US269730A - Apparatus for compressing and pumping air - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. S. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR OOMPRE SSING AND PUMPING AIR No. 269,730. Patented De0.26,1882.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. s. SMITH.

APPARATUSFOR GOMPRESSING AND PUMPING AIR.

Patent-ed Dec; 26, "1882.

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ELMER S. SMITH, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RAY V. PIERCE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND PUMPING AIR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Iletters Patent No. 269,730, dated December 26, 1882.

Application filed J one 20, 1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER. S. SMITH, a citizen of'the United States, residingat Erie,in the countyof Erie and Stateof Pennsylvania,have

invented certain newand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing and Pumping Air; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in l a the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to airpum'ping or compressing engines; and itconsists in improvements in the construction of that class of airpumping engines wherein the air is expelled from the cylinder or receiver of the engine by filling said cylinder with water.

The device is intended for use in connection with a water-fall, and for converting the power there exerted into compressed air, which can be conveyed to points remote, and then be applied as a motive power.

The objects and scope of my'invention will fully appear from the following general de- 2' scription and claims.

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure l is an end view, showing the receivers or cylinders in vertical section, and parts 0 broken away to show details of construction. Fig. 2 is a side view, with parts broken away to show details of construction.

The construction and operation of the deviceis as follows:

Two horizontal cylinders or receivers, A B, are placed side by side. They are made usually of boiler-iron, and are in appearance like two steam-boilers. They may be of any capacity desired. They are provided with domes 0 A B. Pipes J, K, and L connect thesedomes with the compressedair receiver or conduits.

G is the water-supply pipe, which connects with the pipe D, which joins the two receivers A and B. Within the pipe D, at each end 5 thereof, and within each receiver, are ports D l), which are provided with valve-seats d (1. Upon a valve-rod, G, adjusted within the pipe D, are placed two plug-valves, E and F, which are provided with faces to seat upon the seats d (1. These valves are so adjusted upon the rod G that while one valve is seated upon the seat (I in one receiver theother valve is seated upon the seat d in the other receiver,and thus it is that the water-supply from pipe 0 can only enter one of the receivers at a time. The' 5 seats d d are on passages leading from the re,- ceivers to pipes I and I,'which lead to apoint below the receivers. When the valves are off the seats (1 they are on the seats d, and thus when the water is flowing into a receiver, as in B, the passage past the seat 41 is closed, and the water cannot escape there.

The valves E and F are moved by a system of levers, as followsz ln each of the domes A B are placed floats N, which are connected with a lever, f ,(see Fig. 2,) which is fulcrumed at the opposite end of the receiver near the pipe D, and is connected with a yoke,f, which straddles. the pipe D, and connects with the pivots oftoggle-leversf on the side of the pipe, which are attached at one end to the valves. These toggles have a rule-joint, and can only move in one direction, and when they are straightened they hold the valves firmly to the seats. Whenever the float in either receiver is raised, which occurs when the receiver is full, the lever f raises the toggles f and moves the valves. Whenever the valves move in the manner described the inflow otwater is changed from one cylinder to the 8;. other, and the cylinder which has just been filled at once begins to empty. it is essential that the cylinders empty with as great rapidity as they fill, and as the inflowing water is under pressure, the discharge-open'in gs should be greater in area than the entrance-passage, so as to insure as rapid emptying as filling.

.The devices for emptying the receivers are as follows: On the bottom of the cylinder is a series of valves, 15 1" 2' which are weighted 0 and set upon proper seals. Connected with each of these are levers 1 2 3, by which. they can be raised. ()n the ends of these levers are pans I I 1', the first of which is placed under the nozzle of the waste-pipe I, the second under the valve i, the third under the valve i. When the valves E Fare moved, as

has before been stated, the water can pass out through the pipe I, and in so doing it willfall upon the pan I and depress it, thus opening the valve 2', which will cause the water to rush out of thatopening and fall upon the pan 1 and draw it down, and thus open the valve 1', which will in the same manner open the valve '17. Thus in rapid succession are all the valves opened, and kept open as long as there is any water to flow onto the pans. The pan 1' is connected with the lever 1 by a chain, so as ,to hold it down as long as there is any water running onto pan 1'. This is done because the water that runs onto pan 1 comes from the middle of the cylinder, and hence water does not flow upon it after the cylinder is half emptied. As soon as the cylinder is empty the weight of the valves 1' i i will close them.

P is an air-inlet valve, and 7." I: are checkvalves in the air-pipes.

In Fig. 2, in addition to the parts shown in Fig.1, there is shown an air-reservoir and pressure-regulator, B, located on the watersupply pipe above the cylinders. The water flows freely into this reservoir at the bottom thereof. A pipe, S, connects with the top of this chamber and extends to the air-pipe L. At the pointof connection of this pipe S with the reservoir there is located a. check-valve, which opens into the chamber R, sothataircan pass into it and out of it, but closes-bya float when the water reaches it, and thus prevents any escape of water at that point. As the reservoir is above the cylinders, the pressure of water in it is not quite as strong as in the cylinders A and B, and consequently notquite as strong as the pressure of air may be in the pipe L, and hence the air may be forced into this reservoir and displace the water more or less. At each change which takes place in the filling of the cylinders A and B, there is an interval of no pressure of air into the pipe L, and consequently, if a consumption of air is going on at the other end ot' the pipe L, there would be a fluctuation of pressure in that pipe; but when the reservoir 1 is used there is a reserve supply of air, under nearly the same pressure from the water as there is from one of the cylinders, and the result is that pressure of air in the pipe L is kept at about the same uniformity as if there were three cylinders so timed in their action as to have no interval of non pressure between their alternate action.

The operation of the device it is believed will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and need notbe repeated.

My device can be applied whenever there is a fall of water sufficient to fill the cylinders; but of course the greater the fall the greater the prcssurc of air that can be obtained. The device can be used when it is impracticable to use any form of water-wheel, and where airhlowing is the prime object of course this device would be much preferable to the use of water-wheels and air-compressors operated thereby, as it is much cheaper and more effective.

It is not essential that the construction shown he followed in all particulars. The cylinders may be vertical, and then would need no domes, and the float N may be directly over the valves E and Band the toggles by which the valve is moved, and then the leverf need not be used.

hat I claim as new is 1. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of the following elements: the cylinders A and B, with domes A and B, the water-supply pipe 0, with branch pipe D, having ports D D within said cylinders, and containing the valve-rod G, with valves E and- F thereon operating upon seats d d and d d, and means for operating the valve-gear.

2. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, substantially as'herein setv forth, of the following elements: the cylinders A and B, with domes A and B, the ain pipes J and K, with contained valves 7. k, the miter-supply pipe 0, the pipe D, with ports I) D, the valve-rod G, with valves E and I", having seats dd (1 (1, and means for operating the valve.

3. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with two cylinders, of a single water-supply pipe, 0, having a branch pipe entering each of said cylinders, said branch pipe being provided with ports I) I), having seats 6? d and d d, and contained valves E and F, mounted on a single valve-rod, G, and of means foroperating'the valves, substantially as set forth.

4. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with the cylinders A and B, supply-pipe O, and branch pipe I), of the valves E and F, toggles c and f, lever f, and floats N, substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

5. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with the cylinders A and B, of the dnmp-valves i, 'i, and t the levers 1 2 3, pans I I I, and the waste-pipes I, substantially as and l'orthe purposes setforth.

6. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with the water-supply pipe and the air-conduit, of the reservoir It, pipes 0 and S, connecting said reservoir with said water-pipe and air-conduit, respectively, said pipe S being provided with a check-valve, r, substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELHER S. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JNo. K. HALLOCK, JACOB F. WAL'rnnn.

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