IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Cherry, of Handsworth, in the County of
Stafford, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM PUMPS."
Sealed the 19th June 1874, and dated the 31st January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Cherry at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st January 1874.
I, HENRY CHERRY, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS," to be as follows:-
I place a loaded valve in the course of the suction pipe, the said valve
opening towards the pump, and by the action of the said valve an
artificial vacuum is obtained between the valve and the pump, into
which vacuum the exhaust steam is discharged.
In order to make use of the vacuum thus obtained I employ a con-
densing vessel into the lower part of which the exhaust steam is dis-

page_text: charged, and into the upper part of which the water drawn by the pump
flows. A chamber is formed at the upper part of the condenser, which
chamber first receives the water. The water passes from the said
chamber through the loaded valve, by which it is spread into a thin
sheet and then falls into the lower part of the condenser. A bell-mouth
pipe is placed in the axis of the condenser, and passing through the
bottom leads to the pump. By this arrangement a quantity of water
always remains in the condenser which will condense the steam, at first
charged, and into the upper part of which the water drawn by the pump
flows. A chamber is formed at the upper part of the condenser, which
chamber first receives the water. The water passes from the said
chamber through the loaded valve, by which it is spread into a thin
sheet and then falls into the lower part of the condenser. A bell-mouth
pipe is placed in the axis of the condenser, and passing through the
bottom leads to the pump. By this arrangement a quantity of water
always remains in the condenser which will condense the steam, at first
starting the pump.
I place a screwed-down check valve in the exhaust pipe to shut off
communication when necessary with the condenser, and a valve may be
arranged to permit the exhaust steam to be discharged into the air when
desired.
I construct the loaded valve by preference as follows:-I make the
valve with a lip against which the water impinges as it passes from the
chamber into the lower part of the condenser. I secure the lower end
of an elastic tube to the loaded valve in an air-tight manner, and the
upper end of the said tube is suitably fixed to the casting of the con-
denser and is open to the air, the inner diameter of the tube being of
about the same diameter as the seat of the valve. I make the attach-
ment between the valve and the tube so that the valve may be adjusted
by a screw and any required tension given to the tube. The elastic
tube thus serves as a spring to load the valve and stuffing boxes are
dispensed with. Or I combine an elastic tube or an elastic diaphragm
with a weight or spring for effecting the required loading of the valve.
Or I combine a weight with a spring so as to cause the spring to support
the weight and render it more speedy or certain in action. Or I make
the valve hollow and place a spring inside it, the said spring acting
directly on the valve and being adjusted by a screw.
In constructing suction valves for pumps supplied with this condenser
I make the said valves of thin sheet metal stiffened at the rim by dishing,
and turned over at the edge to form a lip for the water to impinge
against to help in raising the valve. The seat I provide with ribs to
support the valve and I load the valve with a spring, the object being to
obtain a light valve readily opened and rapidly closed by the said
spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Cherry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CHERRY, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
in
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January,
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four,
in the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Cherry, Her
special license that I, the said Henry Cherry, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Cherry,
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,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Cherry, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describo 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 Henry Cherry, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
I place a loaded valve in the course of the suction pipe, the said valve
opening towards the pump, and by the action of the said valve an
artificial vacuum is obtained between the valve and the pump into
which vacuum the exhaust steam is discharged.

page_text: Obtain a night valve reauny opened and rapidly closed by the said
spring.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section a portion of a steam pump
constructed according to my Invention. a is the loaded valve and b is
the condensing vessel into which the exhaust steam is discharged from
the exhaust pipe e through the check valve e³. c is the chamber at the
top of the condensing vessel b, into which the water from the well or
other source enters. The water passes from the chamber c through the
loaded valve a, being spread out into a sheet by the edge or lip of the
said valve a into the condenser b, from whence it flows down the bell-
mouth pipe d to the pump.
The loaded valve a may be made in various ways. The said valve
may be loaded or pressed to its bearing in the manner represented in
Figure 1, that is, the said valve may be made hollow and have a coiled
spring finside it, the said spring f being tightened or relaxed by the
raising or lowering of the rod g by means of the hand wheel h. Or the
said loaded valve may be constructed in the manner represented in section
in Figure 2, that is, an elastic tube i is attached at bottom to the valve a
through the intervention of the screwed axis k, and the said tube i is
fixed at to the casting of the condenser. By means of the hand
wheel m the screwed rod k may be raised or lowered in its screw box,
and the required tension put on the elastic tube i by which the valve a
is pressed to its seat. By this arrangement stuffing boxes are dispensed
with, or the arrangement represented in section in Figure 3 may be
adopted, in which arrangement an elastic diaphragm m is employed in
conjunction with a weighted lever p by adjusting the weight, on which
lever the valve a may be pressed to its seat with the required pressure.
In place of a weight a spring may be employed to press down the
lever p.
Figure 4 represents another arrangement of my Invention in which
the chamber (Figure 1) is dispensed with, the water taking the course
indicated by the arrows. The hollow conical valve q is pressed to its
seat by means of the coiled spring and screwed rod 8, the tension of
the spring being adjusted by the hand wheel t. Steam enters at the

page_text: opening u and is condensed by the water. When the pressure of the
water on the outer side of the hollow conical valve 9 exceeds the
pressure with which the valve is pressed to its seat the said valve rises
in the cylinder vand the water passes from the well or other source
between the valve 9 and its seat q² to the pump.
Figure 5 represents in vertical section and Figure 6 in plan my
improvements in suction valves for steam pumps. The valve w is made
of thin sheet metal and is stiffened at its rim by dishing and turning
over, as represented, the striking of the water against the rim assisting
in the raising of the valve. The seat x, shown in plan in Figure 6, is
provided with ribs x3 on which the valve rests, and by which it is

page_text: metal, dished and turned over at its edge, and providing the valve seat
with ribs for supporting the valve.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Cherry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
HENRY CHERRY. (L.S.)