Tip turbine inflating device

Claim 2

A tip turbine type unit having particular advantage for inflation purposes including a tubular housing comprised of connected ring-like segments one of which enbodies therein a double walled portion forming a chamber for gaseous fluid in at least one wall portion of which are embodied passages forming turbine nozzles within said tubular housing, a rotor unit bridgIng said tubular housing to provide outer bladed portions thereof in the path of discharge from said nozzles, means bridging said tubular housing providing a base for mounting said rotor unit within said housing, a spindle unit, said base and said spindle unit having a male-female connection to mount said spindle unit, said spindle unit mounting bearing means having mounted thereabout a hub portion of said rotor unit, said hub portion having peripherally projected blade means and means mounting to either end of said rotor hub portion and interconnected therewith to contain said bearing means and said spindle and mount said rotor unit to said base.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said means to contain the said hub portion of said rotor unit including a cap for said spindle and bearing means, to one end thereof, and a retainer forming a cap for said bearing means to the other end thereof, and bolt means extended through one of said caps and said hub portion to the other said caps for a simple releasable assembly of said rotor unit to its base.

Claim 4

A tip turbine type unit having particular advantage for inflation purposes including a tubular housing comprised of connected ring-like segments one of which embodies therein a double walled portion forming a chamber for gaseous fluid in at least one wall portion of which are embodied passages forming turbine nozzles within said tubular housing, a rotor unit bridging said tubular housing to provide outer bladed portions thereof in the path of discharge from said nozzles, a stator unit bridging said tubular housing in a following relation to said rotor unit and providing a base for mounting said rotor unit within said housing, said stator unit positioning at one end of said housing constituting its discharge end and including blade means having a floating connection with the said one end of said housing, a portion of said one end of said housing forming a periphery of said stator unit, a spindle one end of which has a cupped mount to said base, bearing means provided in end spaced relation on said spindle, a hub portion of said rotor unit mounting on said bearing means, the latter being cupped in enlarged portions of a bore in the rotor hub portion to either end thereof, and cap means to either end of and releasably secured to said hub portion to mount the same on said spindle, and means containing said bearing means to said spindle.

Claim 5

A tip turbine type unit having particular advantage for inflation purposes including a tubular housing comprised of connected ring-like segments one of which embodies therein a double walled portion forming a chamber for gaseous fluid in at least one wall portion of which are embodied passages forming turbine nozzles within said tubular housing, a rotor unit bridging said tubular housing to provide outer bladed portions thereof in the path of discharge from said nozzles, a stator unit bridging said tubular housing in a following relation to said rotor unit and providing a base for mounting said rotor unit within said housing, said stator unit positioning at one end of said housing constituting its discharge end and including blade means having a floating connection with the said one end of said housing, a portion of said one end of said housing forming a periphery of said stator unit, a spindle one end of which has a cupped mount to said base, bearing means provided in end spaced relation on said spindle, a hub portion of said rotor unit mounting on said bearing means, the latter being cupped in enlarged portions of a bore in the rotor hub portion to either end thereof, and cap means to either end of and releasably secured to said hub portion to mount the same on said spindle, and means containing said bearing means to said spindle.

Claim 6

Inflating apparatus comprising a housing having a through passage, one end of which defines an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling thereto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are relatively expanded and oriented to produce a pressured flow of gaseous fluid from said chamber and against adjacent portions of said rotor, whereby to drive said rotor and to cause said rotor, in turn, to ingest air and cause the flow thereof to and through said first mentioned passage to mingle with the gaseous fluid driving said rotor and move therewith, on discharge thereof to the interior of a coupled inflatable object, to produce a substantially instantaneous inflation thereof, said first mentioned passage being expanded in cross sectional area at a location immediately following said inlet and thereafter being smoothly reduced in cross sectional area immediately upstream of said rotor.

Claim 7

Inflating apparatus comprising a housing having a through passage, one end of which defines an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling thereto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are relatively expanded and oriented to produce a pressured flow of gaseous fluid from said chamber and against adjacent portions of said rotor, whereby to drive said rotor and to cause said rotor, in turn, to ingest air and cause the flow thereof to and through said first mentioned passage to mingle with the gaseous fluid driving said rotor and move therewith, on discharge thereof to the interior of a coupled inflatable object, to produce a substantially instantaneous inflation thereof, said first mentioned passage being expanded in cross sectional area at a location immediately following said inlet and thereafter being smoothly reduced in cross sectional area immediately upstream of said rotor.

Claim 8

Inflating apparatus including a housing forming a through passage one end of which is an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling therEto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are positioned immediately adjacent outer peripheral portions of said rotor which include blade-like configurations, and said housing through passage having an interior wall surface which lends a configuration to said through passage wherein the cross sectional area thereof is expanded immediately following and adjacent to said inlet and thereafter uniformly reduced to a location immediately in advance of said rotor and then expanded about and beyond said rotor.

Claim 9

Inflating apparatus including a housing forming a through passage one end of which is an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling therEto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are positioned immediately adjacent outer peripheral portions of said rotor which include blade-like configurations, and said housing through passage having an interior wall surface which lends a configuration to said through passage wherein the cross sectional area thereof is expanded immediately following and adjacent to said inlet and thereafter uniformly reduced to a location immediately in advance of said rotor and then expanded about and beyond said rotor.

Claim 10

Inflating apparatus as in claim 5 characterized by said housing having a tubular form and being comprised of telescopically nested ring segments including an inlet segment, a nozzle segment and a stator segment, said nozzle segment including a double walled structure formed by concentrically positioned portions of ring segments creating said chamber in an annular configuration, mating portions of said ring segments defining one end wall of said annular chamber which includes said nozzles.

Claim 11

Inflating apparatus as in claim 5 wherein a shoulder is provided in said passage by the expansion thereof immediately following said inlet, which shoulder is in facing relation to the downstream portion of said passage, said shoulder having in abutted relation thereto a valve unit adapted to bridge said shoulder, at least a portion of said valve unit being displaceable from said shoulder to accommodate a flow of gaseous fluid thereby to the downstream portion of said passage under the influence of said rotor, and said valve unit having means providing therefor a floating mount in said passage to provide that said valve unit may shift in an axial sense to insure a seal of said passage by said unit in the event back pressure should develop in the downstream portion of said passage.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 characterized by the wall of said passage at said inlet having therein recesses which are elongated in a direction downstream of said passage and there being projecting means mounting said valve unit which are freely received in said recesses to provide that said unit may float in said passage to the extent permitted by said recesses and there being means precluding the displacement of said projecting means from said recesses.

Claim 13

Inflating apparatus comprising a housing having a through passage, one end of which defines an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling thereto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are relatively expanded and oriented to produce a pressured flow of gaseous fluid from said chamber and against adjacent portions of said rotor, said nozzle through passages including opposite side wall portions the major extent of the length at which are flatly angled to approximately the same degree and in the same sense while the entrance portion of one of which and an exit portion of the other of which are formed on a curve for a rapid and smooth entrance to said nozzle passages of gaseous fluid exiting from said chamber and a smooth pressured exit of fluid from said nozzle passages to drive said rotor and cause said rotor, in turn, to ingest air into said housing to mingle with the fluid delivered by way of said nozzles and to discharge therewith from said housing through passage by way of said outlet For introduction into a coupled inflatable object.

Claim 14

Inflating apparatus comprising a housing having a through passage, one end of which defines an inlet to and the other an outlet from said housing, a wall portion of said housing, intermediate its ends, incorporating a chamber and providing means for coupling thereto a source of gaseous fluid under pressure, a rotor in said housing, said rotor being mounted to bridge said passage in following relation to the portion of said housing including said chamber, wall portions of said chamber embodying further passages forming turbine nozzles, said nozzles being formed to provide through passages the discharge ends of which are relatively expanded and oriented to produce a pressured flow of gaseous fluid from said chamber and against adjacent portions of said rotor, said nozzle through passages including opposite side wall portions the major extent of the length at which are flatly angled to approximately the same degree and in the same sense while the entrance portion of one of which and an exit portion of the other of which are formed on a curve for a rapid and smooth entrance to said nozzle passages of gaseous fluid exiting from said chamber and a smooth pressured exit of fluid from said nozzle passages to drive said rotor and cause said rotor, in turn, to ingest air into said housing to mingle with the fluid delivered by way of said nozzles and to discharge therewith from said housing through passage by way of said outlet For introduction into a coupled inflatable object.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said entrance portion of said one side wall portion of said nozzle through passages has an arcuate configuration including an arcuate portion of approximately 180*.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said arc of approximately 180* is continued in generally the same sense in a gently flatted curve to merge into the long flatly angled portion of said one side wall portion.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein adjacent and spaced from its discharge end the flatly angled portion of the other side wall portion of a nozzle through passage is extended in an arcuate configuration which together with the arcuate formation on the opposite side wall portion forms a narrow throat in said passage, beyond which throat the opposite side wall portions of the nozzle passage diverge.