AN IMPROVED CONDENSING STEAM PUMPING ENGINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Jackson Reynolds, of White Plains,
New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Hydraulic Engineer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED CONDENSING STEAM PUMPING ENGINE."
Sealed the 6th December 1872, and dated the 11th September 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 11th September 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
JACKSON REYNOLDS, of White Plains, New York, United States of.
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Hydraulic
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONDENSING STEAM PUMPING ENGINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal

page_text: Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I
am the true and first Inventor thereof.
-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of my said
Invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, forming a part of this Specification.
My said Invention relates to a pumping engine which has two steam
cylinders and pistons. The said pistons are connected to one crank
shaft or to a beam. Each steam cylinder is placed over a water cylinder
which forms a continuation of the steam cylinder. Steam is received
on one side of each piston, and a vacuum is produced on the corre-
sponding side of the other piston, and the two pistons are so connected
that they act jointly to produce a regular and continuous delivery of the
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pumping engine; Figure 2
is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1. Like letters
indicate the same parts in both Figures.
a, b, are the two steam cylinders; a¹, b¹, are the pistons; a³, 6³, are
the piston rods; c, d, are connecting rods whereby the said. piston rods
arc connected to the cranks e, f, on the shaft g. The said shaft is
fitted to turn freely in suitable bearings at the top of the side frames A,
and has fixed on its central portion the fly wheel h.
The steam cylinders a, b, are secured upon the water cylinders a³, bª,
by their flanges a, b, as shewn. Between these flanges I place packing
rings of wood or other slow heat conducting material to prevent the loss
of heat from the steam cylinders by radiation downward. I also provide
the said steam cylinders with a jacket of some slow heat conducting
material. The water cylinders are somewhat larger in the bore than the
steam cylinders and need not be smooth. The pistons may be provided
with any suitable packing to keep them tight in the steam cylinders.
The water cylinders are preferably cast upon a box or chamber i, whose
horizontal portion is interposed between the water admission pipe j,
and dischargé pipes k; l, m, are lift valves which prevent the return of

page_text: the water from the chamber i to the pipe j. The said chamber is
divided by the partition plate & into two compartments, each of which is
closed at the bottom by one of the valves l, m, and opens into one of the
discharge pipes k. The latter are provided with the usual delivéry
valves, which close alternately during the upward movement of the
pistons and prevent the return of water or air into the said pipes.
Each of the cylinders a, b, has a port or aperture n at its upper end
for the admission and exhaust of the steam. In connection with these
ports or apertures I arrange the valve boxes or chambers o, in which are
fitted the slide valves p. The valves p slide upon the faces o', which
have an admission aperture o³, and an exhaust aperture o³, and the said.
valves thereby alternately admit and exhaust the steam. The valve p is
connected to a rod p', which works in suitable guides attached to the
framing A. On this rod are tappets p³, which are arranged to be struck
by the projecting end of the cross pin q at the termination of each
stroke of the piston, and thereby alternately open and close the admission
and exhaust apertures.
The exhaust apertures o³ are connected with the pipes which extend
along the horizontal portions of the discharge pipes k, in such a position.
that they are covered and kept cold by the water passing through the
same, and each of these pipes r is provided with a check valve r¹ at its
extremity. The said pipes have branch pipes 8, which extend upward
above the discharge pipes, and are bent downward and extended through
the top of the said discharge pipes and terminate inside the same, their ends
being provided with distributing or spreading nozzles s¹ and condensing
boxes 8. Each of the said branch pipes has a ball or other valve 88
arranged like the valves ¹ to be opened by the exhaust steam. The said
condensing boxes are filled with cold water at each down stroke of the
piston and hold the same until it is blown out by the exhaust steam.
Instead of arranging these pipes to exhaust into the discharge pipes k, I
may provide a separate condensing vessel, and I do not restrict myself to
the precise construction or arrangement of these pipes as shewn in the
Drawings, as they may be varied as desired so long as they are efficient
for the purpose for which they are used.
Near the bottom of each of the steam cylinders I arrange an auxilliary
exhaust pipe or passage t, which leads directly from the cylinder to the
interior of the discharge pipe k; each of these pipes t is fitted with a
ball or other valve t, arranged to permit the free passage of steam, water,

page_text: or vapor from the cylinder and to prevent the return of the same into
the said cylinder.
When my improved pumping engine is working the steam is admitted
through the pipes o' to the valve chambers o, and thence to the
cylinders. The piston a¹ rises as the other piston 6' descends, and the
water rising in the pipe j follows the ascending piston and fills the water
cylinder below it. As the piston a' reaches the bottom of the cylinder a,
the slide valve of the said cylinder is operated by means of the lower
tappet p, to close the admission aperture o³, and open the exhaust o³.
At the same time the lower exhaust pipet is opened and relieves the
piston from the downward pressure at the instant it commences the
upward stroke. The piston therefore moves upward without any resis-
tance while the other piston is forced down, and the same action takes'
place with the latter and is repeated with both pistons alternately.
Moreover by the peculiar arrangement of the pipes 7, 8, and their valves,
I am enabled to create and maintain a vacuum immediately above the
top of the cylinder so that the upward movement of the piston is not
retarded by uncondensed steam or vapor between the cylinder and the
discharge pipes or condensing vessel. When either of the pistons rises the
water in the vertical portion of the discharge pipes falls below the pipe 8,
and the steam contained therein follows the water and therefore leaves a
vacuum in the pipes of the cylinder r, 8; the valves ¹³, 83, then close
and prevent the return of any vapor into the said pipes. As the piston
reaches the top of the cylinder the slide valve closes the port o³, and thus
the space within the pipes r, s, between the slide valve p, and the valves
r1, 88, is kept closed during the descent of the piston. Then as the said
piston reaches the end of its down stroke the slide valve opens the
port o³, and as the piston ascends the vacuum in the pipes r, s, permits a
very free exhaust of the steam; consequently the engine works with
great freedom and the delivery of the water is very regular, and as I am
enabled to obtain an almost perfect vacuum and the combined steam and
atmospheric pressure is very advantageously utilized by the connection
of the pistons as herein described, the said engine will be found to work
with very great economy.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of
Th it undonstood that I claim
with very great economy.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,
First. In a steam pumping engine the steam cylinders placed upon

page_text: the water cylinders with a separating packing of a slow heat conducting
material for the purpose set forth.
Second. In a steam pumping engine a slide valve enclosed in a box
or chamber at the top of each cylinder and operated by tappets or other
suitable contrivances to open and close the admission and exhaust ports
as herein set forth.
Third. In combination with the said slide valve and ports the
horizontal exhaust pipe and the vertical branch pipe, or other suitable
arrangement of pipes extending into the discharge pipe or other
condensing vessel, and provided with check valves as herein set forth for
the purpose specified.
Fourth. The condensing boxes and distributors at the end of the said
branch pipes as herein set forth for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The auxilliary exhaust passage at the lower end of the steam
cylinder extending directly into the discharge pipe and provided with a
valve as herein set forth for the purpose specified.
Sixth. In a steam pumping engine, two pistons connected by a crank
shaft or a rocking beam so that one piston ascends while the other
descends in combination with contrivances so operating that the pressure
of the steam is exerted upon one piston, while a vacuum is created above
the other piston for the purpose specified.
Seventh. The two steam and water cylinders with their pistons and
contrivances for connecting the same, the slide valves and their operating
mechanism, the steam admission and exhaust apertures, and the water
admission and discharge pipes and valves constructed combined and
operating as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
WM. ROBT. LAKE.
ANDREW JACKSON REYNOLDS. (L.s.)