Improvements in Air Pumps.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 8th Mar., 1890
of
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Pumps.
I, ADOLPH BERRENBERG of Somerville in the County of Middlesex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
iny invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR PUMPS" and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to so construct and treat the parts of an air pump that
no air shall enter the cylinder by infiltration, leakage, or opening of valves.
This object I attain by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings in which,―
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan looking from underneath, showing the mechanism for operating
the valves.
Figure 4 is a cross-vertical section through the lower part of the cylinder and
piston, showing in elevation a part of the mechanism for operating the valves, and
Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line a-x of Figure 4.
In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, A represents the base of the machine, and B, B,
the standards or framework to which the operating parts are attached.
The main shaft C is mounted at the top of the framework as shown in
Figures 1 and 2. To this main shaft C, I attach at each end a crank disk (², and
in the centre a large gear-wheel C. I also have on this shaft a bevelled gear H.
Each of the crank disks C2, C2 has a crank pin C³, which gives motion to the
pitman D. These pitmen D, acting through the cross-heads D³, in turn, give motion
to the piston-rods D, and thence to the pistons, one of said pistons being shown in
section enlarged in Figure 4.
I
E and E are cylinders made exactly alike, therefore I will describe but one of them.
may also add that the valves and their connected parts, and the valve actuating gears
are the same for both cylinders.
Referring to Fig. 4, I will describe one of the cylinders. E represents an outside
casing made of some strong metal, like iron; this casing E has an inwardly pro-
jecting flange E² at the bottom (see Fig. 4). The upper and inner edge of this
flange E² is turned perfectly true and smooth and receives the lower end of the inner
cylinder E', which makes with it an air-tight joint. Both cylinders E and E¹ fit
air-tight onto the valve-plate E³. The valve-plate E³ has a series of perfora-
tions e e e e, which coincide with corresponding perforations in the inner flange E²
of the outer cylinder E. These perforations e e e e connect the space S between
the cylinders E and E¹ with the space S¹ between the valve-plate E and the lower
plate E. The lower plate E' is made to fit air tight on to the under side of the
valve-plate E³, but leaving a space S₁ between. The space S¹ between the valve-
plate E and the lower plate being connected with the space S between the
inner and outer cylinders is always full of fluid under pressure which will prevent air
from leaking into the cylinder through the pores of the valve-plates. The fluid also in
passing, in small quantities, through the valve M occupies all of the space that may
exist between the bottom of the piston when down, and the valve-plate E³, and thus
exclude any air that might otherwise exist between the piston and the valve-plate.
As these pumps are single acting, the upper ends are left open, but the space S,
formning the chamber between the inner and outer cylinders is made air tight at the
top, so that a fluid under pressure may be confined in the space S, S¹.
The piston F is made as shown in Fig. 4, F5 being a central portion to which
the lower disk F is attached or made a part of; F' is a disk that serves to

page_text: form the top of the piston and is held in place by a scrow nut F F is a ball
and socket joint which serves to connect the piston rod D' to the piston, and is
made in this manner to allow the piston to adapt itself to work in exact collimation
with the cylinder E₁, F' Figure 4, represents packing rings made double and
arranged to break joints. The above-described piston is fully described in the
Specification of United States Patent No. 369,093, granted to me August 30, 1887,
entitled Piston-packing.
For the purpose of allowing the piston to rest for a short time on the bottom of
the cylinder, i.e. on the valve-disk, I make the pitman D longer than is required to
take the piston down to the full end of its stroke, and to compensate for this extra
length, I have rubber packing boxes R and R', Fig. 2, so that although the piston has
actually come to the bottom of the cylinder before the crank pin has reached its
lowest point, the crank disk may continue to revolve, simply compressing the rubber
packing R¹, and as the crank pin C³ passes its centre then the piston will not begin
to ascend as the expansion of the rubber R¹ will still keep it down on to the valve
disk E³.
By this arrangement I am enabled to have the valve working mechanism in operation
while the piston is still down on the valve disk.
The fluid valve M, M', (see Figs. 4 and 5) is operated as follows:-It is hung on a
semi-rotating stem M², upon which I have a gear M³, which is operated by a segment
gear on the end of the lever M (see Fig. 3); this lever M is pivoted at M³, and has
a pin M, which is worked by the cam-groove L³. The above valve M moves in one
plane only, that is horizontally about its axis and serves to allow a small portion of the
Huid in the space S₁ to pass up into the cylinder so as to exclude any air that might
otherwise occupy the space and impair the vacuum.
The valve M opens when the piston is down and lets the fluid, from the space S,
pass in and occupy any space between the piston and valve-plate and thus exclude
air, that might otherwise enter.
The valve opening at P, Figures 4 and 5, serves as an outlet, and its valve P
has two motions, viz. -an up and down or close and open motion, and a rotary
motion on its seat; this rotary motion is given to it for the purpose of keeping
it always in good order; in fact, it is ground on to its seat at each motion. The
spring P2, Figure 4, is connected to the disk P, and to a part of the box P¹³,
and being a tension spring serves to keep the valve P¹ up to its seat. The exhaust
through the valve opening at P passes into the box P¹³, Figure 4, and out through
an opening P. A rotary motion is given to the valve P¹ by means of a gear
on its stem P2, said gear being turned by the segment gear on the end of the
lever P, said lever P4 (see Fig. 3) being pivoted at P5 and operated by a pin P
working in the cam-groove L'. The up and down motion is given to the valve P
by means of a forked lever Ps, which works in a collar P (Fig. 4) on the
stem P², and is pivoted at P (see Fig. 3) and worked by pin P10, which is
operated by a face cam-groove L2, Figure 2.
p³
The principal valve-opening N, Figures 4 and 5, acts as an inlet for the pump,
and is connected with the lamp or other article to be exhausted. Its valve Ni
has also a two-fold motion, one up and down, to open and close, and another
about its centre to cause a grinding action on its seat to keep it always in order.
The rotating motion is secured by the following means: N³, Figures 3 and 4, is
a gear attached to the stem N2, of the valve N¹ and is made to rotate by means
of the segment-gear on the lever N, Figure 3, said lever N4, being pivoted at No
and operated by a pin N working in the cam-groove L. The up and down
motion is given to the valve N¹ by means of a forked lever N³ which works in
the collar on the stem N2 and being pivoted at N, Fig. 3, is operated by pin
at N10 working in a face cam-groove, not shown, made in the end of the cam-
wheel L'.
The valve N, N¹, opens from the chamber N12 which is directly connected to
the lamp bulb or other vessel which is to be freed from air or exhausted.
;

page_text: Motion is given to the cams L by means of the bevelled gear H on the shaft (),
this gear H acting through the gear H¹, shaft H2, gears H³ and H6, drives the
shaft L, upon which the cam-drum" L' is mounted. The shaft H2 is mounted in
housings at H, H³, Figure 1.
The shaft K has upon it fast and loose pulleys K, K, and a pinion K³, which
engages with the large gear-wheel (on the shaft C. Motion is communicated
to the machine by a belt which, acting through the pulley K₁ and shaft K turns
the pinion K³, and through it the large gear wheel C¹.
My auxiliary or fluid pump is shown at K', Fig. 1. This pump is operated by
a pitman K which is attached to an eccentric strap K³ and is driven by the
eccentric K on the shaft K.
The pump K draws its supply from the tank T through the pipe K' and
distributes it through the pipe R', R', R and R³ to the chambers. S, S', in the
casing of the cylinders E. E.
R is an air chamber attached to the pipe R to ease the flow of the fluid;
G is a gauge for indicating the pressure of the fluid as it passes from the pump.
This is attached to the pipe R by the pipe G¹; G² is a hand valve for con-
necting or disconnecting the gauge G to the pipes.
V is a safety valve connected to the pipe R' and serves to prevent a too great
pressure from accumulating in the pipes or chambers S, S'. Any overflow from
the safety valve V can pass through the pipe V' back to the tank T.
When my pump is in use the tank T, Fig. 1, has a supply of some liquid, for
instance, oil, glycerine, or even water. This liquid is pumped by the pump K7
so as to fill all of the pipes and also the spaces S and S₁, and is maintained under
pressure so as to fill any pores in the metal casing as well as to fill all of the
joints in or through which air night leak. In filling the pores of the metal
and maintaining a pressure about the cylinder in the chambers S, S', I effectually
prevent any infiltration of air and thus am enabled to obtain and maintain almost a
perfect vacuum.
The piston F is also to be filled with a liquid as has been fully disclosed in the
Specification of the Patent above referred to. F, Fig. 4, is a disk made of some
yielding material like rubber and inserted in the under side of the piston F, it being
made with a recess as shown, so that as the piston comes down on to the valve
disk E it, the rubber, will closely fit the projection in which the valve seat N is
formed.
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-
1st. In an Air Pump, the combination of the valve disk E³, outlet valve P', stem P³,
spring P, collar P7, lever P, cam-wheel L' and pinion P³ with the segment gear
lever P and cam-wheel L', all operating together substantially as described and for
the purpose set forth.
2nd. In an Air Pump, the combination of the valve disk E³, inlet valve N1, stem N',
collar P' lever P8, cam-wheel L, pinion N°: with the segment gear lever N and the
cam-wheel L, all operating together substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
3rd. In an Air Pump, the combination of the piston F, cylinders E and E¹, valve
disk E and lower disk E, forming chambers S, S¹, adapted to receive a liquid under
pressure, the said valve disk E³, having a valve N and raised valve-seat N, with the
valve N1, valve seat N, and valve M, adapted to admit at each stroke of the piston a
quantity of fluid from the chamber S', substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
4th. In an Air Pump having cylinders E and E' and disks E3 and E*, said cylinders
and disks forming chambers S and S', adapted to receive a liquid under pressure, the

page_text: combination of the inlet valve N' and its seat N in the disk E³: with the outlet
valve P, having an opening through both disks E³ and E' and the valve M, all
operating together substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
Dotad this 94th day of January A D 1800
ADOLPH BERRENBERG.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.