A pulsometer is a steam pump without pistons or moving parts, relying solely on steam pressure. It was first patented in 1872 and mass-produced by The Pulsometer Company. The pump contained two compartments that alternately sucked in and forcefully pumped out water. Pulsometers were lauded for their low maintenance and ease of use, making them popular in the quarrying and construction industries.
A pulsometer is a type of steam pump built without pistons or other moving parts. Traditional and modern steam pumps rely heavily on the use of pistons and other tools. A pulsometric steam pump, however, is a much more simply constructed mechanism that contains no mechanical devices, such as cranks, cylinders, flywheels, or slide valves. They are also solely dependent on steam pressure and have been shown to operate extremely efficiently with virtually no supervision. A pulsometer can also be known as a pulsometric vacuum pump.
In 1698, English inventor Thomas Savery built one of the first steam engines. This pioneering invention was the inspiration for the pump that would later become known as the pulsometer. In 1872, the pulsometric pump was first patented by an American inventor named Thomas Hall. Three years later, a British company bought the rights from Hall and began mass-producing the pump under the name The Pulsometer Company. In 1961, The Pulsometer Company joined forces with another manufacturer, Sigmund Pumps, and was eventually bought by Kirloskar Brothers Limited, one of the largest pump manufacturers in the world.
Primarily used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the basic pulsometric steam pump contained two inlet valves, two outlet valves, and two compartments. In one compartment, the condensing steam created a suction while the other chamber filled with steam under pressure, resulting in a forced pump. These two compartments worked together to alternately suck in water and forcefully pump out water, resulting in a constant supply of steam. The first vacuum pumps were made of strong cast iron.
A pulsometer contained a small rubber or gunmetal ball that facilitated switching between the two types of pumping action by moving back and forth. To cushion the ball as it changed position, the air valves admitted a small amount of air into the chamber. This small jet of air also helped maintain a barrier between the steam and water which, if not separated, could lead to large losses of water from condensation during the eliminatory part of the pump cycle.
Pulsometric pumps have mainly been used in the quarrying and construction industries. They quickly gained a reputation for their low maintenance and ease of use. They worked automatically, with no need to waste manpower monitoring pump actions. The pulsometer has been lauded for its ability to pump surface water and shallow groundwater in rock quarries. It was also the preferred pumping method for construction professionals.
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