Untitled record

Application filed January 25, 1879.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Theodore G. Roster, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful 5 Improvement in Pumps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention is related to that class known io as “ air, gas, or vapor compressors,” and is intended more particularly for pumping or compressing the more volatile substances which are penetrating and liable to leak past the piston-head and through the stuffing-boxes of the i c ordinary pump and air-compressors. It is especially adapted to obviate, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the difficulties so often experienced by the escape of expensive, unhealthy, dangerous,.and explosive substances 20 while pumping or compressing the same.

The invention consists in the construction of a cylinder, cylinder-head, and piston similar in many respects to the ordinary engine in either vertical or horizontal position. On two 25 opposite sides of the cylinder are cast round flat chambers, like a steam-chest, extending to or beyond the ends of the cylinder, and are provided with covers or lids. A port-hole enters one of the chambers on the upper end of 30 the cylinder, and on the lower end of the same a second port-hole puts the other chamber in direct communication with the cylinder. To the inside of the covers or lids of the chambers are secured lens-shaped disks, each com35 posed of two hollow spherical segments tightly secured to each other with their respective bases by flanges on the peripheries of the same. Through the lids or covers enter pipes provided with inlet and outlet valves into the 49 hollow disks, thereby forming communication with the outside.

It is now obvious that if the' disks should be subjected to pressure they would close and expel any gas, air, or fluid contained therein 45 through the outlet-valves, and when again set free would draw in a new supply of whatever substance to be pumped through the inletvalves. A repetition ,»f this operation would produce a flow through said pipes and valves 50 without leakage into or coming in contact with what may be in the cylinder or the two chambers on its sides.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a vertical 55 pump on the lines x x of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a doubleacting pump. Fig. 3 shows a disk which has its two sides corrugated; and Fig. 4 is a disk with two flat sides, connected with each other 60 by V and A shaped rings, which allow contraction and expansion.

In thecylinder A works apiston, B, by means of piston-rod 0, connected with some outer driving suitable force. In direct communica- 65 tion with the cylinder are the chambers D and Eon each side of the cylinder, by the portholes a and b, respectively, on the upper aud lower end of the cylinder. The chambers D and E are provided with covers or lids F and G, 70 to which are secured the disks H and I by means of rings c and c'. Through the covers F and G lead the pipes d and d', which are provided with inlet and outlet valves e and e' and f and/' into the hollow disks H and I. Said 75 valves may be put directly in connection with the disks, as shown in Fig. 3. The cylinder A and side chambers, D and E, are filled with either air, water, alcohol, oil, or any other suitable substance, as the case may require. 80

The operation of this machine is now as follows : If by any of the well-known means a reciprocating motion is given to the piston B, assuming ithadbeen at itsouter stroke, as shown in Fig. 2, the substance contained in the cyl- 85 inder A and the side chamber, D, exerts apressure on the sides of the disk H, closing and expelling the contents in it through the outletvalve e'. On the return stroke of the piston the substance in the chamber D will flow 90 through the port-hole a into the cylinder, thereby forming a vacuum in the chamber D, which will cause the substaiice to be pumped to open the valve e in the pipe d aud exert its force (atmospheric pressure) against the inner sides 95 of the disk H, thereby opening and refilling it. At the same time, on such return stroke of the piston B, the disk lin the opposite chamber, E, connected by the port-hole b with the cylinder A, is alternately filled through valve/' and 100 discharged by valve f in pipe d', in the same manner as above stated on the opposite side of the cylinder. If the pipes above valves e' and f are connected, (as may be also the pipes be5 low the valves e and/) it will produce a constant flow of gas, vapor, or fluid which they may contain.

To facilitate the expansion and contraction or opening and closing the disks, I construct io them of various designs, and use different material to adapt them to the circumstances and substances encountered in tire use of the machine. When said disks are constructed of very thin steel, brass, copper, or other similar metal 15 to pump acids, gases, &c., I make the sides either plain, as shown in Fig. 2, or corrugated, as seen in Fig. 3, so that the corrugations of the sides fit into each other when-closed, thereby expelling all its contents, or I shall con20 struct the disks as represented in Fig. 4.

In cases where the substance to be pumped allows it, I use either leather, rawhide, rubber, or similar material in the shape of either disks or bags, so as to admit alternately filling, or 25 emptying by the action of the machine, as before stated.