IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Benson, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES FOR
PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by
Ezra Cope and James Riley Maxwell, of Cincinnati, Ohio, United
States of North America.
Sealed the 28th June 1872, and dated the 13th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Benson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th January 1872.
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I, MARTIN BENSON, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication to him
from abroad by Ezra Cope and James Riley Maxwell, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States of North America.
The form of machine to which my improvements are more particularly
applicable will be composed of two cylinders and pumps and their
several parts, and by preference constructed to work in a vertical
position. The pumps may be of the plunger or piston form. The steam
"

page_text: .
4
cylinders are attached to a frame or column unecny over
either by casting or bolting them to it.
The first part of my improvement consists in the manner of working
or moving the slide valve of the engines or valves having a reciprocating
movement for admitting steam to and from the cylinder, and consists
in passing a stem into the exhaust opening at the side of the cylinder
or valve box, and under the valve. The inner end of this stem is pro-
vided with an arm for taking hold and moving the valve, by working
between suitable formed lugs, cast or otherwise attached to the concave
portion of the valve, or that portion of it opposite the exhaust opening
in the valve face on the cylinder. The outer end of the valve stem is
provided with a second arm, to which is attached a rod for giving motion
to the valve; this rod is moved by the oscillating of the connecting rod
attached to the crank of the engine, and is effected by casting or other-
wise attaching an arm or lug (by preference) near the crank end of the
rod; this lug is provided with a pivoted guide for receiving the rod
attached to the valve stem before stated, and by the oscillating of the
connecting rod the valve is moved through the medium of the rod
working through the pivoted guide attached to the side of the connecting
rod. This method of moving the slide valve by the oscillating of the
connecting rod will be principally used on engines for working small feed
pumps for boilers and similar purposes. For ordinary engines the valve
may be worked by an eccentric and rod as usually employed. This mode
of moving a valve by a stem passing into the exhaust opening admits
of its being worked by less power, as the exhaust steam only acts on the
joint, which does not require it to be made so tight as if the whole
pressure of steam from the boiler acted on it, and therefore will not
require as much power to work it.
i
Another portion of my improvement is combining and casting the
plunger and valve chamber for the pumps to the bed plate, also the
base of the column for supporting or carrying the steam cylinders; by
thus casting, the chambers and column base to the bed plate it saves the
expense of jointing them to the plate by bolts in the usual manner, and
also admits of the parts being made more compact and lighter, at the
same time stronger, with a less quantity of metal.
Another portion of my improvement is the manner of combining and

page_text: connecting and arranging therewith the connecting rod of the engine.
The cross' head and plunger of the pump are cast together by a rib
piece, usually in the form of a letter T in' its transverse section; the
top side of this connecting piece come in line with the centre of the
plunger and cross head, and through which the power passes from
the cylinder to the plunger of the pump; the centre of force from the
cylinder is allways in line with the sides of the connecting piece, which
prevents the force from producing a buckleing or lateral strain amounting
to any practical objection on the connecting piece joining the cross head
and plunger together. The pin to which the connecting rod is attached
is fixed to the cross head directly under the end of the piston rod; the
connecting rod is made to take hold of the pin on both sides of the
centre of the piston rod for preventing any tendency of the piston rod
from turning round by the lateral thurst of the connecting rod on the
crank pin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Martin Benson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARTIN
BENSON, of No. 9, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
:
t.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day' of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her' heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Martin Benson, Her special licence,
that I, the said Martin Benson," my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Martin Benson, my executors,"
administrators, and assigns, should' at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, 'exércise, and
vend; within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 'the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM ENGINES FOR PUMPING AND OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to
him from abroad by Ezra Cope and James Riley Maxwell, of Cincinnati,..
Ohio, United States of North America, upon the condition (amongst
1

page_text: others) that I, the said Martin Benson, my exécutors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within b
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
|by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their nanus
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Martin Benson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
. following statement :—
The form of machine to which my improvements are more particularly
applicable will be composed of two cylinders and pumps and their
several parts, and by preference constructed to work in a vertical
position. The pumps may be of the plunger or piston form. The steam 1
cylinders are attached to a frame or column directly over the pump,
either by casting or bolting them to the column.
The first part of my improvement consists in the manner of working
or moving the slide valve of the engines or valves having a reciprocating
movement for admitting steam to and from the cylinder, and consists a
in passing a stem into the exhaust opening at the side of the cylinder
or valve box, and in under the valve. The inner end of this stem is
provided with an arm for taking hold and moving the valve by working
between suitable formed lugs, cast or otherwise attached to the concave
portion of the valve, or that portion of it opposite the exhaust opening a
in the valve face on the cylinder. The outer end of the valve stem is
provided with a second arm to which is attached a rod for giving motion
to the valve; this valve is moved by the oscillating of the connecting
rod attached to the crank of the engine, and is effected by casting or
otherwise attaching an arm or lug (by preference) near the crank end
of the rod; this lug is provided with a pivoted guide for receiving the
rod attached to the valve stem before stated, and by the oscillating of
the connecting rod the valve is moved through the medium of the rod
working through the pivoted guide attached to the side of the connecting
rod. This method of moving the slide valve by the oscillating of the 3
connecting rod will be principally used for engines working small feed
pumps for boilers and similar purposes. For ordinary engines the valve
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page_text: may be worked by an eccentric and rod as usually employed. This
mode of moving the valve by a stem passing into the exhaust opening
admits of its being worked with less power, as the exhaust steam only
acts on the joint which does not require it be packed so tight as if the
whole pressure of steam from the boiler acted on it, and therefore will
not require as much power to work it.
Another portion of my improvement is combining and casting the
plunger and valve chamber for the pumps to the bed plate, also the
base of the column for supporting or carrying the steam cylinder or
cylinders; by thus casting the chambers and column base to the bed
plate it saves the expense of jointing them to the bed plate by bolts in
the usual manner, and also admits of the parts being made more compact
and lighter, at the same time stronger, with a less quantity of metal.
Another portion of my improvement is the manner of combining and
constructing the cross head and piston or plunger of the pump, and
connecting and arranging therewith the connecting rod of the engine.
The cross head and plunger of the pump are cast together by a rib
piece usually in the form of a letter T in its transverse section; the top
sides of this connecting piece comes in line with the centre of the plunger
and cross head, and through which the power passes from the cylinder to
the plunger of the pump; by thus connecting the cross head and plunger
of the pump the centre of force from the cylinder is always in line with
the sides of the connecting piece, which prevents the force from producing
a buckling or lateral strain amounting to any practical objection on the
connecting piece joining the cross head and 'plunger together. The pin
to which the connecting rod is attached is fixed to the cross head directly
under the end of the piston rod; the connecting rod is made to take
hold of the pin on both sides of the centre of the piston rod, and thereby
preventing any tendency of the piston rod from turning round by the
lateral thrust of the connecting rod on the crank pin.
In order to give a better understanding of the improvements, reference
is here made to the accompanying Drawings by the figures and letters
of reference marked thereon and made to form part of this Specification.
The Drawings on Sheet 1 represents the improvéd valve applied to a
horizontal engine constructed for working a pump, or used for other
purposes if desired.

page_text: CU
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Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the engine and frame through
the line A¹, A¹; Fig. 3 is a tranverse section of the cross head guide
and frame of the engine through the line B', B'; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal
section of the slide valve box and that portion of the cylinder containing
the steam passages; Fig. 5 is a view of the valve face and arm for
carrying the spindle for working the valve. Similar letters on this Sheet
refer to corresponding parts.
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The main frame a, a, a, and steam cylinder 6 are cast together;
the pump barrel c is cast separate and attached to the frame a by means
of flanges and screw bolts. If desired the frame a may be made separate
from the cylinder, of any desired form, and the cylinder and pump barrel
attached thereto by means of bolts. The cylinder end of the frame is
provided with bearings for receiving the main shaft m. d is a cross head
composed of two pieces and secured together by bolts, and made to work
between guides composing part of the frame of the engine, as fully
represented in Figs. 1 and 3; the piston rod of the engine is attached
to one half of the cross head d, and the piston of the pump to the other
half, as shewn in Fig. 1. If it is desired, the engine may be used without
working the pump; in such cases the piston rod of the pump will be
detached from the cross head; as a rule two connecting rods n will be
used, one on each side of the cylinder. The cylinder for connecting the
cross head d and main shaft m, the pin o in the cross head is made to
vibrate in a bearing formed by, the two pieces d, d; the ends of the
connecting rod n are firmly attached to the pin o by keys or otherwise.
The slide valve f of the engine is moved by a crank or eccentric attached
to the end of the main shaft m through the medium of the rod k, lever h,
spindle I, and forked lever or finger e. The forked lever takes, hold of
the under part of the valve, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4, by a pro-
jection or tooth cast or fit to the valve, and made to work in the fork
of the lever e; an arm is attached to the side of the cylinder or valve
box for carrying the spindle i, as fully shewn in Figs. 2 and 5. The
steam exhausts from the cylinder on the opposite side to which the arm
is attached, and is admitted to the cylinder, through the opening S
into the valve box 9, as represented in Figs. 1 and 4. The spindle.i
requires no packing; none but the exhaust steam from the cylinder acts
around it, which is found by practice not to have sufficient force to
cause a leakage.
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page_text: The Drawings on Sheet 2 illustrates the method of working slide
valves of steam engines, by the oscillating motion of the connecting rod.
The engine shewn on this Sheet works a single acting plunger pump
principally used as a boiler feeder; this method of working the slide
6 valve is more applicable to this class of engines, as it does not admit
of giving any lead to the valve, which is preferable for engines of this
class, as it to a great extent prevents the engine from stopping in its
dead centre when employed for working boiler feeders and small pumps
for other purposes.
Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the engine; Fig. 7, a front view;
and Fig. 8, a top view of the machine; similar letters on this (Sheet 2)
refer to corresponding parts.
A is a column, the top part of which serves as a steam cylinder,
and the lower part as a pump barrel for the plunger F to work in.. E is
the pump valve chamber attached near the base of the column; B is a
frame cast to or otherwise attached to the top of the column for carrying
the crank shaft C and fly wheel H, as represented; D, D, are connecting
rods, the lower-ends of which are permanently attached to the pin J,
passing through the plunger F; this pin works in bearing boxes fit into the
plunger, which may be provided with any known means for adjusting
them to the pin; the top of the connecting rods are attached to the
crank shaft, slots or openings are cast or cut on the opposite sides of the
column A for the pin J to work up and down in, and also for placing
the stuffing boxes around the plunger of the pump and piston rod of
the engine.
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The slide valve f, represented in Fig. 8, is worked by the spindle i,
passing into the exhaust opening at the side of the cylinder; similar to
the plan before described and represented on Sheet 1, excepting, the
motion for moving the spindle is taken from the oscillating-of the
connecting rod; this is usually done by attaching an arm; a; to the
connecting rod, by preference near to the crank end of the rod. This
arm is provided with a swivel g, in which the rod h works;: the lower
end of this rod is attached to the valve stem, a spindle i is fully repre-
sented in Figure 6, and by the oscillating motion of the connecting rod
through the medium of the arm a, swivel g, rod h, and spindle i, the valve
is moved by the finger e. In constructing small pumps of this kind for
some purposes, the framing B, B, for carrying the main shaft C. may
be omitted, and the bearing for receiving the shaft attached, direct to
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page_text: the cylinder head. In such cases the shaft is straight, and the wheel H
attached to one end of it to serve as a crank as well as a fly wheel, and
at the opposite end of the shaft an eccentric or crank may be used for
working the valve similar to the plan represented on Sheet 1.
The Drawings on Sheet 3 represent the pump improvements in con-
nection with the engine. This machine consists of two single acting
vertical pumps worked by two cylinders attached to the top of singlo
columns. The piston rods of the engines are attached direct to tho
plunger of the pumps through the medium of a connecting piece forming
part of the plunger. The two engines are joined together by suitable
connecting rods and a main shaft. This style of machine is usually
employed as a boiler feeder or fire engine.
Fig. 9 represents a front elevation of the engines and pumps; Fig. 10
is a side elevation shewing a sectional view of the steam cylinder and
portion of the top of the column, and also a sectional view of a pump,
the bed plate, and a portion of the column; and Fig. 11 is a top view
of the bed plate of the machine with the engine removed, and shewing
a transverse section of the valve and plunger chambers of one of the
pumps, and a sectional view of the columns; similar letters in this
(Sheet 3) refer to corresponding parts.
A, A, are hollow columns for carrying the steam cylinders B, B, and
bearing pieces X, X, for the fly wheel shafts as represented, the columns
are also made to serve as air vessels to the pump. The bed plate II,
valve and plunger chambers C, D, are all made or cast in one picco.
The columns A are joined to the bed plate W by means of flanges and
screw bolts; the flanges on the bed plate for connecting the column to
the bed plate are made on the inside of the column chambers, represented
at J, or if desired the flange may be made on the outside of the chamber;
K is the inlet water opening to the valve chambers cast in the bed plate;
this opening extends to both valve chambers, as fully represented in 1
Fig. 11; the lower valve in the chamber C is the receiving, and the top
one the discharge valve. The water is forced out of the pump and
around the outside of the pump barrels through openings T, T, into
chambers V directly under the column; both these chambers V are
connected together by a passage or pipe R cast in the bed plate, shewn
in Figs. 10 and 11; the water is discharged from the pump through the
opening P usually made in the side of the chamber V, and on the side
of the machine most convenient for attaching the pipe. The slido

page_text: valves f of the engine are worked by the eccentric m, rods h, and arms e.
Similar to the improved plan before described on Sheets 1 and 2 steam
is admitted to each of the cylinders through the connecting pipes S at
their top. E, E, are the pump plungers, and F, F, are cross heads or
sockets, to which are attached the piston rods, as represented in Figs. 9
and 10. The plungers E and sockets F are connected together by
semicircular or sectional ribbed pieces, as shewn at n and o, and forming
part of the plunger. These connecting pieces must be made sufficient
to one side of the plunger, so that the bearing of the connecting rod J,
when it is attached to the socket F, will come within the centre of the
piston rod; this is done to prevent the piston rod and consequently
plunger of the pump from turning or twisting around by any lateral
thrust that may be brought on it by the connecting rod through the
medium of the crank a.
In machines of this kind, when single acting pumps are used, as
represented on Sheet 3, the cranks are placed nearly opposite each other,
that is sufficient out of line to prevent ketching on their dead centres,
but when double-acting pumps are employed instead of single, they are
placed at right angles, as the resistances in such cases is constant, and
by placing the crank at right angles the power will be constant, and
thereby causes the machine to work smoothly.
. The Drawings on Sheet 4 represents a pumping machine commonly
used as a boiler feeder or fire engine, and is similar in structure as far
as the improved parts are concerned to the one shewn on Sheet 3, and
before described, excepting such of the steam cylinders on Sheet 3 are
supported by a single column, while each of the steam cylinders on
Sheet 4 are supported by two columns as. represented, and the pump
valve chambers are made to one side of the column for easy access for
taking out and replacing them.
Fig. 12, on Sheet 4, is a transverse sectional view through the base
plate, and shewing a side elevation of the pump columns and steam
cylinder.
•
Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the machine shewing part of the bed
plate and pumps in section, and Fig. 14 is a plan of a portion of the
bed plate and a transverse section through the piston and valve chambers

page_text: The machine on Sheet 4 is composed of four columns A attached to
the bed plate H at W by flanges and bolts. The columns are joined
together in parts at the top by the bridge pieces f, on which the steam
cylinders B are mounted; the bridge pieces serve as cylinder heads, and
through which the piston rod works as represented. The slide. valves of
the steam cylinders are similar in structure to those on Sheet 3, and
worked in the same manner by the eccentrics m'and rods h.
.
E are, the plungers of the pump; F, the cross head or sockets, to
which the piston rods are attached; J are the connecting rods'; a, the
cranks; and X the bearing pieces for carrying the main shaft. The
plungers of the pumps are constructed and joined to the piston and con-
necting rods and worked similar to those before described and represented
on Sheet 3; the connecting pieces between the plunger E and socket F,
as shewn in section at y, by dotted lines; K is the water inlet opening
to the pump chambers C. The water is forced out of the pump through
the opening P'; both pump chambers are joined together by the passage R
cast in the bed plate and the water passage T around the outside of the'
barrel of the pump as represented. This structure of pump is preferred
in some cases for its greater stability by mounting each of the cylinders B
on two columns instead of one, as shewn'in Sheet 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Benson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.