US2084587A - Strainer - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1937. w. K. M FARLIN STRAINER Filed Sept. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l MF J INVENTOR WAZZLM A.

June 22, 1937. w. K. MOFARLIN 7,

STRAINER Filed Sept. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR Patented Julie 22, 1931 STRAINER I William K. McFarlin, East Orange, N. J.

Application September 3 Claims.

- "This invention relates to strainers and has particular references to such as are associated with the lower ends of pump lines or pipes where I liquid is to be pumped out of places where drift, ice, and other matter must be excluded from the pump lines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, strong, and yet light weight strainer which will perform its functions proper,- ib 1y without any danger of damage or breakage due to contact with drift and ice and similar materials in use.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from a 1-6 consideration of the specification hereinafter when taken inficonnection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specificationand which illustrate a present preferred form; of the invention.

Briefly and generally considered, the invention comprises a perforate cage-like strainer casing into which there projects a suction pipe to a point at least half way down the height of the casing and in some instances extends down to a 2 point very near the bottom of the strainer casing. The suction pipe extends centrally into the casing and there is an annular space between its sides and'the side Walls of the casing. Disposed in this intervening space are a plurality of bracing wings or plates which are preferably rectangular in shape and extend from the topto the bottom of the casing. They are preferably welded at top and bottom and one side to the strainer casing and along at least a portion of the other side to the adjacent wall of the suction pipe. These wings are preferably also perforate. They provide a very desirable and essential bracing and strengthening to the unit and also facilitate the more even and uniform flow of the liquid in and through the strainer to the end of the suction pipe. By their means the unit is made so strong that no formations of drift wood or heavy ice or other material can break the unit altho the weight of the unit can be made half as much as normally would be the case without this bracing.

The invention further includes a construction whereby the top and the bottom walls of the casing are connected to the side walls to insure further strengthening of the unit as a whole. The extension of the suction pipe to a point below the top of the casing also insures that suction will take place at a level which will cause the 55 least surface disturbance and therefore will re- 21, 1935, Serial No. 41,521

sult in the surface drift and float from affecting the intake to the suction pipe.

The invention is illustrated in its present preferred form in the drawings of which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section through the device, with portions broken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section taken through the device on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged section showing the manner in which the.bottorn and top walls are connected to the sides of the casing.

As shown in the drawings, the preferred present form of the invention involves a suction pipe [0, which in the form shown has a flange l I with bolt holes I 2 by means of which it may-be fastened to any suitable pipe line such as a pump line. This suction pipe extends into a cage strainer having perforate side Walls and perforate top and bottom walls 14 and 15. The preferred form of the suction pipe and the cage strainer is circular but it is to be understood that they may be square or rectangular or oval or any other suitable. or desired shape. The pipe [0 in all cases extends down into the strainer to at leasthalf its depth and in some cases may extend down to a point very near the bottom of the strainer. In the form shown theperforations in the side of the strainer l3 are elongated slots such as H3 and the perforations in the top and bottom walls are circular holes such as ll, the sizes and dimensions of these perforations being determined by the size of the strainer and the circumstances under which it is to be used.

The top and bottom walls of the strainer are connected to the top and bottom edges of the side walls by being provided with lips such as 13 which are alternately disposed above and under the wall or surface to which they are connected as shown clearly in Figure 3. These connections are preferably Welded together. The top plate [4 of the strainer is also welded to the abutting edges of the suction pipe I0.

Disposed between the suction, pipe l0 and the side walls I3 of the cage strainer are a plurality of bracing wing plates I9, which in the form of the invention shown are preferably rectangular in shape. They each abut the under surface of the top plate M, the upper surface of the bottom plate [5, the inner face of the side walls [3, and the outer face of the suction pipe II]. To these surfaces which they abut the wing plates l9 are welded. These wing plates are preferably provided with perforations which as shown at 20 are of the same shape and disposition as the slots or perforations in the side walls [3.

To further strengthen the unit, a series of bracing bars 2| are disposed between the top plate l4 and the under side of the flange l I. They are preferably disposed at intervals and in a vertical plane with the wing plates l9. These bars are also preferably welded to the flange II, the suction pipe Ill and the top plate 14.

In thus constructingthe unit, it is to be observed that I have provided a suction pipe projecting into a perforated cage strainer to at least half the depth of the strainer; that the open area of the strainer is many times the cross sectional area of the suction pipe; that the top and bottom plates are securely united to the side walls of the strainer; that the wings brace the entire unit so that the top and bottom walls, the pipe, and the side walls are held together as one strong integral unit even though their weight is at least half what it would be if the bracing were not employed.

Therefore, the invention produces an extremely light weight unit which is even stronger than usual, with a suction pipe, the end of which is well down in the cage so that the flow of fluid into it produces a minimum of surface disturbance. By having the end of the pipe at least half way down the cage, it is further possible to get a better and more uniform flow of liquid into the pipe from all the points of the perforated area of the cage. 7 The manner of welding the elements together gives a strong solid union to the parts which form them into an integral whole so that even in streams or bodies of liquid in which there is a great quantity of drift wood or ice, the unit will operate efficiently and without any damage to it.

The use of the bottom edge of the radial wings to brace the flat bottom of the cage will permit this to be strong and also will enable much larger diameters of wall to be used than if they were not braced. Also with larger types of cages the number of wing braces can be increased so that the spacing between the braces can be decreased to give the necessary proportionate strength desired, while at the same time employing very light weight material. In extreme cases and under the most favor-able conditions, the weight of this unit may be only one third of what it ordinarily would be without the employment of this highly advantageous and practical invention.

It is of course to be understood that the sizes and proportions shown in the drawings are optional and of only one preferred form of the unit since local circumstances of use and service conditions will determine the physical relations of the parts while still embodying the features herein described and claimed.

Therefore even while the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof, it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In combination a cage strainer having perforated top, bottom, and side walls, the side walls having extending lips which are alternately disposed above and below the adjacent surfaces of the top and bottom walls and fastened thereto.

2. In combination, a suction pipe, a flange thereon, a cage strainer below the flange and into which the end of the pipe projects, bracing bars disposed between the top'of the cage and the flange and connected by welding to the top of the cage, the flange, and the pipe, a plurality of bracing wing plates disposed within the cage between the walls of the cage and the pipe, the

bracing wing plates being disposed in the same respective vertical planes as the bracing bars,

the bracing plates being perforated and welded to the top, bottom, and side walls of the cage} and to the abutting surfaces of the pipe,

3. In combination, a cage strainer having periorated top, bottom, and side walls, lips on one of the adjacent wall members adapted tolie;

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