CA2709243A1

CA2709243A1 - Hose occluding pulley block for wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pumps

Info

Publication number: CA2709243A1
Application number: CA2709243A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gerald J. Vowles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-30
Filing date: 2010-04-30
Publication date: 2011-10-30
Also published as: WO2011134061A1

Abstract

An improved, hose occluding, pulley block employed as a component of a wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pump apparatus typically installed in a body of fluid upon which waves occur. It is characterized as a pulley block capable of occluding a peristaltic hose drawn either about or across a portion the pulley's face as previously described in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, but with the addition of several novel new features, which can be incorporated into it either individually or in any combination.

Description

Title Hose Occluding Pulley Block for Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pumps Technical Field This invention relates generally to wave-powered pumping devices. More particularly, it relates to an improved hose occluding pulley block which can be employed as a component of a wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pump such as that described in my patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump.

Background Information and Prior Art Driven by a number of factors including increasing demand, the dwindling of low-cost reserves and increasing global conflict, energy costs have risen dramatically in recent years. Predictions are that these costs will continue to escalate over time as reserves are depleted. At the same time, there is growing alarm in both the scientific community and the general population about the effects of global warming and its relationship to the burning of fossil fuels, our primary source of energy.

As a result, there is now international consensus that the development and widespread deployment of clean, renewable and sustainable energy technologies must be supported by industry and governments at all levels and that the transition to these technologies must occur with all expediency.

This shift is now well underway and is expected to gain momentum. This is evidenced by the continuing rapid growth of wind and photovoltaic installations in a growing number of countries worldwide. More recently, the focus has been expanded to involve new opportunities, with investment in research and development in ocean energy conversion being particularly high. Beyond the obvious environmental benefits, ocean wave and swell energy is of great interest because of its much higher density and consistency than wind and solar energies and it is widely distributed.

The impact of this transition has been accompanied by a high profile debate that has become increasingly geopolitical in nature as particularly evidenced by ongoing and evolving reaction to the Kyoto Accord. Currently, the greatest single issue expressed by the so-called holdout nations relates to a requirement for much greater use of cleaner and more efficient energy technologies by the underdeveloped and developing nations, many with huge and expanding populations.

At the same time, there is increasing recognition of the need for and use of what has been termed "appropriate technology" if these efforts are to be successful.
Usually, the term has been described as synonymous with, simple, low-cost, easily taught and serviced and, more often than not, small in size and capacity by developed nation standards;
in effect, often requiring a paradigm shift in terms of thinking and design.

The demand for these new technologies is not limited to these markets however.
There is also demand from a growing segment of the population in highly developed nations for cost effective alternative energy technologies that can be used to provide for small community, organizational and even individual needs in addition to the more common, centralized installations requiring a distribution grid infrastructure.

In terms of prior art developed by others, most research and development continues to focus on very large utility scale apparatus, the smallest of which can cost in the millions of dollars. Unfortunately, most of these designs do not scale down well nor are they suitable for use in many regions where need is high but both wave climates and budgets are modest. In those cases, related costs also add tremendously to overall versus acquisition costs for these apparatus. In particular, delivery and handling, installation and start-up and, where the devices are located offshore or are fully sub-surface, routine maintenance costs. In addition, because these apparatus typically incorporate a significant number of custom and highly specialized components rather than readily available, competitively priced parts and service items, the cost benefits often associated with economies of scale and volume are limited. None are ideally suited for rapid deployment during times of crisis such as natural disaster relief.

To a lesser degree, smaller, more flexible prior art apparatus that can be deployed in arrays when higher output levels are needed have also been proposed with some now under development and testing. Although these devices have made some progress towards overcoming the deficiencies outlined above, they too exhibit certain limitations.
As a result, I conceived and developed the device described in my patent application No.
PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump to address these deficiencies thereby providing an improved, more practical apparatus.
The present invention relates to several novel improvements to the occluding pulley block assembly described therein. More specifically, these improvements have been conceived and designed to address potential issues and/or deficiencies related to; the more timely and more fully re-opening of the peristaltic hose following occlusion, maintaining occlusion in spite of changes and variation in wall thickness of the peristaltic hose, whether due to a pre-existing condition as a result of changes due to gradual fouling and sediment buildup on the surface of the peristaltic hose, and preventing damage to the apparatus due to sudden pressure spikes or surges that could occur as a result of rapidly rising waves, as can occur during storms as well as other new features. Therefore, related prior art is referred to by way of that cited in the written opinion of the International Searching Authority in my earlier patent application; PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, Vowles, Gerald J. International filing date 13 May 2009 (13-05-2009).

List of Figures Fig. 1 shows a side view of how one embodiment of the present invention, that being a hose occluding pulley block is incorporated into a wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pump.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of an open-body, hose occluding pulley block incorporating a means by which a peristaltic hose operating within it is caused to return to its normally round, internally open state following occlusion.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the device shown in Fig.2 with the addition of replaceable peristaltic hose cleaning means, manual occlusion gap adjustment means and a combined means of increasing the width of the occlusion point and self-adjusting for minor variations in thickness of the peristaltic hose.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a device similar to that shown in Fig.3 wherein alternate means are provided for manual as well as minor self-adjustment of the occlusion gap, as well as means for relieving spikes in fluid pressure within the pump are incorporated.
Fig. 4a shows a side view of a variation of the alternate means for manual as well as minor self-adjustment of the occlusion gap and the means for relieving spikes in fluid pressure within the pump are incorporated taught in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of an open-body, hose-occluding pulley block wherein occlusion of the peristaltic hose occurs as a result of the pulley about which it rotates being pulled up against one or more occlusion rollers rather than by one of more occlusion rollers being forced up against the peristaltic hose as shown in Fig's. 2 and 3. A means is also shown for limiting the amount of compression so caused.

Fig. 6 shows a side view of a device similar in function to that taught in Fig. 5 but with an alternative means of limiting compression of of the peristaltic hose.

Fig. 7 shows a side view of a device equivalent to that taught in Fig. 6 except that the pulley about which the peristaltic hose rotates is not physically attached to the device.

Fig. 8 shows a side view of a device functionally equivalent to that shown in Fig. 2 but with a housing similar in construction to a conventional, rope style fiddle block, except that an occluding roller rather than concave faced sheave is employed and a discrete, peristaltic hose occlusion opening means is attached.

Fig. 8a shows a side view of the occluding roller and peristaltic hose occlusion opener referred to in Fig. 8.

Fig. 9 shows an external side view cif a device that is functionally equivalent to that shown in Fig. 8 but employing what is commonly referred to as a snatch block style housing rather than the fiddle block style shown in Fig. 8.

Summary of the Invention The invention taught in the following description is intended for use as a component of a wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pump typically operating in any body of fluid upon which surface waves may be propagated, usually by the movement of a secondary fluid across the surface of the first or primary fluid. However, for this class of apparatus, the primary fluid is typically a body of water such as an ocean, sea or lake upon which waves are propagated when a secondary fluid, which is typically wind, blows across it.
Therefore, for the sake of clarity, this description will use the term "water"
to represent any primary fluid and the term "wind" to represent any secondary fluid in this context. This pump is capable of delivering a flow of pressurized fluid to power one or more driven devices or processes such as but not limited to desalinators, electricity generators, hydraulic motors and hydrogen fuel generators. Again, for the sake of clarity, the pressurized fluid in this case would be water, typically being drawn from the same body of water in which the device is installed.

More specifically, the invention taught in the following description provides a number of improvements upon the compression pulley block taught in my earlier patent application PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, that being a pulley block capable of compressing a peristaltic hose drawn through it, thereby causing a temporary occlusion of the peristaltic hose at that point where it is in contact with one or a combination of freely rotating pulleys and compression rollers. The following objectives provide an overview of these new and novel improvements.

A first objective of this invention is to provide a means by which a peristaltic hose is returned to it's normally round, internally open condition upon passing the point of occlusion, thereby increasing the pumping efficiency and effectiveness of the hose as well as increasing the range of hose types and constructions that may be used as components of the apparatus.

A second objective of this invention is to provide a means by which the width of the occlusion is increased, thereby offering the ability to maintain a seal at the point of occlusion should irregularities be present in the hose's thickness, shape, inner wall smoothness or other associated variations, as well as increasing the pumped fluid pressure the seal is capable of producing and holding.

A third objective of this invention is to provide a means by which the apparatus can self-adjust the occlusion causing gap between the pulley and the compression roller(s) in those embodiments where one or more compression rollers are incorporated; this in order to adapt to hose construction and durometer variance, time and usage related increases or reductions in thickness and other similar factors involving variation in thickness of the walls and/or diameter of the peristaltic hose.

A fourth objective of this invention is to provide a means by which the apparatus allows for the opening or widening and subsequent return to normal of the occlusion causing gap in response to and, therefore, as a means of relieving excessive buildup, spikes or surges in pressure within the peristaltic hose. As such, this feature could also be used to provide basic pressure regulation.

A fifth objective of this invention is to provide the means by which the occluding pulley block can function effectively for longer periods of time without the cleaning and maintenance required as a result of buildup due to biological and non-biological fouling.

A sixth objective of this invention is to provide convenient means by which the compression roller(s) for those embodiments incorporating that feature, may be pressed against the wall of the peristaltic hose during setup with enough force to ensure proper occlusion and to adjust and hold that force as needed during the setup.

A seventh objective of this invention is to provide the means by which the premature failure of a hose or other flexible member due largely to the uneven length of their inner and outer walls as they bend about a pulley can be reduced or eliminated.

An eighth objective of this invention is to provide the means by which the pulley block and/
or peristaltic hose assembly can be more easily replaced in-situ.

A ninth objective of this invention is to provide the means by which the force required to cause occlusion of the peristaltic hose when using compression rollers is provided by the apparatus itself rather than by an external force.

Accordingly, the apparatus described herein provides the means by which these objectives may be accomplished, as shall become apparent in the detailed description that follows.

Detailed Description of the Invention Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is representative of a typical wave-powered, peristaltic hose pump incorporating a peristaltic hose occluding pulley block, the latter being the focus of the present invention. In that regard, it is noted that with the exception of the novel improvements attributed to the present invention as shall be taught in Fig's 2 to 9, the general operating principles of a hose occluding pulley block operating as a component of a wave-powered peristaltic pump have previously been taught in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, the description of which may be referred to in the event that the reader of this description wishes to further understand the workings of the present invention in the context of the larger apparatus. This is taken into account in the descriptions associated with Fig's 2 to 9 that follow, which are the focus of the present invention rather than that shown in Fig. 1 which is presented only for improved clarity in showing how the novel features of the present invention as taught in Fig's 2 to 9 share the common purpose of being an integral component of such larger apparatus' as that shown and described in Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 can generally be described as follows: A wave-powered, reciprocating hose peristaltic pump installed in a body of water wherein a peristaltic hose assembly 1 is drawn back and forth through a hose occluding pulley block assembly 2 by opposing surface and sub-surface buoyant members or floats 3 and 4 reacting to undulating wave action on the surface 5 of that body of water. This causes a matched, reciprocating inflow and outflow of water into and out of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 as it alternately lengthens and shortens on either side of a point where it is temporarily occluded within the relatively immoveable pulley block assembly 2. This repeating cycle occurs in unison with and due to the cyclicly rising and falling floats 3 and 4. As was described in detail in my now published patent application No.
PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, the water is alternately drawn into the peristaltic hose assembly 1 through an intake filter and one-way check valve and then forced out through a second one-way check valve, all of these components being housed in an assembly hereafter called the flow control assembly 6. The outflow is then transferred away from the pump by a fitted delivery hose assembly 7. The apparatus is attached via the pulley block assembly 2 to a relatively immoveable reaction point, in this case being a gravity anchor 8 located on the lake bed or seabed below the body of water in which the apparatus is installed such that the apparatus will typically pivot on its horizontal X and Y axes but not rotate about its vertical Z axis, the latter in order to reduce the potential for entanglement between the delivery hose assembly 7 and the other components of the apparatus.

More specifically, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is comprised of a hose, common threaded hose fittings fixedly attached on each of its ends and, when required, an optional tensile load bearing link means as was described in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump. A
larger displacement surface float 3, is fixedly attached to one end of the male-fitted, peristaltic hose assembly 1 by a swiveling, female-fitted, filter assembly 9 that allows water to flow freely into and out of that end of the peristaltic hose assembly 1, that end being located underwater below the surface float 3. The opposite end of the male-fitted peristaltic hose assembly 1 is fixedly attached by way of a mating, female swivel fitting 10 to the flow control assembly 6, which is in turn affixed to the bottom of a significantly smaller displacement, sub-surface float 4. Beginning with the end connected to the surface float 3, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 extends downward and passes freely through an open-ended center tube in the sub-surface float 4 whereupon it continues downward until it passes through a first round opening in the top the pulley block assembly 2, following which it becomes temporarily occluded as it bends and flattens about a freely rotating pulley 11 and, in this case, is also squeezed flat at location 12 by an optional, adjacent freely rotating compression roller 13. It then exits the top of the pulley block assembly 2 through a second round opening and extends upwards to become attached via to a mating female fitting located in the housing of the flow control assembly 6. It is noted at this time that the aforementioned first and second openings through which the peristaltic hose assembly 1 enters and exits the top of the pulley block assembly 2 are called hose occlusion openers 14 and 15. These represent a novel aspect of the present invention and, therefore, are taught in the descriptions associated with subsequent drawings, at which time their design and function will become apparent.

The apparatus is typically installed in any suitable body of fluid such as an ocean such that the pulley block assembly 2 is anchored to the bottom or seabed 16 or to any other suitable sub-surface reaction point deemed to be fully or significantly immoveable relative to the undulating surface 5 that the surface float 3 tracks the movement of.

In operation, the larger displacement surface float 3 functions as what is commonly referred to in this field of art as a wave follower in that it follows or tracks the surface 5 of the body of water as it rises and falls with the waves. The smaller displacement, less buoyant sub-surface float 4 remains fully submerged and, therefore, continuously strives to rise to the surface 5. The surface float 3 and the sub-surface float 4 operate in opposition to each other because the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to which they are attached, turns a nominal 180 degrees about the freely rotating pulley 11 located in the pulley block assembly 2 such that the floats 3 and 4 both pull in the same direction, that being toward the surface 5. The peristaltic hose assembly 1 remains taut as it reciprocates back and forth through the pulley block assembly 2 because the bottom or seabed 16 to which it is anchored functions as a fixed reaction point and also because the peristaltic hose assembly 1 remains at a generally fixed length once under tension.
Because the surface float 3 is significantly more buoyant, the sub-surface float 4 always acts in response to the movement of the surface float 4. Therefore, the sub-surface float assembly 4 is drawn down toward the bottom or seabed 16 each time the surface float 3 moves upward with the rising waves and conversely, the sub-surface float 4 rises up toward the surface 5 when the surface float 3 subsequently moves downward into the trough of the wave, and thus the cycle continues.

This results in a cyclic shortening and lengthening of that section of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 located between the pulley block assembly 2 and the sub-surface float 4, hereafter called the frontside section 17 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and, in reversed sequence, a cyclic lengthening and shortening of that section of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 located between the pulley block assembly 2 and and the surface float 3, hereafter called the backside section 18 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1.

Because the peristaltic hose assembly 1 becomes fully occluded where it temporarily flattens out while bending about the bottom portion of the pulley 11, whether this be due only to the upward pull of the floats 3 and 4 or due also to it being temporarily compressed between the freely rotating pulley 11 and the adjacent, freely rotating compression roller 13, water is drawn in and then pumped out, albeit in reverse order of each other, on both the frontside section 17 and the backside section 18 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 as their internal volumes alternately increase and decrease because the pulley block assembly 2, and, therefore, the point of occlusion do not move up and down with the frontside and and backside sections 17 and 18 of peristaltic hose assembly 1.

Each time that the frontside 17 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 lengthens with the falling wave, water is drawn into it through an intake filter in 19 located in the flow control assembly 6 and conversely, each time the frontside 17 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 shortens, water is forced out of it and through the one-way-out check valve in the flow control assembly 6, from whence it is carried away via the delivery hose assembly 7 for the purpose of powering and/or feeding any number or combination of downstream driven devices or processes. In this case, the water being pumped is being drawn from the body of water in which the apparatus is installed but that need not always be the case. It is noted that these downstream apparatus typically present a resistance to the outflow and, therefore, a co-responding pressure buildup in the delivery hose 7 and the frontside 17 of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is required to overcome this, which the apparatus is designed and sized to overcome. It is also noted that the backside section's 18 pumping capability is not employed in this case for the sake of maximizing simplicity but it may also be harnessed in similar fashion.

It is noted that up to this point the apparatus and its workings are the same as described in detail in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, with the exception of the reference to the hose occlusion openers 14 and 15 which will be addressed in the descriptions associated with Fig's. 2 to 9, which deal specifically with the present invention, an improved hose-occluding pulley block, which is intended for use as a component within the type of apparatus that has been described above in Fig.1 to improve understanding.

To that end, Fig's. 2 to 9 and their associated descriptions present several novel new features, which may be incorporated into the present invention either independently or in any combination. These include (a) occlusion re-opening means (b) occlusion widening means (c) self-adjusting occlusion gap means (d) pressure spike release means (e) peristaltic hose cleaning means (f) means by which to reduce the potential for premature failure of a peristaltic hose due to its bending about a tight radius, (g) convenient compression roller setup means (h) in-situ, pulley block and/or peristaltic hose assembly quick change means, and (i) self-providing hose occlusion force means for devices employing compression rollers.

To clarify further, the device taught in the description that follows can generally be described as an improved, hose occluding pulley block intended for a use as an integral component of a wave-powered, reciprocating hose, peristaltic pump wherein a peristaltic hose, or any other similarly acting flexible assembly incorporating a peristaltic hose, is reciprocally drawn back and forth through this device by opposing prime movers such as buoyant floats reacting to undulating wave action, this resulting in a reciprocating flow of water into and out of the peristaltic hose, of which the outflow can be utilized to accomplish work.

It is noted that from Fig. 2 to Fig. 9, the numbering of all elements pertaining to the present invention begins at 20. However; for all other elements previously referenced in Fig. 1 and shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 9 for the sake of improved clarity but otherwise not pertaining directly to the present invention, the numbering remains the same as that used in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 2, the hose occluding pulley block 20 is comprised primarily of: an open, "T" shaped, uni-body housing which, for greater clarity, is referred to in three sections, those being the horizontally oriented upper left housing 21 and upper right housing 22 and the vertically oriented lower housing 23; left and right hose occlusion openers 24 and 25, being vertically oriented, round holes with flared entry and exit openings drilled or bored through the upper housings 21 and 22 such that one is located on each side of the lower housing 23; a fixed axle 26, being horizontally mounted through a slot 27 cut between locations 28 and 29 in the lower housing 23; a freely rotating, generally flat-faced pulley or sheave, hereafter called the pulley 30, that rotates freely about the axle 26 within the slot 27; and a representative anchoring means 8 to which the lower housing 23 is pivotally attached with a shear pin 31. The lower housing 23 may be extended in length as shown at 32 in order to reduce exposure of the device's working parts to sediment and other means of fouling that is likely to be more prevalent along the bottom of most bodies of water in which the apparatus as a whole may be installed, as shown in Fig. 1.

A fitted peristaltic hose assembly 1 is also shown, being that it is an integral component of the larger apparatus within which the hose occluding pulley block 20 typically operates, as was shown and described in Fig. 1. Its outside diameter is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 through which it passes on entering and exiting the hose occluding pulley block 20. For greater clarity, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 first enters the hose occluding pulley block 20 through the first hose occlusion opener 24, passes through the slot 27 where it bends under and about the pulley 30 and then exits the hose occluding pulley block 20 through the second hose occlusion opener 25. As the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is pulled up by it's ends against the lower face of the pulley 30, (in this case, by the surface and sub-surface floats 3 and 4 shown in Fig. 1), the continuous force thus applied to the inner wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 causes it to flatten out against the generally flat face of the pulley 30 between locations 33 and 34 to the degree that its normally open inner chamber will become temporarily occluded.

Depending on a number of factors such as the amount of force drawing the peristaltic hose assembly 1 up against the pulley 30, the physical characteristics of the hose itself and the diameter of the pulley 30, an additional means of occluding the peristaltic hose assembly 1 (such as the freely rotating compression roller 13 shown in Fig. 1) may or may not be needed to cause as well as maintain occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 during normal operating conditions. In the embodiment of the present invention shown here in Fig. 2, this is not needed because a small enough diameter pulley 30 is employed, meaning the occluding force caused by the upward pull of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is distributed over a small enough area on the face of the pulley 30 that occlusion is achieved and maintained under normal working pressure without the need for the additional occluding means. The use of additional occluding means is, however, shown and described in subsequent figures.

It is noted that in general practice when bending any flexible member about a pulley, precautions such as increasing the bend radius by using larger pulleys or selecting a flexible member whose physical characteristics allow for a tighter bend radius may be taken in order to reduce the potential for premature failure of the flexible member. In the case of the devices shown here in Fig. 2 and in subsequent drawings, novel, alternative means are also employed to accomplish this. For example, the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 are aligned over the pulley 30 in such a way that the inward facing surface or wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 on either side of the pulley 30 is farther from locations 33 and 34 than is the outward facing surface or wall between those same points. Because the opposite condition is true for that part of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 between locations 33 and 34 where it bends about the lower portion of the pulley 30, the averaged lengths of the inward and outward facing walls of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 as it operates within the hose occluding pulley block 20 are thus the same or very similar.
Expressed in other words, the distance measured along the wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 between the points where it enters the hose occluding pulley block 20 through the first hose occlusion opener 24 and exits through the second hose occlusion opener 25 after rounding the pulley 30 is the same or very similar when measured along both it's inside and outside surfaces. In effect, this reduces the potential for structural failure of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 due to such causes as unevenly distributed tensile loading or stretching, the likelihood of which increases as the pulley diameter decreases with conventional setups. By knowing the wall thickness of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and the diameter of the pulley 30, the optimal distances between (a) the lower, inside openings of the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 and locations 33 and 34 where the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is in sustained contact with the pulley 30 and (b) the distance between the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 themselves can then be calculated for optimal configuration of the hose occluding pulley block 20.

This capability is further enhanced by using a smooth, slippery material for the face of the pulley 30 such that the inner wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 can more easily slide or move, whether in general or by many localized micro-movements in relation to the face of the pulley 30 when in contact with it, as a means of self-balancing internal stresses.

A second novel aspect of the present invention shown in Fig. 2. involves the use of the aforementioned hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 to ensure full and timely reopening of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 following its occlusion within the hose occluding pulley block 20.

With conventional peristaltic pumps, it is generally understood that the hose being employed is capable of returning fully or near fully to its normally round, internally open shape following each occlusion event and before the next one occurs on its own accord.
When used in conventional peristaltic pumps, these hoses are typically referred to as peristaltic hoses because they are designed to return rapidly to their normal shape, being that the occlusion cycle times are typically very short, with occlusion frequency often being hundreds of times per minute.

However, in the case of the device taught in my now published patent application No.
PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, these occlusion cycle times are much longer by comparison, with occlusion frequency often being less than ten cycles per minute. As such, a means was taught whereby more generally available and often lower cost hoses might also be employed, even though their ability to return to their normally round, internally open shape on their own accord could take significantly longer.

It is important to note, however, that the above opportunity has it's limits and certain capabilities must continue to exist. The most obvious of these is that the hose must still be capable of returning fully or near fully to its normally round, internally open shape quickly enough to draw replacement water into itself before the next occlusion occurs, albeit more slowly; otherwise little or no water will be available to be pumped out as little or no replacement water would be drawn into a hose that would remain substantially or fully flattened following occlusion. Less obvious, however, is that the hose may only partially return to it's normally round shape, in which case water will still be pumped but at a reduced volume meaning a loss of efficiency of the device. This could be as a result of a number of conditions such as (a) some but not all of the wave frequency dependent occlusion cycle times may be too fast for the elastic return speed of the hose to allow it to re-open fully each and every time (b) the elastic capabilities of the selected hose may not be great enough to provide the necessary internal force to fully reverse the deformation caused by the occlusion as well as, in so doing, provide the additional suction force needed to draw in a full or near full compliment of replacement water, or (c) in a worst case scenario, the elastic capabilities of the hose would not be enough to provide the momentary, additional force potentially needed to trigger or initiate reopening of the occlusion for some or even all pumping cycles.

In practice, the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25 are designed to address these issues by ensuring that a hose passing through them will be forced to return to its normally round, internally open state immediately following an occlusion event, thereby improving that hose's efficiency as well as resulting in the suitability of a broader range of hoses, assuming that the hoses in question embody at least the minimum amount of elasticity required to remain reopened to a significant degree as they continue to draw in replacement water. To clarify this point, a hose such as a common fire hose would not function with or without the benefit of this novel feature because fire hoses, by design, do not have the elasticity needed to cause them to take on or return to a round, internally open shape under any degree of suction or negative pressure.

As previously stated, the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25, are, in this embodiment of the present invention, comprised of two vertically oriented, round holes with flared entry and exit openings drilled or bored through the upper housings 21 and 22 such that one is located on each side of the lower housing 23. These holes have a diameter just slightly larger than the outside diameter of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and understood to be rigid in shape, being that they are bored through the rigid housing of the hose occluding pulley block 20. As a result, the flexible, peristaltic hose assembly 1 is forced to take their shape as it moves through them, thereby causing the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to return to it's round, fully-open shape immediately following occlusion, as it is drawn back and forth through the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25. Not only does this assist the peristaltic hose assembly 1 in creating the suction needed to draw in replacement water, it also sets up a condition where the return to a fully open condition is reached. In so doing, it also reduces the degree to which the hose may develop a memory for remaining progressively more flat over time and, therefore, less efficient; a condition that is more likely to occur if the hose never returns fully or near fully to it's initial round shape.

This feature is further enhanced by optionally incorporating spiral ridges or cavities 35 and 36 (shown here as heavy, dashed lines because they are hidden) into the inner walls of the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25. These serve the same function as rifling in a gun barrel, thereby causing the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to gradually turn or rotate as it cycles back and forth through the hose occluding pulley block 20 with the result that repeated flattening of the hose wall does not always occur in the same places, thereby reducing localized fatigue or loss of elasticity, thus extending the useable life of the peristaltic hose assembly 1. It is noted that for this feature to function effectively, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 itself or, for that matter, any components by which it may be attached to prime movers such as floats at each of its ends, should incorporate swivels to minimize resistance and limits to the ability of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to turn thus.
Referring now to Fig. 3, this embodiment of the present invention is seen to be similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but with a number of novel, new features added. The first of these is a set of replaceable hose cleaners 37 and 38 attached to the top of the occluding pulley block 20 such that they are centered over the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25. In this case, the hose cleaners 37 and 38 are each comprised of a plastic disk with a round hole bored through its centre, resembling a thick washer. The inside diameter of the hose cleaners 37 and 38 is moderately larger than the outside diameter of the peristaltic hose assembly 1, which passes through them as it enters and exits the occluding pulley block 20 via the hose occlusion openers 24 and 25. Any combination of flexible bristles, brushes, scrapers or other appropriate means are fixedly attached to or imbedded into the inner walls of the hose cleaners 37 and 38 such that they extend inward to come in contact with the outer wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1. As the hose moves back and forth through the hose cleaners 37 and 38, it is lightly scoured in order to eliminate or at least reduce the accumulation of biological growth and other fouling on the peristaltic hose assembly 1, which could interfere with the normal function of the device.

Attention is now drawn to the fact that unlike that shown in Fig. 2, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 shown here in Fig.3 does not become fully occluded without additional means, as it bends about the pulley 30 between locations 33 and 34 here in Fig. 3. In that regard, the next of the novel new features of the present invention relates to the compression roller 39 that has been incorporated into this embodiment. While the use of a compression roller to assure full occlusion of a peristaltic hose was first introduced in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, the version shown here represents a significant improvement over the prior art. To that end, a flexible, modestly compressible tire 40 is mounted snugly over the outer face of the compression roller 39 covering its full face with the tire's contour matching the face contour of the adjacent pulley 30. In this case, the contours of both the pulley 30 and the compression roller tire 40 are flat, however, other mating profiles may be used as long as the result is full occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and that the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is not damaged from uneven or excessive compression.

The addition of the compression roller tire 40 accomplishes two things. First, because the tire is of pre-determined flexibility based on its durometer and thickness, it flattens slightly more at the point of occlusion than would be the case with a solid compression roller. This provides a means by which the width of the occlusion that occurs at location 41 when the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is squeezed between the pulley 30 and the compression roller tire 40 is increased, thereby offering the ability to better maintain a seal should irregularities be present in the hose's thickness, shape, inner wall smoothness or other anomalies of similar consequence. In effect, the combination of the wider occlusion area and the flexible outer wall of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 increase the ability to maintain occlusion by surrounding and isolating the anomaly. In so doing this also increases the device's ability to maintain pressurized pumping in the event of such anomalies. In addition, it also provides a means by which the device can, to a limited degree, self-adjust the occlusion causing gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly in order to adapt to variances in hose construction as well as time and usage related changes in hose thickness or other similar factors resulting in variation in thickness of the walls and/or diameter of the peristaltic hose assembly 1. It is noted that a plurality of compression rollers may be incorporated into the pulley block 20, whether to improve the device's ability to maintain working pressure or in order to increase the pressure handling capabilities of the larger apparatus that it is a part of.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the compression roller 39 is located directly below and adjacent to the pulley 30. It rotates freely about an axle 42 that passes through the slot 27 cut between locations 28 and 43 in the lower housing 23. In order to facilitate insertion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1, as well as to allow for adjustment of the gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly, the axle 42 is mounted into slots 44 and 45 (the latter hidden) in the lower housing 23, one slot being on each side of the compression roller 39. The axle 42, which may be a bolt, is threaded on at least one end with the threads extending out beyond the lower housing 23.
Once the the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly is pressed against the peristaltic hose assembly 1 with enough force to cause full occlusion, a locking means, in this case being a wing nut 46, is tightened onto the threads in order to lock the axle 42 in place. The known technique of using a series of either raised ridges or grooves 47 that interact with mating features on the wing nut 46 is used here to eliminate gradual slippage of the axle that could otherwise occur over time, thus leading to a loss of full occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and, therefore, pumping capability.

A related novel feature addresses the issue of how to evenly apply, adjust and hold the forces that need to be applied to the lower side of the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly in order to flatten the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to the proper degree needed to achieve optimal occlusion. To that end, an axle 48 is fixedly mounted into the lower housing 23 such that it passes through the slot 27 below the compression roller 39 and a small, freely rotating roller 49 is mounted onto it. In this way a tapered wedge can be inserted through the slot 27 between the non-slidable, small roller 49 and the slidable compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly and pushed or driven between them such that its progressively thicker cross section forces the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly in a controlled fashion against the peristaltic hose assembly 1 to the degree needed to achieve full occlusion, at which time the wing nut 46 is tightened to lock the compression roller 39 and tire 40 assembly in place.

Referring now to Fig. 4, while seen from a lower viewing angle, this embodiment of the present invention is similar to that taught in Fig. 3 with the significant difference being the means used to adjust the gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39. For greater clarity, this view shows a portion of lower housing 23 of the otherwise complete pulley block 20 as being cut away between locations 50 and 51 and shows the compression roller 39 as a dashed line, also for greater clarity.

As was the case with the embodiment taught in Fig. 3, the compression roller 39 shown here in Fig. 4 is located directly below and adjacent to the pulley 30 and rotates freely about an axle 42 that passes through the slot 27 cut between locations 28 and 43 in the lower housing 23. Similarly, the axle 42 is mounted into slots 52 and 53 (the former being hidden) in the lower housing 23, one slot being on each side of the compression roller 39.
Again, this is in order to facilitate insertion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 as well as to allow for adjustment of the gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39.
However, in this case, the slots 52 and 53 are cut into but do not extend fully through the lower housing 23 on either side of the compression roller 39. The length of the unthreaded axle 42, is just slightly less than the distance between the bottoms of the two slots 52 and 53 which, combined with the flat, smooth ends with slightly rounded edges of the axle 42, allows it to slide up and down within the slots 52 and 53 such that the freely rotating compression roller 39 mounted on it can slide up and down toward and away from the pulley 30 in order to facilitate insertion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1, as well as to allow for adjustment of the gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39.

Each end of the axle 42 sits upon one of two gap adjustment assemblies 54 and 55. While only the rearward of these two assemblies is shown here due to the cutaway view, it is understood that each can be adjusted separately. As with the hidden gap adjustment assembly 55, the gap adjustment assembly 54 is comprised of an unthreaded push rod 56 linked to a replaceable compression member 57 which is in turn linked to a threaded machine screw 58 whose threads are matched to internal threads cut into the lower portion of the slots 52 and 53 such that the adjustment assembly travels up and down when the head 59 of the machine screw 58 is turned. In order to access the machine screw head 59 as well as to insert the axle 42 into the slots 52 and 53, a larger slot 60 is cut completely through the lower housing 23 such that the lower ends of the slots 52 and 53 open into it, thus allowing access to the slots 52 and 53 for assembly purposes and access to the heads of the two gap adjustment assemblies 54 and 55 for setup and fine tuning.

In this way, the adjustment assemblies can be used to raise and lower the axle 42 and compression roller 39 as needed, whether for mounting the peristaltic hose assembly 1 or for adjusting the gap between the pulley 30 and the compression roller 39 to establish proper occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1. The compression member 57 is, in this case, a firm rubber cylinder with an inside diameter sized to allow the machined down ends of the push rod 56 and the machine screw 58 to be pressed partially into it from each end, but other similarly acting members could also serve this purpose. Because the compression member 57 is flexible, hollow and smaller in diameter than the slot in which it is located, it can distort outward in it's middle cross section, thereby allowing it to compress and shorten vertically. This in turn allows the push rod 56 and the axle 42 riding upon it to be forced downward, away from the pulley 30 to a pre-determined degree as a means of (a) self-adjusting for variations or changes over time in the thickness of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 in order to maintain appropriate occluding forces and gap, and (b) providing a means of relieving excessive buildup, spikes or surges in pressure within the peristaltic hose assembly 1 by momentarily opening the occlusion at location 41 until the excessive pressure condition has passed. It is recalled that there are two adjustment assemblies so mounted and attached to each end of the axle 42 so in this way, the compression roller 39 can not only be raised and lowered but its face angle can also be adjusted to match that of the adjacent pulley 30 in order to optimize occlusion.

Referring now to Fig. 4a, an alternative style of adjustment assembly is shown. While it's function and capabilities are the same as the gap adjustment assembly 54 shown in Fig.
4, this version can also be installed in pairs on the outside walls of the lower housing 23, meaning the lower slot 59 as was seen in Fig. 4 is not required for adjustment access.
Instead, the slots 52 and 53 are cut clear through each side of the lower housing 23 and the axle 42 extends out beyond each side of the lower housing. For greater clarity, it can be seen that the adjustment assembly is, in fact, a common turnbuckle with the only modification being that the eye portion of its lower, threaded member has been removed such that the remaining threaded portion can be pressed into the compression member 57 which serves the same function as the one that was shown in Fig. 4. More specifically, the eye located on the upper end of this turnbuckle adjustment assembly 61 is slid over the frontward facing end of the axle 42 and prevented from slipping off in this case by press fitting a retaining nut (not shown for the sake of clarity) onto that end of the axle 42. The lower threaded element of the turnbuckle adjustment assembly 61 is pressed into the top opening of the previously described compression member 57 and optionally bonded therein. The bottom opening of the compression member 57 is then pressed over and optionally bonded to an upward oriented, cylindrically shaped pin portion of a retainer block 62 that is fixedly attached with a fastener 63 to the surface of the lower housing such that the turnbuckle adjustment assembly 61 either lengthens or shortens depending on which way its nut 64 is turned. Because the retainer block 62 is immovably fixed to the lower end of the turnbuckle adjustment assembly 61, the axle 42 and compression roller 39 are forced to move either up or down, or in other words closer to or farther from the pulley 30 because it is captive within the eye on the threaded upper member of the turnbuckle adjustment assembly 61. It is recalled that there are two adjustment assemblies so mounted and attached to each end of the axle 42. As with the device taught in Fig. 4, the compression roller 39 can in this way, not only be raised and lowered but its face angle can also be adjusted to match that of the adjacent pulley 30 in order to optimize occlusion.

Referring now to Fig. 5, this embodiment of the present invention is also shown with the main housing of the occluding pulley block 20 being partially cut away between locations 50 and 51 for greater clarity. Thus, it can be seen that the single, compression roller 39 shown previously as being located directly below the pulley 30 in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 has been replaced here in Fig. 5 by two compression rollers 65 and 66 located diagonally above and to either side of the pulley 30 with the gap between them being less than the diameter of the pulley 30. The first compression roller 65 rotates freely on an axle 67 that is fixedly mounted to the upper left housing 21 and the second compression roller 66 rotates freely on an axle 68 that is fixedly mounted to the upper right housing 22.

As with the previously taught embodiments, the freely rotating pulley 30 is seen to be mounted on an axle 42 shown here again being slideably mounted into a frontside slot 44 (not shown due to cutaway) and backside slot 45 (hidden so shown as a dotted line) for adjustment purposes, after which the axle 42 is locked in place by a fastener such as a wing nut 46. Likewise also, the pulley 30 and, in this case, both compression rollers 65 and 66 are mounted within a slot 27 located between location 28 seen spanning the upper left housing 21 and upper right housing 22 on the top and location 29 in the lower housing 23 on the bottom. As with the previously taught embodiments, the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is compressed against the pulley 30 to the extent that it temporarily becomes fully occluded as it is drawn back and forth through the gaps between the pulley 30 and the compression rollers 65 and 66 as can be seen at locations 69 and 70.

The functional difference between this embodiment and those taught in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is that occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 occurs as a result of the pulley 30 being drawn up against the compression rollers 65 and 66 by the peristaltic hose assembly 1 as opposed to occlusion occurring as a result of one or more compression rollers being pressed against the peristaltic hose assembly 1 by an external force. It is for this reason that in the embodiment shown here in Fig. 5, the wing nut 46 is used to lock the axle 42, and therefore the roller 30, in a position that limits the amount of compression being applied to the peristaltic hose assembly 1 in order to eliminate damage and/or loss of efficiency that could occur due to over compression.

Referring now to Fig. 6, this embodiment of the present invention is seen to be similar to that shown in Fig. 5 with the difference being in the means by which compression of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is limited. In this embodiment, the pulley 30 and axle 42 are allowed to slide freely up and down within the slots 44 and 45 rather than being locked into the appropriate location for optimal occlusion, whether by a fastener such as a lock nut as was taught in Fig. 5 or by any other means. Rather, some other form of pulley travel limiter such as, but not limited to the freely rotating roller 71 shown here mounted onto an axle 72 may be mounted at an appropriate location above the pulley 30 such that the faces of the roller 71 and pulley 30 come into contact with each other, thereby preventing further travel of the pulley 30 at that point where full occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 is determined to occur. Adjustability of the occluding gaps is also incorporated by mounting the axle 72 into a frontside slot 73 (not shown due to cutaway) and a backside slot 74 and then locking it in the appropriate location with a fastener such as a wing nut 75 (hidden). In this way, the temporary compression and occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 between the pulley 30 and compression rollers 65 and 66 at locations 69 and 70 respectively can be both limited and adjustably controlled.

Referring now to Fig. 7, this embodiment of the present invention is shown in the same cutaway view and seen to be similar to that shown in Fig. 6 with the only difference being that the pulley 30 is not mounted on an axle as was taught in Fig. 5 and Fig.
6 but rather is inserted into and allowed to float freely within the aforementioned slot 27 in the lower housing 23. This further facilitates mounting of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 which, as was previously taught, wraps under the pulley, thereby drawing it up and holding it in the correct position to cause occlusion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 when in operation.

The width of the slot 27, being only slightly more than the width of of the pulley 30, prevents twisting or racking of the pulley 30, which could result in misalignment with the compression rollers 65 and 66 to the degree that a loss of occlusion or uneven wear might occur. The compression rollers 65 and 66 are spaced far enough apart that the pulley 30 can enter the gap between them far enough to prevent it from slipping out of the device under intended operating conditions. It is foreseen that a similar embodiment excluding any form of hose compression limiting means could function in limited circumstances.
Referring now to Fig. 8, this embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a conventional, fiddle block style housing 76 rather than an open, "T" shaped, uni-body housing as taught in the previous Fig's 1 to 7; a flat-faced, freely rotating pulley 30 that provides the necessary amount of compression force needed to cause and maintain occlusion without the use of a compression roller, as was previously taught in Fig. 2 and;
a discrete hose occlusion opener 77, in this case attached to the upper end of the housing 76 between its front cheek 78 and back cheek 79 by a fastener 80 such as a pin or bolt and such that the hose occlusion opener 77 can partially rotate around the fastener 80 on the same plane as the pulley 30 operates on. It is noted that while the fiddle block style housing 76 used in this embodiment of the present invention is different than those housings taught in the previous figures, it and the device in general, function in the same manner as those previously taught. It is noted that for the sake of clarity, the hidden portion of the peristaltic hose assembly 1 and the hidden pulley 30 are marked by a dashed lines.

Referring now to Fig. 8a, it is envisioned that for convenience and cost considerations, a common, conventional fiddle block could be adapted for the novel use taught herein by replacing its conventional pulley with one capable of and intended for occluding a hose, such as the relatively flat-faced pulley 30 shown here Fig. 8a as well as by adding some form of hose occlusion opener 76 such as those shown here Fig. 8a.

Referring finally to Fig. 9, this embodiment of the present invention shows yet another housing that can be used while still employing the same operating principles and some or all of the previously taught novel features. In this case, the housing 81 employed is what is commonly referred to as a snatch block, meaning that at least one of its cheeks is hinged or similarly configured such that it can be opened in order to allow a flexible member such as a rope, cable or, in this case, a peristaltic hose assembly 1 to be mounted more easily and without having to disassemble the flexible member from the apparatus as a whole.
More specifically, the bottom of the front cheek 82 is attached by a hinge 83 to the bottom of the back cheek 84 of the housing 81. Appropriate fasteners, in this case being threaded pins 85 and 86 are fixedly attached to the back cheek 84. When the two cheeks are closed against each other as shown at the joint 87, these pins 85 and 86 protrude through aligned holes (hidden) in the front cheek 82 whereupon fasteners, which in this case are wing nuts 88 and 89, are used to lock the two cheeks 82 and 84 together. To further facilitate in-situ servicing or replacement of this style of hose occluding pulley block, a removable, threaded shear pin 90 and wing nut 91 are employed to mount it to any appropriate anchoring means 8. The primary benefit of this design is to allow for easier in-situ replacement of the complete hose occluding pulley block 92 and or the peristaltic hose assembly 1.

Referring now to the preceding drawings and their descriptions in general, it is envisioned that these hose occluding pulley blocks may, as is common practice with conventional pulley blocks, incorporate raised ridges into the inner walls of the housings or use other similar means for the purpose of preventing the peristaltic hose assemblies from sliding or being extruded into the gaps that must exist between the sides of the pulleys and the inner walls of the housing in which they rotates.

It is noted that as with the various hose assemblies taught in my now published patent application No. PCT/CA2009/00649, Wave-Powered, Reciprocating Hose Peristaltic Pump, the peristaltic hose assemblies referred to in this description of the present invention may or may not incorporate a discrete, woven linkage or some other similarly acting strength member whose purpose is to carry most or all of the tensile loads that would otherwise be borne by the peristaltic hose assembly 1 during operation.
This does not change the operating principles, function or design of the present invention.

Claims - to follow

Claims

1 Claims The embodiments of the present invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A hose occluding pulley block with occlusion reopening means for use in a wave powered peristaltic hose pump consisting essentially of (a) an open or hollow centered housing having two vertical cheeks or sides joined at their top and bottom, noting that this may be implemented as a single, solid member with a slot cut through it (b) an axle that passes horizontally through the open area or slot between the housing sides and which is fixedly attached at each of its ends to the the housing sides, (c) a freely rotating pulley (sheave) mounted on the axle such that it is located in the opening or slot between and oriented on the same plane as the housing sides, (d) an anchor attachment means such as a shackle by which the housing is attached to a relatively immovable reaction point such as a seabed, preferably in a manner which allows for movement of the pulley block on it's horizontal axes but restricts rotation on its vertical axis, and (e) one or more hose occlusion openers, positioned directly above and on the same plane as the pulley such that they cause, facilitate and/or increase the degree of reopening of an introduced hose passing through them to it's normal, internally open state following the flattening and occlusion it undergoes at some point of contact with the pulley as it bends about it, this occurring when the hose is employed, in cooperation with the pulley block, as integral parts of a wave powered peristaltic hose pump.

2. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claim 1 wherein hose alignment guides located above and on either side of the pulley through, along or around which the introduced hose is guided towards and away from the pulley and, which in a preferred embodiment are the occlusion openers, are located above and on the same plane as the pulley and positioned such that the modified route the hose follows has the effect of reducing or eliminating a difference in the overall length within the pulley block of the inward facing and outward facing surfaces or walls of the hose as a result of it bending about the pulley, this being a condition that can lead to premature hose failure; it being further noted that in the case of the hose occlusion openers functioning also in this capacity, the gap between them is somewhat less than the diameter of the pulley.

3. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claims 1 or 2 wherein hose rotating guides through, along or around which the introduced hose passes and, which in a preferred embodiment take the form of spiral ridges or grooves incorporated into walls of the occlusion openers, are located above and on the same plane as the pulley and cause the hose to gradually turn or rotate about its axis as it reciprocates back and forth into and out of the pulley block such that it is not stressed and/or creased lengthwise in exactly the same places each time it becomes flattened during occlusion.

4. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein hose cleaning means such as scrapers or brushes through, along or around which the introduced hose passes may be mounted to the housing, moulded into the walls of the hose occlusion openers or, in a preferred embodiment, take the form of replaceable, open-centered, disk shaped holders such as split rings incorporating inward facing scrapers or brushes, said rings being either partially or fully recessed and attached into the hose occlusion openers or attached to the housing in alignment with the hose occlusion openers, such that the hose passes through or across them and comes in contact with them, thus scouring the outer wall of the hose as it moves back and forth in order to prevent or reduce fouling.

5. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claim 1 wherein one or more hose occlusion means such as freely rotating hose compression rollers or hose compression shoes are mounted to the housing adjacent to the pulley and perpendicular to the hose, ideally at any point(s) where the hose is normally in contact with the pulley, those points typically being along the lower half of the pulley's circumference, such that the hose is flattened to the point of full occlusion upon passing between the hose occlusion means and the pulley, this including embodiments where the gap between the hose occlusion means and the pulley may be adjusted and set prior to use or during maintenance.

6. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claim 5 wherein a separate or incorporated occlusion gap setting means such as a wedge or a lever or cam based means is used to enable or facilitate the pushing, pulling or otherwise moving of the hose occlusion means and, along with it, the hose in a controlled manner closer to or farther from the pulley in order to establish, adjust or hold the amount of flattening force on the hose needed to ensure optimal occlusion, following which the hose occlusion means, whether or not self-adjusting, can be locked in place for use and the tool removed, whether this occurs during setup, maintenance or servicing and wherein different embodiments may or may not incorporate hose occlusion reopening means.

7. A hose occluding pulley block with self-adjusting hose occlusion means for use in a wave powered peristaltic hose pump consisting essentially of (a) an open or hollow centered housing having two vertical cheeks or sides joined at their top and bottom, noting that this may be implemented as a single, solid member with a slot cut through it (b) an axle that passes horizontally through the open area or slot between the housing sides and which is fixedly attached at each of its ends to the the housing sides, (c) a freely rotating pulley (sheave) mounted on the axle such that it is located in the opening or slot between and oriented on the same plane as the housing sides, (d) an anchor attachment means such as a shackle by which the housing is attached to a relatively immovable reaction point such as a seabed, preferably in a manner which allows for movement of the pulley block on it's horizontal axes but restricts rotation on its vertical axis, and (e) one or more self-adjusting hose occlusion means such as freely rotating compression rollers or hose compression shoes mounted to the housing adjacent to the pulley and perpendicular to the hose, ideally at any point (s) where the hose is normally in contact with the pulley along the lower half of it's circumference, such that the hose is flattened to the point of full occlusion upon passing between them and the pulley, and wherein said self-adjusting capability imparts an ability to vary the gap through which the hose passes between the pulley and the hose occlusion means in response to variances in hose construction, time and usage related changes in hose thickness, fouling or any other factors involving variations in thickness of the walls and/or diameter of the hose that would otherwise cause either a loss of full occlusion or jamming of the hose between the pulley and the hose occlusion means.

8. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claim 7 wherein the self-adjusting hose occlusion means also function as a pressure relief means for relieving excessive buildup, spikes or surges in pressure within the hose, this occurring when excessive pressure within the hose causes the self-adjusting hose occlusion means to temporarily retract, thereby opening the gap through which the hose passes and, therefore, opening the otherwise full occlusion just enough to allow enough of the fluid within the pressurized portion of the hose to escape back past the point of occlusion into the non-pressurized portion of the hose that the pressure level returns to normal and full occlusion returns.

9. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 5 to 8 wherein the area of full occlusion of the hose is enlarged by mounting a flexible, compressible band or tire onto the outer face of the compression roller such that the band or tire flattens to a degree when forced against the hose, this resulting in the compression force being distributed across a wider area of the hose, which in turn, results in an increased area of full occlusion of the hose and thereby increasing the ability of the hose occluding pulley block to maintain a full seal at the area of occlusion should localized irregularities or variations be present or develop over time in the hose's thickness, shape or inner wall smoothness or with the pulley or compression roller(s) themselves, it being noted that the flexible, compressible band or tire also serves in a secondary role as a self-adjusting hose occlusion means.

10. A hose occluding pulley block with moving-pulley hose occlusion means for use in a wave powered peristaltic hose pump consisting essentially of (a) an open or hollow centered housing having two vertical cheeks or sides joined at their top and bottom, noting that this may be implemented as a single, solid member with a slot cut through it, (b) an axle that passes horizontally through the open area or slot between the housing sides and which is slide-ably attached at each of its ends in vertically oriented slots located in the housing sides, (c) a freely rotating pulley (sheave) mounted on the axle such that it is located in the opening or slot between and oriented on the same plane as the housing sides, (d) an anchor attachment means such as a shackle by which the housing is attached to a relatively immovable reaction point such as a seabed, preferably in a manner which allows for movement of the pulley block on it's horizontal axes but restricts rotation on its vertical axis, and (e) two or more hose occlusion means such as freely rotating hose compression rollers or hose compression shoes mounted to the housing adjacent to and diagonally above on the same plane and on each side of the pulley and spaced such that the distance between their outer faces is less than the pulley's diameter with the result that when the hose and the pulley about which it is looped are drawn upwards towards the hose occlusion means by forces applied to hose's two ends, the pulley and that portion of the hose which is looped about it cannot be drawn fully through the space between the hose occlusion means, thus resulting in the hose temporarily becoming occluded at those locations where it is flattened between the pulley and the hose occlusion means, and (f) a locking means by which the pulley bearing axle can be locked in position once full occlusion of the hose is attained.

11.A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claim 10 wherein the the areas of full occlusion of the hose are enlarged by mounting a flexible, compressible band or tire onto the outer face of either the compression rollers or the pulley such that the bands or tires flatten to a degree when forced against the hose, this resulting in the compression force being distributed across a wider area of the hose resulting in an increased area of full occlusion of the hose and thereby increasing the ability of the hose occluding pulley block to maintain a full seal at the area of occlusion should localized irregularities or variations be present or develop over time in the hose's thickness, shape or inner wall smoothness or with the pulley or compression rollers themselves.

12. A hose occluding pulley block as described in Claims 10 or 11 wherein pulley travel limiting means such as one or more freely rotating rollers or contact shoes are mounted to the housing above the slide-ably attached pulley such that they prevent the pulley from moving closer than a set distance to the hose occlusion means and further, wherein the pulley travel limiting means may be fixedly attached but, in a preferred embodiment are adjustably attached on their vertical axis, in the latter case to both limit and adjust or optimize the amount of compression of the hose and in either case to the potential for damage to the hose as well as the loss of efficiency that would occur due to the energy wasted on unnecessary over-compression of the hose, it being understood that the use of pulley travel limiting means removes the need to provide a means of locking the pulley axle in position once full occlusion of the hose is attained, although this feature is retained in a preferred embodiment in order to facilitate setup and maintenance during out of service operations.

13. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 10 to 12 wherein no pulley axle is employed with the result that the pulley is allowed to float freely within the confines of the housing to the degree that its lateral and rotating movements are restricted to the same plane that the housing sides lie on by virtue of the pulley's width being only slightly less than the width of the opening or slot in the housing that it operates within and further, it is prevented from falling free of the housing by the constant, upwardly directed pull of the hose during operation as the hose and the pulley about which it is looped are together drawn upwards against the hose occlusion means by those forces applied to the hose's two ends by other parts of the wave powered peristaltic hose pump that the hose and the pulley block an integral part of.

14. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the self-adjusting hose occlusion means of Claim 7.

15. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the pressure relief means and arrangement of Claim 8.

16. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the occlusion area enlargement means and arrangement of Claim 9.

17. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the lockable moving-pulley hose occlusion means and arrangement of Claim 10.

18. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the hose occlusion area enlargement means and arrangement of Claim 11.

19. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the pulley travel limiting means and optionally lockable sliding pulley arrangement of Claim 12.

20. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 5 that incorporates the floating pulley arrangement of Claim 13.

21. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 20 wherein the housing is an open body design such as an open-Tee shape in order to prevent or reduce the accumulation of silt and other types of biological or non-biological fouling within the pulley block.

22. A hose occluding pulley block as described in any one of Claims 1 to 21 wherein the housing is openable, a feature found in hinged snatch blocks commonly used with sail rigging, such that the hose can be removed and replaced with the pulley block remaining in-situ.

23. An adaptor kit for converting conventional pulley blocks to hose-occluding pulley blocks for use in wave powered peristaltic hose pumps comprising any combination of one or more pulley's, occlusion openers, hose alignment guides, hose rotating guides, hose cleaners, hose gap setting means, hose compression rollers, hose compression limiting means and self-adjusting hose occlusion means.