Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing and Expanding Air and Gases, Especially Adapted for Refrigerating Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing and Expanding Air and
Gases, Especially Adapted for Refrigerating Purposes.
I, FRANZ WINDHAUSEN of 14 Chaussée Strasse Berlin in the Empire of Germany
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for compressing and expanding air and gases and
has reference more especially to apparatus wherein a gas such as Carbonic Acid Gas
is compressed and expanded for the purpose of producing cold such as is described in
the specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 2864 dated 27th February 1886,
and I will describe the Invention in that connection from which its application to
analogous purposes will also be understood.
According to my present Invention I provide a compresser to replace that described
in the said Specification and instead of the regulating apparatus between the condenser
and refrigerator described in that Specification I provide an expansion Cylinder into
which the liquid Carbonic Acid enters and becomes cooled by partial vaporization and
expansion and is therefrom forced into the refrigerator. The Compressor is formed by
two Cylinders communicating with each other at bottom. Within one of these
Cylinders works a piston with its piston rod working through stuffing boxes at the
lower end of the Cylinder. In the upper ends of each of the Cylinders are suction
and delivery valves there being a space common to both of the suction valves into
which the suction pipe enters and another space common to both of the delivery
valves into which the delivery pipe enters. The pressure fluid intervenes between the
lower side of the piston and the space for the Carbonic Acid in the other Cylinder and
acts also as a lubricating medium. Into and from each of the Cylinders as the piston
operates the Carbonic Acid is drawn compressed and expelled. The packing for the
piston rod is double with a space in the packing box between the packings into which
space any pressure fluid escaping from above enters and from this space passes
through a pipe into a similar space between the packings of a stuffing box for the
piston of the expansion Cylinder. The expansion Cylinder receives above its piston
the Carbonic Acid under pressure from the Condenser so that the piston is thereby
moved through a part of its stroke and then the inlet valve therefor automatically
closes.

page_text: This inlet valve is provided with a rod capable of sliding therein the said rod having
a projection on which bears a spring pressing the rod to its lowest position. The said
rod projects into the Cylinder to a distance corresponding to the extent to which the
Cylinder is to receive the Carbonic Acid. When the piston makes its upward stroke
before it reaches its highest position it strikes the rod and compresses the spring until
the pressure exerted by the spring exceeds the gas pressure on the top of the valve
when the valve open's. During the descent of the piston the valve remains open until
the projection on the rod comes into contact with the valve and closes it and shuts off
the inlet for the Carbonic Acid and thereafter during the continued downstroke of the
piston the Carbonic Acid which has been drawn into the Cylinder evaporates and
expands and becomes cooled until its pressure is about equal to that in the refrigerator
into which the cooled vapour of Carbonic Acid is discharged by the outlet valve when
the piston makes its reverse stroke. Any Carbonic Acid escaping past the piston
passes to the space beneath it and on the down stroke passes back again through a
valve in the piston. This valve serves also for the passage of pressure fluid which
may come from the space between the stuffings of the piston rod of the compressing
Cylinder and pass into the space between the stuffings of the piston rod of the
expansion Cylinder which last named space communicates with the space beneath the
piston of the expansion Cylinder by a passage provided with a valve. Pressure fluid
and gaseous Carbonic Acid can be drawn into the apparatus by a pipe and valve
communicating with the pipe which leads from one space to the other between the
packings of the compression and expansion Cylinders. The two Cylinders herein first
described may be arranged side by side or one surrounding the other or they can be
arranged at right angles or in any other convenient position relatively to each other.
When the two Cylinders are arranged at right angles to each other each Cylinder may
have suction and delivery valves as hereinbefore described or the Carbonic Acid may
be drawn into one Cylinder and expelled therefrom and pass by a pipe into the second
Cylinder which is provided with an outlet valve for the passage of the Carbonic Acid
to the Condenser. For reconducting back again the pressure fluid which escapes the
piston rod may pass through a small Cylinder in line with the Cylinder in which the
piston works the said rod carrying a second piston working in the small Cylinder.
The fluid which passes the second piston enters the space at the back of the piston
from whence it is forced through a valve back into the Cylinders. Also any fluid
which escapes past the first stuffing of the double stuffings into the space between
them (as hereinbefore described passes by a valve into the space behind the second
piston and passes therefrom as described back into the Cylinders.
Dated this 21st day of February 1888.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
Agents.

page_text: Gases, Especially Adapted for Refrigerating Purposes.
I FRANZ WINDHAUSEN of 14 Chausée Strasse Berlin in the Empire of Germany
Civil 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 apparatus for compressing and expanding air and gases,
and has reference more especially to apparatus wherein a gas such as carbonic acid gas
is compressed and expanded for the purpose of producing cold such as is described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me No. 2864 dated 27th February 1886
and I will describe the Invention with reference to the accompanying drawings as for
that application from which its application to analogous purposes will also be
understood.
According to my present invention I provide a compressor to replace that described
in the said Specification and instead of the regulating apparatus between the condenser
and refrigerator described in that Specification I provide an expansion cylinder into
which the liquid carbonic acid enters and becomes cooled by partial vaporization and
expansion and is therefrom forced into the refrigerator. The compresser is formed by
two cylinders A and A' communicating with each other at bottom by the passage z.
Within the cylinder A works a piston B with its piston rod B₁ working through
stuffing boxes k k at the lower end of the cylinder A. Motion is transmitted to the
piston by means of a combination of connecting rods and levers as shown in the
drawing or by any other suitable mechanism. In the upper ends of each of
the cylinders A A¹ are suction and delivery valves a ba¹ b¹ there being a space a
common to both of the suction valves into which the suction pipe enters (or there
may be two such spaces each provided with a suction pipe as at dd). There is
another space & common to both of the delivery valves into which the delivery pipe e
enters. The pressure fluid intervenes between the lower side of the piston B and the
space for the carbonic acid in the other cylinder A' and acts also as a lubricating medium.
Into and from each of the cylinders A A' as the piston B operates the carbonic acid is
drawn compressed and expelled. The packing for the piston rod B' is double with a
space in the packing box at m into which space any pressure fluid escaping from
above enters and from this space passes through a pipe g into a similar space m¹
between the packings of a stuffing box for the piston rod D₁ of the piston D of the
expansion cylinder C. The expansion cylinder C receives above its piston 1) by the
pipe c' the carbonic acid under pressure from the condenser so that the piston D is

page_text: thereby moved through a part of its stroke and then the inlet valve therefor
automatically closes.
This inlet valve is provided with a rod capable of sliding therein the said rod
having a projection 3 on which bears a spring pressing the rod to its lowest
position. The said rod ¹ projects into the cylinder C to a distance corresponding
When the
to the extent to which the cylinder C is to receive the carbonic acid.
piston D makes its upward stroke before it reaches its highest position it strikes the
rod and compresses the spring h³ until the pressure exerted by the spring exceeds
the gas pressure on the top of the valve when the valve opens. During the descent
of the piston D the valve remains open until the projection on the rod h¹ comes
into contact with the valve h thus allowing the valve to descend with the rod h¹ until
the valve meets its seat and closes and shuts off the inlet for the carbonic acid and
thereafter during the continued down stroke of the piston D the carbonic acid which
has been drawn into the cylinder evaporates and expands and becomes cooled until
its pressure
is about equal to that in the refrigerator into which the cooled vapour of
carbonic acid is discharged by the outlet valve e when the piston D makes its reverse
stroke. In certain cases a supplementary spring may be provided above the valve h
in order to close or aid in closing the same. The valve c² may be opened by an
eccentric on the driving shaft as shown in the drawing or by any other suitable
means. Any carbonic acid escaping past the piston I passes to the space beneath it
and on the down stroke passes back again through a valve d and passage d¹ in the
piston D. This valve serves also for the passage of pressure fluid which may come
from the space m in the stuffing box of the piston rod B of the compressing cylinder A
and pass into the space m¹ in the stuffing box of the piston rod D¹ of the expansion
cylinder (which last named space m¹ communicates with the space beneath the
Pressure fluid
piston of the expansion cylinder by a passage provided with a valve s.
and gaseous carbonic acid can be drawn into the apparatus by a pipe and valve l'
communicating with the pipe g which leads from one space m to the other m². The
two cylinders A A' may be arranged side by side or one surrounding the other or
they can be arranged at right angles or in any other convenient position relatively to
each other.
When the two cylinders are arranged at right angles to each other each cylinder
may have suction and delivery valves as herein before described or the carbonic acid
may be drawn into one cylinder and expelled therefrom and pass by a pipe into the
second cylinder which is provided with an outlet valve for the passage of the
carbonic acid to the condenser. For conducting back again the pressure fluid which
escapes the piston rod may pass through a small cylinder in line with the cylinder in
which the piston works the said rod carrying a second piston working in the small
cylinder. The fluid which passes the second piston enters the space at the back of
the piston from whence it is forced through a valve back into the cylinders. Also
any fluid which escapes past the first stuffing box of the double stuffing boxes into
the space between them (as herein before described) passes by a valve into the space
behind the second piston and passes therefrom as described back into the cylinders.
A double compression of the gas after the manner described and claimed in the
Specification of my application for Letters Patent No. 2548 of even date herewith
may be obtained in the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 by simply altering the
arrangement of the valves so that the gas is forced from the cylinder A into the
cylinder A. In this case the pipe e is dispensed with and the pipe d' is made
the delivery pipe the pipe d being the suction pipe as before. The valves are so
arranged that on the descent of the piston B gas enters the cylinder A through the
valve a and when the piston rises the gas is forced into the cylinder A¹ where it is
compressed. On the next down stroke of the piston B the liquid rises in the
cylinder A and further compresses the gas and forces it through the piped to the
refrigerator this pipe being connected with the delivery valve of the cylinder A
instead of with the inlet valve as in the drawing.
According to another arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 the cylinders A and A
are arranged at right angles to each other. The gas compressed in the cylinder A

page_text: may be delivered directly to the condenser through a pipe el (shown in dotted lines)
and valve 6 the said gas being drawn into the said cylinder through a pipe d and
valve a, gas being also drawn into the cylinder A' through a pipe d' and valve a¹
(also shown in dotted lines) being also delivered directly to the condenser through the
pipe e and valve or a double compression as described in my aforesaid Specification
of my application for Letters Patent 2548 of even date here with may be adopted the
gas being first compressed in the cylinder A and forced through a pipe finto the
cylinder A¹ where it undergoes a second compression (as described in my said
Specification) the whole of the gas being finally delivered into the condenser through
the pipe e.
In order to maintain the liquid in the cylinder A' at its proper level and compensate
for losses by leakage the piston rod B' is connected to a small piston B' working in
a cylinder A communicating with the cylinders A and A¹. Any liquid that escapes
past the piston B2 is received in the annular space t at the back of this piston whence
it is forced by the action of the said piston through a valve p and pipe g back to the
upper part of the cylinder A¹. When the two cylinders A and A' are used
independently, otherwise the pipe g is led to the suction valve a of the primary
cylinder A. At the same time any liquid that may have escaped into the annular
space m in the stuffing box is drawn through a suction valve o into the annular
space and returned in like manner to the cylinder A¹ or A as above.
Figure 3 represents an arrangement in which the cylinders A and A' are placed one
within the other. The action is the same as in the arrangements hereinbefore
described and may be used either for compressing the gas in two stages or in one
stage only by arranging the valves as hereinbefore described as in two independent
cylinders. The gas is drawn in through the pipe d and valve a to the central
cylinder A whence it is forced into the cylinder A¹ which forms an annular space
communicating with the cylinder A through holes un.
aforesaid Specification)
my
The gas is compressed in the cylinder A (as described in
and is further compressed by the action of the liquid and delivered to the condenser
through the tube e.
The compressing cylinders are provided with a cold water jacket supplied with
water by a pipe x, the water after circulating about the cylinders escaping through a
pipe y.
The piston B of the compressor and the piston D of the expansion cylinder may be
attached to the same rod as in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 4 (shewn as
arranged for compression in two stages) the compression cylinder being placed
tandem to the expansion cylinder. This enables the power given off in expanding to
be directly applied to effect the compression. This combination will be readily
understood by referring to the said Figure 4 the same letters of reference indicating
the same parts as in the arrangements herein before described.
This figure also shews the connections with the other parts of the apparatus after
the manner of the arrangement referred to in the Specification of my aforesaid
previous Patent 28648 but it is unnecessary to describe these connections and other
parts here as they may be practically like those of my said previous Patent.
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 :-
1. Apparatus for expanding air or gas for refrigerating or other purposes
consisting of the arrangement and combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described the combination with a
condenser and refrigerator and an expansion cylinder of a compressor consisting of
two cylinders communicating with each other and provided with suction and delivery
valves all arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for the purpose described the arrangement of inlet valve (h) and
means for operating it substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangements for conducting escape fluid back into the cylinders sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The several constructions or arrangements constituting the apparatus herein-
before described and shewn severally in Figure 1 in Figure 2 in Figure 3 and in
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.