Improvements in steam traps
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
I, AARON BRADSHAW, Griffin Works, Willows Lane, Accrington, Lancs, Engineer
and Brassfounder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in steam traps. These improvements relate to steam traps that work
through the expansion of volatile spirits contained in hermetically sealed vessels, and
are intended to make this class of steam trap more durable, sensitive and less costly
to repair.
These improvements are as follows, namely;
Into a suitably formed cast iron case having the usual inlet and outlet connections
I place a circular metallic expansion vessel having thin metallic concave shaped ends,
the said expansion vessel is held in position by means of a clip or hinged joint the
said hinged joint being secured to the aforesaid cast iron case by means of a stud upon
which the said hinged joint can turn thus allowing the aforesaid expansion vessel to
move freely endways.
Into one end of the aforesaid cast iron case I fit a hollow piston valve, the said valvo
having an enlarged head on one end, the said head being suitably formed so as to bed
against one of the aforesaid concave shaped ends of expansion vessel, under the
aforesaid head on piston valve I place a coil spring, one end of said spring resting
upon inside of aforesaid cast iron case, this spring causes piston valve to press upon
one end of expansion vessel the other end of expansion vessel rests upon the suitably
formed head of an adjustable spindle, the said spindle passes through a cover that is
bolted upon the aforesaid cast iron case, the object of the said spindle being to adjust
the aforesaid expansion vessel so that the steam trap may exactly suit the conditions
under which it as to work, the said spindle when adjusted being locked by means of an
ordinary lock nut, the aforesaid piston valve as its outer end so formed that it will with
a slight pressure make a tight joint on, woodite, vulcanite, or other suitable material,
the said woodite, etc., seating is secured to a metallic screw plug the said plug being
screwed into a suitably formed boss on outside of the aforesaid cast iron case, the said
boss as a cavity or chamber formed inside which is connected to the inlet branch of
steam trap, when the aforesaid screw plug is in position it makes a steam tight joint
over the aforesaid chamber in boss.
The action of this steam trap is as follows.
The coil spring aforesaid causes the outer end of piston valve to be removed from the
woodite, etc., seating inside aforesaid screw plug thus allowing the free exit for water
or air that may accumulate in the apparatus to be drained, the piston valve remaining
in aforesaid position so long as there is not sufficient heat passing through the steam
trap to evaporate the volatile spirits contained in expansion vessel aforesaid, but so
soon as the water has become sufficiently heated to evaporate the aforesaid volatile
spirits this is instantly done causing thin metallic concave ends of expansion
vessel to assume a convex form and causes one end of the expansion vessel to press
against the large head on piston valve thus compressing coil spring and pressing outer
end of piston valve against aforesaid woodite, etc., seating and closing it, thus stopping
the flow of steam or water untill the temperature of expansion vessel as been sufficiently
reduced to allow the aforesaid coil spring to withdraw piston valve from woodite, etc.,
seating thus allowing the water again to flow.
Date 01 Jan of Catatan 1906
AARON BRADSHAW.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Traps.
I, AARON BRADSHAW, of Griffin Works, Willows Lane, Accrington, Lancaster,
Engineer and Brassfounder do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
These improvements relate to steam traps that work through the expansion of volatile
spirits contained in hermetically sealed vessels and intended to make this class of steam
trap more durable, sensitive, and less costly to repair, these improvements are as follows
namely;
Into a suitably formed cast iron case having the usual inlet and outlet connections
I place a circular metallic expansion vessel having thin metallic concave shaped ends,
the said expansion vessel is held in position by means of a clip and link or hinged
joint the said hinged joint being secured to the aforesaid cast iron case by means of a
stud upon which the said hinged joint can turn thus allowing the aforesaid expansion
vessel to move freely end ways.
Into one end of the aforesaid cast iron case I fit a hollow piston valve the said valve
having an enlarged head on one end the said head being suitably formed so as to bed against
one of the aforesaid concave shaped ends of expansion vessel, under the aforesaid head on
piston valve I place a coil spring, one end of said spring resting upon inside of aforesaid
cast iron case, this spring causes piston valve to press upon one end of expansion vessel
the other end of expansion vessel rests upon the suitably formed head of an adjustable
spindle, the said spindle passes through a cover that is bolted upon the aforesaid cast
iron case, the object of the said spindle being to adjust the aforesaid expansion vessel
so that the steam trap may exactly suit the conditions under which it as to work, the
said spindle when adjusted being locked by means of an ordinary lock nut, the aforesaid
piston valve has its outer end so formed that it will with a slight pressure make a tight
joint on woodite, vulcanite, or other suitable material, the said woodite, etc., seating is
secured to a metallic screw plug, the said plug being screwed into a suitably formed
boss, on outside of the aforesaid cast iron case, the said boss has a cavity or chamber
formed inside, which is connected to the inlet branch of steam trap, when the aforesaid
screw plug is in position it makes a steam tight joint over the aforesaid chamber
in boss.
The action of this steam trap is as follows,
The coil spring aforesaid causes the outer end of piston valve to be removed from
the woodite, etc., seating inside aforesaid screw plug thus allowing the free exit for
water or air that may accumulate in the apparatus to be drained, the piston valve
remaining in aforesaid position so long as there is not sufficient heat passing through
steam trap to evaporate the volatile spirits contained in expansion vessel aforesaid, but
so soon as the water has become sufficiently heated to evaporate the aforesaid volatile
spirits this is instantly done causing thin metallic concave ends of expansion vessel to
assume a convex form and causes one end of the expansion vessel to press against the
large head on piston valve and so closes it against the woodite etc. seating; and at the
same time compresses the coil spring thus stopping the flow of steam or water untill
the temperature of expansion vessel as been sufficiently reduced to allow the aforesaid
coil spring to withdraw piston valve from woodite etc. seating and again to give a free
exit to air or water.
A full description of the expansion vessel employed in this steam trap will be found
in Patent Specification No. 11,632, and dated August Twenty-seventh 1887.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.

page_text: through centre of clip and link or hinged joint. 1. is cast iron case, 2. inlet and
outlet connections, 3. expansion vessel, 4. concave shaped ends, 5. and 6. clip and link
or hinged joint, and stud, 7. hollow piston valve, 8. enlarged head of same, 9. coil
spring, 10. head of adjustable spindle, 11. cover, 12. lock nut, 13. woodite, etc., seating,
14. metallic screw plug, 15. boss, 16. cavity in boss.
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 in
the manufacture of steam traps is
First. The clip and link or hinged joint, and stud 5 and 6.
Second. 1 claim in steam traps the hollow piston valve, 7. when operated by the
expansion vessel, 3. and coil spring, 9. as shewn and set forth and herein described.
Dated this 21st day of April 1897.
AARON BRADSHAW