A NEW OR IMPROVED AIR COMPRESSOR WITH PNEUMATIC SELF ACTING REVERSING GEAR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Bauer, Civil Engineer, of the Firm M. Bauer
& Co., Solicitors of Patents, at Paris (French Republic), for an Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED AIR COMPRESSOR WITH PNEUMATIC SELF ACTING
REVERSING GEAR." A communication by Charles Albert Mayrhofer, Electric
Engineer, of Paris, French Republic.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Bauer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1881.
MAURICE BAUER, Civil Engineer, of the Firm M. Bauer, & Co., Solicitors of
Patents, at Paris (French Republic). "A NEW OR IMPROVED AIR COMPRESSOR
WITH PNEUMATIC SELF ACTING REVERSING GEAR." A communication from Charles
Albert Mayrhofer, Electric Engineer, of Paris, French Republic.
The air compressors forming the subject of this Invention consists of the
following arrangements :-
Water under pressure is supplied to the compressor through a pipe and two cocks ;
a lever is so connected with these cocks that it holds the one closed and the other
open.
In the upper position of this lever the first cock is open and the second cock
closed;
the water thus passes through the first cock and a pipe to a water chamber
or reservoir.
The air in this reservoir is compressed by the water and forced into a safety
apparatus through a valve and pipe.
This safety apparatus contains a float which stands on small feet. The air
entering the safety apparatus surrounds the float and goes through a pipe to the
cock of a high pressure air reservoir; when the lever belonging to this cock is
depressed the said cock is open and the air goes through a connecting pipe into the
said high pressure reservoir..

page_text: From this high pressure reservoir the air passes simultaneously through a pipe
and cock which is likewise open when its lever is depressed, and allows the
passage through it of the air, which now reaches a driving or service air reservoir
through another pipe, and is delivered from the said service reservoir to the place
where required through an outlet cock.
On the upper cover of the water chamber is placed the reversing gear of a three
way cock; to this latter a small branch pipe leads from the pipe of the service
reservoir, and the position of this three way cock at the influx of the water is
such that compressed air can pass from the service reservoir through it to a
cylinder containing a piston which presses upwards the lever first above mentioned
so as to hold the water inlet cock open and the water outlet cock closed.
When a float in the water chamber rises it lifts a rod which passes through a
stuffing box in the cover, and raises one end of a horizontal lever high enough to
tilt over a tumbling lever which operates the aforesaid three way cock, so as to
close the passage of air from the service reservoir to the aforesaid cylinder, and the
air is released from the latter, whereby its lever which is loaded with a weight falls
again so as to close the water inlet cock and open the water outlet cock.
The water now flows out of the water vessel either to waste or to be applied to
seme other use. Whilst the water is flowing out of the water vessel, the latter
fills itself again with air through a suction valve and a cock which is operated by
the reversing gear of the aforesaid tumbling lever.
When the water has fallen in the water chamber sufficiently, the float therein
-draws-down-the-beforementioned rod and actuates therewith the beforementioned
reversing gear consisting of the horizontal and tumbling levers, thereby changing
the position of the three way cock.
The connection between the air service reservoir and the cylinder is thereby
restored, the compressed air enters the cylinder again, raises its lever, opens the
water inlet cock, and closes the water outlet cock.
The series of operations are then repeated, and so on.
Instead of the two water cocks, an inlet and an outlet, a single cock, or a three
way cock may be employed; also instead of the lever for closing the cocks, tooth
wheels and racks may be used, especially in cases of great pressure of water.
The levers of the various cocks are loaded with weights for the purpose of
balancing the friction of such cocks, also the pressure of the air; for example, if it is
desired to store up air at 2 atmospheres in the high pressure reservoir (provided
the pressure of the water is in excess of that pressure), the weight on the lever of
the cock must be such that 2 kilos. per square centimetre of the bellows or piston
in the cylinder which operates it maintains the equilibrium; if a higher pressure
should arise the lever rises and the cock closes preventing further influx of air.
Similarly as regards the cock for regulating the passage of air from the high
pressure reservoir to the service chamber, its counter weight is balanced by a small
pressure and is raised by air coming from the service chamber and entering a
cylinder as soon as the desired pressure is reached, which is determined by the
balancing of the lever of the cock, whereby the further passage of air from the
high pressure reservoir to the service chamber is prevented.
The lever for actuating the water inlet and outlet cocks is either raised or
depressed, according to the position of the reversing gear on the water chamber.
A cock in the water supply pipe is closed immediately the pressure in the high
pressure air reservoir has reached the desired maximum by means of a lever,
immediately the air from the high pressure reservoir entering a cylinder in
connection with such lever overcomes the resistance of the weight thereon.
The object of the safety apparatus is to prevent the entrance of water into the
air pipe leading to the high pressure reservoir in the event of the reversing gear
failing to act.
In that case water passes over into the safety apparatus and raises the float
therein, closing the entrance to the air pipe by a cone or valve. On the other hand

page_text: the piston of a safety valve is raised and allows the overflow water to pass off by
a pipe. This water flows into an open vessel, raises a float therein which acts upon
the lever of the main water supply cock, whereby the latter is closed and the
further influx of water stopped. This lever when raised is held up by a catch or
latch.
This apparatus for shutting off the supply of water also acts when water enters
the open vessel from any other part of the apparatus, which is placed so that any
outflowing water always runs into the said open vessel.
An electric contact is arranged to give notice immediately the main water supply
is thus shut off.
The apparatus is furnished with suitable pressure guages where necessary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Maurice Bauer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th April
1882.
MAURICE BAUER, Civil Engineer, of the Firm of M. Bauer & Co., Solicitors of
Patents, at Paris, French Republic. "A NEW OR IMPROVED AIR COMPRESSOR
WITH PNEUMATIC SELF-ACTING REVERSING GEAR." A communication from
Charles Albert Mayrhofer, Electric Engineer, of Paris, in the French Republic.
The air compressor forming the subject of this Invention consists of the following
arrangements :-
Water under pressure is supplied to the compressor through a pipe a and two
cocks A in Fig. 1, and B in Fig. 2.
A lever C is so connected with the cocks E and D, Fig. 2, that it holds the one
closed and the other open one closed and the other open.
In the upper position of this lever the first cock E is open and the second cock D
closed;-the-water-thus-passes_through_the_first_cock E and a pipe b to a water
chamber or reservoir F, Fig. 3. The air in this reservoir F is compressed by
the water and forced into a safety apparatus, Fig. 4, through a valve G and
pipe C.
This safety apparatus contains a float H which stands on small feet. The air
entering the safety apparatus by pipe C surrounds the float and goes through a
pipe to the cock I of a high pressure air reservoir K, Fig. 5; when the lever e
belonging to this cock is depressed, the said cock is open, and the air goes through
a connecting pipe finto the said high pressure reservoir K.
From this high pressure reservoir the air passes simultaneously through a pipe g
and cock L, Fig. 2, which is likewise open when its lever is depressed, and allows
the passage through it of the air which now reaches a driving or service reservoir M,
Fig. 3, through another pipe, and is delivered from the said service reservoir to the
place where required through an outlet cock N. The course of the water is thus
through a, A, a, B, b, into the water reservoir F. The course of the compressed air
is through G, c, H, d, I, f, K, g, L, i, into the driving reservoir M.
On the upper cover of the water chamber is placed the reversing gear of a three
way cock 0; to this latter a small branch pipe J leads from the pipe i of the
service reservoir, and the position of this three way cock at the influx of the water
is such that compressed air can pass from the service reservoir through it to a
cylinder P, Fig. 2, containing a piston, which presses upwards the lever C first
above mentioned, so as to hold the water inlet cock E open and the water outlet
cock D closed.
When a float Q in the water chamber F, Fig. 3, rises, it lifts by means of a
plate a rod m which passes through a stuffing box in the cover and raises one
end of a horizontal lever O high enough to tilt over a tumbling lever p, which
operates the aforesaid three way cock o, so as to close the passage of air from the
service reservoir by the pipe J to the aforesaid cylinder P, and the air is released
from the latter, whereby its lever C which is loaded with a weight R falls again,
so as to close the water inlet cock E and open the water outlet cock D.
The water now flows out of the water vessel F either to waste through the
pipe b, cock D, and pipe q, or to be applied to some other use.
Whilst the water is flowing out of the water vessel F, the latter fills itself again
with air through a suction valve S and a cock T, Fig. 6, which is operated by the
reversing gear of the aforesaid tumbling lever p.
When the water has fallen in the water chainber sufficiently, the float q therein
4

page_text: draws down the beforementioned rod m by means of the plate ¹ and actuates
thereby the beforementioned reversing gear, consisting of the horizontal and
tumbling levers o and p, thereby changing the position of the three way cock o.
The connection between the air service reservoir M and the cylinder P by means of
the pipes p and K is thereby restored; the compressed air enters the said cylinder P
again, raises its lever C, opens the water inlet cock E, and closes the water outlet
cock D. The series of operations are then repeated, and so on.
Instead of separate inlet and outlet cocks E and D, a single cock or a three way
cock may be employed; also instead of the lever for closing the cocks, tooth wheels
and racks may be used, especially in cases of great pressure of water.
The levers of the various cocks are loaded with weights U, Fig. 5, and V and W,
Fig. 2, for the purpose of balancing the friction of such cocks, also the pressure of
the air; for example, if it is desired to store up air at 2 atmospheres in the high
pressure reservoir K (provided the pressure of the water is in excess of that
pressure), the weight U on the lever of the cock I must be such that 2 kilos per
square centimetre of the bellows or piston in the cylinder X which operates it
maintains the equilibrium; if a higher pressure should arise the lever e rises and
the cock I closes, preventing further influx of air.
Similarly as regards the cock L, Fig. 2, for regulating the passage of air from
the high pressure reservoir K to the service chamber M, its counter weight V is
balanced by a small pressure and is raised by air coming from the servico
chamber M through the sinall pipe ¹, and entering a cylinder D' as soon
as the desired pressure is reached, which is determined by the balancing of the
lever of tho cock L, whereby the further passage of air from the high pressure
reservoir K through the pipes g and i to the service chamber m is prevented.
The lever C for actuating the water inlet and outlet cocks D and E is either
raised or depressed according to the position of the reversing gear O on the water
chamber F.
A cock B in the water supply pipe a is closed immediately the pressure in the
high pressure air reservoir K has reached the desired maximum by means of a
lever B immediately the air passing by the pipe g' from the high pressure
reservoir K into a cylinder Y, in connection with such lever, overcomes the
resistance of the weight W thereon.
Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a plan and partial section of the apparatus of
which Fig. 2 is a perspective view.
The object of the safety apparatus, shewn in Fig. 4, is to prevent the entrance of
water into the air pipe d leading to the high pressure reservoir K in the event of
the reversing gear O failing to act.
In that case water passes over into the safety apparatus through the pipe c and
raises the float H therein, closing the entrance S to the air piped by a cone or
valve r.
On the other hand, the piston of a safety valve t is raised and allows the
overflow water to pass off by a pipe U. This water flows into an open vessel Z,
Fig. 1, raises a float v therein, which acts upon the lever W of the main water
supply cock A, whereby the latter is closed and the further influx of water
stopped; this lever W when raised is held up by the catch x of a latch y.
This apparatus for shutting off the supply of water also acts when water enters
the open vessel from any other part of the apparatus, which is placed so that any
outflowing water always runs into the said open vessel Z.
An electric contact 2, 2, is arranged to give notice immediately the main water
supply is thus shut off.
The apparatus is furnished with suitable pressure guages Z', Z2, Z³, where
necessary.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that what
I claim as the Invention to be secured by the within in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The safety apparatus for the automatic closing of the water cock by the

page_text: overflow water and the electric contact connected therewith, arranged, combined,
and applied, as herein before described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the Drawings
hereto annexed.
Second. The pneumatic reversing gear of the cocks E and D the means of
automatically balancing the air pressure at the cock L, and the means of closing
automatically the cock B by any excess of pressure in the reservoir K, arranged,
combined, and applied, as herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 2 of the
Drawings hereto annexed.
Third. The reversing gear connected with the three way cock, whereby the
action of the lever C and the consequent automatic opening and shutting of the
cocks D and E are regulated, such reversing gear being arranged, combined, and
applied, as herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 3 of the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Fourth. The self acting safety apparatus for preventing the overflow of water
from the water vessel F into the air reservoir K, arranged, combined, and applied,
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 4 of the Drawings hereto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Bauer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
MAURICE BAUER. (L.S.)
Witness,
LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, K.G:V.,
Proprietor of the Scandinavian Patent Office,
30, Finsbury Pavement,
London, E.C.