IM- PROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A Low WATER AND PRESSURE ALARM FOR STEAM GENERATORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Royle, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A
Low WATER AND PRESSURE ALARM FOR STEAM GENERATORS."
Sealed the 21st August 1877, and dated the 28th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Royle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th February 1877.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A LOW WATER AND PRESSURE ALARM FOR STEAM
GENERATORS."
I form a double-valve chamber containing two valves, each provided with a
spindle passing through such chamber to the outside.. A length of tubing extends
from each extremity of the valve chamber, and about equal distances thereon, and
on each side of such valve chamber I form two bosses, one fast upon the tubing, and
the other free to slide thereon under the control of a suitable nut running upon a
screw thread formed upon the tube. These bosses are connected together by two
tension bars of a slightly bowed form, and which are arranged to operate the two
valves herein-before mentioned.
The inlet end of the steam trap is attached to the steam vessel or apparatus
requiring to be drained. Steam being turned on, all the air and water of condensa-
tion are first forced through the open valves until the steam following causes the
tubes to expand, and the bosses to diverge, so straightening the. tension bars and
closing the valves. When, however, owing to the accumulation of condensed water
the tubes cool, and in doing so contract, the valves are again opened to permit such
accumulated water to escape, and such valves só remain open until the steam in once
more passing through them causes the tubes again to lengthen, when the same
closing operation is repeated.
--
.

page_text: A modification of these tension rods, valve chamber, and tubes, may be employed
as a low water alarm for steam boilers. In this case the inlet end would be
situated below the working level of the water in the boiler, and the valves would
cominunicate (by preference) with two steam whistles. So long as the inlet end of
the tube remains under water, the tube is comparatively cool, but when the water in
the boiler sinks below the level of the inlet, the steam takes the place of the water,
the tube expands, drawing in the tension rod, and pushing open the whistles, so
sounding the alarm.
By the application of a safety valve the same apparatus is rendered suitable as an
alarm for high steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John James Royle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
August 1877.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE, of 71, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE AS A LOW WATER AND PRESSURE ALARM FOR STEAM
GENERATORS."
I form a double valve chamber containing two valves, each provided with a
spindle passing through such chamber to the outside. A length of tubing extends
from each extremity of the valve chamber, and about equal distances thereon, and on
each side of such valve chamber I form two bosses, one fast upon the tubing, and
the other free to slide thereon, under the control of a suitable nut running upon a
screw thread formed upon the tube. These bosses are connected together by two
tension bars of a slightly bowed form, and which are arranged to operate the
two valves herein-before mentioned.
The inlet end of the steam trap is attached to the steam vessel or apparatus
requiring to be drained. Steam being turned on, all the air and water of condensa-
tion are first forced through the open valves until the steam following causes the
tubes to expand, and the bosses to diverge, so straightening the tension bars, and
closing the valves. When, however, owing to the accumulation of condensed water
the tubes cool, and in doing so contract the valves, are again opened to permit
such accumulated water to escape, and such valves so remain open until the steam in
once more passing through them causes the tubes again to lengthen, when the same
closing operation is repeated.
A modification of these tension rods, valve chamber, and tubes, may be employed
as a low water alarm for steam boilers. In this case the inlet end would be
situated below the working level of the water in the boiler, and the valves would
communicate (by preference) with two steam whistles. So long as the inlet end of
the tube remains under water, the tube is comparatively cool, but when the water
in the boiler sinks below the level of the inlet, the steam takes the place of the
water, the tube expands, drawing in the tension rods, and pushing open the whistles,
so sounding the alarm.
By the application of a safety valve, the same apparatus is rendered suitable as an
alarm for high steam.
An in order that this my said Invention may be more readily understood, and
carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed 3 Sheets of Drawings illus-
trative of the same. Similar letters marked on the several views on each Sheet
being used to denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a front exterior view; Fig. 2, a side view; and Fig. 3, a partial section
of my improved expansion steam trap.
Fig. 4 is a front view, Fig. 5 a side view, and Fig. 6 a sectional view of a modi-
fication of the same.

page_text: Fig. 7 is a front exterior view; Fig. 8, a side view shewing the application of my
improvements in the construction of a low water alarm for steam generators. All
the views are drawn about full size.
.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 A is the double valve chamber containing two valves B and
B¹, provided with spindles C and C¹, passing through to the outside of the valvė
chamber. In action these valves close down upon their respective seatings B2 and
B³. D and D¹ are the tubes extending from the valve chamber A, and herein-after
called the inlet and outlet pipes respectively. E and E' are the bosses of which E'
is fixed in position upon the tube D' by the two lock nuts D2, D3. The other boss
E is free to slide upon the tube D under the control of the adjusting nut or wheel F,
which runs upon the screw thread G formed upon the tube D. A portion of the
screw thread formed upon each pipe extends through and beyond the bosses, as
illustrated for making the usual connections. Two tension bars or strips of metal
Hand H, preferably of steel, and of a slightly bowed formed, as illustrated, are
cast in the bosses, as seen by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 and 2, or they may be
connected to such bosses in any other suitable manner, but I prefer to cast them in.
It will be seen that the tension bars H and H¹ bear upon the ends of the valve
spindle C and C¹, their functions being to close the valves B and B¹, as herein-after
explained. The inlet pipe D is connected in the usual way to the steam pipe or
other apparatus requiring to be drained of air and condensed water, and the outlet
pipe D may be left open or be connected to a length of pipe communicating with
the drain or other outlet for waste water. The adjusting nut or wheel F should be
slackened sufficiently to allow the valves to open to their widest extent, as seen in
Fig. 3, when the steam trap will be ready for action. Steam being now admitted
into the steam-pipe or apparatus herein-before mentioned, the cold air and water
contained within the saine will enter the inlet pipe D, and flow freely past the now
open valves, escaping therefrom through the outlet pipe D¹; but as soon as the steam
arrives, the expansion of the inlet and outlet pipes D and D¹, and also of the valve
chamber A, causes the bosses E and E¹ to separate further from each other, at the
same time straightening the tension bars H and H¹ to such an extent as to force
the valves B and B¹ to their respective seatings, and so closing the thoroughfare
through the steam trap. Upon first fixing the steam trap, the adjusting wheel F
should be set so as to cause the tension bars H and H just to close the valves when
the steam has arrived. Any condensed water which may flow into the trap will.
then be discharged self-actingly.
The condensed water running into the inlet pipe D being of a lower temperature
than the steam, causes such tube to shorten slightly by contraction; this allows the
bosses E and E¹ to approach each other to the same extent, and by virtue of the
peculiar arrangement of the tension rods this movement is transferred to the valves
only in a highly increased ratio, and as a consequence the trap is extremely sensative,
the slightest contraction of the pipes D and D¹ causing a considerable movement
of the valves. The nearer the tension bars H and H¹ are to being parallel with the -
centre line of the valve box and pipes, the more sensative will the steam trap be in
action, and the greater the movement given to the valves B aud B¹; I find the
amount of bow given to the tension rods in the Drawing gives good practical
results.
In Fig. 2 I shew a modification of the valve box illustrating how how one valve
may be used in place of the double valve herein-before explained. In this case one of
the tension bars would rest against the solid cap I, and the whole movement of the
tension bars would thus be transferred through the spindle J to the valve K. The
adjusting wheel or nut F bears against the boss E through a ball surface F¹, and
so permits all the movement to be transferred to the single valve. In practice I
find it advisable to use this arrangement or equivalent means (as will be herein-after
explained), even when using two valves, so as to allow the valves to accomodate each
other should one close slightly before the other.
-In Figs. 4, 5, and 6, I represent a modification of my Invention; which possesses

page_text: several advantages over the last-mentioned modification; the construction is sub-
stantially and the action precisely as in the last-described arrangement. The two
tubes F and F however do not pass through the bosses D and D₁, but are provided
with branch pipes K and L, which form the inlet and outlet respectively. The set
screw E constitutes the means of adjustment, the point of the set screw working
in a countersunk recess formed in the closed end of the tube F. The opposite end
bears against the boss D¹ through a V centre M. In this modification, after the trap
is fixed, the bosses D and D¹ and tension rods D2, forming what may be termed the
"bracing frame," may be removed at any time by simply slackening the set screw E,
and drawing it off, leaving the trap as in Figure 6. The valves are thus very accessible
for cleaning or examination without disconnecting any joints. In this as well as in
the last modification I sometimes apply a spiral spring to the valve spindles to
ensure the valves opening.
In Fig. 7 and 8, which shew the application of my improvements in the con-
struction of a low water alarm for steam generators, I employ the arrangement of
bracing frame and bosses as described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The central
tube L communicates with the water space of the boiler M at or about the danger
level through the branch pipe N; O is a steam whistle provided with a valve P (see
section Fig. 8a), and communicating with the steam space of the boiler through the
passage Q.
The construction of the valve box, seen in Fig. 8ª, is somewhat similar to that
described in reference to Fig. 2a, but the valve in this case opens inwards. The
tension bars R bear upon the valve P through the spindle S, an extension piece S¹
being formed upon each tension bar for this purpose (seen best in Fig. 8). So long
as the inlet to the central tube L remains covered by the water in the boiler, such
tube is filled with comparatively cool water; but should the water fall below the
proper working level and expose the inlet to the branch pipe N, the steam takes
the place of the water, heating and consequently expanding the central tube L,
causing the tension bars to push open the valve P, and so sound the whistle O. As
the water rises in the boiler and the branch pipe N again becomes submerged, the
tube L fills again with water, gradually cools, the tension bars resume their original
position, and the whistling ceases until the water once more becomes dangerously
low.
.
I sometimes employ a tube T within the main tube, open at the top within the
ball U; and communicating at its lower end with the test cock V. By opening this
test cock at any time the attendant may draw off the cool water from the top, its
place being supplied with hot from the boiler, and he may thus test at any time
wether wether the apparatus is in proper working condition. By employing an escape
valve instead of the cock V, weighted to the working pressure of the boiler, it will
be obvious that this displacing of the cool water would take place whenever
the working pressure was exceeded, and so give a sonorous indication of over
pressure.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the
several parts of the apparatus herein-before described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawings, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Invention, nor do I claim the expansion and contraction of a metallic tube
for operating a valve or valves for the purposes herein-before mentioned, but what I
do claim is,-
1st. As applied to the construction of an expansion steam trap the use of the
tension rods constituting an "adjustable bracing frame" for operating one or more
valves, substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing or
any mere modification of the same.
2nd. The use of the bracing frame in the construction of a low water and high

page_text: steam alarm, and the means described for testing the same, as described and illus-
trated on the accompanying Drawing, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Royle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 27th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1877.
JOHN JAMES ROYLE. (L.S.)