IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE FLUID, SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM PUMPS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin William De Rusett, of Lewisham, in the
County of Kent, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE FLUID, SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE TO STEAM PUMPS."
Sealed the 20th November 1868, and dated the 23rd May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin William De
Rusett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd May 1868.
I, EDWIN WILLIAM DE RUSETT, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINES WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE FLUID,
SPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO STEAM PUMPS," to be as follows:-
The chief object of my Invention is to produce the return or lifting
stroke of the pump piston and steam piston of single-acting steam
pumps by steam of a lower pressure than that which produces the forcing
stroke of the said pistons.

page_text: My Invention consists in certain arrangements, hereafter described, of
a steam chamber, a steam cylinder, and a pump chamber, and in certain
modes, hereafter described, of fitting and actuating the valve of the
steam cylinder.
In a chamber of suitable capacity, and hereafter called the steam
chamber, I cast or enclose a steam cylinder and a pump chamber or
cylinder, the latter being, say, half the diameter of the steam cylinder.
The piston of the steam cylinder is connected to the piston or plunger
of the pump cylinder by a piston rod; the inner end of each of these
cylinders, which ends are adjacent to each other, are open to allow of
communication with the steam chamber. I employ a valve box or
steam chest, the ends of which are each in the form of a cylinder, bored
out to receive a piston, the two pistons being connected together by a
rod or tube, and the piston adjoining the outer end of the steam cylinder
being of smaller diameter than the piston at the other end of the valve
box. The steam cylinder has three ports, one (which I will call No. 1)
at the extreme outer end, communicating with the outer end of the
smaller valve cylinder; another (No. 2) a short distance from the outer
end of the steam cylinder communicating with the inner end of the
smaller valve cylinder; and the third (No. 3) a short distance from the
opposite end of the steam cylinder communicating with the outer end of
the larger valve cylinder. The steam supply is about the middle of
the smaller valve cylinder, and the exhaust is from the valve box
between the cylinders. The steam chamber is supplied through a
regulating cock or valve in communication with the main supply. This
chamber is also provided with a regulating outlet or blow-off cock,
through which some of the steam escapes should the pressure reach
above that required for the return stroke of the steam piston.
The action is as follows:-The smaller valve piston being moved, if
necessary, by a starting spindle or other appliance to the inner end of
its cylinder, the steam passes through this cylinder and port No. 1 to the
outer end of the steam cylinder, thereby causing the steam piston and
pump piston to make their forcing stroke. When the steam piston in this
stroke passes port No. 3 the steam passes through this port to the
larger valve cylinder, and acting against the piston therein overcomes
the opposing pressure on the smaller valve piston, and therefore shifts
these pistons and shuts off the steam. Then the steam in the steam

page_text: chamber, which, as before stated, is of lower pressure than that pre-.
viously admitted to the steam cylinder, acts against the inner surface
of the steam piston and causes it and the pump piston to make their
return or lifting stroke. During this stroke the steam in the steam
cylinder exhausts through port No. 2 and the valve box, but when the
steam piston reaches and closes this port the steam remaining in the
inner end of the steam cylinder is compressed, and passing through
port No. 1 acts against the piston in the smaller valve cylinder, and
overcoming the less opposing steam pressure on the other valve piston
again shifts the valve pistons and opens communication with the
supply.
According to another arrangement I make the rod connecting the steam.
and pump pistons hollow to work over a rod in the steam cylinder. This
latter rod has projections near each end, against which the steam piston
or piston rod strikes near the termination of each stroke, so as to shift.
a piston or other suitable valve connected to the outer end of the rod,
thereby opening and closing the steam inlet and exhaust port at the
required times. The return or lifting stroke of the pistons is produced
as in the previous arrangement by the steam in the steam chamber in
which the steam cylinder and pump cylinder are enclosed.
It is preferred to make and actuate the valve last named in the
following novel manner:-The steam inlet port has in communication
therewith a small chamber which when the exhaust port is fully open
communicates with one or more recesses or grooves formed longitudinally
in the piston or slide valve, the inner end of which valve is of larger
diameter than the remaining part thereof. When the valve is being
shifted, as before explained, towards the end of the return stroke of the
steam piston, as soon as the inlet port is partly open the small chamber
is put into communication by the recesses with the exhaust port, and
steam entering through the inlet port and pressing against the larger
diameter or face of the valve ensures the complete movement of the
valve, and therefore the full opening of the inlet port. Then in the
opposite stroke, as soon as the exhaust port is partly open the small
chamber is put into communication with the inlet port, and the steam
acting against the flange formed by the enlarged diameter of the front
portion of the valve ensures the complete movement of the valve to
fully open the exhaust port. The valve is stopped at each end of its

page_text: movement by suitable projections. Although I have described the
steam chamber as enclosing both the steam cylinder and pump cylinder,
it may enclose the steam cylinder only; or the steam cylinder may be
separated from the steam chamber, but be in communication therewith.
Sometimes I employ an air chamber, which may surround the steam
chamber, steam cylinder, and pump cylinder, or any of them, the object
of this air chamber being to produce a continuous flow.
In constructing a double-action pump or engine I employ two steam
cylinders of different diamoters, and I produce the return or lifting
stroke of the pistons of these cylinders by leading the exhaust steam
from the smaller steam cylinder through the stem of the valve, or
otherwise, to the larger steam cylinder, so as to act against the piston
therein. In this arrangement the valve first herein-before described
may be employed by providing an additional port between it and the
steam cylinders, and by making a transverse partition therein for the
valve stem to work through.
In applying my Invention to other purposes, to boring engines for
example, the pump barrel is dispensed with and the piston rod works
through a stuffing box in the steam chamber or in the end of the steam
cylinder.
Instead of steam, any other motive fluid may be used. If water or
other incompressible fluid be used the return or lifting stroke of the
piston may be produced by the pressure of a head or column of such
fluid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin William De Rusett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
WILLIAM DE RUSETT, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Edwin William De Rusett, Her special
licence that I, the said Edwin William De Rusett, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin William
De Rusett, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ENGINES WORKED. BY STEAM OR OTHER MOTIVE FLUID, SPECIALLY
APPLICABLE TO. STEAM. PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edwin William De Rusett,.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 Edwin William De Rusett, 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. thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed,,that is-to.say.:-
The chief object of my Invention is to produce the return or lifting
stroke of the pump piston and steam piston of single-acting steam pumps
by steam of a lower pressure than that which produces the forcing stroke
of the said pistons..
My Invention consists in certain arrangements hereafter described of:
a steam. chamber, a steam cylinder, and a pump chamber, and in certain.
modes hereafter described of fitting and actuating the valve of. the steam.
cylinder..
My first arrangement is represented. in section in Figure 1. of the
accompanying Drawings and is as follows:-
In a chamber a of suitable capacity, and, hereafter called the steam
chamber,. I cast or enclose a steam cylinder b. and a pump chamber. or.
cylinder c, the latter being, say, half the diameter of the steam cylinder..
The piston d of the steam cylinder is connected to the piston or plunger.e
of the pump cylinder by a piston rod, which may be large enough to.

page_text: occupy the whole diameter of the cylinder, as seen at f. The inner ends
of each of the cylinders b, c, which ends are adjacent to each other, are
open, as shewn, to allow of communication with the steam chamber a. I
employ a valve box or steam chest g, the ends of which are each in the
form of a cylinder hand i bored out to receive a piston, the two pistons
marked k and being connected together by a rod or tube m, and the
piston being of smaller diameter than the piston at the other end of
the valve box. The steam cylinder 6 has three ports, one n at the
extreme outer end commuicating with the outer end of the smaller valve
cylinder h; another o a short distance from the outer end of the steam
cylinder communicating with the inner end of the smaller valve
cylinder h; and the third p a short distance from the opposite end of
the steam cylinder communicating with the outer end of the larger
valve cylinder i. The steam supply is at q and the exhaust is at » from
the valve box g between the cylinders h and i. The steam chamber a is
supplied through a regulating cock or valve, not shewn in the Figure,
in communication with the main supply; this chamber a is also provided
with a regulating outlet or blow-off cock, through which some of the
steam escapes should the pressure reach above that required for the
return stroke of the steam piston.
The action is as follows:-The smaller valve piston k being moved, if
necessary, by a starting spindle s or other appliance to the inner end of
its cylinder h, the steam passes through this cylinder and port n to the
outer end of the steam cylinder b, thereby causing the steam piston d
and pump piston e to make their forcing stroke; when the steam piston
in this stroke. passes the port p the steam passes through this port to the
larger valve cylinder i, and acting against the piston 7 therein overcomes
the opposing pressure on the smaller valve piston k, and therefore shifts
these pistons k, l, and shuts off the steam. Then the steam in the steam
chamber a, which, as before stated, is of lower pressure than that pre-
viously admitted to the steam cylinder b, acts against the inner surface
of the steam piston d, and causes it and the pump piston e to make their
return or lifting stroke; during this stroke the steam in the steam
cylinder 6 exhausts through the port o and the valve box g, but when
the steam piston d reaches and closes this port the steam remaining in
the end of the steam cylinder is compressed, and passing through the
port n acts against the piston k in the smaller valve cylinder, and over-

page_text: coming the less opposing steam pressure on the other valve piston !
again shifts the valve pistons and opens communication with the
supply.
According to another arrangement, represented in Figure 2, I make
the rod f connecting the steam and pump pistons hollow, as shown, to
work over a rod t in the steam cylinder b. This rod t has projec-
tions u, v, near each end, against which the steam piston or piston rod
strikes near the termination of each stroke so as to shift a piston valve w
or other suitable valve connected to the outer end of the rod t, thereby
opening and closing the steam inlet q and exhaust port at the required
times. The return or lifting stroke of the pistons is produced as in the
previous arrangement by the steam in the steam chamber a, in which
the steam cylinder and pump cylinder are enclosed. When the engine
is horizontal it is preferred to make and actuate the valve last named in
the novel manner represented in Figure 3. The steam inlet port q has
in communication therewith a small chamber, not shewn, which when
the exhaust port is fully open communicates with one or more recesses
or grooves formed longitudinally in the piston or slide valve w, the
inner end of which valve is of larger diameter than the remaining part
thereof. When the valve is being shifted, as before explained, towards
the end of the return stroke of the steam piston, as soon as the inlet
port q is partly open the small chamber is put into communication by
the recesses with the exhaust port r, and steam entering through the
inlet port and pressing against the larger diameter or face of the valve w
ensures the complete movement of the valve, and therefore the full
opening of the inlet port q. Then in the opposite stroke as soon as the
exhaust port is partly open the small chamber is put into communi-
cation with the inlet port q, and the steam acting against the flange y
formed by the enlarged diameter of the front portion of the valve
ensures the complete movement of the valve to fully open the exhaust
port. The valve is stopped at each end of its movement by suitable
projections, as seen in the Drawing.
Another modified arrangement of steam pump is represented in
vertical section in Figure 4, and in bottom plan partly in section in
Figure 5. In this arrangement the valve box g contains two pistons k, l,
of different diameters similar to the arrangement shewn in Figure 1,
except that in the present case the valve is placed at the end of tho

page_text: cylinder, as in Figures 2 and 3. The return stroke of the steam piston d
is produced, as before, by the steam of a lower pressure in the steam
chamber a; in this return stroke the steam in the cylinder b exhausts
through the ports o and ; but when the projection on the steam
piston strikes against the piston k the valve pistons k and are shifted,
opening the steam supply port q to produce the forcing stroke; when
the piston d in this stroke has passed the port p the steam passes
through this port to the back of the larger valve piston 7, and over-
coming the opposite pressure on the smaller piston k again shifts the
valve.
In Figure 5a is the valve for regulating the supply to the
chamber a, and a is the regulating outlet or blow-off valve of the
said chamber.
Figure 6 shows an arrangement similar to that represented in
Figures 4 and 5, except that a bonnet A is fixed on the end of the
pump chamber to form a passage between the suction and force pipes
of the pump.
Although I have described the steam chamber as enclosing both
the steam cylinder and pump cylinder it may enclose the steam cylinder
only, as represented in Figure 7. In this case the rod e connecting
the steam piston and the pump plunger works through stuffing
boxes B, B; Figure 8 also shows an arrangement in which the pump
cylinder is not enclosed in the steam chamber; this arrangement is
intended for deep wells, e being the plunger rod. Or the steam
cylinder may be separated from the steam chamber but be in com-
munication therewith. Sometimes I employ an air chamber, which
may surround the steam chamber, steam cylinder, and pump cylinder,
or any of them, the object of this air chamber being to produce a
continuous flow.
In constructing a double-action pump or engine I employ two steam
cylinders of different diameters, and I produce the return or lifting stroke
of the pistons of these cylinders by leading the exhaust steam from the
smaller steam cylinder through the stem of the valve, or otherwise to
the larger steam cylinder, so as to act against the piston therein.
In this arrangement a modification of the valve represented in
Figure 1 may be employed by providing an additional port between

page_text: it and the steam cylinders, and by making a transverse partition therein
for the valve stem to work through.
through this port
therein shifts the
Figure 9 represents one of my double-action engines in vertical
section, Figure 10 in plan, and Figure 11 in end elevation. b, b', are
two steam cylinders of different diameters, and d, d', are the two pistons
which are connected by a rod e¹. q is the steam supply, and the
exhaust. The forcing stroke of the pistons is produced by steam
entering the outer end of the smaller cylinder b' through the port o,
the larger cylinder exhausting through the port E; when the piston d'
in this stroke has passed the port p the steam passes
to the valve cylinder i, and acting against the piston
valve pistons k, l, and the valve D to the position seen in the Figure,
thereby shutting off communication between the supply 9 and the port o
and opening communication by means of the pipe E¹ between the port o
and the port E. The outer end of the smaller cylinder 6' now exhausts'
through these ports o and E, and the exhaust steam then acting
against the larger area of the piston d produces the return or lifting
stroke of the two pistons. After the piston d' in this return stroke has
passed the port o the remaining steam in the cylinder 6' and the steam
which may be admitted by the regulating valve & become compressed,
and acting through the port n against the smaller valve piston k shift the
valve pistons and the valve D to their opposite position, thereby opening
communication between the supply 9 and the port o. The steam which'
continues to enter the outer end of the smaller cylinder 6¹ by the valve 8
is sufficient to move the pistons until the piston d' passes the port o and
allows the higher pressure steam to enter behind it to produce the
forcing stroke. When the valve pistons are shifted by the steam
entering the smaller valve cylinder the steam in the larger valve
cylinder i exhausts through the port p into the chamber C; this chamber
is always open to the exhaust r. F is a transverse partition through
which the valve stem works; G is a port or communication between the
port o and the inner portion of the valve cylinder / whereby the
pressure on both ends of the valve piston k is equalized. The outer end
of the larger valve cylinder i is always open to the exhaust.
A modification of my double-action engine is shown in Figure 12.
Similar letters refer to parts corresponding to those in Figures 9, 10, and,
11. In this modification I divide the two cylinders b, b¹, by a transverse

page_text: partition H. I make the valve D double, and I lengthen the smaller
piston d' as shown, so that in its return stroke it never passes the port p;
this piston is recessed at I, the recess receives the exhaust from the valve
cylinder i, and itself exhausts either through a port J, or through the
piston rod e into the cylinder b. In the position seen in the Figure the
pistons k, l, and valve D have just been shifted by steam passing through
the port p into the cylinder i; the steam in the cylinder 6' now exhausts
through the ports o and E to act upon the larger piston d, while higher
pressure steam acts through the port K against the inner face of the
piston d'; when the valves are again shifted, higher pressure steam passes
through the port o to act against the outer face of the piston d³, while
the inner end of the cylinder 6¹ exhausts through the ports K and L, and
acts against the inner end of the piston d.
In applying my Invention to other purposes, to boring engines for.
example, the pump barrel is dispensed with, and the piston rod works
through a stuffing box in the steam chamber or in the end of the steam
cylinder. Instead of steam any other motive fluid may be used. If
water or other incompressible fluid be used, the return or lifting stroke
of the piston may be produced by the pressure of a head or column of
such fluid.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
"Improvements in Engines worked by Steam or other Motive Fluid,
specially applicable to Steam Pumps,"
First. Constructing engines in which the return stroke of the piston
is produced by steam or other motive fluid of a lower pressure than that
which produces the forcing stroke of the said piston, substantially as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The several arrangements or combinations of parts of engines
or pumps herein-before described and represented in Figures 1 to 8 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Third. Constructing or arranging and actuating the valves of the
cylinders of engines, substantially as herein-before described and repre-
sented in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. Constructing or arranging and actuating the valves of the
cylinders of engines, substantially as herein-before described and repre-
sented in Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fifth. Constructing, or arranging, and actuating the valves of the
cylinders of engines, substantially as herein-before described and repre-
sented in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth. Constructing engines arranged and acting substantially as
herein-before described and represented in Figures 9, 10, and 11, and in
Figure 12 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin William De Rusett, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
EDWIN W. DE RUSETT. (L.S.)