IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING STEAM TRAPS PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Dove of No. 65 Percy Terrace, Cedars Road Water
Lane Stratford in the County of Essex Engineer for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING STEAM TRAPS PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS
BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lionel Dove at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th August 1882.
LIONEL DOVE, of 65 Percy Terrace, Cedars Road, Water Lane, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING STEAM TRAPS;
PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS
PURPOSES.
"
USEFUL
The object of my said Invention is to provide Steam Traps of an improved
construction, self acting, simple, reliable, and unlikely to get out of order; with
suitable cocks which work equally well under varying pressures of water, steam,
or air.
I construct Steam Traps with an outer system of cast iron or other suitable
material, and having a moveable lid or cover to render examination convenient.
This system has two holes in the sides, one for attaching the cock and union joint,
and the other for the exit of water. These holes are near the top of the system,
and the cistern is fixed below the level of the steam pipe requiring to be trapped or
drained.
The cock is so formed that the barrel is divided in the middle, about one thir.l
of the barrel being cut away, somewhat like the cross-head attached to a steam
engine piston rod. There are two passages leading through quadrantal pro-
visions to the centres of each of the two ends of the barrel. The barrel is bored
conically to receive the plug, which is accurately ground to fit the barrel, steam
and water tight, and has the usual screw and nut for tightening up. The plug is
hollowed out by curing longitudinally for a sufficient distance to open into three
transverse ports or openings. Two of such ports are opposite the two end ports of

page_text: the barrel and open and close such ports by partial rotation of the plug. The
third central port communicates with the central moveable portion of the barrel,
and a short length of pipe attached thereto, in such a manner that the same is always
open to the pipe. This pipe has an union whereby it is firmly secured to a float
consisting of a metallic vessel open only at the bottom except where the cock is
connected thereto near the top of the float. The central portion of the plug is
surrounded by a T piece of pipe, forming part of the short pipe which is fixed to
the float. This T piece embraces and surrounds the plug and is pinned thereto by
a screw or other device, so that when the T piece is raised or lowered by the float
the plug rotates to the same angle in its bearings; the cock is thereby opened
when the float falls, and is closed when the float rises.
The cock has long bearings and working surfaces and large ports, equally divided
in the body and plug, in order to insure equal expansion and contraction and thus
prevent changes of temperature and pressure from causing leakage.
A small pipe is connected to the end of the cock which passes through the
.cistern and also to the steam pipe to be drained.
Supposing that the cock is open by the float being down, and water to have
accumulated in the steam pipe requiring to be drained, such water will find its
way through the pipe and cock into the cistern, which it may partially fill, until it
rises to the level of the exit pipe, out of which all surplus water will then flow,
until the steam pipe is drained of water. Steam will then pass through the cock and
enter the float, which it raises by its pressure upon the surface of the water and
the underside of the top of the float. When the float has thus risen to a horizontal
position the cock is shut by the means before mentioned, and all waste of steam is
prevented. The steam in the float may then become partially condensed, when the
float will be slightly lowered, which operation opens the steam cock very slightly;
then if dry steam passes, the float is immediately raised and the cock shut, but if
water passes the draining operation is repeated.
It is obvious that by a slight modification the cock can be fitted with a ball or
other float for supplying ordinary water cisterns, and for other analogous
purposes.
My said invention is also applicable for air and water to escape from steam
jackets, jacketed pans, vacuum pans, brewing coppers, steam hammers, and high and
low pressure steam cylinders.
The form of cock herein before described is also applicable to many purposes
where cocks of the ordinary construction are liable to derangement and leakage for
want of sufficient area of contact surfaces and where a large area of port way may
.be required.
The long bearing and contact services also not only insure immunity from leakage,
but also insure the requisite steadiness and firmness in the motion of the float.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Lionel Dove in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th February
1883.
LIONEL DOVE, late of 65 Percy Terrace, Cedars Road Water Lane Stratford
Essex but now of Lime Cottages Whitta Road Manor Park Essex Engineer,
IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING STEAM TRAPS;-PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS
BEING ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
The object of my said invention is to provide steam traps of an improved con-
struction self acting simple reliable and unlikely to get out of order with improved
cocks capable of working equally well under varying pressures of water steam or
air such improved cocks being applicable not only to steam traps but also to many
other useful purposes.
I construct steam traps with an outer cistern of cast iron or other suitable
material and having a moveable lid or cover to render examination convenient-The
cistern is fitted with one of my improved cocks which is actuated by a float and
also a suitable spout for the exit of the water.
I construct steam and other cocks with a divided entrance from the supply the
fluid passing through two quadrantal passages to the barrel of the cock. The
barrel is bored conically to receive the plug which is accurately ground to fit the
barrel steam and water tight and has the usual screw and nut for tightening up.
The plug is made hollow and has two entrance ports corresponding to the entrance
ports in the barrel-The plug and barrel also have each a corresponding central
port for the passage outwards of the fluids.
This construction of steam and other cocks provides large working surfaces
which are favorable to endurance and prevent leakage and changes of temperature
are immediately distributed uniformly through the barrel and plug thus preventing
leakage arising from unequal expansion. The length of the plug and working
surfaces also render this form of cock particularly suitable for positions where great
steadiness of motion is desirable not only to steam traps but also to ball cocks
generally and to steam starting cocks and numerous other applications. It can
also be adapted to the measuring of wines and liquors the mere turning of the
plug causing the outlet of a definite quantity.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood reference is hereby
made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the several figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section shewing one arrangement of a steam
trap a is the cistern. b the cover, c is the junction from the steam pipe or other
construction requiring to be freed from water d is my improved cock to the plug
of which the float e is fixed and into which the cock opens-The construction of
this float will be readily understood from the section shewn in Figure 2.
When the float is in the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1 the cock
is open and the drain water will pass through it into the float which will sink the
float until all the water is drained out of the steam pipe steam will then flow and
drive out the drained water through the hole and passage g-This operation
lightens the float and causes it to rise to the level shewn in solid lines in Figure 1'
and also in Figure 2 the cock is then shut-The steam in the float will then begin
to condense whereupon the water will rise through the passage f and the float will

page_text: slowly sink and open the cock if there is no water to be drained a puff of steam
will cause the float again to rise and shut the cock and the operation will be
repeated automatically as long as there is pressure in the construction to be drained.
The surplus water runs away from the cistern by the pipe h. The holes ii are for
the emission of air.
Figure 3 is a side elevation: Figure 4 a front end elevation Figure 5 a sectional
elevation with the cock d open and Figure 6 a similar elevation with the cock d
shut of a modification of my improved steam trap-The cisterna is fitted with
the steam drain pipe c opening into the space covered by the small stationary
cistern e. This cistern is open at the bottom and rests in recesses in the top sides
of a In Figure 5 the floating ball e¹ has opened the cock-In Figure 6 the steam
has driven out the water and the ball has turned off the cock. The weight of the
inverted cistern e is sufficient to keep it in its place and prevent it from rising
when the water is out as seen in Figure 6 and no bolts are required to secure it.
Figure 7 is an external view of my improved cock Figure 8 is a section of the
same and Figure 9 is an external view of the plug-c is the way in and c¹ the way
out-kk are the quadrantal passages leading to and through the plug as clearly
shewn by the arrows-The exit pipe m is fixed to the middle of the plug which it
surrounds and is secured thereto by the screw n. This form of cock is suitable for
steam traps and ball valves as shewn in the preceding figures and also in Figure 10
which represents one of my improved ball cocks for ordinary water supply.
One of the advantages of my improved steam cocks is shewn in Figure 14-
Figure 13 represents an ordinary cock in section which is shut by rotating the
plug through a distance of ninety degrees: but it will be seen on reference to
Figures 8 and 9 that each of the three ports can be rotated through a distance of
One hundred and eighty degrees. This gives the ordinary plug an amount of
metal in contact of only Twenty four degrees as shewn in Figure 13 while my
improved arrangement gives One hundred and ten degrees of the metal in contact—
Thus affording greatly increased security against leakage.
Figures 11 and 12 shew the application of my said improvements to the measure-
ment of wines spirits and other liquors-c is the entrance down which the liquor
flows chiefly by the passage c¹ into the body of the plug -The small hole o
allows the air in the plug to escape into the passage c³-A screw plug p is fitted
in the handle on the removal of which the plug can be cleaned out.
In Figure 11 the plug is filled with the required measure of liquor. The passage
to c¹ is closed the air vent q is also closed
In Figure 12 the liquor is being emptied through c¹ the passages c² and o being
closed the air vent q open to allow air to enter as the liquor is emptied therefrom.
Figure 15 is a sectional elevation shewing the application of my said invention
as an elbow or right angled cock the fluid passing through one end of the plug and
barrel.
Figures 16, 17 and 18 shew the application of my said improvements to guage
glasses for steam boilers and analogous purposes.
Figure 16 is a side view-Figure 17 is a front view and Figure 18 a section on
the line of Figure 16-From the foregoing description. of my improvements
these figures will be readily understood.
The above description and annexed drawings are not intended to exhaust the
various applications to which my said invention is suited as the plug may be
operated from the centre or from one end or both ends and the current of the fluid
may be caused to travel in the contrary direction to that above described and the
same may be arranged and modified as flanged cap gland cocks bib cocks plug
cocks beer barrel cocks and other.forms.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood
that I lay no claim to any particular form of steam trap separately and distinctly
from my said improved form of cock as my said improved cock may be combined

page_text: with any form of steam trap as an improved combination but what I claim and
desire to be secured to ine is as follows:-
The manufacture and use of steam and other cocks with the several adaptations
thereof constructed in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn
on the drawings or any mere inodification thereof.
In Witness whereof I the said Lionel Dove have hereunto set my hand and
seal this tenth day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
LIONEL DOVE. (L.S.)