Improvements in Steam-traps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
Improvements in Steam-traps.
I, ROBERT NEWTON, of 16 Diamond Street, in the City of Providence, in the
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of America,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in traps for discharging the water
condensed from the steam without allowing the steam to escape.
The objects of the invention are to increase the rapidity of action of the steam-
trap, to economize the amount of space required by the floating-chamber, to prevent.
the sticking of the valve, and to so construct the trap that the escape from the
floating-chamber may be adjusted with reference to the pressure of steam in the
system of pipes to which the trap is connected.
The invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of the various parts
and their combination to form a new and improved steam-trap.
The drawing represents a longitudinal sectional view of the improved steam-trap.
To overcome the usual defects in the construction of valves of this nature and to
prevent the sticking of the parts I construct my improved valve on the oscillating
principle and hold the same to its seat by a yielding connection by which all wear
is compensated and the valve may yield to any impurities that may enter between
it and its seat.
By the peculiar construction of the floating-chamber with its inlet and outlets,
both the vomit and that controlled by the adjustable-valve, I economize the space
required for the floating-chamber, the inlet and its valve are submerged and a more
perfect discharge of the water of condensation is effected, while the valve is
lubricated and the discharge of the water of condensation may be regulated in
accordance with the amount of pressure which it is proposed to carry in the system.
of pipes to which the steam-trap is connected.
In the drawing 4 indicates the tank, or receptacle, in which the water of
condensation is collected and in which the valve is operated, 5 indicates the cover
of the tank, 6 the inlet pipe connected with a system of pipes, and 7 the outlet ;
the water line being indicated by a broken line on a level with the outlet through
which the water escapes and by which the water level is maintained; the inlet.
pipe 6 extends through one side of the tank 4 and carries a flange, or shoulder, 61,
between which and the inner surface of the tank any suitable packing may be
placed.
The inner end of the inlet 6 is provided with the valve-chamber 8 having the
port 9 and the air-vent 10, this chamber has also a concave seat in which the
convex end 11 of the elbow 12 may oscillate, through the convex end of the elbow
is formed a port 13 which, when the lower end of the elbow is depressed, registers
with the port 9 of the valve-chamber and forms an open passage, when, however,
the lower end of the elbow is elevated, the port 9 is closed by the convex portion
adjoining the port 13.
The elbow 12 is provided at its upper end with trunnions which are supported in
bearings secured to the lower ends of rods 14, the upper ends of these rods are
connected together by a yoke 15, this yoke being forced upward by the coiled-
spring 16 so as to hold the convex portion of the elbow 12 in contact with the

page_text: concave seat of the valve-chamber, any suitable form of this spring-support may,
however, be used.
The lower end of the elbow 12 is connected by means of the pipe 17 with the
floating-chamber 18, this chamber is of cylindrical form and is braced internally by
two rings 19-19 being also furnished with the small hole 20 in its lower wall
through which water may slowly enter, 21 designates the discharge-pipe, or vomit,
22 being the weight for depressing the chamber.
Through the end of the chamber I secure the shank of the gate, or other
valve, 23, which is adapted to be adjusted to allow a more or less open passage
from the floating-chamber, depending on the pressure which it is intended to
maintain in the system of pipes to which the steam-trap is connected, the floating-
chamber 18 may also be provided with an additional outlet 24 and this may be
governed by an automatic valve, if desired, but I prefer to dispense with this
outlet 24 when the gated outlet 23 is used, as this outlet 23 in addition to the
vomit provides a very rapid escape for the water of condensation.
The purpose of the weight 22 is to steady the action of the floating-chamber 18,
in order to ensure the proper action of the weight, it is rendered adjustable upon
the chamber by means of bolts which work through elongated slots in the weight
and by which the weight is secured to the chamber.
The operation of the device is as follows:-
As the steam is condensed in the system of pipes to which the steam-trap
connected the water of condensation passes through the inlet 6, the valve-
chamber 8 and the elbow 12 into the chamber 18 which is then resting at the
bottom of the tank. As the steam follows the water into this chamber 18, it forces
the water of condensation out of the same through the vomit 21 and through the
adjustable-valve 23 which is adjusted in accordance with the amount of steam
pressure which it is desired to maintain in the system of pipes. As the water of
condensation is forced out of the chamber 18, as described, this chamber rises, or
floats, upward, and the outer end of the elbow 12 being secured to the chamber is
carried upward at the same time and the port 9 of the valve-chamber is closed by
the convex end of the elbow adjoining the port 13 and preventing the dry steam
from passing through the chamber18 and out of the vomit. The water of con-
densation being thus discharged and the escape of the steam being prevented by
the closing of the valve, it becomes necessary to again gradually depress the
chamber 18 and open the valve to again receive water condensed from the steam in
the pipes; this is accomplished by the still open valve 23 which being below the
water line allows the water in the tank to gradually enter the chamber 18 until
the buoyancy of the chamber is overcome and it sinks to the bottom of the tank
and operates the elbow to open a passage for the water of condensation in the
pipes, this operation being continued from time to time as the water of condensation
collects and the steam seeks an outlet.
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, a cylindrical floating-chamber provided with a gated outlet
pipe and connected by a tubular arm with a tubular elbow attached to the valve of
a submerged inlet.
2. In a valve for steam-traps, the combination with the valve-chamber 8 having
a concave valve-seat furnished with the port 9, of the elbow 12 having the convex
portion 11, furnished with the port 13, supported in trunnions and held against the
valve-seat by means of a spring or springs, as described.
3. The combination with the tank 4 having a cover 5 and outlet 7, of the inlet 6
having the flange 6' and valve-chamber 8 submerged below the water line, the
cylindrical-chamber 18 having the hole 20, the outlets 21 and 23, the pipe 17 and
the elbow 12, as described.

page_text: 4. The combination with the cylindrical-chamber and its connections with the
valve, of the gated outlet 23, the vomit 21 and the weight 22, as described.
Dated this 13th day of September A.D. 1893.
ROBERT NEWTON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.