IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM VAPOURS OR GASEOUS FLUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM
VAPOURS OR GASEOUS FLUIDS."-A communication from abroad by Paul
Eugène Geneste, junior, Charles Georges Herscher, and Ernest
Herscher, all of Paris, in the Republic of France. Engincers:
Sealed the 21st August 1875, and dated the 5th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th March 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS
FROM VAPOURS OR GASEOUS FLUIDS," a communication to me from abroad by
Paul Eugène Geneste, junior, Charles Georges Herscher, and Ernest
Hercher, all of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for blowing off or

page_text: for example, as the water of condensation from steam pipes, the water
carried along in pipes for compressed air, and the like.
In carrying out this Invention the apparatus is composed of a vessel,
into which the vapour or gas carrying the water enters by a tube or
passage above. Inside this vessel there is provided a shaft working on
two pivots or bearings, and carrying two arms at right angles to its axis,
upon which are placed two bodies of different densities arranged in such
a manner as to balance cach other. A small toothed wheel is keyed
upon the central shaft, upon which is wound a chain attached at onc
end to a sliding valve which works over an aperture in its seat. As soon
as the water reaches the apparatus it accumulates at the bottom of the
vessel, and as the respective volumes of the two bodies are necessarily
unequal, the equilibrium of the hydrostatic balance is destroyed, and the
body of least density is raised by floating in the liquid. The rotary
motion thus imparted to the shaft winds up the chain, and the aperture
under the valve is gradually uncovered. The water then escapes by this
outlet aperture, the level sinks in the vessel and the equilibrium of the
balance is re-established until the accumulation of more water occasions
the reopening of the aperture. The valve is simply placed upon its seat
and retained there by being fitted loosely in side grooves or guides. The
seat is inclined in order to facilitate the adhesion of the valve, which
adhesion is still further augmented by the actual pressure inside the
vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 4th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of 30
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: '
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAPS
OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS FROM VAPOURS OR GASEOUS FLUIDS," a
communication to me from abroad by Paul Eugène Geneste, junior,
Charles Georges Herscher, and Ernest Herscher, all of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineers, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The said Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for blowing off
or separating automatically the water contained in vapours or gases,
such, for example, as the water of condensation from steam pipes or the
water carried along in pipes for compressed air and the like.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the annexed Drawing, which represents a vertical section
of an apparatus for the above purposes constructed in accordance with
the said Invention.
A is a case or vessel (composed by preference of cast iron) into which
A
A
from which the water is to be connavated in interdud

page_text: through the pipe D. In the interior of this case there is mounted a
shaft A', which is supported on two pivots or bearings so as to be free
to turn thereon, and is provided with arms a, a', at right angles to it,
upon which are respectively placed two bodies B, C, of different density,
arranged in such a manner as to balance each other.
:
In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing a stone is employed on the
side B, the density of which is three, and on the other side Ca weight
of lead, the density of which is thirteen, but any other bodies of different
densities may be used for the purpose. Upon the central shaft A¹ there
is keyed a small toothed wheel d, having secured to it one end of a
fusee chain b, the opposite end of which is attached to a sliding valve E
composed of bronze or other suitablo material. The valve E works in
contact with a scat c, which is perforated with a rectangular aperture G,
and is fixed in the position shown in the Drawing. The water arriving
in the apparatus accumulates at H, and as the volumes of the two
bodics B and C are necessarily unequal, the equilibrium of the hydro-
static balance is destroyed, and the body of least density B rises floating
in the liquid. The rotary motion thus imparted to the shaft A¹ has the.
effect of winding up the chain b, whereby the sliding valve E is caused
to gradually uncover the aperture G. The water then flows through the
aperture and tube G, the level is lowered in the case A, and the equi-
librium of the balance is restored until a fresh quantity of water causes
the reopening of the aperture G. The slide E is simply placed upon its
scat c, on which it is loosely retained by two small lateral guides. The
object of the inclination of the seat is to facilitate the adherence of the
slide, which adherence is further increased by the effective pressure in
the interior of the case.
• An aperture closed by a removable plug K is provided in order to
admit of the slide being cleaned in case of accidental obstruction.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the separating
of liquids from vapours or gaseous fluids by the employment of bodies
of different densities mounted in a state of equilibrium upon a pivot or
axis, and so arranged that by the accumulation of the liquid, the caui-

page_text: librium is disturbed and the liquid, or a portion thereof, is discharged,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the accom.
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this First day of
September One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.