# US 4,400,144 A · Air compressor

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- Number: US 4,400,144 A
- Document ID: US4400144A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/308,405
- Filed: 1981-10-05
- Granted: 1983-08-23
- Earliest claimed: 1981-10-05
- Assignees: TRW Inc.
- Inventors: Gilbert H. Drutchas; David J. Suttkus
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4400144A

## CPC

- F04B 39/06: Cooling; Heating; Prevention of freezing
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)

## Abstract

An air compressor including a motor, a motor housing, a piston assembly and a piston housing is disclosed. A bracket is located between the motor housing and the piston housing. The piston assembly includes pistons which reciprocate within sleeves upon rotation of a cam driven by the motor. The sleeves are received in U-shaped recesses in the piston housing. The open end of the U-shaped recesses are closed by the bracket. The bracket has tangs which act as springs to urge the sleeves firmly into the housing. The tangs accommodate variations in the dimensions of the housing and the sleeves, as well as provide contact with the sleeves for heat transfer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid compressor comprising
a motor having an output shaft,
a piston housing having in it at least one recess,
a sleeve located in said recess, said sleeve having an axis extending transverse to said output shaft,
a piston located and reciprocable in said sleeve upon rotation of said output shaft,
bracket means for mounting said motor interposed between said motor and said piston housing,
resilient spring means acting between said bracket means and said sleeve and applying a biasing force against said sleeve acting in a direction transverse to the axis of said sleeve and holding said sleeve in the recess in said piston housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A compressor as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient spring means comprises spring tangs projecting outwardly from said bracket means and formed of the material of said bracket, said spring tangs having surface areas engaging surface areas of said sleeve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A compressor as defind in claim 2 wherein the surface of the piston housing which faces the motor has an arcuate portion that at least partially defines said recess and said sleeve has an arcuate outer peripheral surface portion which engages said arcuate surface portion of the piston housing, said surface areas of said sleeve which are engaged by said spring tangs comprising flats located on the outer peripheral surface of said sleeve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A compressor as defined in claim 3 wherein said flats are located equal distances on opposite sides of a plane defined by the axis of said motor output shaft and the axis of said sleeve and said flats extend at equal angles relative to said plane.

### Claim 5

A compressor for fluids comprising:
a motor including an output shaft rotatable about a longitudinal axis;
a piston housing into which said output shaft extends, said piston housing having a surface that faces the motor and that defines a recess in said piston housing;
a tubular sleeve located in the housing recess and having a longitudinal axis extending transverse to and in a common plane with the axis of said output shaft;
a piston reciprocable in said sleeve; and
spring means engaging an outer surface of said sleeve and pressing said sleeve into engagement with said surface that defines said recess, said spring means acting in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said output shaft and holding said sleeve in said recess.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A compressor as set forth in claim 5 further including a bracket disposed between said motor and said piston housing, said bracket including said spring means.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A compressor as set forth in claim 6 wherein said spring means includes resilient spring tangs projecting outwardly from said bracket and formed of the material of said bracket, said spring tangs having surface areas engaging surface areas on the outer periphery of said bushing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A compressor as set forth in claim 7 wherein said sleeve has an arcuate outer peripheral surface portion which throughout its length and for approximately 180 degrees about its circumference engages said surface that faces said motor, and wherein said surface areas of said sleeve which are engaged by said spring tangs comprise flats located on the outer peripheral surface of said sleeve.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5, 8)

A compressor as set forth in claims 5 or 8 wherein two sleeves are located in the piston housing and have a common axis extending transverse to the axis of said output shaft, and wherein each sleeve contains a piston reciprocable in said sleeve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A compressor as set forth in claim 9 wherein said surface that defines a recess in said piston housing includes surface means for limiting axial movement of said sleeves relative to said piston housing.