GB810845A - Improvements in and relating to pumps, especially priming pumps, of the liquid ring type - Google Patents

Abstract

810,845. Centrifugal pumps. GILKES & GORDON Ltd., G., and CLARKE, B. E. June 27, 1957 [June 27, 1956], No. 19909/56. Class 110 (1). In a liquid-ring pump in which the impeller is enclosed by a ported casing containing the working liquid, the casing can rotate freely to afford an idle condition, means being provided for retarding or stopping the rotation to afford a pumping action. A reservoir 22, Fig. 1, containing a filter 23, is provided at the discharge side of a centrifugal pump 24 so that it is filled automatically when the centrifugal pump is operating. When the centrifugal pump is idle, water from the reservoir 22 descends through a pipe 25 and passes through a valve seat 36 and a passage 29, Figs. 1 and 2, to the interior of the outer casing 1 of a liquid-ring priming pump. The water now filling the outer casing 1 cooperates with vanes 21 on the outside of a rotary inner casing 8 to retard the free rotation of the inner casing about the impeller shaft 4, so that the liquid-ring pump becomes effective to draw air from the suction of the centrifugal pump 24 through a pipe 35. The air passes through a passage 19 to a bore 17 of the shaft 4 and enters suction port or ports 12 of the inner casing 8 through radial holes 16. Delivery port or ports 11 discharge the compressed air into the outer casing 1. The air escapes downwardly through a discharge pipe 39 to a drain 31. Pipe 39 also acts as a water overflow. When the centrifugal pump 24 is fully primed, the delivery pressure acts on the underside of a piston 33 to raise it against the action of a spring 38. In its raised position, the piston rod 32 obturates the passage 19 to close the connection to the centrifugal pump suction, and a valve 28 is lifted from a seat 37 and closes the seat 36 to shut off the supply of water from the reservoir 22. The water in the outer casing 1 now drains through a passage 30 and the open seat 37 to the drain 31. The inner casing 8 is now free to revolve in air at nearly the same speed as the impeller 5, so that the liquid-ring pump idles. Water leaking past the piston 33 may be supplied through passages 43, 44 to bearing 3 for lubrication purposes. The control may be manual instead of automatic and may comprise a brake applied to the inner casing 8. Instead of being journalled on the shaft 4, the inner casing 8 may be mounted on reparate bearings. Specification 370,585 is seferred to.