Year: 1876




In the manufacture of heavy pumping ma
chinery the artisans of San Francisco no
doubt excel those of any other city in the
Union. The requirements Of the deep mines
Of this coast are such as to call forth all pos
sible ingenuity to overcome the great obsta-
Gle of water The pumping machinery on
the Comstock, all of which was made by the
foundries of this city, is probably unequaled
in the world; and yet, with all its strength
and power, in some cases 1t is next to ap i'm
possibility to keep the mines free Of water.
Every now and then a body of water breaks
in that tasks to the utmost all the pumping
appliances at hand and it is only by unceas-
ing, steady work, that it is overcome. The
manufacture of pumps of all sizes and kinds,
therefore, has become a speciality Of Callfor-
mia machinists, and they now turn out from
their shops pumps which are adapted TO any
special class of work, from the small pump
for household purposes to the ponderous
steam machinery for draining deep mines.
Ingenious mechanics, who have made pump
ing machinery a life study, are continually at
work inventing and improving in this direc-
ton, until.it would seem as If perfection had
been reached and there was no room for a
step in advance. Occasionally, however,
lucky idea strikes some one, and some advan-
tage over previous methods is gained.


We saw this week at the San Francisco
steam pump works, on Beale street. pump
which has been constructed for the Bay sugar
refinery, the first OF its kind which has been
made. 1t was designed by w. &. Wilcox, one
OF the prOprietors Of the works, and is in
tended specially for pumping molasses, syr-
ups, coal tar, quicksilver, or any heavy liquid
substance, although 1t will pump water as
well. 1t is not an improvement, but a new
invention. There are four slide valves in the
ordinary place that poppet valves would be,
each end Of the valve In V groove. The
valves are handled by two little independent
steam cylinders, and SO arranged as to pro-
duce an instantaneous reversion Of the valves
at the instant steam is reversed in the engine,
leaving clean wide unobstructed openings
exactly at the proper time for action. The
two small cylinders operating the valves re-
ceive their steam from alternate ends Of the
main cylinder and at the residue of the
stroke OF the piston. The instant steam en-
ters into the main engine at one end steam
enters into the two small cylinders ard re-
verses the valves, and Vice versa.


The valves work instantaneously with no
noise and no lift. The opening Of the valve
seats is not obstructed at all by the valves be-
ing over 1t. The small cylinders are fastened
on the end Of the valve chamber Of the pump
by yoke connection. When the main engine
exhausts the small cylinders alternately ex-
haust, and they take steam at the time the
main cylinder does. The steam pipe connec-
tion between the cylinder is quite simple and
unobtrusive. This pump seems admirably
adapted to the purposes for which it is in
tended


At these same works they are now making
a number Of different sized pumps, slide valve,
deep well, poppet valve, etc. They employ
from seventeen to twenty men, working prin-
cipally. on pump manufacture. They are
h principally occupied in the manufacture OF
J the San Francisco steam pump, which was
successful at the late trial Of steam pumps at
the Mechanics Institute fair and won the gold
AL L. a 81
pump, from Its inventor, but should not be
confounded with the Wilcox water litter, a
totally different thing and patented by
another inventor. The success Of the San
Francisco pump at the competitive trial has
had the effect Of bringing a large number Of
orders TO the manufacturers and Of very
effectively aiding ia introducing a new and
several mining orders and are prepared TO
contract 10 put up mining or irrigating works
Of any magnitude.


At the works can now be seen q pumping
engine designed by MI, Wilcox for the arte-
sian well Of the Palace hotel. 1t stands on
end over the well, the pump being lowered
100 feet In the well. The pump can be let
down TO any required depth aud the engine
placed vertically over It. Pumps Of this class
are made TO suit any diameter Of well. In
this case the water is TO be raised by 4 single
lift to the top Of the building, about $50 feet
In all, and the pump is constructed to deliver
$4,000 gallons per hour. The engine stands
arranged so that in case the pump should
get out OF order the engine can be swung
around from the top Of the well TO one side.
This piece Of machinery is being neatly con-
structed End win Be IN keepfBg with II
aristocratic surroundings.


The San Francisco steam pump works, al
though only recently established by Messrs.
Wilcox & Co., Is doing quite good business.
They make q specially Of machinery for hand
ling water, although they are prepared with
proper tools for doing any class Of machine
shop work They are now building hand
pump OF peculiar construction, with valves
so set that any ordinary person can take them
out and replace them with ease. Mr.. Wilcox
Is q methodlcd )and painstaking inventor,
and We are Rladto be able 70 record thl-lIln-