Improvements in Steam Traps for Collecting and Discharging the Water of Condensation from Heating and other Steam Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1900-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps for Collecting and Discharging the
Water of Condensation from Heating and other Steam Apparatus.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which
has been communicated to me from abroad by the Eureka Iron Company, a
corporation formed under the laws of California, and doing business at No 141,
Fust Street, in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
United States of America, Engineers) to be as follows
-
This invention consists of a main containing chamber having therein a
vertically moving float of any suitable form, provided with spindle formed valves
at its end or ends as the steam tap is to discharge free or against pressure, the
stems or spindles forming the valves also acting as guides to hold the float in a
vertical position and concentric in the containing chamber but without offering
any appreciable 1081stance to its 10tation when the float is buoyant in the water
collected in the main chamber, so the float may partake of any circular movement
of the water around it until the valve closes and offers a resistance to such
rotation
'
L
1000
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant
Improvements in Steam Traps for Collecting and Discharging the
Water of Condensation from Heating and other Steam Apparatus.
I, CHARLES ARTHUR ALLISON, of 52, Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which
has been communicated to me fiom abroad by the Eureka Lion Company, a
corporation formed under the laws of California, and doing business at No 141,
First Street, in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
United States of America, Engineers) 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 what are called steam traps for collecting and dis-
charging the water of condensation from heating and other steam apparatus and
to certain improvements therein
The improvements consist in a valve or valves connected to and opened directly

page_text: by movement of a float, the valves made integral with a pointed stem set in
the axis of the float, the latter being in suspension in the water when raised and
entuely free to revolve about its axis by the whirling or swirling action of the
escaping water and by such motion in closing continually re-grinding, the valves
so they will remain tight; also consists in other features hereinafter described
and illustrated in the drawings that form a part of this specification.
The object of the invention is to provide a direct acting steam trap of simple
construction that will re-grind and maintain its valves steam-tight, having no
moving part except the float and the valve, or valves, attached thereto, simple
in construction, not liable to leak or become deranged, and capable of manufacture
at moderate cost.
Refening to the diawings herewith.
'
Fig 118 a vertical section through a steam trap constructed according to the
invention adapted for discharging water of condensation into the open air
Fig 21 an enlarged section, in the same plane, of a valve and its seat made
according to the invention.
Fig is a vertical section through one of the improved steam traps adapted
for collecting and discharging water of condensation against pressure as in
the case of returning it to a steam boiler.
The same reference numerals are applied to conresponding parts in the
different hgures of the drawing
In that class of steam traps having duect action, that is, with valves con-
nected to and operated by a float, there is the common impediment that such
valves soon leak by reason of water and steam erosion, permitting continuous
escape, and by such leaking fail to open and close at distinct intervals, in the
manner intended and desued. These objections are avoided by my improvements as
will now be explained
Refering to the drawings and especially to Fig 1 thereof, the main containing
vessel 1 is made of any suitable form with a removable cover 2 and strong
enough to withstand the pressure within steam apparatus to which the trap
is connected
In the bottom and top of this vessel 1 are inserted nipples 3 that may be
integral with the valve seats as in Fig 1, oi compound with a removable tube 4
as in Fig 3, the result being the same except that renewal 18 less expensive in
the form shown in Fig 3
Within the main vessel 1 18 placed a vertically moving float 5 of the usual
construction except as to being provided with stems 6 that by preference are
in one piece passing through the float and securely tastened at its ends forming a
longitudinal stiut or support
The ends of these stems are pointed to form valves, as seen in Fig 2, that
fit upon a conical seat and close the passages through the nipples 3 in the common
manner of such valves, a guiding chamber 7 being formed in the nipples 3 to
support the stems 6 laterally, but with space enough around them to permit
a free passage for water and steam
In Fig 1 the stems 6 are pointed at both ends so the float can be placed
with either end downward or be inverted in case one end is worn by use Water
and steam enter by the pipe 8 that connects to some steam apparatus to be
drained and is discharged through a pipe 9 to some place of use or waste.
The operation is as follows The float 5 being at the bottom, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, and the valve closed by the weight of the float and to some extent
by pressure on the valve itself, the main vessel fills up to some predetermined
point, to the line 11 for example, then the buoyancy of the float causes it to rise,
opening the valve 19, permitting the water to escape from the vessel 1 down
to a point where the weight of the float alone will cause it to descend and
close the valve 19, down to the line 12 for example.
When the water begins to escape it soon attains a swirling motion, and the
float 5 being without resistance to its rotation, moves with the water and is ret

page_text: in revolution so that when the valve reaches its seat it impinges thereon with
a twisting action that continually abrades or wears the seat and maintains a fit
that prevents leaking.
Refeiring now to Fig 3 representing the same improvements applied to a
trap adapted for discharging against pressure, the main vessel float stems and
valves are the same except that there are two valves, one above and one below,
as seen in the diawing
Water of condensation enters the main chamber 1 through the pipe 14 and
escapes through the pipe 15 into the steam boiler 16 entering below the water
line as shown in the drawing In these pipes are check valves 17 and 18, the
former closing outward and the second closing inward in respect to the vessel 1
The pipes 21 and 22 are for steam or vapoi, as will be presently explained
The operation is as follows. The main vessel 1 being empty and the bottom
valve closed as seen in Fig 3, water from the pipe 14 flows in, filling the vessel 1
until the buoyancy of the float causes it to rise, opening the valve 19 at the
bottom and closing the one 20 at the top
Steam from the top of the boiler 16 then passes through the pipe 21 and
valve 19 into the main vessel, closing the check valve 17 and filling this vessel
until there is an equilibrium of pressure, then the water in the vessel 1 flows
by gravity down the pipe 15 into the boiler 16 und in so doing, especially when
the pipe 15 18 set tangential to the axis of the vessel 1, sets up a swirling action
that as soon as the weight of the float releases the valve at the top, causes the
float to be set in revolution as it descends, producing a rubbing oi e-grinding
effect on the valve 19, described in connection with Fig. 1
As soon as the valve 19 18 closed and the one 20 18 opened, pressure in the main
vessel 1 falls to that in the pipe 14, the check valve 17 opens and water begins
again to flow into the chamber 11. The vertical range of the float 5, which
should be greater than in Figure 1, 18 regulated by the length of the chambers 7
in the tubes 4
Most of the elements or parts here shown and described have been employed
in steam traps and are known to practice, but not arianged and operating in
the manner heie specified, or to produce a like result
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18—
A steam trap consisting of a main containing vessel or chamber, a vertically
moving float therein free to revolve about its vertical axis and provided with
a central stem forming a valve or valves, operating in the mannei substantially
as and for the purposes specified.