Improvements in Direct-acting Steam Pumps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Direct-acting Steam Pumps.
We, STEPHEN ALLEY, and JOHN ALEXANDER MACLELLAN, of Sentinel
Works, Polmadie, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
--
Our said invention has for its object to improve the construction of parts of
direct-acting steam pumps, some of our improvements being specially adapted for
converting existing steam pumps of certain kinds in a manner to make them work
more satisfactorily than heretofore.
Our invention has more particularly to do with the valves, passages, and other
parts of the actuating steam cylinder of the pump, and is specially applicable to
pumps having vertical cylinders. Hitherto, in pumps of the kind referred to the
distribution valve for the stean cylinder has worked vertically in a passage or
space at the side of the cylinder, the connection of the steam supply pipe being at
about the middle of the cylinder's length. We retain the same steam connection,
admitting the steam from it into the side passage and so as to surround a tube
extending through the passage such tube communicating at its lower end with the
bottom of the interior of the cylinder. The tube is screwed or otherwise fixed in
end blocks, which blocks are fixed in spaces formed for them in the cylinder
casting, the bottom block being by preference in communication with an external
pet cock for blowing off water of condensation. The top block is made with one
passage which is a continuation of that through the tube, with a second passage
which communicates with the top of the interior of the cylinder, and with two
The
other passages which communicate with the passage space round the tube.
passages in the top block communicate with like passages formed in a casting
which serves as the top cover of the cylinder, and which has formed in it a
chamber for the main distribution valve and also with a chamber for a small
reversing valve. The reversing valve is arranged and worked in a usual manner
by a rod acted on by the steam piston: we, however, supplement the ordinary
arrangement by applying a spring pressed plate or piece to bear on the back of
the valve and prevent its being blown from the port face. The main distribution
valve works horizontally being by preference of the piston type with three pistons
The valve piece
of which one end one is a little smaller than the other end one.
works within a cylindrical shell made with suitable ports, the steam having access
to an encircling channel communicating with ports at the middle, from the side
passage of the cylinder through passages hereinbefore described as in the top block
The valve is moved in a well
and in the casting forming the top cylinder cover.
known way by means of the small reversing valve which with suitable connecting
passages puts the space at the larger end of the valve chamber alternately in com-
munication with the steam supply and with the exhaust. The exhaust from the
distribution valve takes place through a passage formed in the cylinder cover and
which communicates with a passage in the cylinder casting connected in the usual
manner with the exhaust pipe. A lubricator is fitted in a manner to avoid
increasing the height of the apparatus by attaching it to the casting forming the
cylinder cover, and making it communicate by a small passage with the passage or
passages up through which the steam flows to the valve, the current of steam
carrying the lubricant up with it.
Dated this Seventh day of October 1893.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Direct-acting Steam Pumps.
We, STEPHEN ALLEY and JOHN ALEXANDER MACLELLAN, of Sentinel
Works, Polmadie, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineers, 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 relates to an improved construction of parts of direct-acting
Bteam pumps, more particularly those of the form in which there is a steam cylinder
with the steam inlet and slide valve at the side of the cylinder, our chief object
being to provide suitable passages to the ports of the slide valves and of the
cylinder when the slide valves are arranged in the cylinder cover, as
describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the cylinder cover.
we shall
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line W W of Fig. 5, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are
transverse sections on the lines X X, Y Y and Z Z respectively of Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 7 is a plan and Fig. 8 a section of the block D.
A is a lateral inlet by which steam is admitted to the chamber of the slide valve
when it is arranged at the side of the cylinder. According to the present
invention, this valve chamber is employed as a passage, and it contains a tube B,
which is screwed into end blocks C and D. The lower block C communicates
with the lower end of the cylinder, and the upper block D has through it four
passages, one d making communication from the valve chamber to the tube B,
another passage d' which communicates with the upper end of the cylinder, and
two other passages d' which make communication from the annular space around
the tube B to the valve chamber. This valve chamber is forined in the cover of
the cylinder, which has also a chamber for a small reversing valve E. The
reversing valve is worked in the usual way by a rod e acted on by the steam piston,
but it is provided with a spring pressed piece e' to bear against the valve and
prevent it from being blown away from the port face.
The main valve is made with three pistons, of which one is a little smaller
than the others ff. The valve works within a cylindrical shell G having suitable
ports. The steam enters as shewn in Fig. 5 a space surrounding the shell and
thence passes between the pistons and fand by the port d or d to the lower or
upper end of the cylinder as the case may be, while exhaust passes by d' or d to
the valve chamber to the right of for between f' and ' and thence by passage g
to the discharge gl. The valve F is moved in the usual well known way by the
action of the reversing valve E which through suitable connecting passages e e
puts the space at the larger end of the valve chamber in communication with the
steam supply and with the exhaust alternately.
A lubricator is attached to the cylinder cover at H communicating by a passage h
with the space in the valve chamber by which the steam flows to the valve, so that
the current of steam carries lubricant with it into the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a direct-acting steam pumping engine, having a lateral inlet for steam to a
chamber at the side of the cylinder, and having the main slide valve and the
reversing valve in the cylinder cover, the arrangement within the side chamber of
a tube and end blocks whereby the two ends of the cylinder are put in com-
munication with the slide valve ports, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In an engine such as is above referred to, the construction of the main and
reversing slide valves and of the ports and passages governed by them, substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of June 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant