IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING AIR, PARTS OF THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Arthur Burdett and Joseph Burdett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th February 1876.
66
ARTHUR BURDETT, of Kensal Road, in the County of Middlesex, and JOSEPH
BURDETT, of Harrow Road, in the said County. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY FOR COMPRESSING AIR, PARTS OF
THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates chiefly to the construction and arrangement of certain
machinery, by means of which air can be compressed in an advantageous manner,
so as to be applicable to a variety of useful purposes.
A horizontal or vertical air cylinder is employed, the same having a double or
hollow piston arranged to work in the interior thereof. At an equal distance from
each end of the air cylinder, and in or around the circumference thereof, is or are
one or more openings or apertures for the passage of the air into a jacket or
receiver, in which the air cylinder is enclosed; if desired and necessary, an
auxiliary jacket is also placed around the air cylinder for the circulation of water
in the event of the air contained in the latter becoming overheated. The double or
hollow piston is constructed in the following manner:-Two circular plates or
piston heads are connected together by suitable means, such as will be well
understood, thereby forming a double or hollow piston, the length of the interior
thereof being such that the aperture or apertures in or round the air cylinder shall
not be covered at any part of the stroke of the double or hollow piston.
The necessary air delivery valves are screwed or otherwise fitted into each end of
the double or hollow piston, so that they shall deliver or allow the passage of the
air from the air cylinder into the centre inner space enclosed by the double or
hollow piston, and thence through the aperture or apertures in the air cylinder into
the receiver. The suction or inlet valves are of the annular form usually employed
for such purposes, and are screwed or otherwise fitted into the covers of the air
cylinder, and are so arranged that they will work simultaneously with the action of
the piston when the double or hollow piston in the air cylinder is worked by a
direct-acting steam engine, the variable expansion gear of the latter is so constructed
as to cut off the steam automatically by the pressure of the compressed air in the
receiver.
The said valve gear is constructed in the following manner-A circular plate
having a parallel slot across the diameter thereof is keyed fast on to the crank
5 Price 211

page_text: shaft, and on this plate the eccentric is allowed to slide transversely on the shaft by
means of guide pieces on the back to the extent of its throw. On the opposite side
of the eccentric a steel pin is fitted, and which by the action of a spiral slot or
chase slides round the shaft, and thereby works the excentric into its neutral
position. The circular motion is produced by the longitudinal movement (caused
by the action of the compressed air) on a hard metal sleeve, which slides on a spiral
screw thread fixed to or formed on the crank shaft.
The said valve is capable of being and is intended to be applied under this
Invention to steam engines other than such as are herein-before referred to, and
may be worked by hand if considered necessary or desirable.