Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Air and other Gases."
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Air and other Gases."
I, ROGER WRIGHT, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention the air is cooled both during and after compression by
means of circulating water both outside the compressing cylinders and inside the
plungers which work in those cylinders and by means of additional cooling surface
which is provided by dividing the final compressing chamber into two separate
cylinders. The cooling water also is caused to circulate by utilizing the hollow air
compressing plungers as pump barrels working on fixed pump plungers serving as
inlet pipes to the moving circulating pumps. All valves also and the glands of the
piston and plunger rods are made accessible from the outside of the circulating tank
in which the compressing cylinders are fixed.
The air compressor consists of a cylinder fitted with a piston and plunger and of
two smaller cylinders fitted with plungers. The cylinders are fixed in a water tank.
The piston and plunger rods are attached to one crosshead actuated by a steam
engine or other motor. The compressors may be arranged singly or in groups of two,
three or four.
The plungers are made hollow and are fitted with pipes dipping from a fixed
overhead circulating pump valve case. The dipping pipes pass through glands fitted
in the upper ends of the hollow plungers so that the cavities of these plungers form
the circulating pump barrels. The air is further cooled during and after compression
by coiling the connecting pipes between the compressing cylinders and the final
delivery pipe in the circulating tank.
The following four operations numberéd 1, 2, 3 and 4 are effected in each
revolution of the engine, Nos 1 and 2 taking place during the upstroke, and
Nos 3 and 4 during the down stroke.
1. As the piston in the larger cylinder ascends, free air is drawn through air suction
valves into the cylinder.
2. Simultaneously the air in the annular space around the plunger in the larger
cylinder which has already been compressed (see operation No. 3) is still further
compressed until it is superior in pressure to the compressed air contained in the
annular spaces around the plungers in the smaller cylinders, when it passes to the
small cylinders through delivery valves into the pipes led through the cold water in
the cooling tank. These pipes are fitted with check delivery valves at their entrance
into the cylinders.
3. As the piston in the larger cylinder descends it compresses the air beneath it,
until it is superior in pressure to the air in the annular space around the plunger,
into which space it then passes through a delivery valve and is there further
compressed during the remainder of the down stroke.
4. Simultaneously the compressed air already in the annular spaces around the
plungers in the smaller cylinders is further compressed by the downward stroke of
the inverted plungers until it reaches the maximum pressure required, when it ig

page_text: forced through delivery valves into a coil of pipe in the cooling tank, thence passing
through the top of the tank by a pipe to the air reservoir. Any water that may
be carried with the compressed air from the compressing cylinders is trapped by
a separator.
Oil boxes are cast on the sides of the overhead circulating pump casing, and oil
pipes each fitted with an independent oil cock are led to the glands of the plungers
which work through the top of the tank. Similar oil pipes and cocks are provided
for lubricating the glands of the rods working through the underside of the tank.
Provision is also made for dropping oil into the air suction valves for lubricating the
inside of the compressing cylinders.
A small cock is provided for regulating a jet of cold water playing through the
currents of air drawn into the air suction valves.
The air suction valves and the delivery valve leading to the annular space around
the plunger in the larger cylinder are carried in casings fitted inside the plunger from
the top of which the casings. and valves can be readily withdrawn.
The delivery valves between this annular space and the pipe in the tank are
accessible from the outside of the tank, at the top.
The check delivery valves at the other end of the pipe and the delivery valves
between the smaller cylinders and the coils are accessible from the outside of the
tank at the bottom.
The larger cylinder is fitted at top and bottom with relief valves, which are
accessible from the outside of the tank.
b
The glands of all the plungers and rods are adapted for asbestos or similar packing,
and are all accessible from the outside of the tank.
ليمي
"Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Air and other Gases."
I, ROGER WRIGHT, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 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:-
According to this invention the air is cooled both during and after compression by
means of circulating water both outside the compressing cylinders and inside the
plungers which work in those cylinders and by means of additional cooling surface
which is provided by dividing the final compressing chamber into two separate cylinders.
The cooling water also is caused to circulate by utilizing the hollow air compressing
plungers as pump barrels working on fixed pump plungers serving as inlet pipes to
the moving circulating pumps. All valves also and the glands of the piston and
plunger rods are made accessible from the outside of the circulating tank in which
the compressing cylinders are fixed.
The compressors may be arranged singly or in groups of two, three or four.
The drawings show a double machine.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a half front elevation and a half section on the
line 2-2 Figure 1. Figure 3 is a left hand side elevation and Figure 4 a section on
the line 4-4 Figure 1 many parts being omitted.
The air compressor consists of a cylinder A fitted with a piston A¹ and
plunger A2 and of two smaller cylinders B fitted with plungers B¹. The cylinders are
fitted in a water tank C. The piston and plunger rods A and B2 are attached to

page_text: one crosshead E (Figures 2 and 3) actuated by a steam engine or other motor which
is not shown in the drawings.
The plungers are made hollow and are fitted with pipes D dipping from a fixed
overhead circulating pump valve case D¹. The dipping pipes pass through glands A*
and B³ fitted in the upper ends of the hollow plunger so that the cavities of these
plungers form the circulating pump barrels. The air is further cooled during and after
compression by coiling the connecting pipes J¹ between the compressing cylinders
and the final delivery pipe in the circulating tank.
The drawings show all the plungers in their lowest position and the following four
operations numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 are effected in each revolution of the engine, Nos. 1
and 2 taking the place during the upstroke, and Nos. 3 and 4 during the down
stroke.
1. As the piston A¹ in the larger cylinder A ascends, free air is drawn through air
suction valves A' (Figures 1 and 2) into the cylinder A.
2. Simultaneously the air in the annular space A6 around the plunger A² in the
larger cylinder A which has already been compressed (see operation No. 3) is
still further compressed until it is superior in pressure to the compressed air contained
in the annular spaces around the plunger rod B2 in the smaller cylinders B when it
passes to the small cylinders through delivery valves F (shown separately at
Figure 5) into the pipes G led through the cold water in the cooling tank C.
pipes are fitted with check delivery valves G¹ (Figure 6) at their entrance into the
cylinders B.
These
3. As the piston A¹ in the larger cylinder descends it compresses the air beneath
it until it is superior in pressure to the air in the annular space A6 around the
plunger A2 into which space it then passes through a delivery valve H (Figure 2) and
is there further compressed during the remainder of the down stroke.
4. Simultaneously the compressed air already in the annular spaces around the
plunger rod B in the smaller cylinders B is further compressed by the downward stroke
of the inverted plungers until it reaches the maximum pressure required when it is
forced through delivery valves J (Figure 7) into a coil of pipe J¹ in the cooling tank,
thence passing through the top of the tank by a pipe J2 to the air reservoir. Any
water that may be carried with the compressed air from the compresing cylinders is
trapped in a separator K.
Oil boxes are cast on the sides of the overhead circulating pump casing, and oil
pipes each fitted with an independent oil cock are led to the glands of the plungers
which work through the top of the tank. Similar oil pipes and cocks are provided
for lubricating the glands of the rods working through the under side of the tank.
Provision is also made for dropping oil into the air suction valves for lubricating the
inside of the compressing cylinders.
A small cock L is provided for regulating a jet of cold water playing through the
currents of air drawn into the air suction valves.
The air suction valves A and the delivery valve H leading to the annular space
around the plunger in the larger cylinder A are carried in casings M and N fitted
inside the plunger A2 from the top of which the casings and valves can be readily
withdrawn.
The delivery valves F between this annular space and the pipe G in the tank are
accessible from the outside of the tank at the top.
The check delivery valves G¹ at the other end of the pipe G and the delivery
valves J between the smaller cylinders B and the coils J¹ are accessible from the
outside of the tank at the bottom.
The larger cylinder A is fitted at top and bottom with relief valves O, which are
accessible from the outside of the tank.
P and Q Figures 8 and 9 are the delivery and suction valves of the circulating
pumps.
The glands of all the plungers and rods are adapted for asbestos or similar packing,
and are all accessible from the outside of the tank.

page_text: •
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a cylinder containing a piston and a plunger, with two
smaller cylinders each containing a plunger, substantially as described.
2. Circulating water both outside the cylinders and inside the plunger, substantially
as described.
3. Using the hollow plungers as the barrels of the water circulating pumps,
substantially as described.
4. Carrying the air suction valve A5 and the delivery valve H in casings,
substantially as described.
5. Making the valves and the glands of the piston and plunger rods accessible
from outside the tank substantially as described.
6. Apparatus for compressing air and other gases substantially as described and
shown in the drawings.