US2155257A

US2155257A - Fluid compressor

Info

Publication number: US2155257A
Authority: US
Inventors: Philip L Crittenden
Original assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Co
Current assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Co
Priority date: 1935-01-31
Filing date: 1937-03-13
Publication date: 1939-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1956-04-18

Description

April 18, 1939. P. CRITTENDEN 2,155,257

FLUID COMPRESSOR Original Filed Jan. '51, 1935 sqsoasesr w l 48 3 5! 46 64 If; 7 I4 65 I5 I, l "I, 5 E '1 I,

26 m l 24 27 I6 I INVENTOR PHILIP L.CRITTENDEN ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 18, 1939 A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID COMPRESSOR Original application January 31, 1935, Serial No. 4,263. Divided and this application March 13, 1937, Serial No. 130,730

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid compressor.

and particularly to an improved compressor having'fluid pressure operated unloading means associated with the inlet valves thereof.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 4,263, filed January 31, 1935.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fluid compressor having fluid pressure operated unloading means associated with the inlet valves thereof, the unloading means being constructed so that the inlet valves may be easily removed and replaced when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid compressor of the type described and in which the unloading means is arranged so that it may be removed without disconnecting any of the pipe connections through which fluid under pressure is supplied to the unloading means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid compressor.

Other objects of the invention and features of novelty will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a compressor embodying this invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the compressor therein illustrated has a cylinder body I having bores 3 and 4 therein, which are adapted to receive pistons, not shown. The body I has detachably secured thereto a cylinder head 5 which has formed therein above each of the compressor cylinders an exhaust chamber 1 and an inlet chamber 8.

The exhaust chamber 1 is connected by way of a manifold, not shown, to a discharge pipe, not shown, and contains an exhaust valve assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral III, which may be of any suitable well known construction. This chamber is closed by means of a cover plate l2 which is detachably secured to the head 5 by means of bolts 4.

The inlet chamber 8 has mounted therein an inlet valve assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral |5 which serves to control communication between the inlet chamber and the compression chamber indicated at'|6 formed at the upper face of a piston mounted in the bore 3. The inlet chamber 8 is open to the atmosphere by way of a manifold, not shown, while one side of the chamber 8 opens on the upper face of the cylinder head 5.

The inlet valve assembly |5 comprises a spring cage which is adapted to seat upon an annular seat indicated at I9 surrounding a passage between the inlet chamber 8 and the compression chamber 6.

The inlet valve assembly l5 includes a valve seat member 2| having a plurality of ports 22 and 23 extending therethrough. A pair of

annular valve elements

24 and 25 are adapted to engage a face on the seat member 2| to control communication through the ports 22 and 23. The

valve elements

24 and 25 are yieldingly pressed into engagement with seats on the seat member 2| by means of coil springs 21 and 28 which extend between the valve elements and the spring cage 20.

The spring cage 26 and valve seat member 2| are detachably secured together by means of screws 30, one of which is shown in the drawing.

The spring cage 20 and the valve seat member 2| are held in position by means of a spider or frame work indicated generally by the reference numeral 32 and comprising an annular peripheral portion 33, and a plurality of arms 34 which extend upwardly and inwardly from the peripheral portion 33 and merge into a central portion 35 having a bore therein which is open at the lower end.

A piston 36 is mounted in the bore in the central portion 35 and has secured to thelower face thereof a plurality of fingers 38 and 39 which extend into the ports 22 and 23, respectively, to

engage the

valve elements

24 and 25 to press them away from their seats on the seat member 2| against the springs 21 and 28.

A spring 48 is positioned between the piston 36 and the valve seat member 2| and normally urges the piston 36 upwardly so that the fingers 38 and 39 do not engage the

valve elements

24 and 25, thereby permitting these valve elements to be held in their seated positions by the springs 21 and 28.

The upper end of the bore in the central portion 35 is closed by means of a wall 45 having an annular gasket 46 mounted in a recess in the exposed face thereof. The gasket 46 is formed of a suitable resilient material such as molded rubber. A passage 41 extends through the wall 45 at a. point inwardly of the gasket 46 and communicates with the operating chamber 48 at the upper face of the piston 36.

The open face of the inlet chamber 8 is closed by means of a cover plate 58 which is held in position by means of bolts 5|. The cover plate 56 has an adjusting screw 52 associated therewith and adapted to engage the wall 45 of the spider or frame work 32 to press the frame work 82 downwardly to hold the valve seat member 2i and the spring cage 28 firmly in position. A look nut 58 is secured on the adjusting screw 52 to maintain it in the adjusted position.

The cover plate 58, the gasket 45 and the other portions of the compressor are arranged so that when the cover plate is.in position on the cylinder head 5, the lower face of the cover plate is engaged by the gasket 45, while the gasket is firmly compressed so that fluid under pressure cannot escape from the chamber between the cover plate 50 and the wall 45 within the gasket 45.

The cylinder head 5 has a supply passage indicated at 55 formed therein and connected by way of a pipe 55 with a suitable source of fluid under pressure, not shown.

The cover plate 55 has a passage indicated at 58 formed therein which is adapted, when the cover plate is in position on the cylinder head 5, to establish communication between the supply passage 55 and the area. within the angular gasket 45. A bushing, indicated at 59, extends across the joint between the cover plate 50 and the cylinder head 5, andhas a passage therethrough connecting the passages 55 and 58. The bushing 59 is adapted to be received by recesses in the confronting faces of the cover plate 55 and the cylinder head 5, and serves to prevent leakage of fluid under pressure through the joint between these members, and to also insure that the cover plate 50 will be secured to the cylinder head 5 with the passage 58 in communication with the passage 55 in the cylinder head.

In operation, the spring 40 normally maintains the piston 35 and the fingers 38 and 39 in the position in which they are shown in the drawing so as to permit the

valve elements

24 and 25 to be held in the seated position by the springs 21 and 28, respectively, to thereby load the compressor.

On the supply of fluid under pressure to the pipe 56, fluid flows through the passage 55 in the cylinder head 5 to the passage 58 in the cover plate 50, thence to the area within the annular gasket 45, and through the passage 41 in the wall 45 to the operating chamber 48 at the upper face of the piston 35. Upon an increase in the pressure of fluid in the chamber 48, the piston 36 is moved downwardly against the spring 45, while the ends of the flngers 38 and 39 engage the

valve elements

24 and 25 and move them away from their seats on the seat member 2i against the springs 21 and 28 to thereby unload the compressor.

On the subsequent release of fluid under pressure from the pipe 56, fluid is released from the operating chamber 48, and on a reduction in the pressure of fluid in this chamber, the spring 48 moves the fingers 38 and 39 and the piston 36 upwardly so that the

valve elements

24 and 25 are again permitted to engage their seats to load the compressor.

The compressor provided by this invention i so constructed and arranged that it is possible to remove the inlet valve assembly when desired without detaching any of the pipe connections leading to the operating chamber of the unloading means associated with the valve assembly.

In order to remove the inlet valve assembly l5 it is necessary only to remove the cover plate 50, and the inlet valve assembly may then be lifted out through the opening uncovered by the cover plate.

ger that the joints in the pipe connections will,

be loosened or that leaks will develop in these joints. In addition, it will be seen that this construction permits all of the pipes associated with the unloading means to be located at the side of the cylinder head, and does not require them to extend over the top of thecylinder head or the cover plates of the inlet chambers where they might interfere with the installation and removal of the inlet valve assemblies.

While one embodiment of the improved compressor construction provided by this invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these details of construction, and that numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Having now described .my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten is:

i. In a fluid compressor, in combination, a body having a bore therein providing a compression chamber, said body having an inlet chamber associated therewith and opening on a face thereof, an inlet valve assembly mounted in said inlet chamber and controlling communication between said inlet and compression chambers, said valve assembly including a frame having a valve seat member associated therewith, a valve adapted to seat on said seat member, biasing means yieldingly urging said valve into engagement with its seat, the frame having an operating chamber associated therewith, a movable abutment subject to the pressure of the fluid in said operating chamber and controlling means for holding said valve away from its seat against said biasing means, a clamp detachably secured to said body and engageable with a portion of said frame to secure said valve assembly in position in said inlet chamber, the body having a supply passage formed therein through which fluid may be supplied to and released from said operating chamber, the clamp having a passage formed therein and operative when the clamp is in position on said body to establish communication between said supply passage and said operating chamber, the adjacent ends of the supply passage in the body and of the passage in the clamp being enlarged, and a tubular member positioned in said enlarged passage portions and extending across the joint between the body and the clamp.

2. In a fluid compressor, in combination, a body having a bore therein providing a compression chamber, said body having an inlet chamber associated therewith and opening on a face thereof, an inlet valve assembly mounted in said inlet chamber and controlling communication between said inlet and compression chambers, said valve assembly including a frame having a valve seat member associated therewith, a valve adapted to seat on said seat member, biasing means yieldingly urging said valve into engagement with its seat, the frame having anoperating chamber associated therewith, a movable I -fluid may be supplied to and released from said operating chamber, the frame of the valve assembly having an annular gasket associated therewith and adapted to be engaged by a face of said clamp, the area within said gasket communicating with said operating chamber, the clamp having a passage formed therein which is operative when the clamp is in position on said body to establish communication between said supply passage and the area within said gasket, the adjacent endsof the supply passage in the body and of the passage in the clamp being enlarged, and a tubular member positioned in said enlarged passage portions and extending across the joint between the body and the clamp.

3. In a fluid compressor, in combination, a body'having a bore therein providing a compression chamber, the body having an inlet chamber associated therewith and having mounted therein an inlet valve assembly controlling communication between said inlet and compression chambers, said body having an opening formed therein through which the valve assembly may be installed and removed from said inlet chamber, the valve assembly comprising a frame having a valve seat member associated therewith, a valve adapted to seat on said seat member, biasing means yieldingly urging said valve into engagement with its seat, the frame having an operating chamber associated therewith, a movable abutment subject to the pressure of fluid in said operating chamber and controlling means for holding said valve away from its seat against said biasing means, and a cover plate-detachably secured to said body and closing the opening therein, said cover plate having means associated therewith and adapted to engage said frame to maintain the valve assembly in position in 'said inlet chamber, the body having a supply passage formed therein through which fluid may be supplied to and released from said operating chamber, the cover plate having a passage formed therein and operative when the cover plate is in position on said body to' establish communication-between said supply passage and said operating chamber, the adjacent ends of the supply passage in the body and of the passage in the cover plate being enlarged, and a tubular. member positioned in said enlarged passage portions and extending across the joint between the body and the cover plate.

4. In a fluid compressor, in combination, a

body having a bore therein providing a compression chamber, the body having an inlet chamber associated therewith and having mounted therein an inlet valve assembly controlling communication between said inlet and compression chambers, said body having an opening formed therein through which the valve assembly may be installed and removed from said inlet chamber, the

adapted to seat on said seat member, biasing means yieldingly urging said valve into engagement with its seat, the frame having an operating chamber associated therewith, a movable abutment subject to the pressure of fluid in said operating chamber and controlling means for holding said valve away from its seat against said biasing means, a cover plate detachably secured to said body and closing the opening therein, said cover plate having means associated therewith and adapted to engage said frame to maintain the valve assembly in position in said inlet chamber, the body having a supply passage formed therein through which fluid may be supplied to and released from said operating chamber, the frame of the valve assembly having an annular gasket associated therewith and adapted to be engaged by a face of said cover plate, the area within said gasket communicating with said operating chamher, the cover plate having a passage formed therein which is operative when the cover plate is in position on said body to establish communication between said supply passage and the area within said gasket, the adjacent ends of the supply passage in the body and of the passage in the cover plate being enlarged, and a tubular member positioned in said enlarged passage portions and extending across the joint between the body and the cover plate.

5. In a fluid compressor, in combination, a body having a bore therein providing a compression chamber, said body having an inlet chamber associated therewith and having mounted therein an inlet valve assembly controlling communication between said inlet and compression chambers, said body also having an opening formed therein through which the valve assembly may be installed and removed from said inlet chamber, the body having a mounting face thereon surrounding said opening, the valve assembly comprising a frame having a valve seat member associated therewith, a valve adapted to seat on said seat member, biasing means yieldingly urging said valve into engagement with its seat, the frame having an operating chamber associated therewith, a movable abutment subject to the pressure of the fluid in said operating chamber and controlling means for holding said valve away'from its seat against said biasing means, a cover plate detachably secured against the mounting face on said body and closing the opening therein, said cover plate having means associated therewith and adapted to'engage said frame to maintain the valve assembly in position in said inlet chamber, a body having a supply passage formed therein through the cover plate having a passage formed therein and opening on the face of said cover plate confronting the mounting face on the body and adapted to register with the passage in said body, the adjacent ends of said passages being enlarged, atubular bushing mounted in said enlarged passage portions and extending across the joint between the cover-plate andthe body, and an annular gasket associated with the frame of the valve assembly and adapted to be engaged by the face of said cover plate, the area within said gasket communicating with said operating chamber, the passage in the cover plate communicating with the area within said gasket when the cover plate is imposition on said body to thereby establish communication between said supply passage and said operating chamber.

" PHILIP L. CRI'II'ENDEN.