Patent ID: 8186976

Claim:
A combination compressor and vacuum pump apparatus comprising: A common drive mechanism comprising: A motor mounted within a frame of the apparatus, the motor having a common drive shaft; and At least two offset arms installed on the common drive shaft so as to be radially offset with respect to each other; A compressor piston-cylinder unit mechanically coupled to the drive mechanism, the compressor piston-cylinder unit comprising a hollow first piston rod connected to a first of the at least two offset arms of the drive mechanism at a first free end substantially opposite a first piston operable within a first cylinder so as to form the compressor piston-cylinder unit; and A vacuum pump piston-cylinder unit mechanically coupled to the drive mechanism, the vacuum pump piston-cylinder unit comprising a hollow second piston rod connected to a second of the at least two offset arms of the drive mechanism at a second free end substantially opposite a second piston operable within a second cylinder so as to form the vacuum pump piston-cylinder unit, whereby the common drive mechanism serves to actuate the respective compressor and vacuum pump piston-cylinder units out of phase with one another so as to reduce the peak load on the motor, and further whereby upon such actuation air is pulled into the compressor piston-cylinder unit through the first piston rod for compression therein and air is exhausted from the vacuum pump piston-cylinder unit through the second piston rod.