IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING-ENGINES.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon and
Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM PUMPING-ENGINES.' A communication from abroad by George Fordyce
Blake, of Boston, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States of
América
"
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 11th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte,
Paris. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING-ENGINES. [A communication from
abroad by George Fordyce Blake, of Boston, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts,
United States of America.]
This Invention relates to a compound steam pumping engine in which the steam
after being used in the smaller cylinder is exhausted into the larger cylinder, from
which after performing work it is exhausted into the atmosphere or into a suitable
condenser.
In this improved pumping engine the valves for the large or low pressure cylinder,
for the small or high pressure cylinder, and for the auxiliary engine are located in
the same steam chest, and the exhaust steam from the small cylinder enters directly
into the steam chest, and from it into the large cylinder, whereas in other pumping
engines heretofore commonly made each cylinder has had its own stearn chest and
stuffing boxes, and the steam has passed from the small cylinder to the chest of the
large cylinder through an independent pipe.
To prevent shocks in the pipes the steam valves and their shifting mechanism are
so arranged that the said valves are gradually reversed at the ends of their strokes,
thereby causing the pump piston to pause at each end of its stroke and permit tho
pump valves to open and close gradually.
This is accomplished by a system of links and levers located in the steam chest
and connecting the auxiliary piston with the valves of the small and large
cylinders

page_text: '
C
!
The time of the reversal of the valve by the auxiliary engine is adjusted or
regulated by means of a valve controller which derives its motion from arms and
links actuated by the steam piston.
The piston of the small cylinder is connected with a crosshead, to which is
attached the pump piston rod of usual construction.
The piston of the large cylinder is connected by means of two rods with the same
cross head.
This cross head has a pin to enter a slot in the arm connected at its upper end
with a rock shaft provided with an arm or arms, according to whether one or two
pumps are being used.
•
The one arm is by a link joined with a sleeve which forms part of the valve con-
troller its other parts nuts at each end, said nuts and sleeve being placed about the
valve rod of an auxiliary valve, the said.rod being extended through the valve of
the small engine.
The auxiliary valve is opened and closed at the proper time to control the
passage of steam from the steam boiler into the cylinder containing an auxiliary
piston.
The time at which this valve is shifted depends upon the amount of lost motion
between the sleeve and nuts on the rod, the greater the space the later the said valve
will be shifted after the arm reaches the centre of its movement.
The auxiliary piston controlled by the movement of the auxiliary valve is con-
nected by a link with a lever pivotted at its lower end, and said lever at a point
between its ends is attached by means of a pin to a link which is jointed to the
valve of the large cylinder.
n
The movement of the auxiliary piston through its connections just described with
the valve operates the said valve and its connected valve in unison.
These valves may be cast together or be joined by any suitable connection.
The top of the second valve contains a piston of usual construction under which
live steam is admitted to retain the valve on its seat.
Live steam to operate the pumping engine is admitted in an opening under this
valve into the cylinder at one side of its piston, the steam from the other side of the
said piston passing out under the valve into the chest, from which it passes into the
large cylinder and acts in the same direction against the large piston that the live
steam acts against the small piston.
The large cylinder has at each end an induction and eduction port, the induction
ports opening into the extreme ends of the cylinder, and the eduction or exhaust
ports entering at a certain distance from the ends. These ports permit the piston
to be cushioned on vapor, the quantity of which is regulated by a valve on the out-
side, which opens communication between the induction and eduction ports regulated
by the attendant.
The steam after doing its work in the large cylinder passes out through ports
under valve of the large cylinder and out of the engine.
To produce a compound duplex pumping engine a second set of cylinders, pistons,
and valves is placed alongside of the parts already described, and to the same rock-
shaft or a continuation of it is attached a valve rod in the same manner that the
rockshaft is attached to the other rod, but the cranks are set on the rock shaft at
about 180° apart.
Each engine may actuate its own valves and those of its neighbour, but by discon-
necting the rockshaft from the link the opposite compound engine may be thrown out
of operation.
An arm is so placed on the rockshaft as to be operated from either compound engine
and actuate the other one.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1879.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 1, Rue Laffitte, Paris,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING-ENGINES." A communication from abroad
by George Fordyce Blake, of Boston, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
This Invention relates to a compound steam pumping-engine in which the steam
after being used in the smaller cylinder is exhausted into the larger cylinder, from
which after performing work it is exhausted into the atmosphere or into a suitable
condenser.
In this improved pumping engine the valves for the large or low pressure cylinder,
for the small or high pressure cylinder, and for the auxiliary engine are shown all as
located in the same steam chest, and the exhaust steam from the small cylinder
enters directly into the steam-chest, and from it into the large cylinders, whereas
in other pumping engines heretofore commonly made each cylinder has had its own
steam chest and stuffing boxes, and the steam has passed from the small cylinder
to the chest of the large cylinder through an independent pipe.
To prevent shocks in the pipes the steam valves and their shifting mechanism are.
so arranged that the said valves are gradually reversed at the ends of their strokes,
thereby causing the pump-piston to pause at each end of its stroke and permit the
pump-valves to open and close gradually.
This is accomplished by a system of links and levers located in the steame hest and
connecting the auxiliary piston with the valves of the small and large cylinders.
The time of the reversal of the valve by the auxiliary engine is adjusted or
regulated by means of a valve-controller which derives its motion from arms and
links actuated by the steam piston.
In the Drawings forming part of this Specification,―
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section one of these improved om-
pound pumping engines, and
Figure 2 a top view of a pair of these engines showing, connecting mechanism for
using them on the duplex system, the steam chest and valves of one engine being
removed so as to disclose the valve scats.
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the position of the induction or live-steam
port at the end of the auxiliary cylinder; and,
Figure 4 shows the position of the exhaust port at the end of the auxiliary
cylinder.
The piston a of the small cylinder b is connected with the cross-head c, to which
is attached the pump piston-rod d of usual construction.
The piston e of the large cylinder f is connected by means of two rods g with the
same crosshead c.
-
This cross-head has a pin h to enter a slot 2 in the arm i, connected at its upper
end with the rock-shaft provided with an arm or arms k, k', according to whether
one or two pumps are being used.
The arm k is by link joined with a sleeve m, which forms part of the valve-
controller, its other parts being the nuts 3, 4, at each end thereof, the said nuts and
sleeve being placed about the valve rod of the auxiliary valve o, the said rod being
herein shown as extended through the valve of the small engine.
The auxiliary valve o is opened and closed at the proper time to control the passage
of steam from the steam-boiler into the cylinder containing the auxiliary piston 8.
The time at which this valveo is shifted depends upon the amount of lost motion
between the sleeve m and nuts 3 on the rod n, the greater the space the later the
said valve will be shifted after the arm i reaches the centre of its movement...
1
:

page_text: The auxiliary piston controlled by the movement of the auxiliary valve is con-
nected by a link t with a lever u pivoted at its lower end 5, and said lever at a
point between its ends is attached by means of a pin 6 to a link w which is jointed
to the valve x of the large cylinder.
The movement of the auxiliary piston through its connections just described with
the valve x operates the valve x and its connected valve p in unison.
These valves x, p, may be cast together or be joined by any suitable con-
nection.
The top of the valve p contains a piston of usual construction under which live
steam is admitted to retain valve p on its seat.
Live steam to operate the pumping engine is admitted in the opening 8 under the
valve P into the cylinder b at one side of its piston a, the steam from the other side
of the said piston passing out under the valve p into the chest 10, as shown by the
arrows, from which it passes into the large cylinder and acts in the same direction
against the large piston that the live steam acts against the small piston.
The large cylinder has at each end an induction and eduction port 13, 14, the
induction ports opening into the extreme ends of the cylinder, and the eduction or
exhaust ports entering at a certain distance from the ends. These ports permit the
piston to be cushioned on vapour, the quantity of which is regulated by a valve, not
shown, on the outside, which opens communication between ports 13, 14, regulated
by the attendant.
The steam after doing its work in cylinder passes out through ports 14, under
valve x, and out of the engine.
To produce a compound duplex pumping-engine a second set of cylinders f, b,
pistons and valves, as described, is placed alongside of the parts already described,
and to the same rockshaft j or a continuation of it is attached a valve rod n¹ in the
same manner that the rockshaft is attached to rod n, but it will be noticed that the
cranks k, k', are set on the rockshaft at about 180° apart.
The valve controller of the second compound engine is marked m' and 3*, 4*.
From the foregoing description it will be observed that any movement imparted
to the arm i will cause the rockshaft j, and consequently the arms k and k' and valve
rods n and n¹ to be actuated by their controlling devices.
By this means each engine may actuate its own valves and those of its neighbour,
but by disconnecting the rock shaft from the link the opposite compound engine
may be thrown out of operation.
The arm i may be so placed on the rocksliaft as to be operated from either com-
pound engine and actuate the other one.
In Figure 2 one of the compound engines is designated by the letter A, and a
vertical section of it is shown in Figure 1. The compound engine B, shown in
Figure 2, will be constructed as represented by the section Figure 1.
The ports of the auxiliary cylinder are shown at 10 in engine B, Figure 2, and
are of usual construction and operated in the usual manner.
To ensure the positive action of the auxiliary-valve by steam at full pressure it is
preferably actuated by steam directly from the boiler without passing through the
chest.
By placing all the valves in one chest the usual stuffing boxes are dispensed
with.
In Figure 1 the large cylinder is shown having a hollow head connected with the
jacket of said cylinder.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―.
First. In a compound pumping engine the combination with a steam chest
common to both of its cylinders, of the valves for both cylinders, and the valve for
operating the auxiliary piston or engine, to operate all substantially as described.
Second. In a compound engine an auxiliary piston and the valves of the high
and low pressure cylinders combined with a pivoted lever connected with the.

page_text: said auxiliary piston and the valves to operate them in unison, substantially as
described.
Third. The piston rod, rock-shaft, connected valve controller, and an arm to
operate the rock shaft, combined with the valve rod for actuating the valve of the
auxiliary piston at the proper time, substantially as described.
Fourth. The connected valves p, x, the lever u, links w, t, and auxiliary piston
all connected together, as shown and described, and located in the same steam chest,
substantially as described.
Fifth. In a pumping engine, a rock shaft, and valve rod to operate the valve for
the auxiliary engine, combined with a second valve rod connected with the same
rock-shaft, or a prolongation thereof, to operate the valve for the auxiliary engine
of a second pumping engine, thereby producing a compound duplex engine, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have bereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)