AU695100B2

AU695100B2 - Irrigation lift pump

Info

Publication number: AU695100B2
Application number: AU30171/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brian Leonard Moloney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-08-19
Filing date: 1995-08-21
Publication date: 1998-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-21
Also published as: AU3017195A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT ~-rtio

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I I Applicant(s): BRIAN LEONARD MOLONEY Invention Title: IRRIGATION LIFT PUMP Application No.: Filing Date: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: L I!II 2 Title Irrigation Lift Pump Field of the Invention This invention relates to an irrigation lift pump and in particular relates to an irrigation lift pump that is simple to operate and uses a minimum amount of power.

Irrigation systems usually rely on gravity to ensure flow of water. However, as suitable cultivating land becomes scarcer it has become necessary to cultivate land that is at a level above the irrigation systems. The irrigation systems have also been in place for many years and due to natural subsidence as well as the development referred to above, there is an increasing need for pumps to lift the irrigation water. Lift pumps come in a variety of 15 forms and sizes. However, many suffer from the problem that they are high powered using great amounts of fuel. It is considered that there is a need for a lift pump that can lift irrigation water efficiently whilst enabling the pump to be driven by a small low powered fuel efficient motor.

A more recent problem that has been encountered with irrigation systems concerns legislation that prevents users of such systems from allowing the irrigation water to simply flow back into adjoining creeks and rivers. The chemicals that are currently used in the cultivation of crops tend to be picked up by irrigation water and thus can be returned to creeks and rivers which is considered I undesirable. Thus, there is a growing need for irrigation 4systems to be reversible whereby water that has been used in a cultivating bed can be transferred to storage means to allow dissipation of chemicals before it is reused. This criterion therefore requires irrigation lifting pumps to be reversible.

It is these problems that have brought about the present invention.

i -~t=-L-I~Q1IC 3- Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an irrigation lift pump comprising a propeller mounted on a shaft for axial rotation, means to axially support the shaft with the propeller positioned within a pumping chamber, the interior of which is in close proximity to the rotational path of the propeller, and fluid directing vanes attached to the pumping chamber and adjacent the path of the propeller that extend inwardly towards the path of the propeller without impeding the rotation of the propeller, whereby, in use, the pumping chamber is immersed in irrigation water and the propeller driven in either direction to pump the water.

The vanes may be fixed adjacent the corners of a rectangular duct. Alternatively, the vanes may extend radially from a circular duct. Preferably the vanes are mounted inclined to a plane containing the axis of the shaft.

Description of the Drawings o. Embodiments of an irrigation lift pump are described hereunder with reference to the accompanying o drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an 25 irrigation lift pump, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pump taken about the lines 2-2 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lift pump taken about the lines 3-3 of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of the pump taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a lift pump in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a component of the lift pump in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, l! l f L lH:\ann\Keep\Temp\30171 95 2ND.doc 29/05/98 it ii 3A Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower part of the pump shown in Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a plan view of the lower part of the pump shown in Figure 7.

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4 4 4 0 4O 0 0~0 04 0 00 00 4 4 0 0o 0 0* H:\ann\Keep\Temp\30171 95 IST.doc 28/04/98 4 Description of the Preferred Embodiments As shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, an irrigation lift pump that constitutes a first embodiment comprises a precast concrete head wall 10 in the form of a three sided enclosure 11 having an end wall 12 and outwardly diverging side walls 13 and 14 interconnected by a horizontal base wall 15 but being open at the top and at the front. The end wall 12 has a large central aperture 18 which would in use be coupled to the end of an irrigation pipe. The horizontal base wall 15 of the head wall 10 is provided with a pair of spaced apart L-shaped concrete supports 20, 21 that have a plurality of upwardly projecting studs 19 embedded therein. The L-shaped supports 20, 21 define at the front of the head wall 10 a small rectangular aperture 23. The end wall 12 of the head wall 10 is provided with a pair of elongate vertically extending slots 24, 25 lined by neoprene rubber and adapted to locate a metal plate 26 that can be slid vertically down through the slots to seal off the aperture 18. The rectangular aperture 23 in the front of the head wall 10 is also provided with a similar pair of vertical slots 27 lined by neoprene rubber to allow the location of a smaller metal plate 28 that can be lowered to seal off the 4 rectangular aperture 23. The L-shaped supports are covered by a steel plate 30 that is bolted onto the supports via °o"othe studs 19. The steel plate 30 has a central aperture 31 'into which is located a cylindrical duct 32 or pump chamber j which is welded to the plate on either side. A three arm bearing support 38 is located within the duct 32 with the arms constituting fixed radial vanes 33. The bearing support comprises a central metal sleeve 39 housed with a suitable nylon or rubber bearing. The free end of an elongate stainless steel drive shaft 50 locates in the nylon or rubber bearing. The drive shaft 50 supports a three bladed boat propeller 51 centrally of the duct 32 so that the radius of each propeller blade is slightly less than the radius of the duct thereby allowing the propeller 00 to rotate freely within the duct with the blades in close proximity to the interior wall of the duct. The upper side of the plate 30 supports three L-shaped brackets 35 that are welded to the plate and the upstanding portions 36 of the brackets support nut and bolt assemblies 37 onto which are bolted radially inwardly extending rectangular vanes The inclination of the vanes 40 relative to the axis of the shaft is adjustable by use of the nut and bolt assemblies 37.

The drive shaft 50 extends out of the head wall assembly and its upper end is supported by a cross gantry in the form. of a steel beam 61 with a suitable bearing 62. The beam is supported on the inclined walls of the head wall via steel brackets 68. A pulley 65 is positioned on the upper end of the shaft 50 and this pulley is dr;.ven by a belt 60 from a smaller pulley that is mounted on the output shaft of a small diesel or petrol motor (not shown) i that is free standing at a position external of the head wall In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the pump is :I °used between a dam 81 and a source of drainage water 82 to supply irrigation. The pump is positioned with the drive shaft 50 vertical, and the pump chamber 32 being over an aperture 83 in the base 84 of the pump to act as a means of lifting water from a large pipe 90 made of a product known as 'black brute' that is positioned underneath the pump.

The 'black brute' pipe 90 interconnects the dam 81 and the drainage water supply 82 and is controlled at either end by i a one way valve 86, 87. The pump chamber 32 and propeller 57 are positioned at the base of the pump and half way up one side wall is the entry 92 for water from drain to dam whilst towards the top of the pump is the outlet 93 to supply. Depending on which way the pump is operating, it can either lift water from drain to supply or lift water to supply from the dam. Similarly, the water flows via the pump from the drainage to supply and from dam to supply.

This flow takes place underneath the pump through the r L- -6- 'black brute' pipe 90. In this arrangement, the pump has the capacity to lift water to supply for irrigation purposes from both the drainage water and a dam and to return the water to the dam for collection.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 to 8, the irrigation lift pump is designed to be carried by the steel plate 126 that closes the large aperture 18 in the rear of the concrete head wall 12. In this way, the pump is supported by the plate 126 and not the head wall and the pump can simply be adapted to be used with conventional pre-existing head wall assemblies. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the rectangular metal plate 126 that seals off the aperture 18 is of similar dimensions to the plate 26 in the first embodiment that is adapted to slide vertically within the slots in the rear wall 12 of the head wall. The forward face 127 of the plate 126 is provided towards the base thereof with a projecting box 130 of rectangular cross-section that is welded to project forwardly from the oo front of the plate to act as the pump chamber. The box 130 20 has an open top 131, side walls 133 with a triangular lower l portion 134 and a rectangular front face 135. The underside 136 of the box 130 is inclined at 450 to the 0 0 vertical. The box 130 is welded along its edges to be S0 against the plate 126 with the top 131 remaining open. A 25 bearing sleeve 140 is supported centrally of the inclined 0e 00 0 undersurface 136 and is adapted to support the drive shaft with the axis if the drive shaft 50 extending vertically. The drive shaft 50 supports a suitable 0:0 propeller 51 and extends upwardly along the length of the 0 30 plate 126 to be supported within a bearing mount 160 formed in a plate 161 that is welded to the top of the plate 126 and reinforced by spaced triangular side portions 162. The shaft 50 runs in a suitable bearing and the free end extends outwardly from the top of the plate to support the pulley 65 that is driven by the external motor, not shown.

As shown in the detailed view of Figure 7, the plate 126 at its base is provided with a rectangular -7aperture 170 that is positioned in the rear face of the box 130. This allows water to flow through the plate 126 into the box 130 to be acted upon by thle propeller 51. The upper portion of the interior of the propeller housing box 130 is provided with four fixed vanes 175 adjacent each corner of the box. AS shown in Figures 7 and 8, each vane 175 is arcuate and welded to a corner of the box with the forward face 176 of the vane 175 extends in an arc very clise to the path of the outer tip of the three blades 152 of propeller 51. As shown Ln Figure 7 each vane 175 is inclined at the same angle to the axis of the shaft 50 as the angle of the propeller blades 152 except that the blades and vanes extend in opposite directions. The path of the blades across the edges of the blades corresponds to the inclination of the forward edges of the vanes so that the propeller runs freely in the box but always in very close proximity to the adjacent edge of the vanes.

It is similarly understood that the adjustable vanes and the propeller blades of the first embodiment are arranged in a similar manner.

As shown in Figure 7, the vanes 175 alternate from being directly downwardly and upwardly at each corner.

It is understood that the fixed vanes 175 described above could be replaced by vanes, the inclination of which, may be adjustable.

The construction described above has advantages because the whole lift pump is formed as one unit on the rectangular plate 126 at the rear of the head wall K assembly.

The irrigation pump described above is especially for use with conventional pipe ends and water stops. The embodiment shown in Figures 6 to 8 is especially useful in such assemblies as the valve plate can be removed and replaced by the plate 126 that carries the lift pump.

Claims

2. The irrigation lift pump according to claim 1 wherein the vanes are located adjacent the corners of the chamber which is of rectangular cross section.
3. The irrigation lift pump according to claim 1 wherein the vanes extend radially from the chamber which is circular in cross section.
4. The irrigation lift pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the vanes are mounted inclined to a plane containing the axis of the shaft. The irrigation lift pump according to claim 4 wherein the inclination of the vanes is adjustable.
6. The irrigation lift pump according to any one of S 25 the preceding claims wherein the propeller is attached to one end of the shaft and the other end is attached to a pulley which is arranged to be belt driven by a motor, the shaft being supported for axial rotation about at least one fixed bearing assembly. 7z The irrigation lift pump according to claim 6 wherein the pumping chamber is fixed within the enclosure of an irrigation headwall and the shaft is supported to be driven by an externally positioned motor.
8. The irrigation lift pump according to claim 7 wherein the pumping chamber is bolted to the enclosure near the base of the enclosure.
9. The irrigation lift pump according to any one of H:\ann\Keep\Teop\30171 95 3RD.doc 26/06/98 9 the preceding claims wherein the pumping chamler is attached to the base of a valve plate used to seal the aperture in a headwall, the plate supporting a bearing support for tie shaft of the pump whereby the plate can be used in existing irrigation pipe ends or water stops. The irrigation lift pump substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dated this 28th day of April 1998. BRIAN LEONARD MOLONEY By His Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia _iLJ)" ~P T~0I* J 0 ji:\ann\Yeep\Temp\30171 95 1ST.doc 28/04/98 Abstract An irrigation lift pump comprising a propeller mounted on a shaft for axial rotation, means to axially support the shaft with the propeller positioned within a pumping chamber, the interior of which is in close proximity to the rotational path of the propeller whereby, in use, the pumping chamber is immersed in irrigation water and the propeller driven in either direction to pump the water. Iiir I rirr o D r oi oiro o o r~J r, e o D rri~t, r r