Generators of impulses
First Claim
1. A fluid pressure intensifier apparatus operative to generate very high pressure impulses of short duration for use in mining, tunnelling, rock breaking and like operations, comprising a stepped piston assembly having a large piston and a small piston mechanically linked to one another and reciprocable between forward and rearward positions with the large piston being located in a large cylinder and having a large rearward face in communication with a reservoir for compressed fluid, and with the small piston being located in a small cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet passages, said small piston having a small forward face for delivering the pulses of high pressure fluid through said outlet passage, the stepped piston assembly having an auxiliary piston located between the large piston and the small piston which auxiliary piston is mechanically linked to the large piston and which is reciprocable in an auxiliary cylinder, the large cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder having a common end wall, and a valve in said common end wall for controlling the flow of fluid from the volume enclosed by the large cylinder forward of the large piston into the volume enclosed by the auxiliary cylinder rearward of the auxiliary piston.
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Abstract
An apparatus for use in the generation of impulses, comprising a stepped piston assembly having a large piston and a small piston mechanically linked to one another and reciprocable between forward and rearward positions with the large piston being located in a large cylinder and having a large rearward face in communication with a reservoir for compressed fluid, and with the small piston having a small forward face for delivering the impulse; wherein the stepped piston assembly has an auxiliary piston located between the large piston and the small piston which auxiliary piston is mechanically linked to the large piston and which is reciprocable in an auxiliary cylinder, and wherein there is provided a valve through which fluid can flow from the volume enclosed by the large cylinder forward of the large piston into the volume enclosed by the auxiliary cylinder rearward of the auxiliary piston.
The invention makes possible the provision of a pressure intensifier in which the valve controlling the rapid forward movement of the piston can be situated within the casing of the pressure intensifier, so avoiding the need for large external dump valves and associated pipework.
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Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A fluid pressure intensifier apparatus operative to generate very high pressure impulses of short duration for use in mining, tunnelling, rock breaking and like operations, comprising a stepped piston assembly having a large piston and a small piston mechanically linked to one another and reciprocable between forward and rearward positions with the large piston being located in a large cylinder and having a large rearward face in communication with a reservoir for compressed fluid, and with the small piston being located in a small cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet passages, said small piston having a small forward face for delivering the pulses of high pressure fluid through said outlet passage, the stepped piston assembly having an auxiliary piston located between the large piston and the small piston which auxiliary piston is mechanically linked to the large piston and which is reciprocable in an auxiliary cylinder, the large cylinder and the auxiliary cylinder having a common end wall, and a valve in said common end wall for controlling the flow of fluid from the volume enclosed by the large cylinder forward of the large piston into the volume enclosed by the auxiliary cylinder rearward of the auxiliary piston.
Specification