US3849036A

US3849036A - Rotary compressor with valve member pivoted to an eccentric piston

Info

Publication number: US3849036A
Application number: US00301118A
Authority: US
Inventors: B Read
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-10-26
Filing date: 1972-10-26
Publication date: 1974-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-19

Abstract

Air compressor means comprising a housing with a cylindrical chamber area space provided therein, a drive shaft extended axially through the chamber area space, an eccentrically driven member keyed to the shaft, a cylindrical sleeve member journalled on the latter and providing a rotary piston member in combination therewith, closely spaced inlet and outlet ports to said chamber area space, and valve means pivotally connected at one end to the housing side walls and near its other end to the sleeve member between the inlet and outlet ports for separation thereof in the course of rotary piston actuation.

Description

United States Patent 3,849,036 Read Nov. 19, 11974 ROTARY COMPRESSOR WITH VALVE 2,094,525 9/1937 MEMBER PIVOTED TO AN ECCENTRTC PISTON Inventor: Balfour Read, 625 5th St., Traverse City, Mich. 49684 Filed: Oct. 26, 1972 Appl. No.: 301,110

10.8. C1. 418/62 lint. Cl. F0lc 1/02, F040 l/02, F04c 17/02 Field of Search 418/62, 67, 142

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Calling 418/62 Primary ExaminerJohn J. Vrablik Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dale Austin Winnie [57] ABSTRACT inlet and outlet ports for separation thereof indie course of rotary piston actuation.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures A ROTARY COMPRESSOR WITH VALVE MEMBER PIVOTED TO AN ECCENTRIC PISTON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Although efforts have been made, heretofore, to provide a simple low pressure air compressor or blower for use with such engines, most have involved a redesign of the engine which has proven overly complicated and expensive.

What is actually needed is a relatively simple and effective blower or low pressure air compressor that is separate and apart from the engine, but which is sufficiently compact to be mounted on it and which is capable of being belt driven from the engine. And, which is capable of supplying more air either to the carburetor, or directly into the combustion chamber in a fuel injection system, to eliminate the problems mentioned and obtain better fuel consumption, which in turn means a reduction in air pollution problems.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION This invention relates to a low pressure air compressor or blower of the rotary piston type which has a lower cost of manufacture than any reciprocating piston type blower, or comparable rotary piston type, a very simple positive lubrication system of its own, and which provides for a longer duration of the suction period, for better advantage to be taken of the pressure pulsations in the suction tract and a higher volumentric effeciency to be obtained.

More particularly, a rotary piston member which is cylindrical in form is provided within a receptive housing space and is eccentrically driven. A fresh air inlet and a compressed air outlet are provided in the housing wall, relatively close together, and a valve means, under the direct and positive control of the rotary piston member, is provided to open and close the outlet port in a manner which enables a longer duration of the suction stroke and which includes sealing means which enables a high volumetric effeciency to be obtained.

The valve means is of the flipper or shoe type and is itself of relatively simple construction, easy to assemble in the housing, and with good sealing characteristics.

The rotary piston member also includes sealing means about its outer periphery which are self adjusting for dimension variances in the width of the housing space or due to wear in long and continuous use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. I is a centerline cross-sectional view of the rotary piston compressor or blower of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the compressor or blower as seen generally within the plane of line 2-2 in the first drawing figure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through one end of the valve means, and showing its connection to the rotary piston member, as seen in the plane of line 3-3 in the second drawing figure.

STRUCTURAL DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The low pressure rotary piston air compressor of the present invention is shown in the drawing figures to include a body housing 10 which is closed at each end by end plates 12 and M.

A chamber space 16 is provided within the body housing, between the two end plates, and an air intake 18 is provided through a side wall, near the top of the housing, and in communication with an intake passageway 20 that extends down the outer wall and is formed with the body housing member.

An air outlet opening 22 is provided through the top of the housing 10, for communication with the engine cylinder ports to be supplied, and. a suitable space 24 is provided therebelow and in open communication with the chamber space 16 for the: outlet valve closure mechanism, which will be described later.

A shaft 26 extends through the chamber space 16 and is journalled in bearings 28 and 30 within the

end plates

12 and 14. An eccentric 32 is keyed, as at 34, to the shaft and a cylindrical member 36, of approximately the width of the body member 10, is journalled, at 38, on the eccentric for oscillating movement within the chamber space 16 in the manner of a rotary piston as will subsequently be more clearly described.

The rotary cylindrical member 36, which rides on the eccentric 32, is slotted, as at 40, to receive a member 42 which is held to it as by cap screws 44 (reference FIG. 3) and is of substantially the same width as the cylindrical member. In addition, it includes a shaft 46 through its outer end and whose outer ends serve as pivotal connections with

side links

48 and 50 which pivotally connect it to the ends of a shaft 52 in a fitting 54 fastened to the housing side wall.

Between the two members 42 and 54, through which the pivot shafts 46 and 52 extend, there is provided a member 56 which is fitted to the outer cylindrical surfaces of the two members for maintaining the fixed distance required between the two pivot axes, together with the

side links

48 and 50, and which is itself retained in position by the side links which are connected to the ends of the two pivot shafts 46 and 52.

Member 58, of a non-metalic material and, capable of serving as a closure member, is fastened to the upper surface of the member 56 and is formed to include a lip 60 that extends therebeyond and wipes against a facing member 62 fastened to the inside of the housing, as by screws 64, just below the air outlet opening 22.

Side wall plates

66 and 68 are fitted to close the sides of the valve space 24 and to make all surfaces flush relative to the housing side walls within the lower cham ber space 16.

As for the cylindrical member 36, which oscillates within the lower chamber space 16, a bearing ring 70 is fitted to one edge and a like ring 72 is received within a receptive groove 74 in the outer edge and backed by a wire spring member 76 to eliminate any side leakage in the rotary compression of air in the course of its oscillitory movement.

The wire spring member 76 will be appreciated as crimped at about three places to contact the inner wall of the receptive groove and exert a slight outward spring pressure to hold the bearing ring 72 against the housing end wall and accomplish the sealing effect desired.

Balance weights

78 and 80 are keyed, as at 82 and 84, to the outer ends of the drive shaft 26 to counter balance the eccentric and effect of the valve operating mechanism it carried, and an end fitting 86 is provided on one end of the shaft and a drive pulley 88 (for a toothed belt) is provided on the other end.

Positive lubrication may be provided all rubbing surfaces by means of various passageways, commencing with the connection 90 in the bottom wall of the housing, and in communication with a suitable engine or like pressurized lubricating system.

A passage 92 in the end wall 12 connects to an oil ring groove 94 in the bearing 28 and in turn to a through passage 96 in the drive shaft 26 via a radial passage 98 in the shaft wall. Like

radial passages

100 and 102 connect to oil ring grooves in the eccentric bearing 38 and other end wall bearing 30.

The fixed follower member 42 includes a lubricating passage 104 which communicates with a passageway 106 through the oscillating cylindrical member 36 and with the oil ring groove in the eccentric bearing 38. This, in turn, connects with passage ways in the pivot pin fitted members 42 and 54 via a passageway 108 in the connecting member 56, which serves as the valve closure member, to provide lubrication to the pivot pins and the journal surfaces that the valve closure member rides upon.

OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION From the foregoing structural description it will be seen that as the eccentric 32 is driven by the drive shaft 26 the rotary cylindrical member 36 is caused to move in the chamber space 16 relatively around and in wiping relation to the inner chamber walls.

Referring to FIG. 2, as the eccentric is driven counter-clockwise the cylindrical member, serving as a rotary piston, is carried across the top of the chamber area space with a slight relative clockwise movement due to the constraint of the fixed follower 42. The latter, however, is allowed to turn on its own pivot axis and to permit the rotary piston to pass across the inlet opening 18, to close it, and to start moving the air within the chamber space therebelow around to the outlet side of the housing.

As the rotary piston member moves down the one side wall, on the inlet side, it causes the closure member 56 to swing down, opening the outlet port 32 and to thereby allow the rotary member to push the air in the chamber space out ahead of it as it travels down, across and up the opposite sidewall.

At the same time, as the rotary piston member travels past the inlet opening 18, and continues its travel, it draws in fresh air behind it.

At no time is there any open access between the inlet and outlet ports. As the rotary piston member approaches the top, on the air compression stroke, and before it passes the opening in the chamber space walls that connects to the closure valve space, the closure valve is closed. Hence, during its travel across the top, as from the position shown in FIG. 2, until it closes the inlet port, bypassing thereover, the outlet port is closed by the closure member and no pressure built up by the rotary pump will be lost.

I claim:

1. Air compressor means, comprising; a housing member having a chamber space for a rotary piston provided therein and including a fresh air inlet port and a compressed air outlet port provided through the side walls of said housing member in relatively close spaced relation to each other, a drive shaft extended axially through said chamber space and journalled within opposite end walls of said housing member, a rotary pis ton member provided in said chamber space and including an eccentrically driven member keyed to said shaft and having a relatively free floating cylindrical sleeve member journalled thereon and relatively fitted for rotary piston movement within said chamber space, and valve means mounted in said housing member between said inlet and outlet ports and connected to said sleeve member for actuation thereby, said valve means providing separation between said inlet and outlet ports in the course of rotary piston movement of said sleeve member within said chamber space, said chamber space being cylindrical in form and having a separate valve space provided in open communication apart therefrom and relatively between said inlet and outlet ports, said valve means including a valve member provided essentially wholly within said valve space and having relative sealing engagement with the side walls thereof in the course of actuated movement, means replacably affixed to an end wall of said valve space and therewithin for providing a journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface for one end of said valve member as engaged thereto, like means replacably affixed to said sleeve member and to extend into said valve space for providing a journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface for the other end of said valve member as engaged thereto, and a pair of connecting links provided between said journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface means for retaining said valve member replacable therebetween, and said valve member sealing the space between said journal bearings and including a resilient sealing lip extending therebeyond for engagement with the opposite end wall of said valve space in the opening and closing of said outlet port to said chamber.

* l l I=

Claims

1. Air compressor means, comprising; a housing member having a chamber space for a rotary piston provided therein and including a fresh air inlet port and a compressed air outlet port provided through the side walls of said housing member in relatively close spaced relation to each other, a drive shaft extended axially through said chamber space and journalled within opposite end walls of said housing member, a rotary piston member provided in said chamber space and including an eccentrically driven member keyed to said shaft and having a relatively free floating cylindrical sleeve member journalled thereon and relatively fitted for rotary piston movement within said chamber space, and valve means mounted in said housing member between said inlet and outlet ports and connected to said sleeve member for actuation thereby, said valve means providing separation between said inlet and outlet ports in the course of rotary piston movement of said sleeve member within said chamber space, said chamber space being cylindrical in form and having a separate valve space provided in open communication apart therefrom and relatively between said inlet and outlet ports, said valve means including a valve member provided essentially wholly within said valve space and having relative sEaling engagement with the side walls thereof in the course of actuated movement, means replacably affixed to an end wall of said valve space and therewithin for providing a journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface for one end of said valve member as engaged thereto, like means replacably affixed to said sleeve member and to extend into said valve space for providing a journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface for the other end of said valve member as engaged thereto, and a pair of connecting links provided between said journal bearing and relative end wall sealing surface means for retaining said valve member replacable therebetween, and said valve member sealing the space between said journal bearings and including a resilient sealing lip extending therebeyond for engagement with the opposite end wall of said valve space in the opening and closing of said outlet port to said chamber.