Patents by Inventor Gerald L. Terwilliger

Gerald L. Terwilliger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5775886
    Abstract: A highly manufacturable gas compressor includes a sheath removably attached to a piston by several resilient fingers that snap into place at the bottom of the piston. The fingers act to limit relative motion between the piston and sheath as the piston is reciprocated within a cylinder bore. During the suction stroke of the compressor, the piston and sheath separate at their tops, creating an opening at the top of the sheath which allows low pressure gas to flow through an opening formed in the side of the sheath, between the sheath and piston, through the opening at the top of the sheath, and into a compression chamber formed between the top surfaces of the piston and sheath and the bottom surface of a discharge valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Inventor: Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 5203857
    Abstract: A single or multi-cylinder compressor unit being cylinder wall ported and having suction inlet means to compression chamber means through the wall and top of piston means, wherein suction valve means comprises preferably a light-weight plastic disc means mounted in an essentially free-floating manner in the piston means top, the discharge valving cooperatively comprises discharge porting plate means and discharge valve disc means reciprocably mounted on bearing means in the compressor head for enhanced operating accuracy and seat longevity and adapted to seal discharge port aperture means in the plate means on the suction stroke, and wherein the piston means top, the compression side of the suction valve disc means, the compression side of the porting plate means, and the compression side of the discharge valve disc means all being adapted to lie substantially in the same plane at the apex of the compression stroke to essentially eliminate gas reexpansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald L. Terwilliger, Robert D. Douglas, Prasanta K. Roy, Milton M. Kosfeld
  • Patent number: 5106278
    Abstract: A compressor asssembly, with particular reference to the suction side thereof, for a gas compressor having one or more cylinders, pistons mounted for reciprocation in the cylinders, cylinder head means mounted over the ends of the cylinders to provide discharge chambers, refrigerant discharge valve elements intermediate the head means and cylinders and providing compression chambers and adapted to open discharge passages to the discharge chambers for pressurized gas on the compression strokes of the pistons and to close the discharge passages on the suction strokes of the pistons, first suction gas inlet passages through the walls of the cylinders at positions remote from the cylinder head means, second suction gas inlet passages in the pistons extending through the outer walls thereof and in communication with the first passages over at least substantial portions of the travels of the pistons, suction gas ports in the tops of the pistons in communication with the second passages, the ports having port seats
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 5080130
    Abstract: A single or multi-cylinder compressor unit being cylinder wall ported and having suction inlet means to compression chamber means through the wall and top of piston means, wherein suction valve means comprises preferably a light-weight plastic disc means mouted in an essentially free-floating manner in the piston means top, the discharge valving cooperatively comprises discharge porting plate means and discharge valve disc means reciprocably mounted on bearing means in the compressor head for enhanced operating accuracy and seat longevity and adapted to seal discharge port aperture means in the plate means on the suction stroke, and wherein the piston means top, the compression side of the suction valve disc means, the compression side of the porting plate means, and the compression side of the discharge valve disc means all being adapted to lie substantially in the same plane at the apex of the compression stroke to essentially eliminate gas reexpansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald L. Terwilliger, Robert D. Douglas, Prasanta K. Roy, Milton M. Kosfeld
  • Patent number: 4955796
    Abstract: Refrigerant compressor construction having a cylinder, a piston mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder, a cylinder head mounted over the end of the cylinder to provide a compression chamber, and refrigerant discharge valving in the cylinder head or a valve plate assembled thereto adapted to open a discharge passage for pressurized refrigerant on the compression stroke of the piston means and to close the discharge passage on the suction stroke of the piston, a first suction gas inlet passage through the wall of the cylinder at a position remote from the cylinder head, a second suction gas inlet passage in the piston extending through the outer wall thereof and in continuous communication with the first passage, a suction gas port in the top of the piston in communication with the second passage, the port having a valve seat formed in the top of the piston and a valve disc mounted on the top of the piston for limited axial, floating movement and having a sealing surface adapted to bear against the valve sea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Bristol Compressors, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 4393852
    Abstract: Disclosed is an induction or supercharger system (16) for a piston engine (10) having a Roots type blower (14) for supercharging an air-fuel mixture from a carburetor (12) having primary and secondary throttle valves (64) and (66). The induction system defines a naturally aspirated flow path, a recirculation flow path, and a supercharger flow path. The flow paths are controlled by valves (18) and (20). Valves (18, 64 and 66) are moved between their respective opened and closed positions by a linkage mechanism (44) including a lever (72) and linkage assemblies (74) and (76). The linkage assemblies include resilient means (88) and (102) which respectively move the throttle valves open and the valve (18) closed. Valve (20) is opened in response to a differential pressure across the naturally aspirated flow path and the supercharger flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1983
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Merritt, Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 4392472
    Abstract: Disclosed is an induction or supercharger system (16) for a piston engine (10) having a Roots type blower (14) for supercharging an air-fuel mixture from a carburetor (12) having primary and secondary throttle valves (64) and (66). The induction system defines a naturally aspirated flow path, a recirculation flow path, and a supercharger flow path. The flow paths are controlled by valves (18) and (20). Valves (18, 64 and 66) are moved between their respective opened and closed positions by a linkage mechanism (44) including a lever (72) and linkage assemblies (74) and (76). The linkage assemblies include resilient means (88) and (102) which respectively move the throttle valves open and the valve (18) closed. Valve (20) is opened in response to a differential pressure across the naturally aspirated flow path and the supercharger flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Merritt, Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 4364366
    Abstract: Disclosed is an induction or supercharger system (16) for a piston engine (10) having a Roots type blower (14) for supercharging an air-fuel mixture from a carburetor (12) having primary and secondary throttle valves (60, 62). The induction system includes four ducts (50, 52, 54, 56) which converge at an end into a central area or valve chamber (58) having a butterfly valving member (68) disposed therein. The other end (50a, 52a, 54a, 56a) of the ducts communicate respectively with the carburetor, the supercharger inlet, the supercharger outlet, and the engine combustion chambers. The valves (60, 62, 68) are moved by a linkage mechanism (44) between positions respectively controlling air flow through the carburetor and through the four ducts to the engine. The linkage mechanism includes a lever (72) and linkage assemblies (74, 76) connected between the lever and the valves (60, 62) and (68) respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1982
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald L. Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 4364367
    Abstract: Disclosed is an induction or supercharger system (16) for a piston engine (10) having a Roots type blower (14) for supercharging an air-fuel mixture from a carburetor (12) having primary and secondary throttle valves (64) and (66). The induction system defines a naturally aspirated flow path, a recirculation flow path, and a supercharger flow path. The flow paths are controlled by valves (18) and (20). Valves (18, 64 and 66) are moved between their respective opened and closed positions by a linkage mechanism (44) including a lever (72) and linkage assemblies (74) and (76). The linkage assemblies include resilient means (88) and (102) which respectively move the throttle valves open and the valve (18) closed. Valve (20) is opened in response to a differential pressure across the naturally aspirated flow path and the supercharger flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1982
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald L. Terwilliger