Improvements in Pumps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 11th June, 1892
[Communicated from abroad by JULIUS MAEMECKE, of Berlin, Kingdom of
Prussia, German Empire, Merchant.]
Improvements in Pumps.
I, GEORGE THOMAS HYDE of 4, Moorfields Fore Street, London, E.C., Patent
Agent, 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 :-
My invention relates to pumps having suction- and delivery-valves, and consists
in an arrangement by which the shocks aud noise caused by the rush and impact
of the water or other liquid are avoided.
These shocks are caused principally by closing the suction-valve too late at the
change of the stroke, and various devices have been provided in order to close
the valves in the requisite time by means of levers. But even when the suction-
valve is closed in time, a shock occurs at the change of the stroke, though this
shock is not as heavy as when no means are employed for closing the valve
mechanically. The cause of these shocks is that the cylinder of the pump is not
completely filled with the liquid sucked in, that the body of the pump necessarily
expands when the pressure increases, and that a great surplus of pressure is
required in order to open the delivery-valve. The reason of this latter fact is,
that the weight of the water or other liquid already lifted tends to keep the
delivery-valve closed, and that this weight acts on a larger surface of application
than the sucked water tending to open the said delivery-valve.
I have now succeeded to avoid the stated defects and the shocks resulting
therefrom by means of a particular mechanism operating the valves which I will
proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which :
Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of a pump fitted with my improvements, part of the
same being shown in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the pump.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a modification.
Fig. 4 a side elevation of the same, and
Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of another modification.
Figs. 6 & 7 are a sectional elevation and a plan respectively of the valve shown
at Fig. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale.
Like letters denote like parts throughout the several views.
The pump represented on Figs. 1 & 2 is a double-plunger pump, which is
driven from a slide-valve engine by means of a common piston-rod. An
eccentric B-being at the same time the main eccentric of the steam-engine,
though I may employ of course two different eccentrics-is keyed on the shaft A
of the fly-wheel (the latter is not shown on the drawing) at an angle of 90° + 8, 8
being the lead-angle of the eccentric. By means of this eccentric B and of
the eccentric-rod K attached to the same, the four valves of the pump, which are
linked one to another by means of suitable levers, are directly operated in such
manner that the opening of the delivery-valves II and IV and the closing of the
suction-valves I and III is effected a certain time before the change of the stroke,
and the closing of the delivery-valves II and IV and opening of the suction-
valves I and III at the change of the stroke. In the dead position illustrated by
Fig. 1, the eccentric B occupying the position indicated by b on the diagram at the
left of Fig. 1, the delivery-valve IV belonging to the left plunger is already
opened, its opening having taken place when the eccentric B was in the position
indicated by a; in this same position the corresponding suction-valve III would
be closed, and the opening of the latter occurs when the eccentric reaches the

page_text: point b. The opening and closing of the valves I and II belonging to the right
plunger is effected in a similar manner half a revolution of the shaft A later than that
of the valves III and IV, the opening of the delivery valve II and the closing of the
suction-valve I taking place at d, before the change of the stroke, and the closing
of the delivery-valve II and opening of the suction valve I at r, simultaneously
with the change of the stroke. The shaft A is supposed to revolve in the direction
of the arrow.
The dimensions of the levers operating the several valves are of course chosen
so as to accomplish the above result. The position of the eccentric-rod K is
ascertained in the following manner: The position at which the suction-valve I is
to be opened being marked by b, the lead of the delivery-valve IV, i.e. the amount
which it is opened before the suction-valve I, is indicated by the length b a on the
periphery of the circle a bed, then the diameter b c is drawn, the points a and o
connected one with another and a perpendicular erected on the chord a c.
This
perpendicular is the centre-line of the rod K attached to the eccentric B. By this
arrangement and by means of the lever arrangement presently to be described,
the opening and closing of the several valves is secured in the following order:
The eccentric B being in its dead point indicated by b on the diagram, the
delivery-valve IV is open, and the suction-valve I in course of being opened, the
suction-valve III is closed, the delivery-valve II in course of being closed. The
position is shown at Fig. 1.
When the plunger moves to the left, the suction-valve I is fully opened, and
the delivery-valve II fully closed; water is drawn into the right pump-cylinder
through the former valve, and driven out of the left pump-cylinder through the
delivery-valve IV.
When the plunger has almost reached its extreme left position, the eccentric B
having proceeded to d, the suction-valve I is suddenly closed and at the same time
the delivery valves II is opened. During the rest of the stroke, water is still driven
out of the left pump-cylinder through the delivery-valve IV, and a small quantity
of water enters the right pump-cylinder through the delivery-valve II.
The plunger having completed its stroke, and the eccentric B reached the dead
point c, the suction-valve III is opened and the delivery-valve IV is closed.
Now the change of the stroke being effected, water is drawn into the left pump-
cylinder through the suction-valve III, and the water contained in the right pump-
cylinder is driven out of the same through the delivery-valve II.
The plunger approaching its upmost position to the right, and the eccentric B
being in the position a, the suction-valve III is suddenly closed, and the delivery-
valve IV opened simultaneously. During the rest of the stroke water is still
driven out of the right pump-cylinder through the delivery-valve II, and a small
quantity of water flows back into the left pump-cylinder through the delivery-
valve IV.
The plunger having again completed its stroke and the eccentric B reached the
dead point b, the auction-valve I is opened and the delivery-valve II is closed,
whereby the position of the valves as shown at Fig. 1, is resumed and the operation
of the same begins anew as described.
The arrangement of levers by means of which the valves are operated from the
eccentric B and eccentric-rod K in the mentioned succession, is a very simple one.
It consists first of two cranks h h linked to the said rod K and keyed to an
oscillating spindles or s¹ respectively. These spindles are pivotted to the body of
the pump, passing through the chambers filled with water, and are, inside said
chambers, provided with cam-pieces t, and outside the same with a second crank k
or k¹ respectively, which is by means of a connecting-rod 1.or respectively
linked to the cranks ³ ³ on the oscillating spindles respectively. These
spindles are equally provided with cam pieces t inside the body. The cam-
pieces t open the valves I II III IV by engaging with burrs or collars u u¹
provided on the spindles v¹ of said valves. The valves are closed by means of
springs p (as shewn) or by weights, or by the pressure of water, as soon as the

page_text: one.
The strength of the springs p neca only be a very slight
As the force which holds the valves on their seats need only be a very small
one, one is enabled to construct the said valves in such manner that they offer to
the water a surface of contact nearly equal on both sides; this is attained by
forming the part by which the valve rests on its seat, as a very narrow edge,
almost like that of a knife, as indicated by z in Figs. 3 & 6.
The advantages obtained by this construction and operation of the valves are
very important ones. The valves being opened by means of rigid rods operated
by an eccentric on the main-shaft of the engine, the opening takes place with
perfect regularity, which is not the case when the valves are opened merely by
the pressure of the water at the beginning of the suction-period. The valves also
close with the same regularity when no more lifted by the cam-pieces t. The
valves may be lifted by the latter so much as to allow the water or other liquid
to pass freely from the suction-chamber into the pump-cylinder. In consequence
of the employment of cams for opening the valves, the latter are raised off their
seats very quickly, but when the movement of the same slackens, they remain
stationary for a moment and then the movement is reversed and continues with a
gradually increasing velocity until the valve is closed. Thus when the plunger
moves with its maximum speed (which is the case in the middle of the stroke) the
movement of the valves is at its minimum of velocity, and vice versa; and this
relation ensures the perfect and easy working of the pump.
As the suction-valves are closed before the change of the stroke, and both
delivery-valves open during the last part of the same, any shock at the change of
the stroke is completely avoided, and the plunger when returning encounters but
a very slight resistance; thus a very easy and regular working obtained. In
consequence thereof, I am enabled to increase considerably the number of strokes
per minute and thereby the efficiency of the pump. Of two pumps, the one being
of usual construction, and the other fitted with my improvements, the latter will
raise a larger quantity of water in a given time; or, in order to raise a given
quantity of water, a pump constructed according to my improvements may be of
smaller dimensions than one of usual construction.
The valves, instead of having but one seat, as shewn, may be provided with two
or more seats, and I do not claim any special construction of the valves, but I do
the valves resting on their seats by means of narrow edges.
The levers by means of which the valves are operated need not of course be
driven by an eccentric on the shaft on which the fly-wheel of the engine is
mounted, and it is immaterial by which means the said levers are operated. As
an example, at Figs. 3 & 4 is shown a modification in which the levers are
operated by an eccentric B¹ on a special shaft w driven from the engine. The
eccentric-rod w¹ acts upon a lever n, and the latter operates the oscillating shaft s*,
which by means of the cam-piece t¹ opens the valve V. The latter is closed by
means of the spring p. The action of the cam-piece t¹ is the same as described
above for the cam-piece t shewn on Fig. 1. The oscillating-shaft is passed into
the body of the pump through the stuffing-box S. If it is desired to avoid the
employment of such a stuffing-box, the shaft s may be placed entirely outside the
body of the pump, and the parts of the link-work arranged as indicated on Fig. 3
by dotted lines.
In the modification illustrated by Fig. 5, a revolving shaft w³ is employed,
which is driven by an engine placed on the side of the pump. This arrangement
is particularly convenient when several pumps are placed side by side. The
shaft is provided with a cam o, which operates on the end of an oscillating bent
lever g, pivotted at r. The other end q₁ of the lever q has the same function as
the cam-pieces t and t' of the above described mechanisms. There are of course
as many cams o on the shaft w³ as there are valves to be operated, and the position
of these cams is such as to open and close the valves in the same succession as
described for the arrangement shewn on Fig. 1.

page_text: I may also mention, that it is not necessary to place the delivery-valves above
the suction-valves, but the position may be inverted, and such an arrangement is
especially convenient when water has to be pumped from a reservoir placed at a
higher level than the pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a pump: The arrangement of oscillating shafts operated by means of
suitable levers and opening the delivery- and suction-valves by means of cams t
(Fig. 1), or t' (Fig. 3) or of levers 9 q' (Fig. 5), the valves being closed by means
of springs or by a weight, or by the pressure of water; the valves being
operated in such order, that the suction-valves are closed and the delivery-valves
opened before the end of the stroke, and the suction-valves opened and the
delivery-valves closed simultaneously with the change of the stroke, for the
purpose as described.
2. In a pump: The suction- and delivery-valves constructed in such manner,
that they rest on their seats by means of narrow edges, substantially and for the
purpose as described.
Dated this 18th day of March 1809
GEORGE THOMAS HYDE,
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.