Worthington Direct-Acting Steam Pump, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Henry R. Worthington, July 31, 1855, no. 13370.

The model represents a double-acting water cylinder of a direct-connected steam pump so designed that toward the end of each stroke the pressure on each side of the water piston will be momentarily balanced to permit the expansion of steam already in the steam cylinder to quickly move the piston so that the steam valve operated by the piston will be quickly and positively opened for the return stroke.

At the midpoint of the water cylinder is an opening connected to the force pipe through which the water is discharged. The piston is made of such length that this opening is uncovered to the suction side of the piston only near the end of the stroke. The effect of this is momentarily to subject both sides of the piston to the same water pressure and so relieve the steam piston of most of its resistance so that it can move rapidly and actuate the valve sharply and positively.

The inventor refers to this as an improvement on the invention of “a new and improved method of insuring the action of steam valves in direct-acting pumping engines,” patented by himself and William H. Baker, April 3, 1849.

Reference:

This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

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