Improvements in Compound Pumping Engines for Charging Accumulators.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Compound Pumping Engines for Charging
Accumulators.
I, WILLIAM Bow, of Thistle Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUND PUMPING ENGINES FOR CHARGING ACCUMULATORS,"
to be as follows, that is to say :—
My said Invention has for its object, by means of improved and simple arrange-
ments and contrivances, to render compound pumping engines satisfactorily
applicable for automatically charging hydraulic accumulators.
A set of compound engines of the kind referred to usually comprises one high-
pressure cylinder and one low-pressure cylinder; and it is necessary to provide for
their starting automatically whenever the accumulator requires charging in what-
ever position the cranks may have been on the engines coming to rest. For this
purpose arrangements have in some cases been made for admitting high-pressure
steam directly into the low-pressure cylinder.
By my Invention I use two comparatively small high-pressure cylinders in
combination with one low-pressure cylinder, and I arrange such two high-pressure
cylinders in any convenient way to act on cranks at different angles; so that in
whatever position the shaft may be the admission of steam in the ordinary way.
will by means of one or other of the two high-pressure cylinders at once, start the
engines.
"
The steam is admitted to or more or less shut off from the engines by a throttle
valve controlled by a two-armed curved lever which is acted on by a tappet on a
rod moving with the accumulator ram. When the ram descends nearly to its
lowest point the tappet acts on the controlling lever so as to fully open the throttle
valve to admit steam to the engines for the purpose of recharging the accumulator.
And similarly on the ram reaching its highest point the tappet would act so to
completely close the throttle valve, the lever is however shaped to close the valve
gradually, and before the ram quite reaches its highest point the same or a
seperate tappet acts on a seperate valve which controls a by-pass passage provided
in connection with the pumps. When the ram has reached the position in which the
valve of this by-pass passage has become open, the steam will be partly shut off,
and the engines will consequently operate very slowly, whilst the water pumped
will simply circulate through the by-pass passage, and the engines will at once regain
Dine 71

page_text: their full working speed whenever the descent of the ram causes the full opening
of the throttle valve and the closing of the by-pass valve. This by-pass valve
arrangement may in many cases be sufficient for the purpose in view, whilst the
duplicating of the high pressure cylinder constitutes an additional precaution
to prevent any trouble when the engines have to start from a state of complete
rest.
D
T
1803
EDMUNT HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Compound Pumping Engines for Charging
Accumulators.
I, WILLIAM Bow, of Thistle Works, Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say:
My said Invention has for its object by means of improved and simple arrange-
ments and contrivances, to render compound pumping engines satisfactorily
applicable for automatically charging hydraulic accumulators.
A set of compound engines of the kind referred to usually comprises one high-
pressure cylinder and one low-pressure cylinder; and it is necessary to provide for
their starting automatically whenever the accumulator requires charging in what-
ever position the cranks may have been on the engines coming to rest. For this
purpose arrangements have in some cases been made for admitting high-pressure
steam directly into the low-pressure cylinder.
By my Invention I use two comparatively small high-pressure cylinders in
combination with one low-pressure cylinder, and I arrange such two high-pressure
cylinders in any convenient way to act on cranks at different angles; so that in
whatever position the shaft may be the admission of steam in the ordinary way
will by means of one or other of the two high-pressure cylinders at once start the
engines.
The steam is admitted to or more or less shut off from the engines by a throttle
valve controlled by a two-armed lever which is acted on by a tappet on a rod
moving with the accumulator rain. When the ram descends nearly to its lowest
point the tappet acts on the controlling lever so as to fully open the throttle
valve to admit steam to the engines for the purpose of recharging the accumulator.
And similarly on the ram reaching its highest point the tappet would act so as to
completely close the throttle valve,-the lever is however slinped to close the valvo

page_text: gradually, and before the ram quite reaches its highest point the same or a
separate tappet acts on a separate valve which controls a by-pass passage provided
in connection with the pumps. When the ram has reached the position in which
the valve of this by-pass passage has become open, the steam will be partly shut
off, and the engines will consequently operate very slowly, whilst the water
pumped will simply circulate through the by-pass passage, and the engines will at
once regain their full working speed whenever the descent of the ram causes the
full opening of the throttle valve and the closing of the by-pass valve. This
by-pass valve arrangement may in many cases be sufficient for the purpose in view,
whilst the duplicating of the high-pressure cylinder constitutes an additional
precaution to prevent any trouble when the engines have to start from a state of
complete rest.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to and representing two modifications of compound pumping
engines for charging accumulators as made with my improvements.
Figure, 1, on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a side elevation of a set of
compound pumping engines with one high-pressure cylinder and one low-pressure
cylinder the latter only being shown, these engines being made with my improved
valve details which prevent them from coming to a complete stoppage at any time
as long as there is steam. Figures, 2, and 3, are end and side elevations of a set
of compound pumping engines with two high-pressure cylinders and one low-
pressure cylinder an arrangement intended to be adopted as an extra precaution
along with my improved valve details for the same purpose. In these drawings
the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they
are repeated.
In the drawings the engines are shown as in connection with what is known as
a steam accumulator, and comprising a large vertical steam cylinder, 4, to the top
of which steam has constant access whilst the apparatus is at work. The steam
piston indicated by dotted lines in figure, 1, as near the top of the cylinder, 4, has
fixed to it a ram, 5, which passes through a stuffing box in the bottom of the
cylinder, 4, and through a stuffing box in the top of a hydraulic cylinder, 6 in
which last it transmits the pressure due to the steam in the upper end of the
cylinder, 4, to water or other liquid forced into it by a pump, 7, worked by the
engine cylinders, 8. The water or liquid thus put under pressure passes off as
required to work various machines by a pipe, 9. Steam is supplied to the engine
cylinder, 8, by a pipe, 10, its passage being controlled by a valve in a valve box, 11,
such valve having its rod, 12, connected to one arm, 13, of a two-armed valve
lever, 13, 14. A rod, 15, indicated by dotted lines in figure, 1, is fixed to the
accumulator piston, and, passing through a stuffing box in the bottom of the
cylinder, 4, has fixed to it a tappet, 16, placed so as to act on one arm, 14, of
the valve lever. This tappet, 16, is shown in about its highest position, and when
it approaches its lowest position it acts on a curved lever, 17, which is connected
by a link, 18, to the valve-lever arm, 14. The curved lever, 17, is connected to a
lever, 19, which controls a by-pass valve, 20, in a passage leading from the hydraulic
cylinder, 6, the passage being continued from above the valve to a cistern, or by a
pipe such as is indicated by the dotted lines, 21, to the inlet port of the pump, 7.
The by-pass valve, 20, is acted on by a rod, 22, passing through a stuffing box, and
this rod is pressed downwards by a spring, 23, which the lever, 19, raises when the
accumulator piston is near the top of its cylinder, 4. When the lever, 19, is raised
in this way the valve in the box, 11, and controlling the supply of steam to the
engines will be partly closed, and the engines will continue to work slowly the
water then pumped by them circulating through the by-pass valve. Then wheu-
ever in consequence of the water from the hydraulic cylinder being used the
accumulator piston descends the engines will be ready to increase their rate of
working whenever the steam supply valve becomes more opened, the by-pass
valve, 20, then closing.
"

page_text: The engine details or other parts not shown in the drawings or hereinbefore
described are to be understood as being like those of existing engines constructed
for the same purpose.
The valve details hereinbefore described are to be understood as also applied to
the modification of engines and accumulator shown in figures, 2, and 3, but are
omitted in those figures which are drawn to a small scale and intended to inercly
show the arrangement of the engine cylinders when two high-pressure cylinders
placed at different inclinations are used in combination with one low-pressure
cylinder. The low-pressure cylinder, 24, is placed at one side of the framing the
two high-pressure cylinders, 25, 26, being at the other side. In consequence of the
difference of inclination of the two high-pressure cylinders, 25, 26, the crank to
which they are both connected can never be in a position, when the engines are at
rest, in which neither of the cylinders can act on it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare, that what
I claim is
1. In compound pumping engines for charging accumulators the combination
of two high-pressure cylinders placed at different inclinations substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The arrangement of valve apparatus in connection with compound pumping
engines for charging accumulators, and comprising parts for partly closing the
steam supply valve and opening or setting free a by-pass valve when the
accumulator is fully.charged or nearly so, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
Dated this eleventh day of Decembar 1997