Source
Manufacturer: Lee, Howl & Company Limited, Pump Makers, Alexandra Road, Tipton, Staffordshire, England.
Catalogue"D" - Reciprocating Pumps, Power & Steam Driven and Catalogue"G" - Gas Works Pumps. Both are 1965 Editions and were issued to and obtained from the now closed Beckton Gas Works, North Thames Gas Board.
Boiler Feed Pump (Fig. 1105)
This type of pump is a special purpose boiler feed double acting pump. The steam cylinder is fitted with a cast iron piston and ground piston rings, the valve gear is of the "positive operating type" which ensures that the pump makes a full stroke at all speeds and will start from any position. The pumping end can either be brass or iron fitted. The brass fitted pump is of cast iron, double acting, brass lined fitted with cupped bucket with brass centre and bronze bucket rod. The valve and seats are of gunmetal with long guides and are fitted with springs. The iron fitted pump is of cast iron, fitted with a cupped bucket and mitre faced wing valves, also of cast iron. The pump rod is of mild steel.
| Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Double strokes per minute |
Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Double strokes per minute |
| 3½"x1¾"x3½" | 200 | 60 | 5½"x3"x6" | 915 | 50 |
| 3½"x2"x3½" | 265 | 60 | 5½"x3¼"x6" | 1075 | 50 |
| 4½"x2¼"x4" | 360 | 60 | 6½"x3¾"x6" | 1430 | 50 |
| 4½"x2½"x4" | 495 | 60 | 6½"x4"x6" | 1625 | 50 |
Single Cylinder Pump - Circulating Duties on By-Product Plants (Fig. 1004)
This type of pump was designed primarily for use in gas works, by-product and chemical plants. The steam cylinder valve gear is of the "positive operating type" which ensures that the pump makes a full stroke at all speeds and will start from any position. There are three pump end specifications, regular, iron and brass. The regular fitted pump end is cast iron with brass centre and hydraulic cup leathers for cold water or special composition cups for hot water. Brass valves and seats, piston and pump rod of mild steel. The iron fitted pump end is cast iron with cast iron bucket, valves and seats suitable for ammoniacal liquor and other liquids injurious to brass. Piston and pump rod of mild steel. The brass fitted pump end is similar to the regular fitted pump end except that the barrel has a brass liner and piston and pump rod is brass.
| Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Double strokes per minute |
| 3½"x2½"x4½" | 375 | 40 |
| 3½"x3"x4½" | 550 | 40 |
| 3½"x4"x4½" | 975 | 40 |
Horizontal Close Clearance Bucket Type (Fig. 1006)
This pump was designed to meet the need for a general service pump for Oil refineries and Chemical Works and is capable of pumping water and aqueous solutions up to 100oC, volatile liquids such as Benzole and light solvents up to 50oC and viscous oils at temperatures up to 100oC. The steam cylinder is of cast iron with cast iron piston and two spring rings. The cylinder is lagged with non-conducting material covered with blue planished sheet steel. The steam valve gear is of the "positively operating type" which ensures that the pump makes a full stroke at all speeds and will start from any position. The pump end is cast iron and so designed that the clearance are close and gas pockets eliminated. The valve chambers are provided with covers giving access to the valves and the barrel is fitted with a gunmetal liner. The pump valves are gunmetal of the double beat type fitted with bronze springs. The piston rod is mild steel and bucket rod is stainless steel.
| Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (water) |
Double strokes per minute |
| 5"x7"x12" | 3200 | 35 |
Direct Acting Ram Type (Fig. 1061)
This pump is similar to previous versions with the exception that it is of a ram design. The pump body is cast iron with access covers to valve gear, with a mild steel pump rod. The regular fitted pump valve chambers are fitted with gunmetal grid seatings and india rubber valve disc ,or gunmetal wing valves or disc valves. The ram is cast iron, turned and ground, working in gunmetal bushed glands and gunmetal neck rings. The gunmetal fitted pump has a ram of gunmetal and the pump rod is manganese bronze.
| Size SteamxRamxStroke |
Gallons / hour (100ft per minute) |
Size SteamxRamxStroke |
Gallons / hour (100ft per minute) |
| 5"x3"x12" | 1825 | 9"x6"x12" | 7350 |
| 6"x3"x12" | 1825 | 10"x6"x12" | 7350 |
| 7"x3"x12" | 1825 | 12"x6"x12" | 7350 |
| 5"x4"x12" | 3250 | 14"x6"x12" | 7350 |
| 6"x4"x12" | 3250 | 8"x7"x12" | 10000 |
| 7"x4"x12" | 3250 | 9"x7"x12" | 10000 |
| 8"x4"x12" | 3250 | 10"x7"x12" | 10000 |
| 9"x4"x12" | 3250 | 12"x7"x12" | 10000 |
| 7"x5"x12" | 5100 | 14"x7"x12" | 10000 |
| 8"x5"x12" | 5100 | 9"x8"x12" | 13050 |
| 9"x5"x12" | 5100 | 10"x8"x12" | 13050 |
| 10"x5"x12" | 5100 | 12"x8"x12" | 13050 |
| 12"x5"x12" | 5100 | 14"x8"x12" | 13050 |
| 8"x6"x12" | 7350 | - | - |
Direct Acting Bucket Type (Fig. 1001)
This pump is similar to previous versions with the exception that it is of a bucket design. The regular fitted pump body is cast iron, with all 12" and 24" stroke pump ends having round suction and delivery flanges without counter flanges. All 9" stroke pumps ends have oval suction and delivery flanges with screwed counterflanges. The valve chambers are fitted with gunmetal grid seatings and india rubber valve discs or gunmetal valves and seatings. The bucket is of cast iron with brass centre and hydraulic cupped leathers. For pumping hot water, the pump buckets are fitted with either ebonite rings or suitable cups. The pump rod is mild steel and the delivery air vessel is cast iron. The iron fitted pump is provided for tar and other liquids injurious to gunmetal, hence the bucket is solid cast iron grooved bucket with the valves and seats of cast iron or steel. The gunmetal pump has a gunmetal liner and the pump rod is of manganese bronze.
| Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (100ft per minute) |
Gallons / hour (70ft per minute) |
Size SteamxPumpxStroke |
Gallons / hour (100ft per minute) |
Gallons / hour (70ft per minute) |
| 3"x2"x9" | 800 | 560 | 14"x7"x12" | 10000 | 7000 |
| 4"x2"x9" | 800 | 560 | 7"x8"x12" | 13050 | 9125 |
| 3"x2"x9" | 1275 | 895 | 14"x8"x12" | 13050 | 9125 |
| 5"x2½"x9" | 1275 | 895 | 8"x9"x12" | 16500 | 11550 |
| 3"x3"x9" | 1825 | 1280 | 14"x9"x12" | 16500 | 11550 |
| 7"x3"x12" | 1825 | 1280 | 10"x10"x12" | 20400 | 14300 |
| 4"x4"x9" | 3250 | 2275 | 24"x10"x24" | 20400 | 14300 |
| 9"x4"x12" | 3250 | 2275 | 10"x12"x12" | 29400 | 20600 |
| 5"x5"x9" | 5100 | 3570 | 24"x12"x24" | 29400 | 20600 |
| 10"x5"x12" | 5100 | 3570 | 14"x14"x24" | 40000 | 28000 |
| 5"x6"x12" | 7350 | 5145 | 24"x14"x24" | 40000 | 28000 |
| 6"x6"x12" | - | - | 16"x16"x24" | 52000 | 36400 | 12"x6"x12" | 7350 | 5145 | 20"x16"x10" | 52000 | 36400 |
| 6"x7"x12" | 10000 | 7000 | - | - | - |
Collection
There are three Lee Howl Tipton steam pumps in the collection.
- Tipton horizontal 3½x2½x4½, No.14405, 1930, Beckton Gas Works
- Tipton horizontal 3½x2½x4½, No.14406, 1930, Beckton Gas Works
- Tipton horizontal 3x2½x9, No.36256, 1953, Avenue Benzole Plant
- #Tipton horizontal 5x6x12, No.28695, 1947, Norwood Tar Plant
- #Tipton horizontal 6x6x12, No.30004, 1948, Bexley Gas Works
- # These pumps have been transferrred to Internal Fire Museums in West Wales
Two x Tipton horizontal 3½x2½x4½, No.14405/6, 1930, Beckton Gas Works
Size: 3½" steam cylinder, 2½" pump cylinder with 4½" stroke
Type: Single Cylinder Double Acting, Circulating and By-Product (Fig. 1004)
These pumps are a pair of sequentially numbered small single cylinder horizontal double acting steam pumps, designed primarily for use in Gas Works/By-Product & Chemical Plants. They were originally used in the Benzol Plant of Beckton Coal Tar and By-Product Works.
There are only 3 versions of Fig 1004 pumps, which all using the same steam cylinder of 3½" diameter by 4½" stroke. The pump diameters being 2½", 3" or 4" diameter.
These pumps are the smallest in the range and are numbered 14405 & 14406 and are rated at 375 gallons per hour at 40 double strokes per minute.
There are three alternative pump end specifications Regular, Iron or Brass fitted. These pumps appear to be Iron fitted with a mild steel piston and pump rod. In 2018/9 both pumps were totally restored requiring the manufacture of a few replacement parts; both now run well on air. It is the first time both pumps have operated since the early 1960's.
Tipton horizontal 3x2½x9, No.36256, 1953, Avenue Benzole Plant
Size: 3" steam cylinder, 2½" pump cylinder with 9" stroke
Type: Direct Acting Bucket (Fig. 1001)
This pump was installed at the Avenue Coke Works, Wingerworth Chesterfield from new and used for transferring Coal Tar liquor from the decanting tanks to main storage. Some time in the 1970's the pump was replaced by an electric one and dumped along with several others in the old pitch bays.
It was acquired from Avenue in 1990, taken back to Caerphilly Tar Plant for temporary storage but was never used. It was transferred to Essex in 1991 then to Wiltshire in 2012. Earlier dismantling found the liquid piston seized solid in its cylinder; in 2019 restoration was revisited and with the use of a gas torch, heating the cylinder did the trick and the piston was eventually withdrawn from the cylinder. Full restoration followed requiring major alterations to a set of larger but similar valves from a larger pump, however, the original valves have since been found, (May 2020) - safely stored! Following reassembly the pump now works well on air, although initially it was thought that full restoration of this pump to working order would not be possible!
An identical sized pump No.41771 is located at Westonzoyland Pumping station.
#Tipton horizontal 5x6x12, No.28695, 1947, Norwood Tar Plant
Size: 5" steam cylinder, 6" pump cylinder with 12" stroke
Type: Direct Acting Bucket (Fig. 1001)
This pump was installed at the Norwood Coke Works, Gateshead and used for transferring Coal Tar liquor from the decanting tanks to main storage. Upon closure of the works in the 1980's the pump, along with several others was transferred to Caerphilly Tar Works for storage /spares.
The pump was installed as the crash tank pump replacing the original Joseph Evans duplex installed in 1953. It continued in service until December 1985 when the distillation section closed.
It remained in place until 1991 where it suffered some frost damage to the pump side covers. It was transported to Essex, then Wiltshire and in 2019 to Internal Fire Museum, West Wales awaiting restoration.
#Tipton horizontal 6x6x12, No.30004, 1948, Bexley Gas Works
Size: 6" steam cylinder, 6" pump cylinder with 12" stroke
Type: Direct Acting Bucket (Fig. 1001)
This pump was installed at the Bexley Gas Works, Kent and used for transferring Coal Tar liquor from the decanting tanks to main storage. Upon closure of the works in the 1960's the pump, along with several others was transferred to Caerphilly Tar Works for storage /spares.
In 1985 this pump was stripped and overhauled for proposed use as a stand by liquor pump. However in June, it was announced that the Caerphilly Works would close at the end of the year so the pump was never installed.
It was transported to Essex, then to Wiltshire and finally to Internal Fire Museum, West Wales for final restoration.
