US3162357A - Power-driven compressor device - Google Patents

Description

Dec 22, 1954 E. P. BURION ETAL. 3,162,357

POWER-DRIVEN COMPRESSOR DEVICE Filed June 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 22, 1964 E. P. BuRloN ETAL 3l62357 POWER-DRIVEN COMPRESSOR DEVICE Filed June 12. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r l l l l f L J a s i i.

United States Patent O 3,162,357 PWER-DRIWN CUMPRESSGR DEVICE Etienne Philippe Burion, La Fratte, Isere, France, and Ren Antoine Michel rEoesca, Robin Dell Rl). 1, Boyertown, Pa.

Filed June 12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,981 Claims priority, application France, `lune 22, 1961, 865,767, Patent 1,300,305 6 Claims. (Cl. 23d- 56) The present invention relates to a new free piston machine, intended more particularly to be used for compressing air to be employed for supplying various receiving mechanisms.

The invention applies, nevertheless, to devices for cornpressing other gases, and is also applicable to devices such as gas generators or gasiers, that Vis to say, devices in which the energy produced by lthe motor element serves to Vcompress and to feed a mass of air at a pressure which can be varied, the mass of air being utilized at least partly for the scavenging and the feeding of said motor element, said energy being nally collected in the form of heat and pressure in the exhaust gases which are utilized in a machine such as a turbine.

It is an object of the present invention to create a new machine which is simple of structure and effective in operation and as compact as possible.

It is another object of the invention to provide a machine wherein the number of movable parts is reduced with respect to the number of movable parts of similar machines.

It is a particular specific object of the invention to eliminate synchronizing mechanisms for the regulation of movable parts, which synchronizing mechanisms are provided in the known art.

It is another further object of the invention to provide la machine of the type specied which is easily cooled only by circulation of air, such air being caused to rapidly circulate onto the more heated parts of the machine without the aid of any blower or similar device.

According to the invention, the power-driven compressor comprises a hollow body divided into two variable volume compartments by a diaphragm associated on one slide with at least one motor piston movable in a motor cylinder of the two-stroke Diesel cycle type, said diaphragm Ibeing subjected on its other side to a damping caused by the compressionwork of a charge of a `gas to be compressed and to a resilient stress developed by Ia charge of gas, the compression of which causes the return stroke of said diaphragm and motor piston.

The diaphragm advantageously is formed by a piston placed inside a cylinder this piston conning inside said cylinder two variable volume chambers in which air is successively sucked in and compressed, one of said chambers communicating with a collector vfor exhaust compressed air leading to an utilization device, and the other chamber communicating by an intermediate housing with scavenging -ports of the Diesel two-stroke cylinder into which slides said motor piston which is rigidly connected to said piston forming the diaphragm.

Various other characteristics of the invention will moreover be revealed by the detailed description and claims which follow.

Forms of embodiment of the invention are shown, by Way of non-restricting examples, in the attached drawings in which:

3,152,357 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross elevation showing one form of embodiment of the power-driven compress-or according to the invention. v

FIGURE 2 -is a section at a smaller scale seen substantially along the line II-II of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section at a smaller scale taken substantially along the line III-HI of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a partial diagrammatical section seen substantially alongthe line IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are diagrammatical elevation-sections, showing two alternative embodiments of the device.

As shown by the drawing, and more particularly, FIf URE 1, the free piston machine device comprises a main casing 1, hereafter called compression casing, which internally delimits a cylinder 2, said compressor casing further being provided on -its periphery with cooling iins 3. At one of its ends, that shown to the right of FIGURE l, the casing 1 supports a sheath 4 coniining a cylinder 5 and a collector 6 communicating with the interior of the cylinder 2 by at least one outlet flap-valve 7. The cylinder 5, formed by the sheath 4, is closed at its end by a part 8 and also conlined by a collar 9 intended to contain a mechanism 16 whose function is explained in the following description. As shown by the drawings, the sheath assembly 4 extends from a projecting annular lrim 11 which is provided at the end of said cylinder 2.

A projecting annular border 12, whose peripherie rim contines a strap or lilange, preferably extends obliquely in relation to the axis of the cylinder 2 and projects to a greater extent than that of the tins 3 with which this cylinder is provided. The middle part 'of the border 12 acts for supporting inlet nap-valves 13. Other inlet llapvalves 14 are also provided in the casing 1 near to the annular rim 11, which is used, as well as the annular border 12, for maintaining a cylindrical part 1S comprising, at its middle part, a porous element 16, so that said part 15 thus `forms a filtering cartridge confining, with the periphery of the casing 1, a chamber 17 acting for channelling the air intended to pass during the working of the device, in directions whereby this air raises the inlet riapvalves 13 or 14 respectively.

The peripheric strap or flange formed by the projecting border 12 is used for screwing a second casing 1S, hereafter called driving casing. The side of the driving casing turned towards the compressing casing is closed by a partition 19 in which openings 20 (FIG. 2) are provided for positioning Hap-valves 21 intended to enable a chamber 22 tocommunicate, confined between the compression and driving casings 1 and 1S, with Ia collector 23 provided in said casing 1S. f

In addition to the openings 20, the partition 19 coniines the mouthportion of two cylinders 24 and 2S. The cylinders 24 and 25, `as well as the other parts, both for the driving casing 18 as well as the compression casing 1, are advantageously made of light metal alloys. Inside said cylinders, a lining is provided that may be made of a hard metal, for example, of hard chromium, or of a castiron addition, or else, as shown in the drawing, by the insertion of thin linings 26.

The two cylinders 24 and 25 are provided on their periphery and over most of their length, with cooling ns 27. Moreover, the front part of the two said cylinders communicates, by a large dimensioned duct 28, called transfen Furthermore, the cylinder 25 also communicates with the collector 23 through ports 29 advantaenging air of the cylindersras wi1l-beexplained farther denotes anexhaust manifold provided in the driving casing, this exhaust :manifold communicating withv the interior of the cylinder 24, by ports'lsl.V The terminal part of the cylinders 24, 25, Le., that showing at the left part of FIGURE 1, is closed by means of a iinned cylinder head 32 in which, as shown in particular in FIGURE 4, ducts 33, 34 are provided, communicating injector 36of a known type is iixed, whose `working is subjected to the pressure prevailing in the driving cylinders, the delivery. variation being regulated, for

example as i known .per se, by a pneumatic regulatorv sensitive tolthe deliveryy pressure-.of --the machine. This regulatorV being wellknown in itself and consequently Vit is no more described since'it doers not constitute structurally a part of the invention. be controlledby, electrically operated Vmechanism estimating the position of the mobile unit which is described hereafter. n f Y The various cylinders described above, which Vconfine both the compression casingl as well as the driving casing 18, act as a housing for a' single mobile unit, which, in the example shown, comprises a compressor pistonV 37 between the chamber 22 and the interior of the cylinder. 2, this compressor piston supporting, on theone hand,"a-

piston 38 engaged in the cylinder 5, contined by the sheath 4, and one the other hand, two driving pistons 39 and 40 placed in the cylinders 24`and 25, as shown in particularin FIGURE 1. f

It is` advantageous that which are confined inside the cylinders y24,` 25 between the pistons 39, 40 and the cylinder head 32 and which.

are denoted by the reference numerals 41 and 42,1have fthe combustion chambers This return stroke in the opposite directionl to thatof the arrow f1, thus causes( the compression of the air previously admitted 'into the .chamber 22; this air is thus progressively deliveredthrough the flap-valves 21 into the scavenging manifold 23 where it iscompressed, seeing that a'tjth-ismoment, the piston 40 closes the ports As can be clearly seen from thedrawing, at the end of Y f the driving stroke, i.e., the one in the direction ofthe arrow f1 the ypiston 39 progressively exposes the exhaust .ports 31, so that'A the burnt ygases in the cylinder V24 can thus escape towards the manifold 30. This also applies with each other and with a channel in which a pumpf This injector can also to the burnt gases-inthe cylinder 25,. seeing thatthe tionexists between the two said'cylinders. At the moment when the piston 40 begins toy expose the scavenging ports 29,the. air compressed during the preceding return stroke of the mobile yunit-in the collector 23, is thus brought to.V pass tirstly into the cylinder 25, then through the transferduct 28 .provided near tothe cylinder lhead 32, in thef'cylinder'24, this compressed air Vdischarging the burntl gases'while ,assuring the filling of the two said cylinders, and then once more to be compressed at theY -moment of the .following return `stroke of the mobilezunit, at the vend 'of which the fuel is injected Aby the pump-injector 36.y v f l As explainedrin theforegolng, ,the device is providedv with a yhousing 9 enclosing ka mechanism 10. Thehousing 9r delimitsr a recess, intendedto rcontain a charge-of air, f

for example compressed .by means of a hand pump, and the mechanism 10v comprises a 'hand-controlled valve which isn'ot shown'fand which"is intended-to allow the putting yinto communication of the recess of the housing 9--when vwishing to start up the machine-withthe interior'of the Vcylinder 5, into which a charge'of compressed `air is'thus injected, .which has the eect of rapidlyy thrustingqthe mobile unit in the. opposite vdirection to that-ofthe arrowV f1, to cause the compression ofthe air a wdege1shape in order to ensure satisfactory combustion of the fuel' mixture. In this case, the piston heads 39, 40 arefso shaped as Vto correspond to that of the,

tained in the combustion chambers v41 and 42 begins to.V ignite. Thefcombustionl of Athis mixture has the effect` of thrusting this mobile unit towards the right, i.e., in

the direction of the arrow f1, and hence the air in the cylinder 2 is progressively compressedY and delivered through theoutlet flapivalve 7 'into the collector V6, Y

connected to a tank (not shown). y

During this movement, the 'compressor piston 37 sets up a depression in the chamber 221'whose Volume isV contained 'in the combustion chambers'41, 42, and consequently, to start oit the linst driving, stroke of the machine. Y v Y e FIGURE 5 showsV a lirst alternative revealing constructive simplications, enabling the carrying out of devices vintended for special purposes.y According to this alternative, the mobile unit comprises only oneY compressor piston137 and a single driving piston39a, extending coaxially with vsaid compressor pistonv 37. Y According to. this alternative,the cylinder 5, intended to store up the return power, is. also suppressed, lbutl inthis case, 'the exhaust nap-.valve 7, provided in the cylinder 2 is placed 'at a kcertain distance from the end of the-latter, in orderto progressively increasing, and consequently,` air is sucked through the Vfiltering cartridge 15, then this air, after f having iiowed over the tins 3 with which the compression. casing 1lis provided, penetratesl into said chamber .222y

obviously raising the inlet ap-valve or hap-valves 13..

The stroke in the'direction of the arrow f1 of the mobiles.v unit has the effect, moreover, of compressing the' gars' charge contained in the cylinder 5.' The latter.V being.

closed, a power is thus storedup whichis then utilized, at the end of the driving stroke, for returning thefmobile unit to the position shown in the drawing.

During lthe return Vstroke described above, i.e.,.lduring that corresponding to the setting ,free of 'the power increase the detrimental volume, andy consequently, thus create a closed enclosure intended tof'storewup the return power ofthe mobile unit. j l

l As in the example described above, with reference to FIGURES 1 to 4, the air sucked'in and-then compressed is discharged from the chamber 22 and directed' by the manifold V23 into thedrivinggcylinder controlling the drivmg'piston 43, this driving cylinder obviously having the same exhaust ports 31 which communicate'jwith the manifold 30 acting'for theevlacuaition of the burnt gases. The

power-driven lcompressor device described above, with reference to FIGURE 5, is particularly simple to. pro- Y duce, and although in actual practice its., output is slightly stored up inthe cylinder 5, the compressor piston '37j causes a depression in theY cylinder 2, and consequently;

airis suckedy through the filtering cartridge 15 and rthrough the chamber 17 while passing throughthe .inlet flap-valves 14. As in the preceding case, this air lows over the ns of. the compression cylinder, which ensure an efficient cooling of the' latter. .y

lessthan that of the devicepreviously described, this conception enablesflowv powered machines to be made in a .very economical manner thus advantageous for numerous purposes. Y

When it is desirable that the overallvdimensions of the power-driven compressor should be as smalLas possible and this, while retaining allthe advantages atorded by the device described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 4,

- more pznticularlyV with regard to the advantagesv obtained by the arrangement with two driving cylinders,y itis possibleto form the volume storing up the return power-as described in FIGURE 5, i.e., by increasing the detrimental space at the bottom of the compression cylinder 2 which can be obtained by placing the outlet flap-valve 7 lateral- 1y at a certain distance from the bottom. It is also possible to const-ruct the power-driven compressor as shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 6, in which the various main components shown are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIGURES 1 to 4. More particularly, for reducing the length of the power-driven compressor, the sheath 4, confining the cylinder 5 storing up the return power, is suppressed, and in this case, the compression casing 2 is closed by a bottom 44 extending level with the annular border 11; this bottom supports two fixed pistons 45 and 46 which penetrate into cavities 47 and 48 made inside the compressor piston 37 and of each of the two driving pistons 39 and 40, said cavities 47 and 48 obviously having variable volumes during the movement of the mobile unit, and consequently these variable volumes, previously filled with a charge of air, act as an accumulating container for the return power to be developed, in order to produce this displacement of said mobile unit in Athe direction for which this combustion air must be compressed in the cylinders 24 and 25. Although not shown, the arrangement according to FIG- URE 6 can also be put into operation in the powerdriven compressor as described with reference to FIG- URE 5, in a power-driven compressor comprising only one driving piston and a single compressor piston.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing vfrom the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A free piston machine comprising a motor casing and a compression casing in aligned relationship, a single movable unit located in said motor and compression casing to be reciprocated therein, said movable unit cornprising a rst piston located in said compressorcasing and delimiting therein an inlet scavenging air chamber and a compression chamber for the compression of at least one charge of gas, at least one motor piston rigidly connected to said first piston and slidably mounted in said motor casing delimiting a cylinder for said motor piston, a collecting chamber surrounding at least in part said cylinder and scavenging ports communicating said cylinder with said collecting chamber, said scavenging ports being successively closed and uncovered by said motor piston, a partition provided between said collecting chamber and said inlet scavenging air chamber, valve members mounted in said partition for communication from said inlet scavenging air chamber to said collecting chamber, said motor cylinder further delimiting an exhaust collector having openings for communication with said cylinder, said openings being successively closed and uncovered by said motor piston and a channel for location of a fuel injector.

2. A free piston machine comprising a motor casing and -a compression casing rigidly connected in aligned relationship and externally provided with protruding cooling tins, a single movable unit located in said motor and compression casing to be reciprocated therein, said movable unit comprising a piston member mounted inside said compression casing, said piston member delimiting respectively on one and the other sides thereof an inlet scavenging air chamber and a compression chamber for the compression of at least one charge of gas, said single reciprocable unit further comprising a motor piston rigidly connected to said piston member and slidably mounted in said motor casing delimiting a cylinder therefor, said compression casing having outwardly extending ring projections and an annular sheath provided with a tiltering member being connected to said ring projections and delimiting therewith an annular chamber into which project said cooling fins of said casing, inlet valve members carried by said compression casing and mounted on both sides of said piston member respectively for communication between said annular chamber and said scavenging air chamber and said compression chamber for supplying thereof with air respectively during driving and driven stroke of said reciprocable unit, further said motor casing delimiting a collecting chamber at least in part surrounding said cylinder and communicating therewith by means of scavenging ports successively closed and uncovered by said piston during reciprocation thereof, cooling tins provided inside said collecting chamber and extending substantially in radi-a1 direction with respect to said cylinder for cooling thereof, a partition provided transversely between said collecting chamber and said inlet scavenging air chamber, valve members mounted in said partition for communication from said inlet scavenging air chamber to said collecting chamber, said motor cylinder further delimiting an exhaust collector having openings for communication with said cylinder, said openings being successively closed and uncovered by said motor piston, a-nd a fuel injector leading to said cylinder for supplying thereof with fuel.

3. A free piston machine comprising a motor casing and a compression casing in aligned relationship, a single movable unit mounted to reciprocate inside said motor and compression casing, said movable unit comprising a piston member shaped substantially like a piston for compression in one direction of lat least one charge of gas to be compressed and of at least one supplemental charge of air constituting a cushion charge intended to cause said unit to move in an opposite direction for compression of a charge of scavenging air, said unit further comprising two motor pistons integral with said piston member for driving thereof, said motor pistons being slidably mounted inside said motor casing delimiting two parallely extending motor cylinders, a -collecting chamber at least in part surrounding said cylinders, a transfer channel interconnecting said cylinders near the top part thereof, a fuel supplying recess also interconnecting said cylinders at the top part thereof, an exhaust collector partially surrounding one of said cylinders, scavenging ports between said collecting chamber and one of said cylinder, and exhaust openings between said exh-anust collector and the other cylinder, a partition transversally extending between said motor casing and said compression casing, flat valves mounted inside said partition for the transfer of said scavenging air compressed by said piston member towards said collecting chamber of the motor casing, and inlet and outlet flat-valves carried by said compression casing on both sides of said piston member for inlet Iand outlet of said charges of gas to be compressed by said piston member.

4. A free piston machine as set forth in claim 3 in which said piston member comprises a fiat piston rigidly connected on one of its sides to said motor pistons and a concentrically extending cushion piston of smaller diameter ixedely connected to the other side of said fiat piston and into which further said compression casing delimits a compression cylinder for said flat piston, fa cushion cylinder for said cushion piston and a discharge collector, discharge flat valves interposed between said compression cylinder and said discharge collector, inlet valve for said compression cylinder a-nd a compressed air supplying mechanism for said cushion cylinder for the starting of the machine.

5. A free piston machine as set forth in claim 3 in which said piston member comprises a flat piston rigidly connected to said motor pistons, and said compression casing delimits a cylinder for said ilat piston and is provided at its bottoms with inlet valve and at a distance apart from said bottom with discharge collector for the air compressed by said flat piston by which a closed compression chamber for the compressed lair is provided between said bottom and said discharge valve for compression of the charge of air causing the return stroke of the unit.

' l 8 l 6.Y A free piston machine as set forth in claim 3 in References Cited bythe Examiner' which said piston member comprises a flat piston rigidly UNITED STATES PATENTS connected to said motor pistons 'and saidl compression r casing delimits a cylinder` for said flat piston and is pro- 2189497 2/,40 Pesca-a- 23o-56 vided at itsV bottom with a-,discharge 'valve for commu- 5 2,435232 2/48 'Mofaln 230-56 nication with :a discharge collector for the gas compressed Y 1 l FOREIGN PATENTS by said flat piston,y said flat piston and'motor pistons cont nectedtherewith having longitudinally extending bores 1 giggle; and said compression casing having cylindrically protrud- 301079 v 5/30 Great tlaiu ing xedly mounted parts at least partially engaged Iinto 10 v f K Y said bores and delimiting therewith closed chamber `for LAURENCEV EFNER lPrmmyExmm-Iwr the compression of ther charge of air causing the return f y stroke of said movable unit. i ROBERT 1v1-WALKER', Examiner-

Claims (1)

1. A FREE PISTON MACHINE COMPRISING A MOTOR CASING AND A COMPRESSION CASING IN ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP, A SINGLE MOVABLE UNIT LOCATED IN SAID MOTOR AND COMPRESSION CASING TO BE RECIPROCATED THEREIN, SAID MOVABLE UNIT COMPRISING A FIRST PISTON LOCATED IN SAID COMPRESSOR CASING AND DELIMITING THEREIN AN INLET SCAVENGING AIR CHAMBER AND A COMPRESSION CHAMBER FOR THE COMPRESSION OF AT LEAST ONE CHARGE OF GAS, AT LEAST ONE MOTOR PISTON RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PISTON AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID MOTOR CASING DELIMITING A CYLINDER FOR SAID MOTOR PISTON, A COLLECTING CHAMBER SURROUNDING AT LEAST IN PART SAID CYLINDER AND SCAVENGING PORTS COMMUNICATING SAID CYLINDER WITH SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER, SAID SCAVENGING PORTS BEING SUCCESSIVELY CLOSED AND UNCOVERED BY SAID MOTOR PISTON, A PARTITION PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER AND SAID INLET SCAVENGING AIR CHAMBER, VALVE MEMBERS MOUNTED IN SAID PARTITION FOR COMMUNICATION FROM SAID INLET SCAVENGING AIR CHAMBER TO SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER, SAID MOTOR CYLINDER FURTHER TO SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER, SAID MOTOR OPENINGS FOR COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CYLINDER, SAID OPENINGS BEING SUCCESSIVELY CLOSED AND UNCOVERED BY SAID MOTOR PISTON AND A CHANNEL FOR LOCATION OF A FUEL INJECTOR.

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