IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM KETTLES OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER, PARTLY APPLICABLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM TRAPS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Whitfield Horner, and George
Barker, and Samuel Hallam, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 10th August 1877.
WILLIAM WHITFIELD HORNER and GEORGE BARKER, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, and SAMUEL HALLAM, of the same Place, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM KETTLES OR APPARATUS FOR HEATING WATER, PARTLY APPLICABLE IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM TRAPS."
Our Invention relates principally to the apparatus termed steam kettles usually
employed in the heating of water to the boiling point for use in the preparation of
the infusions of tea and coffee, and for other uses. In the construction of such
apparatus we employ a cluster of tubes enclosed within a metal case, which is con-
nected with steam and water supply pipes, the steam flowing through the tubes,
and the water through the said case and through the spaces between the said
tubes, or the water flowing through the tubes and the steam through the said
spaces.
In the arrangement which we now prefer the said tubes are enclosed within a
cylindrical case of cast iron or other suitable metal; the ends of the tubes are fixed in
tube plates or blocks, formed on or fixed to the said case. The tubes may be fixed
by one end into a tube plate or partition cast in the said case, and by the other end
into a block which is bolted to one end of the said case. The steam is admitted
into a space which communicates with the whole of the said tubes, and flows through
the tubes into a chamber which receives the water arising from condensation, which
is discharged from the apparatus by means of a pet cock or steam trap of suitable
construction, or by means of the trap herein-after described. The water is admitted
into the case and flows through the said case in a direction contrary to that of the
steam.
For some purposes the hot water is delivered through taps or screw valves by
means of which the water may be drawn off as required. The said steam trap is
formed with two tubes, an outer tube of iron, and an inner tube of brass, or of two
tubes formed of two metals having different degrees of expansion. The space
between the inner and outer tube is in communication with the aforesaid chamber
which receives the water of condensation. One end of the inner tube is fixed to

page_text: an elbow or part to which one end of the outer tube is also fixed. The other end
of the inner tube is free to slide within a valve chamber which is secured to the
free end of the outer tube. A valve, which can be adjusted by means of a screw,
nearly closes the mouth of the inner tube.
The water of condensation flows through the space between the two tubes and
escapes through the mouth at the free end of the inner tube, and flows away through
that tube. When the said space between the two tubes is filled with steam the
inner tube expands more than the outer tube, and the discharge opening thereby
becomes closed or restricted to an increased extent. This form of steam trap may
be used to effect the discharge of water arising from condensation from other
apparatus than that to which our Invention principally relates.