US340496A - Hydraulic air-compressor - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. B. ERWIN.

HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

No. 340.496. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

I: Vania Umrnn STATES PATENT Grinch,

JAMES BVERWIN', OF MILWAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

HYDRAULIC AlR-COMPRESSO R.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,496, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed December 8, 1885. Serial No. 185,050. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES B. ERWIN, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Oompressors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements'in hydraulic air-compressors, and the same is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the valvechamber detached from the receiver. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the inlet airvalve and the upper end of the inlet air-tubeclosed and the inlet-valve is opened, and thus removed from the receiver.

Like. parts are represented by the same reference-letters throughout the several views.

A is the receiver, which, as the machine operates, is alternately filled with air and'water, and as it is thus filled it oscillates upon the pivoted support B. Attached to said receiver, upon the opposite side of said pivoted support, is a lever, O, and counterpoise D, the gravity of which counterpoise is such as to cause receiver to ascend when emptied of water, while said receiver and its contents when nearly or quite full of water will counterbalance said counterpoise D and descend, causing said oounterpoise D to ascend. The receiver Ais mounted upon said pivoted support below it and counterbalanced by a weight in substantially the samemanner as that shown in my previous patent,No. 329,377, dated October 27, 1885, and the oscillating movement of the receiver and counterpoise as the receiver is filled and emptied is the same as that produced by the device shown in said patent.

By my present improvements the number of parts is greatly reduced, and those used are simple in their construction and durable, and not liable to get out of order or to be ob- To the bottom of the receiver A. is attached a valve-chamber, E, through which the water enters and escapes from the receiver A. Water enters the chamber E through the hose-connection F, passing through the ducts a and port c. The ducta is closed by the valve b. Water escapes from the receiver A through the valve-seat G. The valve-seat G is closed by the valve H. The valves 12 and H- and valve-stem I are preferably cast in a single piece.

Both water-valves b and H reciprocate freely and without contact with their inclosure between the inlet and outlet water ports or'passages as the receiver oscillates, the outletvalve being raised from its seat and opened and the inlet-valve closed by contact of the stem I with a stop, J, or with the bottom of the tank E as the receiver descends, and as the receiver ascends said valves drop of their own gravity, whereby the outlet-valve is the admission and escape of water to and from the receiver is perfectly controlled by the valves without pistons or stuffing-nuts, and the valves and stem are free to move back and forth between the two valve-seats without contact with the inclosure.

For convenience in construction, the valveseat G is made separable from the valvechamber E, and is inserted in the valve-chamber E beneath the water-valves after said valves are inserted.

The lower end of the valve-seat G is provided with a downwardly-projecting guidebracket, K, preferably cast in one piece therewith, through which the lower end of the valve-stem I moves, and by which the valves.

are both held in place and both guided to their respective seats.

The downward movement of the receiver is stopped by contact of the lower end of the valve-stem I with a stop at the bottom of the tank. A block is preferably cast with the tank, forming a stop, J, above the bottom of the tank; but such block may be dispensed with, when the bottom of the tank will serve as a stop.

The upward movement of the receiver is limited and controlled by contact of the lever O with the stop L. The stop L may be made stationary but, for convenience in producing raised slightly from its seat.

a nice adjustment of the receiver so as to tip with the desired quantity of water, said stop is preferably made adjustable, as shown. The upper end of the stop consists of a screw, which is seated in a screw-threaded stationary block, M, in which it may, by turning, be adjusted higher or lower, as desired. The weight D is adjustable upon the lever O.

In setting up the compressor the weight D is so adjusted as to quickly raisethe receiver when empty, and preferably before quite all of the water has escaped. The receiver being up and in the act of receiving the water, the stop L is raised to such a height that the receiver will oscillate in the other direction and descend when nearly or quite full. Thus it is obvious that by the adjustment of the counterpoise D and stop L the receiver may be nicely adjusted so as to oscillate when filled.

or emptied to any desired point. In the compressor shown in my said previous patent the inlet air valve is raised by the influx of air as the water escapes. It becomes necessary, however, for a free and rapid discharge of the water to raise the air-valve. This is accomplished by extending the valve-rod N down through the bottom of the receiver, as shown, so that as the receiver descends said rod will by contact with the bottom of the tank or other stop cause the inlet air-valve O to be The length of the stem N is such as to cause said air-valve O to be raised slightly in advance of the watervalve H, whereby the small amount of compressed air remaining above the water at the top of the receiver, when the same descends, will be permitted to escape, thus relieving the receiver of the great pressure of the compressed air before said water-valve is raised.

The stem N and the air-valve O are preferably made separate from each other, so that any inclination of said valve-stem will not prevent the valve from seating properly on the top of the air-tube P. The valve 0 is held in place and guided by outside bearings, R, which operate against the periphery of the tube P.

The lower surface of the valve 0 is provid ed with a rubber or other elastic bearingsurface, S, which is held in close contact therewith by the guide-bearings R, which bearings are provided with a shoulder, d, which extends inwardly beneath said elastic bearing, and an internal screw, j, which engages upon the external thread, 9, of the valve or nut 0. Thus, as the valve or nut O and the bearing R are screwed together, the elastic bearing is securely held in place.

A is the outlet air-tube, through which the compressed air is conducted from the top of the receiver A down to and out through the air-duct B, from whence it is conducted by a flexible hose to an air-receiver.

By the arrangement sh own, both inlet waterhose and outlet air-hose are located in close proximity to the pivotal support of the reto the 'end oflthe duct B, and prevents the return of the compressed air to receiver as water escapes.

D is a thimble, which is screwed upon the periphery of the duct B, outside of the check valve 0, and serves as a place of attachment of the rubber hose which conducts the air to the air-receiver.

To prevent the possibility of an overflow of water into the outlet air-tube, said tube is provided with an enlarged downward-opening mouth, F, beneath which a float, G, is supported by a bracket, H, in such a manner that as the water reaches the float it is raised and closes said mouth, and prevents the escape of water through the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an oscillating hydraulicair compressor, the combination and arrangement of the inlet and outlet water-ports, with the inlet and outlet water-valves and valve-stem, both of said valves being connected together and located between the seats of said inlet and outlet water-ports, and adapted to be moved in one direction by their gravity and waterpressure and in the other direction by contact of said stem with a stop, as said receiver with its counterpoise oscillates upon its pivotal support, substantially as set forth.

2. In an air-compressor, the combination, with its receiver mounted upon apivotal support and counterpoised by a weight, of a valve-chamber provided with both an inlet and outlet water-passage through which water enters and escapes from said receiver, inlet water-controlling valve b, and outlet water-controlling valve H, the said valves connected and moving together, valve-stem I, valve-seat G, and supporting-tank E, said inlet-valve being adapted to be closed and said outletvalve to be opened by contact of said valvestem with a stop at the bottom of said tank, and reversed in their movement by their gravity and water-pressure, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the valve-chamber E, provided with hose-connection F, and having a downwardly-opening inlet waterport of the opposing valve-seat or outlet water-port G, provided with a guide-bracket, K, valve-stem I, operating in said guide-bracket, and valves b and H, adapted to vibrate between said valve portaud seat,with said valvestem, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the inlet air-tube P, valve or screw-threaded nut, O, elastic hearing S, guide-walls R, fitted to the periphery of said tube and serving to guide and retain as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an air-compressor having an oscillating receiver mounted upon a pivotal support and counterbalanced by a weight abovea tank, 15 thecombinatiou of the weight-supporting 1ever 0, adjustable screw or stop L, standard M, and tank E, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein 2o presence of two witnesses.

JAMEs- B. ERWIN.

Vtitn esses:

O. T. BENEDICT, E. RAY INMAN.

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