IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING WATER AND AIR FROM STEAM PIPES AND APPARATUS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shanks, of Barrhead, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Sanitary Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING WATER AND AIR FROM
STEAM PIPES AND APPARATUS."
Scaled the 31st December 1870, and dated the 4th July 1870.
Dauks at tuo
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonn
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1870.
I, JOHN SHANKS, of Barrhead, in the County of Renfrew, North
5 Britain, Sanitary Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING WATER AND
AIR FROM STEAM PIPES AND APPARATUS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for one of its objects the contriving of improved
apparatus for discharging water from steam pipes and from apparatus

page_text: or vessels of any kind heated by steam in cases where water collects
from the condensation of the steam.
Another object of the Invention is to provide for the escape of air
from steam pipes or apparatus whenever steam is freshly admitted into
them. Ordinarily when steam is admitted to cold steam pipes or t
apparatus the air contained therein delays the heating effect of the
steam whereas the desired action is much more quickly attained when
the air is at once displaced, as it is automatically, in the improved
apparatus.
The said improved apparatus comprises a vessel of any convenient 1
form connected to the steam pipes or apparatus in such a way that the
water due to condensation may drain into it, as is well understood.
The vessel is provided with a discharge valve for the water arranged
to act like a slide valve or a piston valve which is capable of some
movement without opening the port or outlet. This discharge valve is 1
actuated by a toe or toothed piece projecting from the fulcrum end of
a lever, the mean position of which is horizontal or nearly so. A float
on the other end of the lever is raised by the water when it accumulates
and makes the lever open the valve. The air outlet valve is fitted by
preference in the top of the vessel, its seat being a little distance inwards 2
or upwards from the bottom end of a tube or cylinder which the valve
disc nearly fills. When steam is not being admitted the air valve
rests directly or by its spindle, made to project downwards for the
purpose, upon the float ball or lever at a little distance below the bottom
of the tube. On steam being let on the air is at once blown out, but 2
a little water soon collects and raising the float causes it to lift the
air valve just up to the bottom of the tube, whereupon the steam
acting on the under side at once closes the valve, and in lifting it up
to its seat raises it clear of the float or lever.. The lever rises high
enough to cause the closing of the air valve before it begins to open 3
the water outlet, but on the water continuing to collect in the vessel
the lever rises higher until it uncovers the outlet and allows the
water to escape. The air valve may be actuated by a separate float if
preferred.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st December 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SHANKS, of Barrhead,, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Sanitary
Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent,. bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did,. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Shanks, Her special licence that
I, the said John Shanks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Shanks,. my executors, administrators,,
and 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, exercise, and vend, within. the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DISCHARGING WATER AND AIR FROM STEAM PIPES AND APPARATUS," upon the
condition (amongst others). that I, the said John Shanks, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Shanks, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for one of its objects the contriving of improved
apparatus for discharging water from steam pipes and from apparatus
or vessels of any kind heated by steam in cases where water collects
from the condensation of the steam.

page_text: Another object of my said Invention is to provide for the escape of
air from steam pipes or apparatus whenever steam is freshly admitted
into them. Ordinarily when steam is admitted to cold steam pipes or
apparatus the air contained therein delays the heating effect of the
steam, whereas the desired action is much more quickly attained when
the air is easily and at once displaced as it is automatically in my

page_text: the air valve 14 falls open, and by admitting air prevents collapse, but
on steam being let on water soon collects and raising the float 10
causes it to lift the air valve 14 just up to the bottom of the tube 13,
whereupon the air being by that time all blown out the steam acting
on the under side of the valve at once closes it, and in lifting it up to its
scat raises it clear of the float or lever, The float 10 rises high enough
to cause the closing of the air valve 14 before it begins to open the
discharge valve 5, but on the water continuing to collect in the vessel 1
the float rises higher until it causes the valve 5 to uncover the outlet
port 4 and allows the water to escape. It is important to notice that
the air outlet 11 is made considerably larger than the inlet 2 from the
steam pipes or apparatus into the vessel 1, in consequence of which
the valve 14 does not close prematurely and imprison a quantity of
air, as happens with ordinary arrangements.
In the modification shown in section in Figure 2 the discharge
valve 5 is arranged in guides to work vertically, and is attached directly
to the stem 18 of the float 10 without the intervention of a lever. It
being found difficult in practice to prevent floats (10) from leaking and
gradually becoming filled with water, I have shown the float in this
example as made so that any water getting inside it will at once escape.
The stem 18 is made hollow and communicates with the outlet port 4
by a hole through the valve 5, whilst a second hole through the valvo
communicates by an inner tube 19 with the top of the float. With
this arrangement any water getting into the float 10 at once runs off
by the hollow stem 18 air to displace it entering by the tube 19. The
air valve 14 may be arranged as in the first modification as shown in
full lines, or it may be arranged independently of the float, either being
connected to a separate float or being entirely enclosed in a casing 20,
as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. In this case the spindle 17
below the valve is dispensed with, and the sides of the casing below the
part 13 are perforated with small holes, whilst the valve is sufficiently
smaller than the casing for the air to escape round it. When steam is
let on the valve 14 remains open until the air in the pipes and apparatus
has escaped, after which the rush of steam closes it.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but

page_text: that what I believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―.
1. The fitting of apparatus for discharging water from steam pipes
and apparatus with a slide valve or similar valve working over or across
the discharge port or ports and connected to a float as herein-before
described.
2. The making of the air valve or outlet of larger area than the
inlet (2), and the arranging of the air valve (14) so as to be lifted by a
float or otherwise into a tube (13) extending down from the valve seat,
as herein described and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shanks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN SHANKS. (L.S.)