Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Compressing Air.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1397
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Compressing Air.
A communication to me from JOAN BISTRITEANU, of 12, Hagianoff, Bucarest, in the
Kingdom of Roumania, Locomotive Driver.
1, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, 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, and accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
This invention consists in machinery or apparatus to be used for compressing air,
and depending upon the principle that the energy exerted by a heavy weight made to
move up and down and balanced by a similar weight similarly working, is made
to operate the piston of an air-compressing cylinder, and so to effect a sufficient
compression of the air beneath the piston.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of the invention, and represent an
air compressing machine constructed upon the principle just described; Figure 1
being a front view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 2 a vertical section through
one of the air compressing cylinders and its piston. Figure 3 is a plan of the entire
apparatus.
That the above-mentioned counterweight, which serves as a balance for the weight
the energy of which is to do the required work as described, may itself execute
corresponding work upon the other side of the machine, it is constructed and operated
in a precisely similar way to the first described one, actuating in the same way an
air-compressing piston of the same size.
The two equal weights, shewn in the drawings at 2, are connected together by
flexible chains or cords 3, which pass over rollers 5. Or, instead of the rollers 5
other suitable pulleys or antifriction devices may be used.
The strong frame 1 fixed upon the foundation plate 6, carries the rollers 5, and
directly under the weights 2 is arranged upon each side an air-compressing cylinder 4,
upon the upper end of the piston rod of which 7 the weight 2 comes down and
thereby compresses the air in the cylinder under the piston 8 (Figure 24), the air
so compressed being delivered from the cylinder through a cock or valve 9 in the
latter, which is connected with a pipe 11 through which the compressed air is
delivered into a receiver or holder 10, which serves as a reservoir from which the
compressed air is withdrawn az required.
It should be noticed, that the piston 8, as well as the piston rod 7, are acted upon
by a helical spring 12 which tends always to keep the piston at its highest position,
so that after the downward or compressing stroke of the piston it is automatically
raised again, and thereby draws in a fresh supply of air from outside by means of
an inlet valve 13 in the cylinder. As a saleguard, the pressure cylinder 4, and the
receiver 10, may be provided with suitable safety valves 14 and 15, of the ordinary
kinds.
It will be understood, that in the arrangement described and shewn, the weights
have a uniform alternate up and down movement communicated to them.

page_text: The method and apparatus by which this is effected are as follows:-
Upon the upper part of the frame 1 a driving shaft 16 is arranged, turning in
bearings, and driven by any convenient force, such as hand or foot, or mechanical
motive power. In the last-named case u driving pulley or two such pulleys one
at each side at 18,-is arranged upon the shaft, whilst a flywheel 19, which may
also be used as a handwheel, is also fixed on the shaft at one or both ends. This
driving shalt drives by any ordinary means, as for instance by driving pulleys 20
and 21 and belt or band, the parallel crank or excentric shaft 17.
If cranks 22 are used, they are fixed at both ends of the shaft 17 at 180° apart
or opposite each other, and serve as driving gear for the up and down movement
of the weights already described. Obviously, other equivalent mechanism for the
purpose may however be used.
The invention includes moreover a special link or connection arranged between
the driving mechanism and the weight to be operated.
It will be easily seen that in the arrangement shewn for the prevention of shocks
and jarring of the moving and fixed parts flexible connection is necessary, but at
the same time not affecting the accurate working of the machine. For this purpose
spring connecting r. ds or links 23 are used, as shewn in Figure 2, which when the
weight descends upon the piston rod effects a gradual and easy contact with the
same, this being facilitated by the action of a spring 24, which may be either a flat
spring (as shewn in Figure 2), or a helical spring between the connecting links.
Screws 25, which are arranged in the proper positions, facilitate the exact adjustment
of the apparatus.
In the same way the connecting links (chains, cords, or the like) of the two
weights 2 are made exactly adjustable in length by means of links 26 adjustable
by screws.
For accurate guidance of the reciprocating weights 2 and of the pump pistons 8
and piston rods 7, guide rods 27 may be carried by the frame 1 on each side, upon
which are guided rollers 28, or guide pieces 29.
It is advisable that the head 30 of the piston rod 7 should be provided as shewn
with a piece of wood inserted in it, to afford the necessary resistance to the first
blow of the weight.
As already explained, the lift of the weight is considerably greater than that of
the air-compressing piston. In practical operation it is found better that the stroke
of the compressing piston should be about one fourth of that of the weight, or of
the diameter of the circle described by the driving crank, so that the weight
passes through about three-fourths of its downward stroke before it touches the
head 30 of the piston rod.
The air compressed into the receiver or holder 10 by the machine described can
be made use of in different ways, as for instance for motive power instead of steam.
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. A machine for compressing air, consisting of two or more equal suspended
weights 2, connected together by chains 3 or cords, passing over pulleys or rollers 5,
the weights 2 having an alternate up and down movement communicated to them, and
at the end of their down stroke acting by means of their weight upon pistons 8
enclosed in cylinders 4 and kept raised by springs, in such manner that the air in the
cylinders 4 under the pistons 8 is compressed and is delivered through valves 9 into a
receiver or holder 10, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In the machine described and claimed in Claim 1, the method of causing the
weights 2 to reciprocate alternately up and down, by means of an adjustable
attachment, such as the screw 25, the connecting rods or links which form an
elastic connection between the revolving driving cranks or excentrics on the one
hand and the weights guided vertically up and down by rollers 28 or guides

page_text: working against guide bars 27 on the other hand being of variable length, which.
length is varied by means of jointed links 23 normally kept in their extended position.
by means of springs, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 27th day of March 1897.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.