Improvements in or relating to steam Traps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July; 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 6th July, 1895
Improvements in or relating to steam Traps.
We, WILLIAM SHORE and GEORGE EDWARD COUPE, both of Shelton, Hanley
in the County of Stafford, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or, in connection with steam traps
employed in returning the water of condensation, from pipes vessels or the like in
which steam is used, back again to the steam generator and the object of the
invention is to provide a steam trap or a combination of two steam traps to effect
the object in view.
In carrying out our invention in connection with situations where there is
sufficient pressure in the "tail" pipe, or pipes to be drained of the water of
condensation, to elevate the hot water to the top of the steam generator, we place
the trap on the top of the boiler. The hot water is forced into the trap through a
pipe provided with a back pressure valve, the latter being employed to prevent
steam being forced back to the tail pipes. Inside the trap casing is a ball fixed on
the end of a lever pivoted to a stud fixed on the casing. The other end of the
lever carries a pin which engages with a slot formed in a link which connects
together two other levers, one of which is straight whilst the other is of bell-crank
form. The link and levers just referred to form or resemble a toggle" joint.
The free end of the bell crank lever engages with a piston or other form of valve
provided with a suitable casing and moves it to and fro as the water in the trap
casing rises or falls. The piston valve is provided with suitable ports for admitting
and emitting steam and air whilst the trap casing is provided with a suitable outlet
to enable the water of condensation to be returned to the boiler.
66
When in operation the trap works as follows :-On water being admitted to the
trap from the tail pipes it lifts the ball and the pin in the opposite end of the lever
engages with the lower end of the slot in the link referred to when the ball has been
raised a certain distance. The link is pulled downwards and with it the two levers
forming the other elements of the toggle until the three centres of the levers are in
the same straight line or a little beyond. When this occurs a spring on one of the
levers causes the levers to bend in the opposite direction and forces them suddenly
or quickly to the extent of their travel. The free end of the bell crank lever at
this time forces the piston or other valve into another position and opening the trap
to steam from the boiler. The trap now begins to empty its water through the
outlet to the boiler and the reverse action of the parts referred to takes place.
In cases or situations where there is not sufficient pressure in the tail pipes the
arrangement of trap referred to is used as a lifter and is placed at the lowest point
at which the water of condensation collects. From this trap the water is forced to a
second trap through a pipe. The second trap is fixed on the top of the boiler or in
close proximity thereto and communicates with the Boiler through its outlet pipe
which is provided with a back pressure valve. On the top of the trap is an inlet
and exhaust valve containing two pistons of unequal area. These pistons are
connected together and carry or support between them a small slide valve. The
space between the two pistons is supplied with steam from the boiler by suitable
means. One end of the piston is open to the atmosphere and one side of the piston
is open to a chamber which is supplied with steam from the first trap. In one

page_text: position of the piston valves the first trap is open to steam and the water in it is
being forced out and into the second trap, the steam and air in the latter being
forced out through the port or ports of the valve which open to the atmosphere.
When the first trap has become empty and the valves have been forced in another
direction the first trap is open to the atmosphere. So also is the chamber behind
the piston valve. The steam which is in the chamber between the pistons will now
force the latter to the right and with them the small slide valve, thus closing the
second trap to the atmosphere and admitting steam through the same port. The
water from the second trap will now be forced into the boiler through the outlet
pipe. When the first trap is full of water and steam admitted to it the latter will
act on one of the piston valves through the pipe connection and force it towards
the left.
The details of the various parts of the invention may be departed from without
affecting the general features of the invention and the various pipes may be
provided with suitable valves to control the steam or liquid passing through them.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
Per pro EMMOTT & CO., LIMITED,
ROBERT WOOD, Secretary,
New Bridge Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants
improvements in or relating
We, WILLIAM SHORE and GEORGE EDWARD COUPE, both of Shelton, Hanley
in the County of Stafford, Engineers 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 relates to improvements in or in connection with steam traps
employed in returning the water of condensation from pipes, vessels or the like in
which steam is used, buck again to the steam generator; and the object of the
invention is to provide a steam trap or a combination of two stenm traps to effect
the object in view.
In order that our invention may be thoroughly understood we have appended
hereunto a sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of two traps sufficient to explain cach singly and
in combination and
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the lower trap.
In carrying out our invention in connection with situations where there is
sufficient pressure in the tail pipes to be drained of the water of condensation,
to elevate the hot water to the top of the boiler or steam generator, we place the
trap R shown at the lower portion of Fig. 1 on the top of the boiler. The hot
water from the tail pipes is forced into the trap R through the pipe N which is
provided with an ordinary back pressure valve, the latter being employed to prevent.
steam being forced back to the tail pipes. Inside the trap casing R is a ball
float P fixed on the end of a lever p pivoted to a stud M fixed to the casing. The
other end of the lever carries a pin J which engages with a slot formed in a link K
which connects together two other levers E and H one of which (H) is straight,
whilst the other (E) is formed like a bell-crank. The link and levers combined
form or resemble a toggle joint. The free end of the bell-crank lever E-which is
pivoted on a stud F-engages with a piston or other form of valve Q provided
with and working in a suitable casing y and moves it to and fro as the water in the
trap casing rises or falls. The piston valve is provided with suitable ports for
adinitting and emitting steam and air. The valve is hollow and provided with an

page_text: annular chamber B and ports for admission of steam at A and D and with exhaust
ports at d and s. The casing is provided with a suitable outlet O to enable the
water of condensation to be returned to the boiler.
When in operation the trap R works as follows:-On water being admitted to
the trap from the tail pipes it lifts the ball P and the pin J in the lever p engages
with the end of the slot in the link K when the ball has been raised a certain
distance. The link K is pulled downwards and with it the levers E and H until
the centres of the three levers are in the same straight line or a little beyond.
When this occurs a spring on one of the levers (H) causes the levers to bend in
the opposite direction, forcing them suddenly or quickly to the full extent of their
travel which is determined by stops L. The free end of the bell-crank lever E at
this time moves the valve Q-whose ports in the position shown on the drawing are
open to exhaust-into its left position and so opening the steam ports A and D to
admit steam from the boiler to the trap. The trap now begins to empty its water
through the outlet pipe to the boiler owing to the pressure of the incoming
steam. When the water has been forced out, the ball float P falls to the first
position the spring acting in the same manner as before, only in the opposite
direction, to move the levers and force the valve Q back to its first position also-
when exhaust again takes place.
In situations where there is not sufficient pressure in the tail pipes to lift the
water to the boiler the trap R is used as a lifter and combined with a second trap I
as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. In this case the trap R is placed at the
lowest point at which tail water collects so that all the water of condensation
running into it may be lifted as described from it into the second trap I, through
the pipe H coupled to O. The trap I is in this case placed on the top of the
boiler. The trap I communicates with the boiler through the pipe J' which has a
back pressure valve placed on it. On top of trap I there is an inlet and exhaust
valve A' containing two pistons ce' of unequal diameter and carrying between them
a slide valve C. The space between the pistons e c' is supplied with steam from
the boiler, through pipe F. One end of valve A¹ is open to the atmosphere and
one side of piston e is open to a chamber which is supplied with steam from the
trap R through the pipe G. In the position of the pistons c and c¹ shown on the
drawings the trap R is open to steam and the water from R is being forced out and
into trap I through the pipe H', the steam and air in trap I being forced out
through the ports E' and D' which port opens to the atmosphere. When the
trap R has become empty and the valve Q having been forced to the right, the
trap R will be open to the atmosphere and also to the chamber at the back of piston c
which exhausts into trap R through pipe G. The steam which in the chamber
between the pistons c and o' will now force them to the right and with them the
valve C, closing trap I from atmosphere and admitting steam to same through
port E. The water from trap I will now be forced in boiler through pipe J¹.
When the trap R is full and steam is admitted to it, the latter will act on piston c
through pipe G and force valve C to the left again. In both forms of piston valve
the ordinary precautions are taken to prevent leakage of steam or water.
In conclusion we would have it understood that the details of the invention may
be modified to suit particular cases without interfering with the spirit of the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what.
we claim is —
1. In steam traps of the indicated nature the general construction and
arrangement of parts substantially as shown and described with reference to
trap R.
2. In steam traps of the indicated nature the general construction and
arrangement of parts of the traps R and I substantially as shown and described with
reference to Fig. 1 and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination of a trap such as R for receiving or collecting the water of
condensation from steam pipes with a trap such as I into which the water from the
former is forced substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. The improvements in steam traps substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 6th day of April 1895.
EMMOTT & CO., LTD.,
2 New Bridge Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.