Improved Means for Automatically Removing Water of Condensation from Pipes or other Steam-charged Receptacles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
Improved Means for Automatically Removing Water of Condensation
from Pipes or other Steam-charged Receptacles.
We, JULES GROUVELLE and HENRI ARQUEMBOURG, trading as La Société Jules
Grouvelle et H. Arquembourg, of 71, Rue du Moulin-Vert, Paris, in the French
Republic, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and-by the following statement:-
The object of this application is to describe and claim the improvements con-
ceived by us and applicable in general to automatic apparatus for trapping and
discharging water of condensation, but more particularly to those in which the
steam is liable to undergo (of course within given limits) considerable variations
of pressure and consequently of temperature, such description being made with the
aid of the accompanying drawings and in relation to a special construction of such
apparatus, taken by way of example.
in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of our improved auto-
matic apparatus for trapping and discharging water of condensation; Fig. 2 being
a longitudinal section along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. The arrows in Fig. 2 indi-
cate the direction of flow of the steam and water of condensation. As will be seen
from the drawings, a casing A, having at each end a flange, is furnished in the
interior with longitudinal ribs a, and laterally with a tubular opening a¹ terminat-
ing in a flange. The ribs a serve as guides to the corrugated metallic tube B,
which is capable of longitudinal expansion and contraction under the influence of
change of temperature. Into the one end of the casing A a valve seating a² is
screwed, whilst the other end is closed by a flanged cover a³, secured by bolts and
furnished with a nipple whereon is screwed a cap a. Upon removing the cap a*,
In the left-hand end of the
the regulation of the apparatus may be effected.
tube B, is brazed a socket piece b, and, in the right-hand end, is brazed a hollow
screw-threaded rod 61, the latter passing through the cover a³ and. terminating in
a squared portion for the reception of a key for the purpose of regulating the
apparatus by displacing the tube B, in either direction, along its axial line. The
tube B is filled, through the perforation in the rod b', with some liquid (minerat
oil, for example and by preference) which expands or contracts considerably under
slight variations of temperature, a pin 6x being driven with force into the slightly
conical reduced portion of the perforation in the rod b', and the closure effected by
the application of a drop of solder at the point 62. Into the socket piece b, the
end of a piston rod 63 is screwed, the piston working in a cylinder 65, which, in
turn, is screwed into the winged valve b, the wings of the latter working in the
seating a A spiral or other suitable spring 64 is enclosed in the cylinder b* and,
in order that the movements of the piston pertaining to the rod 63 may not be
interfered with in any way by the water of condensation, it is drilled with converging
holes 6. This being understood, and the various parts of the whole arrangement
considered as occupying the positions represented in the drawings, the action of the
apparatus is as follows;-The valve 65 being completely opened, steam passes
freely into the casing A, the high temperature of the steam causing the gradual

page_text: elongation of the tube B, with the result that the valve 65, through the medium
of the spring 6, is gradually pressed against the seating a². Thereupon the water
of condensation accumulates in the casing A, and more or less completely immerses
the tube B. The water of condensation then cools, so that the tube B, whereof the
length is now gradually diminished, owing to the lower temperature prevailing
in the casing A, slowly withdraws the valve 65 from the seating a², and thus
enables the water of condensation to flow out of the said casing A. The same cycle
of operations recurs, in the same order, so long as steam enters through the
tubular opening a'. Assuming, further, that when the valve 65 has been pressed
against the seating a², the pressure of the steam contained in the casing A increases
to a considerable extent, it will be perceived that the tube B will not be liable to
become deformed in consequence of an increase in the volume of the liquid con-
tained therein, to which there could be no sufficient corresponding extension of
the said tube B, the latter, in fact, needing only to compress the spring 64, more
or less to the point of approximately flattening it, in order to avoid any deforma-
tion which could not occur without sooner or later interfering with the proper
action of the apparatus. It will thus be readily understood that, in order to
facilitate and expedite the variations of the temperature under which the apparatus
is rendered operative, it may be useful to furnish the casing A with external ribs,
like those a represented in the drawing by lines and dots. If the apparatus,
instead of working with the axis of the tube B placed horizontally (as assumed in
the preceding description), works with the axis of the said tube B placed vertically
(that is to say: with the regulating arrangement turned upwards), the spring b
may be dispensed with, its effect, in this instance, being replaced by that of the
weight of the device comprising the valve and the cylinder 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we claim :-
The herein described means for, automatically removing water of condensation
from pipes or other steam-charged receptacles, comprising a casing enclosing an
expansion-tube charged with mineral oil and provided with means for regulating
the extent of its longitudinal movement, the said expansion-tube indirectly actuat-
ing (in order to prevent its own deformation) a valve which closes the outlet from
the casing upon the escape of the water collected and the entry of steam in its
place.