US3602610A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Control system for rotary compressors
Assignee: Studebaker Worthington Inc
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Filing: 1970-02-19
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Granted: 1971-08-31
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Expires: 1990-02-19
Abstract
Abstract A Control system for a motor-driven, rotary air compressor which includes a suction control throttling valve at the compressor inlet. The control system automatically shuts down the driving motor whenever the compressor operates near its unloaded condition for an extended period of time. The control system also restarts the driving motor upon a subsequent demand for compressed air.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Bloom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 14:44
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04C; F04C28/00; F04C28/24; F04C28/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A control system for a motor driven rotary gas compressor having a modulating suction control valve in the compressor inlet and a discharge manifold connecting with a compressed gas supply conduit comprising: pressure signaling means operatively connected with the supply conduit for providing an excess supply pressure signal and a load demand pressure signal; controlled bypass means operatively connected with the pressure signaling means and connected to the compressor inlet in parallel with the modulating suction control valve for controllably bypassing inlet gas around the control valve in response to the excess supply and demand pressure signals; check valve means interposed between the supply conduit and the discharge manifold to prevent reverse flow into the discharge manifold; controllable bleed valve means operatively connected to the discharge manifold and responsive to the pressure signals from the pressure signaling means for controlled bleeding of the discharge manifold; delay means operatively associated with the pressure signaling means for providing a delayed motor cutoff signal in response to the excess supply pressure signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A control system for a motor driven rotary gas compressor having a modulating suction control valve in the compressor inlet and a discharge manifold connecting with a compressed gas supply conduit comprising: pressure signaling means operatively connected with the supply conduit for providing an excess supply pressure signal and a load demand pressure signal; controlled bypass means operatively connected with the pressure signaling means and connected to the compressor inlet in parallel with the modulating suction control valve for controllably bypassing inlet gas around the control valve in response to the excess supply and demand pressure signals; check valve means interposed between the supply conduit and the discharge manifold to prevent reverse flow into the discharge manifold; controllable bleed valve means operatively connected to the discharge manifold and responsive to the pressure signals from the pressure signaling means for controlled bleeding of the discharge manifold; delay means operatively associated with the pressure signaling means for providing a delayed motor cutoff signal in response to the excess supply pressure signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein: the delay means includes the controllable bleed valve means responsive to the pressure signaling means and a pressure switch in the discharge manifold and actuated at a bleed down pressure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein: the delay means includes a timer triggered by the pressure signaling means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The control system of claim 1 wherein: the controlled bypass means includes a solenoid valve having an open position permitting gas flow through the bypass means and a closed position preventing gas flow through the bypass means, the open position being commanded by the demand pressure signal and the closed position being commanded by the excess supply pressure signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The control system of claim 4 wherein: the bypass means includes a calibrated orifice plate interposed in the bypass means for passing a preselected gas flow through the solenoid valve in the open position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
80 words
The control system of claim 1 for a rotary compressor having a pressure-operated, modulating suction control valve wherein: a pressure transmitting conduit is connected between the supply conduit anD the pressure-operated, modulating valve for operating the valve in response to the pressure variations in the supply conduit; and a suction control pressure regulator is interposed in the pressure transmitting conduit to regulate the pressure operating the modulating valve in response to the variations of the pressure in the supply conduit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The unloading system of claim 6 wherein: the pressure signaling means operatively connected with the supply conduit is a pressure switch connected to the pressure transmitting conduit between the pressure regulator and the modulating valve.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
165 words
A load condition detecting mechanism for a rotary vane air compressor having a suction modulating valve in the compressor inlet and a compressed air supply conduit connected with the compressor discharge comprising: suction control means sensitive to the compressed air supply pressure in the supply conduit and connected to the suction modulating valve for closing the valve at a given supply pressure in the supply conduit and thereby reducing the compressor output at a preselected load condition; inlet bypassing means defining a passageway communicating at one end with ambient, unmodulated air and at the other end with a first inlet portion which transmits modulated air from the valve to the compressor for leaking an incremental inlet airflow by the modulating valve at the preselected load condition; and pressure detecting means operatively associated with the compressed air supply conduit and having a pressure signaling level adjusted for signaling a supply conduit pressure an incremental amount greater than the given supply pressure at the preselected load condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
165 words
A load condition detecting mechanism for a rotary vane air compressor having a suction modulating valve in the compressor inlet and a compressed air supply conduit connected with the compressor discharge comprising: suction control means sensitive to the compressed air supply pressure in the supply conduit and connected to the suction modulating valve for closing the valve at a given supply pressure in the supply conduit and thereby reducing the compressor output at a preselected load condition; inlet bypassing means defining a passageway communicating at one end with ambient, unmodulated air and at the other end with a first inlet portion which transmits modulated air from the valve to the compressor for leaking an incremental inlet airflow by the modulating valve at the preselected load condition; and pressure detecting means operatively associated with the compressed air supply conduit and having a pressure signaling level adjusted for signaling a supply conduit pressure an incremental amount greater than the given supply pressure at the preselected load condition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The load condition detecting mechanism of claim 8 wherein: the passageway defined in the inlet bypassing means communicates at the one end with a second inlet portion upstream in the direction of inlet airflow through the suction modulating valve.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The load condition detecting mechanism of claim 8 wherein: the inlet bypassing means includes an orifice plate calibrated to provide a predetermined incremental inlet airflow.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The load condition detecting mechanism of claim 8 wherein: the pressure detecting means includes a pressure switch sensitive to the pressure in the compressed air supply conduit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The load condition detecting mechanism of claim 8 having a pressure operated suction modulating valve wherein: the suction control means includes a pressure regulator having an input connected with the compressed air supply conduit and having a regulated pressure output connected to the modulating valve.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The detecting mechanism of claim 12 wherein: the pressure detecting means is a pressure switch sensitive to the regulated pressure form the output of the suction control pressure regulator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
The detecting mechanism of claim 13 wherein: the pressure operated suction modulating valve includes a pressure actuated valve member connected with a pressure actuating valve chamber, the chamber being connected to the regulator and supplied with the regulated pressure; and a regulated pressure bleeding line including a bleed orifice is connected to the pressure actuating chamber to bleed the chamber upon a decrease of the supply conduit pressure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
80 words
The detecting mechanism of claim 12 wherein: the pressure detecting means is a pressure switch sensitive to the pressure in the supply conduit; the pressure operated modulating valve includes a pressure chamber connected to the output of the pressure regulator, a valve element, a pressure actuated member exposed within the pressure chamber and connected to the valve element for actuating the valve element and an orificed bleed line connected from the chamber to the inlet portion which transmits modulated air.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
84 words
The mechanism of claim 15 additionally providing compressor shutdown and startup signals wherein: the pressure switch sensitive to the pressure in the supply conduit has differential characteristics whereby the switch opens at a first pressure level and closes at second pressure level finitely different from the first pressure level, one of the pressure levels being an incremental amount above the given supply pressure for signaling compressor shutdown and the other level being a desired amount below the given supply pressure for signaling compressor startup.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
The mechanism of claim 16 wherein: the orificed bleed line and the passageway within inlet bypassing means include signal actuated blocking valves connected to the pressure switch, the valves being actuated by the pressure switch to a closed position at the one level above the given supply pressure to an open position at the other pressure level below the given supply pressure.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of controlling near the unloaded condition a rotary vane air compressor having a suction throttling valve in the compressor inlet and a supply pressure conduit connected to the discharge manifold of the compressor comprising: monitoring the pressure in the supply pressure conduit; correlating the monitored supply pressure with a given supply pressure indicative of the unloaded condition to command a closing of the throttling valve; bypassing an incremental flow of inlet air by the throttling valve to the compressor to slowly increase the supply pressure to a pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure; correlating the monitored supply pressure with the pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure to verify that the load condition is less than the incremental flow bypassing the throttling valve; and signaling the compressor to shutdown at the supply pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
148 words
A method of controlling near the unloaded condition a rotary vane air compressor having a suction throttling valve in the compressor inlet and a supply pressure conduit connected to the discharge manifold of the compressor comprising: monitoring the pressure in the supply pressure conduit; correlating the monitored supply pressure with a given supply pressure indicative of the unloaded condition to command a closing of the throttling valve; bypassing an incremental flow of inlet air by the throttling valve to the compressor to slowly increase the supply pressure to a pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure; correlating the monitored supply pressure with the pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure to verify that the load condition is less than the incremental flow bypassing the throttling valve; and signaling the compressor to shutdown at the supply pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of controlling the rotary vane compressor according to claim 18 including the additional steps of: correlating the monitored supply pressure after the compressor is shut down with a prescribed pressure below the given supply pressure; and signaling the compressor to startup at the supply pressure equal to the prescribed pressure.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of controlling the rotary compressor according to claim 18 wherein the step of signaling includes: bleeding the discharge manifold of the compressor exclusively of the supply pressure conduit; correlating the manifold pressure with a bled down pressure; and triggering a shutdown signal at the manifold pressure corresponding to the bled down pressure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of controlling the rotary compressor according to claim 18 wherein the step of signaling includes: starting a timer having a known countdown period at the supply pressure a preselected amount above the given supply pressure; and triggering a signal to shutdown the compressor at the end of the timer countdown period.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-30 | 1975-03-01 | 1975-08-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-30 | 1979-03-01 | 1979-08-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-30 | 1983-03-01 | 1983-08-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |