US333924A - Andeew monaje coyle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. MGNAIR OOYLE.

$TEAM TRAP.

No. 333,924. Patented, Jan. 5, 1886.

WITNESSES I MIME R M w. Q W 351 4 flttarney Q1 G.

W W M 6 Nv PETERS. PhuimLflhogr-A'phur. Wa'shingmn, 02C- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A'. MSNAIR OOYLE.

' STEAM TRAP.

No. 388,924. Patented Jan. 5. 1886.

WITNESSES d ENTOR By his zdttorney I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW MONAIR OOYLE, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,924, dated January 5,1886.

Application filed September 9, 1885. Serial No. 176,62?

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW MONAIR COYLE, of \Vashington city, District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Steam-Trap for Heating Systems and for other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

In the class of apparatus to which my invention specially relates the water of condensation from a system of piping through which steam circulates is delivered into a driptank or receiving-chamber by gravity and the press ure of the steam in the pipes, and conveyed therefrom and injected into the boiler. Various apparatus for the purpose have been devised, some being now in general use. In all of them, however, so far as I am aware, the working depends on the motion of some part of the apparatus which opens and closes a steam-valve. In other words, in this class of apparatus a valve for admitting and cutting off steam from the vacuum-chamber and some moving device actuated by the rise and fall of water in said chamber have always been used. Such a construction is expensive and more or less complicated, the valves wear and get out of order, and the moving parts are liable to become deranged.

The object of my invention, having refer ence to its application to steam'heating systems, is to accomplish the perfect and auto mat-ic removal of the water from the drip-tank and its injection into the boiler without the use of any steam-valve, float, or moving device. Obviously the utmost simplicity of structure will be attained by such construction, the cost of manufacture reduced to a minimum, and the liability of derangement and necessity for repairs practically eliminated. Aside from these, there are other advantages attending the use of my apparatus, which will appear below.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partlyin section, illustrating my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are views showing other arrangements acting on the same principle, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views showing some modified ways of making the pipeconnections.

While the structure shown in the drawings (No model.)

is practical and effective, I do not limit myself to the specific arrangement, as obviously any engineer might make variations in the structure without departing from the principle of my invention.

In Fig. 1, A represents the drip-tank or receiving-chamber. It may be made in any suitable way. I preferto cast it in globular form, and have so represented it. Water enters the drip-tank by pipe B, (shown as leading to the bottom,) and steam enters by pipe 0, (shown as connected at the top.) A vertical pipe, D, in connection with the drip-tank through the pipe B, is shown as connecting with the top of a chamber, E, which may be called the vacuum or condensing chamber, and is preferably a globular casting. From the bottom of chamber E a pipe, F, leads to the boiler, and is provided with an ordinary check-valve at f, opening toward the boiler. The chamber A is connected with pipe D by means of the bent pipe G, (shown as connected near the top of the drip-tank,) carried down outside nearly to the level of the bottom of said tank, then turned, carried up, and connected with pipe D at a point preferably above the level of the orifice g. Vacuum-chamber E may be connected with the steam-space of the boiler by pipe H, having an ordinary cook, 71. The chamber E is also provided with the cl1eck-valve I, which may be regulated by a screw, as shown. A pipe, K, provided with a check-valve, k, and a cock, k, maybe used, if desired, to connect chamber E with some watersupply, fora purpose presently described.

The action is as follows: \Vater enters chamber A by pipe B and steam by pipe (3. The steam passes through pipes G and D into chamber E. hen the water in chamber A rises to the opening 9, pipe G becomes filled and the steam is cut oif from chamber E. The steampressure in A, acting against the vacuum caused by condensation in E, will now cause the water in A to ascend to E by way of pipes 9 B and D. Obviously the water in the bent pipe G is the hydrostatic equivalent of that in the chamber A and pipes B and D. The water in the shorter limb of pipe G will therefore have the same level as that in chamber A.

The lower part of pipe D is preferably on larged, so as to amply supply water to the upper portion, as otherwise the condition of equilibrium might be disturbed. When the water-level in the shorter limb of pipe G and chamber A falls to the bend g, the conditions of equilibrium no longer exist. The waterin pipe G will therefore be immediately drawn into pipe D, thus opening a passage for the steam in A, which passes through pipes G and D and makes the pressure in E equal or near 1y equal to the pressure in A, so that the water in E flows out through pipe F into the boiler. The apparatus remains in this condition until the steam is again out off from E by pipe G becoming filled, when the action above described is repeated.

The outward-opening adjustable check valve I on the chamber E is to allow any air which may collect in the apparatus, together with a little steam, to be blown out whenever the pressure in E is greater than atmospheric pressure. Ordinarily the valve I is so adjusted as to allow only a small escape; but it may be opened to its full capacity in starting the apparatus when full of air.

The pipe H, connecting chamber E with the steam-space of the boiler, is used to admit steam to blow out the air from chamber, in

order to produce a vacuum therein in case the lower steam-passage is filled with water before the apparatus is started. This pipe is only used to start the apparatus when the steampressure is not sufficient to lift the water from A to E against atmospheric pressure. Otherwise the apparatus starts automatically.

iihen cock k is opened, water flows into chamber E through pipe K whenever condensation takes place, so that the apparatus can be used as a feed-water device while performing its regular functions.

If pipe G is not full when condensation takes place in chamber E, the water in that pipe may be drawn out before chamber A is emptied.

Various devices may be used to insure the filling of pipe G, For instance, as shown in Fig. 1 at the connection of pipe G with chamber A may be elongated. \Vaterthen flows to the full capacity of the pipe as soon as it overflows the opening Or the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, which I greatly prefer, may be used. In that arrangement the pipe G is extended down from its point of connection with the pipe D to a manifold coupling, 5/, then up and connected with the steam-pipe 0. Obviously this structure is the equivalent of that shown in Fig. 1. A siphon-pipe, S, is also connected with the manifold coupling g, is carried up, then returned at s, and connected with the tank A. The action of this device is as follows: Then the water in chamber A rises to the bend s of pipe S, siphoning takes place through pipe S from tank A. and pipe G is at once filled. When the water in A falls below the connection 5 of the tank with siphon, the conditions described in connection with Fig. l exist. and when the level of water in A reachesthe bend ,or the manifold coupling, the water will be drawn from pipe G and steam will again pass to E. Or, as shown in Fig. 3, the siphon may be made in pipe D, in which case the entire volume of water passes through pipe G. Here the pipes O and G and the manifold. coupling are as illustrated in Fig. 2; but in this case the pipe G transfers all the water, instead of only a part, as in the other arrangements. The pipe D, which rises from pipe B, is returned at s and connected with the manifold coupling 5 performing the functions of both watertransfer pipe D and siphon S in Fig. 2. When water rises in pipe D and in the tank A to the level of the bend s, siphoning takes place from pipe Bthrongh D into and continues until chamber A is empty. Obviously the arrangement of these pipes may be changed. For example, instead of connecting pipes B and D, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, pipe D may be connected at the top of chamber A and extended down inside the chamber, as shown in Fig. 4, and pipe G may connect with D, either higher or lower than represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, (see Fig. 5, where it is shown as connected lower in full lines, and where the dotted lines indicate that the pipe may be extended up and connected with chatnberE,)and the siphon in Figs. 2and 3 may be connected at any point with pipe G, or with chamber A, as shown in Fig. 6, even though the point of connection with A be below the bend g, in which latter case the water will empty from the siphon into A, instead of into G, when the level in A falls below the connection of the siphon with pipe G. These and other changes which do not depart from or change the principle of operation will readily be conceived by those skilled in the art as adapting the apparatus or any part thereof to purposes other than those herein described.

In placing this apparatus in house-heating systems it may be connected ineither of two ways. In cases where the return-pipe from the radiators can be conveniently brought into the boiler-room, the driptank is placed below the boiler and connected directly with the steam-space, the condensing-chamber being hung above the boiler. The distance of the drip-tank below the boiler-level is added to the fall of the returning water; or, in other words, this arrangement is equivalent to placing theboiler lower than it really is. In other cases the drip-tank is placed below the radiators and connected with the steam-supply pipe, the condensing-chamber being hung snlficiently high to give fall to the returning water. The weight of a column of water equal to the distance of the condensing-globe above the boiler is added to the pressure in the radiators to drive the returning water into the boiler. In other words, this arrangement is IIO equivalent to placing the radiators higher than they really are.

As the water is lifted from A toE by steampressure acting against a partial vacuum, the distance water can be lifted by this apparatus is greater than the height of a column equal to the steamgage pressure. It is therefore easily seen that the drip-tank may be placed so far below the radiators, or the condensingchamber so high above the boiler, that the pressure of the column of water, acting to force water of condensation from the radiators into the drip-tank, or from the condensingchamber into the boiler, will be greater than the difference of pressure between the boiler and radiators ofany properlyconstructed sys' tem.

The characteristic and distinguisliiing feature of my invention is the cutting off of steam from and the admission of steam to the vacuum-chamber by means of a fluid seal, the arrangement being such that water may be automatically and periodically elevated directly from the drip-tank by steam-pressure acting against the vacuum in the upper or vacuum chamber. So far, therefore, as this broad feature is concerned, I consider any apparatus operating in that way and on the same principle as within the scope of my in vention.

So far as I am aware, I am the first to connect the drip-tank with a steam-supply, and I consider this an important feature of my invention, which may not necessarily depend on other parts of the apparatus.

So far as I am aware, I am the first to use an intermitting siphon as a means of periodically introducing a sealing-liquid into a steampipe, and I consider this an important feature of my invention, which may not depend on other parts of the apparatus.

I have described my invention with particular reference to its application to steamheating. It may also be used for pumping, and for other liquids than water, particularly with very low steam-pressure, as with the exhaust-steam from engines.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of the chamber A, the drip or water-supply pipe leading thereto, an open connection from a source of steam-supply, also leading thereto, the upper or vacuum chamber, the water-transfer pipe connecting the two chambers, and a liquid-seal pipe interposed between the two chambers, substaniially as set forth, whereby water is elevated from the lower to the upper chamber by the steam-pressure acting against a vacuum.

2. The combination ofthe tank A, the chamber E, the transfer-pipe connecting them, the seal-pipe interposed between the two chambers, and additional means, substantially such as described, for insuring the prompt filling of the seal-pipe when the liquid reaches a given height in the tank A.

3. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the tank A, an open connection between said tank and a boiler or source of steam-supply, the drip-pipe of the heating system leading to said tank, the upper or vacuum chamber, E, the transfer-pipe connecting the two ehambers,the seal-pipe interposed between the two chambers, whereby the passage of steam from the lower chamber to the upper chamber is alternately prevented and permitted, as set forth, means for insuring the prompt filling of said seal-pipe when the liquid reaches a given height in the tank A, and awater-return pipe leading from the upper chamber to the steamboiler.

4. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the chamber A, the drip pipe, the vacuum chamber E, the transfer pipe connecting them, the open connection between the tank A and the source of steam-supply, and means for periodically elevating the water which accumulates in the tank by the pressure of the steam acting against a vacuum, as set forth.

5. In a steam-heating system, the eombination of the drip-tank A, the drip -pipe, an open connection between said drip-tank and the steam boiler, the upper chamber, E, a pipe leading therefrom to the boiler, and pipeconnections between the upper and lower chambers.

6. The combination, in a steam-heating system, of the drip tank, the drip-pipe leading thereto, an open connection between the driptank and a steam-boiler, the upper or vacuum chamber, a water-transfer pipe connecting the vacuum-chamber and drip-tank, and the bent water-seal pipe interposed between said watar-transfer pipe and the drip-tank, substantially as described, whereby the passage of the steam from the tank to the vacuum-chamber is alternately prevented and permitted and the water elevated by the pressure of the steam acting against a vacuum.

7. The combination ofthe drip-tank, a fluid seal pipe connected therewith, and a siphon for insuring the proper filling of the fluid-seal pipe when the water reaches a given level in the tank A, substantially as set forth.

8. In a steam-heating system, the combination of the drip-tank, the drip-pipe, an open connection between a source of steam-supply and the drip-tank, the vacuum-chamber, the transfer-pipe between the two chambers, the

seal-pipe interposed between the two chain-- bers, a siphon for insuring the filling of'the seal-pipe when the water in the driptank has reached a given level, and a water-discharge pipe leading from the vacuum-chamber.

9. The combination of the upper and lower chambers, a watertransfer pipe connecting them,'a fluid-seal pipe interposed between said chambers, a connection between the lower chamber and a permanent source of steamsupply of substantially uniform pressure, and a waterseal pipe interposed between the two chambers, for alternately permitting and preventing the passage of steam to the upper In cestimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of September,

chamber, the organization and operation be ing substantially as herein shown and dev A. D. 1885. scribed, whereby Water may be periodically ANDREW MONAIR COYLE.

elevated from the lower chamber to the upper \Vitnesses:

E. O. DAVIDSON, BALTUS DE LONG.

one by steam -pressure acting against a me unm, substantially as set. forth.

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