US115918A - Improvement in steam-pumps and fire-engines - Google Patents

Description

JAMES WLWHETA KER.

improvement in Steam-Pumps and Fire Engines.

Patented June 13, 1871.

' aiiitmsm ATE' rrron.

" JAMES w. WHITAKER, or Knnosnir, Wisconsin.

iMPFlOVEMENT IN STEAM-PUMPS ANDiFIRE-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,918, datcdJnnc 13, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. WHITAKER, of Kenosha, in. the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Steam-Pump and Fire-Engine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanyin g drawing forming part of this specification. i

This. invention relates to improvements in engines for raising water in avacuum formed by filling a cylinder or other chamber with steam and condensing it; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of certain parts, as hereinafter shown and described, in connection with others "necessary to perfect the operation of the engine.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of Fig. 1 on the line :0 a:. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the condensing-chambers with the front plate and attachments removed. Fig. 4 is an inside view of apart of the front plate, shpwin g also the floats for shifting the steamva ve.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a case, of any kind, containing two compartments or chambers, B G, for receiving water through the suction-pipes D E, having check-valves at F. The water is to be forced out of these chambers through a pipe,

G, in each, into a water-tank, H, and thence through the nozzle I, to which the hose-pipe is to be attached in case the engine is employed for extinguishing fires. This watertank, with the discharge water escaping through'it, is considered to be very advantageous in simplifying the means of injecting the water for condensing the steam, and effecting the change from one condenser to another, which is accomplished by pressure of the steam when admitted to the filled chamher, as will presently appear. The steam for effecting the expulsion of the water entersone chamber at K and the other at K from a steam chest, L, having an ordinary reciprocat= in g piston-valve, which is shown dotted in Fig. 1, and to which the steam is admitted from any source by a pipe, M, and the excess of steam over the atmospheric pressure is exhausted through pipe N, which has a checkvalve at 0, which closes as soon as the said excess has escaped, and retains steam in the chambers equal to one atmosphere to be condensed to form the vacuum to be filled with water. by steam taken from pipe M through the branch P to the four-way cook or valve Q, and thence to the chamber at'each end, through pipes S T, being alternately admitted through one and cut oil from the other, and vice versa, and exhausting from said chambers back again through the said pipes when thelive steam is out off, and escaping at the small holes U at the bottom of Q, shown dotted in Figs. 1 and 2. The opening and closing of these passages is eiiected by the oscillating plug or cock W, worked by the lever X, and

this lever is thrown to the left by the doublecranked rod Y of float Z, and to the right by the similar rod on of float b, said rods working through stufling-boxes in the case, and being suitably-shaped and arranged to act on the pin The valve in steam-chest L is operated cl of the lever X as soon as the chambers containin g the float are filled, and the float raised to throw the lever to out 0d the steam from the chamber being emptied,while the other is filling, and admit it to the filled one. For example, when the chamber 0 is bcin g filled with water the lever will be in such position as to admit steam-say to the right of the pistonvalve in chest L, and the said valve will be shifted to the left, so as to admit live steam to chamber B for forcing the water out, and to open the exhaust from G 5 the parts will remain in this position until the water rises in G suflicientl y to cause float b to turn and throw the valvelever X to the right; this will shut off steam from B and admit it to O, at the same time opening the exhaust from B and closing it from O, and when the water has been forced out of G, and B has become filled, the lever X will be shifted back to the place of beginning, or the position represented in the drawing. This lever X is weighted, so as to fall quickly, after it passes the verticalline, to insure the complete movement of the valve or cook. Water is admitted from the tank H to the condensing-chambers, for condensing the steam remaining after the exhaust, when the pressure of steam has fallen in said cylinders to one atmosphere, or thereabout, through the small tubes g, which have a sprinkler, h, to distribute it at the entrance to said chambers; and said tubes have a valve, 2', to admit the water, but prevent the escape of steam when the water falls below the tubes. These tubes are made small, so that they will not admit any considerable amount of water while the chambersar'e filling, as the valves in them are liable to be kept open by the constant pressure in tank H. The pipes G are extended to the bottoms of the chambers, which are depressed under them to prevent the escape of steam, and they have check-valves l to prevent the water from being forced back into them. The suction-pipes have sprinkling-extensions m, and they are introduced in an elevated part of the case to discharge into the partially-condensed steam and complete the condensation, the water entering from tank H being only intended to condense the steam enough to cause the water to be set in motion in the suction-pipes, which will then enter and condense the steam remaining.

I place a weighted valve, n, in chamber 1), through which the water escapes, to maintain at all times suflicient pressure, say three or four pounds, to eject water into the condenser.

In setting the engine in motion the tank H is filled by hand, and the lever X is also turned by hand until the airis expelled from the condensers and suction-pipes and they become filled, after which the engine will continue automatically. The steam passes, in this arrangement, by its own pressure through the exhaust-pipe, condenser-valve, and hot well, until the valve G closes and the remaining steam is condensed in G, from which the water will be conducted by the next exhaust to e the hot well, from which it may be pumped the escape-pipe and injecting-pipes g, withvalves therein, all operating substantially as specified.

2. The arrangement, with the piston-valve and steam-chest L, of the valve 0 W, weighted lever X, floats, and the cranked rod there of, all substantially as specified.

' JAMES W. XVHITAKER.

Witnesses AARON SHUPE, JACOB VOLLMER.

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