US1840257A - Self-priming pumping apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 5, 1932. c S XE ET AL 1,840,257

' SELF PRIMING PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Willi; 35 25' a 7473 I 70 Q f Jan. 5, 1932. A. c. SAXE ET AL 1,840,257

SELF PRIMING PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE ARTHUR C. BAKE, OF COLUMBUS, AND HOMER A. SMITH, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO; SAID SMITH ASSIGNOR TO THE BARNES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO, AND SAID SAXE ASSIGNOR TO THE J'AEGEB MACHINE COMPANY, OI COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SELF-PRINTING PUMPING APPARATUS Application filed January 2, 1930. Serial N0.'418,089.

This invention relates to drainage pumps and aims to provide an improved automatic or self-priming liquid pumping apparatus of the centrifugal type.

It will be best understood by description with reference to the attached drawings illustrating one practicable embodiment in a portable trench-pump constructlon.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pump as placed in operation to drain a ditch;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pump on enlarged scale and omitting the power means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing a detail of specialmounting for the pump.

In the illustrative construction, a mounting base or bed is provided by parallel beams 5. of a chassis-frame shown supported on wheel-trucks for convenience in transportation and maneuver to desired position.

An internal combustion engine fixed on this frame and represented by the conventional hood 6 serves to drive the pump through its crank or fly-wheel shaft 7 (see Fig. 2). As this engine per se forms no part of the invention and moreover may be of any generally familiar type, there is no need to describe it further.

Aligned for direct driving connection with said engine shaft is another shaft 8 extending into a casing or shell 9, and in this instance providing the rotor shaft of a centrifugal pump organization. This last-mentioned shaft is j ournaled in a block 10 shown coupling the engine and aforesaid pump casings rigidly together by bolting thereto and formed with an elongate bearing'll providing medial support for said shaft. The latter has flexible coupling connection with the fly-wheel of the engine shaft, but may advantageously be connected instead through a clutch 12 rovided thereon primarily for a purpose wiiich will presently appear.

The, above-mentioned casing or shell (9) of the pump unit is cradled between the bars of the chassis-frame for support'independently of the engine and coupling block. Constituting in this instance a part of a centrifugal pump organization, it is formed with an axial inlet opening 13 and a tangential outlet assage 14 common to pumps of that type. he rotor shaft extending thereinto carries a rotor-member of special design providing primary and secondary impellers 15 and 16 respectively, each having its blades working against the back wall of the casing (see Fig. 2). In this special desi said member comprises a casting wit coneshaped hub recessed to form the blades of the small or secondary impeller behind the vanes radially extended therefrom to provide the lar e or primary impeller. The resultant we -portions partitioning the two impellers apart have holes 17 therein to admit limited quantities of pumped liquid between the blades of the secondary im eller.

The pump intake is eifecte by suction throu h a hose 18 connected at the inlet opening 0 said casing, while the aforesaid outlet passage thereof is controlled by a checkvalve 19 working in chamber 20. A hose 21 connected with the latter serves to conduct the discharge away.

Above the pump casing, a chamber 22 communicates therewith by a pipe 23 opening. behind the secondary impeller (see Fig. 2). This chamber is shown partitioned into two compartments by a plate 24 having an opening 2 5 at its top for passage of air and an opemng 26 at its bottom for passage of liquid from the one compartment to the other for equalizing purposes.

In the larger of said chambers compartments, a float 27 rising and falling with liquid above a' predetermined level actuates an airadmission valve 28, in this instance carried 90 on theiguidcd stem of the float and normallly closing upon a seat 29 provided in an exten ing cover 30 of the chamber. Some other form of valve might of course be equally suitable.

The aforesaid chamber communicates with the intake of a suction-pump 31 by pipe 32 shown connecting with the extending cover thereof below the aforesaid air-admission valve. A valve 33 is advantageously provided'in this pipe for regulating the force of suction therethrough. Said suction-pump is impelled by shaft 34 journaled on a support above the coupling block and driven from the aforementioned clutch by a chain 35 working over sprockets on the two. It may accordingly be thrown into and out of operation simply by engaging or disengaging the clutch. Being in this instance of the eccentric type working in oil, this suction-pump discharges into a superposed chamber 36 having bafiie plates 37 therein for separating the oil from the air, which latter is expelled through spout 38 while the oil flows back thereinto. Some other form of suction-pump might of course be used with equal efiiciency.

The disclosed or anization is extremely simple but highly eflectual in providing an automatically operable or self-priming pumping apparatus for draining ditches and excavations. Its operation is briefly described as follows:

Assuming the apparatus is placed in position with the suction hose 18 extending below the level of flood water in an excavation, the engine is started to drive the rotor-member and the clutch engaged to drive the suction-pump. The check-valve 19 of the discharge line being closed, said suction-pump will quickly exhaust air from the two compartments of the chamber 22 and also from the centrifugal pump casing and its suction line or hose. The suction thus created draws water up through the hose into the pum casing to prime it for operative disc arge through chamber 20 and hose 21 in the usual wav.

Continuing action of the suction-pump draws part of the intake water back through the holes 17 in the rotor-member and up the pipe 23 into said chamber 22, where the liquid level will equalize in its two compartments. When the liquid level therein rises sufficiently to raise the float 27, the latter will lift or open the valve 28 and admit air to the chamber, thus breaking the suction action. The water within this float chamber will then flow. back through the pipe 23 under the sucking force of the pump discharge occasioned bytheprimary impeller, until the liquid in said chamber falls to a level permitting the float to'again close the valve 28.

This cycle of operation is continually repeated to keep the pump operably primed so long as the lower end of the intake hose 18 remains below the water level in the excavabelow the hose end, the pump action will of course cease and any water previously drawn into the chamber 22 will then flow quickly back into the pump shell under the sucking force exerted thereon by the secondary impeller throwing it radially against the shell walls, so as to hasten the closin of the valve 28 and set the pump apparatus or immediate re-priming and resumed operation when the intake hose is again submerged below the water level in the excavation.

A desirable cradle mounting for the pump casing 9 of the apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 4 representing a sectional end view of the chassis-frame. In this mounting the aforesaid casing is shown resting in a pair of wedge-shaped blocks 39 slidable in a crossblock 40 and movable coincidently in opposite dircctions by a rod 41 having opposite thread engagement therewith in this instance through lugs 42. These sliding blocks may advantageously have dovetail engagement with the cross-block, while the adjustment thereof may be facilitated by a turn-wheel 43 on the operating rod; If desired, two such rods may be used, one on either side of the blocks. By this arrangement centering the aforesaid casing between the beams of the frame, all strain upon the coupling block or rotor shaft is easily and quickly relieved simply by drawing the wedge-shaped blocks closer together to raise the casing and carry the full load thereof.

Various modifications may obviously be made with different changes in form and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of this invention, and it will therefore be understood that the appended claims are not intended to limit the same to the specific construction or embodiment shown in the drawings. v

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A self-primingpumping apparatus comprising in combination an engine; a rotor ofa centrifugal pump unit driven by said engine and embodying a casting providing primary and secondary impellers working one behind the other against the back of an enclosing casing; a suction intake connection with said casing; a valve-controlledtangential discharge therefor; a chamber communicating with the back of the casing and having a float-actuated valve admitting air thereto, a suction-pump driven from said rotor and connecting with said chamber for exhaustin air therefrom and from the pump casing an its intake connection; and a discharge for said suction pump.

2. An automatic self-priming liquid pumping apparatus comprising in combination a power plant; a rotor of a centrifugal pump unit driven thereby and embodying co-operable primary and secondary impellers working one behind the other against the same wall of the enclosing casing; a suction mtake connection with said casing; a valvecontrolled tangential discharge therefor; a chamber communicating with said casing by a pipe opening thereinto behind the secondary impeller; a float-actuated valve admitting air to said chamber upon rise of liquid thereinto above a predetermined level; and a suction-pump driven also by said plant and connecting with said chamber for therethrough creating a siphonic action drawing liquid thereinto after first filling the rotor casing, the siphonic action being alternately broken and restored by operation of the aforesaid valve with rise and fall of liquid in said chamber above the predetermined level.

3. In a centrifugal pump apparatus, means for keeping the pump primed for continuous discharge operation comprising in combination, a chamber having communication with the pump casing from behind the rotor element for receiving a portion of the priming intake therefrom; a valve in sa d chamber admitting air thereto by operation with rise of a float above a predetermined level, and a driven suction-pump connected with said chamber for therethrough creating a siphonic action drawing liquid thereinto after first filling the rotor casing, its siphonic action being continuously broken and restored by operation of said valve with rise and fall of liquid in the chamber above the predetermined level.

4. In combination with a portable centrifugal pump with driving means, means for automatically priming and keeping the pump charged for operative discharge, said means comprising a chamber-above the level of the pump-rotor shaft and having a single conduit connection with the pump casing behind its rotor element; a valve in said chamber admitting air thereto by operation with rise of a float above a predetermined level, and a driven suction-pump connected with said chamber for therethrough creating a siphonic action drawing liquid thereinto after first filling the pump rotor casing, its siphonic action being continuously broken and restored by operation of said valve with rise and fall of liquid in the chamber above the predetermined level.

5. An automatic self-priming liquid pumping apparatus comprising in combination,

an engine; a centrifugal pump unit embodying a rotor member with rotor casing having member; an air-admission valve in said chamber operated by a float rising and falling with liquid above a predetermined level therein and an auxiliary suction-pump connected with said chamber for therethrough creating a strong siphonic action drawing liquid thereinto after first filling the rotor casing, the siphonic action of the last named pump being continuously broken and restored by operation of said valve with rise and fall of liquid in the chamber through said conduit above the predetermined level.

6. In combination with a centrifugal pump embodying a rotor casing and a rotor element, means operating to automatically prime and maintain the same charged for continuous operation; said means comprising an associated suction-pump communicating therewith through the medium of a chamber open to the rotor casing at a point behind said rotor element so as to therefrom receive a portion of the fluid drawn into the casing and having a float-actuated valve therein continuously operable to break the siphonic action of the suction-pump upon intake of a predetermined amount of the fluid from the rotor casing and to restore said action upon return flowage of such fluid to said casing.

7. A pumping apparatus comprising in combination, a power plant; a centrifugal pump unit embodying a rotor casing and driven rotor element; a suction-pump driven with the rotor element and communicating with said casing by a pipe line opening therentobehind the rotor element, and a chamber disposed in said pipe line and having a float therein continuously operable with rise and fall of fluid intake to open and close an airadmission valve for alternately breaking and restoring siphonic action of the suction-pump drawing fluid thereinto from the pump casing first filled or primed thereby.

8. An apparatus according to the preceding claim 7, wherein the rotor element comprises a member formed to provide co-axial co-operable' impellers partitioned apart but having their blades working against the same wall of the enclosing casing.

9. An automatically self-priming liquidpump apparatus, comprising in combination, a driving plant; a rotor of a centrifugal pump unit driven by said plant and embodying coaxial primary and secondary impellers working cooperably one behind the-other against the back wall of the enclosing casing; a suction intake connection with said casing; a valve-controlled tangential discharge therefor; a chamber communicating with said casing by a pipe openin at its back wall close to the rotor axis an therethrough receiving a portion ofthe priming liquid drawn into the casing; a float-actuated valve admitting air to sald chamber u on rise of liquid therein to a predetermined evel; a suction pump driven also by said plant and connected with said chamber for exhausting air therefrom and from the pump casing and its intake connection to create a siphonic action therethrough; and a discharge for said suction pump.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ARTHUR C. SAXE. HOMER A. SMITH.

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