US2390749A

US2390749A - Steam trap governor

Info

Publication number: US2390749A
Application number: US491356A
Authority: US
Inventors: Swift Bert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-06-18
Filing date: 1943-06-18
Publication date: 1945-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1962-12-11

Description

Dec. 11, 1945.

B. SWIFT STEAM TRAP GOVERNOR Filed June 13, 1943 Fig. 1

56/7 SW/fi INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11 1945 STEAM TRAP GOVERNOR Bert Swift, Tulsa, Okla. i 1

Application June 18, 1943, Serial No. 491,356

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a governing means interposed between a steam trap and a steam line in which condensation accumulates, particularly in. long steam lines and has for its object to provide a governor which will reduce the steam pressure in the steam trap, thereby allowing the valve float to re -seat if the valve is held against reseating incident to steam pressure in the steam trap, consequently loss of steam through the steam trap, incident to the sticking of the float, is obviated.

A further object is to provide a steam governor for steam traps comprising a casing having a partition therein forming two chambers, a ball valve Within one of the chambers and cooperating with a seat on the down stream side, and the partition with a large port through which condensate and steam normally passes without seating the ball valve. Also to provide the partition with a bypass small port, through which steam pressure passes when the ball is seated so that a reduced pressure will result in the steam trap and relieve the high pressure on the float, which float is stuck against downward movement incident to the inrush of steam into the steam trap, thereby allowing the float controlled valve to be seated.

The pressure builds up on the down stream side of the partition and in the steam trap, thereby allowing the ball valve to unseat for normal operation of the device.

With the above and other objects in. View the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the governor and trap, showing the steam line in transverse section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the governor, showing the ball valve unseated.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the ball valve seated for reducing the pressure on the down stream side of the governor partition.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a steam line in which condensate accumulates incident to long runs of pipe. The steam line I, at spaced intervals, is provided with downwardly extending chambered water legs 2, to each of which the device hereinafter set forth is attached, however for purposes of illustration: one trap and governor is shown. I

Extending outwardly from the water leg 2 is a pipeline 3 having a master valve 4 and a control valve 5 therein. 'This is conventional structure; In devices at present'constructed the pipe line 3 leads directly to the steam trap casing t, and in the chamber of which the condensate accumulates until the float 8 is raised by its buoyancy between the guide fingers 9 for unseating the needle valve H], which cooperates with a valve seat II. This structure is old in the art. It has been found that there is a great loss of steam to the atmosphere caused by the float 8 becoming stuck in open position, incident to the steam pressure in the chamber l2 of the steam trap, and to obviate this difficulty'the governor is provided between the water leg and the steam trap casing.

The governor comprises an elongated casing l3 having an upstream chamber [4 and a downstream chamber I5. Chambers [4 and I5 are formed by a transverse artition l6, one side of which is provided with a chambered extension I! in the chamber l3 of which is a ball valve l9. Ball valve l9 cooperates with a valve seat 29 for closing a port 2| in communication with the down stream chamber I5. Under normal operation the steam and condensate pass from the pipe line 3 into the chamber I4 and thence through a large port 22 in the partition I6 to the chamber 18, thence around the ball valve [9 and through the port 2| without seating the valve [9 to the steam trap chamber l2. When the condensate accumulates in the steam trap the float 8 moves upwardly incident to its buoyancy and the condensate is then discharged through the discharge port II. When the liquid level drops in the steam trap the valve in is again seated until the liquid level again builds up in the trap.

It has been found that sometimes there is an inrush of excessive amounts of steam into the steam trap during a liquid discharge operation and this steam pressure will force the float 8 upwardly above its normal range of operation and will cause the float to be stuck or frictionally held against the guides 9. So long as the steam trap works normally, that is intermittently dumping the water through an unseating and seating operation of the needle valve and during said operation the ball valve [9 remains unseated and the normal flow of steam continues to push out the water in the bottom of the steam trap, the steam and waterwill flow around the ball through the port 2| to the trap. However when the float remains up and the needle valve unseated, incident to the inrush of excessive steam to the trap and sticks 01' holds the float, there will be a lowering/of pressure in the steam trap and an exhaust of steam to the atmosphere through the trap, which exhaust will eventually permit the float 8 to drop and seat the valve. When the valve is again seated and the flow of steam to atmosphere stopped the pressure on each side of the valve and partition will be' e-qualized by the passage of steam through port :23, and when this happens the ball valve will again drop or seat to the position shown in Figure 2 for normal operation of the device. So long as the differential of pressure on each side of the fiow is much less than that which is capable of flowing outof the valve ,port in the steam trap, hence the float will be released from the steam pressure and the valve will again seat, and the pressure will gain build up or equalize on both sides of the partition 16, and then the valve 19 will unseat and again assume its position as shown in Figure 2.

The governor casing l3 is-provided witha filter screen 24 for preventing the, passage'of rust from the pipe line or foreign matter to the steam trap, hence this foreign matter gathers in the :up-

stream chamber l 4 and may be drained therefrom from time to time by opening the drain valve 25.

From the above it will be seen that a governor is provided for a steam trap in connection with a steam line which will reduce the pressure in the steam trap and release the float which controls the valve in the steam trap, thereby resuming the normal operation of the float, and preventing excessive loss of steam. V --The"'device is-particularly adapted for use in connection'with relatively long steam 'elines, and it is obvious the device will eliminate the neces- 'sity of servicing the various steam traps carried by the line to prevent excessive loss of steam.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

An excess flow valve device comprising a, casing having-an enlarged central portion, a transverse partition'in said enlarged portion spaced from the ends thereof and dividing the same into an enlarged upstream chamber and. *an enlarged down stream chamber; a horizontally disposed chambered valve cage carriedat one'end'bysaid partition and entirely supportedthereby and extending horizontally into thedown stream'chamher; a ball-valve in said cage cooperating With a: port ln'the free end of said valve'cagei said ball having a rolling contact bearing on the'bottom of the chamber of the cage, a port for admitting fluid 'to the valve cage chamber'through' the partitiorymeans for admitting fluid from them) stream chamber to the down stream chamber through the partition above the valve cagesaid ports of the cage and partition being below the axis of the casing.

BERT SWIFT.