IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM INJECTORS AND EJECTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Benson, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM INJECTORS AND EJECTORS."
A communication from abroad by John Henry Irwin, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of North America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Martin Benson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1878.
MARTIN BENSON, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM INJECTORS AND EJECTORS." A communication from abroad by John
Henry Irwin, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of North America.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a longitudinál section of an
injector embodying my improvements.
Fig. 2. A similar view on an enlarged scale of the spindle end of the instru-
nient.
Fig. 3. A similar view of the remaining part of the instrument which is cut
transversely on the line x, x, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. A detail plan shewing the device for adjusting the receiving cone.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing adjustment for purposes of an injector,
and,
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing adjustment as ejector and stuffing box or
packing.
"
My Invention relates to that class of instruments generally known as the
Gifford" injector, and its object is to improve the construction of the instrument
whereby an operation is secured, approximating perfection and realizing very
nearly the full equivalent for the steam employed.
The Invention consists in the special construction of the essential devices com-
posing the instrument, also in the manner of combining these devices with each
other, and furthermore in the novel construction of certain minor parts of the

page_text: instrument, all of which will be herein-after more fully set forth. The general
featuros of this class of instruments are so well known that there is no necessity
here for a detailed description of the construction, arrangement, and general
operation of all the parts of the instruments, and I shall therefore confine myself to
a description of those parts which I have improved.
It may be stated generally that the same devices are employed which have heen
used heretofore, that is, the instrument is composed of a steam cone, a spindle, a
combining cone, and a receiving cone in connection with suitable chambers, steam,
and water inlets and overflow pipe, but most of these parts are constructed and
combined in an entirely novel manner. In the Drawings, A represents the steam
cone which is provided with a straight nozzle a, having the surrounding metal of
considerable thickness so as to give the aperture a certain definite length.
The combining cone B is formed in a disc-shaped piece of metal i arranged
immediately in front of the steam cone. The receiving cone C just beyond the
combining cone is mounted in the body or case of the instrument so as to bo
adjustable in a longitudinal direction. The several devices are constructed with
certain definite proportions, bearing fixed relations to each other which I have
found by a long series of practical experiments to be necessary to the best working
of the instrument. Let the smaller diameter of the combining cone B be taken as
the base or unit of measure for the construction of the injector, this cone is then
made with its greater diameter four times the smaller diameter, and its length also
four times the smaller diameter. The diameter of the jet opening a of the steam
cone is twice said unit, and the length of this opening is equal also to twice said
unit.
The receiving cone C is made with a gradually increasing diameter, a form of
this device, however, which is well known.
The smaller diameter of this cone is the same as the smaller diameter of the
combining cone or one of said units, the larger diameter is twice said unit, and the
length is sixteen times said unit. Then the smaller diameter of the combining cone
being represented by one, its larger diameter will then be represented by four, and
its length also by four. The diameter and length of the jet opening in the steam
cone will be represented by two. The smaller diameter of the receiving cone will
be represented by one, the larger diameter by two, and its length by sixteen.
These are relative proportions of these devices which I have found necessary to the
best working of the instrument, and any substantial deviations therefrom will
materially affect the results.
It will be readily understood by those familiar with the operation of injectors
that in order to obtain the perfect working of the instrument, the steam must all be
condensed in the combining cone, and to secure the best results the water admitted
to and passing through this cone should not be much in excess of the actual
quantity necessary to condense all the steam. The relative dimensions of the steam
cone and combining cone given above are the only ones which will produce this
result, and a jet opening in the steam cone with the relative dimensions above
stated I have found will discharge the greatest amount of steam in a given time.
So far as the operation of the steam and combining cones is concerned, then the
result would be nearly as stated above when they are constructed as described.
Now very good results may be obtained if with steam and combining cones thus
constructed a receiving cone is used, departing somewhat from the dimensions laid
down above, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting my Invention
to any special construction of receiving cone; a receiving cone may be employed
which will discharge all the water emitted from the combining cone, but with
comparatively little force, though sufficient for some purposes however to obtain
the highest possible result, that is, with a given quantity of steam to discharge the
greatest quantity of water with the greatest force I have found that the dimensions
of the receiving cone must be as stated above.
The receiving cone is provided with an enlarged or flaring mouth to catch the
steam from the combining cone which is also constructed in a peculiar manner and

page_text: with definite dimensions. The length of this orifice is twice the smaller diameter
of the combining cone or unit, and its greatest diameter is four times the same or
equal to the greater diameter of the combining cone, and its middle diameter is
twice said unit, while its smaller diameter is one unit, or the same as the smaller
diameter of the receiving cone. This construction will will make the inclination
of the outer section somewhat greater than the inner section, as shown in Fig. 3
of the Drawing.
The case or body of the instrument is divided at the combining cone, one section
D containing the steam cone, and the other section E the receiving cone, the two
sections being joined by a flange connection, the flanges & and e of which are
recessed or cut away to form a seat for disc b of the combining cone which is held
between the two sections when secured together as, shewn in the Drawings, the
joint being necessarily perfectly air-tight.
On the steam side of this disc in the water pipe F, and on the discharge side is
the overflow pipe G, and of course there is an annular chamber H around the cone
on both sides of the disc. As stated, the receiving cone is mounted in the case
section E so as to slide back and forth therein. A band or ring c is provided on the
outside of the cone which fits in a corresponding recess in the casing, elongated as
shown in the Drawings, to permit the ring to move back and forth therein. The
casing E is provided with an incline or spiral slot el, as shown in Fig. 4 of the
Drawing, and a handle C' is inserted in this slot and fastened to the receiving cone,
so that by reciprocating the handle or lever in the slot the receiving cone will be
adjusted longitudinally. The construction and arrangement of the receiving
cone and its adjusting devices are such that when thrown back to its limit
the discharge end of the combining cone will just close with the opening of the
receiving cone, and when thrown forward to its limit, this end of the combining
cone will project half way into the mouth of the receiving cone, as shown in
Fig. 3.
A discharge pipe I may be attached by a flange connection to the end of the
injector, and the opening i into it constructed and arranged so that the discharge
end of the receiving cone will be provided with a seat therein when thrown forward
to its fullest extent, so that the receiving cone acts as a valve at either end accord-
ing to its adjustment, one valve being opened when the other is closed. The
diameter of the pipe I is somewhat larger than the outer end of the receiving cone,
and at the inner end of this pipe is an annular chamber J, into which a pipe ; opens,
similar to the overflow pipe and for a like purpose. The spindle K is hollow, and is
adjusted back and forth within the steam cone; its jet opening K. is similar in con-
struction to the opening in the steam cone, and is also determined in size relatively
to the other parts, being made with a diameter one-half of one unit, (ie) one-half
the smaller diameter of the combining cone, so that the latter being represented by
one, the spindle jet will be represented by one half. The end or nose K' of the
spindle is smaller than the jet opening in the steam cone, so that when projected
into the latter there will be an annular space around the end of the spindle inside
of the opening. The diameter of the small end of the spindle is one and one-half
of said unit, it will therefore be three-fourths the diameter of the jet opening in
the steam cone, and the annular space around it will represent the remaining
quarter.
The spindle just back of the nose is cone-shaped, the angle being the same as that
of the interior surface of the steam cone, which consequently makes a seat for the
spindle, acting as a valve to entirely close the jet opening when projected, so that
steam will pass through the spindle only; steam is supplied to the cone and spindle
by a pipe L in the usual way. In operating this injector the receiving cone is first
thrown inward so as to close with the combining cone, and the spindle is projected
until its nose enters the jet opening and the latter is closed in rear as described
above; steam is then let on when the air is expelled, and the water is caught
almost instantly. In order to raise and eject the water with greater velocity more
steam is now required, but it is important that it should be added in proper quan-

page_text: tity and gradually, otherwise if steam. is added too rapidly, the water will be heated
before its movement will be accelerated, and imperfect condensation will result, and
on the other hand, if not added with sufficient rapidity while the spindle is being
retracted, the vacuum will be lost, and the water will retreat. Hence the importance
of correct relative forms and proportions of the steain cone and jet. The spindle
should then be retracted slowly, and steam admitted through the annular space
surrounding it to re-inforce the spindle jet, which looses power as the spindle recedes
from the combining conc. The vacuum is thereby preserved without the addition
of steam so rapidly as to heat the water before increasing its velocity. As the
velocity of the water begins to accelerate with the increase of stean, the receiving
cone is moved forward to its fullest extent, thereby closing the opening into the
The instrument will
pipe I, and opening the passage at the inner end of the cone.
then work up to its fullest capacity.
In order to regulate the volumn of water fed into the boiler the steam cone may
be made adjustable longitudinally, as shewn in Fig. 2 and 3, which, in connection
with the adjustable spindle, enables the quantity of feed water to be regulated with
great nicety. This is not a necessary feature of construction, however, as the steam
cone may be made stationary, as shewn in Fig. 1, the instrument being adjusted to
a certain amount of pressure. The arrangement of the steam cone is then as shown
in Fig. 1, with the steam jot projecting up to but not entering the coinbining cono.
The inclination of the steam cone is 45°, which enables the volumn of water entering
the combining cone to be regulated rapidly and with slight movements of the steam
cone, which movement is always just that necessary to give proper distance of the
jet from the small end of combining cone to suit the volumn of water admitted and
the required quantity of steam. At the same time the jet of steam is also regulated
easily and with nicety. With the dimensions given above mathematical calcula-
tions will show that the quantity supplied by the opening in the spindle will be
onė-sixteenth the whole quantity, which will pass through the steam cone opening,
and that the annular space about the spindle nozzle when in the cone opening
will pass seven-sixteenths more when fully opened or together with the spindlo jet,
one half the full jet of the steam cone with variations all the way between these
points. The water pipe F is set at an angle of 45° to the axis of the instrument,
and the sides of the chamber H are inclined at the same angle. This arrangement
affords the least resistance to the water, and the surface of the steam cone being
also on the same inclination, the water will be directed into the combining cone
with the least possible friction. The plane surface of the disc also assists in this
action, as in accordance with a well-known law the liquid clings as it were to this
face against which it is directed.
With the instrument constructed as above described I have obtained highly satis-
factory results, and by exhaustive experiment have demonstrated that its operation
is close to perfection, or in other words, very nearly the full theoretical equivalent
of steam is obtained, taking into account the volume, velocity, and temperature of
the feed.
The instrument will operate under a steam pressure below the atmospheric,
producing an augmented pressure considerably above the atmosphere, and at the
same time lifting the water a considerable distance. In this operation, however,
it is evident that the instrument must be started with steam above the pressure of
the atmosphere, or the air will not be blown out of the injector and suction pipe.
In working with steam above the pressure of the atmosphere a greater augmented
pressure is obtained. For illustration, in actual practice, with steam at 90 lbs., I
have obtained a pressure of 350 lbs., and with steam at 40 lbs., at least 200 lbs., the
injector being fed without head of water. In obtaining these augmented pressures
I have found the free admission of air through the overflow pipe of considerable
importance, making a difference of at least one atmosphere in the amount of pressure
gained.
This operation may be utilized at low pressure, or small quantities of steam for
pumping air and forcing it into a receiver, the air being supplied through the over-

page_text: flow; for illustration, with steam at 5 lbs., an air pressure of at least 15 lbs. may
be obtained, and a vacuum at the overflow inlet of from 20 to 27 inches.
The air will of course enter the receiver with a small quantity of the water, but
the volume of the latter will be so small comparatively as to be of little con-
sequence.
For pumping air, as well as in pumping water, it is necessary that all leakage of
air around the receiving cone shall be prevented, and although this conc may be
fitted air-tight in its sheath it is manifest that in the course of use the moveinent
of said cone in its sheath will finally result in such abrasion and wearing away of
its surface and an enlargement of its sheath which will permit a slight leakage of
air and a correspondingly imperfect vacuum in the chamber. This defect I correct
by an adjustable packing around said cone; said packing may be constructed in
any one of the well-known ways, but I prefer a spindle stuffing box with an
adjustable ring A' to compress the packing whenever necessary, as shown in Fig. 6.
In discharging water from a receiver, as in pumping, the volume of discharge
water is augmented in pressure, which is the object to be attained. At such timos
a low steam pressure is found to be proportionately most effective, and hence the
instrument may thus be worked with steam cone open and a low boiler pressuro
running below atmospheric pressure; or as that is not always convenient it may be
worked with the spindle jet and small annular escape at high pressure. The
expansion of the small annular jet at the base of the combining cone makes the
two methods substantially equivalent.
In operating by this method the steam cone is advanced, as shown in Fig. 6, so
as to reduce the inlet from the chamber H, F, into the combining cone, and the influx
of water from said chamber is proportionately reduced, but its volume is made good
by influx, the pipe G which for this purpose may also be carried to the water in the
receiver. A vacuum in the chamber H, G, is then required, and this is dependont
upon the prevention of leakage around the receiving cone C, as before stated.
As heretofore stated, when the instrument is started the receiving cone is closed
upon the combining cone and the spindle is advanced to close the opening in the
steam cone, and steam being turned on escapes at the spindle jet with a velocity
due to boiler pressure less friction. This jet expells the atmosphere and starts the
water. The spindle is then withdrawn slightly so as to admit a small annular jet
around the nose ; but as the annular space around the nose is greater than the
small steam inlet over the seat at that movement the steam expands in said annular
space and issues into the combining cone with reduced pressure, and 1 then have a
central jet at one pressure and velocity surrounded by an annular jet at a different
pressure and velocity, and the best results appear to be obtained when these
conditions are observed. When operation is fully established the receiving cone is
moved away from the combining cone and the water admitted from the pipe. To
illustrate the power of the instrument it may be stated that a vacuum gauge
attached to the pipe G has been observed to indicate a vacuum of 27 to 29 inches.
Inasmuch as in the manufacture of the instrument it will be next to impossible
to construct the parts with absolute mathematical precision, it may be desired in
practice to make the diameter of the steain jet a trifle less than twice said unit, or
what would be the same in effect, make the combining cone with its smaller
diameter a trifle greater than one unit, otherwise a little more steam might be
projected into the combining cone than would be condensed, and the mass would
not pass through the cone and the operation would be interrupted, that is, when
the spindle is entirely withdrawn from the jet opening in the steam cone.
No substantial departure from these relative proportions can be made however,
as it is an essential feature of my improvement that the ratio between the smaller
diameter of the combining cone and the diameter of the steam jet shall be substan-
tially as one to two. The length of the combining cone may be varied somewhat
to suit different pressures of steam, as is evident from the adjustment of the steam
cone in the instrument described, to suit low pressures which is effected by setting

page_text: the steam cone forward slightly into the combining cone according to the pressure
of steam; its larger opening may also vary some.
The relation between the small opening in the combining cone and the steam jet
however remains the same, and must remain substantially the same under all
pressures.
I do not limit myself to a steam cone with an elongated jet opening precisely as
described, for approximate results may be obtained even if this opening is not as
long as the diameter thereof; but the latter dimensions should always have
substantially the same relation to the dimensions of the combining cone which
have been herein specified.
This instrument is also a very efficient ejector for water or air, and may be used
very economically for simply lifting water; for this purpose pressure is not the
ultimate end, but the movement of volume with a comparatively very small
quantity of steam, hence in operating the instrument as an ejector the spindle is
projected into the nozzle of the steam cone until the latter is closed by the valve, in
which adjustment it is held. It is evident then that the jet of steam is only
through the small opening in the spindle, which is very small as compared with the
dimensions of the combining and receiving cones, but supplies sufficient steam to
produce the necessary vacuum in the instrument to raise water at least 20 feet. In
this operation it is also necessary to adjust the receiving cone so as to close the
valve at its inner end and make it practically one piece with the combining cone.
But for the purpose of an ejector only this device may differ from that herein-after
described in the following particulars, as shown in Fig. 5. The diameter of the
steam jet opening in the steam cone of the injector is described as twice the smaller
diameter of the combining cone or as two to one. For best results as an ejector only
the steam jet opening may be only one-half the smaller diameter of the combining
cone, or as one-half to one. The relative proportions being exactly reversed and
the ejector steam jet is thereby reduced in the same proportion.
The steam cone may project into the combining cone past the plane of its base a
distance equal to one and one-half times the diameter of the steam jet opening.
The spindle is provided with a screw thread near its outer end and a hand wheel
or crank whereby it may be turned. The steam cone is closed at its upper end by
a screw cap D', through the centre of which said spindle passes, and a gland E' is
made in the outer side of said cap for a stuffing box for said spindle, and the cap of
the gland is provided with a female screw fitted to the spindle screw F. By this
arrangement the spindle screw is outside of the stuffing box, and the spindle may
be removed and replaced without disturbing the cap or stuffing.
Having now described the nature and construction of my Invention what I
claim is,
1st. In an injector a combining cone construction with dimensions substantially
as set forth, that is, the greater diameter four times the smaller, and the length
equal to the greater diameter.
2nd. A short combining cone of substantially these dimensions, viz., the greater
diameter and length equal and the smaller diameter one-fourth the greater, in
combination with a steam cone, the jet opening of which is twice the smaller
diameter of the combining cone, substantially as described.
3rd. A receiving cone having substantially the following proportions:-The length
sixteen times the smaller diameter and the greater diameter twice the smaller,
substantially as described.
4th. A steam cone A in combination with a combining cone B and a receiving
cone C, all constructed with substantially the relative proportions specified and
arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
5th The casing sections D, E, recessed as specified in combination with the
combining cone disc b, fitted to the recesses and held between the section substan-
tially as described.
6th. The inlet chamber H with its sides arranged at an angle of 45° to the axis

page_text: of this instrument in combination with the disc b and water pipe F arranged at
the same angle, substantially as described.
7th. An adjustable steam cone with the face at its jet and inclined at an angle of
45° in combination with the combining cone, substantially as described.
8th. A steam cone A. having its inner face at the jet inclined at an angle of 45°
in combination with a spindle K provided with a short nozzle k¹ of about three-
fourths the diameter of the jet opening in the steam cone, and a conical enlargement
just back of the nozzle inclined also at an angle of 45°, substantially as described.
9th. A combining cone B in combination with an adjustable receiving cone C and
a discharge pipe I, whereby the receiving cone is provided with a seat and forms a
valve at either end with one of the other parts according to adjustment, substan-
tially as described.
10th. The disc carrying the combining cone B in combination with the water
pipe F and overflow pipe G arranged adjacent to each other on opposite sides of the
disc and inclined in opposite directions, substantially as described.
11th. In a steam injector a steam cone and a combining cone having relative
forms and perforations substantially as specified combined with a movable receiving
cone provided with a stuffing box or packing, as and for the purpose set forth.
12th. The combination in an injector of a steam cone and a combining cone, the
orifices whereof have relative forins, proportions, and positions, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Benson, have hereunto set my hand and
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