US2842208A - Spring mounted vertical pump support - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1958 H. H. DUKES 2,842,203.

4 SPRING MOUNTED VERTICAL PUMP SUPPORT Filed Sept. 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.

BY 11 Dukes July 8, 1958 H. H. DUKES 2,842,208

SPRING MOUNTED VERTICAL PUMP SUPPORT Filed Sept. 14. 1953 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A 7'TORNEYJ United States 7' SPRING MOUNTED VERTICAL PUMP SUPPORT Haydron H. Dukes, Bartlesville, Okla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1953, Serial No. 379,753 3 Claims. (Cl; 166-68) j The present invention; relates to improvements in pumping devices and, in particular, to pumping devices of the vertical type for pumping various fluids from wells, tanks, etc.

. ,A principal object of the present invention is to provide a vertical pumping unit for pumping a fluid from a well. or tank. Another object of the invention is to provide means for adapting the pumping apparatus to expansion and contraction occurring in the piping attached to the pump, A further object is to provide an improved means of mounting a vertical pumpso as to allow limited movementin all planes in response to expansion and contraction stresses from the piping attached to the pump. An additional object is to provide resilient means for supporting a vertical pump, thereby permitting it to adjust itself to vertical and horizontal stresses.

Heretofore, considerable difliculty has been experienced in providing suitable supports for heavy apparatus such as motor pump units. Pumps have discharge lines which oftentimes carry fluids at high temperatures and pressures, and these lines have horizontally and vertically In accordance with my invention, a mounting is provided capable of taking up stresses resulting from movement of the piping attached thereto. A suitable base, such as a cement foundation is suitably recessed to contain four coil springs so positioned as to allow vertical movement of the pump mounting. Enlarged holes in the pump sub-base allow limited movement in all horizontaldirections over vertical rods. 7

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the motor-pump assembly;

Figure 2 is a top, or plan, view of the mounting device of the invention;

Figure 3 is a front elevational sectional view of the mounting device taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing in detail one of the spring mountings;

Figure 4 is-a vertical view in profile looking at one end of the mounting device of the invention;

Figure 5 is a top sectional view of Figure 3' taken along line 55.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, Figure 2 2,842,208 Patented July f 8 outlet 5, to which a discharge line (not shown) is attached. Stresses at this point are transmitted to the pump mounting. indicated generally at 6, which is'supported in concrete foundation, or'base 7. I

In accordance with this invention, themounting device is constructed sothatlimited vertical movement of the support can take placerespective to, such s'tresse's, -as well as limited horizontal: movement in any direction, thereby preventing damage. to .the .supporting structure of pump. Further, the pump bedplate can be leveled after the unit .has been.installed.vn

The detailed structure ofsthe mounting device performing these; functions a is 'shown by Figures 2, 3," 4, and 5. Concrete foundation, or base, 7 contains embedded stationary base means.-8.; .Vertically. yieldable means, such as spring assemblies, are incorporated in theflbase means. These spring assembliesicarry 'a loadsupporting structure, such as :a rectangular .framef9, which is disposed for horizontal, movement to a limited extent in any direction relative to the-stationary .base means8. 1 v,

, Frame 9jis formed from. U-shaped channelimembers and is of generally rectangular construction; It providedqwith horizontally extending channel members, or cross braces, 10, said cross braces, together with the ends of frame 9, supporting the respective metal plates 11, which are welded ,or otherwiseisuitably secured thereto, Each plate-11 has two holes 12 adjacent the respective ends thereofand overlying. the stationary. base .means, 8., A rectangular bOX'rllkfi. shield 13 overhangs .the opening of well 1 to prevent foreign matterfrom falling into it. It also functions as an additional-cross brace for frame 9. The frame 9,,and associated structure described, constitutes the bed plate 6 of the pump, Figuregl. a "km of the earth in the concrete foundations 7, the lower end of the casing being closed by anendplate 15..- .'A cover plate 16prevents material from entering casing14.

-.An elongated, threaded adjusting rod 17 is mounted within the casing 14 and concentric therewith, the. rod

carrying a threaded annular disk, or flange, 18, this flange hav'ing a plurality of radially-extending slots disposed about its periphery within which: are received; a

plurality-of keys 19. These keys extend vertically and protrude inwardly through suitable-slots formed in the cylindrical casing 14. Accordingly, keys. 19 prevent rotation of the flange 18, but permit axialor longitudinal movement thereofwith respect, to the rod 17. Consequently, as the rod is rotated, the flange 18 is. moved vertically with respect to it along'the, keys 19. Such rotation of the rod can be effected, for example, by insertinga suitable pin through a diame'tric bore 20 providedin the exposed portion of the; rod 17.

A helical spring 21encirc1es the lower portion of rod 17 and at its upper end abuts against flange 18;;The

lower end of the spring rests on end plate 15 and en'- circles a boss 22 protruding upwardly therefrom.

The upper portion of rod 17 extends through the cap, or cover, 16 and has secured thereto a support, or upper flange, 23 upon which rests the adjacent plate 11, forming a part of frame 9. The upper end of the rod extends through one of the openings 12 in plate 11' and it will be noted,,in Figure 2, that the opening 12 is of somewhat larger diameter than the rod 17. In practice,'the,diameter of. th'eflopeniingcan be; about 4" greater; thani the diameter of the rod. It is evident that this construction .permits a 2" movement of the frame 9 relative to the rod 17 in any horizontal direction, responsive to the strains imposed upon the pump by expansion or contraction of the discharge line attached at 5.

} Each of the stationary. base means 81 includes, a vgenverally cylindricalcasing 14' buried beneath the surface 3 1 It is evident that the -weight of the pump is supported by the frame9, which in turn is supported by the flanges 23 and rod 17, the thrust produced by the weight of the pump being transmitted to the foundations 7 from the rods 17 .by the respectivesprings 21. The .amountof thrust transmitted through each spring 21 is determined by the verticalposition of .flange 18, which determines the extent of expansion or contraction of the spring. Thus,- even .whenthe. pump is supported by the mounting device, .the amount of thrust transmitted by each spring .can be adjusted by rotation of the corresponding rod 17 and consequent relative vertical movement between such rodandits flange 18. Such rotary adjustment of the rod, of course, also changes the elevation or vertical position of the flange 23 secured thereto, thereby raising or lowering a corresponding corner of the pump bed plate. Accordingly, the pump can be leveled after it is installed -by suitable rotation of the adjustingrods, as by rods inserted through the bores 20.

Itwill be evident that the stresses resulting from contraction or expansion of the suction and discharge lines .will be transmitted to the supporting structure and result in'a movementthereof, as permitted by the suspending springs 21, ratherwthan resulting in damage to the pump or support, as would be the case if the support were rigid .vertically. As a corollary to this, the vertical position of eachof the four corners of the structure, as defined -by the vertical position of flanges 23, can be individually adjusted after the pump and its connections have been installed.

The greater diameter of the openings 12 relative to :the diameter of the rods 17 permits movement of the pump relative to the support responsive to horizontal stresses @imposed by expansion or contraction of the discharge lines. Consequently, such horizontal stresses do not result in damage to the pump or its associated structure, as would be the case if the pump were rigidly .mounted.

Finally, it will be noted that the frame 9 is disposed generally at the level of the surface of the earth, i. e., slightly above it, while the spring supports themselves and their associated structure are mounted below the level of thesurface of the earth. This keeps to a minimum protruding parts which tend to interfere with main- :tenance of the pump or other equipment, and permits the mounting height of the supportedequipment to be the same as with an ordinary mounting. Although, as indicated, the support structure is particularly suited for'pump mounting, it is not restricted thereto, as the-structure can be used with any equipment subject to a small move :ment in any direction. However, when the structure is .utilized as a pump support, the low mounting permits more net positive suction head on the pump impeller when pumping from a vessel of fixed height, which oftentimes means the difference between reliable and unreliable pump operation.

, The provision of the keys 19 and flange 18 provides a very positive action when the spring support is adjusted and the unit is very readily dismantled for maintenance for repair, due to the novel construction of the spring assemblies. Finally, the spring mounting of our invention is eifectivein dampening vibration, due tothe action of the pump or other supported structure.

While the invention has been described in connection with a present, preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that this description is illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the invention.

This case is related to the copending applications of Herbert M. Sullivan et al., Serial No. 311,194, filed September 24, 1952, and Serial No. 335,894, filed February 9, 1953, now Patent No. 2,708,084, same assignee.

I claim:

1. An improved mount for a vertical rotary pump comprising, in combination, a casing adapted to extend into a well at the surface of the earth, a rigid foundation about said casing securing same to the surrounding earth, a plurality of spring assemblies carried by said foundation, each assembly including a vertically extending spring having its lower end resting on said foundation, a vertically extending rod aligned with said spring, a disc connected to said rod, the upper end of said spring abutting against said disc, and a support secured to the upper portion of said rod, the end of said rod protruding through said support, and a load supporting frame having an opening directly over the end of said casing and horizontal plate members resting upon each of said supports, said plate members 'having openings formed therein around the respective rods and of larger diameter than said rods which protrude through the openings but not beyond said frame structure, whereby said frame is adapted for limited horizontal movement in any direc- -tion relative to said rods and vertical movement relative of the surface of the earth.

3. An improved mount for a vertical rotary pump comprising, in combination, a casing adapted to extend into a well at the surface of the earth, a rigid foundation about said casing securing same to the surrounding earth, said foundation forming a platform at a level above the surface of the earth but below the upper end of said casing, a plurality of spring assemblies carried by said foundation and positioned symmetrically about said casing, each spring assembly including a vertical threaded adjusting rod, an annular disc threaded to said rod and having at least one radially-extending slot formed in the edge thereof, a generally cylindrical sleeve surrounding said adjusting rod and having at least one vertically-extending key protruding inwardly therefrom and fitting within the slot on said disc, whereby the disc is constrained against rotation and rotation of the rod causes axial movement of the disc relative to the rod, a helical spring encircling the lower portion of said rod, said spring having one end thereof secured to said foundation and the other end thereof secured to said disc, each rod having a support secured at the upper end thereof, a load supporting frame having a central opening directly over the end of said casing and horizontal plate members resting upon each of said supports, said plate members having openings formed therein around the respective rods and of larger diameter than said rods which protrude through the openings but not beyond said frame structure, whereby said frame is adapted for limited horizontal movement in any direction relative to said adjusting rods and limited vertical movement relative to said casing, and a skirt depending from said frame about said central opening, said skirt defining sufiicient cross-sectional area to cover the end of said casing without contacting same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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