Improvements in Steam Traps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
I, WILLIAM WATSON of Manningham Mills, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to automatically remove collected water from steam
pipes or vessels without permitting live steam to escape when so doing.
1 control the letting off of the collected water by a cock which when a sufficient
quantity of water has collected is caused to open by the weight of the collected water
and to remain open until the greater part of this water has passed away.
The water I cause to be collected in a small closed tank carried by one arm of a
lever the opposite arm of which carries a balance weight. The fulcrum of the lever is
the plug of a cock. The plug of the cock is fixed whilst the lever arms are made to
project from the outer shell which is free to turn around the plug.
The plug has two ports at one of its sides, one port opens into a passage formed
through one end of this plug and the other opens into a passage formed through the
other end. One end of the plug is coupled to the bottom of the steam pipe or
chamber from which collected water is to be drawn off-the other end serves as the
outlet for water collected in the tank. At one side of the shell of the cock are also
two ports one opposite to one port in the plug the other opposite to the other.
The arm which carries the closed tank has two passages formed through it leading
from these two ports to the bottom of the tank. The port by which water or steam
port so that there is
can enter into the tank is made wider than the water escape the tank is empty or
always a free passage from the steam pipe to the tank.
nearly so the balance weight turns the lever and lifts the empty tank at the same time
closing the water escape port. Water gradually collects in the tank and when a
sufficient quantity has collected the weight of the tank and water collected in it
overbalances the weight on the opposite end of the lever and the lever is turned in
such a direction as to open the water escape port and permit the collected water to
pass out from the tank-the pressure of steam always acting upon the surface of the
water in the tank and forcing the water out so soon as the outlet is opened the water
so forced out may either be allowed to pass to a drain or to a reservoir to be pumped
back to the boilers.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
1, WILLIAM WATSON of Manningham Mills, Bradford, in the County of York,
Engineer, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object to automatically remove collected water from steam
pipes or vessels without permitting live steam to escape when so doing.
I control the letting off of the collected water by a valve or cock, preferably I use a
plug cock which when a sufficient quantity of water has collected is caused to open by
the weight of the collected water and to remain open until the greater part of this
water has passed away.
The water I cause to be collected in a small closed tank carried by one arm of a
lever the opposite arm of which carries a balance weight..

page_text: The fulcrum of the lever is the plug of the cock. Steam can at all times enter the
tank through a passage in the arm by which the tank is carried and water can escape
from the tank through another passage formed through the arin and pass away
through the cock whenever the cock is opened to permit it to do so.
When the tank is empty or nearly so it is kept by the action of the balance weight
in a raised position and when the tank is in this position the water escape port of the
cock is closed.
Water gradually collects in the tank and when a sufficient quantity has collected
the weight of the tank and water collected in it overbalances the weight on the
opposite end of the lever and the lever is turned in such a direction as to open the
water escape port of the cock and permit the collected water to pass out from
the tank the pressure of steam always acting upon the surface of the water in
the tank and forcing the water out so soon as the outlet is opened the water so
forced out may either be allowed to pass to a drain or to a reservoir to be pumped
back to the boilers.
In the drawings annexed I have shown two examples of steain traps constructed to
act in the manner above described. In the steam trap shewn at Figures 1 and 2
the tank and balance weight are carried by the shell of the cock which is free to
turn around a fixed plug. In the trap shewn at Figures 6, 7 and 8 the tank and
balance weight are carried by the plug of the cock and the shell is fixed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan, Figures 3 are separate views of
the arm by which the tank is carried-Figures 4 are separate views of the plug of the
cock and Figures 5 separate views of the shell of the cock.
A is the closed tank, B the arm by which it is secured to one side of the shell C of
the cock. D) is the counterbalance weight carried by an arm E secured to the
opposite side of the shell. F is the plug of the cock carried in a fixed horizontal
position by a stand G. It has passing into it a passage for steam from the end F¹
and a water outlet passage from the end F. Through one side of the cock is also a
port F3 opening into the steam passage F¹ and a port F into the water outlet
passage F2.
Some portion of the steam port F³ is always opposite to a passage B¹
which is formed through the arm B to the tank. The port F is opposite to another
passage B² formed through the arın whenever the tank is in its lowest position and is
not opposite to it when the tank is in its highest position.
Water therefore can only escape from the tank when the tank is down and not
when the tank is up.
As both the tank and counterbalance are above the centre on which the lever that
carries them rocks the lever must always rock into one or other of its two extreme
positions Because whichever is uppermost must when it commences to overbalance
the lower one act with increasing effect as the lever brings it nearer and nearer to the
horizonal plane which passes through the centre of the lever's axis.
In the modification shown at Figures 6, 7 and 8 Figure 6 is a plan Figure 7 a
section through the line A A Figure 6 and Figure 8 a front view part in section on
the line B B-The tank and counterbalance weight are both omitted from these
figures.
A is a spindle turning in fixed bearings-it has two arms B (extending sidewise
from it in opposite directions-the arm B is for carrying the tank and the arm C the
counterbalance weight.
In the spindle are two passages one D entering at the end A¹ and passing out
through the end of the arm B the other marked E and passing from the arm B to the
opposite end of the spindle.
This end of the spindle has secured to it the hollow plug F of a cock-this plug
turns within a fixed shell G which has an outlet G' passing from it.
When the tank is down the cock is open as shewn at Figure 8 and water can pass
from the tank, along the passage E and escape through the outlet G¹ the tank being
at all times open to the steam pipe the water will be forced out from the tank so
soon as the cock is opened.. When the tank is up the plug of the cock will have

page_text: been turned into its closed position and all escape of steam or water will be
prevented until by the gradual filling of the tank with water the tank overcomes the
counterbalance weight and again descends to its lowest position.
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. The construction of a steam trap in such manner that the letting off of condensed
water is controlled by a tap which when sufficient water has collected is opened by
the weight of the water and which is again closed by the action of a counterbalance
weight when the collected water has been discharged.
2. The construction of steam traps substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1890.
WM. WATSON.