US176931A - Improvement in air-compressing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

v 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 2.

I. B. C ROCKER. AIR-COMPRESSJYNG APPARATUS.

Patented May2,1 876.

INVENTOR, 1% 634M? AF TORN Evs.

OGRAPHER WA SNI GYON, D. O. I

ATTORNEYS N .ll!

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Patented May 2, 187 6 1.1a. CROCKEIL AIR-COMPRESSING APPARATUS. No. 176.931.

: LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII H= IM I g unn v M M aw WITNESSES I JIJETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPRER, WASHINGTON. D C.

U I ED STATES PATENT OFFFroE."

j JOHN B. OROQKER, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN I-\IR' COMPRESSING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,931, dated May2, 1876; application filed A February 12, 1876.

To all whom t'tmay concern:

Be it known that"I,JOHN B. CROdKER, of Alton, in the county of'Madison and State of 1 Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Motors; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and

exact description of Y the construction and operationof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this '2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and? .are detail views thereof.

Fig. Sis a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. r

This invention has relation to a motive 1 power which is designed for operating portable as well as stationary machinery of "various kinds; and the principle involved-in my invention consists in aggregating a motive force from common atmospheric air without heating it, and continually maintaining such force equal to the requirements of the occasion .or,"in other words, my main object is to accumulate such a pressure of a given number of pounds to the square inch' as may be required to overcome all opposing force, and then maintaining that pressure or supplying continuously an equivalent pressure to that expended in working the machinery.

In carrying my invention into effect I main tain an equalization of force by a peculiar arrangement of instrumentalities, which compressthe air previous to forcing it into a general discharging-reservoir by means ofan airpump.

The nature of, my invention consists, first, in one'or more air-gatherers, which are applied to a hollow rotary shaft and communicate with the interior thereof, which shaft communicates with one'or more bellows through pipes provided, in a suitable manner, with valves, in

combination with means for collapsing the bellowsand forcing the air therefrom into a receiver through pipes suitably provided with valves, as will be hereinafter explained; second, in proi'iding the said air-receiver with a piston and certain pawls, racks, andlevers, hereinafter explained, which will, at proper times, further condense the air and force it 'thtough the medium of ,a ratchet-wheel and compound pawl-levers, in combination with thecondensed-air retainer and a general airreceiving reservoir, to which a compressing and relieving piston is applied, from which reservoir the highly-compressed air is drawn as it is required for driving various kinds of machines or engines.

In carrying out my invention I shall employ an' ordinary steam-engine of any required horse-power. This engine actuates the aircondensing apparatus which I am about to describe.

A A designate air-gatherers, of a trumpet form, which are'suitably applied to a hollow horizontal shaft, or, and communicate with the interior thereof. The ends of this shaft a, are journaled in the ends of pipes b, which lead into one or more bellows, B, at the lower ends thereof. The bellows are filled with air by giving rapid rotation to the air-gatherers A, and the bellows are collapsed'by means of a lever, 0, having its fulcrum-on a post, 0-, and two rods, which are suitably connected to the upper heads of the bellows.

The shaft 0, carries a belt-wheel, a, on one end, which receives motion from a large wheel, a ona shaft, d. Shaft d has keyed on it a ratchet-wheel, d, with which two pawls. e e, engage, that are pivoted to the free ends ,of two ar'ms,'e a, free to articulate about the .shaft d. The arms 6 e have links 0 e pivoted to them at the middle of their length, which links are again pivoted to the lower ends of curved levers ff. These curved levers are connected to a lever, f by means of short links it". The lever f is actuated by means of a steam-engine, so as to give rapid motion to the wind-gatherers. The lever c is connected in a suitable manner with the steamengine, so that at proper times this lever will be actuated by the engine, and can be detached and worked by hand-power when it is E of which is connected to toggle-levers h, actuated by an angular lever, h.

e In practice, I shall connect; the upperlink of the toggle to a follower, W, to which pawls j are applied, that engage with teeth formed on standards h. Lever h may be worked by hand or by a steam-engine. By these means the air which is forced into the receiver E can be condensed and forced through a pipe,

70, into a retainer, F, which pipe is provided with a valve, 1, to prevent a reflux of the air. H designates an air-pump, which is constructed with a cylindro-conical piston, and with inlet and outlet valves. The pump H receives air from the retainer F, and discharges the air into a reservoir, G, and the piston of this pump is actuated by a contrivance similar to that which 1 have described for acuating'the air-gatherers A. Inside of the reservoir G is a solid piston, G, to which a rod, I, is centrally secured, which rod'passes up through the head -of the reservoir, and is screw-tapped through a stuffing-box. The object of the piston G and-its rod is to enlarge or diminish the capacity of the reservoir, which can Y be done by adjusting the piston up or down, as circumstances may require. If desired,

the threads 011 the piston-rodI may be 'omitted, and weights put upon a disk at the upper end of this rod, for the purpose of giving an even pressure at all times during the operation of the engine. Fig. 4 shows the means which I shall adopt for introducing. the air into the several receivers, which consists in the employment of a number of et-tubes, m,

applied to diaphragms n, for the purpose of injecting the air through small orifices instead of in a large volume. I shall employ a single steam-engine for operating the entire condensing apparatus.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure in combination with the air-retainer F andan air-reservoir, G, provided with a piston, which is controlled. as set forth.

In testimony that I claim theabove I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN B. OBOOKER.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. AcKER, Jr., GEORGE E. UPHAM.

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