IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING PUMPING ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: Pumping Engines,
I CUTHBERT BURNETT of Burn Terrace, Hartlepool in the County of Durham,'
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING PUMPING ENGINES" to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object the more perfect controlling of pumping engines
and is specially applicable to deep lift pumps as used for instance in mines.
According to this invention I place a float of any suitable type in the cistern, or
other suitable vessel or receptacle from which the water is being pumped by the
pumping engine. I also provide a retarding apparatus. Both the float and the
retarding apparatus are by rod chain or cord connected to the throttle valve which
admits steam to the high pressure cylinder of the engine and to a lever connected
to the spindle of a double heat controlling valve. This latter valve when opened
will admit the exhaust steam from the high pressure cylinder to the condenser of
the engine.
Should the water fall in the cistern to an approximately dangerous level the
float also falling will gradually close the throttle valve and so reduce the speed of
the engine and if desirable the said float may also be connected to the controlling
valve which may be partially or wholly opened at the lowest admissable level of
float. The partial opening of the controlling valve will reduce the effective vacuum
on the piston in low pressure cylinder and when the controlling valve is fully opened
the piston will be balanced and the high pressure cylinder open to condenser
direct.
The retarding apparatus may be constructed either of one or two diaphragms
rams or pistons the latter preferred and may be loaded by dead weight, levers or
springs or by the column of water being pumped and which latter I prefer and
shall now describe.
The apparatus is proposed to be connected to each side of the plunger of the
pumping engine or to each ram of the same in the case of a double ram pump
construction, the connection being made at any convenient point between the ram
and the pump valves.
The apparatus consists essentially of two pairs of pistons, the pistons in each
pair being of different diameters, a space or chamber above the smaller or upper

page_text: pistons being connected to the rising main of the pumping engine and spaces or
chambers below the larger or lower pistons being connected to each of the barrels
of the pumps. These pistons are connected by a lever or beam suspended from a
fulcrum pin which is arranged on a spindle having a valve seating, and connected
to the spindle of a valve for the admission of steam to a small steam cylinder the
piston of which latter is connected to a cord leading to the throttle valve, and the
controlling valve, this small cylinder I call the controlling cylinder. This special
arrangement is for the purpose of promptly stopping the engine in the event of
either of the suction valves refusing to fall and without which or some equivalent
provision, might result in a serious breakdown.
When the pumping engine ram is forcing on the side in which the pistons are
up or out, and of course drawing on the side on which the pistons are down or in,
then on the return stroke of the rams, these pistons. will change their relative
positions and will continue to rise and fall alternately until one of the suction valves
of the pumping engine happens to stick up, when the pistons on that side will of
course refuse to rise and the pistons on the other side now falling will instantly
bring down the lever and spindle to the lower position and the aforesaid valve
connected to the spindle will thus admit steam to the piston in the small controlling
steam cylinder, which will instantly close the throttle valve and open the controlling
valve and so promptly stop the engine, and so quickly would this be down that
not the least injury could possibly occur.
Owing to the fact of the pistons open to the engine pumps being of larger area
than those open to the rising main very great sensitiveness is attained as a greater
total effective pressure is attained on the larger than the smaller piston before the
delivery valve in either case is actually opened.

page_text: amping magines.
I, CUTHBERT BURNETT of Burn Terrace, Hartlepool in the County of Durham
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 :-
This invention has for its object the more perfect controlling of pumping
engines and is specially applicable to deep lift pumps as used; for instance, in
mines.
According to this invention I place a float of any suitable type in the cistern
or other suitable vessel or receptacle from which the water is being pumped by
the pumping engine; I also provide a retarding apparatus both the float and the
retarding apparatus are by rod, chain or cord connected to the throttle valve
which admits steam to the high pressure cylinder of the engine and to a lever
connected to the spindle of a double beat or other suitable form of controlling
valve or valves. This controlling valve or valves when opened will admit the live
steam from the high pressure cylinder as well as the exhaust steam from the low
pressure cylinder to the condenser of the engine, thus opening connection between
both sides of each piston and so balancing the engine throughout. In the case of
a triple cylinder expansion engine connection may also be made with the double
beat or other controlling valve for admitting the exhaust from the high pressure
cylinder or the exhaust from the second cylinder or from both to the condenser and
for letting the live steam between the throttle valve and the piston of the high
pressure cylinder escape into the condenser.
Should the water fall in the cistern to an approximately dangerous level, the
float also falling, will gradually close the throttle valve and so reduce the speed of
the engine, and, if desirable, the said float may also be connected to the controlling
valve which may be partially or wholly opened at the lowest admissible level
of float.
The controlling valve, or valves may be so constructed, either by lost motion in
the case of double beat valves, or by increasing the distance between the ports
of the valve in the case of a piston valve, so that the partial opening of the con-
trolling valve will reduce the effective vacuum on the piston in the low pressure
cylinder, and when the controlling valve is fully opened the piston will be balanced
and the high pressure cylinder open to condenser direct. When the controlling
valve is promptly opened the engine is instantly balanced throughout.
The retarding apparatus may be constructed either of one or two diaphragms,
rams or pistons, the latter preferred and may be loaded by dead weight, levers
or springs or by the column of water being pumped, and which latter I prefer.
This retarding apparatus is proposed to be connected to each side of the plunger
of the pumping engine or to each ram of the same in the case of a double ram
pump construction, the connection being made at any convenient point between
the ram and the pump valves.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation in part section of an
ordinary horizontal double ram pumping engine worked by a compound or high
and low pressure cylinder engine and with my invention applied thereto. A is the
high pressure cylinder, B the low pressure cylinder and C and D are the two
pumps. E is the condenser. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation and Figure 3 an.
end view of the retarding apparatus when arranged for stopping the engine in case
one of the suction valves should stick in its up position. The retarding apparatus
is in Figure 1 shewn connected to a float F in a cistern G from which the suction
pipe rose or strainer draws its water by means of the pumps C and D. Figure 4
is a sectional elevation of a modified form of retarding apparatus.
The retarding apparatus is shewn in elevation in Figure 1 in front of the pump
and shewn to a larger scale in Figures 2 and 3. It consists essentially of two
pairs of pistons H and I being the one pair and K and L being the other, the
pistons in each pair being of different diameters as shewn; a space or chamber M
above the smaller or upper pistons H and K being connected to the rising main of
the pumping engine by the pipe N and the spaces or chambers O and P below the
larger or lower pistons I and L being connected to each of the barrels of the
pumps, viz the chamber O by means of the pipe Oi with the pump C and
the chamber P by means of the pipe Pi with the pump D. These pistons H
and K are connected by links H₁ and K' and by a lever or beam Q suspended
from a fulcrum pin on a spindle R and connected by a lever R as shewn in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, or directly as shewn in Figure 4 to the spindle S of a valve S¹
for the admission of steam by a pipe S2 to a small steam cylinder T the piston T¹
with the piston rod T2 of which latter by a cord T³ is connected to a cord U leading
to the lever U¹ of the throttle valve U2 which I prefer to make of equilibrium form
as shown, and also leading to the controlling valve shewn in section over the low
pressure cylinder B and presently to be described. This small cylinder T I call
the controlling cylinder. This arrangement is for the purpose of promptly stopping
the engine in the event of either of the suction valves refusing to fall and
without which or some equivalent provision, a serious break down might result.
R³, R³ are relief passages in the retarding apparatus above the guides of the
pistons H. and I and K and L. I and L are other relief passages from between
the said pistons and communicating with a drain port L². V is a test cock on the
pipe from the chamber O.
In some instances it may be preferred to attach the fulcrum lever to the throttle
and controlling valves direct instead of through the valve S and cylinder T in
which case the connection may be either rigid or preferably with such an amount
or lost motion as will compensate for the small amount of rising and falling that
would be imparted to the fulcrum spindle in ordinary working.
The controlling valve may consist as shewn at Figure 1 of an upper equilibrium
valve W which serves to admit the exhaust steam from the high pressure
cylinder A by. the pipe W₁to the pipe Z leading to the condenser. On the stem
of the upper equilibrium valve is also formed a lower equilibrium valve X which
admits the live steam from the steam chest and other parts of the cylinder A by
the pipe X¹ to the pipe Z leading to the condenser.
Figure 5 shews in vertical section an example of piston valve, a type of valve
which in some cases especially in large sizes, would probably be found more
reliable and convenient as a controlling valve. The form of piston valve here
shown consists of a hollow cylindrical piston W* having upper grid ports W which
serve to admit the exhaust from the high pressure cylinder A by the pipe W' to
pipe Z the casing W2 of the piston W being provided with corresponding grid ports
as shewn in dotted lines.
The lower part of valve is provided with ports.X similar to those just described
and which admit the live steam from the steam chest and other parts of the
cylinder A by pipe X' to the pipe Z.
The controlling valve spindle is as in Figure 1 by a weighted bell crank lever Wa
and rod Us with slack or lost motion connected with the throttle valve lever U

page_text: Many other, more or less suitable constructions of controlling valve might be
applied instead of the two forms herein before described and shown.
When the pumping engine ram say of the pump D is forcing on the side on which
the pistons K and L of the retarding gear are up or out, and the ram in the pump
0
of course drawing on the side on which the pistons H and I are down or in, then
on the return stroke of the rams, these pistons will change their relative positions
and will continue to rise and fall alternately until one of the suction valves of the
pumping engine happens to stick up, when the pistons on that side will of course
refuse to rise and the pistons on the other side now falling by the suction action
of the ram will instantly bring down the lever Q and spindle R to the lower
position and the aforesaid valve S¹ connected to the spindle R by the valve rod S
and the rocking lever R2 will thus admit steam by the steam pipe S to the
piston T¹ in the small controlling steam cylinder T which will instantly close the
throttle valve U by the action of the pull exerted through the cord chain or rod T³
and U on the lever U₁ of the throttle valve and so open the controlling valve and
promptly stop the engine and so quickly would this be done that not the least
injury could possibly occur.
Owing to the fact of the pistons I and L open to the pumps being of larger area
than those H and K open to the rising main very great sensitiveness is attained as
a greater total effective pressure is attained on a larger than on the smaller piston
before the delivery valve in either case is actually opened.
It will be noticed from Figure 1 that the action of the float F or of the retarding
apparatus Figures 2 and 3 or Figure 4 in the first instance is to shut the throttle
valve so that no more fresh steam enters the high pressure cylinder. If as here
shewn in Figure 1 there is slack or lost motion in the connection between tho
throttle valve lever U₁ and the lever W' of the controlling valve this action will
take place a moment before the next action takes place which is the opening of
the valves W and X whereby the whole of the high pressure cylinder A is opened
to the condenser and the engine comes to an absolute stop. This would be
equivalent to lifting both slide valves off their faces thus balancing the pressure in
engine and condenser and this would happen at the beginning of the stroke. I may
further produce a slack or lost motion between the valves W and X so as to let the
exhaust steam escape to the condenser first and then the live steam escape which is
still in the high pressure cylinder and passages and parts connected therewith. Or.
the three valves viz: the throttle valve W' and the two controlling valves W
and X may be acted upon in any other order or simultaneously. If my Invention
is applied to a one cylinder condensing engine, I may only use one controlling
valve which serves to convey away to the condenser the live steam from between
the throttle valve and the cylinder, or I do away with the controlling valve and
only use the retarding apparatus in connection with the throttle valve. As regards
the retarding apparatus I may state that it is equally applicable to the stopping of
the engine when a pump delivery valve should stick in its raised position.
This retarding apparatus may also be so modified or duplicated as to suit double
double acting pumps of the Worthington type and the whole retarding apparatus
may be arranged to work horizontally or the steam cylinder T of same only may
be placed horizontally and thus have direct lead, in which event both pistons would
be in their top position that is to say the pistons H. I of the retarding gear would
be in an equally raised position as that occupied by pistons K-L of the retarding
gear the fulcrum spindle being raised and the valve S¹ passed below the steam port
and steam thus admitted to cylinder T.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
First. In a compound cylinder pumping engine producing direct communication
between the condenser and the live steam contained between the throttle valve and
the high pressure piston and between the condenser and the exhaust of the first
or high pressure cylinder or the exhaust of the second cylinder of a triple cylinder

page_text: compound engine or all of these by a valve or valves worked by a float or other
equivalent appliance in a cistern or reservoir from which the water is pumped the
said valve or valves being actuated by the float when the water level in the cistern
becomes too low and which float may also work the throttle valve for the purpose
of stopping or checking the speed of the engine and preventing accidents all
substantially as set forth.
Second. In a compound cylinder pumping engine producing direct communication
between, the condenser and the live steam between the throttle valve and the high
pressure piston and between the condenser and the,exhaust of the first or high
pressure cylinder or between the condenser and the exhaust of the second cylinder
of a triple cylinder compound engine or all of them by a controlling valve or
valves actuated from a retarding apparatus constructed substantially as described
and bydraulically connected to the rising main and to each side of the plunger of
the pumping engine, or to each ram cylinder in the case of a double ram pump
construction and also connected to the throttle valve of the engine all in such
manner that the said controlling valve or valves and the throttle valve are actuated
by the retarding apparatus when a pump suction valve or delivery valve sticks in
the raised position and for the purpose of stopping or checking the speed of the
engine and preventing accidents all substantially as set forth.
Third. The construction of the retarding apparatus substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Fourth. The construction of apparatus for governing or controlling pumping
engines as described with reference to the drawings.
.