Ingersoll-rand Company

Other

Brian D Sowards

Frederick H Emilson

Eugene Cheng

A compressor assembly comprising first and second housing structures connected to one another. A compression chamber is formed integrally within the first and second housing structures. A separation chamber is formed integrally within the first and second housing structures. An internal fluid passage extends between the compression chamber and the separation chamber.

Air compressor assembly

A system and method for controlling air flow into a rotary screw compressor is provided. The system includes an unloader valve for controlling airflow into the compressor. An anti-rumble system may be included in the unloader valve housing. The unloader valve is an air operated sleeve-type valve. The anti-rumble system includes an integrated vent path for the discharge side of the compressor. All moving parts are sealed within the unloader housing to prevent malfunction due to dirt entering the mechanism.

Compressor unloader system

An air compressor assembly of the rotary screw type. The air compressor assembly comprises a housing having an inlet end and a discharge end. An internal working chamber extends within the housing and terminates in a discharge end face at the discharge end of the housing. At least one rotor is mounted for rotation and axial movement within the working chamber. The rotor has a discharge end surface having a step defined thereon. A thrust piston extends from the rotor and is positioned within a thrust piston chamber. A pressure source is associated with the thrust piston chamber and is controllable between a high pressure condition and a reduced pressure condition to control the position of the rotor relative to the discharge end face. A method of mounting a rotor with a desired end clearance is also provided.

Screw compressor assembly and method including a rotor having a thrust piston

A rotary internal combustion engine includes a housing within which is mounted for rotation at least one rotor. The rotor includes at least one flow conduit. The flow conduit defines a compression region having an inlet proximate to the rotation axis of the rotor and extending radially towards a periphery of the rotor. A mixture of air and fuel enters the flow conduit through the inlet and travels downstream through at least a portion of the compression region prior to combustion. A combustion region communicates with the compression region and is proximate to the periphery of the rotor. The air/fuel mixture flows from the compression region to the combustion region to undergo combustion in the combustion region. A power region communicates with the combustion region and includes an outlet proximate to the rotation axis of the rotor. The power region extends from the periphery of the rotor to the outlet. The compression region, combustion region, and power region of the flow conduit define a substantially U-shaped flow path along which the air/fuel mixture travels during engine operation.

Internal combustion engine

An apparatus includes a compressor having a rotor portion, an inlet and a discharge. A motor portion of the apparatus has an intake manifold connected to the discharge. A throttle is displaceable between an open and a closed position for controlling fluid flow between the discharge and the intake manifold. A bypass return line connects the rotor portion of the compressor to the inlet. A piston valve, movable between an open location and a closed location, controls flow through the bypass return line. A control line, connecting the intake manifold to the piston valve, controls the location of the piston valve. A control valve may be included to control fluid flow through the control line. A computer, which is affected by the operation of the motor, controls the position of the control valve.

Apparatus for controlling a supercharger

A bearing mounting with self-compensation for thermal expansion. A rotor is mounted in a housing by way of a first bearing having an outer race mounted in the housing and an inner race mounted on the rotor. The inner and outer races are relatively axially movable. A second bearing is mounted on an end of the rotor. A resilient member maintains the inner race in engagement with the outer race in response to relative axial movement between the inner and outer races due to varying thermal expansion rates between the housing and the rotor.

Bearing mounting with self-compensation for thermal expansion

The unloader has a piston-operated valving element which opens and closes a compressor, air inlet housing, inlet port to load and unload the associated compressor. A control, pressured air supply is addressed to the piston to cause the latter to translate the valving element into port closure, and in the absence of the aforesaid supply, vacuum pressure and incoming air displace the valving element from closure of the ports. One spring seats the piston, and another moves the valving element into closure when the compressor is shut down, in one embodiment of the invention. A guide rod pilots movements of the piston and valving element. In the combination, the unloader is wholly confined within an aluminum die-cast air inlet housing.

Unloader, and in combination with an air compressor inlet housing

In the arrangement, a gear housing rotatably journals juxtaposed ends of coacting lobed, male and female rotors on a horizontal plane, and a passageway confined in the housing, on a diagonal plane which tranverses the horizontal plane, conducts oil therethrough to rotor-end bearings from an oil-admittance port at an upper end of the passageway. The rotors, then, are below the port, at a lower end of the passageway and, accordingly, the gear housing-supplied oil is scavenged into the rotors. Further, the compressor has an airend which comprises the gear housing, the latter being of aluminum, die-cast formation, having parallel, side faces, with an oil filter mounting coupled to one of the faces. A drive gear, and a therewith meshing driven gear, are supported by the housing. The driven gear is drivingly coupled to the male rotor, substantially centrally in the housing, and the female rotor is journaled in the housing, as noted, outwardly (relative to the housing) from the driven gear and male rotor.

Lubrication arrangement, in an air compressor

An air compressor having a pair of coacting rotors, useful as a supercharger for an engine, has a throttle plate in the compressed-air discharge port of its airend. The plate is carried by a shaft which is journalled in the airend housing. An air bypass channel is formed in the housing, The channel being in communication with the air-end air inlet. A pair of apertures formed in the housing open onto both the channel and the rotors, and flapper valves, pivotably mounted in the channel, monitor the apertures. Spring steel limbs, fixed to the throttle plate shaft engage and disengage the valves, to close and open the apertures, respectively, as the shaft is rotated to open and close the compressed-air discharge port, respectively again, by means of the throttle plate.

Means for controlling air discharge, in an air compressor

In the disclosed embodiment, the system has a gear housing and an oil reservoir in juxtaposition, with a separated wall therebetween, and a metering channel in penetration of the wall. A gear in the housing throws oil from the lower portion of the housing (i.e., the sump) upwardly to lubricate a meshing gear, bearings, and seals, etc., and to discharge some of the oil through the wall separation into the reservoir. As a consequence of the latter, the oil level in the sump is transformed from a high static level to a lowered, dynamic level in which only the teeth of the oil-throwing gear contact the oil. The metering channel insures that the housing will have some oil constantly supplied thereto from the reservoir, while the latter gear is throwing oil, and that the static level will subsequently return when the gear is halted.

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Mocksville, NC, United States of America

Brian D Sowards