US2731173A

US2731173A - Grease pump

Info

Publication number: US2731173A
Application number: US310664A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harrigan William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-09-20
Filing date: 1952-09-20
Publication date: 1956-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-17

Description

Jan. 17, 1956 w. HARRIGAN GREASE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1952 Jan. 17, 1956 w. HAR|GAN 2,731,173

GREASE PUMP Filed Sept. 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,731,173 GREASE PUMP William HarrigamkutherformN. J.

Application September 20, 1952, Serial No. 310,664

2 Claims. (Cl. 222--227) This invention relates in general'to apparatus for supplying liquids or semi-liquidssuch as lubricating greases to the desired points of use under pressure. The apparatus includes a container, a delivery hose or pipe, a gear pump for forcing the substance being pumped from the container to said delivery hose, and a reciprocating pump for ejecting the grease into the delivery hose at relatively high pressure for transmission to the point of use. I

It is desirable to have in such apparatus means'for efficiently handling or pumping greases or other viscous substances that are different in consistency, viscosity, and thickness. Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide in apparatus of this character novel and improved means wherein the ratio of the gears of the gear pump may be easily and quickly changed for the purpose of handling different greases 'or other substances.

It is necessary to' include in such' apparatus means for relieving the delivery ,hose of the high pressure when the delivery nozzle is closed or some other obstruction to the flow of the grease through the hose is encountered; and it has been customary to provide a relief valve in one of the pump passages for permitting the grease to be bypassed into the container under the specified conditions. These arrangements of relief valves are sometimes compli cated and expensive and often are not entirely satisfactory. Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and combination of a'relief valve and the piston of the reciprocating pump, which shall be simple and inexpensive, reliable and durable, and shall permit easy and quick adjustment of the pressure generated by said piston on its power stroke.

Other objects, advantages, and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a dispensing apparatus or pump constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2 with parts omitted;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a horiozntal sectional view through a gear pump casing body detached from the apparatus and showing a gear ratio different from that illustrated in Figure 1.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a container or tank A for the substance to be dispensed or pumped.

Within the container A and supported on the bottom thereof is a pumping appartaus generally designated B which includes a frame having a base portion 2, a gear pump casing body 3 and a gear pump casing cover 4 which ited States Patent P ce has apertures 5 therein to permit the flow of grease downwardly around'the pumping apparatus.

As shown, the gear pump casing body 3 includes a pump chamber 6 in which are journaled two gears 7 and 8, 'oneof which is mounted on a vertical counter dri ve shaft 9 which is driven by'a worm gear 10 on the shaft 9 meshing with a worm 11 on amain drive shaft 12 which is connected to any suitable source of power, for example an electric motor C mounted outside of the container. The pump chamber 6 has an outlet passage 13 and an inlet passage 14 which facesupwardly into the container A and has an upstanding flange 15 at one side thereof. The other pump gear 8 is mounted on a jack shaft'16 which is journaled in bearings 17 and 18 in the pump casing body and cover, respectively. The counter-drive shaft 9 is journaled in'bearings 19 and20 inthe pump casingand the base portion '2 of the'fr'ame, respectively.

Above the pumping apparatus and keyed on the jack shaft 16 is a combined agitator and feeder D which com prises a plurality of radial arms 21 each of which has a depending flange 22 on the trailing edge thereof, said flanges being of such dimensions asto extend throughout the major portion of the inlet opening 14 and barely clear the horizontal top edge of the flange 15 as said arms rotate across theinlet.

Vertically disposed scraper arm-23 is secured to the agitator D and extendsupwardly in contact with the inner wall of the container toremove any grease that may tend to adhere'to said wall.

With this construction, it will'be'obse'rved that when the drive shaft 12' is driven, the gear pump will be operated so as to draw the grease from the container into the inlet opening 14 and force said substance through the pump outletj 13. At the same time, the arms 21 and flanges 22 will draw the grease fr'omthe tank and force it against the flange 15 and into the inlet :14witha mashing or agitating action on the grease. I

The'p'ump outlet '13-'i's-connected'by a pipe 24 to the cylinder 25 of the high pressure pump mechanism E, and a discharge hose 26 is connected to said cylinderfor'conducting the dispensed grease or other substance to the desired'point of use, for example to a machine bearing,- thehosehavin'g suitable'valved nozzle 27; A spring closed ball'che'ck valve 28prevents backwardfiowof the grease from the hose. i p

. Generally, 'the 'geanpump gears rotate 'at slow speed, for example 34.5 R. P. M. and force the grease from the tank to the cylinder 25 of the reciprocating pump E at relatively low pressure, for example around lbs. The reciprocating pump B provides a higher pressure at the discharge nozzle and includes a tubular piston 29 reciprocable in the cylinder 25 and actuated on its pressureproducing structure by a cam 30 on the counter-drive shaft 9. The piston is operated in the other direction by a spring 31 which is interposed between a flange 32 on the cylinder and a flange 33 on the exterior of the piston. The piston includes a ram jet relief valve which is shown as comprising a ball 34 held on a seat 35 by a spring 36, one end of which abuts the ball 34 while the other end abuts the other end of the piston, which in the present instance is a cap 37 screwed onto the piston.

With this construction, when the pump is operating and the cam 30 is rotated, the piston 29 will be rapidly reciprocated so as to force the grease from the cylinder 25 through the check valve 28 to the delivery hose, at high pressure which may be determined by the strength of the spring 36. When the nozzle valve is closed or some other obstruction to the flow of the grease through the hose is encountered, the spring 36 will yield and permit the ball 34 to move away from its seat to allow the grease to flow into the piston and through openings 38 in the walls of the piston into'the tanlt A, "thus to relieve the hose from the "high pressure generated by the pump E.

It will be observed that the piston 29 projects from one end of the cylinder 25 so that the .piston can be easily and quickly inserted into and "removed from the cylinder, and that the removable 'cap 37 on the piston provides for easy and quick interchange of the springs 36. The whole construction of the pump E is simple and inexpensive and provides an efficient combination of the pump and the relief valve.

Another feature of the invention above pointed out is the provision for variations in the gear ratio of the gear pump, and as shown this is effected by making the pump casing body '3 easily and quickly removable from the remainder of the apparatus so that different casing sections can be interchanged. Figure 1 shows gears of one ratio while Figure '6 shows gears '39 and 40 of another ratio, but the centers of the gears and the corresponding openings for the shafts 1 6 and '9 in all of the casing bodies are spaced apart the same distance. pump chambers of the respective casing bodies will be different to correspond to the sizes of the respective gears.

As shown, the casing body 3 is set on the base portion 2 of the frame, and preferably positioning pins 41 are provided for holding the casing body against transverse movement. The casing body 3 and the casing cover 4 are separably secured together by any suitable means such as bolts 42. With this construction, the casing body 3 can be easily and quickly removed from the container and the casing cover can be easily removed from the casing body. Then, if desired, another casing body can be connected to the casing cover and set in the tank on the frame base portion 2.

While the invention has been described as embodied in certain structural details, it will be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention and that the construction of the apparatus can be modified and changed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus .of the character described comprising a container for a fluent substance to be dispensed under pressure, a gear pump having a casing removably mounted in said container and including a casing body with a pump chamber therein and a casing cover, two parallel rotatable shafts extending into said casing, one with its lower end projecting from the casing toward the bottom of said container and the other shaft having one end projecting from said casing toward the top of the con- Obviously, the

tainer, cooperating gears in said pump chamber each secured on one of said shafts and rotatable therewith, said pump having an outlet port and an inlet port opening into said container, means mounted on and rotatable with said second shaft within the container for agitating said substance within the container above said pump inlet, and means for actuating the first-mentioned shaft, a reciprocating pump including a cylinder connected to said gear pump outlet and having a discharge passage, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder with one end projecting from the end of the cylinder opposite said discharge passage, a driving connection between said end of said piston and said lower end of the first-mentioned shaft for reciprocating said piston, said :piston having a valve opening and seat facing into said piston from said cylinder, a spring seated valve cooperative with said valve seat, there being a passage from said piston to the interior of said container at the side of said valve opposite said seat, said valve permitting flow of said substance from said cylinder through the piston into said container upon creation of a predetermined pressure in said cylinder.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a container for a fluent substance, a reciprocating pump including a cylinder having a discharge passage, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder with one end projecting from the end of the cylinder opposite said discharge passage and into said container, means for supplying said substance to said cylinder, said piston having a valve opening and seat facing into said piston from said cylinder, a spring seated valve cooperative with said valve seat, there being a passage from said piston to the interior of said container at the side of said valve opposite said seat, means for reciprocating said piston to pump substance from said cylinder through said discharge passage, said valve permitting how of said substance from said cylinder through the piston into said container upon creation of a predetermined pressure in said cylinder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Parsons Dec. 2 3,