Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
Sir WILLIAM VAVASOUR of No. 50 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London
Baronet, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Inside a steam tight box I attach an inverted hollow vessel, closed at the top and
open at the bottom side, preferably of thin copper, to an equilibrium valve or to a
cock in such a manner that the air or steam retained in the hollow vessel enables it
to float and open or close the valve or cock according to the height of the water or
liquid in the steam tight box, discharging only liquid, or the steam contained in the
liquid and not the steam or gaseous fluid contained in the steam tight box above
the liquid. When a valve is employed the inverted hollow vessel under which air
steam or gas is secreted is attached to the upper portion of the valve spindle, or the
airbell being guided by a spindle actuates the valve by means of a lever, one end
being attached to this spindle; an equilibrium valve is preferred. When however a
cock is substituted for the valve the hollow vessel is attached to the handle or lever
projecting from the cock, the weight of this lever is counter balanced by a weight
on the opposite side of the axis of the cock.
The action of the trap is as follows.
Air steam or gas being secreted under the hollow inverted vessel, it is rendered
sufficiently buoyant to rise & fall with the water or liquid in the trap, thereby
opening the valve or cock for the discharge of the liquid in the box when it rises to
a given height above the valve or cock opening, and closing when the liquid has
sunk to a given point, which however is not low enough to admit the air steam or
gas contained in the upper portion of the box to the valve or cock outlet.
1000

page_text: I, Sir WILLIAM VAVASOUR of No. 50 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London,
Baronet, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in steam traps or self-acting devices, for the
discharge of condensed water from steam engines, steam pipes, or other places, and
the said devices act by the variation in height of a hollow vessel or bell arranged
therein according to my said invention all as hereafter described.
The accompanying drawing shews a vertical sectional view of my improved
steam trap.
According to my invention I provide a steam tight box A, in the interior of
which there is a vertical shaft B free to slide in bearings A' A² which may be formed
one in the lid and the other in the box itself.
Onto the shaft I secure an inverted bell or hollow vessel B¹ which is open at the
bottom and may be made of thin copper, and to the shaft B of the vessel B¹ there
is pivotally fixed a lever C fulcrummed at C¹ to a bracket D carried by a portion of
the box A.
Pivotally fixed to the lever C is a valve rod C³ which carries a valve C³ preferably
of equilibrium type, and this valve governs an exit passage E from the box A.
When so desired a cock may be employed instead of the valve and may be operated
in substantially the same manner, although when a cock is substituted for the valve
I generally prefer to attach the bell or vessel B₁ to the handle or lever projecting
from the cock and the weight of this handle or lever is counterbalanced by a weight
on the opposite side of the axis of the cock.
The box A is or may be provided with two cocks, one marked F being a drain
cock, and the other G an air cock; H is the water inlet, and I is the baffle plate to
prevent the inflowing water disturbing the equilibrium of the bell B¹.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
When the trap has been out of use for some hours and allowed to cool down, the
air contained in the bell is liable to be absorbed by the water. I therefore prefer
when starting the trap, to open the two cocks F and G on the box, the lower one to
drain, and the other to admit air, the valve on the steam pipe being closed. When
completely drained I close the cocks F and G.
Air, steam, or gas being secreted under the hollow inverted vessel-B¹ it is rendered
sufficiently buoyant to rise with the water or liquid in the trap thereby opening the
valve or cock for the discharge of the liquid in the box, when it rises to a given
height above the valve or cock opening, and closing when the liquid has sunk to a
given point, which however is not low enough to admit the air, steam, or gas
contained in the upper portion of the box to the valve or cock outlet É.

page_text: Steam traps constructed according to my invention can be worked under pressure,
and where the traps are situated above the level of the water in the boiler, the
condensed water from steam pipes can be returned by gravity. It is certain in its
action being actuated by the rise and fall of the water the same as in the case of an
ordinary ball cock, but with this advantage, that as the pressure inside the bell is the
same as on the outside, there is no tendency for the air or steam to leak out or under
pressure to collapse the float.
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
1 claim is :-
First: In steam traps, the combination with the steam tight box A and parts
appertaining thereto; of the bell shaped hollow vessel B¹ and valves CC¹² C², C³,
substantially as set forth.
Second The general arrangement and combination of parts composing my
improved steam trap, essentially consisting of the box A, cocks F and Ġ, inlet and
outlet H, E, with the bell shaped vessel B₁ connected to valve or cock (3 all
substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.