Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Loft 9th Doc 1805 Accented 18th Jan 1897
We ALFRED EDWARD JACKSON, Engineer of 26 Bramerton Street, Chelsea
London S.W. and JOHN PERCY JACKSON, Engineer of Wayland Kenilworth
Warwickshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-.
This invention relates to an improved steam trap, or means of automatically
draining away water of condensation from steam pipes, steam separators or
receivers, engine cylinders or jackets, or any other receptacles from which it is
required to remove water of condensation.
The object of this invention is chiefly to make an apparatus simpler and less
costly than other traps in which floating vessels are employed.
The apparatus consists essentially of an outer chamber or vessel providel with
an inlet pipe and suitable cover.
We do not bind ourselves always to construct a special outer chamber, which
may in some cases form part of a steam separator or receiver.
Inside this chamber is placed a bucket, or second chamber, open on the upper
side and capable of floating in a liquid in the outer vessel.
This floating bucket is supported and kept in position by means of a metal
tube which has an opening communicating with the bottom of the inside. of the
bucket.
To the other end of this tube is attached the valve, which is a circular piston
working up and down in a cylindrical valve chamber.
The hole through the metal tube is continuous right through the valve.
The outlet is in the side of the valve case and is alternately opened and closed
by the piston.
It will be noticed that the valve is balanced, that is to say, it is independent of
variations of pressure.
At the end of the valve chamber there is a small plunger, independent of the
valve itself, with a spindle passing out through a stuffing box, by means of which
the valve can, when desired, be opened and the trap blown through by hand from
outside.
Sufficient water is first put into the outer chamber to cause the bucket to float up
and close the valve.
In working, the condensed water entering the outer chamber flows into the
bucket and when sufficient has accumulated causes the bucket to sink, carrying
with it the tube and the piston valve which then uncovers the outlet and allows the
water in the bucket to escape through the tube and valve and away through the
outlet.
When the water is reduced in the bucket it rises and closes the valve.
Deted this Seventh day of March 1896

page_text: We, ALFRED EDWARD JACKSON, formerly of 26, Bramerton Street, Chelsea,
in the County of London, now of 64, Elliscombe Road, Charlton, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, and JOHN PERCY JACKSON, of Waylaud, Kenilworth, in the
County of Warwick, 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 an improved steam trap or means for automatically
draining water of condensation from steam pipes, steam separators or receivers,
engine cylinders or jackets or from any other receptacles from which it is required
to draw off water of condensation, the said invention having for its object to
provide more simple and less costly apparatus than heretofore.
According to our invention we provide an outer chamber or vessel having a
suitable cover and an inlet pipe. Within the said outer chamber or vessel we
arrange a bucket or second chamber open at its upper end and adapted to float in
a liquid contained in the outer chamber or vessel.
To the bottom of the bucket we secure the lower end of a tube the upper end of
which passes through the cover of the outer chamber or vessel into a valve
chamber in which a valve or piston on the end of the said tube works. The valve
is made hollow, the passage through the same being continuous with that of the
tube the lower end of which is provided with holes or perforations whereby
the interior of the said tube is placed in communication with the interior of the
bucket.
In connection with our improved steam trap we advantageously arrange at the
end of the valve cylinder a plunger having a spindle passing through a stuffing
box in the valve chamber the said plunger being adapted to enable the valve to be
forced down by hand when desired.
We sometimes construct our steam trap in combination with a steam separator
and in this case the tube attached to the bucket is advantageously elongated so as
to pass through the said separator.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam trap made according to our invention:
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of a combined steam separator and trap
constructed according to our invention.
a is the outer chamber or vessel, b the cover thereof and c the inlet pipe which
is screwed into and passes through the said cover b. The vessel a is designed, as
shewn in the drawings, to contain water.
d is the bucket and e the tube, preferably of metal, which is secured to the
bottom of the bucket d, as shewn, and passes up through an opening 6 in the
cover b.
fis the valve or piston which is cylindrical in form and is attached to the end of
the tube e and g is the valve chamber in which the valve f works and which is
bolted or otherwise secured to the cover b of the vessel a. As shewn clearly in
the drawings the cylindrical valve f is made hollow, the interior of the same being
continuous with that of the metal tube e the bottom of which is provided with
perforations or holes h, h which place the said tube in communication with the
bottom of the bucket d."
i is the outlet of the valve chamber g the said outlet being covered and uncovered
by the movement of the valve in the valve chamber g.

page_text: In the drawings we have shewn the valve provided with packing rings f¹³, `ƒ³
although it is not essential that such packing rings be employed.
The bottom of the vessel a is provided with a projecting pin or stop al against
which a stop d¹ on the underside of the bucket d comes in contact when the said
bucket is in its lowermost position.
jis the plunger and the rod of the same which rod passes through the stuffing
box gl in the upper end of the valve chamber g. The outer end of the rod j¹ is
provided with a button or knob and also with a spring which normally keeps the
plunger in its uppermost position out of contact with the upper end of the valve f
as shewn in the drawings.
The operation of our steam trap is as follows:-Sufficient water or other liquid
is supplied to the vessel a to float the bucket d so as to raise the valve f to cover
the outlet from the valve chamber g. The inlet pipe c, being connected to a
steam separator or to the portion of the steam pipe which requires draining,
condensed water drops through the said inlet pipe e into the bucket d. When a
certain quantity of water has Bowed into the bucket the latter sinks thus uncovering
the outlet i from the valve chamber g so that the water in the bucket d is blown
through the perforations or openings & into the tube e through the valve and out
through the said outlet i. As soon as the water has been blown away the bucket d
rises, thereby causing the valve f to close the outlet i.
When it is required to blow through by hand the button or knob on the rod j
is depressed so as to cause the plunger j to force down the valve f and uncover
the outlet i.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2 our steam trap is combined with a steam
separator. In this apparatus the cover b of the trap is dispensed with and the
body k of the steam separator is bolted on to the outer chamber a of the steam
trap. is the inlet for the steam, m the outlet for the same and n an inclined
plate against which the steam, which flows through the separator in the direction
of the arrows, impinges and is caused to deposit its water which drops into the
bucket d of the trap. The tube e is lengthened so as to pass up-through the
separator as shewn. o is a perforated metal plate arranged above the bucket d
to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into the same.
It will be obvious that we can arrange our improved steam trap with the bucket
on the upper end of the tube e. In this case the valve is fitted to the bottom of
the vessel a and its passage does not pass completely through it but opens laterally
into the valve chamber.
With our construction of steam trap it will be obvious that the valve is balanced
and that no steam is wasted as the trap does not blow off until a certain quantity of
water is present.
It will also be obvious that the working parts of our steam trap can be got at
with great facility it being only necessary to unscrew the flange securing the valve
chamber g to the cover b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In a steam trap the employment, in a closed vessel containing a liquid and
having an inlet for the condensed water and for its steam, of a bucket attached to
and communicating with the interior of a tube which passes through the vessel and
is provided at its outer end with a piston or valve having a passage through it
continuous with that of the tube and working in a valve chamber having an outlet the
opening of which is controlled by the movement of the bucket, substantially as, and
for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
2. In a steam trap having an outlet for the water controlled by a piston or valve
operated by a floating bucket the employment of a plunger normally held out of
contact with the piston and having a rod passing through the valve chamber, by

page_text: means of which rod the plunger can be depressed substantially as, and for the
purpose, herein before described.
3. The manufacture and use of the improved steam trap hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The manufacture and use of the steam trap combined with the steam
separator as herein before described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 8th day of December 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.