US2107694A - Parallel series centrifugal pump - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2s, 1938.

c. H. Fox

PARALLEL SERIES CENTRIUGAL PUMP Filed May 9 1934 Patented Feb. 8, 1938 f v 2,107,69r v v y rAmiLLELy SRIES`V CENTRIFUG'L PUMP rvcharles H..Fox,.cinc'innati,.ohio; assigxmf'ioThe` PMENT omer y Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine Company, Cincinnati, 'r' :151.5 Qhiofavcorporation of Ohio s y 'invention relates; to i, improvements in pumps; ami-'nasrorits ,object to provi-ue a pump, adaptedftofbeused in connection' withV fire 'trucks' andvconstructed so' .that water'may'be' taken into tn'pumps from eitherfsiueofthetruckand discharged fromone side. y Y fltiis'ano 'jectoffthis` invention to provide a` pumpme'chanism in wliichthereis' a plurality of pumps mounted on a V,frarrifef in staggered formation,and'connected to alpowersourcev so that a' singlefpump may .be operat'ed or all of the pumps operated infc onjuriction'. v if 'It'is'an object of the invention to provide, in conne/,ation withfatruck frame having a` vpair of pumpsf'thereon, a Ysource of power and a driven shaft, means to connect the source of power toeither or both pumps or to connect the source of power to the driven shaft.

Itis also an object to provide, in connection ywith a truck, a plurality of pumps, one a primary pump and the other asecondary pump, connected to a source of water supply so that the two pumps may operate in parallel or they may operate in series, the water passing through the secondary pump into the primary pump for discharging purposes.

These and other advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection Ywith the drawing.

V`Referring to the drawing:r i

Figure 1 is a plan. view of the pump mechanism and a part of the tru-ck structure to which the pump mechanism is attached, and by which it is supported.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig- Aure 1.

, Aand the pump gearing and the driven shaft con-l Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing connections between the driving shaft nected with the axle and wheels.

In the present pump structure there are two centrifugal pumps shown supported transversely of va frame, which constitutes part of a re truck. One of these pumps is a primary pump .I and the other is a secondary pump 2, each having its inllet connected to` an inlet header k3. ,This inlet header has ports or inlets-4 and 5' for suction Vhose.k Intermediate its ends this Vinlet header has provision, as indicated by the numeral 6, for

an additional tubular intake. YIntermediate its ends thek intake header is prokvided. with a take-off 1, which is connected to the intake of the primary pump by means of a y pipe 8. In the take-off 'I there is a self-seating jacent the inlet to the primary pump movement inthe direction of the inlet to the primary pump |11l IExtending from the inlet header tothel i'nl'et"y ofthe secondary pum'pis a take-off |10. k,The outlet II of the primary pump is connectfe'tl to' oneend'of ari arcuate discharge head- 5 er' I3, wl'iil'eithe'outletllZof thev secondary pump 2'is' connectedto the other end of the discharge header by r'rifeaiis' vof atubular connection I4. Q Atjthe'poiiit where'the tubular connectionl I4 connects withthe 'discharge'- header there is a 10 sealing vait/e l5; which is'jspring'pressed' and adaptedto' open underl pressure of the water flowing from; the secondary pump through the tubular' connection M', into the discharge header.` Extending fromtiie tubular' connection' to' 15 the pipe 8 is an arcuate pipe I6, which has therein a valve operated by means of a handle I8. This pipe I6 opens into the pipe B ad- The discharge header is provided with a plurality of discharge gates, such as I9, to which hose may be attached for discharging water from the header. l

'Ihe pump I is operated by means of a shaft which extends into a. transmission case 2|. The secondary pump 2 is operated by means of a shaft 22 which extends into a clutch casing 23, and by means of a clutch in the casing is adapted to be connected through transmission in the pipe I6 and both pumps are operating, they act in parallel and both supply water to the discharge header for discharge through the discharge gates. When the pumps are operating in parallel a large supply of water is provided without so much pressure. If the secondary pump is not operating and the primary pump is operating the volume of water and the pressure fall to about one-half the capacity of the two pumps when operating in parallel. When the valve I1 isshifted so that the pipe I6 is open the two pumps will operate in series, thereby producing a greater pressure with a lesser volume.

When the two pumps are operating in series the water passes from the header 3, through the take-off l0 into the secondary pump 2, from the secondary pump, through the pipe I6 into the primary pump, and from the primary pump 55 into the discharge header. When the pumps are acting in series the springs, acting against the valves 9 and I5, prevent the water from passing from the header 3 into the primary pump, and from the tubular connection I4 into the discharge header I3.

On the power shaft 24 is a clutch element 27 adapted to be engaged by a clutch element 29, slidablyV but non-rotatably mounted upon a sleeve 28, which is rotatably mounted on the power shaft and supported by the transmission case 2i. The clutch element 29 is slidable upon the sleeve by means of a clutch operating lever` 30, suitably pivoted to the transmission case 2i.

The sleeve 28 carries thereon a gear 3|, which meshes with a gear 32 on the shaft 2U and a gear 33 mounted upon a shaft 34 adapted to be connected with the shaft 22 by means of a clutch 35 within the clutch casing 23. 'I'his clutch is operated by means of a clutch lever 36 suitably supported on the clutch casing. For the purpose of connecting the power shaft 24 to the traction shaft 25 a clutch 31 is provided.

I include by this new arrangement, means to increase the effectiveness of centrifugal pumping mechanism over the wide variations of volume and pressure demanded by re service.

It will be obvious that my invention permits the attachment of the hose to any one or more of the gates regardless of the manner in which the pumps are being operated so that the hose lines need not be disturbed when transitions from parallel to series, or vice versa, are eiected and therefore I can secure, without detachment of the hose lines, either a parallel arrangement when the demand is for greater volume at lesser pressures, or a series arrangement when the demand is for greater pressure at lesser volume. The primary pump can be operated at such times only when the demand for volume and pressure falls approximately within one-half of the capacity of both pumps.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of my claim and my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In combination in a pumping mechanism, an inlet header, a plurality of diverging outlets, a plurality of pumping mechanisms connected thereto and in parallelism with said header, valve means for selectively arranging said pumping mechanisms in parallel or in series, a common outlet header attached to the outlets of said pumping mechanisms, andv a common power means for selectively driving from a single source of power one or both of said pumping mechanisms, said valve means comprising a manually operated valve and automatically closing valves, one interposed between one pump and the inlet header and the other pump and the outlet header, said pumps being arranged in such relationship with respect to one another so that the pump shafts are out of axial alignment with one another. Y

CHARLES H. FOX.

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