Year: 1886

page_text: I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, as communicated to me
by the firm of Körting Brothers of Hanover, Prussia, German Empire, to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to steam-traps in which the discharge-valve is controlled
by an open cup floating in the water contained in the shell of the trap, and into
which cup extends a pipe conducting the water from the cup to the valve.
In apparatuses of this kind as constructed at present, the valve is alternately
opened and closed, the opening of the valve taking place suddenly and to the full
extent of its lift after the water, running into the cup over the rim thereof, bas
filled the same sufficiently as that the said cup and its contents overbalance its dis-
placement and the pressure acting on the valve; whereas the valve is completely
closed at the end of the upward motion of the cup, because during this period there
is only a discharge of water from the cup, and no influx into the same. The
operation of the apparatus is therefore intermittent.
The object of this invention is now, to keep the discharge-valve permanently
open and to so regulate it that the passage for the water issuing through the same,
will always be maintained proportionate to the quantity of water of condensation
flowing into the trap, and that the discharge will be continuous.
For attaining the said object, the cup is provided with one or more lateral
apertures through which the water flows from the shell into the cup. When under
these conditions (the cup and the valve being in a mean position) the quantity of
water arriving increases, more water will flow into the cup through the said
apertures. The cup will consequently sink, but only by the amount required to
cause the valve to open sufficiently to let as much water pass out as flows into the
apparatus. The cup then remains stationary until a new variation in the quantity
of water to be discharged occurs. If the influx of water decreases so as to be
inferior to the discharge, the quantity of water within the cup will gradually
become less, and the cup will rise until the passage of the valve has been sufficiently

page_text: contracted to allow only so much water to issue from the cup as runs into the
same. Thus the depth of immersion of the cup and the passage through the valve
regulate themselves automatically according to the quantity of water to be dis-
charged, so that to every such quantity passing in the unit of time through the
apparatus corresponds a certain position of equilibrium of the cup and the valve.
For the purpose of increasing the buoyancy of the cup if it should become
immersed to the top of the apertures of the same, the cup may be made wider above
the said apertures. Moreover in order to prevent the cup from sinking too rapidly
in case there is a considerable increase of the water flowing into the apparatus,
stationary shields may be provided which are adapted to partly cover the apertures 1
of the cup as it sinks.

page_text: Improvements in Steam-traps.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, as communicated to me by the firm of Körting Brothers of Hanover,
Prussia, German Empire, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to steam traps in which the discharge-valve is controlled
by an open cup floating in the water contained in the shell of the trap, and into
which cup extends a pipe conducting the water from the cup to the valve.
In apparatuses of this kind as constructed at present, the valve is alternately
opened and closed, the opening of the valve taking place suddenly and to the full
extent of its lift, after the water, running into the cup over the rim thereof, has
filled the same sufficiently as that the said cup and its contents overbalance its
displacement and the pressure acting on the valve; whereas the valve is com-
pletely closed at the end of the upward motion of the cup, because during this
period there is only a discharge of water from the cup, and no influx into the same.
The operation of the apparatus is therefore intermittent.
The object of this invention is now, to keep the discharge-valve permanently
open and to so regulate it that the passage for the water issuing through the same,
will always be maintained proportionate to the quantity of water of condensation
flowing into the trap, and that the discharge will be continuous.
In view hereof the cup is provided on the line to which it is normally immersed,
with one or more lateral apertures for the influx of water from the shell into the
cup, and which are adapted to so control the said influx that the cup will always
remain floating, and that the variations of its floating position will be so limited
as that the object of the invention will be attained.
On the annexed sheet of drawings Fig. 1 shows an apparatus involving my
invention. h. is the shell having the induction-orifice a and the eduction-orifice f.
From the orifice f a channel extends through the cover k of the shell into the
apparatus, and at the end of this channel the valve d is arranged. b is the cup
provided with the lateral apertures c, and connected to the valve d by the rod g
and lever e. i is a tubular piece inserted with its top flange between the rim of
the shell and the cover k, and reaching down to near the bottom of the cup b.
The apertures c, when there are two or more of them, may all be arranged at the
same height, or at different heights; as in Fig. 2; and they may also consist in
inclined slits as shown in Fig. 3.
Supposing the cup b and the valve d to be in their mean position, and an increase
in the influx of water through the orifice a to take place, more water will flow into
the cup through the apertures c. The cup will consequently sink deeper in the
water which keeps it floating; but as hereby and by the increase of influx of water
into the shell h the displacement of the cup becomes greater, the cup will only sink
by the amount required to cause the valve d to open sufficiently as to let as much
water pass out as flows into the apparatus. The cup then remains stationary until
a new variation in the quantity of water to be discharged occurs. If the influx of
water decreases so as to be inferior to the discharge, the quantity of water within

page_text: the cup will gradually become less, and the cup will rise, with decrease of displace-
ment, until the passage of the valve has been sufficiently contracted to allow only
so much water to issue from the cup as runs into the same. Thus the depth of
immersion of the cup and the passage through the valve regulate themselves auto-
matically according to the quantity of water to be discharged, so that to every
such quantity passing in the unit of time through the apparatus, corresponds a
certain position of equilibrium of the cup and the valve.
For the purpose of increasing the buoyancy of the cup, if it should become
immersed to the top of the apertures c, the cup may be made with a wider
portion 61, Fig. 2, above the said apertures. Moreover, in order to prevent the cup
from sinking too rapidly, in case there is a considerable increase of water flowing
into the apparatus, stationary shields 8, Fig. 3, may be provided, which are adapted
to partly cover the apertures c as the cup sinks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1.) In steam-traps, the combination, with the shell h having the induction-
orifice a and eduction-orifice f, the eduction-valve d and the tubular piece i, of the
cup b connected to the valve d, and provided with one or more apertures c,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2.) In steam-traps, the combination, with the shell h having the induction-
orifice a and eduction-orifice f, the eduction-valve d and the tubular piece i, of the
cup b connected to the valve d and provided with one or more apertures c, and
having above the said apertures a wider portion b¹, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
3.) In steam traps, the combination, with the shell having the induction-
orifice a and eduction-orifice f, the eduction-valve d, and the tubular piece i, of the
cup b connected to the valve d and provided with one or more apertures c, and
the stationary shields 8, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 20th day of October 1886