GB2257756A

GB2257756A - Pump priming apparatus.

Info

Publication number: GB2257756A
Application number: GB9113786A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rodney James Windsor; Richard John Windsor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-06-26
Filing date: 1991-06-26
Publication date: 1993-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-26
Also published as: GB2257756B; GB9113786D0

Abstract

A motor 3 drives a diaphragm pump 2 to create a vacuum in a tank 1 which is connected via a vacuum line 12 to a pump 4 to be primed. A valve 13 is disposed in line 12. When the pump 2 is activated a vacuum is produced in the tank 1 and then in the pump 4 when valve 13 is opened, thus priming the pump by allowing the fluid to be pumped to enter via inlet 14. Valve 13 is closed to maintain the vacuum in the pump following which the motor 3 is switched off and primed pump 4 operates normally. The pump 4 has a gate valve 16 which is closed during priming. A spring loaded flap 18 in an opening 17 of the tank allows any excess fluid sucked up during priming to be subsequently exhausted. The motor 3 may be powered by hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical means. The apparatus may be attached to a tractor and be powered from the tractor's hydraulic system. 7a <IMAGE>

Description

Priming Apparatus The present invention relates to a pump priming system.

Pumps are available for pumping water, slurry or other fluids, for example, for irrigation. At the beginning of a pumping operation, the pump must be primed. This is effected manually and may require considerable effort for a lengthy period depending on the distance and/or height of the pump from and/or above the source of the fluid. Furthermore having manually drawn the water to the pump, if the pump is not started at precisely the correct time the whole operation may have to be repeated.

Self priming pumps are already known but these require supervision if pump failure is to be avoided, for example, when material being pumped ceases to flow.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pump priming system comprising a diaphragm pump for creating a vacuum, means for connecting the means for creating a vacuum to the pump to be primed to create a vacuum in the pump and means for driving the means for creating a vacuum.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for driving comprises an hydraulic motor, pneumatic motor or electric motor. The means for connecting comprises a vacuum line from the vacuum pump to the pump to be primed. A vacuum tank is disposed in the line and a vacuum cut off valve is disposed in the line intermediate the tank and the pump to be primed. Once the pump is primed, this valve may be shut to hold the vacuum in the pump. To reciprocate the diaphragm of the diaphragm pump, a drive connection is provided between the means for driving and the pump to convert the rotary output of the motor into reciprocating motion of the pump. This connection comprises a wheel on the motor output shaft and a connecting rod eccentrically mounted on the wheel at one end and pivotally connected to the diaphragm shaft at the other end.

The outlet from the primed pump is controlled by a gate valve or other suitable isolating means.

The hydraulic motor driving the vacuum pump is supplied with hydraulic fluid from the normal hydraulic fluid supply on a tractor. A bypass controlled by a control valve either prevents or permits the hydraulic fluid to flow through the motor and thus to switch the motor on or off.

The system and pump to be primed is mounted on a specially designed metal or moulded synthetic plastics material chassis. This chassis has fixing points enabling it to be fixed to the back of a tractor and, on its side remote from these fixing points, a trailer bar enabling a trailer to be towed from the tractor with the chassis in position.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing which shows, diagrammatically, one form of pump priming apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus generally comprises a vacuum tank 1, a vacuum diaphragm pump 2, and a hydraulic motor 3 all mounted on a support bracket 5 specially designed for the purpose. The pump to be primed is referenced 4. The hydraulic motor 3 receives hydraulic fluid in the direction of the arrow shown along the line 6.

A control 7 valve is disposed in line 6. An hydraulic return line 8 is provided for the return of hydraulic fluid from the motor 3 also in the direction of the arrow shown.

On the downstream side of the control valve 7 is disposed an adjustable restrictor 7a operative to control the amount of hydraulic fluid entering the motor 3 and therefore the speed of the motor. A further hydraulic line 9 leads from the control valve 7 to join with the return line 8 at junction 10. In one position of the control valve 7 hydraulic fluid is permitted to flow along line 6 to the motor 3 to drive the motor and thence back to the source of hydraulic fluid along return line 8. In the other position of the control valve 7, hydraulic fluid is permitted to flow through the valve along line 9 and thence back to the source via return line 8 thus bypassing the hydraulic motor 3. The source of hydraulic fluid may be any suitable source, but will generally be taken from the hydraulic fluid supply which forms part of the normal equipment of a tractor.

The hydraulic motor 3 drives the vacuum diaphragm pump 2. For this purpose a drive connection is provided between the motor 3 and pump 2 which converts the rotary motion of the shaft of the motor into reciprocating motion for the diaphragm of pump 2. The drive connection comprises a wheel on the shaft of the motor 3 on which a con-rod 3a is eccentrically mounted. The con-rod 3a is pivotally connected to a reciprocatable rod 3b which is connected in turn to the diaphragm of the pump 2. The rod 3b is disposed for reciprocating movement within a guide slot defined by a pair of guides 4a forming part of the support bracket 4.

The pump 2 is operative to create a vacuum in the vacuum tank 1 via vacuum line 11 and a vacuum in the pump 4 to be primed via a further vacuum line 12 A vacuum cut-off valve 13 is disposed in the vacuum line 12. The inlet to the pump 4 through which water, slurry or other fluid to be pumped is drawn is referenced 14 and the outlet from the pump is referenced 15. A gate valve 16 is disposed in the outlet 15. An outlet 17 which is closable by a spring loaded flap 18 is provided in the base of the vacuum tank 1. The drive shaft 19 of the pump 4 is disposed for connection to the power drive of a tractor. The assembly may advantageously be connected to the tractor by appropriate connection points. The chassis is preferably made of mild steel, but may be of any other suitable material such as synthetic plastics material.

In use, the assembly is transported to the location at which it is to be used on a tractor to which it is fixed by means of the connection points. The tractor may also be used to draw an irrigation reel on a trailer. At the location, the inlet 14 to the pump 4 is connected to the source of water, slurry or other fluid to be pumped and the outlet to the irrigation reel (for example). Lines 6 and 8 are connected to appropriate go and return hydraulic ports of the hydraulic circuit of the tractor to drive the motor 3. Gate valve 15 is closed, vacuum cut-of valve is opened and control valve 7 is disposed in its first position permitting fluid flow to the hydraulic motor 3. The hydraulic supply is switched on to drive the motor 3. This in turn drives the vacuum pump 2 to create a vacuum in tank 1 and also in the pump 4 thus drawing water, slurry or other fluid from its source to the pump.When water is visible in line 12, which may be made of transparent material for this purpose, showing that fluid has been drawn as far as the pump and the pump primed valve 13 is shut off to hold the vacuum created in the pump 4 and valve 7 is changed over to bypass the motor 3 and switch off this motor. Vacuum in line 11 and vacuum tank 1 is released allowed any fluid in the tank to exit via the exit 17. The flap 18 is no longer held closed by the vacuum. The drive to the pump 4 through shaft 19 is switched on and the gate valve 15 opened to permit fluid to flow through the pump 4 from inlet 14 to outlet 15. If desired the drive to pump 4 from the tractor via shaft 19 may be on during the priming operation, fluid then being pumped by the pump 4 after priming immediately valve 15 is opened.

The above described embodiment enables the pump to be easily, efficiently and reliably primed, thus overcoming the disadvantages of the existing arduous and unreliable manual pump priming. Priming time which could take many minutes particularly where fluid had to be drawn over a distance of many feet and/or from a substantial depth, is reduced to seconds.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only. For example, any other suitable drive such as an electric or a pneumatic motor may be used instead of the hydraulic motor to drive the vacuum pump 2. The gate valve 15 may be replaced by any other suitable isolating means. If desired, oil leakage from the hydraulic pump or equivalent may be fed to the gate valve or equivalent to lubricate it.

Claims

1. A pump priming system comprising a diaphragm pump for creating a vacuum, means for connecting the pump for creating a vacuum to the pump to be primed to create a vacuum in the pump and means for driving the pump for creating a vacuum.

2. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for driving comprises an hydraulic motor.

3. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for driving comprises a pneumatic motor.

4. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 1, in which the means for driving comprises an electric motor.

5. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 1,2,3 or 4, in which the means for connecting comprises a vacuum line from the vacuum pump to the pump to be primed.

6. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 5, in which a vacuum tank is disposed in the line and a vacuum cut off valve is disposed in the line intermediate the tank and the pump to be primed.

7. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 6, in which the cut off valve is operative in its shut position to hold the vacuum in the pump to be primed once the pump is primed.

8. A pump priming system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a drive connection connects the means for driving and the diaphragm pump to convert the rotary output of the means for driving into reciprocating motion of the pump.

9. A pump priming system as claimed in claim 8, in which the drive connection comprises a wheel on an output shaft of the means for driving and a connecting rod eccentrically mounted on the wheel and pivotally connected to a shaft of the diaphragm.

10. A pump priming system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a chassis having fixing points enabling it to be connected to a tractor.

11. A pump priming system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.