US2971468A

US2971468A - Centrifugal pump

Info

Publication number: US2971468A
Application number: US584293A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold W Mcdoniel
Original assignee: Dresser Industries Inc
Current assignee: Dresser Industries Inc
Priority date: 1956-05-11
Filing date: 1956-05-11
Publication date: 1961-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1961 H. w. MoDoNlEL CENTRIFUGAL. PUMP Filed May 11, 1956 u United States CENTRIFUGAL PUMP "Harold W. McDoniel, Rivera, Calif., assignor, by inmesne assignments, to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, rex., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 11, 1956, Ser. No. 584,293

" Claims. (Cl. 10S- 104) vprovided with a double axial intake, it being understood 'that the invention is not to be regarded as limited speciiically thereto and that various features of the invention may be embodied in other constructions.

The housing of such a centrifugal pump is conventionally divided or split into two parts in a plane containing the axis of impeller rotation, and is conventionally provided with a series of four bores spaced apart along such axis, the impeller being located between the two intermediate bores of the series and being rotatable in impeller bearings set in such intermediate bores, and the impeller shaft being rotatable in shaft bearings carried by end closures covering the end bores of the series and secured tto the housing.

. Conventionally, the end closures are simply seated against the ends of the housing, i.e., they are provided with inwardly facing annular shoulders which are seated against external, outwardly facing annular shoulders encircling the end bores. With this construction, numerous bolts, or the like, are required to secure the end closures to the housing since the pressure within the housing acting axially outwardly on the end closures tends to unseat them.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a pump wherein the housing is provided with internal,

inwardly facing annular shoulders around the end bores therein, and wherein the end closures are provided with annular` anges which are located within the housing and which include outwardly `facing annular shoulders seated 'on the inwardly facing annular shoulders around the end bores. With this construction, the internal pressure acting axially on the end closures merely seats them more firmly against the internal, inwardly facing annular shoulders around the end bores so that the end closures may be only lightly secured to the ends of the housing and still maintain fluid-tight seals, which is an important feature of the invention.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a pump housing, and particularly a centrifugal pump housing, wherein two end bores in which the end closures are set and two intermediate bores in which the impeller bearings are set are all of the same diameter so that `all rvice four bores may be machined with the same boring tool in one pass through the housing. With this construction, the housing may be machined very easily and inexpensive` ly and, more important, machining the bores in question in this manner results in extremely accurate alignment thereof so that, when the impeller bearings are set in the two intermediate bores and when the end closures carrying the shaft bearings 'are set in the two end bores, accurate axial alignment of all of the bearings is attained automatically, which is an important feature of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide end closures having outwardly extending outriggers thereon which carry the two impeller shaft bearings.

Another object is to provide end closures having inwardly convergent, arcuate annular internal surfaces forming suction cones for guiding the iiuid to the impeller smoothly, both the end closures being provided with such integral suction cones in the base of a double axialintake impeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide end closures carrying shaft seals engageable with the impeller shaft to prevent leakage from the housing along the irripeller shaft.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the present invention together with various other objects, advantages, features and results thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with the exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a centrifugal pump which embodies the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken approximately along the arrowed line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail duplicating a portion of Fig. 2 of the drawing. n

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the housing of a centrifugal pump having a double axial intake impeller 12 fixed on an impeller shaft 14. The housing lll is divided or split into two

parts

16 and 18 in a plane containing the axis of rotation of the impeller 12, the two parts of the housing respectively being provided with iianges 20 and 22 secured together by bolts 24.` The lower part 1S of the housing 10 is provided with a split inlet 26 leading to two axially spaced inlet chambers 28, and is provided with an outlet 30 communicating with an outlet chamber 32 which is located between the inlet chambers and in which the impeller 12 is disposed. As is well known in the art, fluid entering the housing 10 through the inlet 26 flows into the inlet chambers 28 and is drawn into the double axial intake impeller 12 from both ends thereof, the uid discharged by the impeller iiowing into the outlet chamber 32 and thence into the outlet 30.

The housing 10 is provided with a series of four spaced, aligned bores of the same diameter extending from one end of the housing to the other, the intermediate bores of the series being identified by the numeral 34 and the end bores thereof being identified by the numeral 36. As hereinbefore indicated, since these bores are of the same diameter, they may be formed in a single traverse through the housing 10 with a single boring tool, which is an irriportant feature. 4

. 3 Y t The impeller 12 is rotatably mounted in bearings 38 set in the intermediate bores 34, each bearing 38 including an inner bearing annulus 40 secured to the impeller, as by being pressed thereon, and including an outer bearing annulus 42. Each outer bearing annulus 42 is provided with an external annular rib 44 disposed in an internal annular groove in the corresponding bore 34, and is prevented from rotating by a pin 46 extending thereinto.

The end bores 36 are closed by end closures 48 which 'are installed prior to placing 'the upper part 16 of the `housing in position on the lower part 18 thereof, the -end closures having annular flanges 50 within the housing. These annular flanges provide outwardly facing annular shoulders 52 which are seated against inwardly facing annular shoulders 54 on annular flanges 56 of the housing 10 around the end bores 36, annular sealing elements 58 being disposed between the

shoulders

52 and 54 in grooves in the shoulders 52. With this construction, the pressure within the housing seats the ange 50 on the end closures 48 firmly against the flanges 56 on the housving 10 to provide duid-tight seals, the end closures being secured to the housing relatively lightly by a relatively few bolts 60, for example. As an illustration, each end .closure may be secured in place adequately by no more .than four of the bolts 60, as, contrasted to the large number of bolts required to secure each end closure in place in a conventional pump wherein the end closures are simply seated against the exterior of the housing, which is an important feature of the invention.

Each end closure 48 is provided with an inwardly convergent, arcuate annular surface 62 thereon for guiding the fluid tiow into the ends of the impeller 12 smoothly. Thus, the end closures 48 provide integral suction cones, which is an important feature.

The end closures 48 are provided with outwardly extending arms or outriggers 64 having axial cavities 66 therein for shaft bearings 68 in which the impeller shaft 14 is rotatably mounted, the cavities 66 being closed by end caps 70 to retain the bearings in the cavities. One of these end caps is provided with a central opening therethrough for the shaft 14 so that the shaft may be driven from an external power source, not shown. The end closures 48 also carry shaft seals 74 which engage sleeves 76 keyed to the shaft 14 and suitably sealed 'with respect thereto, as by O-rings 78. 4

As hereinbefore indicated, another important feature of the invention is that by making the intermediate bores 34 and the end bores 36 all of the same diameter, they may be formed by the same boring tool in a single operation to obtain extremely accurate alignment thereof. Consequently, when the impeller bearings 38 are set in the intermediate bores 34 and when the end closures 48 carrying the shaft bearings 68 are set in the end bores 36, accurate alignment of all of the bearings is insured, which is an important feature of the invention.

Although I have disclosed an exemplary embodiment of my invention herein, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in the embodiment disclosed and that various features of the invention may be utilized n other environments all without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims hereinafter appearing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having an impeller on said shaft means; and two annular sealing means respectively engaging said end closures and engaging said shaft means to prevent leakage from' said housing between said shaft means and the peripherles'of said openings, respectively, each of said annular sealing' means comprising annular packings means carried by the corresponding end closure.

2. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having' two axially spaced end bores respectively encircled by inwardly facing annular shoulders, said housing being divided into two parts in a plane containing the axis of said bores; two one-piece end closures respectively closing said end bores and provided with outwardly facing annular shoulders respectively seated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, said end closures respectively having openings therethrough which are axially aligned; an impeller shaft extending through said housing into said openings; an impeller on said impeller shaft within said housing; two annular sealing means respectively engaging said end closures and engaging said shaft to prevent leakage from said housing between said shaft and theperipheries of said openings, respectively, each of said,annular sealing means comprising annular packing means carried by the corresponding end closure; and two shaft bearings carried by said end closures and engaging said shaft.

3. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having two axially spaced end bores respectively encircled by inwardly facing annular shoulders, said housing being divided into two parts in a plane containing the `axis of said bores; two one-piece end closures respectively closing said end bores and provided with outwardly facing ari-- nular shoulders respectively seated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, said end closures respectively having openings therethrough which are axially aligned; an impeller shaft extending through said housing into said openings; an impeller on said impeller shaft within said housing, said impeller having two radially-outwardlyfacing annular surfaces; two annular sealing means respectively engaging said end closures and engaging said shaft to prevent leakage from said housing between vsaid shaft and the peripheries of said openings, respectively, each of said annular sealing means comprising annular packing means carried by the corresponding end closure; two shaft bearings respectively carried by said end closures and engaging said shaft; and two impeller bearings carried by said housing and respectively engaging said radially-outwardly-facing annular surfaces of said impeller.

4. In a pump, the combination of: a housing provided with a series of spaced, aligned bores of the same diameter extending axially of said housing from one end thereof to the other; an impeler shaft extending axially through said series of bores; an impeller on said shaft Within said housing and having a radially-outwardly facing annular surface; an impeller bearing set in at least one intermediate bore of said series and engaging said radially-outwardly-facing annular surface of said impeller; end closures for said housing respectivey fitting in and closing the end bores of said series; and shaft bearings carried by said end closures and engaging said shaft.

5. In a pump, the combination of: a housing provided with a series of four spaced, aligned bores of the same diameter extending axially of said housing'from one end thereof to the other, said housing being provided with two inwardly facing, annular shoulders respectively encircling the end bores of said series, said housing being divided in a plane containing the axis of said bores; an impeller shaft extending axially through said series of bores; an impeller on said shaft between the two intermediate bores of said series, said impeller having two radially-outWardly-fac-ing annular surfaces; two impeller bearings respectively set .in the. two. intermediate .bores of said series and respectively engaging said radiallyoutwardly-facing annular surfaces of said impeller; two one-piece end closures for said housing respectively set in the wd bores of said series, said end closures`respec tively being provided with outwardly facing annular shoulders respectively seated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, said end closures respectively having openings therethrough which are axially aligned and into which said shaft extends; two annular sealing means respectively engaging said end closures and engaging said shaft to prevent leakage from said housing between said shaft and the peripheries of said openings, respectively, each of said annular sealing means comprising annular packing means carried by the corresponding end closure;

and two shaft bearings respectively carried by said end closures and engaging said shaft.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,109,393 Blackstead Sept. 1, 1914 1,334,461 Kerr Mar. 23, 1920 `1,591,447 Planck et al. July 6, 1926 2,661,698 Schellens Dec. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 186,243 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1922 316,034 Italy Mar. 15, 1934