US3352483A - Compressor apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1967 J. ALLEN I 3,35

COMPRESSOR APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1966 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR.

444M wacra Nov. 14, 1967 J. L. ALLEN 3,352,433

COMPRESSOR APPARATUS Filed April 7, 1966 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,352,483 COMPRESSOR APPARATUS John L. Allen, 1960 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass. 02166 Filed Apr. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 540,960 4 Claims. (Cl. 23079) ABSTRACT OF 'IHE DISCLOSURE Compressor apparatus having supporting means including a housing, an impeller rotatable in the housing, and a hollow valve plug fixed in the housing and extending into the impeller, said housing, impeller and valve plug having passages or openings whereby communication be tween them is effected to permit the flow of a lubricant for the moving parts.

This invention relates to compressor apparatus.

Reference is made to my Patent No. 2,599,149, dated June 3, 1952, for Compressor Apparatus.

One object of my invention is to provide improvements over the apparatus disclosed in said Patent No. 2,599,149 particularly in apparatuses that are relatively large.

Since the demand for fresh water purified from ocean water is in growing demand there is a requirement for larger compressor apparatuses and which in turn present problems such as keeping the machinery fully lubricated. Accordingly one of my objects is to provide means in such larger compressor apparatuses to lubricate the more important parts by introducing water into the body of such apparatuses where there are moving parts.

Another object is to provide means whereby all portions of said moving parts will be uniformly lubricated with water by providing various inlets and grooves to receive and maintain lubricating water at all times.

A further object is to provide such means that are simple to provide in said apparatuses, are relatively inexpensive, and are certain to function steadily for indefinite periods of time.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view of my compressor apparatus, the motor being shown in full lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of a portion of a valve plug.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of another portion of said plug.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, top plan view of a lubricating member forming part of said plug.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

As illustrated, my compressor apparatus has actuating means shown as a well-known electric motor 10 having the usual shaft 12 and supported by a base 14 that is held by studs 16 to a cover plate 18 that forms the top of supporting means 20. This latter has an outer member 22 held by studs 24 to said cover plate 18- Said supporting means 20 has a bottom plate 26 that is held by screws 28 to said outer member 22. Said support- 3,352,483 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 ing means has an impeller housing 30 of oval shape having a vertical supply passage 32 extending therethrough and into said bottom plate 26, and which supplies water for lubricating purposes that flows through a hole 33 in said cover plate 18 and which receives a conduit fixture, not shown, to make connection with water from an outside source.

A branch passage 34 in bottom plate 26 extends horizontally from said passage 32 at the end of which is a bronze bearing 36 through which passage 34 continues and which contacts a rotating impeller steel bearing ring 38 later referred to. Another passage 42 in bottom plate 26 communicates with and extends horizontally from said passage 32 and communicates with a circular groove 44 formed in a valve plug 46 later described to provide circulation of water to provide a lubricant and water seal around said plug.

A hollow, stationary valve plug 46 has an upper plate 47 welded to close said plug. Said shaft 12 has a collar 48 that rotates with it and rotatably extends into said cover plate 18. Said collar 48 joins a rotating impeller body 50 that has upper and lower end plates 51 and 51a and carries said steel ring 38. Impeller blades 52 extend outwardly from said body 50 and are spaced apart. A key 53 in said shaft 12 connects the latter to said collar 48.

Said plug 46 has two elongate grooves 58 and 58a which respectively receive lubricating members 56 and 56a that are welded to and form part of said plug. Each said member 56 and 56a has respectively a longitudinal interior passage 62 and 62a therein. Passages 62 and 62a communicate with groove 44 in said plug 46. Said members 56 and 56a also have peripheral holes 60 and 66:1, respectively, that communicate with said passages 62 and 62a, respectively. Thus water will be delivered and circulate between said plug 46 and said impeller body 50 to serve as a lubricant as the impeller rotates.

Said plug 46 also preferably has a group of peripheral notched grooves 66 therein extending longitudinally, and opposite them is another group of similar grooves 68. Water passes into said grooves 66 and 68 to provide further lubrication between said body 50 and plug 46.

Below and communicating with said plug 46 is a large conduit 72 that extends downwardly to a well-known still not shown. This conduit 72 has a flange 74 that fits tightly into said bottom plate 26.

Said plug 46 has two dividers 82 and 84 which provide a central chamber 86 for the discharge of steam from the compressor. Two chambers 88 and 90 at opposite sides thereof receive steam vapor from below during suction strokes of said impeller blades 5 In said plug 46 at the periphery are two ports 92 and 92:: which serve as discharge ports for chamber 86, and it has two ports 94 and 94a that respectively serve as suction or intake ports for chambers 88 and 90. The ports 92 and 92a communicate with water spaces 98 and 98a later described and with said central chamber 86 on the discharge stroke. The ports 94 and 94a communicate with said spaces 98 and 98a and said chambers 88 and 99 on the suction or intake stroke.

Between the outer ends of said impeller blades 52 and said impeller casing member 30 is a crescent shaped water space 98, and another similar space 93a opposite thereto. They serve as water seals. Vapor is drawn into the compressor at the completion of the compression stroke that discharges steam from the compressor through said central chamber 86. At the wider portions of said spaces 98 and 98a vapor enters thereinto during all of the suction stroke which draws it into through chambers 88 and 90.

Said impeller body 50 has ports 104 there being one between every two blades 52 and which at some time during rotation of the impeller communicate with said ports 92, 92a, 94 and 94a in said plug 46.

What I claim is:

1. Compressor apparatus comprising supporting means having an impeller housing, a hollow valve plug in said housing fixedly supported by said means and having a peripheral groove extending completely around said plug, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing and outside said plug, said impeller and plug having provision whereby they communicate to permit fluid to pass between them, said supporting means having a first passage therein adapted to communicate with an outside source of fluid, said means having a branch passage communieating with and extending angularly from said first passage and communicating with said plug groove, said plug having an interior passage therein extending angularly from said plug groove and having holes extending from its periphery inwardly and communicating with said interior .passage, and actuating means operably supported by said supporting means and connected to said impeller.

2. Compressor apparatus comprising supporting means having an impeller housing, a hollow valve plug in said housing fixedly supported by said means and having a peripheral groove, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing and outside said plug, said impeller and plug having provision whereby they communicate to permit fluid to pass between them, said supporting means having a first passage therein adapted to communicate with an outside source of fluid, said means having a branch passage communicating with and extending angularly from said first passage and communicating with said plug groove, said plug having an interior passage therein extending angularly from said plug groove and having holes extending from its periphery inwardly and communicating with said interior passage, actuating means operably supported by said supporting means and connected to said impeller, and a first bearing in said supporting means, said impeller having a bearing extending circumterentially around it and adjacent said first bearing, said supporting means having another branch passage communicating with and extending angularly from said first passage, said 4-. first bearing being positioned at the end of said other branch passage and having a passage therethrough extending to said impeller bearing whereby fluid may flow between said two bearings.

3. Compressor apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said plug having a plurality of notched grooves in the peripheral surface thereof extending longitudinally whereby fluid from said plug holes will enter said notched grooves.

4. Compressor apparatus comprising supporting means having an impeller housing, a hollow valve plug in said housing fixedly supported by said means and having a peripheral groove, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing and outside said plug, said impeller and plug having provision whereby they communicate to permit fluid to pass between them, said supporting means having a first passage therein adapted to communicate with an outside source of fluid, said means having a branch passage communicating with and extending angularly from said first passage and communicating with said plug groove, said plug having an interior passage therein extending angularly from said plug groove and having holes extending from its periphery inwardly and communicating with said interior passage, and actuating means operably supported by said supporting means and connected to said impeller, said plug having a longitudinal, peripheral groove therein, a lubricating member extending into said plug latter groove and having said interior passage therein and said holes communicating with said interior passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,316 8/1940 Blom et al. 230-79 2,302,747 11/1942 Dardelet 230-79 2,599,149 6/1952 Allen 230*79 3,643,497 7/ 1962 Gabbioneta 230-79 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,920 10/1953 Belgium.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. COMPRESSOR APPARATUS COMPRISING SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING AN IMPELLER HOUSING, A HOLLOW VALVE PLUG IN SAID HOUSING FIXEDLY SUPPORTED BY SAID MEANS AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE EXTENDING COMPLETELY AROUND SAID PLUG, AN IMPELLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND OUTSIDE SAID PLUG, SAID IMPELLER AND PLUG HAVING PROVISION WHEREBY THEY COMMUNICATE TO PERMIT FLUID TO PASS BETWEEN THEM, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A FIRST PASSAGE THEREIN ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH AN OUTSIDE SOURCE OF FLUID, SAID MEANS HAVING A BRANCH PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH AND EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM SAID FIRST PASSAGE AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PLUG GROOVE, SAID PLUG HAVING AN INTERIOR PASSAGE THEREIN EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM SAID PLUG GROOVE AND HAVING HOLES EXTENDING FROM ITS PERIPHERY INWARDLY AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID INTERIOR PASSAGE, AND ACTUATING MEANS OPERABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND CONNECTED TO SAID IMPELLER.

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