Improvements in Steam-traps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Steam-traps.
I, ALBERT FLACHSMANN, Machine-master, of St. Petersburg, Schlüsselburger
Prospect, house 2, Russia do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to a condensation-water conductor.
The annexed drawing represents it in two different forms, in the first form in
Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 1 giving a longitudinal section through the whole apparatus and
Fig. 2 a ground-plan of same, from which the position of the shoulders of the
conductor is made apparent, while Fig. 3 shews the arrangement of the mechanism
in the above-mentioned second form. In Figs. 5 to 18 some of the details are
given.
The condensing-vessel consists of a case A of a symmetrical shape.
At the semi-circular end at the back are the pipe-shoulders of the conductor, and
in the inside the valves and other accessory gear.
In the hinder part of the casing A below the cap H lies the ball-float which
here moves up and down. The casing is closed by a cover B which is easily
taken off.
The shoulders b, and R to which the inlet and discharge pipes are attached, are
situated opposite to each other, but at a different height in the front part of the
casing A, the one on the right side and the other on the left. At the bottom of
the casing there is brazed on to it an annular piece a from which there leads on
the one hand a passage b to the discharge shoulder b₁ and on the other a passage c
towards the outside, the latter being closed by a screw c₁ and having the object of
allowing the condensation-water to be let out directly from the space enclosed by
the ring a.
On the rim of the ring a rests the disk d forming its upper cover. By means of
a shank d, which is brazed on to it and provided at the lower end with a
screw-thread this disk is passed through a perforation in the centre of that part of
the bottom of the casing which is enclosed by the ring a and is fastened securely to
the ring a by means of the uut M screwed on from below, and thus made tight
above and below. In the disk there are two perforations E and e of different
sizes forming the openings of the valves. The disk d has furthermore on its
circumference a pin f on which is placed a socket f, bearing at its lower end a
horizontally placed fork G. The upper part of the socket f₁ is solid and has a
crew-threaded hole into which is screwed the pin 9, which is provided below with
corresponding thread and above with a top in the shape of a square. The
in g is surrounded by a spiral spring 91 resting on the one hand against the
apper rim of the part, and on the other hand against the cover B which closes
he opening in the casing at the top.
In the casing A which has just been described in its general form and
rrangement, the arrangement of the valves regulating the discharge of the water
s well as of the mechanisms effecting the opening and shutting of the valves by
he sinking and rising of the float, may vary according to whether the valves,
which enter into action or cease to operate one after the other and are a marked
eature of my invention, are placed alongside of or above each other. The first
rrangement with the valves lying alongside of each other, which is drawn in
ID 077

page_text: Figs. 1 and 2 and on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5, to which belong the details in
Figs. 7 to 10 and the projection of the positions of the valves in Figs. 11 and 12
shall first be described and its mode of working considered.
The socket has, as already stated, a horizontally placed fork, the two arms of
which ff each have two holes provided with a screw-thread. These holes are
each for the reception of a screw ss having suitable screw-threading and sharply
pointed in front. These points enter into corresponding conical depressions s₁ s₁ of
the two sockets H and h which serve for the reception of the valve-cones K and k,
in such a manner that each socket is held-so as to rotate easily-between the
points of two screws s lying opposite to each other, and can by tightening these
screws be placed transversely to the fork so that the valve-cone will fit accurately
into the hole in the above-mentioned disk d, which serves as its seat. As will be
seen from Figs. 1 and 5 the two valve-cones have their seat in the sockets H
and h.
The first of the two sockets H has a larger section than the other one h,
corresponding to the larger valve-cone K. The lever-arm I, carrying the ball-float m,
is attached directly to h.
The sockets have above and below contact surfaces on the sides facing each
other; above the surfaces J and i and below the surfaces J, and ₁ are opposite to each
other. The upper contact surfaces J and i lie in different planes from the lower
surfaces J, and ₁, so that when the latter touch each other according to the
position of the ball-float m, by whose rising and falling the socket / is made to
oscillate between its screw-points, the upper contact surfaces separate and vice versa,
which is of great importance for the working of the apparatus.
The manner of working of the apparatus just described is as follows: In a
state of rest the position of the different parts of the apparatus is as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 5. In consequence of their weight the float together with the lever
are pressed downwards until the lower contact surfaces J, of the valve-sockets H
lie
upon each other. The pressure exerted on the mechanism by the weight of the
lever and float is in this case balanced by the already mentioned spring g. In this
position of the sockets the valve-cones K and k lie with their lower ends
which are spherically rounded off in the holes. E and e of the disk d and close
them.
The condensation-water enters, as is known, through the inlet tube R into the
casing A filling it to such a height that the float and with it the lever / which can
turn in the points of the screws by means of the socket h, are raised. In
consequence of this the upper rim of the socket catches under the marginal
projection on the upper head of the smaller valve-cone k and thus this valve-cone is
lifted off from its valve-opening e in the plate d. Thus in the plate d the smaller
opening has become free and the condensation-water flows through this opening e
into the space enclosed by the ring a at the bottom and from there out through the
passage band the shoulder b₁.
If the in-flow of the water increases, so that more water flows in than can
flow off through the opening e, the water rises in the box and raises the ball m
higher and higher and turns the lever and the socket h attached to it about
the points of the screws s until the upper contact surface i of the socket h is pressed
against the upper contact surface J of the socket H. On a further rising of the
water and raising of the lever, the socket h can no longer turn in its screw-points,
but continues to press with its contact surface i against the contact surface J of the
other socket H, until the pressure of the water from below against the float m is
powerful enough to turn the socket H about its bearings in the screw-points, so
that now socket H together with socket and the float lever I has become in a
certain manner a rigid whole, moving about the points of the screws s which catch
into the socket H.
Thus the fulcrum of the lever is transferred from the fulcrum of the socket
to the fulcrum of the socket H and on the float rising higher the second larger
valve-opening E is opened by the upper rim of the socket H catching under the

page_text: marginal projection on the upper head of the valve-cone K₁ so that the condensation
water can flow out simultaneously from both perforations in the plate d.
If the quantity of condensation-water decreases, the ball sinks and with it the-
lever 1, and first of all the larger valve is closed whereby the fulcrum of the lever
again transferred from the points at H to the points at h. On the lever sinking
still further the small valve is finally also closed.
The second form of the apparatus which is represented in Figs. 3 and 4 as well
as on an enlarged scale in Fig. 6, and to which the details, Figs. 13 to 16, and the
projection of the valve positions, Figs. 17 and 18, belong, has the two valves
arranged one above the other instead of as in the first form, alongside of each
other.
b
2°
Instead of the double opening E and e the plate d, which rests on the ring a,
is only provided with a single perforation E₁ in the centre, through which the
water from the casing A. arrives in the passage 6 Fig. 4 between arms having a
fork-like position and brazed on to the lower side of the plate d and bearing
at the bottom the shank d₁ which by screwing on the nut M, causes the plate d on
the ring a to be fastened and tightened. From the passage b the water flows into
the discharge shoulder b₁.
The opening E₁ of the plate d is closed by valve-cone K, which is
perforated length-ways and is loosely mounted in the socket H₁. Above this
socket H₁ is arranged the smaller socket h₁, to which the lever 1 (bearing the
ball-float m Fig. 17 and 18) is attached, and this socket h₁ also contains a
valve-cone, but one that cannot move freely but is in the form of a pin p pointed
and rounded off at the bottom like a cone. This pin p is screwed into the socket h₁
provided with a corresponding inside screw-thread, and enters with its point
exactly into the perforation of the valve-cone K₁, thus closing it in general; on
account of p being screwed into ₁, this valve-pin cau always be tightened and so
adjusted as to fit accurately into the opening in K₁.
In order to make it possible in this form of the apparatus to arrange the two
sockets H, and h₁ above each other, the socket f, has at its lower end two short
forks one above the other, one for each socket.
The socket H, is mounted so as to be able to turn about the points of the
screw-pegs && which are secured to the horizontal arms of the lower fork P. This
socket has a hook-shaped projection T pointing upwards. Above this socket the
socket h, is arranged movably in the upper fork P₁ in the same manner as
the socket H₁. The socket h₁ has a similar hook-shaped projection t as
the socket H, but pointing downwards and in such a manner that t stands directly
above the projection T of the socket H₁, but does not ordinarily touch it.
If in
this arrangement the float-lever is raised by the condensation-water collected in
the casing, the socket h, and simultaneously with it the pin p is lifted off from the
valve-cone k₁, so that its perforation is freed and the water above now flows
downwards through this perforation and out through opening E, in the plate d.
the in-flow of the water increases, so as to raise the lever still higher, the
book-shaped projection t on the socket h₁ lays itself with its lower surface on the
upper surface of the projection T on the socket H, and on the level of the water
rising in the casing A, presses in such a manner against the projection T that the
socket H₁ is turned upwards about its fulcrum. The valve-cone k₁ is also raised
along with the socket H₁ and the water now flows off directly through the
opening E, in the plate d.
If
The latter form of the apparatus is distinguished from the former in its manner
of working inasmuch as in the first form first of all a small opening and thereupon
besides this a large opening is opened for letting off the condensation-water, while
in the latter form the condensation-water flows out at first through a small opening
and then instead of it through a large opening.
The arrangement of the apparatus may be changed at will, as well with respect
to the form and construction, as also with respect to the material of the casing, the
two valves and the different parts of the apparatus.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
In steam-traps
1. The arrangement of two valves of equal or different section. alongside of,
or behind each other in such a manner that by means of a suitable device
connected with the ball-float, first one valve and thereupon, besides it, the second
valve opens, according to the quantity of condensation-water formed, the socket
of the first valve that is raised by the float-lever being limited in its stroke by that
of the next one which it raises, thus transferring the fulcrum of the float-lever from
the fulcrum of the first valve-socket to that of the second.
2. The arrangement of two delivery-valves one above the other, in such a
manner that the cone of the lower valve which is perforated--in the longitudinal
axis, at the same time forms the seat of the upper valve-cone, so that on the water
rising, first of all the upper valve and then by means of a suitable lever-transmission,
the lower valve is opened.
Dated this 30th day of June 1894.
For ALBERT FLACHSMANN,
B. Brockhues.