Improvements in Steam Traps.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec.,
1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
I AARON BRADSHAW Griffin Works, Willows Lane, Accrington Lancashire
Engineer and Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
"
"float" traps and are
These improvements relate to steam traps known as
intended to remedy certain defects heretofore existing in "float" steam traps and
are as follows, viz. Into a suitably formed body casting having a connection for
steam pipe requiring to be drained I fit a hollow piston valve which closes upon a
seating of "woodite, ebonite or other suitable material the said seating being
held in its place by means of a screw plug so that by removing the said screw plug
the seating is also removed and the piston valve also may be removed from the body
casting when the said screw plug is withdrawn thus overcoming a great inconvenience
heretofore experienced in the examination of steam trap valves and seatings. In a
steam trap constructed under these improvements the valve and seating may be
removed from body casting for examination and replaced in two minutes.
The said piston valve is pressed to its seating by means of a hollow float attached
to one end of a tubular arm lever the other end of said lever being screwed upon
one end of a hollow spindle the other end of said spindle having a finger piece cast
upon it the said finger piece taking hold of a notched arm on back end of piston
valve. The said hollow float works inside a suitable vessel having a bearing fixed
upon one side of it to support aforesaid hollow spindle and also body casting in
which piston valve works and when the said vessel is free from water the hollow
float rests upon bottom of vessel and by means of tubular arm lever and hollow
spindle with finger piece taking hold of arm on back end of piston valve causes the
said piston valve to leave its seating and any water formed in apparatus to be
drained passes through the said piston valve hollow spindle and tubular arm into
float aforesaid and when float is full of water it by means of a discharge pipe begins
to overflow into vessel containing float. So long as water alone enters hollow float
it remains in its lowest position but when steam is admitted into said float it drives
out all water the said float contains which then rises in the water contained in
vessel and by means of the aforesaid apparatus presses piston valve upon its seating
and so stops the flow of steam a sudden rush of steam into hollow float will cause it
to move rapidly up and down and sometimes to strike bottom of vessel in which the
said float works and so damages the bottom of float. To prevent the said float
receiving damage as aforesaid I fix a hollow pillar inside it in such position that
the said pillar is vertical when float is in its lowest position the said pillar is
provided with a foot formed to suit shape of bottom of hollow float and the
said pillar is also slotted on its lower end and is connected to discharge pipe on
its upper end so that the said pillar acts also as discharge pipe to said float. Upon
aforesaid body casting I arrange a "by pass". valve so that apparatus to be drained
may discharge into float aforesaid independently of piston valve thus avoiding the
necessity for keeping float in its lowest position except by gravity.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam Traps.
[ AARON BRADshaw Griffin Works, Willows Lane, Accrington, Lancashire,
Engineer and Brass Founder, 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 :-
"
"float traps and are
"
"
These improvements relate to steam traps known as
intended to remedy certain defects heretofore existing in "float steam traps, and
are as follows, viz. Into a suitable body casting formed with a connection for
steam pipe to be drained I fit a hollow piston valve which closes upon a "woodite
" ebonite or other suitable seating, the said seating being held in its place by
means of a screw plug so that by removing the said screw plug the seating is also
removed and the piston valve may be withdrawn thus overcoming a great incon-
venience heretofore experienced in the examination of steam trap valves and
seatings.
The said piston valve is pressed to its seating by means of a hollow float attached
to one end of a tubular arm lever the other end of said lever being screwed upon
one end of a hollow spindle by means of a nut and union the other end of said
hollow spindle has a finger piece cast upon it the said finger piece taking hold of a
notched arm on back end of or into a hole formed in suitable position in piston
valve.
The said hollow float works inside a suitable vessel said vessel having a bearing
fixed upon one side of it to support aforesaid hollow spindle and also body casting
in which piston valve works and, when the said vessel is free from water the
hollow float rests upon the bottom of vessel and by means of the tubular arm
lever and hollow spindle with finger piece aforesaid causes the said piston valve
to leave its seating and any water formed in apparatus to be drained passes
through the said piston valve, hollow spindle and tubular arm into float afore
said and when float is full of water it by means of a discharge pipe begins to
overflow into vessel aforesaid. So long as water alone enters hollow Host it
remains in its lowest position but when steam is admitted into said float it drives
out all water said float contains said float then rises in the water contained in
vessel and by means of the aforesaid apparatus presses piston valve upon its seating
and thus stops the flow of steam, a sudden rush of steam into hollow float will
sometimes cause it to move rapidly up and down and to strike bottom of vessel
aforesaid and thus damage bottom of float.
To prevent the said float receiving damage as aforesaid I fix a hollow pillar
inside it in such position that the said pillar is vertical when float is in its lowest
position the said pillar is provided with a foot formed to suit shape of bottom of
said float and the said pillar is also slotted at its lower end and is connected to
discharge pipe on its upper end so that the said pillar acts also as discharge pipe to
said float.
The action of the hollow pillar is as follows, when all water from apparatus to be
drained has passed into hollow float and flowed freely through discharge pipe or
piece on upperside of hollow float into vessel containing float and thus passes away
as may be desired steam will then enter hollow float by means of the slots in
tubular arm lever and will cause the water contained in hollow float to enter hollow
pillar through the slots formed in lower end of said pillar and thus discharge into
vessel aforesaid, the hollow pillar thus acts as discharge pipe to said hollow float.
The said hollow pillar also serves to prevent float receiving damage when striking
bottom of vessel aforesaid. The hollow pillar also serves as a means for attaching
said hollow float to tubular arm lever thus releiving the shell of said hollow float
from all strain and makes the attachment permanent.
Upon aforesaid body casting I arrange a "by pass" valve so that apparatus to

page_text: be drained may discharge into float aforesaid independently of piston valve. And
in order that the said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will now describe the drawings hereunto annexed, Note-In the
following description the term "finger stud is employed when describing the
"hollow spindle" which is also denoted in the drawings by the letter F.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1. is a vertical section on line 5. 6. Fig. 4 of body casting, hollow piston
valve, and "by pass" valve.
Fig. 2. is a vertical section of body casting and hollow piston valve having
notched arm for finger stud to lay hold upon.
Fig. 3. is a longitudinal vertical section on line 7. 8. Fig. 5. of vessel, float,
hollow pillar, discharge pipe and tubular arm.
Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 3. 4. Fig. 3. of vessel, finger stud,
nut and union, and body casting.
Fig. 5. is a diagonal section on line 1. 2. Fig. 3. of vessel, float, tubular arm,
finger stud and body casting.
"
or
The letters of reference represent the same parts in each of the figures viz.
A. orifice for connecting pipe to be drained B. screw plug, C. "woodite'
other material for seating, D. body casting, E. piston valve, F. finger stud,
G. notched arm on back end of piston valve, H. hole in piston valve to receive
finger stud, J. "by pass" valve K. hollow float, L. hollow pillar, M. discharge
pipe N. tubular arm lever, O. nut and union.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
First. I claim in the manufacture of steam traps the removable seating B. C. the
hollow piston valve E and the hollow finger stud F when used in combination with
the tubular arm lever N and hollow float K and for the purpose named.
Second. I claim in steam traps the nut and union O. when in combination with
tubular arm lever N. and the finger stud F.
Third. I claim the hollow slotted pillar L when operating in steam traps as
described and set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1892.