Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, st June, 1889
JOSEPH TOMLIN BRIDDICK, Convalescent Home, Whitley, Northumberland, do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to steam traps for separating the condensed water from the.
steam in pipes used for steam engines, heating apparatus, and for other purposes.
The cistern or box is made preferably of cast iron with an inlet for steam and an
outlet for the water produced by condensation. Near the bottom of cistern is a slide
valve worked by a float or copper hollow ball attached to the end of a lever. As the
quantity of water accumulates at the bottom of the cistern the ball being carried by
the water rises, and causes the valve to open and allows the water to escape. The
valve is made of brass or other suitable material, and works freely between two
guides; it is attached to the lever of float. In the flange of the cistern there is a
groove where India rubber or other suitable material is inserted. On the cover there
is a bead around the edge corresponding with the groove in cistern flange so that
when the cover is screwed down the bead sinks down into the India rubber and makes
a steam tight joint. Across the top of cistern is cast or fitted a piece of iron with a
short length of pipe fixed vertically in it. The piece of pipe passes through a hole
in the cover which is fastened down tightly by a nut which is screwed on the
outside of the pipe. This pipe has at the top a small check valve which admits air
into the cistern when there is no pressure of steam in it, and allows the water to
escape. When the trap is intended for use on a steam engine the cover is removed,
and a box cover is fixed on the top of cistern. The steam enters the box cover at one
The
end & before reaching the outlet is made to pass under a partition cast in it.
bottom of this partition is perforated so that the steam issues regularly from the
outlet of this cover without priming. This top or box cover is screwed down in the
same way as before mentioned.
T
1000

page_text: Improvements in Steam Traps.
I, JOSEPH TOMLIN BRIDDIOK, of the Convalescent Home, Whitley, in the county of
Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in steam traps and consists in the novel
arrangement or combination of certain well known mechanical parts within or in
connection with the metal box or cistern of the steam trap the said combination
possessing the attributes of simplicity of arrangement and economical construction
whereby the several parts are rendered easy of access for cleansing and substantially
free from the risks of derangement in every day work.
I will now fully describe my invention having reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figs. 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively and in part a side elevation
an end elevation and a plan of a steam trap constructed according to my invention
the right and left hand portions or halves of these figs. being shown respectively
in elevation and in section in order to more distinctly illustrate the details of the
working parts of my apparatus within the metal box a. Fig. 4 is an enlarged
sectional elevation of the air check valve b and piece a³ to be hereinafter again
referred to and Fig. is a longitudinal soction showing a separator or steam drying
device arranged within and intended to be cast with the cover of the steam trap and
throughout the following description like letters designate like parts in the description
and in the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 a is a cast iron box of the usual type furnished
with a lid or coverpiece a¹ which in turn is arranged with a marginal bead a² cast
on the lid for the purpose of fitting into and compressing a washer laid in the corres-
ponding groove or recess a³ in the flange of the box thus forming a steam tight
joint.
a is a metal bridge traversing the width of the box and preferably cast therewith
with a hole in the centre thereof which may be tapped to take the screwed lower end
of the short pipe as the screwed upper end of which is arranged to pass through a
central boss as in the cover a¹ by for example lowering the latter over the same.
are strengthening ribs on cover a¹ and the latter is arranged to be economically and
simply secured in position (without the aid of numerous bolt or other connections as
heretofore) by means of the single nut a screwed on pipe a and abutting against the
central boss as aforesaid assisted if necessary by the piece a which may be arranged

page_text: to act both as a checknut to nut a and as the recipient of the circular port or
passage b (see Fig. 4) through which the preferably triangular spindle 6 of the
weighted valve b passes the spindle and valve being hung in position by a pin 6' as
shown in the drawings.
6 is the inlet to the steam trap for steam and condensed water from the pipe range
and 6 is the outlet for same the method by which this outlet is controlled forming
in combination an essential feature of my invention. 6° is a short length of
preferably brass piping which is passed from the inside of the box through the outlet
boss 67 of the box a and secured by a nut 68 on the outside. The inner end of
piping 6 is provided with a faced oblong flange c against which works the faced slide
valve c which is held in position by the bevelled side guides shaped as shown
which in turn are secured to the flange c by screw studs c³. The back of slide c* is
provided with a lug through which passes a pin to the ends of which the lower eyes
of the links are attached the upper eyes of the same being similarly connected
by loose bearing to the ends of a pin passing through a hole in the lever c of the
float c' the lever being centred in the double eye of the lug or bracket c³ formed
or fitted on the top of the pipe 6º.
The object of weighting the lower end of valve b is for the purpose of allowing the
air in the trap to be expelled by the inrushing steam before the pressure of the said
steam has actually closed the valve and unless the valve is so weighted a very slight
steam pressure would cause it to close and thus trap the air before it has had time
to be expelled and conversely the weight of the valve assists its dropping from its
seat at the required time for the inlet of air to the trap.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-
When there is no water of condensation within the box or cistern a the float c
rests in the position shown in the drawings and the slide valve c¹ entirely covers the
outlet port through pipe 6. As soon however as a sufficiency of condensed steam
or water has entered the box from the pipe range through 6 the float will gradually
rise and at the same time the slide c¹ through medium of float lever c and links c
will be gradually drawn up until the communication between interiors of box a and
pipe 66 is established when the condensed water in the bottom of the box will be
expelled through 6 by the steam pressure from above and when the float has again
regained its original or shut position under the influence of the diminishing level of
water within the trap the slide will be again closed but the condensed water will have
been expelled and thus the operations are repeated.
Referring to Fig. 5 a similar mode of attachment and air check between box a and
cover a' is shown but in this case I provide a separator S which may by preference
be cast within the cover and which is designed to operate so that the inrushing
steam (if saturated) shall by impinging against the solid dash plate d of the
separator relieve itself of its moisture which falls to the bottom of the box in the
usual way the dried steam seeking egress through the perforated bottom plate d¹ of
the separator and thence through d³ as required.
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 improvement in steam traps consisting of the combination with a float
and lever such as are illustrated in the drawings operated in the usual manner and as
herein set forth of a slide valve to control the outlet from the trap arranged and
operating in respect of the said float and lever and outlet pipe 6 substantially as
herein set forth.
(2). The improvement in steam traps consisting of the combination with the box a
and bridge a of a pipe a acting both as a connecting bar between box a and
cover a¹ and as a conduit for the ingress and egress of air to or from the trap
under control by valve b all arranged and operating substantially as herein set
forth.

page_text: (3). The improvement in steam traps consisting of the combination with a box
(such as a) containing a float-and-lever-actuated slide valve c¹ controlling the
water outlet from the trap and a bridge at of a lid or cover such as a¹ (Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 3) containing or not a separating device such as S arranged to be connected
to the box a in the manner and for the purposes substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
n
1
P