Improvements in or connected with the Suction Valves of Compressors and Blowing Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Suction Valves of
Compressors and Blowing Engines.
I, JOSEPH FRANÇOIS, of Seraing, Belgium, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with the suction valves
of compressors and blowing engines and has for object to suspend or suppress
the action of the springs upon the air suction valves during the whole period
of the suction.
To this end I employ a brake or a stuffing box, moved through a determined
distance by the piston rod, in combination with a disc or other device that
compresses the springs of the valves during the entire period of the suction
and renders the valves completely free during the whole of that period.
The brake, where one is employed in carrying out my invention, has a limited
travel, and may be of any kind :-it may, for example, consist of two rubber rings
tightened upon the piston rod by means of a metallic ring. This brake is enclosed
in an annular groove of a sleeve and moves that sleeve with slight friction on the
piston rod. The sleeve carries a disc and is guided by bolts arranged on the cover
of the cylinder its travel being limited by shoulders and nuts on these bolts: The
valve spindles are guided in the cylinder cover and pass through sliding collars or
guides provided with flanges against which the springs press.
The spindles
terminate beyond the disc in nuts. Extensions of the sliding collars pass through
suitable openings in the disc such openings being too small to allow of the passage
of the flanges. on the collars. The springs ensure the closing of the valves at the
proper time and their regular action is effected by the collars or guides whose
travel is slightly less than that of the disc, so that the springs alone act upon..
the closed valves, and not the disc which does not come in contact with
the stops:
In a modification the disc for suspending or suppressing the action of the springs
on the valves during the period of suction, is attached to the stuffing box of the
cylinder which is capable of a certain amount of movement regulated in one
direction by a flange on the inner end of the stuffing box, and in the other
direction by a nut on the stuffing box which strikes against a collar on the
cylinder cover.
The operation is as follows:-
When the piston, at the end of its stroke to the left, moves towards the right
hand, the piston rod in its movement carries with it the brake, or the stuffing box,
and also the disc which then bears on the collar or guide on the valve spindle and
thus presses the spring against its point of support. The valve is no longer under
the action of the spring and it can operate freely. The disc is. thus drawn along
for a limited distance, as already stated, and during the entire stroke of the piston,
the valves remain freed from the action of the springs and operate freely until after
the connecting rod has passed the dead point. The piston having reached the end
of its stroke to the right begins to return towards the left; the brake on the
stuffing box is drawn along towards the left, and the springs of the left hand valves;
as soon as they are freed from the pressure of the disc act upon the valves and
close the latter.
The operation described above is then repeated for the right hand valves
and so on.
In either case, as soon as the action of the springs is suspended by the movement
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3

page_text: of the brake, or the stuffing box as the case may be, the valves can open freely and
slide in their guides, and at the commencement of the return movement of the
piston, the brake, or stuffing box, follows this movement by reason of its
adherence to the rod, frees the springs and allows them to act instantaneously
to close the suction valves.
Dated this 25th day of Antation 1900.
J.
FRANÇOIS.
By L. W. per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Suction Valves of
Compressors and Blowing Engines.
I, JOSEPH FRANÇOIS, of Seraing, Belgium, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with the suction valves of
compressors and blowing engines and has for object to suspend or suppress
the action of the springs upon the air suction valves during the whole period
of the suction.
To this end employ a brake or a stuffing box, moved through a determined
distance by the piston rod, in combination with a disc or its equivalent hereinafter
termed a disc that compresses the springs of the valves during the entire period of
the suction and renders the valves completely free from the action of the springs
during the whole of that period.
The accompanying drawings illustrate two arrangements of air compressors
according to my invention.
Fig. 1. illustrates in longitudinal section an arrangement in which the disc is
operated by means of a brake.
Fig. 14 is a sectional detail view.
Fig. 2. illustrates an arrangement for operating the disc by means of the stuffing
box of the piston rod.
In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1, A is the cylinder; B the piston;
C the piston rod; D the suction valves; E the brake moved by the rod C through
a distance limited by stops on the stop bolts F. G is the disc acting on the sliding
collars or guides H for annulling the action of the springs I on the valves D during
the whole period of suction.
The brake, which has a limited travel, comprises in this arrangement two rubber
rings E, which may be tightened at will on the piston rod C by means of a metallic
ring L. This brake is enclosed in the annular groove of the sleeve M and moves
the said sleeve with slight friction on the piston rod C. The sleeve M carries the
disc G it is guided by the bolts Farranged on the cover of the cylinder and its
travel is limited by the shoulders F and the nuts F of these bolts. The rods N
of the valves D are guided in the cylinder cover and in the sliding collars H of the
springs I; they are provided at their extremities beyond the disc G with stops P.
The sliding collars or guides H of the springs I are each provided with an
extension H¹ which passes through a suitable opening in the disc G, such opening
being too small to allow of the passage of the sliding collars or guides H. The
springs I ensure the closing of the valves at the proper time and their regular
action is effected by the sliding collars or guides H whose travel is slightly less
than that of the disc G, so that the springs I alone act upon the closed valves, and
not the disc G, which as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 1 does not come in
contact with the stops P, when the valves are closed.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the disc for suspending or suppressing the
action of the springs on the valves, is secured to the stuffing box E which is capable
of a certain amount of movement in the cover of the cylinder.

page_text: The letters employed with reference to the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 & 1ª
refer in Fig. 2 to parts having the same functions.
E the
A is the cylinder; B the piston; C the piston rod; D the suction valves;
stuffing box which is moved along by the rod C through a distance limited on one
hand by the rim F¹ of the stuffing box, and on the other hand, by the nut F" which
strikes against a collar of the cylinder cover. G is the disc having for object to
annul the action of the springs Í on the valves D during the suction of the air; it
moves with the stuffing box.
The operation of the arrangements above described is as follows:-When the
piston B, at the termination of its stroke in one direction, say to the left, commences
to move in the other direction, that is towards the right, the piston rod C in its
movement carries with it the brake or the stuffing box and also the disc G which
then bears on the guide H and thus presses the spring 1 against its support Q.
From this instant the valve D is no longer under the action of spring I and it can
operate freely. The disc G is thus drawn along for a limited distance, as already
stated, and during the entire stroke of the piston, the valves D remain freed from
the action of the springs I and operate freely until after the connecting rod had
passed the dead point. The piston having reached the end of its stroke to the
right begins to return towards the left; the brake or the stuffing box E is
drawn along towards the left, and the springs I of the left hand valves, as soon
as they are freed from the pressure of the disc G, act upon the valves D and close
the latter.
The action described above is then repeated for the right hand valves, and
so on.
In either case, as soon as the action of the springs is annulled by the movement
of the brake or of the stuffing box caused by the forward movement of the piston,
the valves can open freely and slide in their guides, and at the first movement of
the piston in its return stroke, the brake or the stuffing box, follows this movement
by reason of its adherence to the rod, frees the springs and allows them to act
instantaneously to close the suction valves. -
It is obvious that instead of a disc G, arms, brackets or the like night
be employed to act on the sliding collar H without departing from the nature
of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For suspending or suppressing the action of the springs upon the air suction
valves of compressors and blowing engines during the period of suction, mechanism
comprising a brake, or a stuffing box, moved a determined distance by the
piston rod of the compressing cylinder,--and a disc which compresses the springs
of the valves during the period of suction substantially as described.
2. The improvements in or connected with the suction valves of compressors and
blowing engines, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 20th day of July 1891.
J.
FRANÇOIS.
By L. W., per F. B.