Monoblock gas compressor for pressurized gas

A supply of pressurized gas having a pressure greater than at least atmospheric pressure in combination with a multiple stage gas compressor for compressing the pressured gas, the gas compressor comprising:

• a cylinder block having a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders;
• a crankshaft rotatably disposed in the cylinder block;
• an engine piston reciprocally disposed in each of the cylinders of the first bank, each of the engine pistons connected to the crankshaft and responsive to internal combustion for rotating the crankshaft;
• a compressor piston reciprocally disposed in each of the cylinders of the second bank and connected to the crankshaft;
• a compressor head mounted to the cylinder block and having a plurality of first stage valve receiving bores and at least one second stage valve receiving bore formed in the compressor head, each of the valve receiving bores aligned with and corresponding to one of the cylinders of the second bank, the compressor head having a plurality of gas inlets extending from an exterior surface of the compressor head through the compressor head to a corresponding one of the first and second stage valve receiving bores in a substantially perpendicular relationship to the corresponding first and second stage valve receiving bores, the compressor head having a first gas outlet in fluid communication with the first stage valve receiving bores and a second gas outlet in fluid communication with the second stage valve receiving bore, the first gas outlet connected to the gas inlet of the second stage valve receiving bore to establish fluid communication between the first gas outlet and the gas inlet of the second stage valve receiving bore;
• a compressor valve disposed in each of the first and second stage valve receiving bores, each compressor valve having a suction portion and a discharge portion;
• a valve retainer secured in each of the first and second stage valve receiving bores in sealing engagement with the compressor valve, the valve retainers disposed in the first stage valve receiving bores defining an inlet flow path between a corresponding gas inlet of the compressor head and the suction portion of the compressor valve and a discharge flow path between the discharge portion of the compressor valve and the first gas outlet of the first stage valve receiving bores and the valve retainer disposed in the second stage valve receiving bore defining an inlet flow path between the corresponding gas inlet of the compressor head and the suction portion of the compressor valve and a discharge flow path between the discharge portion of the compressor valve and the second gas outlet of the second stage valve receiving bore;
• and
• a gas inlet manifold connected to the compressor head to provide a sealed fluid pathway from the supply of pressurized gas to the compressor valves disposed in the first stage valve receiving bores via the gas inlets of the compressor head corresponding to the first stage valve receiving bores.