US2181729A

US2181729A - Hydraulic air compressor

Info

Publication number: US2181729A
Authority: US
Inventors: George W Harris; Voss John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-12-20
Filing date: 1937-12-20
Publication date: 1939-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1956-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1939. G. w. HARRIS ET AL 2,181,729

HYDRAULICy AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Dec. 20, 1937 /6 Q/zd J70/2f@ V055 INVENTORS Bff THE/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED A STATE eATENT oFFicE This invention concerns fluid compression devices, and more particularly a form of hydraulic compressor adapted to operate from the city water mains.

One of the important objects of the invention is the provision of a hydraulic air compressor adapted to operate from the city water mains and operable to compress air for general use and especially for use with beverage dispensing apparatus.

Another object is the provision of a hydraulic air compressor which can be operatedfrom the city water mains and which is adapted to wash as well as compress air.

Another object is the provision of a lsimple and relatively inexpensive air compressing device especially suitable for use with beverage dispensing apparatus and which may be readily connected with the local hydrant for operation by water under pressure from the city mains.

Still another object is the provision of a iiuid compression device including a tank and an injector for delivering Water under pressure into said tank and also operable to draw air into the tank, together with neat-operated valve means and check valve means so arranged that as thev water level rises in the tank the inducted air becomes increasingly compressed and escapes under pressure into a storage tank while the iioat means operates certain valves to release the water from the tank so that the cycle of injection and compression may be repeated. f

Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction and operation especially with respect to the injection valve, the check valve arrangement and the quick acting float control valve mechanism, all of which will appear as the following description proceeds in View of the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section through the compressor unit; while Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan detail of a valve catch means.

portions.

A suitable form of gasket I4 is `provided between the flange portions I3 to complete the air seal.

The bottom I5 of the tank isconcave and has a depending discharge conduit I6 at its lowermost central portion and through which water forced into the tank is permitted to escape under certain conditions.

Threaded into a nipple I'I in the head II is an 5 injector unit generaly indicated at I84 and including a main conduit portion I9 adapted for connection with the city Water supply and leading to the bottom of the tank through a stand pipe 2li open at its lower end 2l just above the 10 concave bottom wall. An extension 22 on the injector I8 provides an air inlet 23 leading past a light weight valve 24 having its stern 25 slidably seated in a plug 26 threaded into the eX- tension 22. A passage 21 communicates at an 15 angle froml the valve 24 into the conduit portion I3 at a point just above the juncture 28 of av small-diameter water feed tube 29 and a largerdiameter injector tube 30 disposed in the conduit portion I9, the arrangement being such that as the water passes under pressure down through the'smaller-diarneter tube 29 and by its own velocity and momentum on into the larger tube 30, air is dragged through the conduit portion 2l in around the juncture 28 between the larger and 25 smaller tubes. It will be observed that the stand pipe 2i) is of considerably larger diameter than the injection tube to obviate any undue back pressure. There is also a smaller valve operating duCl'J 21. 30

As the water lever rises, the air-tight float 3i within the tank rides upwardly on a vertical guide rod 32 attached at its lower end by pin means 33 to a plug orstopper 3d which normally seats in or closes the discharge duct i5, the upper end 35 of the rod 32 terminating in a tapered nose portion 35 which projects in the central opening 33 of a toroidal spring ring 3l (see Fig. 2) seated in a chamber 38 in the bottom of a compression Valve structure 39 threaded into a nipple portion 40 4t in the top of the tank. The chambered portion 38 is closed by a plate 4I.

It will be observed that the guide rod 32 may shift up and down along a vertical line to open and close the discharge or drain opening I6. When the rod 32 moves upwardly, the tapered nose portion 35 wedges into the toroidal spring latch 3l until a circumferentially curved portion 42 isA gripped by the spring to hold the rod 32 in raised position with the drain I6 open. In this latter position the nose portion 35 acts also as a stop valve by virtue of the fact that it seats in a reduced air discharge passage 43 in the structure 39 and thus closes off the discharge or compression line from the interior of the tank.

When the guide rod 32 is in its lowered position, as seen in Fig. 1, with the drain i6 closed, the rising column of water within the tank compresses the inducted air which escapes around the nose portion 35 of the guide rod and past a rubber lip valve il@ into an enlarged oat chamber i5 and around a normally open float valve i6 and past another normally closed rubber lip valve @l into the reservoir or compression tank. The float valve 46 may be of any commonly known type which includes a iioat 48 connected by a guided arml 49 to the valve and operable when any liquid or water accidentally gets past the lower valves and escapes from the tank into the chamber 45. When the compressor is used for beverage dispensing purposes, it is necessary to guard against any possibility of water reaching the compression line, and the float valve structure lt--lQ- serves this end.

As the water column rises within the tank, back pressure in the air induction line will permit the easy operating valve V2154 to close, the air previously inducted meanwhile being continuously compressed until the float 3l reaches a predetermined level to terminate the compression phase of the operation. The closed sleeve portion $1 of the oat 3! terminates at its upper end in an enlarged sleeve portion 50 in which is seated a compression spring 5l loosely surrounding the guide rod 32 and movable with the float upwardly through an opening 52 in a trip valve arm 53 and against a flange or collar 54 iixed to the rod 32 in such manner that the rod will be raised upwardly to open the drain I6 and project its nose portion 35 into blocking position in the duct portion 43, the latching spring means 3l holding the rod in raised position as aforesaid while the water escapes through the drain and the float Si descends on the guide rod.

In order to spill the air from the tank and effect a sudden upward movement of the oat 3l as a result of the reduced pressure, there is provided a trip valve 55 operated by the arm 53 which is pivoted as at 56 on the inner side of the cover El, the arm 53 being curved such that as the oat 3l rises to engage the spring 5l with the rod lifting the collar 54, the arm 53 will be quickly raised to open the valve 55 and spill the compressed air remaining in the tank through a circuitous exhaust line 57 threaded into a nipple 58 in the top of the tank. Meanwhile, the column of water will descend until the float 3l reaches its normally lowered position and engages the plug portion 3d to retract or lower the guide rod 32 and close the discharge opening I6.

Attention is called to the fact that the arrangement of the spring 5l for establishing a yielding operative connection between the iioat and the means 54 on the upper end of the guide rod, together with the disposition of the trip `Valve lever 53, is especially designed to assure that the float will be suiiciently submerged in order to cause its sudden upward movement responsive to spilling the air from the tank.

Thus, it will appear that we have provided a novel and inexpensive compression device in which a fluid such as water is injected into a closedtank and provided with an air induction mechanism by means of which a certain quantity of air is led into the tank along with the fluid or water and compressed as the column of water rises within the tank. WhenV a predetermined quantity of water or viluid has entered thev tank,

a float mechanism automatically o-pens a drain valve and permits the water to escape rapidly until the tank is substantially drained, whereupon the drain valve automatically closes and the tank again lls in the manner described. And while we have described a particular use for the mechanism as well as certain specific details of construction thereof, it is expressly to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular application, nor to any specic form of construction except as may be provided hereinafter in the appended claims;

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A compressor including a closed tank, means providing a flow of water into said tank and arranged to induct air into the tank by the flow of water, a water discharge valve arranged in the tank, an air exhaust Valve in the tank, a vertically extending guide, rod operatively connected with said water discharge valve and movable in a vertical direction to open said valve, a float guided for vertical movement by said vrod and having means operatively engagingl an upper end portion of said rod to `lift the latter and open said water discharge valve when the water reaches a predetermined level in said tank,` and resilient means arranged at the upper endhof said rod and releasably holding the rod in raised valve opening position, said iioat being operable to close said discharge valve when a determined amount of water has escaped through said water discharge valve. n Y

2. An air compressor including a closed tank having a water discharge valve in its lower region and an air escape valve in its upper res gion, a vertical guide rod operatively connected with said water discharge valve and having gulded support at its upper end for vertical movement to open saidvalve, yieldable means at the upper end of said rod and constructed Vto releasably gripv the same and hold the rod in raised position, a float having vertically guided sliding movement on said rod, spring means ar- J ranged at the upper end of said float. and en gageable with means at the upper end of said rod .to lift the latter when the iioat is raised toa predetermined position to open said discharge valve, and a combination waterland vair injection device connected to a supply of waterunder pressure, and adapted to draw fair into the tank, whereby thev level of water in said tank may be raised to compress air therein for escape through said exhaust valve, said discharge valve opening to open and close the latter,y a vertically extending guide rod attached to said plug and having guided movement at itsruppelr end in 'said .exhaust valve member, yieldable means having sliding engagement with said upper .en-d portion `of the rod and constructed to hold'the latter in releasably raised position when lthe rod is moved a predetermined distance upwardly tov raise said plug and open said discharge opening, a float slidable -on said rod and normally vdisposed in a lowered position thereon to lower said plug and close said discharge opening, spring means at the upper end of said float and. -mov- 55 being opened when sa1d oat lsralsedto said .60 movable vertically into and outoi said discharge able on said rod with said float-foriengagement with means on thev upper end of said rod to raise the latter said predetermined distance when said oat is raised to a particular level by water Within the tank, and means attached to a source of water under pressure for injecting Water and air into said tank, the rising level of water in said tank compressing said air for escape through said exhaust valve member, said float being raised to said particular level by the injected water to raise said plug and release the water, said float descending to lower said plug preparatory to a repetition of the aforesaid operation.

, 4. A device of the class described including a closed tank having a Water drain in its lower region and an air exhaust opening in its upper region, means for introducing water and air into the tank in a manner to compress said air as the volume of Water increases, plug means normally closing said water drain and movable vertically to open the same, a guide rod operatively connected with said plug means, an exhaust valve attachment in said air exhaust opening, yieldable means arranged in said exhaust attachment and guidingly embracing an upper end portion of said guide rod and adapted to hold said rod releasably in raised position when the rod is moved upwardly .a determined distance, check valve means in said exhaust valve attachment permitting the escape of air under pressure from said tank for utilization purposes, a float having vertically guided movement on said rod, said float being movable upwardly to a predetermined level by water rising in said tank and having resilient means operatively engageable with means near the upper end of said rcd for eiecting upward movement of said rod said determined distance by movement of said float to said predetermined level whereby said plug may be raised to permit draining Water from said tank, said float being adapted to descend into an initial position within said tank when Water is drained therefrom to lower said plug and close said drain.

5. The device of claim 4 further characterized by the provision of a normally closed air trip valve in said tank and having an operating member operably engaged by said float as the latter apiproaches said predetermined level, whereby the compressed air Within the tank may be quickly relieved to effect a sudden upward movement of the float to said predetermined level to raise the guide rod as aforesaid.

6. A fluid-operated compressor including a closed tank, water injection means for introducing water under pressure within said tank, air induction means cooperable with said Water injection means for inducing air within the tank by the flow of water therein, a normally closed water discharge valve in the tank, means providing an air discharge passage from said tank, a rod member having a particular end portion guidedly received in said discharge passage and having operative engagement with said Water discharge valve to open the latter, a float within said tank and having guidedmovement on said rod member, spring means movable by said float into engagement with a member on said rod near said particular end to raise the rod and open said Water discharge valve when the float is raised to a determined level by water in the tank, means releasably holding said rod in raised position, said iioat being adapted to descend into an initial position to close said discharge valve when the water level recedes.

7. A fluid-operated. compressor' including a closed tank, water injection means for introducing water under pressure within said tank, air induction means cooperable With said water injection means for inducing air Within the tank by the ow of water therein, a normally closed water discharge valve in the tank, means providing a valve air discharge passage leading from said tank, said passage having a seat portion, a rod member having a particular end portion guidedly received in said discharge passage and having a portion of said particular end constructed to fit in the aforesaid seat portion in the air passage to close off the latter When said rod is raised to open said discharge valve, said rod further having operative connection with said water discharge valve to open the latter, a ioat Within said tank and having guided movement on said rod member, spring means movable by said float into engagement with a member on said rod near said particular end to raise the rod and open said Water discharge valve when the float is raised to a determined level by water in the tank, means releasably holding said rod in raised position, said float being adapted to descend into an initial position to close said discharge valve when the water level recedes.

8. A duid-operated compressor including a closed tank, Water injection means for introducing water under pressure within said tank, air induction means cooperable with said water i'njection means for inducing air Within the tank by the iiow of water therein, a normally closed Water discharge valve in the tank, means providing an air discharge passage from said tank, I:

a rod member having a particular end portion guidedly received in said discharge passage and having operative engagement with said Water discharge valve to open the latter, a iloat Within said tank and having guided movement on said rod member, spring means movable by said iloat into engagement with a member on said rod near said particular end to raise the rod and open said Water discharge valve when the iioat is raised to a determined level by Water in the tank, an annular spring member yieldingly embracing said particular end portion of the rod adjacent said discharge passage and engaging in a groove formation in said rod to hold the latter releasably in raised position when the rod is raised to open ed to descend into an initial position to close said discharge valve When the Water level recedes.

9. A fluid-operated compressor including a, closed tank having a fluid discharge opening in its lower region and an air exhaust opening in its upper region substantially opposite the aforesaid discharge opening, a stop plug normally closing said fluid discharge opening and having connected thereto one end of a guide rod movable vertically into a determined position to open said fluid discharge opening, exhaust valve means arranged in said air exhaust opening and providing an air discharge passage in which the opposite end portion of said guide rod is guidedly received, releasable means for holding said guide rod in said determined position, said means including a toroidal spring member embracing said opposite end portion of the guide rod, the latter having a groove in which said toroidal spring member is moved to said determined position, a float having guided movement on said rod and having a coil spring movable therewith on the rod, a normally closed air relief valve in said tank and having an operating lever provided with an the Water discharge valve, said float being adapt- "'50 opening surrounding said rodl near its upper end and through which said spring on the float may pass for engagement with a member on said rod near said opposite end thereof, such that said iioat may engage and operate said operating lever of the relief valve to actuate the latter as the float approaches a predetermined level and at substantially the same time'establish operative connection With said rod for movement of the latter into said determined position when the air is relieved, and a combination liquid and air injection device connected with said tank for introducing liquid and air Within the tank.

10. The device of claim 9 in which said exhaust valve means includes a chambered portion having a normally open fluid-operated valve in communication with an exhaust outlet and adapted to close said exhaust outlet When fluid other than air enters said chamber.

11. The device of claim 9 in which said exhaust valve means includes a tapered air discharge passage into which said opposite end portion of the guide rod ts When the rod is moved into said determined position to close oil the movement of air from said tank through said discharge passage.

12. In an air compressor including a closed tank having a water drain valve, an air exhaust valve, an air relief valve, and means for introducing Water and air to said tank, the air being compressed by the rising body of water, automatic valve control means including a Water drain valve operating member arranged for vertical reciprocation to open and close said drain valve, a float having guided movement on said operating member and operable in a lowered condition to close said drain valve, said oat having a spring member engaging an upper part of said operating member When water rising in the tank lifts the float to a particular level, an operating arm for said relief valve and arranged to be operated by said oat to open said relief valve substantially at the time When said spring member engages the drain operating member as aforesaid, said float moving suddenly to open said drain valve through the agency of said spring member when said relief valve is operated.

13. Automatic valve control means as set forth in claim 12 and further characterized by the fact that said drain valve operating member is also constructed for cooperation With said air exhaust valve to close off an air exhaust passage through the latter when said Water drain valve s opened.

14. Valve mechanism for use with hydraulic air compressors of the type including a closed tank With a hydro-air injector, a Water drain valve, and air exhaust and relief valves, said mechanism comprising a. oat having guided movement on an operating member for said Water drain valve and arranged to be lifted to a predetermined level by Water rising in the tank to effect an operative connection With said operating member to move the latter for the purpose of opening said drain valve upon continued rising movement of the float, resilient means for oper.- ably connecting said oat with said operating member, and relief-valve operating means arranged in said tank for operation by said oat substantially at or after the time when said oat establishes operative connection with said drain valve operating member through the resilient means as aforesaid. v

15. In a device of the class described, an inclosed tank, means for injecting air and water into said tank to effect compression of said air by the increasing volume of Water in the tank, a normally closed Water drain valve for said tank, a valved air exhaust connection for said tank, and float mechanism including a guide rod having operative connection 'with said drain valve, float means arranged for guided movement relative to said rod and movable in a direction from one end of the rod toward the other as said volume of Water increases and decreases, said float mechanism moving said rod to open said drain valve lwhen there is a predetermined volume of vvater in said tank, yieldable means embracing an end of said rod and operable to hold the latter in valve opening position when said rod is moved by said float means to open said drain valve, said noat meansI moving relative to said rod to close said drain valve when a determined quantity of water has been drained from the tank, an air relief valve in said tank and including an operating member arranged in the path of movement of said oat means for actuation by the latter in advance of the opening thereby of said drain valve whereby to effect a sudden relief of the air pressure Within the tank and a subsequent positive` opening operation of said drain valve.

GEORGE W. HARRIS. JOHN VOSS.