Year: 1893

page_text: WILLIAM GEIPEL, 49, Kidbrook Park Road, Blackheath. Member of the Institute
of Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved steam trap or method of draining
automatically the condensed water from steam pipes, or steam cylinders or jackets,
steam receivers, or other receptacles where it is desired to drain away the water as it
forms, without allowing steam to escape.
The object of the invention is mainly to make a more reliable and less costly
apparatus and one which is accessible and can be easily repaired.
The apparatus consists essentially of two tubes of metal having as different a
coefficient of expansion as practically, one end of the tubes being the inlet admitting
water and steam, the other end being the outlet; thus the water or steam are within
and not outside of the tubes. These tubes may be either straight or bent into a
circle, they are firmly connected at both ends, one of the junctions being free to
move, the other being fixed; there is a slight distance between the ends of the tubes
at the fixed junction, but at the free junction they may be close together. In the
case of the straight tubes the two form two sides of a triangle the base into which they
are fixed making the third and smallest side. According as the pipes are hot or cold
the relative lengths thereof alter and cause movement at one of the angles, this
movement takes place at what I have called the free end. Similarly if the two tubes
are bent to a circle or part of a circle as above mentioned, unequal changes in length
of the tubes must cause motion at the free end. The free end is attached either by
a link, or levers, or rack and pinion, or other device to the spindle of a cock or valve
which is fixed on the discharge out-let to atmosphere; the motion above mentioned
causes the cock or valve to be opened or shut according as there is water or steam
only in the pipe.
I use preferably one brass and one iron tube, the brass tube being nearest the steam
inlet the iron nearest the water out-let. When both tubes are cold the cock or
valve is held open, but when steam passes the brass tube expands most and the
cock is closed until water forms in sufficient quantity to again cool the pipes.
I may arrange the pipes so that they are not in the same plane, in which case
there is a circular movement caused which I may use for operating the valve as above
set forth.
It will be observed that there is no box or receptacle into which the working parts
are placed as is so often the case, on the other hand they are all exposed and thus

page_text: from the destroying action of any impurity or deposit from the steam or water. The
water and steam merely pass through the tubes and the valve or cock which is fixed
at the end to atmosphere. There can be no loss of movement owing to slackness of
working parts so far as concerns the tubes; this is an important desideratum, as
the expansion is comparatively small and is so easily lost where there are working
joints.
The opening and closing of the valve or cock is regulated by adjusting the link or
levers above described, there are many obvious methods of doing this.
There are other obvious ways of arranging this steam trap, for instance, instead of
having only two tubes I may use three or more, and I may use a bell crank or other
plan in place of a lever for the triangular form of trap.
I, WILLIAM GEIPEL, of 49 Kidbrook Park Road Blackheath London 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 reference to an improved steam trap or method of draining
automatically the condensed water from steam pipes, or steam cylinders or jackets,
steam receivers, or other receptacles where it is desired to drain away the water as it
forms, without allowing steam to escape.
The object of the invention is mainly to make a more reliable and less costly
apparatus and one which is accessible and can be easily repaired.
The apparatus consists essentially of two tubes of metal having as different a
coefficient of expansion as practicable, one end of the tubes being the inlet admitting
water and steam, the other end being the outlet; thus the water or steam are within
and not out side of the tubes. These tubes may be either straight or-bent-into-a
eirele; they are firinly connected at both ends, one of the junctions being free to
move, the other being fixed; there is a slight distance between the ends of the tubes
at the fixed junction, but at the free junction they may be close together. In the
case of the straight tubes the two form two sides of a triangle the base into which
they are fixed making the third or smallest side. According as the pipes are hot or
cold the relative lengths thereof alter & cause movement at one of the angles, this
movement takes place at what I have called above the free end. Similarly-if-the-two
tubes-are-bent-to-a-circle-or-part-of-a-circle-as-above-mentioned;-unequal-changes-in
length-of-the-tubes-must-cause-motion-at-the-free-end. The free end is attached
either by a link, or levers, or rack & pinion, or other device to the spindle of a cock
or valve which is fixed on the discharge outlet to atmosphere; the motion above
mentioned causes the cock or valve to be opened or shut according as there is water
or steam only in the pipe.
I use preferably one brass & one iron-tube, the brass tube being nearest the
steam inlet, the iron nearest the water outlet. When both tubes are cold the cock
or valve is held open, but when steam passes the brass tube expands most & the
cock is closed until water forms in sufficient quantity to again cool the pipes.
Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 shows the trap arranged with straight tubes;
Fig. 2-with-tubes-bent-to-a-part-of-a-circle-both-of-which are shown-with-eeeks and
with a cock operated by a lever or bell crank. Fig. 3 shows in section the trap
arranged with a valve, and Fig. is an end view of the same, the tubes being in
section through A. B. a, a, are the tubes having the higher coefficient of expansion,

page_text: preferably of brass or copper; b, b, are the tubes having the lower coefficient,
preferably of iron; steam or water enters at c or c₁, and leaves at d; e is the base
into which the ends of the tubes are fixed, this in the case of Figs. 3 and 4 is shown
combined with a receptacle for holding a certain quantity of water should there be a
sudden rush; f, are the levers or bell erank for connecting the free end of the tubes
i, i, with the plug of the cock or spindle of the valve.
The working of the trap may be more easily understood by reference to the
diagram Fig. 5. When the tubes are cold or comparatively cold, which will be the
case so long as they contain water, they take up the position shown by the full lines;
but whenever the water is discharged & steam follows then the tubes become hotter,
& the side, a, of the triangle expands most, the tubes assuming the position shown by
the dotted lines; the base, e, being fixed. Consequently the lever,, moves from the
position shown in the full lines to that in the dotted lines and so closes the valve or
cock. When water again enters the tubes they cool, and side, a, contracts most thus
bringing the tubes back to the position shown in the full lines & reopening the valve
or cock, & so on,
I-may-arrange-the-pipes-so-that-they-are-not-in-the-same-plane,-in-which-ease
there-is-a-circular-movement--caused-which-I-may-use--for-operating-the-valve-ns
above-set-forth.
It will be observed that there is no box or receptacle into which the working parts
are placed as is so often the case with other traps, on the other hand the working
parts are all exposed & thus free from the destroying action of any impurity or
deposit from the steam or water. The water & steam merely pass through the
tubes and the discharge valve or cock. There can be no loss of movement owing to
slackness of working parts so far as concerns the tubes; this is an important
desideratum and the expansion is comparatively small & is so easily lost where there
are working joints.
The opening and closing of the valve or cock is regulated by adjusting the link or
levers, f, above described by the nut, ), or otherwise, there are many obvious methods
of doing this.
screw,
There are other obvious ways of arranging this steam trap, for instance, instead of
having only two tubes I may use three or more, or instead of one of the tubes, I may
use a tie rod. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 6. In this case the length of
the rod, b, remains constant while according as the tube, a, is cold or hot the valve is
open or closed. In this case the valve is moved, the spindle being adjusted by the
k, to a fixed position. Since the valve & outlet move in this arrangement I
may use a flexible tube or expansion piece or bellows, in case it is necessary to
conduct away the discharged water; or I may place the valve at the junction of the
two tubes at the free end so that the iron tube, b, carries off the water after passing
the valve, the length of the tube, b, in this arrangement remains practically constant,
& the opening & closing is done by the contraction & expansion of the
tube, a.
In some cases I may insert a receiver between the inlet to the trap and the steam
pipe or vessel in order to hold a body of water in the event of a sudden rush.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is :
First. A steam trap wherein the opening & closing of the discharge valve or
cock is effected by the motion set up by two or more tubes of metal having different
expansion co-efficients, the said tubes being fixed at one end & free to move at the
other end, the water or steam passing through the inside of the tubes only, as above
explained.
Second. The combination of two metal tubes having different expansion co-efficients,
or of one metal tube & one tie rod having different expansion co-efficients &
through which water & steam are discharged, one end of the said tubes, or tube
& rod, being fixed, & the other ends being connected together & free to move

page_text: with a lever, or link, or spindle, or other similar arrangement for opening & closing
the outlet valve or cock substantially as described.
Third. The improved apparatus for discharging water from steam pipes, or
receivers, or other vessels arranged and operating substantially as above described.
Datel this 10th day of Tan 1901