Compressor construction

Claim 1

A COMPACT CENTRIFUGAL PRESSURE APPARATUS ADAPTED TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY OVER A WIDE RANGE OF OPERATING SPEEDS AND A WIDE RANGE OF FLOW RATES, SAID APPARATUS HAVING A HOUSING, A CENTRIFUGAL ROTOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING HAVING AN AXIAL FLUID INLET AND AN ANNULAR DISCHARGE FROM THE PERIPHERAL RIM THEREOF, SAID HOUSING HAVING A VANELESS VOLUTE CHAMBER FORMED THEREIN AND OFFSET AXIALLY CLOSELY TO ONE SIDE OF THE RIM OF SAID ROTOR, SAID VANELESS VOLUTE CHAMBER INCLUDING AN ANNULAR FLUID RECEIVING PORTION AND A DOWNSTREAM FLUID DISCHARGING PORTION, SAID ANNULAR FLUID RECEIVING PORTION HAVING A SURFACE ARRANGED TO RECEIVE FLUID FROM SAID ROTOR RIM AND TO DISCHARGE THE SAME AXIALLY OF SAID HOUSING AND TANGENTIALLY INTO SAID DOWNSTREAM DISCHARGE PORTION OF SAID VOLUTE CHAMBER WITHOUT APPRECIABLE ENERGY LOSS, SAID DOWNSTREAM DISCHARGE PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY ENCIRCLING THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR AND HAVING A LONG NARROW UPSTREAM CONE PORTION TERMINATING AT THE LARGER END THEREOF IN A BELL MOUTH DIFFUSER OUTLET, SAID BELL MOUTH DIFFUSER OUTLET HAVING AN OUTWARD FLARE IN EXCESS OF 30 DEGREES AND EFFECTIVE IN COOPERATION WITH SAID LONG NARROW CONE PORTION TO CONVERT THE HIGH VELOCITY SWIRLING STREAM OF FLUID ADVANCING AXIALLY OF SAID CONE PORTION AND OF SAID BELL MOUTH DIFFUSER OUTLET INTO PRESSURE ENERGY BY THE TIME THE FLUID REACHES THE LARGER END OF SAID BELL MOUTH OUTLET.