Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
I, CHARLES RICHARD of 54 Rue Blanche, Paris, France, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of steam trap for which Letters Patent
No. 10,630 of 1885 were granted to O. Imray, being a communication to him from
me. In this apparatus were arranged a number of small passages alternating with
passages of large area, so that the steam in passing into the trap together with water
of condensation to be discharged was subjected to such successive expansions and
corresponding losses of pressure, that at the discharge opening for the water of
condensation the pressure was so much reduced that no escape of steam took place.
When the
My present improvements have for their object a simplification of the construction
of such apparatus, whereby it is capable of being readily regulated and cleansed.
For this purpose I construct a conical or tapering casing within which are a number
of loose discs or plates situated at small distances apart one above the other, and all
formed in one with or connected to a central stem, the lower end of which rests upon
an adjusting screw lever or incline provided at the lower smaller end of the casing
where the discharge pipe for the water of condensation is situated.
apparatus is at work, the series of discs or plates are so adjusted in position by the
screw that a narrow space intervenes between the edges of each of the discs and the
sides of the casing so that the steam entering the trap together with the water of
condensation at the upper larger end of the same, is caused to pass alternately through
the narrow spaces between the discs and the casings, and then into the comparatively
large spaces between each two discs being thus subjected to the before described con-
secutive expansions. The discs being made of a metal that has a different coefficient
of expansion from that of the metal of which the casing is made, it follows, that the

page_text: hotter the entering steam is, the smaller will be the interstices between the discs
and casing, owing to the increased expansion of the former, and consequently the
greater will be the reducing action of the trap. The edges of the discs are made
with exactly the same bevil as the taper of the casing, so that by lowering the discs
by means of the screw the interstices between the two can be reduced to an
exceedingly small extent, and by lowering them still further they may be made to fit
closely against the casing, thus forming an effectual shut off valve preventing all
escape. On the other hand by raising the discs up considerably by the screw they
can be removed to such an extent from the casing as to allow the apparatus to be
readily removed.
D
1711
CI
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, CHARLES RICHARD of 54, Rue Blanche, Paris, France, 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
This invention relates to a construction of steam trap for which Letters Patent
No. 10630 of 1885 were granted to O. Imray being communication to him from me.
In this apparatus were arranged a number of small passages alternating with passages
of large area, so that the steam in passing into the trap together with water of
condensation to be discharged was subjected to such successive expansions and
corresponding losses of pressure, that at the discharge opening for the water of
condensation the pressure was so much reduced that no escape of steam took place.
My present improvements have for their object a simplification of the constructure
of such apparatus, whereby it is capable of being readily regulated and cleansed. For
this purpose I construct a conical or tapering casing within which are a number of loose
discs or plates situated at small distances apart one above the other, and all formed in
one with or connected to a central stem, the lower end of which rests upon an
adjusting screw, lever, or incline provided at the lower smaller end of the casing
where the discharge pipe for the water of condensation is situated.
When the apparatus is at work, the series of discs or plates are so adjusted in
position by the screw that a narrow space intervenes between the edges of each of
the discs and the sides of the casing, so that the steam entering the trap together with
the water of condensation at the upper large end of the same, is caused to pass

page_text: alternately through the narrow spaces between the discs and the casings, and then
into the comparatively large spaces between each two discs, being thus subjected to
the before described consecutive expansions. The discs being made of a metal that
has a different coefficient of expansion from that of the metal of which the casing is
made, it follows, that the hotter the entering steam is, the smaller will be the
interstices between the discs and casing, owing to the increased expansion of the
former, and consequently the greater will be the reducing action of the trap. The
edges of the discs are made with exactly the same bevil as the taper of the casing, so
that by lowering the discs by means of the screw, the interstices between the two can
be reduced to an exceedingly small extent, and by lowering them still further they
may be made to fit closely against the casing, thus forming an effectual shut-off
valve, preventing all escape. On the other hand, by raising the discs up considerably
by the screw they can be removed to such an extent from the casing as to allow the
apparatus to be readily cleansed.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a vertical section of one arrangement
of my before described invention. Within the conical casing of the steam trap are a
series of discs A formed of a material that expands more readily than that of which
the casing is made and which are formed in one with or fixed to a central stem T of
any suitable material, but by preference of iron or bronze.
This stem rests at bottom upon an adjusting screw V passing through a screwed
bush E in the casing, by which the stem together with the discs can be raised or
lowered. The edges of the discs are turned so as to have exactly the same degree of
conicity as the interior of the casing, so that when lowered by the screw V so as to
touch the casing, a tight joint will be made between them, while by raising the discs
more or less from that position, narrow passages will be formed between them and the
casing for the escape downwards of the water of condensation as described.
For cleansing the steam trap, the discs are raised so as to leave sufficient room
between them and the casing for that purpose.
Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of another arrangement in which a single disc a of
greater depth has three or more projecting circular ribs c formed thereon having
grooves 6 between them, or, in other words, the central stem of the first arrangement
is enlarged in diameter so as to reduce the spaces between the discs to grooves. This
construction has the advantage of avoiding difficulties of accurate adjustment that
may arise through the warping of the discs in the first arrangement.
The screw rode is in this case provided at its upper end with a head by which it is
connected to the disc a by means of a divided plate secured to the underside of the
latter, so that it is free to turn independently of the disc a. The bush & through
which the rod screws is also screwed into the casing thus allowing of a very accurate
adjustment of the parts.
Fig. 3 shews a modification in which the discs A A are constructed in a similar
manner to Fig. 1, but are made thicker towards the centre, to prevent warping. The
taper of the discs and of the casing is made in the opposite direction to that shewn at
Fig. 1, so that for cleansing the apparatus, the discs are lowered instead of being
raised. The steam enters the casing through the opening C, passing first into a
chamber B in which it expands and from which it then passes through the lower
chamber containing the discs.
The screw spindle e passes through a screwed bush d as in Fig. 2, below which the
spindle is provided with a collar h.
By this arrangement the easy and rapid accurate setting of the apparatus after
cleansing is facilitated, the screw spindle d being first screwed with its collar close
against the lower end of the bush d, after which this is then screwed inward until the
spindle has raised the discs A to the exact height required for the proper action of
the apparatus. Thus the spindle can afterwards be screwed downwards in the bush
for lowering the discs to any required extent for cleaning the apparatus, and need
then only to be screwed up again till its collar bears against the end of the bush in
order to bring back the discs into their original working position.

page_text: It will be evident that in place of a screw a lever might be employed for regulating
the position of the discs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
1. An improved construction of steam traps wherein a number of superposed discs
or plates with tapering or conical edges and having spaces between the latter are
situated within a casing the sides of which have the same taper or conicity as the plates,
the discs or plates being of a material that will expand to a greater extent under heat
than the casing, and being adjustable by means of a screw or spindle, so as to bring
their edges into any required degree of proximity to the casing substantially as herein
described
2. In combination with steam traps constructed as set forth in the preceding claim
the use of a screwed bush d through which the regulating screw spindle e passes for
facilitating the adjustment of the apparatus, substantially as herein described.
3. In combination with steam traps constructed as set forth in the preceding claims,
the use of a chamber in which the steam is made to expand before acting upon the
discs substantially as herein described.
4. The improved constructions of steam trap herein described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.