Anti-slugging device for motor-compressor units

Claim 1

IN A COMPRESSOR UNIT OF THE HERMETICALLY SEALED TYPE HAVING A HOUSING PROVIDED WITH AN INLET CONNECTION FOR DISCHARGE OF LOW PRESSURE GASEOUS REFRIGERANT INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING AND HAVING AN OUTLET CONNECTION FOR DISCHARGE OF COMPRESSED GASEOUS REFRIGERANT FROM THE HOUSING, A COMPRESSOR WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR DELIVERING COMPRESSED REFRIGERANT TO SAID OUTLET, A VERTICALLY ARRANGED ROTATABLE SHAFT CONNECTED TO AND ROTATED COINCIDENTALLY TO THE OPERATION OF SAID COMPRESSOR, SAID SHAFT HAVING ITS UPPER END TERMINATING ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID HOUSING, THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING FORMING A LUBRICANT RESERVOIR AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE SUCTION TUBE FOR DELIVERING LOW PRESSURE GASEOUS REFRIGERANT TO SAID COMPRESSOR, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OPEN INLET POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT, AND AN ANTI-SLUGGING DEVICE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREBY TO SEPARATE LIQUID REFRIGERANT AND OIL FROM GASEOUS REFRIGERANT, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A DISH-SHAPED CIRCULAR PLATE POSITIONED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AND BELOW THE OPEN INLET OF SAID TUBE, AND SAID PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS WHICH ARE SUCCESSIVELY SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ALIGNED, DURING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT AND PLATE, WITH SAID TUBE INLET, SAID PLATE BEING FORMED WITH A HUB PORTION CONNECTED WITH SAID SHAFT, A LATERALLY DIRECTED RIM PORTION, AND AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED CONE-SHAPED PORTION CONNECTING THE HUB AND RIM PORTIONS, SAID PLURALITY OF OPENINGS BEING FORMED IN SAID CONESHAPED PORTION FOR CONDUCTING GASEOUS REFRIGERANT FROM BENEATH THE PLATE TO SAID TUBE INLET.