Valve assembly, for use in combination with a straight-cylinder, gas-compression chamber, and in combination therewith

The assembly, designed for use in combination with a straight-cylinder, gas-compression chamber, has a center bolt which is threaded at opposite ends thereof to receive a pair of valve sets. Each of the latter has a ported valve seat, valve guard, and ported valve plate. The guard is set about the bolt, and against a shoulder formed on the bolt therefor. The seat is centrally threaded, to engage one of the threaded ends of the bolt, and it and the guard confine the valve plate therebetween. In that one of the valve sets is turned 180.degree. from the other, i.e., the two guards being in confrontation, and the two seats remotely disposed, vis-a-vis, the one valve set is open to fluid flow, while the other is closed, as the assembly is reciprocated in such a straight-cylinder, chamber. Identical valve sets, on different, short bolts set in end closures of such a chamber, serve as gas inlet valves, while the reciprocable assembly carries the discharge valves. The invention obviates any need for pistons, per se as, according to a feature of the invention, the valve sets carry replaceable sealing (viz., piston rings).

This invention pertains to valves, i.e., gas-control valves, and valve 
assemblies for use in, and in combination with, straight-cylinder, 
gas-compression chambers, and in particular to such valves and valve 
assemblies in which the same are configured for confinement within such 
straight-cylinder, gas compression chambers, but one configuration of 
valve serves for either gas inlet or gas discharge, and said one valve 
configuration is piston-ringed in order that the same serves as well as a 
gas-compressing piston when reciprocably disposed within such an aforesaid 
cylinder. 
Prior art gas compressors, typically, employ both inlet and discharge 
valves, and gas compressing pistons, and commonly the valves are 
externally mounted to the gas-compression chamber. 
It is an object of this invention to set forth a novel valve assembly, for 
use in combination with a straight-cylinder, gas-compression chamber, 
which obviates any need for gas-compressing pistons. 
It is also an object of this invention to disclose a gas control valve, in 
combination with a straight cylinder, gas compression chamber, which 
serves as either gas inlet or gas discharge, and which is piston-ringed, 
or otherwise peripherally sealed with replaceable seals, to function as a 
gas compressing piston. 
Particularly is it an object of this invention to set forth, in combination 
with a straight-cylinder, gas-compression chamber having 
centrally-threaded, end closures, a gas control valve, comprising a 
ported, valve seat; a ported, valve guard; a ported valve plate interposed 
between said seat and guard; and a bolt, for mounting of said seat, guard 
and plate thereon, having (a) external threads formed thereon, and (b) an 
annular shoulder formed thereabout; wherein said seat, guard and plate are 
centrally apertured; said guard is set about said bolt, and against said 
shoulder; said seat is (a) internally threaded, (b) threadedly engaged 
with said bolt threads, and (c) has replaceable sealing means engaged with 
the periphery thereof; and said valve is reciprocably confined within, and 
sealingly engaged with the inner surface of, said gas compression chamber. 
Another object of this invention is to set forth, in combination with a 
straight cylinder, gas compression chamber having centrally-threaded, end 
closures, a gas-control valve, comprising a ported, valve seat; a ported, 
valve guard; a ported, valve plate interposed between said seat and said 
guard; and a bolt, for mounting of said seat, guard and plate thereon, 
having (a) external threads formed thereon, and (b) an annular shoulder 
formed thereabout; wherein said seat, guard, and plate are centrally 
apertured; said guard is set about said bolt, and against said shoulder; 
said seat is (a) internally threaded, (b) threadedly engaged with said 
bolt threads, and (c) has replaceable sealing means engaged with the 
periphery thereof; and said valve is confined within said gas compression 
chamber, sealingly engaged with the inner surface of said chamber, and 
said bolt is threadedly engaged with one of the centrally-threaded end 
closures of said chamber. 
Yet another object of this invention is to disclose a valve assembly, for 
use in combination with a straight-cylinder, gas-compression chamber, 
comprising a bolt; said bolt having (a) external threads formed thereon at 
opposite ends thereof, and (b) annular shoulders formed thereabout, 
intermediate said threaded, opposite ends; a pair of ported, valve seats; 
a pair of ported, valve guards; and a pair of ported, valve plates; 
wherein each seat and guard has one of said valve plates interposed 
therebetween; said seats, guards and valve plates are centrally apertured; 
each guard is set about said bolt, and against one of said shoulders; and 
each seat is (a) internally threaded, (b) threadedly engaged with one of 
said opposite ends of said bolt, and (c) has replaceable sealing means 
engaged with the periphery thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, a straight cylinder 10 defines therewithin a 
gas-compression chamber 12. Ends of the cylinder have centrally-threaded 
end closures 14 and 16. The end closures are held fast to the ends of the 
cylinder 10 by means of tie bolts 18 (only two thereof being visible). The 
cylinder 10 has gas inlet ports 20 formed therein for admission of gas via 
inlet conduits 22 (shown only in phantom). The cylinder also has a gas 
discharge port 24 formed therein intermediate the ends thereof. 
End closure 14 threadedly receives the central bolt of an inlet valve 26, 
whereas end closure 16 threadedly receives the central bolt of an inlet 
valve 28. Therebetween, reciprocably mounted within the chamber 12, is the 
novel valve assembly 30. 
FIG. 2 shows valve assembly 30 in greatly enlarged detail. It comprises a 
bolt 32 which is hollow, and which has external threads formed thereon at 
opposite ends thereof. The assembly comprises a pair of valve sets 33; as 
one is identical to the other, only one such set is shown. The bolt 32 has 
shoulders 34 formed thereabout, and spaced apart, adjacent to the opposite 
ends thereof. Assembled, each shoulder 34 receives a ported, valve guard 
36 thereagainst, the guard being centrally apertured. The guard 36 has a 
peripheral wall 38 in which is received a dampening plate 40. Compression 
springs 42, which are nested in blind holes 44 formed in the guard 38, 
bear against the underside of the dampening plate. A guide ring 46 which 
has a reduced diameter portion 46a at one end thereof, is received in the 
apertured center of the dampening plate 40. Ring 46 is provided to limit 
the lift of the dampening plate 40. Set about the bolt 32 is a valve plate 
48, it too being centrally apertured, slidably to receive the guide ring 
therewithin. Compression springs 50, which also are nested in blind holes 
52 formed in the guard 36, are in penetration of holes 54 formed therefor 
in the dampening plate 40, and bias the valve plate 48 away from the guard 
38. The damping plate 40, biased away from the guard 36 by the springs 42, 
cooperates with the springs 50 to dampen an impact of the valve plate 48 
with the guard 36. Plate 40 intercepts plate 48 when the latter closes 
toward guard 36. A centrally apertured and threaded valve seat 56 is 
threadedly engaged with the threads at one end of the bolt 32. With its 
threaded engagement with the bolt 32, the seat 56 clamps together the 
guard 36, plate 40, guide ring 46, and valve plate 48; too, it holds in 
position a rider ring 58 which is set about the wall 38 and against a lip 
60 which circumscribes the guard 36. 
The guide ring 46 keeps the dampening plate 40 distanced from the valve 
seat 56, however the plate 48 freely translates along the outer surface of 
the ring 46. The ring 46 sets against the seat 56 at one end thereof, and 
the opposite end of ring 46 sets against the guard 36. An outer shoulder 
46b, formed on the ring 46, limits a lift of the plate 40 to the minimal 
depth of the reduced diameter portion 46a, in that the plate 40 closes 
against the shoulder 46b. 
As is quite conventional, and as can be seen in the figure, the guard 36, 
dampening plate 40 and valve plate 48, have mutually aligned ports formed 
therein to permit the flow of gas directly therethrough. The valve seat 
56, too, is ported; however the ports therein are not in alignment with 
the ports in the guard 36, plate 40, and plate 48. Rather, the ports in 
valve seat 56 are occluded in plate 48. Plate 48 must remove from the seat 
56 to permit fluid flow through the seat 56. When assembly 30 translates 
to the right (with reference to FIG. 1) a gas pressure, built up in the 
chamber 12 between assembly 30 and inlet valve 28, causes plate 48 to 
remove from the seat 56; this allows the pressured gas to pass through the 
aforesaid porting in plate 48, plate 40, and guard 36 for exit thereof 
through the discharge port 24. When the assembly 30 translates to the left 
(FIG. 1), the plate 48 closes against seat 56 and, consequently, a vacuum 
pressure is created between assembly 30 and inlet valve 28; this causes an 
ingestion of gas, via port 20, into chamber 12. 
Valve assembly 30, with both valve sets 33 emplaced thereon, is 
reciprocable in chamber 12 and, consequently, one of the sets 33 is closed 
while the other is open to the flow therethrough of gas. Bolt 32 is 
internally threaded, at 62, threadedly to receive the threaded end of a 
piston rod 64. The latter is so-called in that the valve assembly 30 
functions as a dual-headed piston. The valve seat 56 has a pair of grooves 
66 formed therein and thereabout. The grooves 66 receive piston rings 68 
therein to effect a sealing engagement thereof with the inner surface of 
the chamber 12. By this expedient, with identical valve sets 33 on 
opposite ends of the bolt 32, the valve sets serve as the pistons, and are 
wholly confined within the chamber, functioning as well as the discharge 
valves. An alignment pin 69 is received in holes provided therefor in 
guard 36 and seat 56, at ends of the pin 69, and the pin penetrates the 
plates 40 and 48, to keep all cited components properly aligned. 
In FIGS. 3A and 3B, same or similar index numbers, as those shown in FIGS. 
1 and 2, denote same or similar elements. 
FIG. 3A depicts an inlet valve which is received in the end closure 16, and 
it is identical, in all respects except one, to valve set(s) 33 of FIG. 2. 
Instead of bolt 32, it has a bolt 32a. The latter is of short length and 
is hollow. The hollow interior accommodates the reciprocation of the 
piston rod 64. The porting of the components therein is such, and again, 
identical to valve set(s) 33, to close against the flow of gas 
therethrough as the valve assembly 30 approaches it, and to open as the 
valve assembly moves away therefrom. 
In FIG. 3B is depicted another inlet valve, albeit the one received in the 
end closure 14. Save for the central bolt 34b, it too is identical to 
valve set(s) 33. Whereas bolt 32a of FIG. 3A is hollow to receive the 
piston rod 64, bolt 34b is of solid cross-section. For simplicity, FIGS. 
3A and 3B share the depiction of the components of each inlet valve, the 
only differences therebetween reside in the center bolts 32a (FIG. 3A) and 
32b (FIG. 3B), because they are otherwise identical. 
FIG. 4 illustrates a particularly novel feature of the valve sets 33, the 
same being a plan view of the dampening plate 40 and valve guard 36. The 
inner periphery of the wall 38 is truly circular, whereas the confronting 
periphery of the dampening plate is trochoidal. Consequently, chordal 
voids 70 are formed between the aforesaid peripheries to enhance gas flow 
therethrough. The voids 70 present large, open areas, between the 
peripheral wall 38 of guard 36 and the plate 40, to allow gas to course 
freely therethrough into the outermost ports in guard 36. The trochoidal 
configuration of the dampening plate 40 defines portions of the plate 40 
with relatively narrow and wide sectors. The holes 54, provided in plate 
40 for the springs 50, are formed in the wider sectors of the plate, as 
shown in FIG. 4. 
While I have described my invention in connection with specific embodiments 
thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this is done only by way of 
example, and not as a limitation to the scope of my invention, as set 
forth in the objects thereof, and in the appended claims.