Improvements in Pumps, Air Compressors, Motors, Rams, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pumps, Air Compressors, Motors, Rams, and
the like.
I, JAMES GREENHALGH WALKER, of Oriel Chambers, Doncaster, in the
County of York, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide pumps, air compressors, motors, and the
like, with an arrangement of piston or plunger and cylinder, or the equivalent,
which arrangement gives a large effective area and obviates, the necessity for
stuffing boxes, and working joints, and for piston packing rings, whereby friction is
greatly reduced and the risk of the apparatus leaking, or otherwise getting out
of order, is minimised. According to my invention I connect the cylinder, or its
equivalent, with the piston or plunger, by a flexible material which forms practically
the sides, or a portion of the sides, of the cylinder, or its equivalent, and which is
extended when the piston, or plunger, makes its outward stroke and collapses, or
folds inwards when the piston, or plunger, makes its inward stroke. The arrange-
ment is preferably as follows:-The cylinder or its equivalent, has one end closed
and it has either parallel, or inclined sides, its inward or closed end being then the
larger. The piston, or plunger, or a head piece on the piston rod enters the opon
end of the cylinder or its equivalent. This piston, plunger, or head piece, is
connected to the cylinder by a flexible piece, preferably corresponding in form
with the cylinder, or its equivalent, and secured at one side; or edge, to the said
piston, plunger, or head piece, and at the other side, or edge, to the cylinder, or
its equivalent in any suitable way; for instance by being pinched between the
flanges of the closed end. When the piston, plunger, or head-piece, is at the end
of its outward stroke this flexible piece is extended against the sides of the
cylinder, or its equivalent, but when the piston, plunger, or head-piece moves
inwards, the said flexible piece is folded, or rolled inwards, or turned inside-out.
The piston, plunger, or head-piece, is preferably provided with a continuation
against which the inwardly turned part of the flexible piece bears, when the said
piston, plunger, or head-piece, is at the inward end of its stroke.
The pipe, or passage, for conveying the fluid is preferably connected with the
otherwise closed end of the cylinder, or its equivalent. To adapt the apparatus for
use as a vacuum cylinder the open and closed ends can be reversed in relation to
the flexible piece.
Deted this 27th day of April 180A
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pumps, Air Compressors, Motors, Rams, and
the like.
I, JAMES GREENHALGH WALKER, of Oriel Chambers, Doncaster, in the
County of York, Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object to provide pumps, air compressors, motors and
the like with an arrangement of piston or plunger and cylinder, or the equivalent,
which arrangement gives a large effective area, and obviates the necessity for
stuffing boxes and working joints, and for piston packing rings whereby friction is
greatly reduced and the risk of the apparatus leaking, or otherwise getting out of
order, is minimised.
According to my invention I connect the cylinder, or its equivalent, with the
piston, or plunger, by a sleeve of flexible material which forms practically the sides,
or a portion of the sides, of the cylinder, or its equivalent, and which is extended
or folded or rolled in reverse directious as the piston, or plunger, makes its backward
and' forward strokes as hereinafter described.
Figure of the accompanying drawings represents in vortical section an
arrangement according to my invention.
a is the cylinder, 6 the piston, c the flexible sleeve and the pipe communi-
cating with the interior of the cylinder for the passage of air, water, or other
operative fluid.
The cylinder a has one end closed and it has either parallel, or inclined sides its
inward or closed end being the larger in the example shown. The piston or
plunger or head piece on the piston rod, enters the open end of the cylinder a.
This piston, plunger, or head piece, is connected to the cylinder by the flexible
sleeve c preferably corresponding in form with the cylinder a, and secured at one
side or edge, to the said piston, plunger, or head-piece by the plate and nut on
the piston rod as shewn and at the other side, or edge, to the cylinder, in any
suitable way, for instance by being pinched between the flanges at the closed end
as shewn. When the piston, plunger, or head piece 6 is at the end of its outward
stroke the flexible sleeve o is extended against the sides of the cylinder a but when
the piston, plunger, or head piece, moves inwards, the said flexible piece is folded, or
rolled, inwards or turned inside out.
The piston, plunger, or head-piece b is
preferably provided with a continuation against which the inwardly turned part of
the flexible pieco bears, when the said piston, plunger, or head piece b is at the
inward end of its stroke.
The pipe, or passage d for conveying the fluid opens into the otherwise closed end
of the cylinder a.
To adapt the apparatus for use as a vacuum cylinder the open and closed ends can
be reversed in relation to the flexible piece.
Figure 2 illustrates a single acting cylinder wherein the motive fluid is at a
pressure above that of the external atmosphere. The piston is shown by the full
fines at the bottom or closed end of the cylinder. The flexible sleeve o is clamped
at one end between the flanges of the parts a a¹ of the cylinder and at the other edge
to the lower part of the piston b by a ring as shewn so that the space e is hermetically
closed as regards auy communication between the said space and the outer or upper
side of the piston.
The edges of the flexible sleeve care shewn as being provided with beads which
enter grooves in the parts between which they are clamped. When air, water, or

page_text: other fluid or gas under pressure is admitted through the pipe d the piston 6 will
be forced upwards the flexible sleeve e being rolled over and pressed against the
inner surface of the upper part a' of the cylinder until the piston and sleeve assume
the position shown by the dotted lines which represent the position at the upper end
of the stroke. At the commencement of the stroke the flexible sleeve is being
pressed against the outside cone or extension of the piston b and at the end of the
stroke against the inside of the part a' of the cylinder and partially against both in
intermediate positions of the piston the abutments thus formed by the cane or
extension of the piston and the part a' of the cylinder respectively preventing the
flexible sleeve a from bulging out under the pressure..
Figure 3 illustrates a single acting cylinder wherein the motive forae is applied
through the inedium of suction or a vacuum. The piston b.is shown by the full
lines at the lower, and (in this case) open end of the cylinder a. The flexible
sleeve c is connected to the cylinder and piston as shewn in Figure 2. When the
air is forcibly withdrawn from and a vaonum set up in, the interior of the cylinder a
through the communicating pipe d the piston b will be drawn or suckel into the
cylinder until it assumes the position shewn by the dotted lines. The flexible
sleeve in this case also in being drawn inward bears against the piston at the com-
mencement of the stroke and against the inner side of the cylinder at the end of
the stroke and so is prevented from bulging during the movement.
Figure 4 illustrates a combination of the arrangements shown in Figures 2 and 3
in which the piston is made to move by the combined action of pressure exerted on
one side of the pistou and vacuum on the other in the manner described respectively
with regard to Figures 2 and 3, and in this case as thore is a vacuum on one side
even atmospheric pressure will move the piston.
In the foregoing Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the return etroke of the piston may be
effected by means of a spring, weight, or other source of power acting on the piston
or piston rod in the reverse direction to that in which the pressure or vacuum or
both acts or act upon the piston.
Figure 5 illustrates a double acting cylinder wherein the motive fluid is at a
pressure above that of the atmosphere. It will be seen that this is in effect a
cylinder with each end of the type shewn, with regard to the closed eud, in
Figure 2 and with two flexible sleeves c each placed relatively to the piston and
the respective ends of the cylinder as describel with regard to Figure 2 and the
action of the piston and flexible sleeves upon the admission of the pressure at either
end is the same as is herein before described.
Figure 6 shows a double acting cylinder wherein the piston is acted upon
through the medium of suction or vacuum and is a duplication of the form shown
in and described with regard to Figure 3, the action being the same for each end
of the cylinder.
In the arrangements Figures 5 and 6 the flexible sleeve furthest away from
either given end of the cylinder is in a position the reverse of that required for
withstanding pressure or vacuum (as the case may be) from that at the nearer end.
For example take the lower end of Figure 5. The lower sleeve is adapted for
withstanding pressure admitted by the lower pipe d that is to any it is so arranged
that it is pressed against the side of the piston at the conumencement of the stroke
and against the inner side of the middle portion of the cylinder at the end of the
stroke. If the lower sleeve were removed and the upper sleeve left in position the
latter would be bulged or forced away from the middle part of the cylinder and
piston, on fluid under pressure being admitted by the lower pipe d, but if a vacuum
were created in the lower space of the cylinder the upper sleeve would be in a
position to withstand being drawn or sucked iuward and would be forced against
the side of the cylinder and piston. Therefore the two cylinders shown in
Figures 5 and 6 can be made to act under both pressure and vacuum at either end
of the cylinder, in other words can act as a double acting suction and force pump
where both sides of the piston have to act by suction and pressure alternately.
If the pipe shewn at F in Figure 5 be permanently in canection with the suction

page_text: pipe, the space between the two flexible sleeves will be also in suction or partial
vacuum, the tendency of which will be to keep them both drawn up or pressed
against the piston and cylinder and therefore the lower sleeve (if the piston be now
supposed to be commencing the upward stroke) will be in equilibrium as the auction
is on both sides of it in equal force and as the piston may be supposed to be forcing
or ejecting the water or liquid (drawn in by the previous stroke) fron the top of
the piston this liquid is consequently under pressure and the upper sleeve pressedi
against the side of the cylinder being reinforced in this teudency by the suction in
the space between the flexible sleeves. The same action, but converse as regards
the pressure may be obtained in the arrangement Figure 6, the inlet pipe shewn
at G which communicates with the space between the flexible sleeves being in this
-case permanently connected to the force or delivery pipe of the pump the pressure
from which by exerting a constantly maintained force keeping the sleeves pressed
against the piston and cylinder respectively according to the position of the piston
at the various parts of the stroke.
In the arrangements, Figures 5 and 6, the space within the cylinder on either
side of the piston may be under vacuum and the motion be impartel to the piston
by the admission of atmospheric or higher pressure to the other side of the piston,
the space between the sleeves being maintained either under vacuuin or under
atmospheric pressure through the pipe F or the pipe G.
From the foregoing description it will be readily understood how my invention
can be applied to apparatus for various purposes for being acted upon by or for
acting upon, fluid, for puinping, compressing, the obtainment of motive power for
rams, motors or other analogous apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the samo is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In pumps, air compressore, motors, rams, and the like, a piston or plunger
connected to the cylinder or its equivalent by a flexible sleeve which as the piston
or plunger makes its strokes in reverse directions is rolled and unrolled against the
inside of the cylinder and against the surface at the side of the piston or plunger,
substantially as, and for the purposes herein before described.
2. The several arrangements and combinations of parts hereinbefore described
and respectively illustrated in the several figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of January 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.