Polyphase on old Devilbiss Compressor

[Tundra Twin Track]

I picked up a old Devilbiss Compressor and the Tag on Pressure switch shows Polyphase,never seen that before.

[rdfeil]

Polyphase is a generic term for "multiphase". While single phase and 3 phase are commonly known electric distribution systems there are also others. Two others that I know of personally are true 2 phase and quad phase or 4 phase. Those systems are very odd and only used in specialty systems.

[Doozer]

The term Polyphase is not uncommon.
2 phase is not common, but not special.
Just because YOU have not heard of it .............................

-D

[JoeLee]

That's a real work horse and in pretty nice shape. I never knew Devilbiss made compressors. Looks like the date of Mfg. is 1964.
Sealed motor (probably explosion proof) but not sure about the pressure switch box. Grease fittings. Nice............

JL...............

[CPeter]

Four cylinder, single stage? 3 phase motor? 5 or 7.5hp?
Peter

[Bob La Londe]

That's a real work horse and in pretty nice shape. I never knew Devilbiss made compressors. Looks like the date of Mfg. is 1964.
Sealed motor (probably explosion proof) but not sure about the pressure switch box. Grease fittings. Nice............

JL...............

Back when I worked at Tool & Supply of Yuma we sold Devlibiss. It was our in between line. Rollaire was what all the pros wanted, and Sanborn was what all the "I just want to air up some tires" guys bought. Devilbiss was in between and those who I heard back from who bought one were always very happy. In the time I worked there I never had one come in under warranty and the few that came in out of warranty were clearly well used.

[nickel-city-fab]

At least when I was a kid, DeVilbiss was sought-after by all the auto body shops. Built like a tank, smooth and quiet and lasted forever. Nice find! I had a mentor that was using a DeVilbiss from the 1940's that came out of a dentists office, back in 1985. It's probably still running out there somewhere.

[Tundra Twin Track]

Polyphase is a generic term for "multiphase". While single phase and 3 phase are commonly known electric distribution systems there are also others. Two others that I know of personally are true 2 phase and quad phase or 4 phase. Those systems are very odd and only used in specialty systems.

Thanks for the ensight.

The term Polyphase is not uncommon.
2 phase is not common, but not special.
Just because YOU have not heard of it .............................

-D

Didn't expect it to be Special,had never heard of it before you know I live way up NORTH lol!

That's a real work horse and in pretty nice shape. I never knew Devilbiss made compressors. Looks like the date of Mfg. is 1964.
Sealed motor (probably explosion proof) but not sure about the pressure switch box. Grease fittings. Nice............

JL...............

The Spring on pressure switch is massive compared to newer ones I’m used to seeing.

Four cylinder, single stage? 3 phase motor? 5 or 7.5hp?
Peter

Four Cylinder Two Stage I think,2 small and 2 large pistons Model 432, 5hp 3ph.

Back when I worked at Tool & Supply of Yuma we sold Devlibiss. It was our in between line. Rollaire was what all the pros wanted, and Sanborn was what all the "I just want to air up some tires" guys bought. Devilbiss was in between and those who I heard back from who bought one were always very happy. In the time I worked there I never had one come in under warranty and the few that came in out of warranty were clearly well used.

I checked out info on #432 compressor,it was built for 40 years.

At least when I was a kid, DeVilbiss was sought-after by all the auto body shops. Built like a tank, smooth and quiet and lasted forever. Nice find! I had a mentor that was using a DeVilbiss from the 1940's that came out of a dentists office, back in 1985. It's probably still running out there somewhere.

This was a backup Compressor at a GM dealer for last 30 years and was bought New at same dealer.Devilbiss listed it as a 20000 hr compressor but I’m sure it has more than that,I know the heads were rebuilt at least once.

[J Tiers]

Polyphase is a generic term for "multiphase". While single phase and 3 phase are commonly known electric distribution systems there are also others. Two others that I know of personally are true 2 phase and quad phase or 4 phase. Those systems are very odd and only used in specialty systems.

Yep. A client was using 5 phase in a generator (which was converted to DC, which then went to a 200kW inverter that we designed). That's something of an extreme version of "polyphase", but not the most I have heard of.

[nc5a]

Nice find Tundra. I bought a late 50's or early 60's vintage Devilbiss a year or so ago. It had recently been retrofitted with a new 3 HP air over 3 phase motor that turns the compressor at 583 rpm. It runs so quiet that 2 people can stand next to it and have a conversation and not have to raise their voices. Mine has some compressor wear because it takes about 10 minutes to go from zero pressure to 125 psi in a 80 gallon tank.

[Doozer]

At the ADM (Pillsbury) elevator in Buffalo NY they had a Chicago Pneumatic
one lunger air compressor, very much like the one pictured below.
It was 10" bore and 11" stroke (or something like that). Anyhow, they
cut it up with a sawzall to get it down the elevator shaft. I saw it in the
scrap dumpster. I did save the brass tag off it. It was water jacketed had the
cylinder cooled. Neat unit. Probably ran for 80 years or more.
Too bad they cut it up. Would be a great shop compressor.
I could here it now.
Whhhhoooopppptttt, chuuuuggg !!
Whhhhoooopppptttt, chuuuuggg !!
Whhhhoooopppptttt, chuuuuggg !!

[nickel-city-fab]

At the ADM (Pillsbury) elevator in Buffalo NY they had a Chicago Pneumatic
one lunger air compressor, very much like the one pictured below.
It was 10" bore and 11" stroke (or something like that). Anyhow, they
cut it up with a sawzall to get it down the elevator shaft. I saw it in the
scrap dumpster. I did save the brass tag off it. It was water jacketed had the
cylinder cooled. Neat unit. Probably ran for 80 years or more.
Too bad they cut it up. Would be a great shop compressor.
I could here it now.

Aahh man it sux when good old iron goes to the scrappers like that
... and I say that as an employee of a scrapper!
Doozer I'm sorry I forgot to tell you:
They just got done auctioning the contents of the Dresser-Rand plant in Wellsville.
I should have told you a few weeks ago.
Somebody got some amazing deals.

I remember the plant compressor at Union Carbide in the Falls.
Build in the 1910's, pistons the size of sewer lids
and a 25-cycle(!) motor the size of a VW

[Doozer]

Ah Wellsville.
Home of WPIG, the pig !
Listen for the Oink ! ! !

-D

[nickel-city-fab]

Ah Wellsville.
Home of WPIG, the pig !
Listen for the Oink ! ! !

-D

it pays to keep track of the craiglist ads around here, that's how I found out.
You might find something that makes it worth the drive
Some larger shops in Rochester were cleaning out awhile back

[Doozer]

Maybe I will come up for Easter. I dunno.
Thinking about taking south a Pratt Whitney
Tool Cutter Radius grinder.

-D