US727075A - Steam-trap. - Google Patents

Description

No. 727.075. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. v

R. G. .BROOKE.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED r1112. 9. 1901.

no MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L .Zhvenfor W71 esses No. 727,075. PATENTED MAY 5,190.3. R. G. BROOKEL' STEAM TRAP.

APPLIQATION FILED rm 9, 1901.

N0 MODEL. N z w 3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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nlllln W t'nesses iii/wen tor I Y v l YHE N'JRS OIWASNAHCTEIN'. C. C I

o bracket, or other connection.

UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

FFICE.

PATENT STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 727,075, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed February 9,1901. Serial No. 46.674. (No model.)

5 land, have invented Improvements in Steam- Traps, of which the following is a tion.

This invention has reference to an improved construction of expansion steam-trap specificaof the kind wherein the water-discharge opening from the expansion-tube of the trap is controlled by a valve that is pushed off its seat in an inward direction against the fluidpressure within the expansion-tube by contraction of such tube, is closed in an outward direction by the direct action upon it of the fluid-pressure within the tube when the latter rexpands upon the admission of steam thereto, and is disconnected from the device used for directly opening it, so that.

when pushed off its seat it is capable ofjopening automatically to a further extent inde-- pendently of the opening device in order that the valve may open fully and quickly and 2 5 admit of the water being suddenly discharged from the tube with a pop-like action, after which the tube is again expanded by the entrance of steam thereto and the valve quickly closed and held closed by internalsteam-pressure until the tube again contracts.

The present invention consistsin improved constructions of steam-traps of the kind referred to and in certain combinations and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter de- 5 scribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 shows, partly in vertical section onthe line A A of Fig. 2 and partly in side elevation, and Fig. 2 in end elevation, one construction 0 of steam-trap constructed according to this invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view showing a modified construction. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan and Fig. 6, a cross-section on the-line B B of Fig.

5, showing a further modification.

The steam-trap shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a straight expansion-tube a, that is provided at its inlet end with a flange, A flange b is shown, by which it can be attached to a steampipe or other vessel to be drained of water of condensation. At its other end the said tube is provided with a valve-box 0, having longitudinal inlet and outlet branches d and 6, respectively, separated by a horizontal wall or partition f, in which is a water-discharge aperture g. Below the partition is a conical valve h, carried by a stem m, the lower part it of which works in a guide 0, carried by a screw-plugp, fixed to the bottom of the valvebox 0. The upper part of the valve-stem m passes through a screw cap or cover q, that is fixed to the top of the valve-box and may, as shown, be adapted to serve as a stufiingbox for the said stem. Between the valve h and its lower guide 0 and surrounding the lower part at of the valve-stem is or may be a light coiled spring r, that tends to raise the valve to its seat 8, which is formed on the lower side of the wall or partition f and around the aperture 9 therethrougb.

For pushing the valve inward and off its seat there is jointed, by means of a pin 6, to lugs to on the top-of the valve-box c a bent bar'or lever 12, (hereinafter called the bent lever 01,) that is more or less of bell-crank or L shape, and a normally horizontal portion '0 of which is adapted, as by a downwardlyextending projection m, to rest upon the top of the projecting endof the valve-stem m, and between the flange b or its equivalent and an upwardly-extending portion 12 of the bent lever 12 is a horizontal or approximately horizontal rigid rod 1, that acts on the contraction of the tube a to partly turn the bent lever 12 on its pivot 75 and force the valve-stem an inward to push the valve off its seat. The said rod 1 is adjustable endwise for setting the steam-trap to open upon a predetermined contraction of the tube taking place. This adjustment, which is the only one necessary for putting the trap in working order, can be arranged for in various'ways; In the exarnple now being described the rod 1 is madein two parts, connected together by a sleeve 2, having right and left handed screw-threads engaging the correspondingly screw-threaded ends of the two parts of the rod.

As will be seen, the arrangement is such that when the expansion-tube a contracts it will move back the fulcrum-pin 25 of the bent lever o and cause the recessed upper part '0 of the said lever to be forced against the rigid rod 1, with the result that the bent lever 'u will be caused to turn about its pivot and its forward end to move downward and depress the valve-spindle m and open the valve it against the fluid-pressure within the trap, whereupon the said valve will be immediately opened to a further extent by the issuing Water independently of the bent lever '11, so as to allow of the pop-like action hereinbefore described, the valve automatically closing immediately the water is ejected and replaced by steam. I

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the rear end of the rigid rod 1 bears against one end of a lever 3, that surrounds the expansion-tube a and is fulcruined on lugs or projections 4, extending from the front side of the flange b or its equivalent, a similar rigid rod 1 being placed between the other end of the said lever 3 and the valve-box 0. By this means the movement of the valve 72. for agiven contraction of the expansion-tube a is increased. In this example endwiseadjustment of the rod 1 is provided for by arranging the rear end of the said rod to rest against a concave seat 5 in an endwise-adjustable setscrew 6, fixed in the adjacent end of the bent lever 3.

A suitable device may in each case be provided for enabling the steam-trap to be blown through from time to time for testing or other purposes. A suitable device for this purpose comprises, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a cam or eccentric 9, provided with a hand-lever 10 and pivoted by a pin 11 to lugs 12 on the valve-box c, the arrangement being such that by turning the handle 10 the cam or eccentric 9 will be caused to depress the bent lever 12 and the valve-stem m, and so open the valve h against the fluid-pressure within the trap. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the bent lever v has extending through its forward or free end a screw 13, the upper end of which is provided with a handle 10 and the lower end or head let of which bears upon the top of the valve-stem m, so as to depress the same and open the valve h when the handle is turned in one direction.

A suitably-arranged spring or equivalent is or may be provided for keeping the ends of the rigid rod or rods 1 1 at all times in close contact with such parts of the apparatus as they are intended to abut against, so as to prevent backlash and, further, to prevent the bent lever 12 and the said rod or rigid rods and the interposed lever 3, Fig. 3, from shaking or rattling. In the arrangement shown for this purpose in Figs. 1 and 3 a coiled spring 15 is placed between the top of the valve-box c and the under side of the bent lever 12. In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 4 the coiled spring 15 is placed between a lug c on the top of the valve-box c and a lug 7J3, extending downward from the bent lever 11, which in this case is approximately of T shape, the said spring'15 being held in place by a pin 16, fixed to the said lug c and extending into a hole in the lug '0 In the further modified arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the bent lever '0 is fixed to its pivot-pin t, to one end of which is connected one end of a spring-for example, a helical spring 15-the other end of which is connected to the lug or bracket to, in which the pin 25 is mounted. The spring may, as shown, be inclosed in a recess 19, closed by a screw-cap 20.

Although in the steam-traps hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings, the expansion-tube a is horizontal and the valve- ,stem m vertical, it is obvious that such steamstraps can be used in various positions-for example, with the expansion-tube a, vertical and the valve-stem m horizontal.

WVhat I claim is--- 1. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-box carried by the outer or free end thereof and formed with a water-discharge aperture, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture so as tocontrol the same and provided with an outwardlyextending stem, valve-operating means disconnected from said valve and adapted on contraction of said tube to press said stem inward and force said valve ofi its seat in an inward direction against the fluid-pressure in said tube, and means tending to move said valveoperating means away from said valve and to put it in compression, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-box fixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperture therethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture and adapted to control the passage of water therethrough, a valve-stem extending outward through said valve-box, a spring having a constant tendency to move said valve in an outward direction to close it, a bent lever and an abutment device adapted on contraction of said tube, to force said valve-stem and valve inward against the said spring and the fluid-pressure within said tube, and a spring arranged between said valve-box and bent lever and tending to move said bent lever from said valve-stem, substantially as described.

3. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-box fixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperture therethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture and adapted to control the passage of water therethrough, a valve-stem extending outward through said valve-box, a spring having a constant tendency to move said valve in an outward direction to close it, a bent lever and an abutment device adapted on contraction of said tube, to force said valve-stem and valve inward against the said spring and the fiuid-pressure within said tube, and an adjustable device carried by said bent lever, adapted to be operated by hand, and to force said valve-stem and valve inward independently of any movement of said bent lever, substantially as described.

4. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, avalve-box fixed to its outer and to movesaid lever, valve-stem and valve inward on con traction of said expansion-tube,

substantially as described.

5. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-box fixed to its outer free'end and having a water-discharge aperture therethrough 'with an annular seat around its inner end, a conical valve located at the inner side of said aperture and adapted to bear against said seat, a stem carrying said valve and extending outward through said valve-box, a bent lever carried by said valve-box and adapted to bear against the outer end of said stem but disconnected therefrom, an abutment, and an endWise-adjustable rod acting at one end against said lever between its two ends and at the other end against said abutment and adapted on contraction of said expansion-tube to move said lever in a direction to force said valve-stem and valve inward, substantially as described.

6. An expansion steam-trap comprising an expansion-tube, a valve-box fixed to its outer free end and having a water-discharge aperture therethrough, a valve arranged at the inner side of said aperture and adapted to control the same, a stem carrying said valve and extending outward through said valvebox, a bent lever carried by said valve-box and adapted to bear against the outer end of said stem but disconnected therefrom, a second lever pivoted to a fixed support, a rod acting at one end against said bent lever and at the other end against one arm of said sec ond lever, a second rod acting at one end against the opposite arm of said second lever and at the other end against said valve-box, said rods being arranged practically parallel to said tube and adapted to force said valve inward on contraction of said tube, and a spring arranged to press said levers and rods into close contact with each other and against said valve-box, substantially as described.

7. An expansion steam-trap comprising the expansion-tube at having at one end an attach ment b and at the other end a valve-box 0 formed with passages d, e and a connectingaperture 9, the valve h arranged at the inner side of said aperture and provided with a stem m extending through said valve-box,

thebent lever '12 jointed to said valve-box and extending over said valve-stem, the lever 3 surrounding said tube a and pivoted on extensions of said attachment 1), the rods 1, 1

, arranged between said leversv and 3 and said valve-box c, the spring 15 between said valve box and lever'u, and means for adjusting one of said rods endwise, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

Signed at the city of Manchester, in the I county of Lancaster, England, this 22d day of January, 1901.

ROBERT GRUNDY BROOKE. Witnesses:

EDWIN J ONES, WILLIAM. HASLAM.

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