Opposed piston machinery

• US 4,381,903 A
• Filed: 09/25/1980
• Issued: 05/03/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamworthy Engineering Ltd. (David Brown Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Hamworthy Engineering Ltd. (David Brown Group Plc)
• Inventors: Atkins, John E. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gluck, Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Application Number:
  US06/190,599
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 417/534, 417/535, 417/536, 417/537, 417/254, 74/44
• US Class Current: 417/254
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 27/02 having cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/261 where masses move linearly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18208 Crank, pitman, and slide

Abstract

An opposed-piston compressor has a rigid yoke which interconnects the pistons, and a drive comprising a crankshaft and balance weights within the yoke, enabling the shaft bearings to be placed close to the center line of the pistons.

Claims

1. A reciprocatory machine comprising:

a casing which incorporates two opposed coaxial cylinders;

a respective piston slidable in each cylinder;

a rigid yoke disposed between and rigidly interconnecting said pistons which yoke is a rigid box-like frame having opposite end members, each detachably secured to a respective piston, and four spaced side members rigidly connected to and extending between the said yoke end members, the yoke being supported in the casing solely by the said pistons, the said side members defining between them a first pair of opposed lateral openings and a second pair of opposed lateral openings;

a crank shaft journalled in the housing and extending through said first pair of opposed lateral openings and having a crank disposed within the yoke and a balance weight on each side of the crank said balance weights also being disposed within the yoke, said second pair of opposed lateral openings accommodating said balance weights on rotation of the crank shaft;

a gudgeon pin mounted in the yoke at one end of the yoke; and

a connecting rod within the yoke, connecting the crank to the gudgeon pin.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which the opposed cylinders are of different sizes and are interconnected, whereby the said machine forms a two-stage compressor.

3. A machine as in claim 1 or 2 in which the pistons and cylinders are over-square.