US2877710A - Pump - Google Patents

Description

s. E. BARNHART 2,877,710

PUMP

March 17, 1959 2 Sheets-She et 1 FIG 2.

Filed Aug. 19, 1957 FIG ill; m V 3 I. O 2 v 3 4 4 4 FIG 4.

- FIG 6 T .R A H RN OR T NB W. Nf-L E G R 0 E G ATTORNEYS 'Mai ch 1 7, 1959 ca. E. BARNHART I 2,877Q710 PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet'. 2

Filed Aug. 19, 1957 fiewyelfflamlmhi BY WM VM ATTORNEY United States Patent PUMP George E. Barnhart, Altadena, Calif.

Application August 19, 1957, Serial No. 694,465

6 Claims. (Cl. 103-2) This invention has to do with fluid pumps having screwtype impellers.

The application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 166,118, filed June 5, 1950, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel, improved screw impeller-type pump useful for pumping a single fluid or for pumping and combining two or more fluids. In this connection it is an object to provide a pump which can be used for pumping liquid through one inlet and gas through another to give a combined stream of liquid and gas.

Further it is an object to provide a pump which is adjustable so that it can be used for pumping either a single fluid or two fluids.

A further object is to provide a pump of the type; ind i cated which requires no packing glands of any kind.

Another object is to provide a high volume, low pressure type pump capable of pumping solids mixed with liquids, liquids alone, or divided solids alone.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a tank showing the pump of the invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional elevational view of a pump embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the impeller in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified form of casing.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view of a coupling member.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the impeller of Figs. 2 and 3 showing the same turned 90".

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of another form of impeller.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9--9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modification.

More particularly describing the invention, by way of example, the pump embodying the invention, indicated by 10, is shown mounted on the wall 11 of a small tank 12, such as an aquarium partially filled with Water 13. The pump is supported by a metal bracket 15 having a lower bifurcated band 16 which encircles the pump and is fastened by a screw 17. The middle portion of the bracket may have a thumb screw clamp 20 so that the device may be attached to the wall of the aquarium 12. The upper portion of the bracket 15 supports an electric motor 23, the shaft 24 of which is connected to a shaft 25 of the pump impeller by a coupling 26 of resilient material.

Referring to Figs. 2-4, the pump comprises a casing or housing 30 having a cylindrical chamber 31 therein which is open at the bottom providing an inlet opening 32. While the casing is shown as glass, it may be made from a variety of materials. Near its other end the casing is provided with an outlet or discharge tube 33 which defines an outlet passage 34. At its upper end the body 30 is reduced in cross-section and is provided with a bore 35 of smaller cross-sectional area than the chamber 31. Between chamber 31 and bore 35 the interior wall of the casing converges as shown at 36.

Within the casing 30 I provide a screw-type impeller 40 which comprises a central body 41 upon which is formed a spiral flange or screw thread 42 which terminates at its upper end in an annular deflector flange 43. The periphery of this flange is complementary to the configuration of the converging wall section 36 of the casing so that the impeller can be moved to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. I prefer to form the spiral flange or screw thread of the propeller with a relatively flat peripheral surface 45 and to make the impeller of such size that it fits the casing relatively closely but is free to turn therein. Thus the impeller surface 45 serves as the only bearing surface necessary for radial support of the impeller in the casing.

It should be noted that the bore 35 is considerably larger in diameter than the shaft, thereby forming an annular space or second inlet passage through which fluid can enter as will subsequently appear.

I prefer to mount the impeller so that it can be adjusted axially, and while this may be done in a variety of ways, in Figs. 1 and 6 I show a resilient universal coupling 26 as a simple means of accomplishing this. This coupling is formed of rubber or other resilient material and has a hollow, somewhat bulbous central section 50 and end sections 51 and 52. The end sections have bores 53 and 54, respectively, receiving the motor shaft 24 and impeller shaft 25, respectively. Metal clamps or clips 55 serve to secure the shafts in adjusted position.

It is a particular feature of my invention that I am able to pump a fluid through the pump and at the same time combine it with another fluid. For example, if the pump is to be used for aerating water in an aquarium as shown in Fig. l, the lower end is submerged in the water and the impeller adjusted vertically to the position of Fig. 2 with the upper end thereof in the region of the outlet 34 or even slightly above the outlet but not sufiiciently high to close the upper end of the pump casing.

In this position when the impeller is rotated water is raised in the casing 30 and flows out of the passage 34. At the same time air is drawn in through the bore 35 and mixed with the water which flows out passage 34. The flange 43 at the upper end of the impeller has a centrifugal impelling effect and hinders axial flow of the pumped liquid therebeyond.

If the impeller is raised to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, thereby in effect closing the passage through bore 35, the pump can then be used merely for delivering the single liquid in which the lower end is immersed.

In the form of the invention above described, the outlet conduit or tube 33 has been shown as extending substantially radially of the chamber 31. However, I may provide an outlet passage which is approximately tangential to the chamber or one in which the axis thereof is parallel to a line tangential to the chamber but oifset from a radius of the chamber parallel to said tangential line. This latter is shown in Fig. 5 where the casing of the pump is indicated by numeral 30a and the outlet tube by numeral 33a.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show a modified form of impeller, indicated by 60, comprising a body 61 having a screw flange 62 thereon which is similar to flange 42 of impeller 40 except that at its upper end the flange diminishes in pitch and terminates in a flat end portion 63 which is spaced from the upper flange 64. I find that this form of impeller, particularly when used in the form of casing shown in Fig. 5, has a tendency to increase circular flow of the pumped liquid at the upper end of the impeller and thereby facilitate its ejection through the outlet passage.

While I have shown a pump wherein the pump shaft is freely received in passing through the casing, and an annular space is provided around the shaft through which fluid may enter, I contemplate that other suitable inlet means may be provided in the casing independently of the region where the shaft passes through the casing. For example, in Fig. I show a construction wherein the pump impeller 60, previously described, is shown with a shaft 71 journaled in an opening 72 in the pump casing 73 so that no passage is left along the shaft for entrance of fluid. In this form of the invention I provide an auxiliary inlet, designated 75, which is located axially above or beyond the outlet designated 76.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 10, rotation of the impeller will serve to draw in fluid through the bottom of the casing and expel it through the outi let 76. At the same time fluid is drawn in through inlet opening 75 to be mixed with fluid being pumped by the impeller which enters through the main inlet 78.

As previously indicated, the flange 64 on the impeller serves to hinder or prevent flow of fluid axially of the casing beyond the flange and consequently, even though I have shown the pump in an upright position, it will also function in inclined or horizontal positions. Also, while I have shown a cylindrical casing and impeller, these may be conoidal in shape or of other shapes known to the art.

While I have shown and described preferred forms of my invention I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a pump, a housing providing a cylindrical chamber adapted to be disposed upright, said housing having an inlet opening and having an outlet opening spaced axially of the housing above the inlet opening, a rotatable, unidirectional flow, screw-type impeller in said chamber, said impeller extending from a point substantially below said outlet opening to a region opposite said outlet opening and having deflector means thereon at said region for hindering axial flow of fluid therebeyond, said housing having a third opening above said outlet opening extending axially of said chamber and terminating axially above and spaced from said deflector means, and a shaft connected to said impeller and extending through said third opening, said shaft being of substantially less cross-sec tional area than said third opening and defining with said housing an open annular fluid passage through said housing.

2. A pump as set forth in claim 1 in which said deflector means comprises a horizontal flange at the end of the impeller adjacent the outlet opening.

3. A pump as set forth in claim 1 in which the cylindrical chamber is of lessening cross-sectional area above the outlet opening.

4. A pump as set forth in claim 1 in which the cylindrical chamber is of lessening cross-sectional area above the outlet opening, and in which said impeller is adjustable exially to a position such that said deflector means engages the chamber wall above said outlet opening thereby closing communication between said third opening and said outlet opening.

5. In a pump, a housing providing a chamber having a circular cross-section, said housing having an inlet opening into said chamber and having an outlet opening from the chamber, said openings being spaced axially of the chamber, a rotatable, unidirectional flow, screw-type impeller in said chamber between said inlet opening and said outlet opening, and a deflector flange on said impeller in the region of said outlet opening for inducing flow of fluid out said outlet opening and for hindering flow of fluid axially of the chamber beyond said outlet opening, said housing having a third opening positioned beyond said outlet opening and beyond said deflector and thereby providing an open, and unobstructed auxiliary fluid inlet passage of appreciable cross-sectional area from the exterior of said housing to said deflector flange, the diameter of said deflector flange being sufficiently less than the diameter of said chamber in the region of said outlet opening to permit a substantial flow of fluid from said third opening past said deflector flange to said outlet opening.

6. A pump as set forth in claim 5 in which said impeller is adjustable axially of said chamber to position said deflector flange closer to said third opening and in which said housing is formed to provide a region between said outlet opening and said third opening of a crosssectional size to be engaged by said deflector in adjusted position of said impeller whereby to close communication between said third opening and said outlet opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,606 Barbour Dec. 5, 1882 1,683,010 Anderson Sept. 4, 1928 1,778,589 Eerkes Oct. 14, 1930 2,232,648 Allen Feb. 18, 1941 2,448,717 Jeficock Sept. 7, 1948

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