IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER TYPES OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward William West, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Ironfounder, and John Sturgeon, of Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer,
and Thomas Sturgeon, of Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING ENGINES, PARTS OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER TYPES OF MOTIVE-POWER
ENGINES"
Sealed the 17th December 1878, and dated the 6th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward William West, John
Sturgeon, and Thomas Sturgeon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 6th July 1878.
EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Ironfounder,
and JOHN STURGEON, of Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer, and THOMAS STURGEON, of
Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING
ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER TYPES of
MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Our Invention has for its object improvements in direct-acting steam pumping
engines, and consists in the first place in an improved mode of actuating the valve
of the steam or motive power cylinder in direct-acting steam pumping engines, and
in the second place in an improved arrangement of pumping cylinders in connection
therewith.
The first part of our Invention is also applicable to other types of motive power
engines where it is desired to avoid the use of a crank and fly wheel and also of
eccentrics for working the valves.
In carrying out our Invention we employ a slide valve of any convenient form
worked by a piston or plunger acted on by the steam in the manner usual in
direct-acting steam pumping engines, but in order to regulate the admission of
steam to and from the cylinder of the valve-moving plunger or piston which has
heretofore usually been effected by means of a separate valve or valves connected
to spindles, and worked by tappet or otherwise, we dispense with the separate

page_text: valves and make the valve spindles which pass through into the valve chest alone
serve as the valves. For this purpose we form in the valve spindles suitable
openings and grooves which serve as admission and exhaust ports as the spindles
are moved by the tappets or other actuating appliances and the openings or grooves
brought opposite the admission or exhaust passages to or from the valve piston or
plunger cylinder, and we also so regulate the length of the said valve spindles inside
the valve chest that in case the steam-moving action should not take place quickly
enough to ensure the reversing of the engine at the proper time. The tappet
action shall then bring the ends of the valve spindles into direct contact with the
main valve and push it over, thereby ensuring the reversing of the valve. In place
of the spindles a single spindle may be employed passing through an opening pro-
vided in the main valve. By this means the small ports and valves inside the
steam chest, which have hitherto been found a source of trouble and annoyance are
dispensed with.
The further carrying out of our Invention consists in employing a double-ended
ram having a cross head in the middle from which motion is imparted to the valvo
tappet. Each end of the ram works into a water or pump cylinder. The cross
head of the ram is connected up to the steam piston by two piston rods set far
enough apart to clear the pump cylinder. At the end next the engine the pump
cylinder may be made of an oval or rectangular section the allow the rods to come
closer together. By this means the rain retains its full clear area in both the
forward and back ward strokes, and the work of the pump is equal in both directions,
both in the quantity of water pumped, and in the load against the engine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward William West, John Sturgeon, and Thomas Sturgeon in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th January 1879.
EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Ironfounder,
and JOHN STURGEON, of Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer, and THOMAS STURGEON, of
Newlay, near Leeds, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIRECT-ACTING STEAM PUMPING
ENGINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER TYPES OF
MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Our Invention has for its object improvements in direct-acting steam pumping
engines, and consists in the first place in an improved mode of actuating the valve
of the steam or motive power cylinder in direct-acting steam-pumping engines, and
in the second place in an improved arrangement of pumping cylinder in connection
therewith.
The first part of our Invention is also applicable to other types of motive power
engines where it is desired to avoid the use of a crank and fly wheel and also of
eccentrics for working the valves.
In carrying out our Invention we employ a slide valve of any convenient form
worked by a piston or plunger acted on by the steam in the manner usual in direct-
acting steam pumping engines, but in order to regulate the admission of steam to
and from the cylinder of the valve-moving plunger or piston which has heretofore
usually been effected by means of a separate valve or valves connected to spindles
and worked by tappet or otherwise, we dispense with the separate valves and make
the valve spindles which pass through into the valve chest alone serve as the
valves. For this purpose we form in the valve spindles suitable openings and
grooves which serve as admission and exhaust ports as the spindles are moved by
the tappets or other actuating appliances and the openings or grooves brought
opposite the admission or exhaust passages to or from the valve piston or plunger
cylinder, and we also so regulate the length of the said valve spindles inside the
valve chest, that in case the steam-moving action should not take place quickly
enough to ensure the reversing of the engine at the proper time the tappet action
shall then bring the ends of the valve spindles into direct contact with the main
valve and push over, thereby ensuring the reversing of the valve. In place of
the spindles a single spindle may be employed passing through an opening pro-
vided in the main valve. By this means the small ports and valves inside the
steam chest which have hitherto been found a source of trouble and annoyance are
dispensed with.
The further carrying out of our Invention consists in employing a double-ended
ram having a cross head in the middle from which motion is imparted to the valve
tappet. Each end of the ram works into a water or pump cylinder. The cross
head of the ram is connected up to the steam piston by two piston rods set far
enough apart to clear the pump cylinder. At the end next the engine the pump
cylinder may be made of an oval or rectangular section to allow the rods to come
closer together. By this means the, ram retains its full clear area in both the for-
ward and backward strokes, and the work of the pump is equal in both directions,
both in the quantity of water pumped and in the load against the engine.

page_text: A is the steam cylinder; B, the piston; C, C, the two piston rods attached to
the piston B and passing outside the water box D, which is made of rectangular
section, being narrower across at d, d, than in vertical section at d', d', so as to
allow the rods C, C, to pass the sides to the cross head E on the rams F, F. G is
the suction branch to the pump; g, the suction valve on one side; g¹, the delivery
valve, and H the delivery or outlet branch, and the valves on the other side are
similarly arranged.
The steam valve is actuated in the following manner:-As the ram approaches
the end of its travel the top of the crosshead acts against one end of the tappet
lever I which it raises, thereby moving the valve spindles J, J', which are connected
together by means of side rods outside the valve box attached to the cross head
,, on the valve spindles. Each valve spindle projects into the steam valve box K,
and has a passage k, k', bored up the centre, through which steam is admitted
alternately through the small ports at 1, ', to either end of the plunger piston L,
which carries with it the main slide valve M which regulates the admission of
steam to the steam cylinder A.
A groove at m, m¹, is turned in each of the valve spindles through which the
steam can escape from either end of the plunger piston L when the grooves come
opposite the small ports 1, l', through small outlets at the sides at n, n. It is
obvious that when the small valve port is opposite the port admitting steam to
the end N of the plunger piston and shutting off the outlet n at the same time the
èxhaust groove m³ will be opposite the port and the opening n' to the atmosphere
allowing the steam to escape from the end O of the plunger piston L. The length
of the valve spindles J and J¹ is so adjusted that the ends p and p' respectively
shall come in contact with the main valve M at the moment when the small ports
are beginning to open the one to the steam, and the other to the exhaust so as to
give the valve and impulse forwards in case the steam should not act immediately.
It is obvious that this arrangement of steam-moved valves may be applied to
other descriptions of direct-acting engines as well as to steam pumps.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward William West, and John Sturgeon,
and Thomas Sturgeon, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine.