An Improvement in Apparatus for Compressing or Exhausting ! Elastic Fluid.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897 :
. COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Apparatus for Compressing or Exhausting
!
Elastic Fluid.
A
I, PETER BROTHERHOOD, of Belvedere Road, Lambeth, in the County of London,
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:―
My invention relates to a simple and compact construction of apparatus for
compressing or exhausting elastics fluids, as I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, shewing the casing and one of the cylinders in section, of
a compressing or exhausting apparatus according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a transverse
section of one of the cylinders.
On a shaft A which works in a long bearing formed in a stationary frame B
I fix a balanced crank plate C with a single crank pin on which are jointed the
ends of three connecting rods D, the other ends of which are jointed to pistons E,
working in three cylinders F, which radiate at equal angles from the axis of the
shaft A. Each cylinder F has four lateral recesses f communicating with a central
space G in which the crank revolves and which communicates with the external air
or with a vacuum vessel by a pipe H preferably covered by a porous diaphragm for
sifting the air or other fluid admitted to the pipe. Instead of employing a pipe H
when the apparatus is employed as an air compressor, air may be admitted by
lateral openings h which may have sifting diaphragms. Through the outer eye of
each connecting rod there is a port in the form of a long narrow slit e, and through
the piston there is a corresponding port el, the port e being so situated that as the
piston is moving towards the axis of A it communicates through e¹ with the space
beyond the piston, but when the piston is moving from the axis of A this
communication is closed. At the end of each cylinder there is a discharge valve K
held to its seat by a spring, and from the space around each valve K there is
a passage L to a central outlet pipe M. The three cylinders are all enclosed in a
casing N through which cooling water circulates, entering at n and issuing at n¹.
The apparatus operates as follows. The crankshaft A being caused to revolve by
any suitable power, the three pistons E reciprocate in their respective cylinders.
As each piston moves towards the axis, air or fluid is drawn from the central
space G, first through the ports e e¹ and then by the recesses of when the piston
uncovers them.
As the piston returns, the air or fluid filling the space beyond it
is compressed and discharged by the valve K and passage L to the outlet pipe M,
which, as the three pistons make their successive strokes, thus receives a continuous
supply of compressed air or fluid.
When the apparatus is employed as an exhauster, the pipe H is connected to the
vessel from which the air or fluid is to be exhausted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I déclare that what I
claim is :-
Apparatus for compressing or exhausting elastic fluid, comprising three cylinders
radiating from a central crankshaft, each cylinder fitted with a piston linked to a 5
common crank by a connecting rod having through its eye a port adapted to
communicate with a port through the piston during the suction stroke, each
cylinder having lateral passages to a central cavity communicating with the outer
air or with a vacuum vessel, and having at its outer end a discharge valve
communicating by a lateral passage with a central outlet pipe, the cylinders
being enclosed in a water casing, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th dow of Inte 1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,