Improvements in and connected with Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1899-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Direct Acting Steam Pumps.
I, ROBERT RICKIE, of Messrs. Rickie & Co., Bangalore Iron Works, Bangalore
City, India, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a direct acting steam pump.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a steam pump constructed according to the
invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan thereof, the section being taken on the line 2-2
Figure 1.
According to the invention I employ a rectangular frame or casing a to the
ends of which are bolted the steam and water cylinders; this arrangement admit-
ting of the interchange of the same in a certain ratio of sizes as hereinafter
described. A beam or girder 6 bridging the casing a and bolted to the ends is
used for the purpose of carrying the valve gear. From the beam ba lever c is
Buspended by the pin d and worked by the links e which are attached to the slide
block by a pin and to the lever by a pin gl. The slide block f in turn is
attached to the piston rod by two screws h'. The slide bar fi guides the slide
block and also ensures a true parallel movement.
A point e¹ is then found on the lever o such that when the pump bucket or ran i
is working at a twelve inch stroke, the link secured at this point will give a
three inch stroke.
This may be varied to any required stroke of pump or crank either by changing
the point or by lengthening or shortening the lever as required.
The crank-shaft is placed at a convenient distance between the point e¹ on
the lever e, and the centre of the slide valve k. 7 is the crank-pin the said pin
being secured to the end of the link .
The crank being so reduced in stroke it is practical to key or cast on to the
web of the crank the eccentric which works the slide valve: this brings the whole
of the gear in a direct line with the working centres. Where it is desired b
work the slide valve on á vertical instead of a horizontal plane, the eccentric may
bo fixed on the end of the crank shaft outside or inside of the fir wheel. In
smaller size pumps the crank web is forged out to form the eccentric. In com-
pound or triple expansion pumps the crank shaft is carried through the beam
of each casing or frame and the fly wheel may be dispensed with as there will
bo no dead centre.
In the case of compound or triple expansion pumps for example I may provide,
for working the valve gear and preventing the crank stopping on a dead centre

page_text: a small steam engine arranged at right angles to the main cylinder immediately
above or below the crank and having the same stroke as the crank; the slide
valve of this auxiliary engine can be worked from the same eccentric as the main
valve. In cases where steam cannot be used for directly driving the pump for
example at the bottom of a shaft when prospecting for minerals, I can employ
two pumps, that is to say, a larger sized pump can be driven by steam so as to
pump compressed air to the cylinder of the smaller pump arranged for pumping
water. The water discharged by the small pump is directed to flow over the pump
cylinder acting as the air compressor to keep the said cylinder cool.
The larger pump when worked as an air compressor is placed at the head of
the mine, and worked by steam in the usual way; the pump can be immediately
put to the work of pumping water, without any alteration, when not required
as an air compressor.
In practice I find it advantageous to construct the steam and pump cylinders
in sets for example of 2", 3", 4" diameter 5", 6", 7", diameter etc., the cylinders
of each set being interchangeable. This is effected by making the bolt holes
in the flanges of all the cylinders of each set of the same pitch as those in the
frame a to which the cylinders are to be applied and by retaining a constant
distance between the axes of the valve and piston rods for the steam cylinders
of each set. This arrangement avoids the necessity of providing a new pump
complete when a more powerful pump is required, the change of cylinder and
piston being all that is required to make the pump more powerful. The pump
cylinder may also be changed in the same way.
The varying of the stroke, as already explained, is very important, as the
stroke can be proportioned to the diameter of the cylinder, so as to give the most
economic expansive result, without altering the dimensions of the crank shaft.
All steam pumps fitted with a crank shaft and fly wheel, in order to get in the
eccentric for working the steam cylinder slide valve, have the cranks working
the full stroke of the cylinder, and are therefore out of all proportion, being much
in excess of what is required to work the slide valve of the cylinder. My arrange-
ment not only brings the working of the crank to more reasonable proportions
but at the same time has the advantages of a direct acting steam pump.
The valve box m of the pump is arranged so that ready access is obtained for
examining the same for any obstruction; the valve seats o with valves o¹ being
removable by taking off the one nut on the discharge side of the valve box. The
valve seat and cover may be cast in one piece in the form of a cone and ground
into the valve lox making air tight joints. The bolts p shown in the drawing
fastening the valve seats may then he carried through the covers, thus dispensing
with bolts and nuts for covers; the valve box can be fitted with brass seats and
valves when required. The bolt holes on the frame are so arranged that the pump
can be turned over; by changing the valve seats from one side to the other, the
suction side can be converted into discharge and vice versa.
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 a stram pump, the employment of the frame or casing a which admits
of the interchange of the steam or water cylinders, in a certain ratio of sizes
as above described.
2. In a steam pump, the employment of the beam b, to which the valve gear
is suspended, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In a steam pump the employment of the lever c, which can be adjusted so
as to admit of the lengthening or the shortening of the stroke of the piston of
the steam cylinder, without interfering with the stroke of the crank, as described.
4. The employment of one pump to drive another, both pumps being of the
same design and construction as described.

page_text: 5. The arrangement of the valve box as described and as illustrated in the
drawings.
Dated the 3rd day of January 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.