US390836A - Louis block - Google Patents

Description

gatented Oct. 9, 1888.

(No Model.)

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iINrTnn STATns PATENT intent LOUIS BLOCK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,836, dated October 9, 1888.

Application filed March 17, I887.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs BLOCK, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Gas, &c., when oil or water, &c., are mingled in the corn pressor with the gas, air, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The improvements relate to means for ejecting surplus oil, water, &c., from compressors, and for cooling said oil, water, &c., prior to their return to the compressors.

I prefer to use in my apparatus gaseous ammonia and oil derived from petroleum, and will henceforth speak of such gas and such oil, although I intend to use the apparatus for compressing common air or any gas, and to supply the compressor with water, glycerine, oils, or other suitable liquids which will fill the clearances and to a greater or less extent lubricate the parts and liquid-seal the valves and packings.

It has been known for many years that clearances in gascompressors maybe filled with oil,so that the piston,although it does not touch the cylinder-heads at the ends of its strokes, will discharge all the compressed gas. In order to perform this duty effectively, oil must be supplied to the cylinder at each end thereof (if doubleacting) at some time after the piston leaves one cylinder-head and before it returns again to that same cylinder-head, and the quantity ofoil in the cylinder is a little in excess of that absolutely necessary to fill the clearances; consequently oil is expelled at each stroke. If the piston should strike such oil in excess after the delivery-valves are shut, or after the piston has passed and closed the delivery-ports, thus preventing the escape of oil, either the piston or the cylinder head would give way if the engine and momentum of the fly-wheel were forcible enough to keep the piston moving, and they usually are sufficiently forcible to produce this effect.

The first part of my invention is designed to obviate this ditliculty and is peculiarily applicable to the lower ends of vertical doubleacting compressors, although it may be usefully employed in connection with the ends of horizontal compressors, either single or double acting, or to the lower ends of vertical single- Serial No. 231,252. (No model.)

acting compressors which compress gas on the downstroke thereof.

The drawings show at Figure 1 an elevation of certain parts of a refrigerating apparatus, the steam -engine which actuates the compressor at X, the compressor at H, the condenser at WV, and the oil-cooler at I. Fig. 2 is partly in elevation and partly in section on a larger scale, and represents the oil-cooler and the passages for oil and gas. Fig. 3 is also on a larger scale than Fig. 1, and is a section through the double acting vertical compressor and some of its connections and valves.

This compressor may have any properkind of discharge valve or valves at its upper end such as the large valve G-and is provided with at least two induction-valves-one at each end-A and B,of any usual variety. The large discharge-valve lies on a seat at the lower end of a head or dome, and from this dome leads the discharge-pipe E H. This pipe extends to the lower'end of the compressor and has openingintoit the two lower discharge-valves, D D. There must be at least two of these valves with their ports one above the other; but there may be several of themin rows with the ports of one row leading into the cylinder above those of the other row. The ports of these delivery-valves where they enter the cylinder may be provided with inclined ribs flush with the interior or bore of the cylinder, so as to prevent injury to the packing-ring when it travels over the ports. From the dis charge-pipe a branch, H leads to carry off the oil and compressed gas.

So far all parts except the duplication of the exhaust-valves at the lower end of the compressor may be, and are in fact, as usual in double-acting pumps.

The piston is composed of two parts with a space or chamber between them. These two parts may be affixed to the piston-rod and held apart, so as to leave a space between them, in any proper way, and each part must be provided with ordinary packing or packingrings. This chamber is open to the inner walls of the cylinder. In the lower part ofthe piston there are one or more valve-seats,each provided with a valve, such as M, opening upward and preferably provided with a light spring tending to seat it quickly. These valves, when lifted or opened, connect the space below the piston as a whole with the chamber between the two parts of the piston.

The valve D is located slightly above the lower head of the compressor. The lowest part of its port is also above this head. The thickness of the lower part of the piston is so proportioned to the distance between the two ports of the valves l) and D that the upper port is uncovered by this part ofthe piston in itsdescent before the lower port is closed by it. The part of the compressor-cylinder be low the lower exhaust-valve port is in the operation of the machine filled with oil. The upward bend of the inductiorrpipe prevents this oil flowing out on the upstroke of the piston. Vhen the piston in its descent has compressed the gas in the cylinder to such extent that the exhaust-valves open, compressed gas flows out through both valves. \Vhen the lower part of the piston closes the port of the upper valve, gas goes out of the lower valve. 'When the lower part of the piston, in its continned descent, uncovers the portof the upper valve, gas, and probably some oil, may pass out through both valves. \Vhen the lower part of the piston closes or partly closes the port of thelower valve and strikes the oil,then oil and gas,or oil alone, lift the valve or valves in the piston, flow into the space or chamber between the two parts of the piston, and thence into the dischargepipe through the upper exhaust-valve, D, the port of which is then un covered by the lower part of the piston before that lower part closes or covers the port of the lower exhaust-valve. The upper part of the piston is located so far above the lower part that it will not cover the upper exhaust port until the piston has completed its downstroke, or it may not coverit even then. It will thus appear that when the piston strikes against the oil there will always be an outlet open for excess of oil to flow out of the pump; conse quently all danger of knocking out the head is obviated, and, further, the construction is such that oil will always remain below the piston, filling the clearance-space.

Oil must in a donbleacting pump be constantly or at some time during each stroke supplied to each end of the cylinder. This oil (in the pump shown in the drawings) enters through the holes h h", and may be supplied by any usual means at any usual or proper time. The easiest way is to supply it from a reservoir under pressure through a cock or measuring apparatus.

The second part of my invention consists in a new method of cooling the oil discharged from the compressor and before it is returned thereto.

The mingled oil and gas are delivered from the exhaust-pipe into the vessel I. The oil is hot. The oil and compressed gas separate in this vessel mechanically. The oil drops to the bottom. The gas rises to the top and passes out through the pipe 1* to the condenser.

This gas is cooled in the condenser and liquefies. This liquid is then admitted to the expansion-coils. There it expands again into gas and absorbs heat, refrigerates air, brine, &c. This gas does not usually absorb all the heat it is capable of absorbing in the expansion-coils. 1 take advantage of this fact, and instead of leading the expanded gas directly to the compressor to be reeompressed, as usual, force it or part of it to pass through pipes or tubes inclosed in the separating-tank. These tubes are shown at z 'i i. The pipe P the pipe which conducts the gas from the expalr sion-coils, and the whole or part of this gas can pass through the valve J, thence up through the tubest' i t, thence through the valve J" into the pipe I and thence to the induction-valves of the pump; or by closing or partly closing the valves J J", or either of them, and opening the valve J the whole or a part of the expanded gas may be passed through the pipe J into pipe P, and thence to the pump or compressor. This expanded gas passing in pipes through the oil robs it of its heat, cools the oil, and the amount or degree of cooling can be regulated to a certain extent by passing a greater or less proportion of the whole amount of gas through the pipes 23 t i, as before described.

Any kind of tank may be used that willserve as a separator for oil and gas, and the expanded gas might flow in a jacket around the oil in stead of through the oil in pipes. Such a jacketed vessel is common in other branches of the arts and needs no special description or drawing.

I have shown a coil through which the oil may be carried and exposed to cold water in addition to its exposure to the cold gas in the pipes i; but this is not essential.

All who have made a study of processes for refrigeration agree that the oil should be cooled after leaving and before it is returned to the compressor. It can be cooled to a low temperature by my method, and expenditure of water for cooling purposes is at the same time avoided.

I claim as my invention-- l. A piston with a close-topped chamber therein provided with valves opening into the chamber, so that oil, 850., when struck by the piston can lift the valves and enter the chamber and be prevented from returning, the construction being substantially such as described.

2. A. piston with aspace or chamber therein and a valve or valves opening into such chamher, in combination with an exhaust port and valve so located, substantially as described,

that oil or gas passing through the piston valve or valves into the chamber may be discharged through such exhaust port and valve, the construction of the whole being substantially such as herein described.

3. In combination, first, a piston with a chamber therein; second, valves in the piston opening into said chamber; third, an upper exhand, at New York city, this 16th day of March,

haust port and valve communicating with said I 1887, in the presence of two subscribing witchamber. and, fourth, a lower exhaust port and nesses. valve, all these parts being constructed, ar- LOUIS BLOCK. 5 ranged, and operating substantially as de- Witnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, A. J OHNSTONE.

scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my

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