Harry, I am not sure using the ball diameter is quite as accurate as using the diameter of the opening that the ball sits on? I can put any number of different sized balls on the same seat size. The article that I am still looking for, was written in the 1930's by Carl Purinton in the Modelmaker Magazine, published by Spon & Chamberline in New York City. I believe that during the period of time that L. Lawrence was living on the estate of Calvert Holt, in Greenwich, Connecticut, the three of them did a lot of research of such matters as the optimal lift of check valves, area of the safety valve seat as a function of grate size. Even the area of the exhaust nozzle to the swept volume of the cylinders. My problem is in finding that particular issues the have the results of their testing. In Martin Evans text on designing Model Steam locomotives, he mentions figures that rage from 1/8 th the diameter of the ball, to one third the diameter of the ball depending on the use it is put to. Hand pumps using the middle size lift, steam pumps using the smallest, and injectors the largest! Must be quite a job to make up al those different lift check valves, and then keep them straight as to which service they will be used in! Keith Taylor Jefferson, Maine P.S. Over the weekend, had a great time at the Autumn steam meet at Don Jackson's "East Boothbay Central Supply" here in Maine. I actually ran one of my steam locomotives, the first that has happened in several years now! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Wade" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Multiple recipients of sslivesteam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 17, 2004 10:55 PM Subject: Re: Speaking of water pumps . . .
> At 12:20 PM 10/17/04 -0400, you wrote: > >I need to look through my refernce materials, but for some reason the > >formula of the ball lift being 1/3rd of the seat diameter comes to mind, > >as the optimal lift figure. - Keith > > How about 1/8 to 1/6 ball diameter. Have a look at > <http://www.ggls.org/CheckValves/index.html> That should be MTYEWTKACVBWATA. > > > Regards, > Harry Wade > Nashville Tennessee >
