US2463458A

US2463458A - Vacuum pump

Info

Publication number: US2463458A
Application number: US746203A
Authority: US
Inventors: Freyn Carl
Original assignee: JEANETTE LLOYD
Current assignee: JEANETTE LLOYD
Priority date: 1947-05-06
Filing date: 1947-05-06
Publication date: 1949-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 1966-03-01

Description

March 1, 1949 c. FREYN I 2,463,458

VACUUM PUMP Filed May 6, 1947 INVENTOR. C'AHL FREYN,

A TTOHNEI/ Patented Mar. 1, 1949 VACUUM PUMP Carl Freyn, Edinburg, Ind., assignor to Jeanette Lloyd, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application May 6, 1947, Serial No. 746,203

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to a vacuum pump, and more particularly to an extremely simple and inexpensive device which nevertheless is operable to establish a high degree of vacuum. The specific device disclosed and claimed herein is an improvement upon that disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent N0. 1,960,902 issued May 29, 1934 for Suction device. The specific structural improvements disclosed and claimed herein for the first time render the device enormously more flexible in use, and are adapted for performing functions of which the device of my prior patent was entirely incapable, all as will appear hereinafter.

The primary object of the present invention, then, is to provide an improved pump capable of application to all sorts of devices for drawing a high degree of vacuum within such devices. A further object of the invention is to provide, for use in association with the said pump, an adapter designed and constructed to withdraw fiuids from one container and to transfer such fiuids to another container. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevational view of my improved vacuum pump, associated with a bottle to be evacuated;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pump; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the pump, associated with an adapter constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrated in vertical section, the adapter being associated with a container to be evacuated.

In the drawings, the reference numeral HJ indicates generally a pump constructed in accordance with the present invention. As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, one structural feature of the pump is a plug ll formed of relatively soft, resilient material such as rubber or any of the known rubber substitutes. Said plug preferably assumes the form of an inverted truncated right cone, and at its base, said plug is formed with an extended perimetral flange l2 defining a plane surface l3. Adjacent its base, the plug is preferably provided with a peripheral groove H.

Penetrating the plug and opening through its apex and its base is a passage indicated generally by the reference numeral 15. Said passage comprises an outer section l6 and an inner section H, the outer section opening through the apex of the plug and into an enlarged cavity 18 intermediate the passage sections, and the inner section opening through the plane surface l3 and into said cavity. Within the cavity is movably mounted a ball valve I9 which, under rest conditions and when the pump is held in the illustrated position, will find a seat upon the mouth of the section It opening into the cavity It to close communication between the section l6 and said cavity. A short metal tube 20, preferably having a roughened exterior surface, is pressed into the passage section ll, so that one end of said tube lies substantially flush with the surface l3 while the opposite end of said tube projects slightly into the cavity H3. The tube 2!] is so sized that it will be frictionally held against displacement by the engagement of the rubber walls of the passage section H with the exterior of said tube. That end of the tube ll which projects into the cavity i8 is notched or slotted as at 2! so that, even if the ball l9 should seat solidly upon the mouth of said tube, fluid may nevertheless flow freely past said ball and through the tube 20.

A collapsible dome-shaped body, indicated generally by the reference numeral 22, is formed to provide a chamber 23, and said body may preferably be provided with an integral shank 24 internally threaded as at 25 for the reception of the threaded end 26 of a plunger 21. The chamber 23 is closed except at its open mouth which is bounded by a flexible lip 28, said lip being engageable with the surface I3 to enclose the mouth of the passage section ll within said chamber. The body 22 may preferably be formed of rubber or any rubber substitute, and is so constructed that, while it may be distorted by downward pressure exerted through the plunger 21, it will tend to return to its illustrated shape, upon release of such pressure, through the inherent resiliency of the body material. The lip 28 is distortable so that, upon collapse of the body 22, fluid contained within said body, and prevented from escape through any other channel, will escape between the lip 28 and the surface l3, by distortion of said lip. The shape of said lip, however, is such that a reduction of pressure within the chamber 23 will not permit air to force its way into said chamber between the lip and the surface l3.

A shroud 29, which may preferably be formed of rubber or any suitable rubber substitute, encloses the body 22 and is formed with a reduced neck 30 through which the plunger 21 loosely extends. At its base, the shroud is formed with an inturned annular lip 3| defining an inwardly opening annular channel 32 adapted to receive and retain the periphery of the flange 12.

If it is desired to evacuate a bottle 33 having a mouth 34, or any other enclosed space havin a similar mouth, the plug I I may be entered in said mouth to establish a sealing relation therewith. Because of the conical shape of said plug, and the resilient character of the material from which it is formed, the plug will, of course, establish a sealing relation with any substantially circular orifice within a wide range of diameters. Such association provides, of course, communication between the interior of the vessel or other closed space, and the interior of the chamber 23, through the passage I5.

Now, the plunger 21 is depressed to collapse the body 22, thereby materially reducing the effective volume of the chamber 23. The air previously entrapped within the chamber 23 must escape therefrom; but the valve ball is, seated upon the mouth of the passage section [6 prevents air flow out from the chamber 23 through the passage [5. Therefore, the air forces its way between the lip 28 and the surface l3, distorting the lip in passing.

Upon release of the depressing force upon the plunger 21, the inherent resiliency of the body 22 tends to return said body to the shape thereof illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby again enlarging the effective volume of the chamber 23. The pressure within said chamber is thus reduced, to create a pressure differential between the opposite ends of the passage l and air from within the vessel 33 or other enclosed space, will rush through said passage [5 into the chamber 23, displacing the valve |9 as it flows. A subsequent collapse of the chamber 22 will force a portion of the air so withdrawn from the vessel 33 out past the lip 28; and repetition of the above cycle will progressively evacuate the vessel 33 or other enclosed space with which the pump is associated.

As the degree of vacuum increases, it may be necessary to exert an upward force upon the plunger 21 to restore the pump body 22 to its illustrated shape. Alternatively, I may incorporate a coiled spring 44 in the organization, preferably embedding one turn of such spring in the neck 24 of the body 22. Where the spring 44 is used, the body 22 need not be made of inherently resilient material, but may be made of canvas or other material suitably impregnate to render it fluid-tight. If desired, the spring 44 may be contoured to correspond with, and embedded in the walls of the body 22.

It may be frequently desirable to provide an organization whereby, through the use of my pump, liquids or gases may be transferred from one container to another. For that purpose, I provide an adapter such as that illustrated in Fig. 3.

In that figure, I have shown a can or other container 35 whose mouth is guarded by a threaded neck 36. My adapter comprises a body 31 which may preferably be formed of rubber or any suitable rubber substitute. The adapter is generally cylindrical, being formed to provide a chamber or passage 43, one open end 38 of which may preferably be threaded for threaded engagement with the container neck 36, and the other open end 39 of which is tapered for sealing cooperation with the plug H. Intermediate its ends, the body 31 is formed with a radial port 40 adapted to receive a rigid connector tube 4| to which may be connected a flexible conduit 42. It will be clear that, if the remote end of the conduit 42 is dipped into a receptacle containing any fluid, and if my pump is operated in the manner above described, fluid from such receptacle will be transferred to the receptacle 35.

Innumerable use for the disclosed assembly will at once be apparent. For instance, water will settle to the bottom of an automobile gasoline tank. If the conduit 42 is inserted to the bottom of such a tank, operation of the pump will draw liquid from the bottom of the tank; and all of the water may be thus removed. In such an operation, a transparent receptacle 35 will be used, so that operation can be stopped when it is seen that gasoline, floating on the top of the water first Withdrawn from the tank, is bein introduced into the receptacle 35. Sludge may be removed from crank cases. Coolant may be temporarily removed from automobile radiators in order to introduce antifreeze solution thereinto, without loss of the original coolant which may contain some antifreeze solution. Liquid fuel may be readily pumped into burner reservoirs. Small receptacles may be readily filled from large reservoirs which large reservoirs are not readily manipulable. Plumbing fixtures may be readily drained, even though they include traps. Foreign matter may be removed from traps. Other uses too numerous to mention will be readily apparent or will occur to the user as he avails himself of the advantages of my pump and adapter.

It will be appreciated that the disclosed pump and adapter may be manufactured of various materials and at extremely low cost, and that there is substantially nothing about the organization to get out of order. Even if any part of the organization should break down after con tinuous use, such part may be readily replaced without the use of special tools or equipment, and at extremely low cost. With no bearings and substantially no moving parts, I have provided a device whereby a high degree of vacuum may be established in a closed chamber, thereby 'accomplishing functions not heretofore possible except through the use of relatively expensive and complicated machinery.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vacuum pump comprising a substantially conical plug of yielding material shaped to present a continuous surface at its base, said plug being formed with a passage opening through its apex and through its base, a collapsible body having an open mouth but being otherwise closed to define a fluid chamber, the rim of said body surroundingsaid mouth being engageable with said continuous surface to enclose the opening of said passage through said base, said rim being flexible to permit the escape of fluid therepas't from said chamber, and valve means in said passage operable to prevent fluid flow out of said chamber through said passage.

2. The pump of claim 1 including a spring associated with said body and resiliently resisting collapse of said body.

3. The pump of claim 1 in which said passage is formed, intermediate its ends, with an enlarged cavity, and in which said valve means comprises a valve body movably received in said cavity and engageable with the opening into said cavity of that portion of said passage remote from said base to prevent fluid flow out of said chamber through said passage.

4. The pump of claim 3 including means cooperable with said valve body to hold said valve body positively out of engagement with the opening into said cavity of that portion of said passage adjacent said base.

5. The pump of claim 4 in which said lastnamed means comprises a rigid tube projected through said adjacent portion of said passage and into said cavity, that end of said tube disposed in said cavity being ported to permit fluid flow therethrough past said valve body when said valve body engages said tube end.

6. A vacuum pump comprising a base shaped to provide a substantially continuous surface, said base being imperforate except for a passage opening through said surface, a substantially dome-shaped collapsible body having an open mouth defined by an annular lip, said body defining a chamber closed except at said mouth, said lip being engageable with said surface to enclose said passage opening in said chamber and to seal said chamber against fluid ingress past said lip, said lip being distortable to permit fluid egress from said chamber therepast, and valve means in said passage operable to permit fluid ingress to said chamber therepast but to prevent fluid egress from said chamber therepast.

'i, The combination with the pump of claim 6 of a shroud element comprising a substantially dome-shaped body adapted to enclose and contain said first-named body, said shroud body being provided with an open mouth surrounded by an annular lip, said lip being formed to provide an inwardly-opening annular seat, the perimeter of said base being receivable in said seat to hold said pump and said shroud element in assembled relation.

3. The combination with the pump of claim 1 of an adapter comprising a body shaped to provide an open-ended passage, one open end of said passage being adapted for sealing association with the mouth of a container, the other open end of said passage sealingly receiving said plug, and conduit means opening into said passage intermediate said open ends.

9. The combination with the pump of claim 1 of an adapter comprising a body shaped to provide a chamber having three ports opening thereinto, one of said ports being adapted for sealing association with the mouth of an otherwise closed container to establish communication between the interior of said container and said adapter chamber, another of said ports being tapered for sealing reception of said plug, and conduit means associated with the other of said ports.

10. The combination with the pump of claim 1 of an adapter comprising a body shaped to provide a chamber having three ports opening thereinto, one of said ports being internally threaded for association with the mouth of an otherwise closed container to establish communication between the interior of said container and said adapter chamber, another of said ports being tapered for sealing reception of said plug, and a flexible conduit communicating with said adapter chamber through the other end of said ports.

11. The combination with the pump of claim 1 of an adapter comprising a body formed of rubber or the like and shaped to provide a chamber having three ports openingthereinto, one of said ports being adapted for sealing association with the mouth of an otherwise closed container to establish communication between the interior of said container and said adapter chamber, another of said ports being tapered for sealing reception of said plug, and conduit means associated with the other of said ports.

CARL FREYN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 109,678 Shearer Nov. 29, 1870 1,960,902 Freyn May, 29, 1934 2,267,280 Kuhnel Dec. 23, 1941 2,354,958 Loweke Aug. 1, 1944