Improvements in the Application of Compressed Air to Vehicles for Sustaining Loads thereon at Predetermined Elevations.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in the Application of Compressed Air to Vehicles for
Sustaining Loads thereon at Predetermined Elevations.
193
I, FERDINAND SCHUMACHER, of Iron Ridge Road, in the Town of Iron Ridge,
in the County of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object a provision for the interposition of a volume
of compressed-air between a load and a rotative carrier, such as the axle of
vehicle, together with the automatic regulation of the amount of compressed-air
necessary to sustain such load at a predetermined elevation, whereby friction is
reduced and vibration absorbed, and to these ends the said invention consists,
primarily, in the combination of a rotative carrier (such as a vehicle axle), its
load, and provision for an automatically regulated volume of compressed-air
intermediate of the load and carrier, the latter having a certain proportion of
its surface exposed to said air in which it has proportional anti-frictional. rota-
tion; secondly, in the combination of a rotative carrier, a box or chamber for
the carrier having a hollow portion constituting an air-space, a vertical hollow
pot or vessel having communication with said air-space and also with a source
of compressed-air, an air-tight piston in said pot or vessel, a load exertive on
the piston, and mechanism operative to automatically regulate the volume of
compressed-air opposed to the piston in proportion to variable pressure of the
load; thirdly, in combination with the foregoing, means for rendering momen-
tary load-concussion non-effective on the air-regulating mechanism; and finally,
in the general construction and arrangement of parts, and various specific details
of mechanism to accomplish the desired ends, including, in combination with the
said rotative carrier, and described vertical hollow pot or vessel, and its air-
tight piston, a second vertical hollow pot or vessel provided with a relief-valve
and containing an air-tight piston also under direct pressure of the load and
having its working-face exertive on a confined volume of atmospheric-air, a hori-
zontal vessel open at one end and having its closed end in valve-coupling with
the hollow pot or vessel containing atmospheric-air, an air-tight piston in the
said horizontal vessel provided with a guide-supported rod, a pair of tappets on
the piston-rod, and a conveyer connecting the air-space intermediate of the first
named piston and carrier with a source of compressed-air, a relief-mechanism
for the conveyer, operated, in one direction, by one of said tappets, and a cut-off
and supply-mechanism, operated, in one direction, by the other of said tappets,
the movement of said mechanisms, in opposite directions, being caused by springs
5 or other suitable means.
It is further to be understood that while the herein before named rotative
carrier may be, as already indicated, in the form of an axle constituting part of

page_text: the truck or running-gear of a vehicle, said carrier, in some applications of my
invention, may be the rotary shaft of a stationary machine, or other device.
Dated this 29th day of March 1898.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Application of Compressed Air to Vehicles for
Sustaining Loads thereon at Predetermined Elevations.
I, FERDINAND SCHUMACHER, of Iron Ridge Road, in the Town of Iron Ridge,
in the County of Dodge and State of Wisconsin, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, 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:-
1
My invention has for its object a provision for the interposition of a volume
of compressed-air between a load and a rotative carrier, such as the axle of a
vehicle, together with the automatic regulation of the amount of compressed air
necessary to sustain such load at a predetermined elevation, whereby friction is
reduced and vibration absorbed, and to these ends the said invention consists in
the general construction and arrangement of parts to accomplish said results, all
as hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and sub-
sequently claimed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates an application of my invention, the
structural details being shown in side elevation and section.
Figure 2 represents a sectional view indicated by line 2-2 in the preceding
figure.
Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents a carrier in the form of an
axle constituting part of a truck or other running-gear of the vehicle to which
my said invention is to be applied.
Each box or chamber constituting a bearing for the carrier has its upper
portion B hollowed out to form an air-space 6 of suitable area over said carrier,
and this air-space has communication through a port e with a cylindrical pot C,
in which an air-tight piston D has play. Each bearing may be made air-tight
by suitably arranged packing, as herein shown. The upper end of the piston is
provided with a central socket for the lower ball end of a rod E, and the upper
ball end of the rod engages a depending socket-lug d of a plate F, made fast
to the under side of a platform G, the latter, the parts attached thereto, and
weight or force thereon, constituting in this instance, what is hereinafter
designated as the "load."
As herein shown, the cylindrical pot C may constitute a vertical extension of
the upper portion B of the aforesaid box or chamber. Shown in one piece,
with the pot C parallel thereto, is another cylindrical pot H, that is provided
at its lower end with a relief-valve e and contains an air-tight piston I, con-
nected by a link J with the plate F', above specified.
Brackets KK are shown connecting the upper portion of chamber B and the
secondary pot H with a horizontal cylindrical vessel L, that is open at its outer
end and has its closed end connected by a valve-coupling N with the lower
portion of said secondary pot.
An air-tight piston M in vessel L is provided with a rod M', that extends
through the open end of vessel L and has loose play in a guide f, herein shown

page_text: supported on an air-conveyer pipe P, that is coupled to the lower portion of pot C,
the bracket K¹ being provided with an eye in which said pipe has support. The
piston-rod is provided with tappets g g¹, that operate against levers h h of valve-
couplings constituting parts of the air-conveyer pipe P, the latter being herein
shown coupled to a flexible pipe Q, that is also coupled to a reservoir R for a
reserve supply of compressed air.
For convenience of illustration the reservoir R is shown suspended from the
platform G, and compressed air from a suitable pump is supplied to said reser-
voir through a pipe R', herein shown at one end of the same;
but in some
instances there may be direct connection between the conveyer P and said air-
pump.
The valve-levers h h are operated by the tappets 9 g against the resistance
of springs i, arranged as herein shown, and stops are also shown arranged
to limit movement of said levers incidental to contraction of said springs.
The showing herein made serves as a full illustration of the several features
embodied in my invention; but in matters of structural detail and arrangement
of parts said invention is susceptible of considerable variation according to the
nature of its application.
In practice a volume of compressed air from the reservoir R is let into the
pot C through the conveyer P, the valve-lever h¹ being moved in the proper
direction to accomplish this result and thereafter returned to normal position,
it being understood that the other lever h is only operative to control a relief-
nozzle of the valve-coupling to which it pertains. The quantity of air admitted
to pot C is sufficient to move the piston D with the load to a desired elevation
from the carrier-such, for instance, as the elevation herein shown at which
time the pressure of said load is exerted on the volume of compressed air con-
fined between said piston and carrier. This pressure is equalized in the hollow
portion 6 of the carrier box or chamber and pot C, providing the areas on oppo-
site faces of the intervening partition m are equal. Hence provision is made
for a cushion of compressed air intermediate of the load and its carrier, the latter
having a certain proportion of its surface exposed to said air in which it has
proportional antifriction rotation.
The proportion of surface areas on which upward and downward pressures are
exerted intermediate of the load and carrier may vary, as the exigencies for
keeping said carrier air-tight require more or less surface area in the hollow
portion of the box or chamber incasing said carrier; but such variations are
correspondingly detrimental to the antifrictional advantages of the invention
in proportion as the difference in said surface areas increases.
The lower end of the piston I in the pot H is shown hollowed out to obtain
a greater vertical air-space below said piston than that under piston D in pot C,
and said piston I operates in conjunction with the adjacent confined volume of
air and mechanism herein set forth as a governor to control the supply of
reserved compressed air necessary to maintain the load at an average predeter-
mined elevation from the carrier in case said load is subjected to variable pres-
sure conditions. The pot H being connected to the vessel L by the valve-
coupling N, the rapidity of air passing from one to the other may be readily
controlled, and excess pressure in either may be relieved at any time by open-
ing the valve e of the former. Assuming that the load is gradually increased,
the downward tendency of piston I will tend to compress the air in cylinder H
and vessel L, and the pressure thus obtained will operate upon piston M to move
the same in an outward direction, causing its rod-tappet g¹ to operate valve-
lever and thus establish connection between reservoir R and pot C to supply
an additional quantity of compressed air sufficient to overcome the increased load
and lift the latter to the predetermined average height, it being understood that
the pressure of air in said reservoir is at all times greater than that existing
in said pot. As the load ascends there is lift of piston I, and the tendency to
create a vacuum in vessel L creates a suction on piston M to restore the same to

page_text: normal position.. Should the load be lightened and tend to ascend to higher
than average predetermined elevation, inward movement of piston M, due to
the cause aforesaid, will result in its rod-tappet g operating valve-lever h to
effect a discharge of the surplus compressed air through the relief-nozzlek of
the corresponding valve-coupling. It is also to be understood that the volume
of compressed air intermediate of the load and carrier serves to absorb vibration,
and thus operates as a spring. If by reason of extraordinary momentary con-
cussion of the load, piston D should descend entirely or to very near the bottom
of pot C, there will be a corresponding compression of the air confined between
piston I and bottom of pot H, and owing to the slow escape of this air through
valve-coupling N into vessel L sufficient pressure on piston M to cause an
operation of tappet g against valve-lever h¹ cannot be obtained during said
momentary concussion. Therefore said load will be again elevated to the average
predetermined height as soon as the air in pots C H has opportunity to again
expand.
Any suitable provision may be had for bracing the apparatus herein
described, so that the rod E and link J will always maintain a vertical position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A rotative carrier, its load and provision for an automatically-regulated
volume of compressed air intermediate of the load and carrier, the latter having
a certain proportion of its surface exposed to said air in which it has proportional
antifriction rotation.
2. The combination of a rotative carrier, a box or chamber for the carrier
having a hollow portion constituting an air-space, a pot having communication
with said air-space and also with a source of compressed air, an air-tight
piston in the pot, a load exertive on the piston, and mechanism operative to
automatically regulate the volume of compressed air opposed to the piston in
proportion to variable pressure of the load.
3. The combination of a rotative carrier, a box or chamber for the carrier
having a hollow portion constituting an air-space, a pot having communication
with said air-space and also with a source of compressed air, an air-tight piston
in the pot, a load exertive on the piston, mechanism operative to automatically
regulate the volume of compressed air opposed to the piston in proportion to
variable gradual pressure of the load, and suitable means for rendering momen-
tary load concussion non-effective on the air-regulating mechanism.
4. The combination of a rotative carrier, a box or chamber for the carrier
having its upper portion hollowed out to form an air-space, a vertical pot having
communication with said air-space, an air-tight piston in the pot, a load exertive
on the piston, another vertical pot provided with a relief-valve and containing
an air-tight piston also under direct pressure of the load and having its working
face exertive on a confined volume of atmospheric air, a horizontal vessel open
at one end and having its closed end in valve-coupling with the pot containing
atmospheric air, an air-tight piston in the vessel provided with a guide-supported
rod, a pair of tappets on the piston-rod, and a conveyer connecting the air-space
intermediate of the first named piston and carrier with a source of compressed air,
a relief mechanism for the conveyer operated in one direction by one of said
tappets, and a cut-off and supply mechanism of said conveyer operated in one
direction by the other of said tappets.
1909
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.