The ball trap of the present invention is configured for connection in a pipeline
such that the main flow path of the fluid in the pipeline passes through the ball
trap. The ball trap includes a sieve conduit with a safety-release sieve gate.
The sieve gate is displaceable between a closed position, in which cleaning balls
are trapped in the ball trap, and an open position, in which the impedance of the
fluid flowing in the pipeline is lowered. The system is configured such that the
gate is normally in the closed position and may be displaced to the open position
for cleaning purposes or in response to a predetermined pressure differential between
the upstream and downstream sides of the sieve conduit.
