An Improved Automatic Drip Cock for the Cylinders of Steam Engines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Drip Cock for the Cylinders of Steam
Engines.
I, JOHN ALBERT WRIGHT of North Avenue, Wilkinsburg, County Allegheny,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
The drip cock of this invention comprises a sleeve having at its upper end a
recess forming a valve chamber. Within the sleeve is fitted a sliding valve stem
having at its upper end an enlargement forming the valve body which works in
the valve chamber. The lower end of the valve stem projects downwards out
of the sleeve and said lower end is provided with a slot in which engages a bar
which when the engine is at rest is normally drawn upwards by a spring con-
nection so as to keep the valve open and allow any water of condensation to pass
past the valve and through an outlet in the sleeve. When the engine is working
the steam pressure keeps the valve closed against the resistance of the spring.
The upward stroke of the valve may be limited by means of a set screw taking
through a lug at the bottom of the valve sleeve and against the spring bar.
Two cocks one for each end of the cylinder may be operated by one bar and one.
spring connection.
Dated this 11th day of March 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
An Improved Automatic Drip Cock for the Cylinders of Steam
Engines.
I, JOHN ALBERT WRIGHT of North Avenue, Wilkinsburg, County Allegheny,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 automatic drip or blow through cocks
for the cylinders of steam engines for discharging the water of condensation.
In the ordinary cylinder drip or blow through cocks of steam engines, especially
locomotive engines, it frequently happens through forgetfulness or carelessness
that the engineer neglects to open the cocks in starting the engine to allow the
water of condensation to escape, which tends to impair the efficiency of the engine
and to cause accidents. Again in winter when the engine is not in use and the
drip or blow through cocks are closed, it frequently happens that the water of
condensation freezes so that in starting the engine the joints and cylinder heads
are liable to be blown out.
The object of the invention is to obviate the above and other objections and
to provide a drip cock for each end of a steam engine cylinder, as usual, having

page_text: automatic valves which are alternately opened and closed at each stroke of the
piston by the steam pressure in the cylinder, the cock at one enl being opens!
while the cylinder is exhausting at that end and the other cock closed an-1
vice versa. The construction is also such that when the engine is at rest or
inactive both valves will be open, so that the cylinder will be drained of the
water of condensation at both sides of the piston.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of two connectel drip.
cocks constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a central transverse
section of same on line x-x of Fig. 1 looking in direction of the arrows. Figs. 3, 4,
and 5, are respectively a plan, a side elevation, and a central longitu linal section
of the valve and valve rod.
1 designates two vertical drip cocks screw threaded at the upper ends to engag
with the boss 2 of the steam cylinder, one of said cocks being provided at each en
thereof. Each of the cocks is formed with a cylindrical bore 3, in which works a
vertically reciprocating valve rod 4 formed at its upper end with a valve 5. This
valve works in a valve chamber 6 in the upper end of the cock provided with a
seat 7. Connected with this valve chamber is an outlet 8. Connected with the
lower ends of the valve rods is a lever 9 pivotted at its center to an adjustable
screw threaded hanger 10 passing through a hole in a bar 14. A coil spring 11
presses upwardly against the nut 13 on the hanger, tending to raise the bar 9
by which means when the engine is not in motion the valves 5 at upper ends of
rods 4 are raised from the seat 7 to any required height, regulated by the set
screws 12 secured to the lower ends of the dip cock. The lower ends of the valve
rods 4 are provided with longitudinal rectangular slots 15 to receive the ends of
the bar 9. Said slots are so formed as to permit of a slight vertical rocking of
lever 9.
The operation is as follows :-When the engine is at rest the coiled spring 11
causes the valve rods to be elevated and the valves to be raised from their seats so
that any water of condensation in the cylinders will escape through the outlets 8
thus rendering accidents consequent upon accumulation of water in the cylinders
impossible. When the engine is started, the steam upon the pressure side of the
cylinders will depress the valve at this end, closing the same, and through the
medium of the lever will open the valve at the opposite or exhaust side, allowing
any water and a portion of the steam therein to escape. This operation will be
repeated at each stroke of the piston, the valves being alternately opened and
closed.
By means of the set screws 12 the vertical movement of end of lever connecting
the valve rods can be adjusted vertically so as to vary the stroke of the valves.
The device can be applied to the ordinary cylinders now in use without any
alterations being made thereto it being simply necessary to remove the usual
drip cocks connected therewith and replace them with the cocks described herein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a drip or blow through device for steam engines, the combination with
the drip cocks having cylindrical bores, the valve chambers at the upper ends,
the valve seats and the outlets just below the valve seats, of the vertically
reciprocating valve rods working in said bores provided with valves at their upper
ends, and with slots at their lower ends, the lever passing through said slots,
the hanger to which said lever is pivotted at its center and the connecting bar
to which the lever is secured, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a drip or blow through device for steam engines, the combination with
the drip cocks having cylindrical bores and valve chambers and valve sonts at
the upper ends thereof, and an outlet below the valve seats, of the vertically
reciprocating valve rods, the slots in their lower ends, the rod connecting said
cocks, the hanger passing through said slots, the lever pivotted to said hunger

page_text: and its ends passing through the slots in the lower ends of the valve rods, the
coiled spring bearing against the nut and connecting rod and the set screws to
adjust the stroke of valves, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a drip or blow through device for steam engines, the combination with
the drip cocks having cylindrical bores and a valve chamber and valve seat at
the upper ends thereof and an outlet below the valve seats, and the vertically
reciprocating valve rods provided with valves, of the rod connecting said cocks,
and with rectangular slots in their lower ends, the rod connecting the cocks, the
vertically adjustable hanger passing through a hole in the same, the coiled spring
tending to raise the same by pressing against a nut on its end, the lever pivotted
to lower end of said hanger, its ends passing through the slots in the valve rods
and the set screws at lower end of cocks for regulating valve stroke, substantially
as described and shewn.
Dated this 17th day of October 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.