IMPROVE- MENTS IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY OR ENGINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Benson, of 14, Hinde Street, Manchester
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY OR ENGINES."-A communication
from abroad by James Riley Maxwell and Ezra Cope, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States, North America.
Sealed the 23rd February 1869, and dated the 15th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Benson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th September 1868.
I, MARTIN BENSON, of 14, Hinde Street, Manchester Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING MACHINERY OR ENGINES," (a com-
munication) to be as follows:-
The general construction of the pumping machinery or engine to
which the improvements are applicable is the reciprocating pump, and
belongs to the class where the pistons of the steam cylinder and pump

page_text: are attached to the same piston rod, and the steam valve worked without
the aid of any gear or mechanism for giving motion thereto.
A portion of the improvement consists in constructing a steam engine
with a cylinder and piston suited to each other so that the piston will
perform the functions of a valve in opening and closing the ports of
steam passages, when accomplished by making the piston as much
longer than the stroke as is required to cover the steam ports at cach
end and centre of the cylinder alternately when in operation; also in
the arrangement of steam passages to the interior of such a piston as
before described whenever a main piston valve is arranged with its steam
passages and cavities as to properly communicate with the passages in
the piston to change and direct the flow of steam alternately on cach
end of the piston to produce the reciprocating motion of the piston
without external valve gear. The cylinder is provided with openings for
attaching the inlet and exhaust steam pipes in the centre of the cylinder
between its ends.
Another portion of the improvement consists in arranging the water.
passages and valves in the pump portion of the machinery so that the
suction and delivery pipes can be attached to either side of the pump and
the valves got at for repairing, cleaning, or other purposes without
breaking and renewing pipe joints. This is accomplished by making an
inlet water passage under the centre of the barrel of the pump so that
the suction can be attached to either side of the barrel; this passage
communicates with inlet valves at both ends of the pump, and above the
inlet valves are outer water passages connected with the delivery valves,
and the delivery valves discharge into a channel made transversely over the
top of the pump barrel, to which channel provisions are made on either side
of the pump for attaching discharge pipes. By this arrangement of water
passages all the valves are placed over the top of the barrel of the pump
and enclosed by the base of the air chamber with screw bolts or a flange
plate furnished with guides to adjust the lift of the valves and keep
them to their seats.
As a rule the pump will be provided with an ordinary piston furnished
with packing rings, hemp, leather, or some other known material for
packing purposes, but for pumping water containing grit and dirt this
method of packing is found defective as it cuts away the barrel of the
pump; to avoid this the end of the barrel of the pump opposite to the
one through which the piston rod works is furnished with a plunger

page_text: piston and works through a chamber and stuffing box on the end of the
barrel, and to this end of the barrel is attached a chamber or pocket
which entirely encloses the stuffing box and the end of the plunger
piston, and forms a continuation of the pump barrel. The pocket has
communication with water passages in the pump, and by its use the
pump is made double acting. The plunger piston is attached to one end
of the piston rod and the piston of the steam cylinder to the other. The
pump thus provided with a plunger piston is not so apt to cut or get
out of order by pumping dirty water, and if it docs repairing can be done
with greater ease and less expense.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Martin Benson in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 10th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARTIN
BENSON, of 14, Hinde Street, Manchester Square, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, 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 exccutors,.
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
PUMPING MACHINERY OR ENGINES," a communication to me from abroad by
James Riley Maxwell and Ezra Cope, of Cincinnati, Ohio, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Martin Benson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the samo

page_text: 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 general construction of the pumping machinery or engines to
which my improvements are applicable are the reciprocating piston
pumps, and belongs to that class in which the pistons of the steam
cylinder and pump are attached to the same piston rod, and the steam
valve worked without the aid of any gear or mechanism for giving
motion thereto.
A portion of my improvements consists in constructing a steam
engine with a cylinder and piston so suited to each other that the
piston will perform the functions of a valve in opening and closing the
ports of the inlet and exhaust passages which is accomplished by making
the piston as much longer than the stroke as is required to cover the
steam ports at each end and exhaust apertures in the centre of the
cylinder lengthways alternately at the same time when in operation;
also in the arrangement of steam passages to the interior of such a
piston as before mentioned, wherein a piston valve is so arranged with
its steam passages and cavities as to properly communicate with the
passages in the piston to change and direct the flow of steam alternately
to each end of the cylinder to produce the reciprocating movement
of the piston without external valve gear. The cylinder is provided
with openings for attaching inlet and exhaust pipes at its centre between
ends.
Another portion of the improvements consists in arranging the water
passages and valves in the pump portion of the machine so that
the suction and delivery pipes can be attached to either side of the
pump, and allow the valves to be got at for repairing or other
purposes without breaking and renewing pipe joints. This is accom-
plished by making the inlet water passages on either side and under
the centre of the barrel, which will allow the suction pipe to be affixed
to either side; this passage communicates through the inlet valves
to each end of the pump; the water is discharged up and along a
diagonal passage through the delivery valves which communicates with
a chamber immediately above the pump barrell, from which it may be

page_text: discharged through orifices on either side to suit convenience; the
inlet and delivery valves are enclosed by the air vessel, the base of
which is sufficiently enlarged and properly partitioned, and is secured
by means of bolts and nuts, or a flange plate may be used furnished
with guides to adjust the lift of the valves and keep them to their scats.
The nature of these improvements will be better understood by reference
to the accompanying Drawings and figures and letters of reference
marked thereon, similar letters being used for corresponding parts of
the improvements in the various Figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the steam cylinder
piston valve; Figure 2 is a plan showing the cylinder and piston in
section, also showing the pump with air vessel removed showing the
position of the valves and water passages; Figure 3 is a transverse
section of the pump, and Figure 4 is a transverse section of the steam
cylinder piston and valve; Figure 5 is a separate longitudinal section
of the steam piston, and Figure 6 is a separate transverse section of
the same piston with piston valve within; Figure 7 and 8 represents a
longitudinal section and transverse section of the piston valve.
A, A, represents the stcam cylinder provided with covers cach end,
which are secured in the usual way by bolts and nuts; B shows the
piston, and C the piston valve within it; G, Figure 2, represents the
steam inlet pipe, and H the exhaust pipe; m, m, rods connecting the
covers I, I, of the piston; k, k, springs surrounding the ends of the
piston; a¹ is a lubricating cock, and 6', 6', are drain cocks; o is a guido
pin working in a corresponding groove to prevent the piston valve
from rotating in its reciprocating movement; n is a guide pin scrowed
through the side of the cylinder and whose point works in a groove in
the piston, thereby preventing any rotating movement in its recipro-
cating motion; J is a piston rod connecting the steam piston with the
piston of the pump.
The action of the steam in the cylinder and the working of the
piston is as follows:-Steam enters at the inlet pipe G, Figure 2 and 4,
and has constant access to the interior of the piston through the
aperture d and elongated slot 9 in the side of the piston, it also enters
the interior of the piston valve through the rectangular opening marked
h, which is in constant communication with the inlet pipe; this aperture
is made above the centre of the piston valve in order that the steain

page_text: g
may exert a pressure downwards greater than in any other direction,
and thereby cause the bottom surface of the piston valve to slide steam-
tight more effectually on the ported surface beneath; the steam passes
down the ports and passages D, as shown by the arrow, and thereby
has access to one end of the piston causing it to make a stroke; on or
near the termination of the stroke the piston causes the elongated slot,
in its side to pass over the opening d in the side of the cylinder which
communicates by a passage to the opening e (which is made of sufficient
length to enable the orifice of the passage leading to the back of the piston
valve to be in constant communication with the orifice d as it passes along
over it during the completion of the stroke of the piston) over which passes
simultaneously with the latter an' orifice and passage a in the piston
leading direct to the inner chamber wherein the piston valve works,
the steam conscquently gets access to the back of the piston valve
and forces it to the opposite end of its traverse, the steam on the
opposite side having at the same time free access to the exhaust pipe
through the passage b, b, in the piston similar to the passage a before
mentioned, and which passes over a corresponding aperture c¹ in the
centre of the length of the cylinder; the piston valve thereby on the
principle of the D slide changes the direction of the steam, at the same
time opening the exhaust communication causing the piston to make
a return stroke; the steam escaping, as indicated by the arrows down
through the aperture and the exit pipe marked H. A certain amount
of "lead" is given to allow the steam to exhaust before the entrance
of steam on the other side, which is accomplished by permitting the
passage c¹ to communicate with each exhaust passage leading to the
back of the piston valve, a little before the slot covers the aperture d,
which allows steam to enter the opposite end, by this arrangement an
alternate movement is given to the piston valve, and which causes the
piston to reciprocate to and fro.
Another method of carrying the before described principle into effect,
enabling the engine to work in a vertical position and for purposes
hereafter mentioned, is represented in Sheet 2. Fig. 9 is a vertical
sectional view showing the structure of the piston and valve and
arrangement of steam ports; Figure 11 is a vertical side section;
Figure 12 is a transverse section view of the same; and Figure 10
is a plan of the cylinder top.

page_text: A is the cylinder; B, the piston; and C the piston valve; G¹ represents
the ingress, and H the eduction pipe; J is the piston rod communicating
with the pump piston.
The action and working of the engine is as follows:-Steam enters
from the ingress pipe G, and is communicated through passages within
the cylinder cover to the two independant stop valves U and O',
which regulate à variable supply of steam to each end of the piston
when the work of the up stroke is greater or less than that of the down
stroke, as, for instance, when working a single-acting pump used for
deep wells, the lifting or forcing of water being done by the up stroko
only, or in some cases by the down stroke only; it is also applicable
to double-acting pumps when the weight of the piston rods and other
appendages tend to throw more power on the up stroko than that of
the down stroke. The piston valve C is provided with a diaphragm X
for the purpose of separating the two inlet steam ports E, E, and tho
portion B' of the piston is. furnished with a longitudinal dividing rib V,
which separates the steam admitted at the steam passages Q and R¹
at opposite sides of the cylinder, and allow each to act independently of
the other, the steam admitted through the stop valve O' having access
to the bottom side of the piston, while the steam admitted from the
stop valve U has access to the top side only. The stop valves U and O'
are provided with screws to regulate the quantity of steam to their
respective sides of the piston; the mode of producing the reciprocating
motion of the piston and that of the piston valve is similar to that as
hercin-before described.
The action of the pump is as follows:-A suction pipe W is affixed
either side of the chamber W', as may be rendered necessary, a
portion of which chamber is below the barrel of the pump, and com-
municates by passages outside and surrounding both sides of the barrel
to the suction valves marked P, P, from where it has access to either
end of the pump; it is thence forced up the passage R' and through
the passage marked R, shown in Figures 2 and 3, which passage has a
diagonal and horizontal direction leading to the delivery valves marked
y, y, from where it enters the chamber S into which chamber there is
affixed discharge nine T capable of being used either side to suit.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would obscrve in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim is,―
Firstly. I claim the piston of the steam engine when made longer
than the stroke in the manner and for the purpose before described.
Secondly. I claim the piston head of a steam engine longer than
its stroke, with steam channels and ports in its sides, in combination
with a cylinder having corresponding additional length and parts leading
to and from the main steam valve, in the manner and for the purpose
before described.
Thirdly. The cylindrical piston valve with closed ends and steam
openings through its sides and bottom whereby to operate within the
piston as described.
Fourthly. I claim the arrangement of water passages and valves in
the pumping portion of the machine as described, and for purposes
before stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Benson, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine.