AU2006341529B2 - Amphibious Manual Pump Valve Adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

An Amphibious Manual Pump Valve Adaptor comprises of: a. Inlet Non Return Valves Chamber b. Outlet Non return Valves Chamber c. Sieve Chamber comprising an access panel and transparent lid to view bait d. Length of tubing or piping or piping which can be made of any shape eg square or round leading into the main Valve Chamber where it must have a butter knife edge finish on the actual piping or tubing. e. A Support Ring Clamp or equal to suit piping and tubing for the non return valves and connections to the chambers which can be made of any man made known material.

Description

1 AMPHIBIOUS MANUAL PUMP VALVE ADAPTOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an adaptor for a reciprocating pump and in particular to an adaptor for use in pumping for bait or prospecting alluvial matter. 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an adaptor for a reciprocating pump, the adaptor including: a main chamber connectable to the pump, the main chamber 10 including: a pump opening for connecting the main chamber to the pump; an inlet opening through which flowable material is drawn into the main chamber by operation of the pump; an outlet opening through which flowable material drawn into the main 15 chamber is subsequently expelled by operation of the pump; an inlet non return valve adjacent the inlet opening configured to allow flow of the flowabale material into the main chamber only; and an outlet non return valve adjacent the outlet opening configured to allow flow of the flowable material out of the main chamber only. 20 Preferably, the adaptor includes an inlet pipe extending into the main chamber through the inlet opening. The inlet pipe is preferably adjustable in length. 25 Preferably, the main chamber comprises a curved tube having: the outlet opening at one end; the pump opening at the other end; and the inlet opening in a wall of the tube, the inlet opening located intermediate the outlet opening and the pump opening. 30 2 The adaptor preferably includes a sieve chamber open to the outlet opening and in which flowable material expelled from the main chamber is received, the sieve chamber having a sieve for sieving the flowable material. 5 Preferably, the inlet non return valve is a flap valve comprising a hinged flap. The outlet non return valve is preferably also a flap valve comprising a hinged flap. Preferably, the hinged flap includes a control arm for limiting the angle at 10 which the hinged flap opens. The invention extends to a bait pump including the adaptor defined and described hereinabove. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Fig 1 shows a sectional side view of one embodiment of an adaptor 17 in accordance with the invention. This Valve Adaptor 17 which has only two moving parts (valves 4a, 4b), operates in conjunction with a bait or manual 20 pump 18 and works best under water to an approximate depth of 900 mm above sand level. This Valve Adaptor 17 would also be suitable for prospecting alluvial gold. For recommended use the adaptor 17 will be manufactured to suit any manual pump. The device is unique because as it operates under water, it 25 has flotation when pumping for bait and therefore is almost weightless in the water. Also the timeframe for seeking bait is not just restricted to low tide. You are able to obtain bait by using the adaptor 17 at almost any time of the tide.

3 Further, it eliminates the need for a second person or the action of bending over whilst pumping and then also having to retrieve the bait. The bait, sand and other foreign matter enters into the Main Chamber I by operation of the pump 18 and the Inlet Non Return Valve 4b then closes. Automatically the 5 Outlet Non Return Valve 4ar now opens and bait and all other matter held in the Main Chamber 1 releases into a sieve or Sieve Chamber 3 which is floating or connected direct to the adaptor 17 in water approximate above sand level. The connection to the pump 18 or to the sieve 3 will be either fixed or made adjustable with any flexible man made known material. The 10 sieve 3 is also a floating object which maximizes the separation of the sand and other matters and leaves the bait or alluvial matter in the sieve chamber 3. The sieve chamber 3 also has an access panel and transparent lid to view the bait. The sieve 3 can be made of a man made know material. A sieve can also be adapted to inlet side of piping. 15 The Valves 4a, 4b are narrowly hinged to suit any angle across the opening of the piping or tubing so as to prevent any alluvial matter interfering with the operation of the valves. The valves 4a, 4b can be made up of a hard flap valve which has silicone or rubber on the valve between piping or tubing for maximum seal (approximately 2mm in thickness) or the 20 valve can be made a flexible valve or flexible flap using a rubber or plastic material and can be adjustable. Either of these flaps 7 can have a Control Arm 5 which monitors the opening distance of the valve. The distance from the edge of the piping or tubing at the seating to the hinged end of the valve should be made to achieve maximum opening for flow and vacuum purposes 4 to suit users needs. These valves 4a, 4b and flaps 7 can be made up of any man made known material and also can be made from a mold. The chamber 1 can also be made to suit the size of the tubing and 5 can be made up of any man made known material but works well with copper, stainless steel, aluminum or molded out of any man made known material. Shaped tubing or piping would also be applicable. Also the inlet opening 19 and outlet opening 20 can be adjustable or flexible and made to suit any angle on the main chamber. Either end of 10 the chamber 1 can be reduced or expanded to suit the manual pump. The inlet and outlet opening which would be adjustable, hinged or made flexible can also be tapered with a Level Invert Taper or Reducer which would be located at either end of the main chamber. Piping or tubing can be used for the overall operation of the Amphibious Manual Pump Valve Adaptor 17. 15 The Inlet Valve 4b in the chamber area 1 maintains one direction of flow through the pipe or tubing leading to the main chamber 1 being the Inlet Chamber. This piping or tubing 10 must extend into the main chamber area so as water and sand can separate on the backward flow across the inlet valve 4b. The main chamber 1 can be scoop shaped or have a flat radius 20 curvature which also can be made adjustable to suit the user's needs. The inlet and outlet Flaps 7 can be made bigger than the pipe or tubing entering into the sieve chamber 3 or main chamber 1. Service and Inspection Openings 8 are to be placed at appropriate points around the adaptor so as to access the valves 4a, 4b for maintaining, 5 servicing and cleaning. The inlet length of tubing or piping 10, which can be made of any shape e.g. square or round, leads into the main chamber 1 via the inlet opening 19 which also can be made of any shape, e.g. square or round). The sieve 5 chamber or sieve 3 can be made adjustable to suit the user's needs and can adapt to suit the environment e.g. foreign matter, alluvial, bait or gold being pumped. Where the seating of the valves come together, piping or tubing in the adaptor must have an approximate 'butter knife edge' finish on the actual 10 piping or tubing. This is to prevent foreign matter settling between the seating piping or tubing. There is a Support Ring Clamp 11 or equal to suit piping and tubing for the non return valves and connections to the chambers which can be made of any man made known material. 15 Clamping is used throughout for the tubing or piping which can be made out of any man made known material.

6 LEGEND 1. Main Chamber 2. Outlet Non Return Valve Chamber 3. Sieve Chamber 5 4a. Outlet Non Return Valve 4b Inlet Non Return Valve 5. Control Arm 6. Level Invert Taper 7. Flaps 10 8. Service and Inspection Openings 9. Length of Tubing or Piping Made Adjustable 10. Piping or Tubing in the Adaptor 'Butter Knife Edge" Finish 11. Support Ring Clamp or Equal 12. Clamping 15 13. Narrow Hinge 14. Reducer 15. Scoop or Flat Radius Curvature 16. Sieve Adapted to Inlet Side of Piping or Tubing 17. Valve Adaptor to Pump 20 18. Pump 19. Inlet opening 20. Outlet opening 21. Pump opening

Claims (11)

1. An adaptor for a reciprocating pump that reciprocates between a suction operation and a reverse operation, the adaptor including: a main chamber connectable to the pump, the main chamber including: a pump opening for connecting the main chamber to the pump; an inlet opening through which flowable material is drawn into the main chamber by the suction operation of the pump; an outlet opening through which flowable material drawn into the main chamber is subsequently expelled by the reverse operation of the pump; an inlet non return valve adjacent the inlet opening adapted to allow flow of the flowable material into the main chamber; and an outlet non return valve adjacent the outlet opening adapted to allow flow of the flowable material out of the main chamber, wherein the main chamber comprises a curved tube having: the outlet opening at one end; the pump opening at the other end; and the inlet opening in a wall of the tube, the inlet opening located intermediate the outlet opening and the pump opening.

2. The adaptor of claim 1, including an inlet pipe extending into the main chamber through the inlet opening.

3. The adaptor of claim 2, wherein the inlet pipe is adjustable in length.

4. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the inlet non return valve allows flow of flowable material into the main chamber only.

5. The adaptor of claim 1 or claim 4, wherein the outlet non return valve allows flow of flowable material out of the main chamber only

6. The adaptor of any one of the preceding claims, including a sieve chamber open to the outlet opening and in which flowable material expelled from the main chamber is received, the sieve chamber having a sieve for sieving the flowable material.

7. The adaptor of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet non return valve is a flap valve comprising a hinged flap.

8. The adaptor of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet non return valve is a flap valve comprising a hinged flap.

9. The adaptor of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the hinged flap includes a control arm for limiting the angle at which the hinged flap opens.

10. A bait pump including the adaptor of any one of the preceding claims.

11. The adaptor substantially as herein described with reference to the drawing.