Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 8th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
I JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of 34 Southampton Buildings London W.C. in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents (a communication from Henry
Creamer, Mechanical Engineer, of the City, County and State of New York, U.S.A.)
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in steam feed water
traps, which are used for automatically forcing the water of condensation, or other
boiler feed water into the boiler when a certain quantity of such feed water has
collected.
The object of my invention is to provide an automatic feed water trap in which
the exhaust steam of the trap is carried from above the upper piston to a point below
the same and is then forced into the pipe through which the water of condensation is
conducted to the trap.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as
will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of improved feed trap,
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the valve movement,
Figure 3 is a plan-view of the same, parts being omitted,
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the slide valve, and
Figure 5 is a diagram view shewing the general arrangement of the trap.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The steam cylinder A and the smaller water cylinder B are formed in one piece,
the latter cylinder being provided a short distance below its upper end with an
internal annular shoulder B, on which a packing ring C is placed and held by an
angle iron ring C, through which bolts are passed into the annular offset or
shoulder D forming the bottom of the steam cylinder A. The said cylinder A is

page_text: provided with suitable hand holes a, which can be closed by suitable covers, held in
place by suitable means.
The piston G in the water cylinder B and the piston E in the steam cylinder A
are connected by a rod F.
The water cylinder is provided in its bottom with an opening I, which is in com-
munication with a pipe J having the check-valves J₁ and J at opposite sides of the
aperture I, the said check-valves both opening in the same direction, the water passing
through the pipe J in the direction of the arrow d. A piston rod H passes through
a stuffing box H on the top of the steam cylinder A and is provided at its upper end
with a head H2, to which head is fastened one end of a chain or metal strap K,
passed over a roller L' pivoted on one end of a lever L, pivoted on a standard L² on
the top of the cylinder A, the other end of the metal strap or chain K being fastened
to said standard. A weight L³ is fastened or held on the other end of the lever L to
counterbalance the two pistons.
A headed pin M projects froin the head H2 on the top of the piston rod H and
passes through a longitudinal slot M₁ of a vertical rod or bar M², the lower end of
which is pivoted to the arm O, of a sleeve O¹ mounted loosely on the pivot 02 pro-
jecting from the side of a horizontal cylindrical valve casing P on the head of the
cylinder A. Said sleeve O' is provided with a collar 03, having a recess 0, the
length of which is about equal to one third of a circle. Into the said notch or
recess 0 a pin Q passes from a lever Q, mounted to rock on the pivot 0%, which lever Q
is provided at its lower end with two shanks Q', between which a V-shaped recess
is formed, a weight Q3 being fastened on the upper end of the rocking lever Q. A
lug R¹ projects from a sliding U-shaped rod Rinto the recess formed by the shanks Q₁
of the rocking lever Q, the ends of said U-shaped rod being connected with the
opposite ends of the stem R2 of the sliding valve P¹ in the casing P.
The neck P of the casing P is connected with the cylinder A. Another neck P³
of the casing P is connected with the boiler m by the pipe o and the casing P itself is
connected by a pipe S with the bottom part of the cylinder A. The pipe J is con-
nected by a pipe n with the boiler m. The lower part of the cylinder A is connected
by the pipe, having the check-valve s, with the pipe p.
A pipe V forms connection between the pipe p and the pipe J, and within a
frame t, fastened on the side of the cylinder A an enlargement is formed in the
pipe V on the side of which enlargement the box is formed. A rock shaft (³ is
mounted in the box t² and is provided with an arm, projecting into the enlarge-
ment t, from which arm a float is suspended or supported in any suitable
manner.
The shaft 3 is provided at one end with an arms carrying a ball 2. The arm s¹
is connected by a rod h with an angle lever i pivoted on top of the frame t, the
other end of said angle lever being connected with the sliding bolt j, the end of
which can pass into the notch k in the sleeve o¹ mounted on the pivot o².
The operation is as follows:-
The water of condensation passes through the pipe J in the direction of the arrow d,
Figure 1, opens the left hand check-valve J', passes into the water cylinder B and
exerts an upward pressure on the bottom piston G which with the upper piston E
rises. The lever L swings down and the metal strap or chain K draws the piston
rod and valve upward. As the upper piston E ascends, the exhaust steam above the
same passes into the valve-casing P, the valve being in proper position, then down
through the pipe S into the bottom part of the steam cylinder below the steam piston.
The valve is then reversed, so as to admit live steam into the upper part of the
cylinder A, which steam, acting on the large upper piston forces the same down-
ward, whereby the lower piston G of the water cylinder forces the water out through
the aperture I into the pipe J and check-valve J* into the boiler.
At the same time the piston forces the exhaust steam, which was conducted from
above the upper piston to below the same through the pipe r, into the pipe p
through which the return or condensed water of condensation passes from the engine
register &c.

page_text: The exhaust steam of the steam trap is thus mixed with the return or water of
condensation coming from the register or engine.
When the pistons E and G are forced downward the piston rod H is also moved
down, and the metal chain or strap acting on the lever L swings the weighted end of
said lever upward and so on.
When the pistons have completed their upward stroke the headed pin M on the
upper end of the piston rod H strikes against the upper end of the slot in the vertical
rod or bar M and swings the same upward, thereby swinging the arm O in the
direction of the arrow a', Figure 1. Then one end of the recess or notch 0+ strikes
the pin Q, thereby throwing the arın Q out of a position of rest in the direction of
the arrow a². Under the action of the weight Q³ the rocking arm continues the
stroke in the direction of the arrow a² and the left hand shank striking the lug R¹
of the U-shaped rod R moves said rod and the piston valve P in connection with the
same, in the inverse direction of the arrow a², whereby the valve is shifted in such
a manner as to admit live steam into the upper end of the cylinder A, under the
action of which live steam the pistons are moved downward. When the pistons
have completed their downward stroke the headed pin M strikes the arm and
presses the same in the inverse direction of the arrow a whereby the other end of the
recess 0¹ in the collar 03 strikes the pin Q and swings the lever Qin the inverse
direction of the arrow a², until said lever has passed the centre, when it continues to
swing in the inverse direction of the arrow a² under the action of the weight Q³.
Thereby the valve is shifted in the direction of the arrow a², the live steam cut off
and the communication established between the cylinder A and the pipe S.
With the valve in the position shown in Figure 4, the live steam enters at the
neck P3 and can only pass into the valve casing and not out of the same; but the
exhaust steam above the piston in the cylinder can pass through the neck P2 into
the casing P and through the pipe S into that part of the cylinder below the piston.
If the valve is now shifted in the reverse direction of the arrow a², as previously
described it will be in the position shown in dotted lines, Figure 4, and the steam
entering the casing through the neck P³, can leave through the neck P and pass into
the top of the cylinder and force the piston downward.
It is not desirable that the apparatus should operate when there is not sufficient
water in the pipes, and for this reason the enlargement is provided and the float
in the same.
The level of the water in the pipe V is always equal to the level of the water in the
cylinders. When the level of the water in the cylinders and in the pipe pis high,
the float t is raised and the weight & lowered, and the bolt j is withdrawn from the
notch in the collar o¹, and thus does not interfere with the operation of the valve
mechanism.
When the level of the water sinks, the float to descends, the rod h is moved upward
and the end of the bolt or latch jis pushed into the notch k, whereby the valve
nechanism is locked.
The valve mechanism is thus always locked when the level of the water in the
apparatus is too low and is released when the level of the water rises to the proper
height.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Feed Water Traps.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of 34 Southampton Buildings London, W.C. Fellow of
the Institute of Patent Agents (a communication from abroad by Henry Creamer,
Mechanical Engineer, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America) 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 certain new and useful improvements in steam feed water
traps which are used for automatically forcing the water of condensation or other
boiler feed water into the boiler when a certain quantity of such feed water has
collected.
The object of this invention is to provide an automatic feed water trap in which the
exhaust steam of the trap is carried from above the upper piston to a point below the
same and is then forced into the pipe through which the water of condensation is
conducted to the trap.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as
will be fully described and set forth hereinafter and finally pointed out in the clainis.
In the drawings filed with the provisional specification hereof Figure 1. is a sectional
elevation of this improved feed trap.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the valve movement.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same parts being omitted.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the slide valve and
Figure 5 is a diagram view showing the general arrangement of the trap.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The steam cylinder A and the smaller water cylinder B are formed in one piece, the
latter cylinder being provided a short distance below its upper end with an internal
annular shoulder B₁ on which a packing ring C is placed and held by an angle iron
ring C, through which bolts C are passed into the annular offset or shoulder D
forming the bottom of the steam cylinder A. The said steam cylinder A is provided
with suitable hand holes a which can be closed by suitable covers held in place by
suitable means.
The piston G in the water cylinder B and the piston E in the steam cylinder A are
connected by the rod F.
The water cylinder is provided in its bottom with the opening I which is in con-
munication with the pipe J having the check valves J and J2 at opposite sides of the
aperture I the said check valves both opening in the same direction the water passing
through the pipe J in the direction of the arrow d. A piston rod H passes through
the stuffing H on the top of the steam cylinder A and is provided at its upper end
with a head H2, to which head is fastened one end of a chain or metal strap K, passed
over the roller L' pivoted on one end of the lever L, pivoted on a standard L³ on the
top of the cylinder A, the other end of the metal strap or chain K being fastened to

page_text: said standard. A weight L' is fastened or held on the other end of the lever L to
counterbalance the two pistons.
A headed pin M projects from the head H2 on the top of the piston rod H and
passes through a longitudinal slot M of a vertical rod or bar M, the lower end of
which is pivoted to the arm O of a sleeve O¹ mounted loosely on the pivot O2 pro-
jecting from the side of a horizontal cylindrical valve casing P on the head of the
cylinder A. Said sleeve O¹ is provided with a collar 0³ having a recess O* the length
of which is about equal to one third of a circle. Into the said notch or recess O &
pin Q passes from a lever mounted to rock on the pivot 02, which lever Qis
provided at its lower end with two shanks Q between which a V-shaped recess is
formed, a weight Q3 being fastened on the upper end of a rocking lever Q. A
lug R projects from a sliding U-shaped rod R into the recess formed by the shanks Q*
of the rocking lever Q, the ends of said U-shaped rod being connected with the
opposite ends of the stem R of the sliding valve P₁ in the casing P. The neck P² of
the casing P is connected with the cylinder A. Another neck P³ of the casing P is
connected with the boiler m by the pipe o, and the casing P itself is connected by a
pipe S with the bottom part of the cylinder A. The pipe J is connected by a pipe n
with the boiler m. The lower part of the cylinder A is connected by the pipe r having
the check-valve s with the pipe p.
A pipe V forms connection between the pipe p and the pipe J, and within a frame t
fastened on the side of the cylinder A an enlargement is formed in the pipe V on
the side of which enlargement the box is formed. A rock shaft 3 is mounted in the
box t and is provided with an arm t projecting into the enlargement from which
arm a float t is suspended or supported in any suitable manner. The shaft t3 is
provided at one end with an arm s carrying a ball s². The arm s' is connected by a
rod h with an angle lever i pivoted on top of the frame t, the other end of said angle
lever being connected with the sliding bolt the end of which can pass into the notch k
in the sleeve O' mounted on the pivot O².
The operation is as follows:-
The water of condensation passes through the pipe J in the direction of the arrow d,
Figure 1, opens the left-hand check-valve J¹ passes into the water cylinder B and
exerts an upward pressure on the bottom piston G which with the upper piston E
rises. The lever L swings down and the metal strap or chain K draws the piston rod
and valve upward. As the upper piston E ascends the exhaust steam above the same
passes into the valve-casing P, the valve being in proper position, and then down
through the pipe S into the bottom part of the steam cylinder below the steam piston.
The valve is then reversed so as to admit live steam into the upper part of the cylinder A,
which steam acting on the large upper piston forces the same downward whereby the
lower piston G of the water cylinder forces the water out through the aperture 1 into
the pipe J and check valve J' into the boiler. At the same time the piston forces the
exhaust steam which was conducted from above the upper piston to below the same
through the piper into the pipe p through which the return or condensed water of
condensation passes from the engine register etc.
The exhaust-steam of the steam trap is thus mixed with the return or water of
condensation coming from the register or engine.
When the pistons E and G are forced downward the piston rod H is also moved
down and the metal strap or chain acting on the lever L swings the weighted end of
said lever upward and so on.
When the pistons have completed their upward stroke the headed pin M on the
upper end of the piston rod H strikes against the upper end of the slot in the vertical
rod or bar M2 and swings the same upward thereby swinging the arm O in the direction
of the arrow a¹, Figure 1. Then one end of the recess or notch O' strikes the pin Q¹
thereby throwing the arm Q out of a position of rest in the direction of the arrow a².
Under the action of the weight Q3 the rocking arm continues the stroke in the direction
of the arrow a² and the left hand shank Q striking the lug R' of the U-shaped rod R
moves said rod and the piston valve P' in connection with the same in the inverse
direction of the arrow a², whereby the valve is shifted in such a manner as to admit

page_text: live steam into the upper end of the cylinder A under the action of which live steam
the pistons are moved downward. When the pistons have completed their downward
stroke the headed pin M strikes the arm O and presses the same in the inverse
direction of the arrow a whereby the other end of the recess O' in the collar O³ strikes
the pin Q' and swings the lever Q in the inverse direction of the arrow a² until said
lever has passed its centre, when it continues to swing in the inverse direction of the
arrow a² under the action of the weight Q. Thereby the valve is shifted in the
direction of the arrow a² the live stean cut off and the communication established
between the cylinder A and pipe S.
With the valve in the position shown in Figure 4 the live steam enters at the neck P³
and can only pass into the valve casing and not out of the same; but the exhaust
steam above the piston in the cylinder can pass through the neck P into the casing P
and through the pipe S into that part of the cylinder below the piston.
If the valve is now shifted in the reverse direction of the arrow a² as previously
described it will be in the position shown in dotted lines Figure 4 and the steam
entering the casing through the neck P³ can leave through the neck P2 and pass into
the top of the cylinder and force the piston downward the exhaust being closed.
It is not desirable that the apparatus should operate when there is not sufficient
water in the pipes and for this reason the enlargement t¹ is provided and the float in
the same.
The level of the water in the pipe V is always equal to the level of the
water in the cylinders. When the level of the water in the cylinders and in the pipe p
is high, the float t' is raised and the weight s lowered and the bolt is withdrawn from
the notch in the collar O¹ and thus does not interfere with the operation of the valve
mechanism. When the level of the water sinks the float descends the rod h is
moved upward and the end of the bolt or latch j is pushed into the notch k whereby
the valve mechanism is locked.
The valve mechanism is thus always locked when the level of the water in the
apparatus is too low and is released when the level of the water rises to the proper
height.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
-
1. In a steam feed water trap, the combination with united steam and water
cylinders which latter has less diameter than the former and also has an internal
annular shoulder formed near its upper end the larger or steam cylinder being pro-
vided with hand holes of connecting pistons in the steam and water cylinders, a packing
ring on the shoulder of the water cylinder, an angle iron ring resting on the said
packing, and screws passed through the said angle iron ring into the annular bottom
of the steam cylinder, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a steam feed water trap, the combination with united steam and water cylinders,
of a piston in each cylinder, which pistons are connected, a piston rod projecting from
the upper piston through a stuffing box in the head of the upper cylinder, a chain or
strap secured to the said piston rod, and passed over a pulley on a pivoted lever, and a
weight on said lever substantially as shown and described.
3. In a steam feed water trap, the combination, with united steam and water
cylinders, of a piston in each cylinder which pistons are connected with pipe outlets
of the cylinders, and establish communication between the upper part of the steam
cylinder and the lower part of said steam cylinders, and a valve in said pipe for the
purpose of controlling said pipe substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination, with a steam trap, of a pipe for conducting the water of con-
densation from the engine or registers, and a pipe connecting the steam cylinder of
the trap with the pipe for conducting the water of condensation to the steam trap,
substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination, with a steam trap having a steam and water cylinder, a piston
in each cylinder and a rod connecting the pistons, of a rod projecting from the steam
piston and through the top of the steam cylinder, a metal strap or chain secured to
the upper end of said rod at one end and having the other end fastened, and a

page_text: weighted pivoted lever provided on one end with a pulley or roller over which the
above mentioned strap or chain is passed, substantially as shown and described.
6. In a steam trap, the combination with a united steam and water cylinder, each
containing a piston, which are united by a rod to a piston rod projecting upward from
the upper piston, a valve on the steain cylinder, which valve governs the admission
and exit of steam, and a rod connected with the valve and operated from the above-
mentioned piston-rod projecting from the top of the steam cylinder substantially as
shown and described.
7. In a steam trap, the combination with the cylinders and pistons, of the valve
casing on top of the steam cylinder, a pivot projecting from the side of the valve casing,
notched sleeve mounted on the said casing and provided with an arm, a rod connecting
said arm with the piston rod, a rocking lever mounted on the pivot of the valve casing,
which arm has one arm forked and one arm weighted, a pin on said rocking lever, a
slide valve in the valve casing and a rod connecting the slide valve with a rod project-
ing from the valve between the forked ends of the rocking lever, substantially as
shown and described.
8. In a steam trap, the combination with the cylinders and pistons in the same, of
the valve casing on the steam cylinder, a pivot projecting from the side of the valve-
casing, a sleeve mounted on said pivot and provided with a notch, a notched collar on
said sleeve, a rocking lever on the sleeve adjacent to the notched collar which lever
has one end weighted and the other end forked a pin projecting from the side of the
rocking lever, an arm on the above mentioned collar a rod connecting said arm with
the piston rod projecting from the top of the cylinder substantially as shown and
described.
9. In a steam trap, the combination with the cylinders and pistons in the saine, of a
pipe for conducting the water of condensation into the apparatus, an enlargement in
said pipe, a float in the enlargement, a shaft operated by the float, a bolt connected
with said shaft and a valve mechanism having a notch for receiving the end of the
bolt substantially as shown and described.
10. In a steam trap, the combination with cylinders and pistons in the same, of a
valve mechanism operated from one of the piston rods, a bolt for locking the valve
mechanism, and a float governor in the pipe connected with the apparatus, which float
governor is connected with the bolt substantially as shown and described.
11. In a steam trap the combination with a boiler and steam trap, of a pipe for con-
ducting the water of condensation to the trap, a pipe for conducting the water from
the trap to the boiler, a pipe connecting the lower part of the steam cylinder with the
pipe that conducts the water of condensation to the trap, a valve on the trap, and a
pipe for conducting steam from the boiler to the valve on the trap substantially as
shown and described.
1 .
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.