Improvements in and relating to Direct-acting Pumping Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Direct-acting Pumping Engines.
We, HENRY GARRETT GOURLAY, CHARLES GERSHOM GOURLAY, and JAMES
GORDON LYON, all of the firm of Gourlay Brothers and Company, Engineers and
Shipbuilders, Dundee, Forfarshire, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in direct-acting pumping engines,
specially applicable to the single cylinder double acting class of such engines
working the pump in line or tandem ways, and comprises a new or improved con-
struction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of the valve gear of said
engines, which gives a cut-off of the steam and a closing of the exhaust before
the piston reaches the end of its stroke, with the object and advantage of giving a
regular and steadier cushioning and reversing of the piston with economy of steam
than has been possible heretofore in such engines.
As applied to a vertical single cylinder double direct acting steam pumping
engine the piston red of which actuates any direct-acting pump of the bucket and
plunger type with single inlet valves, or of the double acting piston type, with
double inlet and discharge valves, one arrangement of the improvements consists
mainly and essentially in working the steam distributing slide valve of the engine
cylinder, which may be of an ordinary type, but preferably with long D chamber
and cross bar faces covering two exhaust ports in the face plate between the steam
inlet ports leading to both ends of the cylinder, by a long piston rod, working
parallel or nearly parallel to the piston rod of the cylinder and pump, and down
through a stuffing box in the lower end of the steam casing, with pistons on this
rod at suitable distances apart. One of these pistons works in a fixed cylinder
secured by brackets or otherwise to the lower part of the steam cylinder with an
extreme travel of this piston equal to that required to be given to the valve rod,
and actuated by a simple slide valve in a casing in front, supplied by steam or water
from the boiler of the engine, the valve rod of which is actuated by a lever and
link or links connected to the shorter arms of a beam lever or levers fulcrumed on
the front columns, stays, or frames between the cylinder and pump; and having
their other end connected by links and a cross head or other equivalent to an arm
fixed to the piston rod of the steam cylinder and pump between their stuffing boxes,
or by tappets on rod actuated by moving cylinder, so that the valve of this fixed
cylinder acts in the opposite direction to the motion of the steam piston just before
the piston reaches the opposite ends of its stroke to admit the acting steam or
water to this cylinder and piston which shifts the slide valve of the engine to
reverse it.
A further improvement consists in mounting the other piston before mentioned on
the valve rod of the engine within a reciprocating oil or cataract cylinder, connected
by links to and below the short end of the said levers actuating the slide valve of
the piston working the main slide valve, so as to reciprocate on slide guides on the
said columns of frame below the levers. This reciprocating cylinder has ports in
it leading from the one end to the other through a regulating tap or valve, to allow
the oil to flow from the one end of cylinder to the other, and so regulate the speed
or time of reciprocation, and as a consequence the speed of the engine. This
cylinder has a reciprocation on its piston so much less than the motion of the levers
that it causes the piston near the reversing ends of its stroke to move the main
slide valve of the engine a sufficiently small distance in the reverse direction to its
piston, so as to close the admission of steam and also the exhaust at the end of the
stroke to which it is approaching, so as to cushion it uniformly at this point, and

page_text: thus reverse the engine by the last part of the motion of the piston rod reversing
the valve of the fixed valve cylinder and its piston to the full extent of its throw
and reciprocate the main slide valve in the same direction that the oil piston and
cylinder moved the valve the first part of its stroke.
Although this arrangement of direct acting pumping engine and its valves have
been described as working vertically for the plunger and bucket type of pumps. it
will be understood that for other pumps, such as for piston and plunger pumps,
these might be arranged horizontally or at an angle, and that other considerable
modifications may be made in the arrangements of the position and working of the
oil reciprocating cylinder for giving the first new motion of the main distributing
valve, and of the fixed cylinder for giving the last motion of said valve.
Dated the 11th Sentamhan 1200
SPECIFICATION.
COMPLETE
Improvements in and relating to Direct-acting Pumping Engines.
We HENRY GARRETT GOURLAY, CHARLES GERSHOM GOURLAY, and JAMES
GORDON LYON, all of the firm of Gourlay Brothers and Company, Engineers and
Shipbuilders, Dundee, Forfarshire, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
Our invention has reference to improvements in direct-acting pumping engines,
specially applicable to the single cylinder double acting class of such engines
working the pump in line or tandem-ways, and comprises a new or improved con-
struction or arrangement and combination of the parts of the valve gear of said
engines, which gives a cut-off of the steam and a closing of the exhaust, before the
piston reaches the end of its stroke, with the object and advantage of giving a
regular and steadier cushioning and reversing of the piston with economy of steam
than has been possible heretofore in such engines.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheet of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 shows a sectional side elevation of a direct-acting feed
pumping engine with a plunger bucket pump, with the inlet valve chest
as broken away, and shown as fitted with one arrangement of the distributing steam
valve and controlling piston and valve mechanism in accordance with our
improvements.
Figure 2 shows a detached end view at right angles to Figure 1 of an inlet
starting and controlling cock for actuating the slide valve P, from the action of a
float in the hot well.
Figures 3 and 4 on Sheet 2 show side and front sectional elevations respectively
of another arrangement of a direct-acting steam feed water pumping engine as fitted
with a modified arrangement of the distributing steam valve and controlling piston
and valve mechanism in accordance with our improvements.
Referring to the arrangement of our improvements shown on Sheet 1 of these
drawings. A is the steam cylinder, B its piston, and C its piston rod, directly
secured to the plunger of the pump C2 in this case shown with a valve bucket
or piston C³ screwed on its extreme inner end; D is a bracket secured to the piston
cod C with crosshead D' connected by links E to the long arms F of side levers F, FI,
fulcrumed at F on the front columns or brackets F³ from the cylinder A, the
arms F of the levers F, F¹ being connected by links G to side arms or studs on
the oil or cataract cylinder H controlling the action of the main slide valve rod K

page_text: by the piston I working in it. J is a cylinder into which steam or water from the
boiler is admitted to act on the piston L, also fixed on the slide valve rod K. Mis
the steam slide valve of the engine secured on the rod K working within the steam
casing Sover the face plate M and the two ports X, Y, leading to the lower and
upper ends of the cylinder A having two exhaust ports Z, Z, in the face of the
cylinder between the ports X Y.
Our improvements consist mainly and essentially in working the steam distributing
slide valve M (of the engine cylinder A,) which may be of an ordinary type, but
preferably with long D chamber m in the valve M with cross bar faces m³ covering
the two exhaust ports Z Z, in the face plate M' between the steam inlet ports X, Y,
leading to both ends of the cylinder A. The valve rod K works parallel or nearly
parallel to the piston rod C of the cylinder A and pump, and down through a
stuffing box S' in the lower end of the steam casing S with the pistons L, I, on this
rod at suitable distances apart. One of these pistons L is made double acting, and
works in the fixed cylinder J, with close ends and stuffing boxes, and shown in this
case as secured by brackets A' to the lower part of the steam cylinder A with an
extreme travel of this piston L equal to that required to be given to the valve
rod K and valve M and actuated by a simple slide valve P, in a casing P¹ in front,
supplied by steam or water from the boiler of the engine through a controlling
cock Q, Q, shown in end view in Figure 2, the valve spindle Q" of which is shown
as actuated by a lever Q and rod Q connected to a float in the hot well of the
engine not shown in the drawings. The slide valve P is here shown as actuated by
its rod P connected through a lever and links P2, P3, P, to the short arm F¹ of
one of the levers F, F, the link P³ being fulcrumed to a fixed centre or bracket
from the casing P. And this valve P works over portsj, j, leading to the opposite
ends of the cylinder J, exhausting through the port p in the valve P and exhaust
port in the face plate of the casing P1. Thus the other arms F of the levers F, F',
being connected by the links E and crosshead D' and bracket or arm D fixed to
the piston rod C of the steam cylinder A. and pump between their stuffing
boxes A, C, enables the valve P of this fixed cylinder, J to act in the opposite
direction to the motion of the steam piston B just before it reaches the opposite
ends of its stroke to admit the acting steam or water to this cylinder J and piston L
which shifts the slide valve M of the engine to reverse it.
A further improvement consists in mounting the other piston I before mentioned
on the valve rod K of the engine within a reciprocating oil or cataract cylinder H,
connected by the links G to and below the short arms F1 of the said levers actuating
the slide valve rod K of the piston L working the main slide valve, so as to
reciprocate the cylinder H on slide guides at F below the levers on the said
columns F³ of frame. This reciprocating cylinder H has ports in it leading
from the one end to the other through a regulating tap or valve 2 to allow the oil
to flow from the one end of cylinder to the other, and so regulate the speed or time
reciprocation of the valve rod K and valve M and as a consequence the speed of
the engine. This cylinder H has a reciprocation on its piston I so much less than
the motion of the levers F, F, that it causes the piston I near the reversing ends
of its stroke to move the main slide valve M of the engine a sufficient small distance
in the reverse direction to its piston B, so as to close the admission of steam to the
ports X, Y, and also the exhaust through the ports Z, Z, by the bars m² m² at the
end of the stroke to which it is approaching and cushion the piston B and reverse the
engine by the last part of the notion of the piston rod K reversing the valve P of
the fixed valve cylinder J and its piston L to the full extent of its throw, and
reciprocate the main slide valve M, in the same direction thai the oil piston L and
cylinder H moved the valve the first part of its stroke. In this arrangement of
the valve P of the fixed cylinder J, the engine would only start when the pressure
of steam or water was admitted to the casing P₁, and for this purpose the cock
case Q of the plug valve Q' is made with three way branches, as shown in Figure 2,
the one branch opening to the chest P', and another branch coupled up to pipe 93
from the boiler, preferably the water space of the boiler, and a third branch q² led
9

page_text: by a pipe to the hot-well. Thus if the water in the hot-well is at or above the
normal level, the float and valve rod will rise, and turn the plug Q₁ of the cock Q
so as to open the branch 7' to the branch and set on the engine and pump to
work to its. normal or maximum speed. But if the water level in the hot-well is
lowered it will shut-off this communication from the boiler and stop the feed pump
until the water and float rise and again open this communication and put on the
pump. If however the water gets dangerously low in the hot-well, the float descends
and turns the plug into such a position as to open communication between the
branches and 2, that is between the boiler and the hot-well which thus becomes
rapidly filled up and the pump started, and thus in any case prevent air from being
forced into the boiler.
Referring to the feed pump shown on Sheet 2, and the improved arrangement of
valve gearing shown applied thereto, the main parts are all substantial equivalents
to that shown in Figure 1, and are lettered to correspond, the pump C2 however
is shown as of the double-acting construction with a solid ring piston and inlet and
discharge ports and valves for both ends of the pump barrel, and we need therefore
only here refer to the modifications of the improved valve gear in this arrangement.
Thus the steam slide valve M and its spindle K are substantially the same as in the
former arrangements, but a..separate lateral slide valve P is formed on one side of
the valve M, with a central exhaust port p in it, leading round to the long exhaust
port m in the centre of the valve M as seen particularly in the side view of the
steam casing S in Figure 5; and the valve M is formed with two bars m¹ over the
exhaust ports %, by means of which the exhaust from the cylinder A, is closed
before the completion of the strokes, and its inside edges are left open so as to allow
steam to pass through the ports and passages X, Y, from one end of cylinder
to the other, so as to cushion and bring the piston B gradually to rest at the ends
of its strokes. The face plate p of the valve P in the side of the casing S is
formed with ports, leading out to the two single-acting end cylinders J, J',
with pistons L L', in them, all for working the main valve M, as hereinafter
described, and cushioning it instead of the separate supplementary double-acting
cylinder J and oil cylinder H shown in Figure 1. In this arrangement the oil
cylinder and piston H, I, for cushioning the action on the spindle and slide
valve K, M, and moving these slightly in the opposite direction to and just before
the piston B nears the end of its stroke. is dispensed with, and slide bushes and
crossheads H1, H2, are used instead of the cylinder H, of the former arrangement;
and tappet rings T, T', and R R¹ are used instead of the piston I secured on the
valve rod K. The lower slide bush and slide crosshead His actuated to reciprocate
on the slide bracket F secured to the columns F³ and lower end of cylinder A and
valve spindle K by the links G and short arms F1 of the levers F, F, while the
slide bush H2 is similarly actuated to slide on the bracket F4, by a link or links O
connected to the arm on the opposite side of its fulerum F2 to that of the
links G, to act in reverse directions on its tappets R R' to that of H on its
tappets T, T.
In this arrangement steam is admitted to the casing S from the
boiler of the engine to be fed by the pump, by any arrangement of valve and
cock, equivalent to that described in reference to Figures 1 and 2, actuated
by a float lever in the hot-well, to actuate the valve M by the two
single acting acting cylinders J, J', and pistons L L' by steam, instead of by water
from the boiler as described in reference to the separate small auxiliary double
acting cylinder J in Figure 1. The action of this arrangement shown in Figures 3
to 5 is as follows:-Suppose the piston B to be moving downwards, and the
combined valve M and Pat the bottom of their stroke, that is full open for steam
by the port Y 10 top of piston, the crosshead and bush H', are raised through the
lever FF and links G. When the piston B has nearly completed its downward
stroke the bush of the crosshead H' comes into contact with the upper tappet T,
raising the slide valves M and P until steam is admitted through the port under
bottom piston L' driving it upwards until tappet R comes in contact with the
bush H2 and admits steam by slide valve M through passage X to bottom side of

page_text: piston B and thus reverse its motion. The slide bush H2 is operated through the
link from side of fulcrum opposite to G, thus, as piston B rises, it raises the.
bush H2 and allows the slide valve M to be pressed slowly upward by the pressure
of the steam on the piston L' until the upper piston L comes in contact with the
top of the steam chest S where it remains until piston B has travelled nearly to
top of its stroke, when crosshead H' having been dragged down by lever F and
link G comes in contact with bottom tappet T' dragging slide valve P down until
steam enters by passage j to top of small piston L forcing it down and admitting steam
through passage Y to top side of large piston B and thus reversing its direction of
motion. The amount which valve M on being blown down will be open to top is
regulated by tappet R' coming into contact with slide bush H2. As the piston B
descends the slide bush H2 is dragged down by lever F and link O and allows
valve M to be pressed down by small piston L until piston L' strikes steam chest
bottom cover thus gradually admitting steam to piston B as it moves downwards.
It will be observed that the pistons L and L' close the passages ; and j' before
striking the steam chest covers, thus confining a portion of the steam in the ends of
the small cylinders and forming a cushion which prevents pistons L and L' from
striking too hard against steam chest covers and thus cushions the action of the
valve M.
Although these arrangements of direct acting pumping engines and their
improved valve gear have been described and shown as working vertically, these
might be arranged to work horizontally or at an angle and be otherwise materially
modified in construction as single or double acting pumps, all in accordance with our
improvements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of slide
valve and valve gear of direct-acting pumping engines having pistons on the steam
distributing slide valve rod reciprocating in cylinders and actuated by links and
gearing from the main piston rod, all substantially as and for the purposes herein
described, in reference to and by way of application shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In a direct-acting pumping engine, the use of a cylinder and piston or
pistons on the slide valve rod, for performing a part of the motion of the slide
valve, in combination with a mechanical motion, substantially as and in the manner
and for the purposes herein described in reference to and by way of application
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In a direct-acting pumping engine, the combination and use of a piston
mounted on the slide valve rod and working within an oil or fluid cylinder, or
moving bushes and tappets for the like purpose of giving an intermittent mechanical
motion in addition to the fluid motion on the pistons of valve rod, and having
lever and link connections, to operate same from main piston rod, substantially as
herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the accom-
panying drawings.
df T... 1001
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.