US1834596A - Compressor - Google Patents

Description

- Dec. 1, 1931. CLAPP 1,834,596

' COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 15, 1928 Lewisl Zap 4w; 142mm Patented Dec. 1, 1931 srA Es LEWIS J'. CLAIPP, OF GLAREMONT', NEW HAJMPSIHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MA- CHINEBY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS 'coMrREssoR,

My invention relates to cooling systems for thermo-dynamlc machines, and more par ticularly to control means for a liquid cooling system for compressors.

The water jackets for the cylinders and valve housings of compressors are frequently connected to a supply of cooling water which is limited or which has to be paid for ata certain price per cubic foot where theliquid cooling system is connected to some city water main. It is accordingly highly'essential that the water circulation be shut off at all times when the compressor is not in actual operation. Of course this may be done by a manually controlled valve in the liquid circulating line if the operator is careful to shut this valve off when the compressor is shut down and open the same again when the com; pressor is started up. However, the oper- Iator may forget to close the valve at night when the compressor is shut downor open the same in the morning whereby there would either be an excess of water used or the com pressor might be overheated if the operator forgets to turn on the valve. Moreover, it is advantageous to interrupt the cooling water supply when the compressor is running unloaded, and this would demand too much attention. A major object of my invention is therefore to provide improved automatic means for cutting off the flow of circulating liquid in a cooling system when the compressor is not running and for'permitting flow during operation of the compressor. From a general aspect it is an object of my invention to provide improved control means for cooling systems of all thermodynamic machines. Another object of my invention is to provide a control valve for a'liquid cooling system of improved design having automatic means for holding the valve closed when the compressor is not in operation and means responsive to discharge pressure for normally holding the valve open during operation of the compressor. A still further object of the invention is to provide a valve in a liquid circulating system for a compressor with a control means 'forautomatically opening the valve when the compressor is started up and closing the same when the compressor is shut down, and superior controlling means for closing the valve when the compressor is running unloaded. Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear. I

In a preferred embodiment my invention comprises means for controlling the flow of cooling liquid through the jacketing of a compressor, such means having, for effecting its operation to cause flow of the cooling fluid, provision which depends for its elfectiveness upon a function of the operation of the compressor. In a preferred form a controlling valve is movedto open position by an element to which pressure is applied by fluid compressed by the compressor. Operation of such an element may obviously be controlled, within the purview of my invention, by other means whose effectiveness is a function of the running of the compressor, as by an element whose position is controlled by a speed responsive device which is operated with the compressor. itself. Preferably the element is yieldingly controlled so that a superior pressure may control. the position of the flow controlling means, and in the pre ferred embodiment of the invention such a superior pressure is automatically exerted by means under control of the compessor unloading system so that the cooling water flow is interrupted when the compressor is unloaded.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one form which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings,

I Fig. .1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the essential elements of a compressor system with which theillus'trative embodimentgof my improved cooling water control mechanism is associated.

2 is a central sectional view through the illustrative embodiment of my improved cooling liquid controlling mechanism.

, In Fig. 1 there is shown a simple form of single cylinder compressor 1 supported on a baseQ and arranged'to discharge into a receiver 3 through a discharge pipe 4. It will be understood that my invention may be applied to any compressor either portable or cylinder open by fluid pressure supplied through pipes 6 and 7 which are connected toa-n unloa'der. pilotiv al.ve-8 by.-a= common p'ipe 9. This pilot zvalvemayibeiof anyoi the well known types which will operate automatically to supply pressure fluid to theunloaders upon a predeterminedchighreceiver, tank pressure and to vent the unloaders 'ior loading the compressor on a predetermined lowpressurein thereceivcr. The pilot valve is shown, connected :to the receiver ,by a pipe l0. 'Trllccylinder and valve mechanisms of the compressor are provided with the usuad Wat rljackets which havenctlheen illustrated since their specific cons truction per se .is not a part of :my present invention; Cooling liquid :is sup ilied to the Water jackets or" the compressor {from :an inlet connection 11 through valve mechanism generality desiginated '12 and apipe 13'leading fromthe valve and conneotedto the compressorat'll.

"The illustrative embodiment of any {i111- prdved valve mechanism com arises a valve casing 15in which is mountedra doubleseat valve element "-16 which is normallyheld in closed position by a coil spring 17 when the compressor is notin operation. For the pur pose of automatically opening the liquid control valve upon starting up of the compressor, ,pressure responsive mechanism is connected "to the receiver .by pipe '18 and this pressure responsive device comprises cylinder '19 formed integrally with the Valve casing '15 and a piston'20 mounted inisaidcylinder, one side o-f'the piston-being suppliedwvith pressure from line 18 and the other side vented to atmosphere by means of ports 21. "The piston has an upwardly projecting stem 22 connected thereto which engages the valve element 16 and lifts the same, unless prevented bysuperior pressure, when the piston is mov d lupward ly by pressure.

At the upper end of the valve casing is a second cylinder 23 also herein :,Eormed;i-Ertegral with the value casing 15, this cylinderebeing connected with-the pilot valve 8 by means of .a pipe 24 so as to be supplied with pressure fluid d ping unloading of the "compressor. A. piston 25 is recipr-ocably mounted in cylfinder 23 and has a cylindrical recess 26 in \WlllCll-lS received the spring '17. When pre 4 sure is supplied'to the cylinder???) from pilot valve '8, piston is forced downwardly, thereby com-pressing spring 17 and engaging valve 16 and closing the same notwithstanding the fact that piston20 is tendingto urge the valve upwardly since the cylinder 23 and under=the=action- (if-spring 17 until thecompressor is-started. When-"the compressor is started, sufficient pressure is very quickly bu'ilt up in the receiver to cause the piston 20 to actuate the Water control valve to open position. "This permits cooling liquid to flow through the avaterjacketof the compressor at all times during normal effective operation of the compressor. However, when the compressor is automatically unloaded under the action of the pilot .valve -8, the compressor piston simply reciprocates in :its cylinder Without during any work-andthere is no need tor circulation :of cooling Water. :At-this time pressure fluid is :also supplied \to cylinder 28 :and the-valve is again actuated .to

closed position, thereby cutting off the cooling liquid during unloading of the compressor. lVhen Jzhe compressor :i-s again loaded,-oylinder 23 will be vented to atmosphere and pressureacting on piston120 will Open the cooling water control valve. Now when the compressor isshut down ffor any length of-time, [the compressed ifiuid remaininginthe receiveritank will either lea-k out-or be purposely vented to atmosphere. This will .relieve the gpressure-on ;piston.20 :and the valve willibe-olosed-by-spring 17.

It will-therefore be -seen=thatim-y improved cooling water control ivalveemechanism :auto- .matically cuts oil the :supply of cooling water when the compressor is shut down and is automatically opened again when the compressor is started up. This insures against waste of cooling water or damage to themach-ine through tai-lure of the-opera- .tor .to attend -;to :the usual manual control valve in the cooling Water supply line.

While I have in this -application.-speoi-fical ly described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that-this form of the same isshown for pun poses of illustration and that the invent-ion may be' modified and embodied in various other-forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

*1. In combination, aicompressona receiver, an unloa-der for said compressor, a pilot valve responsive to receiver pressure for controllingsaid un-loader, a fluid cooling system for said compressor, a valve for controlling flow of fluid in said cooling system, valve con-trolling means operative as receiver pressure builds up to open saidcooling fluid flow controlling valve and, during normal loaded operation of said compressor, to hold said cooling fluid flow controlling valve in open position, and superior valve controlling means controlled by said pilot valve for automatically eflecting closure of said cooling fluid flow controlling valve when the compressor is unloaded.

2. In combination with a compressor having an unloading mechanism, a receiver, a pilot valve connected to said receiver for controlling said unloading mechanism, a liquid cooling system for said compressor, a valve controlling flow of liquid in said system, a spring for holding said valve closed when said compressor is not in operation, means including a cylinder and a piston therein continuously subjected to pressure in said receiver for holding said valve open during loaded operation of said compressor, and an opposed cylinder and piston of larger cross section than said first cylinder and piston connected to said pilot valve for closing said liquid control valve during unloading of the compressor.

3. In combination, a machine, a liquid cooling system therefor, a valve for controlling flow of liquid in said system, and means for controlling said valve including means for respectively moving the valve to closed and open positions by fluid pressure and a spring arranged to hold the valve closed when said fluid pressure means are both inactive.

4. In combination, a compressor having an unloading mechanism, a liquid cooling system for said compressor, a valve for controlling flow of liquid in said cooling system, a receiver, means for opening said valve operative only after receiver pressure reaches a predetermined value, a pilot valve connected to said receiver and to said unloading mechanism, means for moving said liquid valve to closed position by fluid pressure which is controlled by said pilot valve, whereby upon a predetermined maximum receiver pressure said pilot valve effects simultaneously unloading of said compressor and closure of said liquid valve.

5. In combination, a compressor having an unloading mechanism, a liquid cooling system therefor, a valve for controlling flow of liquid in said cooling system, a receiver, means for moving said valve to open position with fluid pressure supplied directly from said receiver, fluid pressure means for moving said valve to closed position, a pilot valve connected to said receiver, and fluid pressure connections from said pilot valve to said unloading mechanism and to said fluid pressure means for moving the liquid control Valve to its closed position, whereby when receiver pressure reaches a predetermined maximum said pilot valve simultaneously unloads said compressor and closes said liquid valve.

6. In combination, a compressor, a fluid cooling system therefor, and means for controlling flow of cooling fluid in said system including a valve constantly biased towards closed position, means controlled by compressor discharge line pressure for opening said valve when said pressure exceeds a predetermined value, and means automatically operative when said compressor discharge line pressure exceeds a desired maximum to effect closure of said valve. while said valve opening means continues to exert its valve opening force.

7. In combination, a compressor, a fluid cooling system therefor, and means for controlling flow of cooling fluid in said system including a valve constantly biased. towards closed position, means responsive to compressor discharge pressure for opening said valve when compressor discharge line pressure exceeds a predetermined value, and means automatically operative when said discharge line pressure exceeds a desired maximum to eflect closure of said valve while said valve opening means remains subjected to discharge line pressure.

8. In combination, a machine, a liquid cooling system therefor, a valve for control ling flow of liquid in said system, and means for controlling said valve including an element for moving the valve to open position by fluid pressure and a superior fluid responsive means for forcing said valve to closed position.

9. In combination, a receiver, a compressor discharging to said receiver and having an unloading mechanism, a liquid cooling system for said compressor, a valve for controlling flow of liquid in said cooling system, yielding means constantly acting to press said valve towards closed position, means for moving said valve to open position by fluid pressure supplied from said receiver, a pilot valve connected to said receiver and to said unloading mechanism, and a fluid pressure responsive means also connected to said pilot valve for closing said liquid controlling valve when pressure in said receiver reaches the value at which unloading takes place.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LEWIS J. CLAPP.

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