Year: 1886

page_text: We CHARLES WATSON, residing at N° 510 Ninth Street, in the City and county
of San Francisco, State of California, one of the United States of America,
Engineer, and ALBERT GAUKROGER residing at the Southside of Sierra Street in
the City and County of San Francisco Engineer 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:...
Our Invention relates to certain improvements in steam-traps; and it consists of
an inclosing-case having an ingress-pipe, through which the water of condensation
is admitted, and an egress-pipe, through which it is discharged, the latter being
controlled by a valve of peculiar construction, a float connected with the said valve,
and also connected with a counter-balance exterior to the casing, stops for the
valve, and also for the counter-balance-lever, and in a means for connecting the
float with the counter-balance-lever without the use of a stuffing-box or packing,
together with certain details of construction, all of which will be more fully
described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the trap, taken through the plane of the stuffing-
box from front to rear, showing also section of the float.
Figure 2. is a front view of the trap with the front face or bonnet removed,
showing a side view of the valve and a section of the float.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the valve, shaft and sleeve.
A is the inclosing-case, which, in the present case, is shown in the form of a
cylinder having a flat bottom, and a dome-shaped top.
Within this cylinder is a float B, which is suspended by means of a slender rod
or wire C, and a flat steel ribbon D, from one end of the counter-balance-lever E.,
This lever is supported upon knife-edges, or in other suitable manner, upon the
fulcrum column or standard F.. Upon the outer end of this lever a.weight G is
fitted, which may be caused to slide to or from the fulcrum until the float B within
the casing is suitably counterbalanced when in condition for operation.
The weight G is fixed at any point by a set-screw H, or other device. The
ribbon D is fixed by screws or bolts to the end of the lever E, which is made in the
form of an arc of a circle, so that as the lever vibrates upon its fulcrum, the
ribbon D will always preserve a vertical line with the rod or wire C.

page_text: "
Both the ribbon and the wire are fixed where their ends meet by split tapering
sockets having clamping-nuts I, which screw upon them, and thus hold the ends of
the ribbon and rods firmly, at the same time allowing them to be easily released or
adjusted.
The lower end of the rod C, from which the float B is suspended, is also secured
by a similar clamping-nut I'. In the present case we have shown the float B, in
the form of a deep annular cup, the sides of which are inclined, so that the top is
wider than the bottom, as shown.
This cup becomes filled with the water of condensation, which enters the
chamber A; and it is also surrounded so that it floats in the water, the counter-
balance G being so adjusted, that in connection with the specific gravity of the
float, the change in the depth of water within the chamber will influence the float
so that rises or falls.
The tapering shape of the interior of the float prevents it from becoming broken
by the freezing of any water within it, if it is allowed to become cold, as the
expansion would be upward instead of outward.
The float has a yoke J, connecting it with the nut I, and a pin through this
yoke passes also through the upper ends of the links K, which extend down below
the bottom of the float, and are there connected by a pin with the outer end of the
lever-arm L.
This lever has its inner end adapted to act upon the shaft or spindle M of the
valve, by which the flow of water from the casing A is regulated.
This valve is a balance-valve, and constructed as follows: N is a hollow
cylindrical casing, having the projecting tube O extending from its periphery, so
as to be screwed into a corresponding hole in the outlett-opening P at the bottom
of the trap, or the whole may be made in one piece.
The cylindrical valve-chamber N, stands vertically, and contains the valve which
is composed of two disks R R¹ secured to or formed with the spindle or stem M.
Each disk has guiding wings or flanges S, projecting downward from them so as
to extend through the openings in the seats and insure an accurate rise and fall of
the valve. The upper disk is slightly larger than the lower one, so, that the
pressure upon it will be enough-greater than that upon the lower one, to cause
the valve to close in the manner usual to balance poppet-valves.
The lower end of the stem M rests upon the lever-arm L, as shewn, and when
the movements of the float raise the lever, the valve will be opened to allow the
accumulated water to escape.
V is the inlet-pipe, and W is a sort of shelf, upon which the water may strike to
break its first force as it enters the casing A.
The openings in the valve-seats have together a slightly greater area than that
of the ingress-pipe V, so that there is no danger of the apparatus becoming over-
full or waterlogged.
In order to prevent the outer end of the counter-balance-lever E, from being
moved too far downward, a stop X is fixed to the fulcrum or standard E, upon
which the lever may strike; and in order to prevent the outer end of the valve-
lever L, from moving below a certain point, a projection or lug Y is fixed to it so
as to rest upon the bottom of the casing A, when the lever has moved far enough
to close the valve.
.
In order to prevent the friction caused by a stuffing-box, which is necessary if a
rod of sufficient diameter is used to connect the float with the counter-balance-
lever, we employ a slender wire C, and this passes out through the casing A, and
through a cup Z. The passage while being sufficiently large to allow the wire to
move freely through it, will not allow any appreciable amount of steam to escape
beside the wire, and the cup may serve to hold water or other liquid, if desired,
which will form a sort of packing. This, however, we have not found to be
necessary, as there is no appreciable leakage around the small wires which we have
used to make the connection.

page_text: This avoids the friction incidental to the use of stuffing boxes, as they must be
packed tight enough to prevent leakage, and when this is done, they are apt to be
so tight as to prevent the delicate action and movement of the parts which are
necessary to make the trap effective.
A pet-cock may be fitted to the trap to allow the water to escape, when desired,
and a gage-glass is also affixed, so that the operation may be seen at a glance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
we claim is,-
1. In a steam-trap, an exterior casing having an inlet-passage, and an outlet-
passage with a controlling-valve, as shown, in combination with a float, a ribbon D,
and rod C, for suspending the float, and a counter-balance and weight, said float
being made in the form of an annular chamber with open center, and with the
sides made wider at the top than at the bottom, substantially as herein described.
2. In a steam-trap, an exterior casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valve
controlling the outlet-passage, and connected with an annular float within the
case, the movement of which actuates said valves, a ribbon and rod, by which said
float is suspended, extending up through the top of the casing and connected with
the counter-balance-lever above, in combination with a stop on the exterior of the
casing, by which the downward movement of the outer end of the lever is arrested,
substantially as herein described.
3. In a steam-trap, an exterior casing having inlet and outlet passages, a valve
by which the escape of water is regulated, and a float suspended within the casing
and connected with said valve, an exterior counter-balance-lever fulcrumed above
the casing, together with a flexible ribbon, and a stem or wire of small diameter
passing through the top of the casing and connected with the float, and an exterior
cup surrounding said wire, whereby the stuffing-box is dispensed with, substantially
as herein described.
4. In a steam-trap, a casing having inlet and outlet-passages, a valve controlling
the escape of water from the latter, a float connected with and operating said
valve, a counter-balance-lever fulcrumed to the exterior casing, a flexible ribbon,
and stem or wire, by which the float is connected with the lever through the top
of the casing, together with the split clamps and nuts, whereby the ends of the
ribbons and wire are connected, adjusted, and held, and the lower end of the wire
is connected with the float, substantially as herein described.
Dated
COL 1
1000