Pressure safety release industrial air exhaust silencer

Claim 2

In combination with an air exhaust silencer assembly comprising a barrel having at least one gas permeable member disposed therein made of a porous material to permit the passage of air therethrough, the improvement comprising: a pressure release mechanism including a cylinder having an open end; a closure plate including an air inlet port at the other end of said cylinder for attachment to an air exhaust; said barrel of said silencer extending through said open end into said cylinder and being provided with a piston head adjacent its inner end for sliding engagement within said cylinder; said cylinder being provided with at least one relief port in open communication with a pressure release chamber formed between said piston head and said closure plate normally closed off towards said inlet port; fluid pressure means to normally retain said barrel within said cylinder under normal operating conditions of said silencer; said fluid pressure means being of a magnitude to yield at a predetermined magnitude of pressure build-up within said silencer assembly to permit said barrel to be moved outwardly of said cylinder by increased pressure on said piston to thereby expose said release chamber for communication with said inlet port to bleed off excess air pressure directly to the atmosphere; and means to regulate fluid pressure in predetermined relationship with normal operating exhaust pressure through said silencer.

Claim 3

In the silencer assembly as defined in claim 1, said cylinder having an end cap for reciprocable extension of said barrel therethrough; said barrel being of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of said cylinder to form a radial chamber between said barrel and said cylinder and between said piston head on said barrel and said end cap of said cylinder; said radial pressure chamber being connected to a source of fluid under pressure and said regulating means defining a manually operable fluid pressure regulator between said radial pressure chamber and said source of fluid under pressure to thereby maintain said barrel in a retracted position within said cylinder at adjustable pressuRes to normally close off said pressure release chamber to said inlet port during normal exhaust operating conditions through said silencer assembly.

Claim 4

In the silencer assembly as defined in claim 2, said air inlet closure plate being provided with an axially inwardly extending seat portion being adapted to receive the front end of said barrel within said cylinder; and said piston head on said barrel being located a distance inwardly from said front end to thereby form a second radial chamber between said piston head and said front closure plate defining said pressure release chamber.

Claim 5

In the silencer assembly as defined in claim 3, said cylinder being provided with a plurality of radially spaced relief ports in open communication with said pressure release chamber.

Claim 6

In the silencer assembly as defined in claim 3, said axially inwardly extending portion of said air inlet closure plate being provided with a radial seal assembly sealingly engaging the internal surface of the front end of said barrel to prevent air leakage from said inlet into said release chamber under normal operating conditions of said silencer assembly.

Claim 7

In combination with a fluid pressure operated valve mechanism for a clutch or brake device of a machine operable at a predetermined fluid pressure; said fluid pressure operable valve mechanism having an air exhaust, a silencer assembly attached to said air exhaust to muffle the noise created by the exhausting air; said silencer assembly comprising a cylinder, noise level reduction means within said cylinder defining a barrel head and a piston head supported for reciprocating movement within said cylinder in coaxial relationship therewith; said noise reduction means including a first pressure chamber; a second pressure chamber between said barrel and the interior of said cylinder at the rear of said piston head; means to regulate the pressure in the second pressure chamber to maintain said barrel in retracted position within said cylinder under normal air exhaust conditions through said noise reduction means; said barrel being adapted to be moved outwardly of said cylinder at a predetermined fluid pressure differential between said first and said second chamber; said cylinder being provided with a fluid pressure relief means forwardly of said piston head of said barrel effective upon movement of said barrel outwardly of said cylinder to bleed off excess air pressure from said exhaust directly to the atmosphere.

Claim 8

In combination with a fluid pressure operated valve mechanism for a clutch or brake device of a machine operable at a predetermined fluid pressure; said fluid pressure operable valve mechanism having an air exhaust, a silencer assembly attached to said air exhaust to muffle the noise created by the exhausting air; said silencer assembly comprising a cylinder, noise level reduction means within said cylinder defining a barrel head and a piston head supported for reciprocating movement within said cylinder in coaxial relationship therewith; said noise reduction means including a first pressure chamber; a second pressure chamber between said barrel and the interior of said cylinder at the rear of said piston head; means to regulate the pressure in the second pressure chamber to maintain said barrel in retracted position within said cylinder under normal air exhaust conditions through said noise reduction means; said barrel being adapted to be moved outwardly of said cylinder at a predetermined fluid pressure differential between said first and said second chamber; said cylinder being provided with a fluid pressure relief means forwardly of said piston head of said barrel effective upon movement of said barrel outwardly of said cylinder to bleed off excess air pressure from said exhaust directly to the atmosphere.

Claim 9

A pressure relief mechanism for an exhaust silencer adapted to be connected to an exhaust port of an air operated device in which the said silencer comprises: a cylindrical barrel having at least one gas permeable member disposed therein for passage of air therethrough from said exhaust at predetermined pressure magnitude and flow rate; the gas permeable member being adapted to reduce the exhaust noise of air flow through the silencer; said safety pressure relief mechanism comprising: a cylindrical housing adapted to surround said barrel; said cylindrical housing at one end having a cap member defining an air inlet co-axially aligned with said exhaust of said device; the other end of said cylindrical housing being provided with an end wall having an aperture for reciprocable extension and sliding support of said barrel therethrough; the inner end of said barrel being provided with a piston head; said cylinder being provided with at least one relief port normally not in communication with said inlet; fluid pressure means to normally releasably retain said barrel in retracted position within said cylinder; said fluid pressure retaining means being operable at a preselected magnitude of excess pressure within said barrel to be overcome to permit said barrel to be moved out of said cylinder due to the increased fluid pressure within said barrel; and said fluid pressure retaining means being manually adjustable to accommodate a variety of operable fluid pressure magnitudes.

Claim 10

A pressure relief mechanism for an exhaust silencer adapted to be connected to an exhaust port of an air operated device in which the said silencer comprises: a cylindrical barrel having at least one gas permeable member disposed therein for passage of air therethrough from said exhaust at predetermined pressure magnitude and flow rate; the gas permeable member being adapted to reduce the exhaust noise of air flow through the silencer; said safety pressure relief mechanism comprising: a cylindrical housing adapted to surround said barrel; said cylindrical housing at one end having a cap member defining an air inlet co-axially aligned with said exhaust of said device; the other end of said cylindrical housing being provided with an end wall having an aperture for reciprocable extension and sliding support of said barrel therethrough; the inner end of said barrel being provided with a piston head; said cylinder being provided with at least one relief port normally not in communication with said inlet; fluid pressure means to normally releasably retain said barrel in retracted position within said cylinder; said fluid pressure retaining means being operable at a preselected magnitude of excess pressure within said barrel to be overcome to permit said barrel to be moved out of said cylinder due to the increased fluid pressure within said barrel; and said fluid pressure retaining means being manually adjustable to accommodate a variety of operable fluid pressure magnitudes.