Improvements in Steam Traps.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
I, WILLIAM Tом GOOLD, Manager of The Shillingford Works Co., Ld., of
Wallingford, Berkshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to steam traps and consists in improvements in that class of
traps which are known as "expansion traps" in which a pivotted lever is employed
one end of which serves as a stop or abutment for limiting the lift of the valve by
means of which condensed water is allowed to pass from the steam pipe to the outlet,
such an arrangement being included in the Specification of Patent No. 21571 dated
9th November 1894, granted to William Giepel.
The object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of steam traps of
this class by increasing the lift of which the valve is capable by utilizing the
movement due to the unequal expansion of the metals of which the trap is constructed
both for drawing the valve seat away from the valve and for acting upon the lever
which serves as a stop or abutment so as to move the latter in the reverse direction to,
and in proportion to, such inovement of the valve seat.
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For this purpose I connect the lever serving as a stop or abutment (either directly
or indirectly) to the tubes constituting the expansion arrangement and by which the
valve seat is drawn away from the valve, and in such a manner that the end of
the lever constituting the stop or abutment is moved in the opposite direction to
such valve seat.
In this arrangement if it is desired the spring acting upon the pivotted lever forming
the stop or abutinent may be dispensed with.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1896.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
I, WILLIAM TOм GOOLD, Manager of The Shillingford Works, Co., Ld., of
Wallingford, Berkshire, 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 automatic steam traps or apparatus designed for
automatically draining off the condensed water from steam pipes, steam cylinders
or jackets or other receptacles wherein the water of condensation may collect without
allowing steam to escape. My invention relates more particularly to that class of
steam traps wherein the valve through which the water escapes is connected with a
device which expands ani contracts or changes its form with the difference of
temperature to which it is subjected by the collected water and by the steam. Devices
Price 81

page_text: of this general character are already known. The object of my present invention is
to decrease the size of the apparatus and increase its certainty of action. Hitherto
the practice has been to connect one member of the valve to wit either the valve seat
or the valve stem alone with the expansible and contractible member which responds
to differences of temperature. The consequence has been that in order to attain the
desired certainty of action and sufficient clearance in the valve to ensure freedom from
clogging it has been necessary to make the apparatus of considerable size.
By my invention however, I am enabled to so far decrease the size that a trap
with the same capacity as heretofore secured may be produced with half the weight;
this I accomplish by putting both members of the valve under the control or
action of the expansible and contractible device by whose action the valve is
permitted or caused to open or close. For the purposes of illustrating my invention
I shall describe it as applied to that form of trap wherein a spring is used in connection
with the valve so as to permit it to yield when subjected to the closing action of the
expansible or contractible portion of the apparatus in order to prevent injury to it.
I shall also describe the invention as carried out in connection with that form of
apparatas wherein two tubes having different coefficients of expansion are employed
said tubes forming passages for the steam and water, and being properly fastened
together so that a torsional effect will be produced owing to their different expansion
and contraction.
My invention consists further in details of construction and combination of parts
more particularly hereinafter set forth and claimed.
The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying
my invention. H H indicate pipes through which the escaping water flows, H' being
the outlet and H the tube in which the water of condensation may collect. These
tubes are secured at one end in a frame A, and at the other end are connected in a
hend or coupling B which contains the valve indicated at A'. Pipe H may be of
brass or copper and pipe H' of iron so that when heated above normal a torsional
effect will be produced owing to their different coefficience of expansion which will
tend to move their free ends jointed in coupling B upward or in a direction to bring
the valve seat in said coupling against the valve and thereby close the outlet against
the escape of steam or water. When the temperature decreases owing to the collection
of water in tube H the free end moves in the opposite direction thereby permitting
the valve to become unseated by the pressure, it being previously held closed by the
action of a spring b which presses against one arm of a lever k, whose other arm rests
upon the valve stem a. The point at which the valve shall be relieved from the
pressure of said spring so that it shall not follow the valve seat but shall be opened by
the pressure is determined by a stop consisting of a nut on rod i, which passes
through the lever k. The nut g may be adjusted to determine the point at which the
valve shall be opened, and as soon as the water has been expelled by the action of the
steam pressure and steam begins to pass, the increased temperature causes the detorsional
effects which move the head B in a direction to close the valve.
Damage to the parts from excessive movement is prevented by the fact that the
valve may yield while being kept closed by the spring b. As thus far described the
apparatus is the same as that previously known. It is obvious that in this device
the clearance or extent of opening of the valve is determined by the movement which
can be given to the head B'by the torsional effects due to the changes of temperature,
and to get such movement in the required degree it has been necessary hitherto to
make the pipes H H of very considerable length. My improvement consists in
putting the valve a itself under control of the expansible and contractible portion of
the apparatus consisting in the present case of the tubes H H', so that in addition to
the movement of the head B which carries the valve seat the effect due to a
corresponding movement of the parts controlling the valve and valve stem in an
opposite direction inay be superadded thereto. This I accomplish in the form of trap
shown by connecting the rod i with the tubes so that as the latter moves to carry the
valve seat down, they will at the same time, by the nut g and lever k, move the part
which holds the valve stem down, in an opposite direction or upwards.

page_text: As will be obvious if the two arms of the lever k be properly proportioned that is to
say if the arm upon which the nut g bears is made the short arm of the lever the
clearance in the valve may be practically double or even more than double, with
the tubes H H' of the same length as heretofore employed. Or if desired the same
clearance as heretofore attained may be secured by using tubes of less length. The
rod i may be secured to the tubes so as to be moved thereby in any suitable way.
I prefer to simply mount it upon a block or head clamped to the upper tube as shown
the spring 6 being arranged to bear at one end upon said block or clamp in the same
way that it has hitherto had a bearing upon a fixed portion of the apparatus as for
instance the frame A.
I do not limit myself to the application of the devices in the manner before
described to traps wherein the water and steam circulate through two tubes of different
coefficients of expansion as it is obvious that instead of one of said tubes a fixed stay
or rod might be employed. I do not limit myself to the particular details of the
apparatus but claim broadly the combination with the outlet valve of suitable
mechanical connections with the expansible and contractible member of the apparatus
whereby the opening and closing of the trap may be effected under the control or
operation of said member in such way that a movement both of the valve stem and
valve seat shall be caused or permitted.
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 an automatic steam trap operating by differences of temperature as described
the combination with the expansible and contractible member of a valve the stem and
seat of which are both connected with said member as described so that both may
move or be permitted to move at the same time under the control or action of
said member.
2. In an automatic steam trap the combination substantially as described of an
outlet valve carried by a pipe through which the water escapes said pipe being adapted
to turn or twist under differences of temperature and a lever bearing at one end on
the valve stem and at its other upon a spring supported upon said tube or part moving
with it.
3. In an automatic steam trap a pair of tubes fixed at one end and having different
coefficients of expansion, a head or coupling in which said tubes are joined at the
opposite end, a valve in said coupling, a lever k bearing on the valve stem, a
spring band rod i connected with said tubes all arranged and operated as and for the
purpose set forth.
n 1911
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1. 1407
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.