AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAP
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Paterson, the younger, of Greenock, in
the County of Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAP."
Sealed the 18th April 1873, and dated the 30th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Paterson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th January 1873.
I, JAMES PATERSON, the younger, of Greenock, in the County of
5 Renfrew, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAP," to be as follows, that is to
say:—
This Invention, which relates to an improved steam trap, consists of a
closed box of any suitable shape, by preference rectangular, wherein
there operates a lever provided with a float and a back balance or
counterweight. Worked by this lever are two valves, one on each side
of the lever's centre, one valve opening outwards, the other inwards.
The back balance or counterweight is adjusted to the buoyancy of the
float.

page_text: The steam is admitted by an inlet pipe above the water line, and tho
outlet pipes communicate with the two valves. When the water rises
the float operates the lever which opens the valves, and the condensed
water escapes until the float sinks again to the standard water line,
when the valves slut.
Under this arrangement of valves, one opening outwards and one
inwards, the pressure of the steam on the valves is equilibrated, and
thus is prevented from exercising disturbing influence on the balance of
the lover, as in other traps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Paterson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, James
PATERSON, the younger, of Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-threc,
in the 36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Paterson, Her special
license that I, the said James Paterson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Paterson, my
executors, administrators, or 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, excrcise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
STEAM TRAP," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Paterson, by an instrument in writing under my haud
and seal, should particularly describo and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Paterson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention, which relates to an improved steam trap, consists
of a closed box of any suitable shape, by preference rectangular, wherein
there operates a lever provided with a float and a back balance or
counterweight. By this lever two valves, one on each side of the lever's
centro are operated, one valve opening outwards, the other inwards.
The back balance or counterweight is adjusted to the buoyancy of the
float.
The steam is admitted by an inlet pipe above the water line, and the
outlet pipes communicate with the two valves. When the water rises
the float operates the lever which opens the valves, and the condensed
water escapes until the float sinks again to the standard water line, when
the valves shut.
Under this arrangement of valves, one opening outwards and one
inwards, the pressure of the steam on the valves is equilibrated, and thus
is prevented from exercising disturbing influence on the balance of the
lever.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a longi-
tudinal section on the line a, b, Figure 2 of the improved steam trap as
constructed in accordance with this Invention, and Figure 2 is a trans-
verse section of the same on the line c, d, Figure 1.
The closed rectangular box A is that within which there operates a
lever B. The lever B is supported on a spindle C which is carried at
each extremity in bearings D formed on or attached to the sides of the
rectangular box A. The lever B is provided at one end with a float E,
whilst at the other end is situated a back balance or counterweight F
which is adjusted to the buoyancy of the float E. Two valves, G and Gi
recpectively, are actuated by the lever B, and are connected thereto by

page_text: means of rods H, the valves G and G³ being situated one on each side of
the lover's centre, one valve opening outwards, whilst the other opens
inwards, as shown more particularly at Figure 1 of the Drawings. The
valve rod H of the valve G is provided with a screw joint e for adjusting
the length of the rod. The steam is admitted to the rectangular box A {
by means of an inlet pipe I situated above the water line, and the outlet
pipes J communicate with the valves G and G'. On top of the box a
suitable air cock or valve may be fitted to permit the escape of any air
that may lodge or accumulate in the trap.
When the water rises by the condensation of steam within the box A 1
the float E actuates the lever B which opens the valves G and G', the
valve G being opened by the upward movement of one arm of the
lever B acting on the valve rod H, thereby raising the valve G, whilst
the valve G' is opened by the downward movement of the other arm of
the lever B in a similar manner. The condensed water then escapes by 1
means of the outlet pipes J until the float E sinks again to the standard
water line, when the valves G and G' shut.
Under this arrangement of valves, one opening outwards and one
inwards, as herein-before described and shewn on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, the pressure of the steam on the valves is equilibrated
and thus is prevented from exercising disturbing influence on the balance
of the lever, as in other traps.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of steam
trap licrein-before described and shown on the accompanying Slicet of
Drawings, or any merc modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Paterson, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-three.