Improvements in Steam Traps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Steam Traps.
I EDWARD NIGHTINGALE of Edenwood Iron Works, Edenwood, near Stubbins,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Millwright, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to certain improvements in steam traps for removing
the water of condensation from steam pipes and for other purposes. One part of
my improvements refers to the provision of an economical and efficient substitute
for the screw or other means now ordinarily employed to close the valve.
Upon the branch or hollow sleeve which contains the valve seating, I mount a
clip collar held by a jamb screw and capable of adjustment to any required
position.
The said collar is formed with angular lugs which are bored and socketted so as
to accommodate the ball necks of say two toggle link studs. The other ends of the
said link toggles are also connected by a ball and socket joint to angular lugs on
the pap or elbow which carries the hollow extension or stem terminating in the
valve, and sliding in the valve seat sleeve. The links have nuts at the ends to
confine the ball necks properly in the lug sockets. When the valve is in contact
with the seat, the links lie at an angle to the axial line of the valve and sleeve.
When the valve is away from the seat the links lie parallel or nearly parallel with
the said axial line. Therefore the throwing of the links into the said angular or
straight positions has the effect of closing or opening the valve. The pap or elbow
on the hollow valve stem which carries the aforesaid lugs, also takes the pipe which
connects the valve stem with the ball float in the trap box. As the valve seat
sleeve is fixed to the side of the trap box, while the hollow valve stem is rotated by
the rising and falling of the ball float, it will be evident that this will have the
effect of throwing the aforesaid links into the described angular or straight positions
and consequently of closing or opening the valve.
When in operation the water is forced by the pressure of steam behind, through
the open valve and ball float into the trap box, but when all of the water has
been discharged and steam fills the ball, the latter rises and by throwing the
links into the angular position closes the valve down on the seat and cuts off the
steam.
To take up any wear that may occur in the valve and seating, I simply adjust
the clip collar on the valve seat sleeve, shifting it round a little, and in this manner
practically shortening the links. To permit of the escape of any air that may
come into the trap with the water, and by raising the ball, prematurely interrupt
the action of the trap, I provide a small air valve in the closed end of the hollow
valve stem that is to say at the elbow. If air should get into the ball and raise it,
the stem of this small air valve comes in contact with an adjustable stud in the side
of the box, and opens the air valve permitting the air to escape and again sinking
the float. The hollow valve seat sleeve projects through the side of the box into
an adjoining depositing chamber. The sleeve is perforated where it extends into
the chamber and the water or steam as it passes through the chamber deposits any
foreign matter held in suspension and passes comparatively free from impurities
through the perforations in the sleeve and so to the trap. By this preparatory
cleansing of the fluids passing into the trap, the valve and working parts are not so
likely to become impeded in their action by grit or deposits.

page_text: Owing to its quick. lift the valve is not so liable to stick in the seating and as the
toggle links develop very little friction and are quickly responsible to the
movements of the float, the improved trap works easily and sweetly.
The trap as a whole can be more cheaply constructed and is much less liable to
get out of order than traps at present in the market.
Dated this 21st day of November 1894.
I EDWARD NIGHTINGALE of Edenwood Iron Works, Edenwood, near Stubbins,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer and Millwright, 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 and accompanying
drawings
My said invention relates to certain improvements in steam traps for removing
the water of condensation from stean pipes and for other purposes. One part of
my improvements refers to the provision of an economical and efficient substitute
for the screw or other means now ordinarily employed to close the valve.
The invention will be best understood by a reference to the annexed sheet of
illustrative drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the trap looking down on the top of the ball float.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the trap on the axial line of the valve and looking
from the end marked A in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a similar section of part of the trap from the side marked B Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a view of the adjustable lug collar.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged section showing the valve for discharging the air.
The cistern of the improved trap is marked C. Upon the branch or hollow
sleeve a which contains the valve seating a¹ I mount a clip collar shown in front
view at Fig. 4 and held by a jamb screw c by slackening and tightening which the
collar 6 can be adjusted to any required position on the sleeve a.
The said collar
is formed with angular lugs which are formed as hooks to engage with eyes d' on
the toggle links d d.
The other ends of the said toggle links are also connected by eyes d² with
angular lugs e¹ e on the pap or tee piece e which carries the hollow extension
or stem e terminating in the valve e² and sliding in the valve-seat sleeve a as
clearly shown in Fig. 2.
The links d d might be connected by balls and sockets with the lugs and el
but the method shown is the most simple. When the float f is raised and the
valve is in contact with the seat as for example in the plan view Fig. 1, the
links d d lie at an angle to the axial line of the valve and sleeve. When the float f
is down and the valve is away from the seat as in Fig. 2 the links d d lie parallel
or nearly parallel with the said axial line. The effect of this alteration of the
angular position of the links is shown by the diagram Fig. 14. The dotted line
shows the straight position of the links when the valve is open. The dotted line x¹
shows the link in its angular position when the valve is closed.
The amount of space through which the valve is drawn up to close it is shown by
the arrow headed line y. The point represents one of the fixed adjustable
lugs 6¹.
The point shows one of the moving lugs el on the tee piece e. It will be thus
be clear how the throwing of the links into the said angular or straight positions
has the effect of closing or opening the valve e². The pap or tee piece e of the

page_text: hollow valve stem, which carries the aforesaid lugs also takes the pipe g which
connects the valve stem e¹ with the ball float f in the trap box C. As the valve
seat sleeve a is fixed to the side of the trap box C while the hollow valve stem e¹ is
rotated by the rising and falling of the ball float fit will be evident that this will
have the effect of throwing the aforesaid links into the described angular or straight
positions and consequently of closing or opening the valve e².
When the trap is in operation the water is forced by the pressure of steam
behind, through the open valve 2 and hollow ball float f into the trap box, but
when all of the water has been discharged and steam fills the ball f the latter rises
and throwing the links into the angular position closes the valve e² down on the
seat a and cuts off the steam. To take up any wear that may occur in the valve
and seating, I simply adjust the clip collar 6 on the valve seat sleeve a by means of
the screw e shifting the collar round a little so as practically to shorten the
links d d.
To permit of the escape of any air that may come into the trap before or with
the water, and by raising the ball float f prematurely interrupt the action of the
trap I provide a small air valve h in the end of the hollow valve stem that is to say
in the tee piece e. The air valve is shown separately in Fig. 5.
This air valve h fits a valve seating i which is screwed into the end of the
tee piece e, the projecting part of the seating being formed as a nut for this
purpose. The projecting stem of the valve is furnished with a fixed butt
collar and between this collar and the nut head I place a spring; which acts
constantly to close the valve. Opposite to the butt collar h² I place a stop k. So
long as the ball float is down and the inlet valve e open the valve stem /¹ pushes
against the stop and overcoming the spring; holds the air valve hopen. Therefore
if any air precedes the water, through the inlet valve it blows at once through
the air valve h and escapes through the holes in the butt collar instead of
entering the ball and prematurely stopping the action of the trap. When the float
is up and the inlet valve e is closed, the air valve also being withdrawn from the
stop is closed by the spring so that no steam can pass. The hollow valve seat
sleeve a projects through the side of the box into an adjoining depositing chamber l.
The sleeve a is perforated where it extends into the chamber and the water or
steam which is admitted at as it passes through the chamber deposits any
foreign matter held in suspension and passes coniparatively free from impurities
through the perforations in the sleeve and so to the trap.
By this preparatory cleansing of the fluids passing into the trap, the valve and
working parts are not so likely to become impeded in their action by grit or
deposits. By removing the screwed plug m in the foot of the chamber the deposits
can be withdrawn or blown out.
Owing to its quick lift the valve is not so liable to stick in the seating and as the
toggle links develop very little friction and are quickly responsive to the move-
ments of the float, the improved trap works easily and sweetly.
The trap as a whole can be more cheaply constructed and is much less liable to
get out of order than traps at present in the market.
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 general arrangement, construction and combination of parts comprising
my improved steam trap, substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated.
2. As means for imparting the requisite opening and closing movements to the
inlet valve or inlet valve and air valve, the toggle links d or their equivalent,
connected at one end to fixed points supported on the valve sleeve or other suitable
fixed part of the trap and at the other end to points such as the lugs e carried by
or connected to the rotating stem of the inlet valve, so as to cause the said toggle
links to be thrown into angular positions relatively to the axis of the aforesaid

page_text: valve or valves and thereby to slide the valve or valves towards or way from the
valve seat or seats in unison with the rising and falling motions of the ball float,
substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in the drawings.
3. The toggle links d or their equivalent arranged and operating for the purposes
and substantially as described and shown.
4. The adjustable lug or pivot carrying collar d mounted on the fixed valve-seat
sleeve a and capable of adjustment thereon so as to alter the throw of the toggle
links, substantially as described and shown.
5. The air valve for permitting the escape of air and preventing the premature
raising of the float, arranged and operating substantially as described and
shown.
6. In steam traps the deposit chamber for arresting and separating impurities
from the water and steam substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1895.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5 John Dalton Street, Manchester,
For the Applicant.