Steam powered fire engine water pumps

[Rick]

Does any one have info or where I can find info on the steam powered water pumps used on fire fighting equiptment. I saw a little about it on a show called Wild West Tech. The show showed how they "smoothed" out the pressure pulses from the steam powered water pump, but I only caught a little piece of that part of the show and my curiosty on how they accomplished this has got the better of me.

Thanks

Rick

[willy]

Try this link

Steam Fire Engines

Willy

[Fred_V]

i believe the big bulb shaped thing is an air chamber and smoothed out the pulses from the pump.
fred v

[Dick_Morris]

Steam fire engines used a couple of types of engines/pumps, piston and rotary. According to my turn of the century (the one from 1899 to 1900) Catechisim of the Steam Engine, by Hawkins, the LaFrance used piston engines/pumps and American offered both piston and rotary engine/pumps. Their rotary engine and pump used a three-lobed roter. I would think that the rotary pump would give a steadier stream. However, both types are shown with large brass air chambers, shaped like a light bulb, to even out the pulses.

There is some information on Silsby at http://www.engine3.org/Silsby/silsbyhome.html.

(From researching my family, I learned that my great, great grandfather, Joel Prescott, accompanied Horace Silsby to deliver the steam fire engine Long John to Chicago in 1858. Joel operated the engine during its acceptance trials and them stayed behind in Chicago as the Long John's engineer and one of the first two paid employees of the Chicago Fire Department.)

[highiron999]

I believe the bulb being referred to is called a water ram. It is also used in home plumbing to stop unsecured pipes from "hammering" when the water is turned off. There was an article on this in Modeltec in '89 or '90. LeonardEvans/Highiron999

[dampfwilli]

Rick, i think i can help You.
Have some drawings and material about Fireengines. from 1908 to the Sixtys. All its english and imperial.
Contact me.