improvements in Pneumatic Machines or apparatus with heavy vacuum
Year: 1888

page_text: I. JEAN MARIE EMILE FONTENILLES, of 199 Rue du Faubourg St. Denis, Paris,
France 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 :-
This Invention relates to improvements in Pneumatic Machines or apparatus with
heavy vacuum.
Pneumatic machines or pumps capable of giving and maintaining practically a
heavy vacuum in a closed vessel, that is to say, a pressure approaching within two or
three millimeters of mercury of the mathematical vacuum, have not hitherto been
obtainable without involving great difficulties both in their construction and their
use.
It is well known that of these difficulties the main one lies in the working and
above all in the tightness of the valves, clack-valves, or slide-valves, used in the
obturation or closing of the pipes which place the body or chamber of the pump in
connection either with the vessel in which the vacuum is to be produced, or with the
atinosphere; or the two pump chambers or cylinders together when the machine
comprises them.
It has been sought to obviate these defects, by applying all kinds of springs to these
valves for the purpose of keeping them on their seat; these valves have been furnished
with packings, washers or rings of leather, or india rubber intended to produco
complete adhesion of these valves upon their seat. In double action pumps all the
valves of the second pump chamber or cylinder have even been made to work in
water.
But the use of all these means does not prevent all the derangements which are
frequently produced in these apparatuses.
The pneumatic machine of my invention and the subject of this application
imperfections above
comprises none of these means and is exempt from the defects or
mentioned. Its construction and characteristic arrangements will be understood by
the aid of the accompanying drawing to which the following description refers.

page_text: Figure 1. is a vertical section passing through the axis of the pump chambers or
cylinders of this machine and of its valves, clack-valves etc., brought into one figure
for the comprehension of the drawing.
Figures 2. 3 and 4 show, respectively in longitudinal section, in cross section, and
in plan, the detail of one of the clack-valves worked mechanically.
The machine represented comprises a double action pump composed of two
cylindrical chambers A and B united by the conduit or passage K. The cylinder A
communicates by the connecting piece C with the vessel in which the vacuum is to be
produced, while the cylinder B communicates with the atmosphere by the clack-
valve P.
In each of these pump chambers or cylinders, moves a pistón; the piston E of the
cylinder A is solid, that of the cylinder B carries a clack-valve N...
Finally, the connection C receives a clack-valve D, and the passage or conduit Ka
clack-valve M.
All these clack-valves P, N, D, and M are so arranged as to fall by their own weight
upon their respective seats and their edge dips in a bath of oil, water or any other
liquid, thereby forming a perfectly tight hydraulic joint. This bath b, b, c, d is
contained by an annular flange of the seats which opposes any introduction of the
closing or obturating liquid into the pump chambers or cylinders or other passages.
A liquid bath a is also reserved and with the same object above the gland of the rod
of the pistons E and H.
The clack-valves D and M are uplifted at proper times by the cams F, F', the shafts
of which are respectively actuated by any suitable mechanical means (eccentric,
toothed gearing, pulley etc.) from the balance, slide rod, or other piece alternately
actuating the pistons E and H. These shafts pass through a gland and are sunk, for
their outer part, in a bath of oil, water or any other liquid contained in a chamber F
cast with the valve-box or supported upon this latter by means of bolts or in any other
suitable manner. This bath, like the preceeding, opposes any possible introduction
of air.
The clack-valves N and P possess a stem or projection n, p intended to compel them
to rise at the last moment of the stroke of the piston H. These stems may bo
replaced by any other suitable arrangement; they may if required be placed the one
on the bottom of the cylinder B, the other on the upper face of the piston H.
Working. When the piston of the chamber or cylinder A begins to rise, the
air or the steam, in the vessel in which it is desired to produce the vacuum, is drawn
and passes by the passage C and the clack-valve D, raised by the cam F, during half
at most of the stroke of the piston E.
This clack-valve then falls by its own weight and the air or the steam drawn by the
piston E is driven out thereby, in its downward stroke, towards the cylinder B, the
piston H of which begins to rise at the same moment that the piston E is about to 4
lower.
The air driven out passes by the passage K and the clack-valve M lifted by its
cam F. The clack-valve M like that D falls again by its own weight.
In descending, the piston H compresses the air or the steam situated beneath it, the
effect being to lift the clack-valve N and to cause the said air or steam to pass 4
above it.
At the end of the downward stroke of the piston H, the valve N is raised by the
stem which comes against the bottom of the cylinder B.
In these various movements, the liquid baths ensure at the joints a perfect tightness
opposing any re-entrance of air and the vacuum obtained is as heavy as possible.
When the piston H rises again, the valve N closes by its own weight and the piston
compresses the air or the steam situated above it, thus compelling it to disengage into
the atmosphere by the clack-valve P, which is unerringly raised by its stein p when
the piston H reaches the culminating point of its stroke.
5

page_text: When the evacuation or discharge of condensable gases or vapours is in question,
these vapours or these gases must be previously condensed. For this purpose the
chamber or cylinder A of the machine is preceded by a close condensing chamber
into which the said gases or vapours are introduced and into which dips the suction
pipe. In this chamber the vapours or gases are condensed either by the injection of a
condensing liquid, or by their contact with the cooled sides of the said chamber. The
liquid products of the condensation are removed from the intermediate chamber by
means of an automatic pinging-cock, or in any other suitable way.
I need scarcely observe that the dimensions and forms of my pneumatic machine
are absolutely variable and that I reserve every latitude as regards the materials to be
employed, the methods connecting the constituent parts, the grouping thereof, and the
driving or actuating either of the piston or of the valves D and M.
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
The pneumatic machine with heavy vacuum which I have hereinbefore described,
and more particularly:
:-
1. In a pneumatic machine, the arrangement of the clack-valves D, M, N, and P,
working in opening upward, either vertically, or at a sufficient inclination to cause
them to rest upon their respective seats, by the action of weight, in combination with
seats each possessing an annular chamber b, b, c d filled with oil or other suitable
liquid and in which dips the edge of the said valves; the whole arranged and working
in the manner and with the object set forth in reference to the accompanying
drawing.
2. In a pneumatic machine, the valves D and M, established as set forth in claim 1,
in combination with a working device obtained by the action of the cams F F¹, each
actuated by a rotary or semi-rotary shaft passing through a gland, and the outer part
of which dips in an oil bath f in the manner and with the object as set forth by
reference to the accompanying drawing.
3. In a pneumatic machine, the valves N and P, established as set forth in claim 1,
in combination with the stems or projections n, p intended to insure a compulsory
working of the said valves by their contact, the one with the bottom of the cylinder B
and the other with the upper face of the piston H, as set forth by reference to the
accompanying drawing.
4. A pneumatic machine comprising the clack-valves D, M, N, and P acting by their
weight, with compulsory driving device, and having their edge sunk in an obturating
or closing liquid bath, in combination, or not, with an intermediate condensing
chamber preceding the chamber or cylinder A, as set forth by reference to the
accompanying drawing.