US555701A - Steam separator and trap - Google Patents

Description

(NoM0ae1.)

F. T. HOWELL.

v STEAM SEPARATOB. AND TRAP. No. 555,701. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

tzesSf A, 6N Inl/entorn- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX TARRANT HOWELL, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

STEAM SEPARATOR AND TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,701, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed August 19, 1895. Serial No. 559,736. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX TARRANT I-Iow- ELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Separators and Traps, of which the following is a specicatien.

My invention relates to an apparatus that automatically separates water from steam, and by allowing only dry steam to go to the cylinders or steam-receivers secures the maximum of economy, efciency, and safety.

Boilers overworked constantly or forced through sudden demands or emergencies are apt to foam or send off watery and non-elastic vapors, andlonglines of pipe, uncovered pipe, and improperly-drained pipe are partially lled or pocketed with water of condensation.

' Steam-traps or water-drip pipes interposed in the line of the steam-pipe near the cylinders or steam-receivers have been employed heretofore comprising oats and controllingvalves for opening the said trap and allowing the water to escape at proper intervals. While quite simple and quickly responsive in action to requirements the float has under certain conditions proved inadaptable for use under very high pressures, as the tendency is to hold the iioat and its valve more rmly down to its seat under very high pressures than under less pressures.

To better adapt a float-controlled valve for steam-traps to the various conditions above suggested, and forA other reasons which will suggest themselves or will be hereinafter suggested, I have made certain novel arrangements and combinations of devices hereinafter described and claimed, and besides have adapted my-improved device to operate more quickly to better prevent the steam from escaping with the water of condensation when the water-drip valve is employed. I also provide means for indicating the amount of water accumulated in the trap and also to better facilitate the construction and operation of said trap, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved separator with'pipe connection for attachment to the boiler and engine; Fig. 2, a vertical central section thereof with the oat-valve closed, and

Fig. 3 a similar view of the lower part of the trap with the said valve open.

A is a spheroidal casing made in two sections, consisting of a base-section A and a capsection A2 united 'by iianges a and bolts a. The base-section A has a neck A3 to provide a valve-seat A4 and a base-flange A5 extending therefrom, which serves as a support for the casing and may be secured to any suitable support by bolts passing through the said base-flange.

A steam-pipe B leading from the boiler enters the lower part of the cap-section A2 by double-reversed elbows B B2, connected by a nipple B2, and empties the contents of the pipe downwardly into/the base-section A/, the heavy watery vapors and products of condensation being deposited in the bottom of the said base-section, and the dry steam passing upwardly to the top of the cap-section A2 and entering the end of the upturned pipe-joint C is conducted to the cylinder of a steam-engine, to the receiver of an air-brake, or for other purpose where dry steam is required.

A condensed-Water-discharge pipe D is tted to the neck A3 of the base-section A'- below the valve-seat A4, and a valve E adapted to iit the seat Ais secured to a stem E', guided in a cross-bar c. in the neck A3 and secured to the bottom of a hollow spherical float F-. A stem E2, secured to the top of said float, is guided in a top cross-bar, e2-,-supported in depressions between the flanges dof the casingsections A A2, by which means the float may be easily operated by the pressure of the water accumulating in the bottom of the basesection A of the casing A. Then the steampressure is excessive, the float F, if not otherwise acted upon than bythe steam and water, would be forced down by the steam and hold the vaive E closed securely upon its seat and thus prevent the water of condensation from escaping. To counteract this force, the valvestem E is supported upon the short arm F' of a lever F, fulcruined upon a bracket f. The lower end of the stem F/ has packed bearings in the lower end of the discharge-pipe, and a smaller discharge-pipe D isfitted and projects from one side of the discharge-pipe D,

and thus the lower end of the valve-stem E'v projects from the pipe D, is packed by means of a stuffing-box f' in the usual way, and is IOO controlled by the long arm f2 of the lever F, which is fitted with a weight G and graduated to correspond with the steam-pressures under which the valve is loaded to operate. The fioat F, when thus relieved of the excessive steam-pressure, will be lifted byits buoyancy when the water reaches a suiiicient height within the chamber A, and the valve E being thus lifted the accumulated water of condensation will quickly escape. A water-gage H, comprising an upper serew-plug, H', and a stop-cock h', a lower screw-plug, H2, stop-cock h2, and escape-cock 7b3, supports a water-glass H3 in a well-known manner, both attached to the entire lower section A of the casing A. A water-petcock I in the bottoni of the section A of the casing, close to the neck A3 and valve* seat A4, will pro vide means for discharging the condensed water from the casing A, in whole or in part, to prevent it from freezing in the casing should the steam be shut off, and also for letting off the water to allow it to remain at any required height indicated by the glass gage. The opening to the petcock I is shown 1n the drawings to be covered by a projection e from the valve E, and when the said valve is raised by lifting the float or operating the safety valve lever the water may be discharged through the said petcock, should the drip-water pipe become frozen or otherwise obstructed. The petcock may on such occasions be left open and the separator will auto- :matically discharge through the opening therein whenever the check-valve is raised.

It will be readily perceived that the lower section of the casing, containing the movable parts and parts liable to become obstructed with grease, sediment, or otherwise, maybe readily removed from the upper section without breaking the steam connections, a rubber gasket between section A and A2 providing simple, inexpensive, and ready means i'or making the said connections.

I claim as my invention and desire to sccure by Letters Patent* l. A steam-trap comprising the casin g made in two sections A', A2, the steam-receiving pipe entering the cap-section A2 from a downwardlyturned nozzle, a discharging steampipe leading from the top of section A2 with a U -shaped nozzle, the discharge-section having a base-iiange and neck connecting the same therewith having a valve-seat, a guidebar fitted therein, a valve seated thereon, a valve-stem, float, for actuating the said valve and an upper guide-bar held between the section-casings, substantially as described.

2. A steam-trap comprising a casing, the steam receiving pipe, the steam discharge pipe, the drip-water pipe, the check-valve therein and float for actuating said valve, and a petcock covered by the said valve and adapted to allow the water to be drawn from the casing, independently of the check-valve, when the float is raised, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FELIX TARRANT HOWELL.

Witnesses:

J. J. SMITH, JOSEPH RUPPERT.

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