Improvements in Gas Compressors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
Improvements in Gas Compressors.
I, JAMES HUMES, Gentleman, of No. 26 Cortlandt Street, City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
The principal objects of my invention are to provide a simple and efficient form
of gas compressor which may be operated either with what I term duplex or.
quadruplex action and to these ends my invention consists in the certain novel and
peculiar arrangements and combinations of the several parts of the apparatus, all -
as hereinafter to be described.
In my invention I employ a shaft which extends centrally through a cylinder
which is composed of a cylindrical body portion to which heads are bolted. The
shaft is mounted in suitable bearings in the end-plates or heads of the cylinder and
is rocked or oscillated on its axis by means of a crank to which suitable motion
may be imparted for that purpose.
Upon the shaft is keyed a cylindrically-shaped disc which is considerably sinaller
in diameter than the interior of the cylinder so as to provide an annular space.
between the periphery of the disc and the interior of the cylinder and which serves
as the compression-chamber into which the gas is admitted and from which it is
permitted to escape through means of valved ports hereinafter to be mentioned.
This piston disc is provided with one or more peripheral piston-heads which are
designed to fit tightly against the interior wall of the cylinder over which the
heads slide as the piston disc is oscillated-each head being provided with suitable
meking for preventing the gas from passing from one side of the piston-head to
the other since one of the functions of each of the heads is to divide the compression-
chamber at such point. In the construction here referred to these heads are formed
in one with the piston disc but I contemplate making them separate pieces and.
securing them to the periphery of the disc by mortise joint.
As a further precaution against leakage of gas from the compression-chamber
1. provide the piston disc with a pair of parallel flanges which project from the
periphery of the disc and completely encircle it thereby producing in effect a thick
disc with a peripheral groove serving as the chamber in which the gas is com-
pressed. The piston-heads each extend between the flanges with which, they are
shown to be integral, though, of course, they may be made in separate parts and
secured together to accomplish the same result. The face of each of the flanges
which comes in contact with the interior wall of the cylinder is provided with
suitable packing which serves to more completely cut off any passage of the gas
across the flanges thereby confining it within the compression-chamber. The outer
edges of each of these flanges are bevelled off in order to provide an annular oil
space between the flange and interior of the cylinder and the sides of the disc are
provided with annular recesses for likewise containing lubricating oil-all of these
bodies of oil serving alike to both lubricate the adjacent parts and seal them
against the leakage of gas.
At suitable points upon the cylinder I provide a pair or set of ports, each set of
which comprises an inlet-port provided with an inwardly-acting valve, and an
outlet-port provided with an outwardly-acting valve-the valves being shown as
each mounted in a suitable valve-chest set in the wall of the cylinder.
In the so-called duplex form of my compressor the two sets of valves are
arranged upon the upper part of the cylinder and each set is shut off from

page_text: communication with the other by means of a partition piece or block upon the one
hand and the piston-heads upon the other. In this form when the uppermost
piston-head has completed its upstroke, the lowermost piston-head has completed
its downstroke. Upon the return stroke of each of these heads the valve con-
trolling the inlet-port of the set of ports at the left-hand will open to admit the
gas to the upper side of the downwardly-moving piston-head, while the outlet valve
of the set of ports at the right-hand will be forced open by the compression of gas
effected by the upstroke of the now upwardly moving piston-head. After this
return stroke is completed and the described operation has taken place, the piston
disc is swung back in its oscillation so as to return the piston-heads to their
positions and during this movement the reverse action of the valves just described
takes place. Thus as the oscillating piston disc swings in one direction gas is
admitted into one part of the compression-chamber and is expelled in compressed
condition from the other part thereof and when it swings back the reverse operation
occurs so that the machine has what I term a duplex action. In the said form of
machine, that is the duplex form, there is practically but one piston-head and,
therefore, it may be formed as one head which extends about half way round the
periphery of the piston disc instead of being cut away at the left-hand and bottom.
A block similar to the block or partition-piece is inserted in the lower part of the
cylinder and like the block or partition-piece it lies between the two flanges of the
piston disc making a snug fit therewith while the face of each block which comes
in contact with the periphery of the disc is shaped to conform thereto and is
provided with suitable packing strips, so that the smallest amount of space or
clearance is left between such inclined sides and the blocks at the completion of
the stroke in order that practically all of the gas may be forced out by the piston-
head.
In another form four sets of inlet and outlet ports are used, thus making a
quadruplex machine. The additional sets of ports used in this form are located
near the base of the cylinder and their action is similar to that hereinbefore
described, whereby as the piston disc swings in one direction of its oscillation each
piston-head serves at the same time to compress the gas in advance of it and draw
in a fresh supply to the back of it and then upon the return stroke as it swings
back to reverse such action. In this way the capacity of the machine is greatly
increased.
.
My improvements are especially adapted to the compression of ammonia gas for
use in ice-making machinery but it will also be found useful for other like purposes.
Various modifications may be made in the details of invention and I do not,
therefore, limit myself to the specific construction of details herein mentioned.
I desire it to be understood that the forms of my invention herein mentioned are
to be looked upon as contemplated forms constituting types or examples of my
invention.
Dated thin 4th 2
1007
Improvements in Gas Compressors.
I, JAMES HUMES, Gentleman, of No. 25 Cortlandt Street, City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
The principal objects of my invention are to provide a simple and efficient form

page_text: of gas compressor which may be operated either with what term duplex or
quadruplex action and to these ends my invention consists in the certain novel and
peculiar arrangements and combinations of the several parts of the apparatus, all
as bereinafter to be described and then pointed out in the claims.
I have illustrated types of my invention in the accompanying drawings wherein
Fig. 1 is a view of a section of one of my improved machines the plane of the
section being indicated by line 1-1, Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a view in section on planes indicated by lines 2-2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the oscillating piston shown as detached._
Fig. 4 is a view in section, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, of a quadruplex form
of my improved machine.
Referring to the drawings in which like numbers of reference designate like
parts throughout, 1 is a shaft which extends centrally through a cylinder 2 which
is composed of a cylindrical body portion to which are bolted the heads 3 and 4,
respectively. The shaft is mounted in suitable bearings in the end-plates or heads
of the cylinder and is rocked or oscillated on its axis by means of a crank 5, to
which suitable motion may be imparted for that purpose.
Upon the shaft 1 is keyed a cylindrically-shaped disc 6 which is considerably
smaller in diameter than the interior of the cylinder so as to provide an annular
space 7 between the periphery of the disc and the interior of the cylinder and
which serves as the compression chamber into which the gas is admitted and from
which it is permitted to escape through means of valved ports hereinafter described.
This piston disc 6 is provided with one or more peripheral piston-heads 8 which
are designed to fit tightly against the interior wall of the cylinder over which the
heads slide as the piston is oscillated-each bead being provided with suitable
packing 9 for preventing the gas from passing from one side of the piston head to
the other since one of the functions of each of the heads is to divide the compression
chamber at such point. In the construction illustrated these heads are shown as
being formed in one with the piston disc but I contemplate making them separate
pieces and securing them to the periphery of the disc by mortise joint.
As a further precaution against leakage of gas from the compression-chamber
I provide the piston disc with a pair of parallel flanges 10, 10, which project from
the periphery of the disc and completely encircle it thereby producing in effect a
thick disc with a peripheral groove serving as the chamber in which the gas is
compressed. The piston-heads & each extend between the flanges with which they
are shown to be integral, though, of course, they may be made in separate parts
and secured together to accomplish the same result. The face of each of the
flanges which comes in contact with the interior wall of the cylinder 2 is provided
with suitable packing 11 which serves to more completely cut off any passage of
the gas across the flanges thereby confining it within the compression-chamber.
The outer edges of each of these flanges are bevelled off as at 12 in order to
provide an annular oil space 25 between the flange and interior of the cylinder as
will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3 and the sides of the disc 6 are provided with
annular recesses 13 around the shaft 1 for likewise containing lubricating oil-all
of these bodies of oil serving alike to both lubricate the adjacent parts and seal
them against the leakage of gas.
W
At suitable points upon the cylinder I provide a pair or set of ports, each set of
which comprises an inlet-port 14 provided with an inwardly-acting valve 15, and
an outlet-port 16 provided with an outwardly-acting valve 17-the valves being
shown as each mounted in a suitable valve-chest set in the wall of the cylinder.
In the so-called duplex form of my compressor shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the two
sets of valves are arranged upon the upper part of the cylinder 2 and each set is
shut off from communication with the other by means of a partition piece or
block 18 upon the one hand and the piston-heads 8 upon the other. Considering
now Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that as the uppermost piston-head 8 has com-
pleted its upstroke, the lowermost piston-head 8 has completed its downstroke.
Upon the return stroke of each of these heads the valve 15 controlling the inlet

page_text: port of the set of ports at the left hand of Fig. 1 will open to admit the gas to the
upper side of the downwardly-moving piston-head, while the outlet valve 17 of the
set of ports at the right hand will be forced open by the compression of gas
effected by the upstroke of the now upwardly-moving piston-head 8. After this
return stroke is completed and the described operation has taken place, the piston
disc is swung back in its oscillation so as to return the piston-heads to the positions
shown and during this movement the reverse action of the valves just described
takes place. Thus as the oscillating piston disc swings in one direction gas is
admitted into one part of the compression-chamber and is expelled in compressed
condition from the other part thereof and when it swings back the reverse operation
occurs so that the machine has what I term a duplex action. In the said form of
machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is the duplex form, there is practically but
one piston-head and, therefore, it may be formed as one head which extends about
half way round the periphery of the piston disc instead of being cut away as is
shown at the left-hand and bottom of Fig. 1. A block 19 similar to the block or
partition piece 18 is inserted in the lower part of the cylinder 2 and like the block
or partition piece 18 it lies between the two flanges 10 of the piston disc making a
snug fit therewith while the face of each block which comes in contact with the
periphery of the dise is shaped to conform thereto and is provided with suitable
packing strips 20, so that the smallest amount of space or clearance is left between
such inclined sides and the blocks 18 and 19 at the completion of the stroke in
order that practically all of the gas may be forced out by the piston head.
In the form shown in Fig. 4, four sets of inlet and outlet ports are used, thus
making what I may term my quadruplex form of macbine, The additional sets of
ports used in this form are located near the base of the cylinder 2 and their action
is similar to that described in reference to the other figures, whereby as the piston
disc swings in one direction of its oscillation each piston head serves at the same
time to compress the gas in advance of it and draw in a fresh supply to the back of
it, and then upon the return stroke as it swings back to reverse such action. In
this way the capacity of the machine is greatly increased.
My improvements are specially adapted to the compression of ammonia gas for
use in ice-making machinery but it will also be found useful for other like purposes.
Various modifications may be made in the details of invention and 1 do not,
therefore, limit myself to the specific construction of details herein illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a gas compressor, the combination of a cylinder, an oscillating piston-disc
mounted therein and of less diameter than the interior of the cylinder and provided
with parallel peripheral flanges fitting tightly within the cylinder and spaced so as
to form an annular compression-chamber between them, a dividing piece or partition
arranged upon the interior of the cylinder and extending across said annular
chamber, one or more piston-heads located upon the periphery of said disc and
extending between said flanges so as to divide the compression chamber at such
point or points, said cylinder being provided with one or more sets of ports each
set comprising an inlet and outlet port provided with oppositely working valves.
2. In a gas compressor, the combination of a cylinder, an oscillating piston-
disc mounted therein and of less diameter than the interior of said cylinder
whereby an intermediate annular compression-chamber 7 is constituted, a dividing
piece or partition extending across said chamber, one or more piston-heads 8
located upon the periphery of said disc and fitting tightly against the interior of
the cylinder so as to divide the compression-chamber 7 at such point or points,
said cylinder being provided with one or more sets of ports for each of said
piston heads, each set comprising an inlet-port 14 and an outlet-port 16 provided
with oppositely working valves 15 and 17, respectively, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.

page_text: °
3. The oil seal substantially as set forth.
4. The gas compressor, herein before termed my duplex form, substantially as
set forth with reference to Figs. 1 and 2..
5. The gas compressor, hereinbefore termed my quadruplex form, substantially
5 as set forth with reference to Fig. 4.