Year: 1896

page_text: I, FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United States of
America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object an improved construction and arrangement of
parts forming an expansion or alcoholic bigh or low pressure steam trap with a view
to obtaining simplicity of construction combined with reliability of working.
The reason this class of trap has hitherto failed is that the opening factor, that
is, the first collection of cool water is expelled the moment the trap opens,
consequently the following water being of a higher temperature does not escape.
I obviate this difficulty by the novel construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter described.
According to my invention I arrange at the upper part of the trap a closed
spherical or other shaped chamber supplied with alcohol or other suitable liquid;
the lower part of this chamber is enclosed in a shell or container at the upper end
of a hollow upright the lower end of which communicates with and descends into
a condensed water chamber having the inlet at its upper part and a valve opening
at its lower part communicating with the outlet chamber when permitted by the
outlet valve acting to open and close such valve opening.
The hollow upright has fixed centrally therein a circulating tube which leaves an
annular space around it and descends a short distance below the lower end of
the hollow upright. The alcohol chamber has in the interior thereof an expansion
box of somewhat similar character to those used in aneroid barometers and the bottom
of said expansion box supports a vertical rod or spindle passing out of the alcohol
chamber and connected to the centre of a lever which it operates in one direction.
One end of this lever is pin jointed to the upper end of a link the lower end of
which is pin jointed to a fixture whilst the other end of said lever is connected to
the upper end of a spring pressed rod whose lower end is pin jointed to a lever acting
upon the escape valve rod.
The action of the trap is as follows:-
When the accumulated water rises up the hollow upright into the space
surrounding the lower half of the alcohol chamber it cools and thereby contracts the
contents of said chamber whereby the rod supported by the expansion box will be
allowed to fall by the expansion of said box consequently the outlet valve will at the
same time be opened by the spring pressed rod thereby causing the discharge of the
water of condensation; as soon as the water falls below the lower end of the hollow
upright, steatn ascends in its place into the space surrounding the lower half of the
alcohol chamber and thereby vapourises the alcohol which by compressing the
expansion box raises the spindle or rod connected therewith and thereby closes
the outlet valve till another accumulation of water of condensation takes place. The
moment the accumulated water closes the lower end of the hollow upright, the
steam in the aforesaid space condenses thereby creating a momentary vacuum which

page_text: causes the water to rise and cool the alcohol chamber as before stated, whereupon the
outlet valve opens for a fresh discharge.
The arrangement and combination of the various parts may be modified without
departing from the peculiar characteristics of my invention..
Dated October 14th 1896.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
I, FREDERICK LAMPLOUGH, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United States of
America, Engineer, 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 :-
The invention has for its object an improved construction and arrangement of
parts forming an expansion or alcoholic high or low pressure steam trap with a view
to obtaining simplicity of construction combined with reliability of working.
The reason this class of trap has hitherto failed is that the opening factor, that is,
the first collection of cool water, is expelled the moment the trap opens, consequently
the following water, being of a higher temperature, does not escape.
I obviate this difficulty by the novel construction and arrangement of parts
hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is
a vertical section and Fig. 2 a vertical elevation of my improved steam trap, and
Fig. 3 is a cross section of parts on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.
According to my invention I arrange at the upper part of the trap, a closed
spherical or other shaped chamber a supplied with alcohol or other suitable liquid;
the lower part of this chamber is enclosed in a shell or container b, forming a
heating and cooling chamber, at the upper end of a hollow upright c, the lower end
of which communicates with and descends into a condensation-water chamber d
having the inlet e at its upper part and a valve opening f at its lower part
communicating with the outlet chamber g and outlet g¹, when permitted by the
outlet valve h acting to open and close such valve opening f.
The hollow upright c has fixed centrally therein a circulation tube 2, which leaves
an annular space around it within the hollow upright c and descends a short distance
below the lower end of such hollow upright. The alcohol chamber a has in the interior
thereof an expansion box j of somewhat similar character to those used in aneroid
barometers, and the bottom of said expansion box supports a vertical rod or spindle
passing out of the alcohol chamber a and connected by pin-joint to the centre of a
lever k, which it operates in one direction. One end of this lever k is pin-jointed to
the upper end of a link l, the lower end of which is pin-jointed to a fixture m whilst
the other end of said lever le is connected by pin-joint to the upper end of a spring
pressed rod n, whose lower end is pin-jointed to a lever o acting upon the escape
valve rod h¹. Said lever o is pin-jointed to the valve rod h¹ and to a link p pin-
jointed to a fixture q.
The upper side of the expansion box j is, by a hollow screw j², fixed to the lower
end of a hollow piece j³, the upper end of which is fixed, by a hollow screw j to
the upper part of the alcohol chamber a; the rod j¹ passes freely through the hollow
screw the hole through which is somewhat larger than the said rod, whilst the
latter is guided at its upper end by the hollow screw jt, which is provided with air
passages j to permit of free access of air to the interior of the expansion box j.

page_text: Thus the expansion box is internally subject to atmospheric pressure and externally
to the pressure in the alcohol chamber a.
The action of the trap is as follows:-
When the accumulated water rises up the hollow upright c into the heating and
cooling space surrounding the lower half of the alcohol chamber a, it cools and
thereby contracts the contents of said chamber a, whereby the rod j¹, supported by
the bottom of the expansion box j will be allowed to fall by the expansion of said
box, consequently the outlet valve will at the same time be opened by the spring
pressed rod n, thereby causing the discharge of the water of condensation, the shell
or container remaining charged with cold water until the accumulation has passed;
then as soon as the water falls below the lower end of the hollow upright c, steam
ascends in its place into the heating and cooling space surrounding the lower half of
the alcohol chamber a and thereby vaporises the alcohol contained in the latter, which,
by the compressing the expansion box j, raises the spindle or rod j¹ and thereby closes
the outlet valve till another accumulation of water of condensation takes place. The
moment the accumulated water closes the lower end of the hollow upright c, the
steam in the aforesaid heating and cooling space condenses, thereby creating a
momentary vacuum which causes the water to rise and cool the alcohol chamber a
as before stated, whereupon the outlet valve h opens for a fresh discharge.
A steam trap constructed and operating as herein described will work at any
pressure without adjustment, is wide open when cold and is perfectly automatic in
action.
I would here remark that the details of construction may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a steam trap, the combination of an alcohol chamber containing an expansion
box open to the atmosphere, a shell or container enclosing lower half of alcohol
chamber, a hollow upright connected at its upper end to the shell or container and
descending into a condensation-water chamber provided, at its upper part, with an
inlet for steam and water of condensation and, at its lower end, with an outlet valve
opening, a circulation tube fixed centrally within the hollow upright and descending
a short distance below the lower end of the latter into condensation-water chamber,
an outlet valve at bottom of condensation-water chamber, a discharge chamber below
the condensation-water chamber, a rod supported by the bottom of the expansion
box and connections therefrom to the outlet valve spindle, substantially as herein
set forth and for the purpose stated.
2. In a steam trap the combination of an alcohol chamber, an expansion box open
to the atmosphere within said chamber, a shell or container enclosing lower half
of alcohol chamber, a hollow upright communicating at its upper end with the shell
or container and descending into a condensation-water .chamber, a circulation tube
within the hollow upright and descending a short distance below the lower end of
the latter, an inlet and an outlet to said condensation-water chamber, and a valve
acting in connection with said outlet and controlled by the motion of the expansion
box substantially as herein set forth.
3. The improvements in high or low pressure steam traps, substantially as herein
set forth.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.