US151235A - Improvement in steam and vacuum pumps - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

H. S.A MAXIM..` Steam and Vacuum Pumps.

Patented May 26.18714.

UNITED S'rafrns HIRAM S. MAXIM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM AND VACUUM PUMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,235, dated May 26, 1874; application filed April 7, 1874.

` To all whom 'it may concern:

other places where a supply of water is re-l quired at a moderate expense.

I employ a boiler to generate steam and heat the same by a flame. The steam passes into a vessel in'which is the water to be raised. )When the pressure has accumulated sufliciently the steam forces the water up the discharge-pipe past a check-valve. When the water has been discharged from the vessel, so that its weight is lessened, a spring lifts the vessel, and in so doing closes a valve and shuts oi' the combustible iiuid and extinguishes the ame, except a small relightingjet that is always burning. The generation of .steam being checked, the apparatus cools, and,

as the pressure decreases, a jet of water is thrown into the boiler by a spring piston or l diaphragm to refill the same and cool it, to

prevent the water boiling in the vacuum created by the condensation of the steam in the vessel. As the vacuum is formed, which is also aided by jets of water, the vessel rclls from the suction-pipe by the exhaustion, and in so doing the weight thereof is increased, and when it becomes sufficient to overcome the sustaining device it falls sufficiently to open the valve to the fluid hydrocarbon and lcause the llame under the boiler to again become active and generate the steam that, passing into the vessel, expels and elevates'the water as before.

In the drawing, Figure l is a vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional invertedplan of the boiler at the line x, and Fig. 3 is a plan below the line y y.

The suction'or inlet pipe a, valve b, discharge or elevating pipe c, and check-valve d are of ordinary character. They are stationary, and preferably attached to a suitable back plate or board, B, (see Fig. 3,) carrying the entire apparatus. The flexible tubo c connects to the pipe b at the lower end ofthe vessel A. This vessel A is preferably made of a glass cylinder, 2, retained between metal heads 3, and at the top and bottom are the central guides 4 and 5, within the brackets or arms e e', that extend outwardly from the vcrtical back plate or board B, carrying the machine, so that the vessel A, and parts connected to it, can slide up and down a small distance, sufficient to operate the valve of the burner, as hereafter detailed. The hollow arm f extends from the center of the head I3'to thc top of the boiler g. This boiler is by preference made with descending water-tubes g, closed at their bottom ends, so that the llame from the burner h may circulate freely among such pendent tubes 5 and around the boiler' g is an inclosing-case, 7b', that, by preference, is made double, to prevent the radiation of heat. The burner 7L is at the upper end of the pipe l, and is preferably constructed as a Bunsen burner, the gas issuing from the jet l0, and the air passing in through the openings ll. The gas is supplied by the pipe l', and m is a valve that opens or closes the supply. The pipe i, with a small burner at its upper end, burns constantly, and becomes a relighter to the main burner after being extinguished. The valve or screw l5 regulates the size of this relighting-burner. The valve m is conlnected to one end of the lever m', that has its` fulcrum 16 on the bracket e', (see Fig. 3,) andl at the other end of this lever on is a slide, n, passing freely up behind the stationary mag nets o of, and connected to the spring r, that is adjustable by the slotted link-connection 18 to the back plate B. Upon this slide n is an armature, n, between the permanent magnets o and 0. A link or small slide, 20, (see Fig. 3,) connects the lever m with the lowerpart of the vessel A, so that the weight of the vcssel A and parts connected is sustained by that lever m', spring r, and magnet o. The strength of said spring r is so regulated in connection with the magnet and the weight of the vesselA and attached parts lthat when the water is drawn into `the vessel A, :and has nearly filled the same, the weight will be sufficient to overcome the spring r and the attractive power of the armature and magnet;

2 Mareas Vunt-il the pressure of steam generated by the boiler is suflicient to eject the contents of the vessel A, and force it past the check-valve d, and up the deli\iery.pipe c, against the pressure of the head. As the vessel A lessens in weight it cannot be raised byV the spring r until the contents are so far expelled that the sprin g is sufficient to both lift the said Vessel by the lever mf, and also to detach the armature a', so that the moment the armature is drawn from the magnet 0, the spring' raises the vessel A and parts, and the armature is held by the magnet o', as before, and the burner h is extinguished by closing the valve m.

This construction effectually prevents the parts remaining at a neutral point, and insures a complete movement in either direction. A sp1-in g-toggle or equivalent device might be employed to insure the movement aforesaid, but I prefer the device shown.

In order to condense the steam in the vessel A, and also to supply fresh water to the boiler g, I make use of the device next described.

The vessel t hangs below the guide-tube 5 at the bottom ofthe vessel A, and in this vessel t is a sliding spring-piston. or else a diaphragm. I have shown the latter. rI`his diaphragm t is free to play up or down, the downward movement being resisted by a spring, or, preferably, two springs, 011e of greater' strength and less range of motion than the other, and from the vessel t the tubeaextends up through the vessel A, and, by preference, is made as a coil, a', and provided with a check-valve, 2l, and inlet-valve and bib 25, and the tube 2o' extends along through the tube f to the boiler. As the steam-pressure in A increases, the water therein will be forced through 25 into the vessel t, and the diaphragm will yield. The springs being compressed as the pressure increases will increase the volume of water in t, and that water will be the coldest and not intluenced by the heat of the apparatus. After the steam-pressure has expelled the water, and the flame of the burner been extinguished by the movement of the lever m as the vessel A is raised, as aforesaid, then the pressure in A very speedily lessens, and the springs below the diaphragm t', or pi ston, will move the same, throwing the cold water up into the coil u', and that promotes condensation. The water passes on by the pipe 26 into theboiler, cools the same, fills theboiler, prevents ebull ition in cacao, overflows the boiler, and falls in the vessel A, condensing the steam and producing a sutlieient vacuum to draw up the water by the pipe a, which water, being cold, completes the condensation and vacuum action, which draws the water into the vessel A until its weight causes it to descend and open the valve to the burner, and the operations are repeated. The collar fv, that is movable on the spindle o', can be clamped at any desired place, and regulates the injecting movement of the diaphragm or piston, so as to force more or less water into the boiler, and supply that which is necessary for condensing the steam. Holes at 27 in the pipe u wills promote condensation; but ordinarily the coil u will be sufficient, and the water therein will be somewhat warmed before reaching the boiler.

I claim as my inventionl. In a water-elevating apparatus, the com bination of a burner, a boiler or steam-generator, an alternate pressure and exhaustion vessel for receiving and ejecting the water, and a valve to regulate the liow of combustible material to the burner, opened or closed by the increase or decrease of weight of the water-vessel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a water-elevating apparatus, a vessel to contain water for condensing steam in thc water-vessel, combined with a delivery-tube, a piston or diaphragm, and a resisting-spring, substantially as set forth, whereby the capacity of that vessel is increased as the steampressure increases, and the water is ejected as the pressure lessens, substantially as set forth.

The water-vessel connected to the induction and educt-ion pipes by a flexible tube, and supported in guides that allow a vertical movement, in combination with the lever mf, valve m, burner h., spring i", and magnets o o, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a water-elevating apparatus, a steamgenerator and a main burner that is periodically extinguished, in combination with a small jet continuously burning for relightin g the main burner, substantially as set forth..

5. A waterelevating apparatus contain- .ing an alternate pressure and exhaustion vessel and a steam-generator, in combination with a water-vessel containing a diaphragm or piston and a resisting-sprin g, and a tube leading to the generator to discharge water into the generator, for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me this 3d day of April, A. D. 1874.

lllRAlll S. MAXIM. lVitncsses f Gno. T. PrNcKNEv, Guus. H. SMITH.

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