IM- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wolstenholme, of Radcliffe Bridge, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wolstenholme at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th March 1872.
I, JOHN WOLSTENHOLME, of Radcliffe Bridge, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PUMPING ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to such steam pumps or pumping engines as are
constructed without rotating crank shafts, to effect and control the
movements of the valves which regulate the admission and emission
of the steam to and from the steam cylinders, and my said Invention
has for its object to effect and control the movements of the said valves.
For this purpose I employ cylindrical or piston valves, and I cause
the movements of each valve by admitting a portion of steam from the

page_text: steam chest or steam pipe alternately into each of the two end spaces
between the ends of the said piston valve and the ends or end covers of
the valve chest. I form in the said valve two passages, each of which
leads from the circumference of the said valve to one of the said end
spaces, and serves to convey steam into the said end space to effect the
movement of the valve. The said valve has imparted to it an intermittent,
vibratory, or to-and-fro rotatory movement, the effect of which move-
ment is to establish a communication for the flow of steam alternately
through each of the said passages. When the piston is nearing the end
of a stroke, say for example, a forward stroke, the said valve is rotated
until the inlet end of one of the said passages communicates with a port
or passage formed in the valve casing. Steam then flows through the
said port and passage, and entering one of the aforesaid end spaces effects
the endwise movement of the valve necessary to reverse the movement
of the said piston. When the said piston is nearing the end of a
rearward stroke the valve is rotated in a direction contrary to that of
the rotatory movement effected during the forward stroke, this move-
ment causing the other of the said passages to communicate with a
second port in the valve casing, and steam flows through such passage
into the other end space and moves the valve into its former position.
The steam is cut off from one of the said passages in the valve at the
same time as or before it is admitted to the other of the said passages.
I effect the rotatory movement of the said valve by causing inclines
fixed or formed on an arm block or cross head which is fixed to the
piston rod, and slides on the valve spindle to act upon inclines fixed
or formed on the valve spindle, the last-named inclines being alternately.
acted upon as the said arm block or cross head slides to and fro. This
method of imparting the said rotatory movement may however be
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wolstenholme in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WOLSTENHOLME, of Radcliffe Bridge, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Wolstenholme, Her special
license that I, the said John Wolstenholme, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Wolstenholme,
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 PUMPING ENGINES," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said John Wolstenholme, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Wolstenholme, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say :—
"
My Invention relates to such "steam pumps or pumping engines
as are constructed without rotating crank shafts, to effect and control
the movements of the valves which regulate the admission and emission
of the steam to and from the steam cylinders, and my said Invention
has for its object to effect and control the movements of the said valves.
For this purpose I employ cylindrical or piston valves, and I cause the
movements of each valve by admitting a portion of steam from the
steam chest or steam pipe alternately into each of the two end spaces
between the ends of the said piston valve and the ends or end covers of
the valve chest; I form in the said valve two passages, each of which
leads from the circumference of the said valve to one of the said end
spaces, and serves to convey steam into the said end space to effect
the movement of the valve. The said valve has imparted to it an inter-
mittent, vibrating, or to-and-fro rotatory movement, the effect of which
movement is to establish a communication for the flow of steam.
alternately through each of the said passages. When the piston is

page_text: nearing the end of a stroke, say for example, a forward stroke, the
said valve is rotated until the inlet end of one of the said passages
communicates with a port or passage formed in the valve casing, steam
then flows through the said port and passage and entering one of the
aforesaid end spaces effects the endwise movement of the valve
necessary to reverse the movement of the said piston. When the
said piston is nearing the end of a rearward stroke, the valve is rotated
in a direction contrary to that of the rotatory movement effected
during the forward stroke, this movement causing the other of the
said passages to communicate with a second port in the valve casing,
and steam flows through such passage into the other end space and
moves the valve into its former position. The steam is cut off from
one of the said passages in the valve at the same time as or before
it is admitted to the other one of the said passages. I effect the
rotatory movement of the said valve by causing inclines fixed or
formed on an arm block or cross head which is fixed to the piston rod,
and slides on the valve spindle to act upon inclines fixed or formed
on the valve spindle, the last-named inclines being alternately acted
This
upon as the said arm block or cross head slides to and fro.
method of imparting the said rotatory movement may however be
varied.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I have
supplied, to accompany this Specification, a Sheet of Drawings marked
with letters of reference, corresponding letters indicating the same parts
in the various Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a side
elevation of a pumping engine drawn to a scale of about one-eighth of
the full size; Figs. 2 and 3 represent vertical longitudinal sections, and
Fig. 4 a vertical cross section of the valve box and part of the steam
cylinder drawn to a larger scale; and Fig. 5 represents a horizontal
section of the said valve box, showing also the valve motion.
In the said Figures, or in certain of the said Figures, a is the pump,
which may be of any suitable or ordinary construction; 6 is the steam
cylinder; c is the valve box; and d is the piston valve, shewn separately
at Figs. 6 and 7. The said valve is cylindrical in form and is fitted to
slide to and fro in the said valve box, and is or may be fitted with
packing rings e, e. When the said valve is in the position represented
flow from the inlet f into the central space g and
in Fig. 2, steam will

page_text: through the cylinder port h, the engine piston being thereby moved in
the direction of the arrow, and the exhaust will flow through the port i
and the port in the valve to the exhaust exit k. The said valve is
fixed to a rod which is fitted to slide and to revolve to some extent in
the gland m and standard n. On. the said rod are fixed two bosses o
and p, which are formed with inclines on each side, and on the piston
rod q is fixed an arm r, on which is fixed or formed a boss which slides
on the rod 1. The said boss is formed on each side with two inclined
surfaces 1 and 2, which are suitably shaped to act on the inclines o
and p; as the said boss slides to and fro in Fig. 2, two of the inclined
surfaces are commencing to act upon the inclines on the boss p and
the rod 1, and as a consequence the valve d will thereby be rotated
to some extent in the direction of the arrow.
'
Each of the Figs. 4 and 8 represents a vertical cross section on the
line A, B, and Fig. 9, a vertical cross section on the line C, D, in Fig. 3.
In the said Figs. S, S', are two grooves which communicate with the
central steam space g, and are represented by dotted lines in Fig. 2,
and t, t, shewn also in Figs. 6 and 7, are perforated passages which
communicate with the spaces between the ends of the valve and the
valve box covers. When the parts are in the position represented
in Fig. 2, the relative positions of the groove and passage S and t will
be as represented in Fig. 4, but the aforesaid rotatory movement of
the valve will cause the said groove and passage to coincide, as shewn
in Fig. 8, whereby steam will flow through the said groove into the
said passage, and will enter the space between the end of the valve, and
the cylinder cover and the valve will be moved by the pressure of the
steam into the position represented in Fig. 3. The last-mentioned move-
ment of the valve causes the steam and exhaust to flow through the
ports in the contrary direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3,
and thereby effects the reversal of the motion of the engine piston.
The movement of the said piston in the reversed direction continues
until the inclined surfaces on the arm r act upon the inclines o, whereby
the valve is rotated in a reverse direction, as indicated by the arrow
in Fig. 9, and the groove and passage &¹ and are caused to coincide,
and the valve is moved back into the position represented in Fig. 2, the
direction of motion of the engine piston being again reversed.
I do not confine myself to the precise form of the piston valve, nor to
the forms of the inclines or inclined surfaces, nor of the grooves S, S¹, as
the said forms may be varied to some extent.

page_text: Having now fully described and indicated the nature of my said In-
vention, and my manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I
would in conclusion have it to be understood that I claim the method
of admitting steam alternately to each end of the valve by causing the
said valve to rotate to some extent at the required intervals, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wolstenholme, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
JOHN WOLSTENHOLME. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said
John Wolstenholme, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Patentee,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.