IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Sheldon Stubbs, Engineer, of 16, Devonshire
Street, Ardwick, in the City of Manchester, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
aled the 7th October 1879, and dated the 10th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Sheldon Stubbs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1879.
JOSEPH SHELDON STUBBS, Engineer, of 16, Devonshire Street, Ardwick, in the
City of Manchester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
My improvements relate to the construction of steam engines for pumping and
other purposes, and consist of a steam cylinder formed with one pair of rotary
three-way valves for admission and eduction of steam, which said rotary valves are
actuated direct from the piston crosshead by means of a rod and two quadrant
cams, thus dispensing with the use of eccentrics and other such gear. The ram,
water cylinder, air chambers, and valves of the pump are of the ordinary kind, but
the exhaust steam is carried from the cylinder to a case fixed to the suction portion
of the pump, and admitted in a jet by means of a conoidal nozzle, thus creating a
vacuum in the steam cylinder and heating the water to be pumped into the boiler.
I also form in place of a crosshead a circular or half circular piston slide, to which
is affixed the piston rod, and also the connecting rod when such is used, the said
circular or half circular piston slide being fitted within an open cylinder, which
protects the moving parts. I dispense with the use of belts or ropes for the purpose
of driving or hoisting any machinery by connecting and actuating the same by
means of a wormed shaft geared to or forming a portion of the main shaft of the
steam engine, and applied direct to the object to be driven or hoisted in any suit-
able manner. I would point out that modifications of my improvements may
be applied to engines designed for various purposes other than that of pumping.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Sheldon Stubbs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
October 1879.
JOSEPH SHELDON STUBBS, Engineer, of 16, Devonshire Street, Ardwick, in the
City of Manchester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to the construction of steam engines for pumping and
other purposes, and consists of a steam cylinder formed with one pair of rotary
three way valves for admission and eduction of steam, which said rotary valves are
actuated direct from the piston crosshead by means of a rod carrying a suitable
tappet bar, and acting upon two quadrant cams, thus dispensing with the use of
eccentrics and other such gear. The ram, water cylinder, air chamber, and valves
of the pump may be of the ordinary kind, but the exhaust steam is carried from
the cylinder to a case fixed to the suction portion of the pump, and admitted in a
jet by means of a conoidal nozzle, thus creating a vacuum in the steam cylinder,
and heating the water to be pumped into the boiler, which being connected with
self-acting apparatus for opening and shutting a valve attached to the boiler or its
connections for the supply of steam to the conoidal nozzle aforesaid constitutes an
automatic arrangement for feeding the boiler with water. I also form in place of
a crosshead a circular piston slide, to which is affixed the piston rod, and also the
connecting rod, when such is used, the said circular piston slide being fitted within
an open cylinder, which protects the moving parts. In certain special cases I dis-
pense with the use of the fly wheel and belts or ropes for the purpose of driving
or hoisting any machinery by connecting and actuating the same by means of a
wormed shaft geared to or forming a portion of the main shaft of the steam
engine, and applied direct to the object to be driven or hoisted in any suitable
manner.
But that the improvements may be better understood I will, with the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed
by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of portions of my Invention, and Fig. 2 a longi-
tudinal section, and Fig. 3 a back elevation of the same; Fig. 4 shows a modifi-
cation of the mode of actuating the rotary valves; Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal
section of one of the three ported rotary valves, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section
of the same; Fig. 7 shews an elevation partly in section describing the method of
transmitting motion direct for driving, winding, or hoisting purposes, and Fig. 8 is
a continuance, and Figs. 9 and 10 are plans of portions of the same; Fig. 11 is a
longitudinal elevation partly in section shewing the improvements as applied to
pumping engines, and Fig. 12 is a back elevation of the same; Fig. 13 is a trans-
verse section of steam boiler with automatic attachment; Fig. 14 is a longitudinal
view of such automatic arrangement; and Fig. 15 is a section of a minimum
pressure valve used for that purpose.
In each of the Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they
occur.
A is the steam cylinder; B, the cylindrical guide for the circular crosshead D;
C, C, are the valve chambers containing the rotary valves I, I; P is the piston rod;
and G the connecting rod connected with the balanced disc crank H. The valve
lever F is attached to the crosshead D; and J, J, are the graduated cam levers which
are raised or depressed by means of the curved tappet bar K worked by the spindle L
attached to the valve lever F, and which slides on the rod M carried by brackets N, N.
O is the steam inlet and O' the outlet for exhaust steam; Q, Q, and R, R, are

page_text: steam passages from and to which the steam is alternately admitted and exhausted;
S is a gland used for packing the stuffing box B'. The strap G₁ secures the con-
necting rod to cross head by means of a bolt, and the brasses H', H', are tightened
by two pointless wedges J, J, the opening B' giving the necessary facility for so
doing. The two nuts a¹, a¹, are for the purpose of tightening the valves I, I, when
necessary. In lieu of the graduated cam levers J, J, slotted quandrant links T, T,
may be used in which studs or dies u, u, travel in the slots T', T', and are fixed to
the spindle L. The small wedge c¹ which is raised or depressed by means of the
screw a rotated in the gland B', are for the purpose of keeping the valves I, I, to a
true face and in perfect contact with the surface of the chamber C. For pumping
purposes I prefer to place the rotary valve chambers vertically, as shown in Fig. 11,
and to form the valve lever F by prolonging vertically the crosshead R. The pump
rod E is secured to the hollow ram T2 by a nut and taper joint u². The ram T¹
works in the pump barrel V, raising water through the suction valve W', and
discharging through delivery valve W2, passing an air chamber W3, attached close to
the discharge orifice W. The valve box W is constructed of a single cylinder and
is made with one taper seat X, both valves being dropped perpendicularly thereon so
that they can be readily examined and cleaned; W is the valve box cover, and We
is an opening to adjust the ram T. The valves are of the ordinary type, but are
each seated in an annular ring X', ✗¹, the lower of which forms a self tightening
stop owing to the open taper X; Y, Y, are screwed rods projecting through the
valve box cover W³ for tightening the valves without opening the valve box; Z is
the suction branch; Z', the condensation chamber in which exhaust steam is led
by the pipe a¹, a¹, and from thence through the bent conoidal nozzle B³, B³, up
the suction of the pump, when the exhaust steam being condensed a vacuum is
produced in the cylinder A and great economy thereby attained. The nozzle B³, B³,
is furnished with a check valve c³, c, to prevent any water entering the cylinder A
owing to back pressure. When the pumping apparatus is desired to be automatic
the boiler is provided with the float d*, d*, which rises and falls according to the
water ex, ex, causing the cup shaped discs i*, i*, to impinge or recede from the face
of the plate *, j*, in which is an orifice larger than the spindle k*, k*, but smaller
than the disc i*, ix, thus admitting or shutting off steam from the pump, as the
water level determines. The steam is conveyed to the pump by means of the
pipe m*, mx, and the float d*, d*, is kept in equilibrium by means of a weighted
cord passing over the pulley ox, o*, attached to the spindle k*, k*, at p*, p*. The
top of the dome *, *, is also supplied with a packing gland to prevent the escape
of steam, or in lieu of the dome a separate case may be fitted on to the boiler for
this purpose.
H is the crank shaft; W°, a bevil toothed wheel fixed thereon
which actuates the small one X° attached to the screw shaft Y°, the lower end
of which is formed into a hemisphere Y¹ which works into the footstep Y', the
cover Ys being lined with a conical brass ring Y* which enables the bearing to be
kept properly tight. The screw Y° works in the nut Z° which is attached to a
cage, o, or other contrivance for hoisting or other purposes; 1º, 1°, are anti-
friction wheels attached to the carriage n° which slide on the plate m° fixed to a
wall or framing.
Having now described my improvements and means which I adopt for
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the particular method shewn and described, as modifications may be
made without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention, but what I
do claim is,-
1st. The application to steam engines of the quadrant cams or the modification
thereof for the purpose of actuating the rotary valves, together with the quadruple
ports, and three way rotary valves, and also the circular piston slide, substantially
as shown and described.
2nd. The application to pumping engines of the conoidal nozzle for the purpose
of creating a vacuum in the steam cylinder, whether in combination with the

page_text: automatic valve motion or not, or whether such be fitted within or apart from the
boiler, substantially as shown and described, and
3rd. The application of the driving shaft of a geared worm shaft taking into a
nut attached to a cage or other object to be driven or hoisted direct from the
engine, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Sheldon Stubbs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM GADD,
Consulting Engineer,
64, Barton Arcade,
Manchester.
JOSEPH SHELDON STUBBS. (L.S.)