Air compressor with governor

Claim 2

In a governor for controlling the operation of an air compressor having an inlet valve and including a body having a first axial bore closed at one end, a cap closing the other end of said body, a hollow post mounted on the cap and extending into the first bore, a piston slidably mounted within the first bore, the piston having a second axial bore for slidably receiving one end of the post and having a generally concentric counterbore, resilient means urging said piston toward said one end of the body, a valve member located within said counterbore and normally closing the bore of the piston, and means for introducing fluid under pressure into the counterbore of the piston, the improvement comprising an internal groove in said piston communicating with the second bore in predetermined spaced relationship with said counterbore, said groove communicating with the inlet valve of the compressor, said post having an annular recess spaced from said one end and being of a length greater than the distance between the internal groove of the piston and the counterbore thereof, and said post having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the piston bore between said one end and said annular recess, whereby fluid under pressure within the counterbore of the piston leaks past said one end of said post to the internal groove of said piston when the valve member is initially opened so that a buildup of pressure occurs at the inlet valve of the compressor and continued movement of the piston against the tension of the resilient means causes the annular recess of said post to extend into the counterbore of the piston to permit free flow of fluid under pressue to the inlet valve of the compressor.

Claim 3

The combination of an air compressor and a governor for automatically controlling the operation of the air compressor, said air compressor comprising a body having at least one cavity defining a cylinder, a first piston reciprocably mounted within said cylinder, a cylinder head mounted on said body at one end of said cylinder, said head including an inlet bore and an outlet bore communicating with said cylinder, inlet valve means removably mounted in said inlet bore, outlet valve means removably mounted in said outlet bore, said inlet valve means including a body having an axial bore with a valve seat at one end, a first valve member normally engaging said inlet valve seat, a second piston slidably mounted within the bore of said inlet valve body, said second piston being selectively movable into engagement with said first valve member to unseat the same, means for introducing fluid under atmospheric pressure into said inlet valve bore, said outlet bore having a valve seat, a second valve member normally engaging the valve seat of said outlet bore, resilient means carried by said outlet valve means and normally urging said second valve member against the valve seat in said outlet bore, an outlet manifold communicating with said outlet bore, said governor including a body mounted on said cylinder head and having an axial bore closed at one end, cap means closing the other end of said body, post means mounted at one end on said cap means and extending into the axial bore of said governor body, a third piston slidably mounted within said governor body, said third piston having an axial bore with a generally concentric counterbore extending inwardly from one end, the bore of said third piston slidably receiving the other end of said post means, said counterbore being in communication with the outlet manifold of said cylinder head, a third valve member normally closing the bore of said third piston, said third piston having an internal groove communicating with the axial bore in predetermined spaced relaTionship with said counterbore, said groove communicating with one end of said second piston, said post means having an annular recess spaced from said other end and being of a length greater than the distance between the internal groove of the third piston and the counterbore thereof, and said post means having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the bore of the third piston between said other end and said annular recess, whereby fluid under atmospheric pressure is introduced through said inlet valve means into said cylinder during the suction stroke of said first piston and is compressed and discharged through said outlet valve means and said outlet manifold during the pressure stroke of said first piston and fluid under pressure from said outlet manifold is introduced into the counterbore of said third piston and leaks past the other end of said post means to the internal groove of said third piston when the third valve member is initially opened so that a buildup of pressure occurs at said second piston and continued movement of the third piston causes the annular recess of said post to extend into the counterbore of said third piston and permit free flow of fluid under pressure to the second piston to move said second piston and open said first valve member.

Claim 4

The combination of an air compressor and a governor for automatically controlling the operation of the air compressor, said air compressor comprising a body having at least one cavity defining a cylinder, a first piston reciprocably mounted within said cylinder, a cylinder head mounted on said body at one end of said cylinder, said head including an inlet bore and an outlet bore communicating with said cylinder, inlet valve means removably mounted in said inlet bore, outlet valve means removably mounted in said outlet bore, said inlet valve means including a body having an axial bore with a valve seat at one end, a first valve member normally engaging said inlet valve seat, a second piston slidably mounted within the bore of said inlet valve body, said second piston being selectively movable into engagement with said first valve member to unseat the same, means for introducing fluid under atmospheric pressure into said inlet valve bore, said outlet bore having a valve seat, a second valve member normally engaging the valve seat of said outlet bore, resilient means carried by said outlet valve means and normally urging said second valve member against the valve seat in said outlet bore, an outlet manifold communicating with said outlet bore, said governor including a body mounted on said cylinder head and having an axial bore closed at one end, cap means closing the other end of said body, post means mounted at one end on said cap means and extending into the axial bore of said governor body, a third piston slidably mounted within said governor body, said third piston having an axial bore with a generally concentric counterbore extending inwardly from one end, the bore of said third piston slidably receiving the other end of said post means, said counterbore being in communication with the outlet manifold of said cylinder head, a third valve member normally closing the bore of said third piston, said third piston having an internal groove communicating with the axial bore in predetermined spaced relaTionship with said counterbore, said groove communicating with one end of said second piston, said post means having an annular recess spaced from said other end and being of a length greater than the distance between the internal groove of the third piston and the counterbore thereof, and said post means having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the bore of the third piston between said other end and said annular recess, whereby fluid under atmospheric pressure is introduced through said inlet valve means into said cylinder during the suction stroke of said first piston and is compressed and discharged through said outlet valve means and said outlet manifold during the pressure stroke of said first piston and fluid under pressure from said outlet manifold is introduced into the counterbore of said third piston and leaks past the other end of said post means to the internal groove of said third piston when the third valve member is initially opened so that a buildup of pressure occurs at said second piston and continued movement of the third piston causes the annular recess of said post to extend into the counterbore of said third piston and permit free flow of fluid under pressure to the second piston to move said second piston and open said first valve member.