US 5,065,785 AGranted

Steam trap with separate steam and condensate inlets

AssigneeArmstrong International, Inc.

InventorsWalter T. Deacon, Albert V. Vyve

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Abstract

A steam trap comprises a casing having a condensate and steam inlet port and a condensate outlet port and an inverted bucket capable of rising and falling within the casing. A valve unit is interposed between the inlet port and the interior of the casing and is responsive to the height of the bucket in the casing to open and close. A connection is established from the conduit and steam inlet port to the interior of the inverted bucket and this includes stabilizing structure for allowing steam flow into the upper part of the inverted bucket, unimpeded by condensate flow, for reducing instability of the water level in the bucket, the stabilizing structure including two outlets covered by the bucket, namely a condensate outlet located at first level and a steam outlet located at a second level spaced above the first level.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An inverted bucket steam trap comprising:

a casing;
a condensate and steam inlet port and condensate outlet port on said casing;
an inverted bucket free to float up and down in said casing;
valve means operatively interposed between said condensate outlet port and the interior of said casing and responsive to elevation of said inverted bucket to a predetermined level in said casing for closing said valve means and further responsive to a drop of said inverted bucket in said casing for opening said valve means;
means connecting said condensate and steam inlet port to the interior of said inverted bucket and including stabilizing means for allowing steam flow into the upper part of the inverted bucket unimpeded by condensate flow and therewith for reducing instability of water level in said bucket, said stabilizing means having two outlets covered by said bucket, namely
(1) a condensate outlet at a first level and
(2) a steam outlet at a second level spaced above said first level;
said connecting means comprising means defining a first passage from said inlet port to an outlet end in said bucket, said stabilizing means comprising means defining a second passage from said inlet port into said bucket, said means defining said second passage comprising a steam tube extending loosely through said first passage with an outlet end in said bucket above the outlet end of said first passage, said condensate outlet and steam outlet being covered by said bucket and defining the outlet end of said first passage and the outlet end of said steam tube respectively.

5 more elements

An inverted bucket steam trap comprising:

a casing;
condensate and steam inlet means to said casing and condensate outlet means from said casing;
a bottom opening inverted bucket free to float up and down in said casing;
valve means operatively interposed between said condensate outlet means and the interior of said casing and responsive to elevation of said inverted bucket to a predetermined level in said casing for closing said valve means and further responsive to a drop of said inverted bucket in said casing for opening said valve means;
means for directing the condensate and steam from said condensate and steam inlet means upward into the bottom of said inverted bucket, said directing means including condensate surface stabilizing means in said bucket for (1) directing steam upward into the bottom of the inverted bucket past condensate in said bucket while (2) preventing turbulence and splashing of the condensate surface in said bucket by shielding the condensate surface in the bucket from upward steam flow therethrough, said stabilizing means comprising two separate outlets opening in said bucket, namely
(1) a condensate outlet at a first level in said bucket and
(2) a steam outlet at a second level in said bucket and spaced above said first level.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.