Bleed valve particularly for a multi-stage compressor

Claim 2

A multi-stage compressor for a gas having a plurality of compressor stages, each of said compressor stages increasing the pressure of the gas from the prior stage, non-electrical means disposed between at least one adjacent pair of said stages to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages and at a pressure greater than atmospheric without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages, and means to prevent the return of the removed moisture to the entrance side of any of said compressor stages having its ambient at a pressure greater than atmospheric.

Claim 3

A multi-stage compressor for a gas having a plurality of compressor stages, each of said compressor stages increasing the pressure of the gas from the prior stage, means disposed between at least one adjacent pair of said stage to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages, said disposed means including a bleed valve, said bleed valve including a housing having an inlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said higher pressure adjacent stage and an outlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said lower pressure adjacent stage, said housing having first and second chambers therein, said first chamber communicating with said inlet, said second chamber communicating with said outlet, and control means in said housing to allow flow to said second chamber while maintaining a maximum predetermined pressure differential between said first and second chambers irrespective of the pressure differential between said inlet and said outlet.

Claim 4

A multi-stage compressor for a gas having a plurality of compressor stages, each of said compressor stages increasing the pressure of the gas from the prior stage, means disposed between at least one adjacent pair of said stage to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages, said disposed means including a bleed valve, said bleed valve including a housing having an inlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said higher pressure adjacent stage and an outlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said lower pressure adjacent stage, said housing having first and second chambers therein, said first chamber communicating with said inlet, said second chamber communicating with said outlet, and control means in said housing to allow flow to said second chamber while maintaining a maximum predetermined pressure differential between said first and second chambers irrespective of the pressure differential between said inlet and said outlet.

Claim 5

The compressor according to claim 2 in which said control means includes flexible means separating said first chamber from said second chamber, passage means extending through said flexible means to provide communication therethrough, and means responsive to the position of said flexible means to control flow from said inlet to said first and second chambers.

Claim 6

The compressor according to claim 3 in which said responsive means of said control means includes a valve responsive to the pressure at said inlet, means movable in response to movement of said flexible means, and said movable means includes means to maintain said valve in an open position to allow flow from said inlet to said first and second chambers.

Claim 7

The compressor according to claim 4 in which said flexible means is a diaphragm, said passage means includes means supported in said diaphragn and having a passage extending therethrough and having one end communicating with said second chamber, said supported means having means disposed in said first chamber and engaging said movable means of said responsive means of said control means, and said movable means having a passage therein with one end communicating with the other end of said passage in said supported means and its other end communicating with said inlet and said first chamber.

Claim 8

The compressor according to claim 5 including a member in said housing having a passage extending therethrough to provide communication between said inlet and said first chamber, said passage in said member having a seat for said valve, and said movable means being disposed in said passage in said member and having the other end of said passage therein communicating with said passage in said member.

Claim 9

The compressor according to claim 1 in which said non-electrical means continuously removes moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages.

Claim 10

The compressor according to claim 1 in which one of said non-electrical means is disposed between each adjacent pair of said stages to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages.

Claim 11

The compressor according to claim 8 in which each of said non-electrical means continuously removes moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages.

Claim 12

A multi-stage compressor for a gas having a plurality of compressor stages, each of said compressor stages increasing the pressure of the gas from the prior stage, means disposed between each adjacent pair of said stages to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages, each of said disposed means including a bleed valve, said bleed valve including a housing having an inlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said higher pressure adjacent stage and an outlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said lower pressure adjacent stage, said housing having first and second chambers therein, said first chamber communicating with said inlet, said second chamber communicating with said outlet, and control means in said housing to allow flow to said second chamber while maintaining a maximum predetermined pressure differential between said first and second chambers irrespective of the pressure differential between said inlet and said outlet.

Claim 13

A multi-stage compressor for a gas having a plurality of compressor stages, each of said compressor stages increasing the pressure of the gas from the prior stage, means disposed between each adjacent pair of said stages to remove moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of said adjacent stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of said adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of said adjacent stages, each of said disposed means including a bleed valve, said bleed valve including a housing having an inlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said higher pressure adjacent stage and an outlet communicating with the ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of said lower pressure adjacent stage, said housing having first and second chambers therein, said first chamber communicating with said inlet, said second chamber communicating with said outlet, and control means in said housing to allow flow to said second chamber while maintaining a maximum predetermined pressure differential between said first and second chambers irrespective of the pressure differential between said inlet and said outlet.

Claim 14

The compressor according to claim 10 in which said control means includes flexible means separating said first chamber from said second chamber, passage means extending through said flexible means to provide communication therethrough, and means responsive to the position of said flexible means to control flow from said inlet to said first and second chambers.

Claim 15

The compressor according to claim 11 in which said responsive means of said control means includes a valve responsive to the pressure at said inlet, means movable in response to movement of said flexible means, and said movable means includes means to maintain said valve in an open position to allow flow from said inlet to said first and second chambers.

Claim 16

The compressor according to claim 12 in which said flexible means is a diaphragm, said passage means includes means supported in said diaphragm and having a passage extending therethrough and having one end communicating with said second chamber, said supported means having means disposed in said first chamber and engaging said movable means of said responsive means of said control means, and said movable means having a passage therein with one end communicating with the other end of said passage in said supported means and its other end communicating with said inlet and said first chamber.

Claim 17

The compressor according to claim 13 including a member in said housing having a passage extending therethrough to provide communication between said inlet and said first chamber, said passage in said member having a seat for said valve, and said movable means being disposed in said passage in said member and having the other end of said passage therein communicating with said passage in said member.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 15 including continuously removing moisture in the compressed gas from the entrance side of the higher pressure stage of each adjacent pair of the stages to an ambient having the pressure of the entrance side of the lower pressure stage of the adjacent stages without affecting the pressure differential between the entrance sides of the adjacent stages.