Patent ID: 6554583
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: F04B,Y10T

Abstract:
In an air compressor including a motor for driving a shaft about a longitudinal axis, a swash plate connected to said shaft by an angled cam hub and a bearing to translate rotational motion of said shaft into reciprocal motion of a periphery of said swash plate, and a plurality of pneumatic cylinders arranged equidistantly about said longitudinal axis, each cylinder including a piston driven by a piston rod connected to said swash plate, wherein said improvement comprises:means for connecting a first end of said piston rod to said periphery of said swash plate, said connecting means having means for rotating said first end of said piston rod about a first axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; means for rotating said first end of said piston rod about a second axis substantially perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis; and said connecting means comprising a plurality of U-shaped slots formed equidistantly about said periphery of said swash plate for connecting said first ends of said piston rods, each said U-shaped slot comprising a pair of opposing arms extending outward from said periphery of said swash plate, and each pair of said opposing arms defining a pair of opposing openings therein, and wherein said means for rotating said first end of said piston rod about said first axis includes a pair of annular bearings positioned within said pair of said opposing openings; and an axle having opposing ends seated within said annular bearings of said opposing arms to allow said axle to rotate about said first axis, said axle connected to said first end of said piston rod.