IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE OF CONDENSED STEAM
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Alfred Pontifex, of Shoe Lane, in the City
of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS
OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE OF CONDENSED STEAM."
Sealed the 10th February 1868, and dated the 29th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th August 1862.
I, EDMUND ALFRED PONTIFEX, of Shoe Lane, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM TRAPS OE APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE OF CONDENSED STEAM,"
to be as follows:-
the
escape
My Invention of improvements in steam traps or apparatus for facilitating
of condensed steam, is applicable to any kind of steam apparatus
or machinery from which it may be desirable to draw off or remove water
produced by the condensation of the steam. Instead of trapping the steam
by means of a valve attached to a float as is now the case, and which is
exceedingly liable to stick and get out of order, the steam and water are

page_text: allowed to enter a vibrating rocking or moveable vessel or chamber which is
properly balanced, and is provided with valves or openings which are opened
and closed as the vessel rises and falls. When the balanced vessel has received
a given weight of water from the condensation of the steam, it will be carried
down by this weight, and in so doing will open a valve at the bottom of the
vessel and allow the water to run out. The vessel thereby lightened will
then be raised up by the counterbalance weights, and will close the exit
openings or valves until more water or condensed steam accumulates in the
vessel, when the latter will descend again. A variety of mechanical arrange-
ments may be devised for effecting the object of the Invention, but they will
all be constructed on the principle of causing the weight of the water or
condensed steam in the suspended or balanced vessel to overcome the
counterbalance weight, and by carrying down the vessel to open a valve or
valves or exit passage. For instance the vessel may be suspended vertically by
chains or cords passed over pullies and counterbalanced by suitable weights
attached to the other ends of the chains, or the vessel may be placed
horizontally on a hollow axis, through which the steam is admitted and the
water or condensed steam is allowed to escape when the vessel is depressed by
the weight of the water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
ALFRED PONTIFEX, of Shoe Lane, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edmund Alfred Pontifex, Her special license, that I, the said Edmund
Alfred Pontifex, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex, 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM TRAPS OR APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ESCAPE
OF CONDENSED STEAM," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said
Edmund Alfred Pontifex, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Edmund Alfred Pontifex, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Steam Traps or Apparatus for Facilitating
the Escape of Condensed Steam" is applicable to any kind of steam apparatus or
machinery from which it may be desirable to draw off or remove water
produced by the condensation of the steam. Instead of trapping the steam
by means of a valve attached to a float as is now usually the case, and which
float is exceedingly liable to stick and get out of order, the steam and water
are allowed to enter a reciprocating rocking or moveable vessel or chamber
which is properly balanced and is provided with valves or openings which are
opened and closed as the vessel rises and falls. When the balanced vessel
has received a given weight of water from the condensation of the steam, it
will be carried down by its weight, and in so doing will uncover or open a
valve at the bottom of the vessel and allow the water to run out. The vessel
thereby lightened will then be raised up again by the counterbalance weights
to its original position, and will close the exit openings or valves until more
water or condensed steam accumulates in the vessel, when the latter will
descend again and allow the water to run out.
A variety of mechanical arrangements may be devised for effecting the object
of the Invention, but they will all be constructed on the principle of causing the
weight of the water or condensed steam in the suspended or balanced vessel
to overcome the counterbalance weight, and by carrying down the vessel to
open or uncover a valve or valves or exit passages. For instance, the
vessel may be suspended vertically by chains or cords passed over pullies
and counterbalanced by suitable weights attached to the other end of the
chains.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn two views of the arrangement

page_text: of apparatus I prefer to employ for the purposes of my Invention. Fig. 1
is a vertical section of one form of the improved condense boxes. With this
arrangement no external case is necessary for the proper working of the
apparatus, but as there would necessarily be some slight escape of steam
an external case or covering may be used with advantage as shewn in
Fig. 2.
A is the balanced vessel, which is bored out truly so as to form a moderately
steam tight joint, and to enable the vessel or box A to slide with facility up
and down on the inlet pipe B, which is screwed or otherwise rigidly secured
to the plate C. This pipe B is stopped at D, and has outlet passages E, E,
opposite each other so as to neutralize the friction, and to admit the water
and steam into the balanced vessel A, which is free to slide on the pipe B.
F, F, are outlet ports or passages made opposite to each other near the
lower end of the pipe B. In Fig. 2, G is a waste pipe for emptying the
casing which encloses the balanced vessel A. H, H, are balance weights
hooked on to the ends of the chains I, which pass over the pullies J, J, and
support the vessel A. The water and steam enter the apparatus down the
pipe B and pass through the ports E, E, into the balanced vessel A. As the
water accumulates therein its weight counterbalances the weights H, and
ultimately overcomes them and causes the vessel to slide down the pipe B,
and allow the contents of the balanced vessel A to have access to the outlet
passages F, through which the water escapes from the vessel A and runs off
by the waste pipe G.
Another form of apparatus and mode of arranging the condensed steam
box A is to balance this latter horizontally on a fixed hollow axis, through one
end of which the water and steam are allowed to enter. When the equilibrium
on the weight of the parts is destroyed, the condensed steam box will oscillate
on the hollow axis, and the water or condensed steam will pass out through
an opening which the oscillation of the vessel will have uncovered on the
other end of the axis; I prefer however to use the form of apparatus first
described and shewn in the Drawing.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Steam Traps
or Apparatus for Facilitating the Escape of Condensed Steam," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Inven-
tion secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, arranging the several
parts of the apparatus in such a manner that the weight of the accumulated
water or condensed steam will depress the vessel which contains it, and by
this means uncover an opening or open a valve through which the water may

page_text: escape. The vessel being so balanced that when emptied it will resume its
original position and close the escape valve or opening.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Alfred Pontifex, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
HENRY MARSHALL,
Farringdon Works,
Shoe Lane.
EDMUND A. PONTIFEX. (L.S.)