An Improved Grease Separator for Steam Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Grease Separator for Steam Engines.
We LEVI HUSSEY, Mechanical Engineer, EDWARD MCCANN, Mechanical
Engineer and THEODOSIA HATCH, Gentlewoman, all of 15 Cortlandt Street in the
City County and State of New York, United States of America do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to a grease separator for the exhaust pipes of steam
engines for separating the grease from the exhaust steam and collecting it for use
again.
The object of the invention is to provide a durable device of this character,
which will effect a thorough extraction of the grease from the steam and remove it
automatically from time to time from the receiver.
In the exhaust pipe of a steam engine is arranged a separator which is composed
of a square or oblong casing that is closed by a top plate. Below the separator is
arranged a chamber in which the grease separated from the exhaust steam is
collected. The side walls of the casing are provided with vertical grooves for
inserting a number of screens of suitable wire ganze, which screens serve to some
extent as baffles for retarding the outward flow of the exhaust steam, said screens
forming contact surfaces against which the exhaust steam impinges, so that the
grease or oil carried along by the same is intercepted and deposited on the wire
screens and conducted along the same together with the steam condensed by this
operation into the collecting chamber. A baffle disc is arranged midway between
the screens in the separator casing, said baffle disc being of a smaller size than the
screens and supported by lateral arms in a frame fitting in guide grooves in the side
walls of the casing in the same manner as the wire screens. The baffle disc serves
for the purpose of deflecting the exhaust steam and causing it to travel around
the entire circumference of the same, so that it is distributed equally over the
wire screens and prevented from passing directly in a straight line through the
same.
In the collecting chamber is arranged a float, to the upper part of which is
pivoted a lever fulcrumed to lugs at the outside of the collecting chamber, said
lever being provided with a balance weight at the outer end. To the outer end of
the fulcrumed lever is pivoted a connecting rod the opposite end of which is applied
to the arm of a valve which is located in the steam supply pipe that conducts the
steam to the steam cylinder of a pump situated below the grease separator. The
pump is connected by a suction pipe with the collecting chamber, the pipe com-
municating with an opening in the side wall of the same the opening being arranged
at such a height that when the float arrives at a level therewith it will open the
valve of the steam supply pipe, while when it falls below the said opening it will
close the steam supply pipe. Consequently, when the level of the grease floating
on the water of condensation in the collecting chamber rises to a level with the
opening of the suction pipe the float simultaneously opens the steam supply pipe
and produces the working of the pump so as to draw off the grease until the level
in the collecting chamber falls below said opening. By the lowering of the float
the valve is closed and the working of the pump interrupted. In this manner the
pump is intermittently operated for removing the grease and water of condensation,
both being pumped into a suitable storage receptacle from which the grease is
removed for being cleansed and used again.
In a modification of our invention no pump is employed for removing the grease,
but the pressure of the exhaust steam utilized for forcing the grease through a
discharge pipe to a suitable storage receptacle whenever the level of the grease

page_text: arrives at the discharge opening in the collecting chamber, at which point the float
and its lever will open the valve in the discharge pipe so as to permit the discharge
of the collecting grease by the steam pressure of the steam on the same.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1891
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Grease Separator for Steam Engines.
We, LEVI HUSSEY, Mechanical Engineer, EDWARD MCCANN, Mechanical
Engineer and THEODOSIA HATCH, Gentlewoman, all of 15 Cortlandt Street in
the City, County and State of New York in the United States of America.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 relates to a grease separator for the exhaust pipes of steam
engines for separating the grease from the exhaust steam and collecting it for use
again.
The object of the invention is to provide a durable device of this character
which will effect a thorough extraction of the grease from the steam and remove it
automatically from time to time from the receiver.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved grease separator showing
the same connected with a pump for drawing off from time to time the grease
separated from the steam by the separator.
Figure 2 is a top view of the separator with the top plate removed and
Figure 3 is a detail side view of one of the wire screens which are employed for
catching the grease.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of said screen and
Figure 5 is a side view of a separator showing a modified construction of the
collecting chamber and discharge device.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings A represents the exhaust pipe of a steam engine. In the
exhaust pipe A is arranged a separator B which is composed of a square or oblong
casing B closed by a top plate B. Below the separator is placed a chamber Cin
which the grease separated from the exhaust steam is collected. The side walls of
the casing B are provided with vertical grooves for inserting a number of
screens D of suitable wire gauze, which screens serve to some extent as baffles for
retarding the outward flow of the exhaust steam said screens forming contact
surfaces against which the exhaust steam impinges so that the grease or oil carried
along by the same is intercepted and deposited on the wire screens and conducted
along the same together with the steam condensed by this operation into the
collecting chamber C. A baffle disc E is arranged midway between the screens D
in the separator casing B' said baffle disc being of smaller size than the screens and
supported by lateral arms e e in a frame fitting in guide grooves in the side walls
of the casing in the same manner as the wire screens. The battle disc E serves for
the purpose of deflecting the exhaust steam and causing it to travel around the
entire circumference of the same, so that it is distributed equally over the wire
screens and prevented from passing directly in a straight line through the same.
In the collecting chamber C is arranged a float to the upper part of which is
pivotted a lever fulcrummed to lugs at the outside of the collecting chamber said
lever being provided with a balance weight at the outer end. To the outer end of
the fulcrummed lever is pivotted a connecting rod the opposite end of which is
applied to the arm g' of a valve G which is located in the steam supply pipe that

page_text: conducts the steam to the steam cylinder of a pump P situated below the grease
separator B. The pump Pis connected by a suction pipe with the collecting
chamber C the pipe communicating with an opening in the side wall of the same,
the opening being arranged at such a height that when the float arrives at a leveĺ
therewith it will open the valve G of the steam supply pipe while when it falls below
the said opening it will close the steam supply pipe. Consequently when the level of
the grease floating on the water of condensation in the collecting chamber C rises to a
level with the opening p' of the suction pipe p the float ƒ simultaneously opens the
steam supply pipe and produces the working of the pump P' so as to draw off the
until the level in the collecting chamber falls below said opening. By the lowering
of the float the valve is closed and the working of the pump interrupted. In this
manner the pump is intermittently operated for removing the grease and water of
condensation both being pumped into a suitable storage receptacle from which the
grease is removed for being cleansed and used again.
grease
In the modified construction shown in Figure 5 no pump is employed for removing
the grease, but the pressure of the exhaust steam utilized for forcing the grease
through a discharge pipe to a suitable storage receptacle whenever the level of
the grease arrives at the discharge-opening in the collecting chamber at which
point the float and its lever will open the valve in the discharge pipe so as to permit
the discharge of the collecting grease by the steam pressure of the steam on the
same.
The advantages of our improved grease separator are that nearly all the grease
carried along by the exhaust steam is collected owing to the contact of the steam
with the large number of wire baffle screens which act like a net for intercepting
the steam and catching the grease carried along by the same; and secondly that
the grease is collected in the chamber below the separator and removed auto-
matically from the surface of the water of condensation so as to require no special
attendant. From time to time the screens have to be removed for cleaning the
same which is accomplished by removing the top plate of the casing. When the
screens are worn out new baffle screens are inserted which can be accomplished at a
comparatively small expense.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a grease separator for the exhaust pipe of a steam engine the combination
of a casing, a number of screens disposed therein and a baffle disc of smaller
diameter than the screens supported centrally ou the casing between said screens
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a grease separator, located in the exhaust pipe of a
steam engine, of a grease collecting chamber below said separator, a balanced float
in said collecting chamber, a discharge pipe connected with the side wall of the
collecting chamber, a valve in said discharge pipe and a lever connection between
the float and the discharge pipe, whereby the discharge valve is intermittently
opened and closed by the rise and fall of the float so as to produce the automatic
removal of the grease from the collecting chamber substantially as set forth.
3. The improved grease separator for steam engines substantially as described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.