Hi all;

Up here in Ontario we now have to become certified to operate a steam traction plant. Part of one of the sections on the proposed Syllabus is "Simplex and duplex pumps, duplex pump slide valve setting..."

Now, I have seen pumps, both full size and model, and did not notice anything out of the ordinary. But, with this wording on the proposed syllabus, it leads me to believe that there are more to these pumps than I had thought.

We are putting on a course ourselves; this is part of the "Injectors and Pumps" section that I have volunteered to talk about. The rest of the subject matter is easy; but I am wondering if there is some trick with these pumps that I have not clued into.

Anyone wish to comment, or send a URL to more info? Am I getting "worried" about nothing?

Thanks;

John Stewart
Ottawa, Canada.

BTW - the regulating body is called the TSSA - web site in the Link URL below.

Ontario TSSA
john.stewart@crc.ca

I was amazed to find out just a few weeks ago that we have several of these steam engine driven pumps at the plant site I am working at. The first one I saw was in front of the water blasting shed; I thought to myself "look, a steam engine!"

Doing further research on the net, I learned that on the duplex steam pumps, each cylinder drives the valve for the other cylinder. There are two seperate shafts, with basically a ninety degree linkage. I need to look at it again, but there appears to be little to do in the way of adjustment; I guess there is a collar you can use to fine tune the timing by sliding it on the valve stem.

They just put a simplex steam pump in the same area; I briefly looked at it on my way in. It has a different form of linkage on it; I am not sure offhand how it works. Usually, single cylinder engines can stop on a "dead spot" and are therefore not always self-starting; I was wondering how that was resolved on simplex pumps.

Otherwise, they appear to be simplier than either steam locomotives or traction engines, since there is no provision for reversing them or adjusting the cutoff while in operation. (It simply wasn't needed; they would pump the same forward or backwards.)

The other thing I learned is that you can still purchase them from several pump vendors. You may ask Union Pump, for example, if they have literature about setting them up. To find information about them on the web, search for the phrase "direct-acting duplex pumps".

I am currently rewriting my "Surviving World Steam Educational Guide" to include a brief chapter on these pumps. As the last examples of steam engines in widespread use, I thought a chapter devoted to them was a fitting close. The plant that some of these pumps are in are slated for demolition, I am also going to approach the plant manager about saving some of them for area museums.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> Hi all;

> Up here in Ontario we now have to become
> certified to operate a steam traction plant.
> Part of one of the sections on the proposed
> Syllabus is "Simplex and duplex pumps,
> duplex pump slide valve setting..."

> Now, I have seen pumps, both full size and
> model, and did not notice anything out of
> the ordinary. But, with this wording on the
> proposed syllabus, it leads me to believe
> that there are more to these pumps than I
> had thought.

> We are putting on a course ourselves; this
> is part of the "Injectors and
> Pumps" section that I have volunteered
> to talk about. The rest of the subject
> matter is easy; but I am wondering if there
> is some trick with these pumps that I have
> not clued into.

> Anyone wish to comment, or send a URL to
> more info? Am I getting "worried"
> about nothing?

> Thanks;

> John Stewart
> Ottawa, Canada.

> BTW - the regulating body is called the TSSA
> - web site in the Link URL below.


Duplex Pumps
james1@pernet.net

John,

I just made a trip to the front office past the duplex and simplex pumps I discovered. I took another look at the valve gear while I was at it.

The simplex pump has a rocking lever with the pivot for the lever a fraction of the way in the middle, and the joints for the piston rod and valve gear at opposite ends. There appears to be a way to address the amount of throw at both ends. (Please forgive me if I am slaughtering the terminology in refering to the various parts.) My guess is that it is no different from adjusting the timing on any other steam engine.

On the other hand, the entire linkage on the duplex pump appears to have bolted joints, with no provision for adjustment. It looks like the only way to change the timing is to also adjust the degree of "quartering" between to the two engines, since one cylinder drives the valve gear for the other and visa-versa. Perhaps this fact is what that particular section delt with.

I hope this helps. I also meant to say that a *portion* of the plant I am presently working at is being scrapped, not the entire plant. Another process that also uses the duplex pumps is being considered for a redesign.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> I was amazed to find out just a few weeks
> ago that we have several of these steam
> engine driven pumps at the plant site I am
> working at. The first one I saw was in front
> of the water blasting shed; I thought to
> myself "look, a steam engine!"

> Doing further research on the net, I learned
> that on the duplex steam pumps, each
> cylinder drives the valve for the other
> cylinder. There are two seperate shafts,
> with basically a ninety degree linkage. I
> need to look at it again, but there appears
> to be little to do in the way of adjustment;
> I guess there is a collar you can use to
> fine tune the timing by sliding it on the
> valve stem.

> They just put a simplex steam pump in the
> same area; I briefly looked at it on my way
> in. It has a different form of linkage on
> it; I am not sure offhand how it works.
> Usually, single cylinder engines can stop on
> a "dead spot" and are therefore
> not always self-starting; I was wondering
> how that was resolved on simplex pumps.

> Otherwise, they appear to be simplier than
> either steam locomotives or traction
> engines, since there is no provision for
> reversing them or adjusting the cutoff while
> in operation. (It simply wasn't needed; they
> would pump the same forward or backwards.)

> The other thing I learned is that you can
> still purchase them from several pump
> vendors. You may ask Union Pump, for
> example, if they have literature about
> setting them up. To find information about
> them on the web, search for the phrase
> "direct-acting duplex pumps".

> I am currently rewriting my "Surviving
> World Steam Educational Guide" to
> include a brief chapter on these pumps. As
> the last examples of steam engines in
> widespread use, I thought a chapter devoted
> to them was a fitting close. The plant that
> some of these pumps are in are slated for
> demolition, I am also going to approach the
> plant manager about saving some of them for
> area museums.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a


Duplex Pumps
james1@pernet.net

I also meant to say that
> a *portion* of the plant I am presently
> working at is being scrapped, not the entire
> plant.

I do not suppose the pumps are endangered? I could use one for fuel transfer.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Dave,

Not at this time. I am trying to be proactive, have a preservation plan in place, and approach the plant manager before scrapping begins.

I am not sure exactly how many there are, but it is probably around a half dozen. (To date, I have seen four in person.) I would like to keep one of the smaller ones; if I can find homes for the others that would be great. AFAIK, it won't be for a few months at the earliest; and even then not all of them may be affected at once.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> I do not suppose the pumps are endangered? I
> could use one for fuel transfer.

> Dave


Duplex Pumps
james1@pernet.net

Hi James;

Thanks for the messages. After thinking about it last night, I have come to the conclusion that I think I know more about how they work than the Syllabus expects, not less. (ie, it is not a "trick" question)

We have a couple at our site; one of which can be taken apart during that aspect of our self-taught course.

BTW - save those pumps! Imagine how much got scrapped in the late 50s and early 60s...

JohnS.

> On the other hand, the entire linkage on the
> duplex pump appears to have bolted joints,
> with no provision for adjustment. It looks
> like the only way to change the timing is to
> also adjust the degree of
> "quartering" between to the two
> engines, since one cylinder drives the valve
> gear for the other and visa-versa. Perhaps
> this fact is what that particular section
> delt with.



Ontario TSSA
john.stewart@crc.ca

John
On the small duplex pumps we use the valve stem is screwed on a captured nut on the D valve. To adjust the action, remove the connecting rod from the valve rod and turn the valve rod either way, one half turn at a time. Test the pump under air and adjust until it works to your satisfaction.
Tom

ironbartom@aol.com

John,

Your welcome. Thanks also to the individual who posted the information on how to adjust the timing on one of these things.

I believe there are at least eight of them here in the plant. Two of the ones I have seen so far are small simplex pumps, the other three are duplex pumps.

The two simplex pumps could each ride home one at a time in the back seat of my car. The duplex pump I first saw would fit in the back of a station wagon or pickup.

Not so the two big duplex pumps in the old Ammonia plant. The pumps themselves are stamped "10x5x10". I assume the first number is the stroke of the pump, the second number the bore of the pump, and third number the stroke of the engine?

They have "OILWELL" (with the quotation marks) stamped on the engine casting. They are mounted on skids, and would probably need at least a flatbed truck in order to transport them. (The auto transports with the winch and the bed that tilts back would probably be perfect.) Very impressive; I wish I could have seen them run, but two years after they were shut down, the smell of Ammonia is still strong!

When the time is right, I am pretty sure the plant manager will work with me to have them preserved, I will just need to have a home and a means to transport them in hand when the time comes. I know of one museum who would take them in a heartbeat if the transportation could be arranged; I would love for the other to be in the museum I am proposing.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

> Hi James;

> Thanks for the messages. After thinking
> about it last night, I have come to the
> conclusion that I think I know more about
> how they work than the Syllabus expects, not
> less. (ie, it is not a "trick"
> question)

> We have a couple at our site; one of which
> can be taken apart during that aspect of our
> self-taught course.

> BTW - save those pumps! Imagine how much got
> scrapped in the late 50s and early 60s...

> JohnS.


james1@pernet.net

James:

From what I know about equipment like this, the size designation is usually: engine bore X pump bore X stroke.

Usually the engine end will have a larger bore than the pump end. The reason is simple. If steam is available at 100 psi with a 10" bore engine then the maximum discharge pressure on a 5" bore compressor will be 400 psi. This ignores the effect of clearance pockets on a compressor. It also ignores the pressure on the suction side of the pump or compressor.

When rebuilding one of these from scratch the way I have used to get the timing close is to set the pump at midstroke for both sides and adjust the slide valve to be in midstroke. Then before starting set one of the pumps at about 25% of stroke.

When fine tuning the valve setting, one needs to make sure that the pump does not bottom out at one or the other end of the stroke.

The big duplex compressors sound impressive.

Ones similar to this were used by the Columbia Gas Company on their main transmission lines in the 20's and 30's.

P.Kurilecz

> Not so the two big duplex pumps in the old
> Ammonia plant. The pumps themselves are
> stamped "10x5x10". I assume the
> first number is the stroke of the pump, the
> second number the bore of the pump, and
> third number the stroke of the engine?

> They have "OILWELL" (with the
> quotation marks) stamped on the engine
> casting. They are mounted on skids, and
> would probably need at least a flatbed truck
> in order to transport them. (The auto
> transports with the winch and the bed that
> tilts back would probably be perfect.) Very
> impressive; I wish I could have seen them
> run, but two years after they were shut
> down, the smell of Ammonia is still strong!

> When the time is right, I am pretty sure the
> plant manager will work with me to have them
> preserved, I will just need to have a home
> and a means to transport them in hand when
> the time comes. I know of one museum who
> would take them in a heartbeat if the
> transportation could be arranged; I would
> love for the other to be in the museum I am
> proposing.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a


pkurilecz@yahoo.com