Oil-free air compressor for rail vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9856866-B2
Application number	US-201213350980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2012
Priority date	Jan 28, 2011
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

An oil-free compressor for a rail vehicle includes a multi-piece compressor housing, a first piston cylinder supported in a first opening in the compressor housing, a second piston cylinder supported in a second opening in the compressor housing, and a multi-piece crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing. The crankshaft assembly is linked to pistons of the first and second piston cylinders by respective connecting rods. The connecting rods connect to a wrist pin associated with each of the pistons, and the wrist pins are respectively supported by a dry lubricant bushing to the associated piston. The compressor housing may have at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The first housing portion and the second housing portion may form respective halves of the compressor housing that are secured together with mechanical fasteners.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil-free compressor for a rail vehicle, comprising:
a compressor housing comprising at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion;
a first piston cylinder supported in a first opening in the compressor housing;
a second piston cylinder supported in a second opening in the compressor housing and fluidly connected to the first piston cylinder; and
a multi-piece crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing and linked to the pistons of the first and second piston cylinders by respective connecting rods,
wherein the crankshaft assembly comprises a crankshaft center section comprising two opposing and outward projecting ends and two separately-formed end sections, wherein the connecting rods are mounted for rotation on the crankshaft center section by respective bearings,
wherein the center section and the opposing and outward projecting ends are formed as a single unit, and wherein each end section fixedly receives a corresponding opposing and outward projecting end of the crankshaft center section; wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends are placed within a cavity of each end section; wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends each include a horizontal internal passage that are axially offset and placed adjacent to the cavity.

2. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion form respective halves of the compressor housing and are secured together with mechanical fasteners.

3. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first piston cylinder is larger than the second piston cylinder.

4. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the end sections contain integrally formed counterweights.

5. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends of the crankshaft center section are secured within respective cavities in the end sections.

6. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the crankshaft center section comprises a first arm section offset from a second arm section and each of the arm sections defines a circumferential recess for receiving the bearing associated with the respective connecting rods.

7. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the end sections are mounted to the crankshaft center section to secure the bearings associated with the respective connecting rods.

8. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the two end sections interfaces with a drive motor.

9. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the two end sections is supported by respective bearings.

10. An oil-free compressor for a rail vehicle, comprising:
a multi-piece compressor housing;
a first piston cylinder supported in a first opening in the compressor housing;
a second piston cylinder supported in a second opening in the compressor housing and fluidly connected to the first piston cylinder; and
a multi-piece crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing and linked to pistons of the first and second piston cylinders by respective connecting rods,
wherein the connecting rods connect to a wrist pin associated with each of the pistons, and the wrist pins are respectively supported by a dry lubricant bushing to the associated piston, and
wherein the crankshaft assembly comprises a crankshaft center section comprising two opposing and outward projecting ends and two separately-formed end sections, wherein the connecting rods are mounted for rotation on the crankshaft center section by respective bearings,
wherein the center section and the opposing and outward projecting ends are formed as a single unit, and wherein each end section fixedly receives a corresponding opposing and outward projecting end of the crankshaft center section; wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends are placed within a cavity of each end section; wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends each include a horizontal internal passage that are axially offset and placed adjacent to the cavity.

11. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the compressor housing comprises at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion.

12. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first housing portion and the second housing portion form respective halves of the compressor housing and are secured together with mechanical fasteners.

13. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first piston cylinder is larger than the second piston cylinder.

14. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the end sections contain integrally formed counterweights.

15. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the opposing and outward projecting ends of the crankshaft center section are secured within respective cavities in the end sections.

16. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the crankshaft center section comprises a first arm section offset from a second arm section and each of the arm sections defines a circumferential recess for receiving the bearing associated with the respective connecting rods.

17. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the end sections are mounted to the crankshaft center section to secure the bearing associated with the respective connecting rods.

18. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the dry lubricant bushing comprises a PEEK liner.

19. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein one of the two end sections interfaces with a drive motor.

20. An oil-free compressor as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of the two end sections is supported by respective bearings.

Assignees

• Moore Roland S
• Kazakis Michael V
• Ford Antione T
• Dossaji Murtaza R
• Wabtec Holding Corp

Inventors

• Moore Roland S
• Kazakis Michael V
• Ford Antione T
• Dossaji Murtaza R

Classifications

• F04B27/02 Primary

  having cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft · CPC title

• F04B25/005

  with two cylinders · CPC title

• F04B39/127

  Mounting of a cylinder block in a casing · CPC title

• F04B39/0094 Primary

  crankshaft · CPC title

• F04B11/0091

  using a special shape of fluid pass, e.g. throttles, ducts · CPC title