US2865295A

US2865295A - Portable pump apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2865295A
Application number: US344494A
Authority: US
Inventors: Laing Nikolaus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-09-13
Filing date: 1953-03-25
Publication date: 1958-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-23

Description

Dec. 23, 1958 N. LAlNG PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1953 M Wm m 5 M W y y .w m w N 5 FMIJ United States Patent PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS Nikolaus Laing, Karlsruhe-Durlach, Germany ApplicationMarch-ZS, 1953, Serial N 0. 344,494

Claims priority, application Germany September 13, 1950 12 Claims. '(Cl. 103-87) The present invention relates to pumps.

More particularly, the present invention relates to portable pumps which may be carried to a desired loca tion.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applica tion Serial Number 245,690, filed September 8, 1951, and entitled Electric Barrel Pump, now abandoned, a continuation in part of which was filed February 17, 1954, Serial No. 410,887, now abandoned.

.It often happens that it is necessary to pump a liquid through a relatively small opening and many pumps cannot be used under these conditions without long extension which cut down the efficiency of the apparatus. Moreover, most conventional pumps include valves which not only complicate the apparatus, but also cause a portion of the pumped fluid to remain in the pump and to mix with the next quantity of pumped fiuid, which is often very undesirable. Where pumps are used for pumping perishable liquids, it is often diflicult to clean the pumps properly after they are used. Also, it is often desirable to set a pump up for automatic operation, and this is sometimes almost impossible with known pumps.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a pump apparatus which is absolutely free of valves of any type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus in which none of the pumped liquid can remain after the pump has finished its operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump which can be very easily washed out for cleaning purposes.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a pump which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled for cleaning purposes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a pump with a starting switch which can be very easily adapted to automatic operation.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro vide a means for sealing the pump motor from the pumped liquid.

A still additional object of the present invention is to provide a means for cooling the pump motor.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a means for automatically stopping the pump motor when it reaches a predetermined temperature.

The objects of the present invention also include the provision of an apparatus capable of accomplishing all of the above objects while at the same time being made up of simple and ruggedly constructed parts which are few in number and which provide a pump that may conveniently be associated with extensions and attachments of all types.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists of a portable pump apparatus which includes an elongated suction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to convey, a fluid along 2,865,295 Patented Dec. .23, 1958 a predetermined path from the inlet to the outlet. A fluid moving means is located within the suction tube means adjacent the inlet thereof, and an electric motor is operatively connected to the fluid moving means for driving the same. A housing at least .part of which forms a portion of the suction tube means is located about the electric motor and is located at least partly along the predetermined path along which the pumped fluid flows in the suction tube means, so that this fluid engages the housing during operation of the pump to cool the motor.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a elevational, partly sectional and partly fragmentary view of one possible pump apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the handle and supporting apparatus for the pump of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1 taken at the outlet of the pump;

Fig. 4 illustrates the :structure of Fig. 3 in a different position thereof;

Fig. 5 is a view of the structure of Fig. 2 as seen from the left side thereof;

Fig. 6 shows the pump of Fig. 1 with the outer tube removed therefrom;

- Fig. 7 is a sectional *view taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the outer tube which has been removed from the structure of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, partly sectional, elevational view of a second embodiment of a pump constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a view of a temperature controlled safety switch used in 'the pump of the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, partly sectional, elevational view of a third embodiment of a pump constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional elevational view of the inlet portion of a pump having a sealing means adapted to be used with the pumps of Figs. 9 and 11.

Referring now to the drawings, the pump according to Fig. 1 is provided with a suction tube means which includes the outer tube 1 and the inner tube 2 which contains all of the electrical apparatus including the motor 6, the control switch 28 therefor, and the .electrical leads, this inner .tube '2 being connected to the handle and support means 3 of the pump through "the medium of an end plate 4 connected to this inner tube 2 and extending into a groove 31 of the support means 3. A third tube 8 is fixedly connected to the outlet opening of the outer tube 1 and is connected to -a discharge hose 5, or the like, through the medium of the nut 7 which engages a threaded ,portion of tube 8 and which also serves to fixedly hold the outer tube -1 on the support means 3, as is evident from Figs. 1 and 3. A seal between the tubes 5 and 8 is provided through the medium of a sealing ring 9, shown in Fig. 1, located between the tubes 5 and 8 and being clamped between these tubes by the nut 7.

The positioning of the inner and outer tubes with respect to each other at the outlet of the suction tube means is provided by a ring 11 fixed to the inner tube 2 at the outer surface thereof :and slidably engaging the inner surface of tube 1 to form the elongated annular is actuated by a push button 29 which is space between these tubes'and along which the fluid moves to the third tube 8. As is apparent from the lower part of Fig. 1, the outer tube 1 extends beyond the inner tube 2 to form the pump inlet, and a member carrying fins 12 is connected to the bottom end of inner tube 2, as shown in Fig. 1, these fins 12 serving to position the

tubes

1 and 2 with respect to each other at the pump inlet. The fins 12 extend along the'length of tube 1, engage the latter, and may be angularly spaced from each other by 120 when there are three fins 12, as shown in Fig. 7, although the invention is not necessarily limited to three fins 12. These fins 12, in addition to determin-' ing the position of

tubes

1 and 2 with respect to each other, serve to guide the liquid upwardly through the space 10 toward the outlet tube 8.

As is apparent from the lower part of Fig. 1, an annular hollow foot member 43 is fixed to the inlet end of the outer tube 1 at the interior thereof and is provided with the extensions 13 which are spaced from each other .to provide passages through which the liquid may flow to the inlet of the pump when the extensions 13 engage the bottom wall of a container, or the like.

A fluid moving means in the form of a pump rotor 14 is located at the inlet of the pump and is surrounded by the tapering, narrowed inner portion 44 of foot member 43. The latter is provided with the inner threads 16 so that extensions and auxiliary equipment of all types may be threadedly connected to the pump. The pump rotor 14 is threadedly connected to the shaft 17, of motor 6, which extends from the armature 18 of this motor.

An enclosure 21 is formed about the shaft 17 adjacent to the rotor 14 by the interior of the member which carries the fins 12 and by the upper and lower sealing rings 22. A pair of rings are located in this chamber in slidable engagement with the rings 22 and are in turn engaged by a pair of elastic members 19, respectively, which are urged away from each other and against the rings 20 by the spring 23 extending about the shaft 17; A sealing liquid is located in this enclosure 21 to seal the motor against the liquid being pumped in the event that any of this pumped liquid should leak past the

lower members

19, 20 and 22.

A commutator 24 is arranged at the top end of the armature 18, and the brushes 25 are urged against this commutator by the springs 27, respectively, each brush 25 and its associated spring 27 being located in an elongated tube 26 which has a top closed end against which the spring 27 abuts, these tubes 26 being supported within the inner tube 2, as shown in Fig. l.

A switch 28 for stopping and starting the motor 6 is arranged in the top end portion of the inner tube 2 and moved upwardly along the central axis of the

tubes

1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 2 in order to close the switch 28 and start the motor. In the depressed position of button 29, shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the switch 28 is open and the motor and pump are turned off. This arrangement is of particular advantage for automatic operation of the pump, because it is very easy to connect a float, for example, to the button 29 for automatically raising the latter and starting the pump when a liquid in which the pump is located rises to a predetermined level, such a float descending during pumping of the liquid to move the button 9 downwardly for automatically stopping the pump when the liquid level descends by a predetermined extent.

Current is fed to the apparatus through the cable 34 which is clamped in the narrowed portion 35 of the frame of the handle and support means 3 to prevent the cable from being pulled away from the pump. This cable 34 feeds into the top portion of the inner tube 2 and is again clamped at this point by the teeth 30 of the member through which the cable 34 passes, as is shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1.

As was mentioned above, a plate 4 is connected to the inner tube 2 and is located in a groove, 31 of the 4 1 handle and support means 3. After this plate 4 is located in the grooves 31, the opposite side covers 32 for the handle are fixed to the frame of the handle means 3 through the medium of screw members 33, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and these covers 32 surround the plate 4 so that they serve to fix the tube 2 to the support means 3. This assembled condition of the pump is shown schematically in front and side views in Figs. 2 and 5, respectively.

The support means 3 of the pump includes a stationary part 36 (Fig. 3) which is located about a part of the outlet tube 8. This part 36 forms a stationary side portion of the handle and support means 3 and is hingedly connected to an opposite movable side portion 37 which is located about a complementary part of the tube 8 so that these

side portions

36 and 37 together extend completely about the tube 8 when side portion 37 is in the .position shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 1 and 3 also show how these side portions have tapered parts engaged by the nut 7 to be held thereby against the tube 8 and thereby hold the outer tube 1 in position on the pump apparatus.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a step in the disassembly of the pump. After the nut 7 is unscrewed through a short distance, the movable side portion 37 may be swung away from the side portion 36. Figs. 3 and 4 show how the side portion 36 is provided with a projection 39 along which a curved part 38 of the side portion 37 moves so that these parts are accurately guided with respect to each other. After the side portion 37 is swung away from the stationary side portion 36 of the handle means 3, the tube 8 may be turned about the axis of the outer tube 1, turning the latter therewith, until the tube 8 is located beyond the stationary part 36, and then the entire tube 1 with the tube 8 may be slipped downwardly away from the handle means 3 and off of the tube 2, so that the pump structure shown in Fig. 6 remains, the separated tube 1 and parts connected thereto being shown in Fig. 8. In this way it is a simple matter to quickly and easily disassemble the pump so that the latter may conveniently be cleaned, for example, although for some purposes it may be sufficient to simply wash a liquid through the annular space 10 of the assembled pump. The assembly of the pump takes place according to a procedure which is the reverse of that outline above.

It is evident that the above described pump of Figs. 1-8 includes no valves which could cause part of a pumped liquid to be trapped in the pump after the pumping operations, so that with the apparatus of the invention it is impossible for a portion of a previously pumped liquid to become mixed with a new liquid into which the pump is set. As is evident from the drawings, any liquid in the elongated annular space 10 will simply fall out through the inlet of the pump when the latter is removed from a body of liquid being pumped.

As is apparent from Fig. 1, the field winding 40 of the motor 6 is connected to a schematically illustrated temperature controlled safely switch 42, the details of which are described below, for opening the motor circuit when a predetermined temperature is reached so that the motor cannot become excessively heated. It is evident that the outer housing of the motor 6 is formed by part of the inner tube 2, so that as the pumped liquid moves along the annular space 10 it engages the part of tube 2 forming the housing for motor 1 and carries heat away from the latter to cool the motor in this way, the tube 2 being made of a metal, for example, which has a high thermal conductivity. Thus, the pumped liquid itself serves to cool the motor to a great extent.

Figs. 9 and 11 illustrate different embodiments of the invention, respectively, capable of accomplishing the results of the above-described pump while having some different features which make the pumps of Figs. 9 and 11 more suitable for certain purposes. According to the embodiment of Fig. 9, the pump motor is located at the upper portion of the path through which the liquid moves through the nut 7, the handle and support means 3 of Fig. 9 also being identical with that of Fig. l and including the same frame and handle covers 32 as well as the stationary side portion 36 and movable side portion 37 hingedly connected thereto, these side portions being releasably fixed to the tube '8 by the nut 7 in the same .way as was described above. The starting switch 45 for the motor of Fig. 9 is connected by a threaded member 46 to the cable 34 and is operated by a push button movable upwardly along the pump axis to close the switch .45 and downwardly along the pump axis to the position of Fig. 9 to open the switch 45, so that the switch operating member of Fig. 9 includes .the same advantages as .the switch operating member 29 of Fig. 1.

The motor housing 47 extends into the space 48 of the handle means 3 and is fixed to a collar 49 which extends into the grooves 31 of the .handle means 3 and is fixed to the latter by the side covers 32 in the same way as the plate 4 of Fig. l. The commutator 51 of armature 52 is located above the plate 49 in the part 50 of the motor which extends into the space 48. The brushes .53 are urged against the commutator 51 by the springs 54, respectively, and each brush 53 and its associated spring 54 is located in a tube covered by the threaded cap 55 which may be removed after the side parts 32 of the handle means 3 are removed, so that in this way the brushes are easily accessible and may conveniently be changed when required. A temperature controlled safety switch 42 is also connected to the field winding 40 of the motor of Fig. 9.

The lower portion 56 of the motor housing is threaded 1y connected to the inner tube 57 of the pump, and a shaft 58 extends through this inner tube 57 and is .threadedly connected to the motor shaft 59. This inner tube 57 forms an enclosure for receiving a sealing liquid to seal the motor from the liquid being pumped. For this purpose also a shaft sealing means is provided and includes the stationary sealing plate 60 which is slidably engaged by the ring 64 that is in turn engaged by the elastic folded member 62 which in turn engages the ring 61 fixed to the shaft 59 for rotation therewith, the elastic member 62 being pressed against the ring 62 and slide ring 64 by the coil spring 63 extending about the shaft 59. At the lower end of the inner tube 57 and slightly beyond the latter is located the fluid moving means in the form of the pump rotor 65.

An outer tube 66 is connected to the tube 8 in the same way as tube 1 and is located about the inner tube 57 to form therewith an annular space along which the fluid is pumped, this outer tube 66 being spaced at its top end from the inner tube forming a part of the motor housing by a ring fixed to this inner tube and located immediately beneath the plate 49 in slidable engagement with the outer tube 66 which is removable from the pump in the same way as the outer tube 1 of Fig. 1. At its inlet end the outer tube 66 is positioned with respect to the inner tube through the medium of a member fixed to the inner tube 57 at its lower end and having the fins 67, corresponding to fins 12, extending toward the outer tube 66 and being joined integrally with a ring 68 extending about the rotor 65. An inwardly threaded foot member having extensions 69 similar to extensions 13 is fixed to the inlet end of the outer tube 66. This outer tube is narrowed sharply just below the lower portion 56 of the motor housing.

This pump of Fig. 9 obviously is capable of accomplishing the same results as the pump of Fig. 1, since the pumped liquid is capable of contacting the motor housing to cool the latter. Moreover a larger annular space is provided between the inner and outer tubes than is the case with the structure of Fig. 1, and the narrowing of this space at the portion thereof located about the motor is compensated for by the increase in diameter 6 at this portion. Moreover, with the embodiment of Fig. 9, the brushes of the motor are more accessible than with the embodiment of Fig. 1.

The structure of the temperature controlled safety switch 42 is shown, without its housing, in Fig. 10. This safety switch includes a frame 70 which carries a bimetallic strip 71 maintained under a slight stress :by this frame, this strip 71 having on one side the contact 72 and on the side opposite contact 72 the metal portion which has the greater coefficient of expansion. In its normal rest position, the bimetallic strip 71 is curved in the opposite direction from that shown in Fig. 10 with the contact '72 engaging the spring contact 73 to close the circuit of the field winding at this point, this contact 73 being mounted on a plate 74 of insulating material connected to the frame 70 which carries a second plate 74 through which the soldering tab 75 is electrically connected to the contact 73. As the temperature increases, the bimetallic strip 71 expands against the stress with which it is supported by the frame 70, until upon attainment of a predetermined temperature this bimetallic strip 71 suddenly snaps to the position shown in Fig. 10 where the contact 72 is separated from the contact 73 to open the circuit of the field winding and thereby stop the operation of the motor and pump.

Fig. 11 shows a further embodiment of the invention according to which the pump motor is located entirely outside of the outer pump tube, although a portion of the motor housing forms a part of the path through which the pumped liquid flows so that the latter still functions to cool the motor as is the case with the above-described embodiments of the invention. The handle means 76 of Fig. 11 includes a frame provided with a groove in which the end cover 78 and a lip of the motor housing 77 is located to connect this motor to the handle means 76, opposite side covers similar to members 32 being provided on the frame of handle means 76 to fix the motor housing 77 and cover 78 thereof to the handle means 76. This frame of handle means 76 also serves to hold the cable which is threadedly connected at 46 to the switch 45 identical with switch 45 of Fig. 9 and having an identical switch operating member, and also the commutator and

brush arrangement

53, 54, 55 of Fig. 11 is identical with the arrangement of parts 53-55 of Fig. 9, the commutator of Fig. 11 being of a slightly larger diameter than that of Fig. 9.

The embodiment of Fig. 11 is particularly suited for applications where a larger and more powerful motor than that of Figs. 1 and 9 is required, and the armature 80 of Fig. ll is connected to the motor shaft 83 having a non-circular bore mating with a non-circular end portion 81 of the shaft 82 which extends along the interior of the inner tube along the pump axis, this inner tube 85 being threadedly connected to the motor housing, as shown. The shaft 83 of the motor is sealed against the sealing liquid located in the enclosure formed by the inner tube 85 by a transversely curved sealing ring 84.

The field winding 87 of the motor is connected to a temperature controlled operating switch 42 identical with that of Figs. 1 and 11 and described in connection with Fig. 10, and this field winding 87 is located directly next to the motor housing portion 79. A fan having four blades 88 rotates with the armature 80 in the housing 77, 79 to cool this housing which is made, for example, of a metal having a high thermal conductivity and the lower portion 91 of which leads the pumped liquid to the tube 92 corresponding to tube 8, so that the pumped liquid also serves to cool the motor housing. The outer tube 89 of the pump of Fig. 11 is releasably connected to this lower portion 91 of the housing 77, 79 through the medium of a nut 90, and the tube 92 is provided with threads for engagement with a nut connecting a hose similar to hose 5 to this tube 92.

Fig. 12 shows the lower portion of the pumps of Figs. 9 and 11, except that the outer tube'89, 93 of Fig. 11

is provided with a rearwardly bent, bottom rim 94 and openings 95 through which the liquid flows to the pump inlet. In the lower end portion of the inner tube 57 of Fig. 9 or 85 of Fig. 11 the shaft 96 of the rotor 65 is threadedly connected to the elongated shaft 58 or 82- and is turnable in the

annular metal bearings

97 and 98 located in the interior of the inner tube, this rotor shaft also turning within the graphite bearings 99 and we located in the inner tube. The sealing ring W1 serves to seal the sealing liquid located in the inner tube and the sealing ring 102 prevents the pumped liquid from entering the inner tube in the event that the sealing means formed by the slip ring 103 fixed to shaft 96 and rotating therewith and the elastic body 1% and spring M55 as well as the stationary graphite bearing ltltl should fail to prevent the pumped liquid from moving along that part of rotor shaft 96 located immediately above the rotor 65.

The ring 68 about the rotor 65 is connected to the fins 67 and the inner tube in the same way as was described above in connection with Fig. 9 to determine the position of the inner and outer pump tubes as well as to guide the pumped liquid upwardly through the pump. The rotor 65 is provided with a bore in which a nut 106 having a slot to receive a screw driver is located, this nut 106 and rotor 65 threadedly engaging the rotor shaft 96 as shown, and the nut 41 of Fig. l is constructed in the same way to secure the rotor 14 to the shaft 17. In this way it is possible to disconnect one rotor of any of the above-described pumps and exchange it for another.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of pump apparatus differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a portable pump apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior. art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey a fluid along a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluid moving means located in said suction tube means adjacent said inlet thereof; an electric motor connected to said suction tube means adjacent said outlet thereof; elongated shaft means extending along the interior of said suction tube means and interconnecting said electric motor and said fluid moving means to transmit a drive to the latter from said electric motor; and a housing located about said electric motor, at least partly forming a portion of said suction tube means and being located at least partly along said predetermined path so as to be engaged by fluid moving in said suction tube means during operation of said electric motor, said housing forming part of and being removably connected to at least a part of said suction tube means adjacent said outlet thereof and being made of a material which has a high degree of thermal conductivity, said fluid moving means being of a cross-section at least as small as the internal cross-section of the removable portion of said suction tube, whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separated bodily from said suction tube.

2. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, an electric switch connected to said motor for stopping and starting the same and having an operating member mounted on the pump for movement along the axis of the suction tube.

3. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said electric motor having a field winding, a temperature controlled safety switch located next to said field winding at the outer surface thereof for opening the motor circuit when a predetermined temperature is reached, said housing being located about said electric motor next to said safety switch.

4. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means including a motor shaft and a transmission shaft extending therefrom and to which said fluid moving means is removably connected, one of said shafts having a noncircular recess and the other of said shafts having a mating non-circular end portion located in said recess so that said shafts are in driving engagement with each other.

5. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means including a motor shaft and a transmission shaft extending therefrom, one of said shafts having a non-circular recess and the other of said shafts having a mating noncircular end portion located in said recess so that said shafts are in driving engagement with each other and said shaft means also including a shaft having a lower end removably connected to said fluid moving means and an upper end fixed to said transmission shaft by threads.

6. In a pump as claimed in claim 1, said shaft means extending downwardly through said fluid moving means and having a bottom threaded end portion, and a nut threadedly engaging said bottom end portion of said shaft means for removably holding said fluid moving means thereon, said nut having a bottom closed end located beneath said shaft means to protect the threads of said shaft means from the pumped fluid.

7. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, said outer tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said inner tube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end of said inner tube; handle means supporting said suction tube means adjacent said outlet portion of said outer tube and being removably connected to the latter; fluid moving means located in said inlet portion of said outer tube; an electric motor located in said inner tube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube, and being operatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the latter; an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being located between the latter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portion thereof for positioning said tubes with respect to each other at said outlet portion of said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected to said inner tube adjacent said one end thereof and extending toward said outer tube to position said tubes with respect to each other at said inlet portion of said outer tube.

8. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, said outer tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said inner tube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end of said inner tube; a third tube connected to said outer tube at said outlet portion thereof and extending laterally from said outer tube; handle means supporting said suction tube means adjacent said outlet portion of said outer tube and being removably connected to the latter, said handle means including a pair of side portions one of which is movable with respect to the other and which are respectively located about complementary parts of said third tube; fluid moving means located in said inlet portion of said outer tube; an electric motor located in said inner tube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube, and being operatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the latter; an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being located between the latter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portion thereof for positioning said tubes with respect to each other at said outlet portion of said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected to said inner tube adjacent said one end thereof and extending toward said outer tube to position said tubes with respect to each other at said inlet portion of said outer tube.

9. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means including inner and outer substantially coaxial tubes, said outer tube having an inlet portion located beyond one end of said inner tube and having an outlet portion located adjacent the opposite end of said inner tube; a third tube connected to said outer tube at said outlet portion thereof and extending laterally from said outer tube; handle means supporting said suction tube means adjacent said outlet portion of said outer tube and being removably connected to the latter, said handle means including a pair of side portions one of which is movable with respect to the other and which are respectively located about complementary parts of said third tube, said other of said side portions having a projecting portion located distant from said third tube and said one of said side portions being hingedly connected to said other side portion adjacent said projecting portion thereof and having a curved extension which moves along said projecting portion during movement of said one side portion toward and away from said other side portion of said handle means; a nut located about said third tube and threadedly engaging said side portions of said handle means at said complementary parts of said third tube to press said side portions against said third tube; fiuid moving means located in said inlet portion of said outer tube; an electric motor located in said inner tube, having its housing formed by part of said inner tube, and being operatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the latter; an annular ring carried by said inner tube and being located between the latter and said outer tube adjacent said outlet portion thereof for positioning said tubes with respect to each other at said outlet portion of said outer tube; and a plurality of fins connected to said inner tube adjacent said one end thereof and extending toward said outer tube to position said tubes with respect to each other at said inlet portion of said outer tube.

10. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey a fluid along a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluid moving means located in said suction tube means adjacent said inlet thereof; an electric motor; shaft means located in said suction tube means and interconnecting said electric motor with said fluid moving means for driving the latter during operation of said electric motor; an enclosure forming part of said suction tube means and being located about said shaft means and adapted to hold a sealing liquid to prevent a fluid pumped by the pump from gaining access to said electric motor and to damp lateral vibrations of said shaft means; sealing means sealing said enclosure from said motor and fluid moving means; and

a housing located about said electric motor, at least partly forming a portion of said suction tube means, being re movably connected to at least part of said suction tube means, and being located at least partly along said predetermined path so as to be engaged by fluid moving in said suction tube means during operation of said electric motor, said fluid moving means being of a cross-section at least as small as the internal cross-section of the removable portion of said suction tube, whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separated bodily from said suction tube.

11. Fortable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, handle means; a motor mounted in said handle means and having a housing forming part of said handle means and being formed with an outlet for the pump; an outer elongated suction tube removably connected at one end to said housing, extending away therefrom, and having an inlet for the pump distant from said housing; an inner tube fixed to said housing, and extending coaxially along the interior of said outer tube almost up to said inlet; fluid moving means located in said outer tube adjacent said inlet thereof and beyond said inner tube; and elongated shaft means extending along the interior of said inner tube and interconnecting said motor with said fluid moving means for driving the latter during operation of said motor, said fluid moving means being of a crosssection at least as small as the internal cross-section of the removable portion of said suction tube, whereby said motor and fluid moving means can be separated bodily from said suction tube.

12. Portable pump apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated suction tube means having an inlet and an outlet and adapted to convey a fluid along a predetermined path from said inlet to said outlet; fluid moving means located in said suction tube means adjacent said inlet thereof; an electric motor operatively connected to said fluid moving means for driving the same; a housing located about said electric motor, at least partly forming a portion of said suction tube means and being located at least partly along said predetermined path so as to be engaged by fluid moving in said suction tube means during operation of said electric motor; and a threaded connecting element fixed to said suction tube means at said inlet thereof so that extensions or attachments may be connected to said suction tube means at said inlet thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,425,308 Woock et a1. Aug. 8, 1922 2,107,481 Johnson Feb. 8, 1938 2,217,746 Hawley Oct. 15, 1940 2,221,798 Hollander Nov. 19, 1940 2,362,922 Palm Nov. 14, 1944 2,404,635 Hoover July 23, 1946 2,410,973 Hoover Nov. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 181,613 Switzerland Dec. 31, 1935