Princess Street,
Albert Square,
WILLIAM WALKER. (L.S.)
Manchester.