IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM STEAM
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shepherd, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM STEAM."
Sealed the, 22nd March 1872, and dated the 26th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shepherd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th September 1871.
..
-
'I, JAMES SHEPHERD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM STEAM," to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus employed to separate water from
steam as the steam is flowing through a pipe, or before admitting the.
steam to the said pipe or to the cylinder or cylinders of an engine; the
said water being such as is or may be carried out of the boiler by the

page_text: issuing steam, that is to say, by "priming," or such as may result from
the cooling or partial condensation of the steam or from both priming
and condensation.
66
To effect the said object I cause the steam when issuing from the
boiler or when flowing through a steam pipe to enter the upper chamber
of my improved apparatus. The said chamber is divided into two parts
by a vertical or nearly vertical partition, which extends towards or into
a chamber which receives the water, and which chamber is formed on
or attached to the aforesaid upper chamber. The steam entering the
first part of the said upper chamber flows through a vertical or inclined
deflector which is formed with louver" plates, or with slots, or
perforations inclined with respect to the face of the said deflector, the
steam being thereby deflected and directed downwards and into or
towards the aforesaid water chamber. The water carried by or mixed
with the steam or a portion of the said water remains in the said water
chamber, the steam flowing under the aforesaid vertical partition and
rising into the second part of the upper chamber whence it flows into
the steam pipe. The said second part of the upper chamber may be
provided with a slotted or perforated partition, or by preference with a
number of rods of copper or other metal arranged so that the steam
will have to flow around and between the said rods, the said rods
tending to intercept any water which may still be mixed with the
steam. The aforesaid water chamber is or may be fitted or provided with
a glass water gauge, and may be formed as an ordinary steam trap, or
may be connected with a steam trap in order to effect the discharge of
water; or arrangements may be made for discharging the water at
intervals by opening a cock or valve.
The aforesaid upper chamber has by preference a larger cross sectional
area than the steam pipe or pipes, and separate diminishing pieces or
couplings are or may be employed to connect each end of the said :
chamber with the steam pipes to which the apparatus may be
applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Shepherd in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SHEPHERD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Shepherd, Her
special license that I, the said James Shepherd, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Shepherd,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING WATER FROM STEAM," upon
the condition, amongst others, that I, the said James Shepherd, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands'
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
•
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Shepherd, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to apparatus employed to separate water from
steam as the steam is flowing through a pipe, or before admitting the
steam to the said pipe or to the cylinder or cylinders of an engine; the
said water being such as is or may be carried out of the boiler by the
issuing steam, that is to say, by priming, or such as may result from the

page_text: cooling or partial condensation of the steam or from both priming and
condensation.
To effect. the said object I cause the steam when issuing from the
boiler or when flowing through a steam pipe to enter the upper
chamber of my improved apparatus. The said chamber is divided into
two parts by a vertical or nearly vertical partition; which extends
towards or into a chamber which receives the water, and which chamber
is formed on or attached to the aforesaid upper chamber. The steam
entering the first part of the said upper chamber flows through a
vertical or inclined deflector which is formed with louver plates, or with
slots, or perforations inclined with respect to the face of the said
deflector, the steam being thereby deflected and directed downwards
and into or towards the aforesaid water chamber. The water carried by or
mixed with the steam or a portion of the said water remains in the said
water chamber, the steam flowing under the aforesaid vertical partition
and rising into the second part of the upper chamber whence it flows
into the steam pipe. The said second part of the upper chamber may
be provided with a slotted or perforated partition. The aforesaid water
chamber is or may be fitted or provided with a glass water gauge, and
may be formed as an ordinary "steam trap," or may be connected with
a "steam trap," in order to effect the discharge of water; or arrange.
ments may be made for discharging the water at intervals by opening a
cock or valve.
In order that my Invention may be distinctly understood and be.
more readily explained in detail, I have provided a Sheet of Drawings
marked with letters of reference, to which Drawings I will now refer.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of an apparatus suitable to be
applied to a "six-inch" steam pipe, or in a range of "six-inch" pipes,
the said Figure being drawn about one quarter of the full size; Fig. 2
is an external view of the same apparatus drawn about one-eighth of
the full size.
In the said Figures or in Figure 1, a is the aforesaid upper chamber and
.b is the water chamber. The chamber a is in the example formed of cast
iron, and of a circular form in cross section; the diameter of the said.
chamber being about double the diameter of the steam pipe or pipes to
which the apparatus is to be attached. The said chamber is cast with
flanches c, c, to which are bolted the diminishing ends d, d, which are

page_text: formed with flanches suitable to be bolted to the flanches of the steam
pipes. The said chamber is also formed with a flanchfto which the water
chamber is bolted, and with the aforesaid partition g. The chamber a is
fitted with a deflector h which is formed with inclined passages through,
which the steam is caused to flow into the said chamber. The said
inclined passages are formed by casting inclined plates or partitions h, h,
in the said deflector, the said plates or partitions resembling "louver
boards" in appearance.
1
This method of construction may be varied; as for example, the said
inclined passages may consist of round or square holes. The steam
flowing through the apparatus in the direction of the arrows is deflected
downwards towards the water chamber, and passing round the lower
end of the partition 9 rises into the space on the other side of the
partition and flows through a slotted or perforated partition or second
deflector . The said second deflector is not essential to the useful
action of the apparatus, and may be dispensed with, but when the said
apparatus is formed as represented and is provided with two deflectors
it may be applied, so that the steam shall flow in the direction indicated
by the arrows or in the contrary direction; the action of the said
apparatus being the same in both cases.
The drops or particles of water which it is desirable to intercept being
heavier than the particles which constitute the steam, do not make
the change in the direction of motion so readily as the steam, and
passing into the water chamber are retained therein.
If preferred or found to be more suitable, the deflector or each
deflector may be inclined with its upper part approaching the partition g,
instead of being vertical as represented.
In the example illustrated the water chamber is represented as fitted
with a well-known form of "steam trap," consisting of a floating
cylinder which regulates the discharge of water through the pipe k.
Any other suitable form of steam trap may be employed as preferred,
or the use of a steam trap may be dispensed with, in which latter. case
the water is discharged at intervals by opening the cock or valve l. .
The apparatus is fitted with a glass water gauge m shewn in Fig. 2,
the said guage being especially useful when the apparatus is not fitted
with a steam trap.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and my
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it to
be understood that I claim the combination and arrangement of parts
constituting the apparatus substantially as and for the purpose
described, indicated, and illustrated herein and by the accompanying
Drawings
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it to
be understood that I claim the combination and arrangement of parts
constituting the apparatus substantially as and for the purpose
described, indicated, and illustrated herein and by the accompanying
Drawings
In witness whereof, I, the said James Shepherd, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Signed and sealed by the
said James Shepherd, in
the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Patentee,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.
JAMES SHEPHERD. (L.s.)