IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM-PUMPS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shanks and James Gordon Lyon, Engineers, both
of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM-PUMPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shanks and James
Gordon Lyon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th
February 1881.
JAMES SHANKS and JAMES GORDON LYON, Engineers, both of Arbroath, in the
County of Forfar. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS."
Our Invention relates to steam pumps, and it has for its object increasing the
efficiency of the same by means of certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement as hereinafter described.
In carrying out our said Invention as applied to a direct acting steam pump, for
example, we arrange two small cylinders on the valve chest containing the slide
valve employed for controlling the admission and exhaust of the steam to and from
the steam cylinder of the pump. Each of the two small cylinders contains a
piston, and both of these pistons are secured to one and the same piston rod. This
piston rod is also connected to the slide valve for the purpose of imparting motion
to the latter, as hereinafter described.
The piston rod of the steam cylinder of the pump is provided at one extremity
with a piston working in the cylinder of a pump of any suitable construction, and
passes through suitable packing glands and steam passages, hereinafter described,
at both ends of the steam cylinder.
This piston rod is connected to a piston of suitable construction working in the
steam cylinder, and a portion of the said piston rod on each side of the piston is
perforated with small holes which are in communication with each other by means
of suitable passages or channels.
At each end of the steam cylinder we provide packing glands and guides formed
in two parts which are capable of being screwed up laterally against the sides of
the piston rod by means of bolts and nuts, and are in communication with a steam
passage leading from the boiler on one side, and on the other side with corresponding
Pri 1

page_text: passages leading to the small cylinders hereinbefore referred to at the back of the
valve chest.
When the piston is at one end of its stroke one of the portions of the piston rod
provided with holes or passages as hereinbefore described passes through the end
of the cylinder in such a manner as to bring the said holes or passages in the
piston rod in communication with the passage leading from the boiler, and enabled
live steam to pass through the holes in the piston rod to the interior of the steam
cylinder, and also to one of the small cylinders on the valve chest, whereby the
piston in this latter cylinder is caused to move and actuate the slide valve so as to
open and close the corresponding exhaust ports and inlet ports, or the return stroke
of the pump.
When the piston is near the end of the return stroke the other
portion of the piston rod provided with holes on the other side of the piston passes
through the corresponding end of the cylinder and admits live steam through these
holes to the end of the cylinder, and at the same time admits live steam to the
other small cylinder in the valve chest, where it acts upon a corresponding piston,
which in turn actuates and reverses the position of the slide valve.
The pump
piston then performs another stroke, and the operations hereinbefore described are
repeated.
The exhaust ports are arranged at a certain distance from the ends of the
cylinder, so that as soon as the cylinder passes these ports communication with
the atmosphere is cut off, and the remaining steam acts as a cushion to the piston.
The small quantity of live steam which is admitted at about the same time to the
main cylinder through the holes in the piston rod, as hereinbefore described, assist
to cushion the piston and promotes a quick return of the latter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Shanks and James Gordon Lyon in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th August 1881.
JAMES SHANKS and JAMES GORDON LYON, Engineers, both of Arbroath, in the
County of Forfar. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS."
Our said Invention relates to improvements in steam pumps, and has for its
object the attainment of greater simplicity of construction combined with efficiency
and economical action.
For this purpose we arrange two small auxiliary cylinders above the main steam
cylinder having pistons working therein for actuating the slide valve for controlling
the steam supply to the said main cylinder.
The
The piston rod of the steam cylinder passes through conveniently formed glands
to the piston plunger or ram within the pump cylinder in the usual manner.
piston rod is similarly extended through the other side of the steam piston to work
in a tubular guide provided at the other end of the cylinder. The steam cylinder
is provided with the usual ports for the supply and exhaust of the steam, and with
additional steam ports and passages formed in the cylinder and covers which
communicate with the before mentioned auxiliary valve cylinders for working the
pistons and slide valve, and which are controlled by steam ports provided in the
piston rod of the main or steam cylinder.
The piston having completed its stroke, communication established between the
main and auxiliary valve cylinders by means of these ports in the rod, and the
additional steam ports and passages formed in the cylinders and covers whereby.
the steam is caused to act upon the valve pistons, and thus reverse the position of
the slide valve so as to admit steam to the other side of the main driving piston,
while some of the steam on its way to the valve cylinders passes laterally into
the main cylinder, thus serving as a cushion and means of effecting a quick
return.
The accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal section of a direct
acting steam pump, constructed, arranged, and operating according to our said
Invention.
A is the main steam cylinder provided with steam and exhaust ports K and L
respectively, controlled by the slide valve B in the usual manner.. The spindle or
rob b which actuates the said slide valve terminates with two pistons C, C', which
work in the small auxiliary cylinders D, D¹, situate above the steam cylinder.
Along the whole length of the steam cylinder A is formed a steam passage E
in communication with the valve chest H or boiler, and communicating by
passages E¹, E², formed in the cylinder covers with the said auxiliary valve
cylinders; J, J', are ports forming continuations of the before mentioned passages
admitting steam to the said valve cylinders D, D¹. The piston rod N working the
piston G extends through both ends of the cylinder, and is formed with
perforations, holes, or steam ports F, F, on either side of the said piston. P is
the pump of ordinary construction, and shewn as being worked directly from the
piston rod.
In the accompanying Drawing the piston G is represented as having just
completed its stroke from the left to the right hand end of the cylinder.
In this position the ports F in the piston rod N are in communication with the
steam passages E and E², and steam port J', thus allowing the steam to pass into
the right hand valve cylinder D¹, thereby causing the piston C¹ to travel towards
the left, carrying with it the slide valve B so as to reverse ingress of steam to the
cylinder A. By this operation the steam enters behind the piston G, causing it to

page_text: make a stroke from right to left, and so communicate corresponding motion to the
piston ram or plunger of the pump P which may be of any known construction.
The piston G having completed its stroke to the left hand end of the cylinder, the
ports F in the rod N similarly admit steam by the passages E¹ and J to the other
valve cylinder C, whereby the valve gear is again reversed, and thus this cycle of
operations is repeated at the end of each stroke.
The cylinders D, D¹, are exhausted through the ports D³, D³, respectively.
The stuffing boxes through which the piston rod N works are of ordinary
kind, but conveniently arranged so as to admit of the necessary passages into the
covers.
The exhaust ports L, L', open into the cylinder at some distance from the ends,
therefore as soon as the piston G passes the exhaust port at the end of the cylinder
to which it is approaching a certain quantity of steam is shut into the cylinder
between the piston and the cover, thus forming a cushion to prevent it striking the
ends of the cylinder, and to render its action silent and easy. Feathers are provided
across these exhaust ports to prevent their edges being caught or struck by the
piston or its packing ring during its stroke.
The ports or holes in the piston rod may be so arranged as to permit steam
entering the main cylinder, so as to assist cushioning and to effect a rapid return of
the piston.
The slide valve B is moved by hand at starting by means of the oscillating arm S
which is in connection with an external handle or lever, and from which it receives
corresponding motion.
The steam pump may be obviously arranged to similarly actuate a plunger or
ram in the form of a single or double direct acting donkey pump for boiler feeding
purposes.
The general arrangement of the pump with its suction and delivery valves may
be modified according to requirements of the application without departing from
the essence of our said Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and. original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―-
The construction and arrangement of steam pumps in which the motive fluid to.
the motor cylinder is controlled by holes or ports formed in the piston rod which
govern the passage of the motive fluid to auxiliary cylinders containing pistons for
actuating the slide valve, the whole operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Shanks and James Gordon Lyon, have
to this our Specification set our hands and seals, this Twenty fifth day
of August. One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JAMES SHANKS.
(L.S.)
JAS. GORDON LYON. (L.S.)