Improvements in Direct Acting Pumps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Direct Acting Pumps.
I, EDWARD BARNES, of The Beeches, 178, Soho Hill, Handsworth, in the County of
Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
?
This invention consists of improvements in direct acting pumps and is especially
applicable to the type known as the "Cameron steam pump," my object being to
provide simple and effective means for attaining a greater certainty in the action of
the steam or like controlling valves.
My invention comprises the application of a valve or valves in the steam moved
plunger working within the valve chest of the steam or operating end of the pump,
for the purpose of automatically closing the passages at the exhausted end of the said
plunger during the period of exhaustion.
In one form the valve for the steam moved plunger consists of an ordinary metallic
ball applied directly to the plunger. The said plunger consists of a double piston
made in one with and connected by a pair of bars or plates, such bars or plates having
between them a rectangular space to receive the lugs projecting from the usual side
valve, and also the starting lever shaft. In one of the connecting bars, midway
between the two pistons, I provide a chamber to receive the ball valve herein-
before described, such chamber being preferably of a V shape or section in the
direction longitudinally of the pistons and of sufficient width to permit of free
movement of the ball. At right angles with the inclined sides of the chamber I
provide steam passages so arranged as to form seats for the ball valve, and to meet
two other passages made from the plunger ends through the centre of the bar, thus
making continuous openings from the valve chamber to the plunger ends. I enclose
the valve by means of a curved cover, retaining the ball in place without obstructing
its working movements. By such construction the ball will act when placed either
above or below the bar, and will effective under conditions of considerable variation
with regard to the angular position of the plunger.
For the admission of steain to the valve chamber I provide an inlet either through
the centre of the cover or from the apex of the chamber through the bar itself.
The action is as follows;-Assuming the chamber with valve to be on the top side
of the connecting bar and the aperture for admitting steam to be through the cover,
the plunger will be in equilibrium and the ball valve will have gravitated to the
lowest point of the V chainber. The main piston on coming in contact with the
ordinary tappet valve towards which it is travelling will open the same and thus
exhaust that end of the steain chest or plunger cylinder with which the said tappet
valve communicates. The steam will immediately rush from the live steam space
through the hole in the ball valve cover to the exhausted end of the chest and will
carry with it the ball valve which will thus close the passage and at the same time
leave the passage leading to the opposite end free to admit the steam and thereby
destroy the equilibrium. The plunger with the main valve will immediately make a
stroke in the direction of the exhausted end, and thus reverse the steam distribution

page_text: to the main cylinder and restore the equilibrium, when the ball will again gravitate
to the lowest point of the V chamber in readiness for a repetition of the cycle of
operations in the opposite direction.
Instead of a single ball valve arranged as herein before described I sometimes
employ two balls or a double disc valve formed in one with a connecting stem and
employed in combination with springs, and I also adopt other suitable valves arranged
in any convenient manner for the purpose described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Direct Acting Pumps.
I, EDWARD BARNES, of The Beeches, 178, Soho Hill, Handsworth, in the County of
Stafford, Mechanical 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 consists of improvements in direct acting pumps and is especially
applicable to the type known as the "Cameron steam pump," my object being to
provide simple and effective means for attaining a greater certainty in the action
of the steam of like controlling valves.
My invention comprises the application of a valve or valves in the steam moved
plunger working within the valve chest of the steam or operating end of the pump,
for the purpose of automatically closing the passages at the exhausted end of the
said plunger during the period of exhaustion.
In one form the valve for the steam moved plunger consists of an ordinary metallic
ball applied directly to the plunger. The said plunger consists of a double piston
made in one with and connected by a pair of bars or plates, such bars or plates
having between them a rectangular space to receive the lugs projecting from the
usual slide valve and also the starting lever shaft. In one of the connecting bars,
midway between the two pistons, provide a chamber to receive the ball valve
herein before described, such chamber being preferably of a V shape or section in the
direction longitudinally of the pistons and of sufficient width to permit of free
movement of the ball. At right angles with the inclined sides of the chamber I
provide steam passages so arranged as to form seats for the ball valve, and to meet
two other passages made from the plunger ends through the centre of the bar, thus
making continuous openings from the valve chamber to the plunger ends. I enclose
the valve by means of a curved cover, retaining the ball in place without obstructing
its working movements. By such construction the ball will act when placed either
above or below the bar, and will be effective under conditions of considerable variation
with regard to the angular position of the plunger.
For the admission of steam to the valve chamber I provide an inlet through the
centre of the cover and from the apex of the chamber through the bar itself.
The action is as follows;-Assuming the chamber with valve to be on top side of
the connecting bar and the aperture for admitting steam to be through the cover, the
plunger will be in equilibrium and the ball valve will have gravitated to the lowest
point of the V chamber. The main piston on coming in contact with the ordinary
tappet valve towards which it is travelling will open the same and thus exhaust that
end of the steam chest or plunger cylinder with which the said tappet valve
communicates. The steam will immediately rush from the live steam space through

page_text: the hole in the ball valve cover towards the exhausted end of the chest, and will
carry with it the ball valve which will thus close the passage and at the same time
leave the passage leading to the opposite end free to admit the steam and thereby
destroy the equilibrium. The plunger with the main valve will then make a stroke
in the direction of the exhausted end, and thus reverse the steam distribution to the
main cylinder and restore the equilibrium, when the ball will again gravitate to the
lowest point of the V chamber in readiness for a repetition of the cycle of operations
in the opposite direction.
Instead of ball valves arranged as herein before described I sometimes employ
double disc valves formed in one with a connecting stem and employed in combination
with springs, and I also adopt other suitable valves arranged in any convenient manner
for the purpose described, either in the plunger as shown or in the chest casing.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.―
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation and Figure 2 a sectional plan illustrating
the valve chest of a direct acting steam pump having my invention applied thereto.
The same reference letters in the two views indicate the same parts.
With the plunger A and the slide valve B in the position shown in the figures,
steam will be admitted to the right hand end of the cylinder through the port C
whilst the left hand end of the cylinder will be in communication through the port D
with the exhaust port E. The plunger will be maintained in a state of equilibrium
by the simultaneous admission of steam from the steam space F of the valve chest to
the ends G G¹ of the chest through the passages H and H¹ respectively. The main
piston within the cylinder on coming in contact with and opening the ordinary tappet
valve adjacent to the end G towards which it is travelling, will exhaust the steam
from such end G through the usual passage g, one end of such passage opening into
the space G as shown, whilst the opposite end is in communication with the tappet
valve in the ordinary manner. Live steam from the space F will then rush into the
chamber containing the ball valve J through the inlets j and towards the passage H
communicating with the end space G, but by such action of the steam the ball I will
be carried on to the mouth of the passage H and thus close the same, the passage H¹
communicating with the opposite end space G¹ being left open to the live steam.
The steam on the end of the plunger A within the space G being thus exhausted,
the equilibrium will be destroyed and the plunger caused to move in the direction of
such exhausted end, thereby so altering the position of the slide valve B as to reverse
the distribution of steam to the cylinder and restore the equilibrium of the plunger A;
the ball J will then gravitate to its lowest position, as shown at Figure 1, in
readiness for a repetition of the cycle of operations in the reverse direction.
The passages H and H¹ are blocked at their outer ends as shown but comniunicate
with the straight through apertures K and K¹ respectively, by the cross passages L
and L respectively. By such arrangement of the passages I obtain a perfect cushion
for the plunger at each end of its stroke, and the ball valve is prevented from being
drawn and lodged on to its seat by the rebound or reaction of the plunger. The
supplementary passages h and h¹ admit such steam as may be necessary to the
plunger end space adjacent to the exhausting end of the cylinder, to compensate for
any leakage through the tappet valve or otherwise, as the passage of such com-
pensating steam through the mouths of the passages H or H' from the ball valve
chamber would tend to move such valve. The plunger A can be turned on
its axis so that the ball shall be beneath in which position it will be equally
operative.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a direct acting pump means for attaining a greater certainty in the action of
the steam or like controlling valve substantially as described.
2. The combination with a slide valve and plunger in the steam chest of a direct

page_text: acting steam pump, of a supplementary automatic valve, arranged substantially as
and for the purpose described.
3. A steam moved valve operating plunger having a supplementary automatic
valve and passages arranged substantially as and for the purposes described and as
illustrated.
day of May Logo.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.