IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM PUMPS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Douds and John Henry Hartsuff, both of
New Castle, in the County of Lawrence, and State of Pennsylvania,
in the United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM PUMPS.”
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said David Douds and John
Henry Hartsuff at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition and Declaration, on the 7th August 1878,
pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act,
1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DAVID
DOUDS and JOHN HENRY HARFSUFF, both of New Castle, in the County
of Lawrence, and State of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS,"
and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto us, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for

page_text: the same, and have made solemn Declaration that we are the true
and first Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Douds and John Henry
Hartsuff, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specification,
under our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings forming a part of this Specification, that is to
say :-
Our Invention relates to that class of steam pumps in which the
steam is caused to act by direct pressure upon the water, and is directed
alternately upon two chambers having a common steam and delivery
pipe controlled by tilting valves in such manner as to direct the steam
alternately upon each chamber, one being filled with water while the
other is being emptied. It is well-known that in pumps of this class
their successful operation depends largely on the rapid condensation of
steam in each chamber after the water is expelled, to produce a vacuum
sufficient to close the steam valve, cause the water to rush in, and direct
the steam upon the opposite chamber; when the chamber becomes heated
however condensation becomes more difficult in proportion to the degree
of heat. Hence in the operation of pumps of this class much difficulty
is experienced and hot water cannot be pumped.
Our Invention has for its object to produce a pump free from such
objections which shall be rapid and effectual in its operation, simple in
construction, and require comparatively little steam. To this end the
Invention consists,―
First. In connecting an air chamber or reservoir to the suction

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of our improved pump; Figure 2 is a section
through line, x, of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a plan view of the lower
portion of the casing with the top removed showing the position of the
suction and delivery valves, and Figure 4 is a section through line y, y,
of Figure 1. Similar letters of reference are employed to indicate
corresponding parts wherever they occur.
The upper portion of the pump casing is composed of the tapering
chambers A, A², made in one casting separated by a partition A³, and
coming together at the top where they open into a wedge-shaped
recess B in which a tilting wedge shaped valve O works, and closes the
entrance to the chambers A, A², alternately.
The lower portion of the casing is composed of a base A³ containing
the suction valves and discharge valves presently to be described. The
base A' is bolted to the upper portions so as to be readily detached
therefrom to inspect and repair the interior. At the bottom of the
chambers B, B¹, in the base A³ are the suction valves E, E³, resting on
inclined seats F, in which are the ports G, G, communicating with the
suction pipe H.
The valves E are held in place by casings I, and are provided with
lugs J on their outer sides which strike against said casings and prevent
the valve from opening too far, as shown in Figure 2.
The valves E, F³, are provided with rounded lower edges which rest
in correspondingly shaped seats K in the bottom of the easing. L is a
reservoir or air chamber opening into the space M. in the base A³ between
the suction valves and extending upwards somewhat higher than the
chambers A, A¹; N is a screw plug in the top of the reservoir L
provided with a spring valve O opening downward; P represents the
discharge passage connected by ports R, R³, with the chambers A, A³,
said ports opening into the wedge shaped seat of the rocking valve S,
and being closed in turn by the latter.
The operation is as follows:-To start the pump it is necessary to
remove the screw plug N from the reservoir L, and fill the latter together
with the chambers A, A², with water, the valves E, F, permitting its
free ingress and a suitable check valve in the suction pipe preventing it
from escaping. The chambers A, A², being thus filled and the valve ✪

page_text: being tilted so as to cover the opening into the chamber A, steam is
admitted into the chamber A, as shown by the arrow, and pressing
powerfully on the water contained therein instantly expels it through
port R into the discharge pipe P, the valve 8 being in the position
shown in Figures 3 and 4 and closing the port R'. The expulsion of the
water from the chamber A is so sudden that a momentary vacuum is
produced in the chamber A, which causes the valve C to tilt in the
opposite direction, and direct the steam into the chamber A¹ while water
rushes in from the suction pipe, raises the valve E, and refills the
chamber A. Meanwhile the contents of the chamber A' are discharged
in like manner through the port R³, the valve S being tilted so as to
cover the port R by the pressure of the water at the moment that steam
is admitted above. Hence the operation of the valves C and S is
simultaneous. While the water is being discharged from the chamber A.'
the chamber A previously emptied is filled from the suction pipe H as
above mentioned, and the moment the chamber A' is exhausted another
momentary vacuum is produced and the valve O again is shifted and
steam redirected into the chamber A. The action of the pump is there-
fore constant and cannot be effected by the temperature of the chambers,
as the condensation of steam is not relied on to produce a vacuum, the
rapid discharge from the chamber producing the desired result. The air
chamber L connecting with the mouth of the suction pipe enables the
pump to discharge a steady stream, and the air-cock or valve O relieves
the action of the suction valves and prevents them from knocking too
hard against their casings.
The sectional construction of the pump casing enables it to be readily
taken apart for repairs, and it will be readily seen that as the suction
and discharge valves are all contained in the base A³ they can be
inspected and repaired by simply removing the upper portion of the
casing. We have found by practical operation of this pump that it will
throw three feet for every pound of steam pressure, and its operation is
so rapid that one hundred and twenty (120) strokes per minute have
been reached.
We can operate with either hot or cold water, thereby conclusively
proving that no condensation of steam is necessary in the operation of
our pump, indeed condensation is impossible in pumping hot water.
We can therefore use it successfully for feeding boilers and other purposes
when hot water is desired. The construction is so extremely simple that

page_text: particles of sand, gravel, and other obstructions can pass readily through
it without injuring the working parts; this we have also found by
experience. The seats of the valves E, E', are chilled in casting to
prevent them from being cut and worn by gravel and other foreign
matter passing through.
Having thus described our Invention and means by which the same may
be carried into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the exact details shown and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention,
but what we do claim is,―
First. The chamber A, A¹, in combination with the suction valves E, E³,
and discharge valve S and steam valve O, all arranged and operating
substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the air chamber L having the screw
plug N and spring valve O with the suction space M of the pump,
substantially as described.
Third. The suction valves E, E¹, constructed as described in com-
bination with the castings I, substantially as described.
Fourth. The sectional casing of the pump, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Douds and John Henry
Hartsuff, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth
day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-three.