Steam Trap and Feeder – Patent No. 394,463
Inventor: Henry Creamer, of New York, New York.
Patent Number: 394,463
Date of Patent: December 11, 1888
Description: Henry Creamer’s patent for a “Steam Trap and Feeder” describes a device designed to automatically collect and return condensed steam (water) back into a boiler. The invention featured a cylindrical receiving chamber with an internal float. When a sufficient amount of water entered the chamber, the float would rise, activating a system of levers and valves. This action would open a valve to the boiler, allowing the steam pressure to force the collected water back into the boiler. The design was intended to be simple, durable, and reliable, helping to save fuel by recycling hot water that would otherwise be wasted.
Societal Impact of the Invention and Inventor
Henry Creamer’s invention was a crucial component in the late 19th-century push for greater industrial efficiency. Steam power was the engine of the era, driving everything from factories and locomotives to heating systems in buildings.
- Economic and Industrial Efficiency: The invention of a reliable steam trap had a significant economic impact. Before these devices, condensed steam (hot water) was often simply drained away and wasted. A steam trap, by automatically returning this hot water to the boiler, meant that less fuel was needed to heat new, cold water. This not only saved money for businesses and industries but also made steam power more efficient and sustainable.
- Safety and Reliability: By preventing water from accumulating in steam lines, steam traps also helped to reduce a phenomenon known as “water hammer,” where slugs of water could travel at high speeds and potentially damage pipes, valves, or machinery. This made steam systems safer and more reliable.
- The Inventor’s Legacy: Henry Creamer was a prominent African American inventor who lived and worked in New York City. His ingenuity was recognized by contemporaries, and he was granted numerous patents for improvements to steam traps, valves, and other mechanical devices. He was a successful businessman who operated the Creamer & Company machine shop in Manhattan. His contributions are a powerful example of the technological advancements made by black innovators during a period of significant social and economic challenges. Creamer’s work helped to build the infrastructure of modern industry, showcasing how inventors from marginalized communities played a vital role in shaping America’s technological and industrial landscape.
