Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct, 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
I, ERNEST WITTMANN, Gentleman, residing at Monterey, Republic of Mexico,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My invention relates to an improved air compressor, and consists in the novel
construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and
claimed..
In the drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved air compressor. Fig. 2 18 an end
elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately ou the
indicated line 3-3 of Fig. 2
Refeiring by numerals to the accompanying diawings, 1 indicates a suitable
concrete or stone foundation, and upon suid foundation is located a hollow base 2
which is preferably oblong and provided with a base flange 3, through which pass
bolts 4 that aic embedded in the foundation 1. To the right hand and on top of
this hollow base 2 18 bolted the lower end of a vertically attanged cylinder 5.
This cylinder 5 is preferably constructed in sections and may be made of any
height desired. Located in said cylinder 5 a suitable distance above the hollow
basc 2 is a section 6, with which are formed integial laterally projecting
elbows 7, to the tops of which ale bolted annulat caps 8, the same being fitted
with hemispherical au inlet valves 9, said valves being kept normally closed by
being secured to the lower ends of retractile coil-springs 10, the upper ends of
which are secured to brachets 11 bolted to and proti uding laterally from the
cylinder 5.
A water gauge 12 is fitted in the usual manner to the exterior of the
cylinder 5 and extends vertically from the section 6 to a point near the base of
said cylinder.
Horizontally and transversely anlanged within the cylinder 5 in approximately
the same plane as are the tops of the albows 7 18 a partition 13, in which is
formed a series of apertures 14, the edges of which are inclined and perform the
function of seats for check-valves 15. Wings 16 depend from the under sides of
said check-valves 15 and prevent said valves fiom being displaced, said wings 16
not being wide enough to close the apertures 14 when said check-valves are in
elevated positions.
Arranged upon the left-hand end of the hollow base 2, bolted thereto, and
extending forwardly therefrom is a cylinder 17 approximately of the same diameter
as is the cylinder 5. Said cylinder 17 is somewhat shorter than is the fist section
of the cylinder 5, and said cylinder 17 is closed at its upper end by a plate 18.
Communicating with the interior of the upper end of this cylinder 17 is a shoit
horizontal pipe 19 that connects with a horizontally arranged pipe 20, and on each
end of said pipe 20 18 arranged inlet and exhaust valves, indicated respectively by
the numerals 21 and 21. Suitable pipe connections are made to these inlet and
exhaust valves
Bolted to the top-plate 18 and extending upwardly therefiom is a pan of
skeleton frames 22, in the upper ends of which are formed journal-bearings 23.
A shaft 24 18 mounted for rotation in these journal-bearings 23, and upon said
shaft 24 between said Journal-bearings 23 is fixed, an arm 25.
This arm

page_text: extends toward the cylinder 5 and the outer end 26 thereof is bifurcated. Fixed
upon the outer end of the shaft 24 is au arm 27 in the form of an ordinary
walking-beam.
30 indicates connecting-rods, the upper ends of which are secured to each end of
the arm 27, and the lower ends of these connecting-rods 30 are pivotally attached
to the upper ends of the valve-stems 31 of the inlet and exhaust valves 21
and 21º.
When steam is used as a motive power, a float 32 is arranged to move vertically
within the cylinder 17, and fixed to and depending from the under side of said
float is a guide-rod 33 that passes through a bracket 34 fixed on the bottom of the
hollow base 2
A casing 35 depends from the under side of this hollow base 2 and allows the
guide-iod 33 to move downwardly as the float is moved downwardly.
An inlet pipe 36 discharges into the hollow base 2. Bolted to the top of the
base 2 between the cylinders 17 and 5 is a cylinder 37 which is much smaller in
diameter than is either of the cylinders 5 and 17. Arranged in the lower end of this
cylinder 37 is a valve-seat 38, on which normally rests a ball-valve 39. The upper
end of this cylinder 37 is in the same horizontal plane with the top of the section 6,
and bolted to the top of said cylinder 37 18 a section 40 with which formed
integral an elbow 41 that communicates with the interior of the cylinder 5 above
the partition 13. The top of this section 40 is closed by a cap 42, in the center of
which is formed a vertical aperture 43. Leading from the front of the cylinder 37
at a point slightly below the center thereof to the hollow base 2 is a pipe 44 in
which is located a check-valve 45. Bolted to the side of the cylinder 5 a suitable
distance above the upper end of the cylinder 37 is a bracket 46, on the upper end
of which is located a pair of houzoutally aligned journal-bearings 47, and in said
journal-bearings is mounted for 1otation a shaft 48. Mounted on the end of this
shaft 48 are grooved-wheels 49.
Formed integral with the bracket 46 between the journal-bearings 47 18 a
guide 50 provided with a vertically arranged aperture 51 that is in direct vertical
algument with the aperture 43 in the cap 42 Arranged to operate through this
guide 50 aud through the cap 42 and the upper end of the cylinder 37 is a rod 52,
the same having fixed on its lower end a piston 53: This rod 52 passes directly
through the bifurcated end 26 of the aim 25, and vertically adjustable balls 54 are
arranged upon said rod 52 above and below said bifurcated end 26. The upper
one of said balls is provided with integral horizontally extending arms 55, to which
are secured the lower ends of cables 56 that extend upwardly over grooved-wheels 49,
and have attached to their fiee ends weights 58
The operation of my improved compressor when steam is used as a motive power
is as follows.
Through the inlet pipe 36 water is discharged into the hollow base 2 and from
said hollow base said water fills the lower ends of the cylinders 5 and 37 and nearly
fills the cylinder 17, a slight space being left in the upper end of said cylinder 17
between the float 32 and the top plate 18. The height of the water in all the
cylinders will be the same, and said height may be observed through the gauge 12.
When the arm 27 18 in a houzontal position, both the inlet and exhaust valves. 21
and 21 are closed and when the upper one of the balls 54 on the rod 52 moves the
bifurcated end 26 of the aim 25 downwardly and 1ocks the shaft 24, said aim 27
will be slightly rocked and the connecting-rods 30 following the movement of said
arm 27, will open the inlet-valve 21 and close the exhaust-valve 21. Steam
entering through said open inlet-valve 21 will enter the chamber in the upper end
of the cylinder 17 above the float 32. The steam acting in the usual manner will
drive the float 32 downwardly and necessarily the water within said cylinder 17
will be displaced and the water within the cylinders 5 and 37 will rise. As the
water in the cylinder 5 rises, the air between said water and the partition 13 will
be forced upwardly and compressed until the pressure is great enough to raise the
valves 15 and pass into the cylinder 5 above the said partition 13. The weights 58

page_text: are designed to counterbalance the weight of the rod 52 and adjustable balls 54
arianged thereon, consequently when the water in the cylinder 37 11ses it will act
upon the piston 53 and force the same upwardly Necessarily the od 52 and
adjustable balls 54 arranged thercon will be moved upwardly. When the float 32
has reached the lower end of the cylinder 17, the water within the cylinders 5
and 37 will have risen in said cylinders to a plane just below the partition 13 in the
cylinder 5. Just before the rod 52 reaches its upward limit of travel, the lowermost
ball 54 arranged thereon will engage on the under side of the bifurcated end 26 of
the arm 25 and raise the same. This will roveise the position of the aim 27, and
with said reverse movement the inlet-valve 21 will be closed and the exhaust-
valve 21 opened. As the steam exhausts through the valve 21, the water in the
This action
cylinder 5 will lower and displace the water within the hollow base 2
will necessarily force an amount of said water into the cylinder 17, and as said
water in said cylinder 17 raises, the float 32 will raise therewith. As soon as the
au has been passed through the apertures 14 closed by the valves 15, said valves 15
will automatically close and the pressure on the tops will cause the same to remain
in this closed position The suction created as the water lowers in the lower end
of the cylinder 5 will diaw the valves 9 a slight distance downward and allow an
inlet of air to the cylinder 5 below the partition 13. As soon as this reveise
movement begins, a certain amount of compressed air will pass through the con-
nection 41 to the cylinder 37, and said compressed air will force the piston 53 on
the lower end of the rod 52 downwardly. As the volume of water beneath said
piston 53 cannot pass through the valve located at the lower end of said cylinder,
it will discharge from said cylinder through the pipe 44 and check-valve 45 located
therein. As said 1od 52 returns to its lowermost limit of movement, the upper one
of the adjustable balls 54 will engage the bifurcated end 26 of the arm 25 aud
reverse the position of said arm and of the arm 27. This will close the exhaust-
valve 21 and open the inlet-valve 21, and the operation heretofore described will be
repeated. With said continued operation, the air may be compressed as desired in
the upper end of the cylinder 5, from wheuce it is distributed or used as desired.
When water is used as a motive power, the float 32 and guide-rod 33 A10
dispensed with and the admitted water acts directly upon the water within the
cylinder 17 thus said water within said cylinder forms a liquid piston.
The stroke of the compressor is regulated by the adjustable balls 54 upon the
1od 52, the speed of said compressor being regulated by the check-valve 45 in
the pipe 44, as the water returning from the cylinder 37 passes through said check-
valve 45 on its return to the hollow-base 2.
The float 32 is used mainly to prevent the steam from coming in direct contact
with the water, and said float is made of any suitable material that is a good
non-conductor of heat
Cold water 18 supplied through the connection 36 and prevents the water already
within the compressor from becoming overheated.
A compressor of my improved construction is exceedingly simple, the friction in
operating is reduced to a minimum, the steam or water used as a motive power is
applied directly to a liquid piston, and it may be easily and expeditiously regulated
in speed and capacity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invon-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In an air compressor, a hollow-base, a cylinder vertically arranged upon one
end of and communicating with said base, a partition located transversely within
said cylinder, check-valves arranged in said partition, air-inlets to said cylinder
below said partition, a vertically arranged cylinder located upon the other end of
and communicating with said hollow-base, inlet and exhaust valves communicating
with the upper end of said last mentioned cylinder, a vertically arranged cylinder
between the two hereinbefore mentioned cylinders, a ball-valve located at the
را

page_text: lower end of said cylinder, an elbow connecting the upper end of said cylinder with
the first mentioned cylinder above the partition therein, a vertically arranged rod
operating within said last mentioned cylinder, a piston located on the lower end of
said rod, and suitable connections from the upper end of said rod to alternately
operate the inlet and exhaust valves on the second mentioned cylinder.
2. In an air compressor, a suitable hollow-base, a compression cylinder located
upon one end of and communicating with said hollow-base, a partition located in
said compression cylinder, check-valves located in said partition, air-inlets to said
compression cylinder below said partition, suitable valves for said ait-inlets, a piston
cylinder located upon the other end of and communicating with the interior of the
hollow-base, inlet and exhaust valves communicating with the top of said cylinder,
a float aanged to move vertically within said piston-cylinder, a cylinder located
between the two hereinbefore mentioned cylinders, the upper end of which
communicates with the compression-cylinder above the partition therein, a suitable
valve located in the lower end of said last mentioned cylinder. a tubular connection
fiom said cylinder above the valve to the hollow-base, a check-valve located in said
tubular connection, a rod arranged to move vertically in the upper end of said
cylinder, a piston located on the lower end of said 10d, weights connected by cords
to said rod to counter balance its weight, a lock-shaft mounted for rotation in
bearings fixed upon the piston-cylinder, an aim fixed upon said 1ock-shaft that is
loosely connected to and operated by the vertically moving 1od, a second aim fixed
upon said rock-shaft, and connecting-rods from the ends of said arm to the inlet and
exhaust valves at the top of the piston-cylinder.
3 In an air compressor, a suitable hollow-base, a compression-cylinder, a piston-
cylinder, inlet and exhaust valves communicating with the top of said piston-
cylinder, a cylinder arranged between the two herembefore mentioned cylinders,
a valve located in the bottom of said cylinder, tubular connections from the
cylinder above said valve to the hollow-base, a check-valve located in sand tubular
connections, an elbow fixed to the top of said cylinder aud communicating with the
compression-cylinder, a tod arranged for vertical movement through the top of said
last mentioned cylinder, a piston located on the lower end of said 10d, balls arranged
for vertical adjustment upon said iod, weights arranged to counter balance the
weight of said rod and balls, a rock-shaft mounted for iotation in bearings fixed
to the top of the piston-cylinder, an aim fixed upon said 1ock-shaft, the forward
end thereof being bifurcated and engaging upon the vertical 1od between the
adjustable balls, a second arm fixed upon said rock-shaft, and 1ods connecting the
ends of said arm with the valve-stems of the inlet and exhaust valves at the top of
the piston-cylinder.
Dated this 22nd dar of Oninham 100%