US3020849A

US3020849A - Header for submerged pump and motor unit

Info

Publication number: US3020849A
Application number: US620427A
Authority: US
Inventors: James A Reynolds
Original assignee: Tokheim Corp
Current assignee: Tokheim Corp
Priority date: 1956-11-05
Filing date: 1956-11-05
Publication date: 1962-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1962 J. A. REYNOLDS 3,020,849

HEADER FOR SUBMERGED PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT Filed Nov. 5, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

BYW%M ATTORNEY 1952 J. A. REYNOLDS 3, ,8

HEADER FOR SUBMERGED PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT JAMES (REYNOLDS INVENTOR.

31 W WfM/m/m ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1962 J. A. REYNOLDS 3,020,849

HEADER FOR SUBMERGED PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT Filed Nov. 5, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mum um I

| I85 I JAMES A. REYNOLDS JNVENTOR.

I 0 a 7 ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1962 .1. A. REYNOLDS HEADER FOR SUBMERGED PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 5, 1956 JAMES A. REYNOLDS INVENTOR.

BYW

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,020,849 HEADER FOR SUBMERGED PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT James A. Reynolds, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to Tokheim Corporation, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 5, 1956, Ser. No. 620,427 20 Claims. (Cl. 103-87) This invention relates to a. header for a submerged pump and motor unit such as is used for dispensing gasoline from an underground tank to a number of dispensing outlets.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a header which is constructed so as to greatly facilitate and speed up the withdrawal of the pump-motor unit and associated parts, which are subject to failure, from the tank and from the other portions of the installation which are usually rigidly connected to the tank, so that the pump and its associated parts may be quickly inspected and repaired or replaced, in part or in whole, so as to minimize the down time of the associated dispensing system.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for quickly breaking the power lines to the unit as the unit is withdrawn from the tank without disassembling the wiring connections.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically disconnecting the power lines at the start of the withdrawing operation so as to eliminate all arcing hazards and all danger of electrical shocking of the worker in the event the power supply has not been cut oil.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for reestablishing the power lines coincidentally with the reinstallation of the rep-aired unit or its replacement with another.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plug and socket connector for the power lines.

Still another object is to provide means for adequately sealing the connections of the various parts against the entrance of foreign matter and the escape of the product being pumped.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a check valve which may be quickly replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide readily replaceable gaskets and packing.

Still another object is to provide means for lifting the assembly from the tankwith a minimum of effort and trouble.

A further object of the invention is to provide a siphon priming apparatus for an auxiliary tank or tanks.

These and other objects will become apparent from a study of this specification and the drawings which are attached hereto, made a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE'I is an elevation showing the motor-pump unit, discharge line, header and tank nipple upon which the header is supported.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the header showing the various elements thereof. The left hand portion of the header is rotated 90 degrees about line A--A toward the observer to bring it into the plane of the right hand portion of the figure so as to clarify the relation of the parts.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of the check valve viewed from the right of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the connector plug.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the connector socket.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of a twin outlet header showing the siphon primer mechanism attached thereto.

FIGURE 7 is an elevation of the header with the siphon priming device shown partially in section.

FIGURE 8 is an elevation showing the siphon connec- 3,020,849 Patented Feb. 13, 1 962 tion to the tanks and its relation to the priming device.

FIGURE 9 is a sec-tion taken substantially on line 99 of FIGURE 6 showing the ejector.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the numeral 1 represents the nipple which is fixedly mounted in a flange 3 fixed on the top of the underground tank 5 The body of the header, indicated generally at 7, has a threaded opening 9 which receives the upper end of the nipple 1.

The header body 7 is provided with two inwardly directed, circular flanges 11, 13 which define concentric openings 15, 17, the uppermost opening 17 being larger than opening 15.

The body defines a substantially annular delivery chamber 19 having a discharge opening 21. A delivery flange 22 which is internally threaded at 23 to receive a delivery conduit 24, is attached to the body by means of screws 25 and the joint is sealed by gasket 27.

The header may have a single outlet 21 fitted with a flange 22 or it may have two similar outlets disposed sub stantially l apart as shown in FIGURE 6, depending on the capacity of the motor-pump unit with which the header is used or upon the requirements of the installation.

The body also defines an L-shaped conduit box or chamber 29 which is disposed externally of the chamber 19. The box is provided with an upwardly extending bore 31 or connector chamber which receives one part of the connector, preferably the electrical socket orrecept-acle part 33, and with a laterally extending tube 35 which is threaded at 37 to receive the usual conduit 38. The tube is provided with a chamber 39 for receiving sealing material in which the wires 41 are embedded to prevent the entrance of water and other foreign material into chamber 29.

The upper end of the bore 31 is provided with a lower counterbore 43 which provides a horizontal surface upon which the flange 45 of the socket 33 may be supported and to which it is held by screws 47. The upper counterbore 49 provides a horizontal surface at a higher level than the first, upon which rests a circular O-ring gasket 51 which cooperates with cap 71, described below, to seal the bore 31 against water andother foreign material.

The flanges 11 and 13 are counterbored from the top at 59 and 61 respectively to provide horizontal surfaces or seats for the circular O-ring gaskets 63 and 65 which are supported on the bottom surfaces of concentric flanges 67, 69 formed on the cap 71, by means of retainers73, 75 which are held on the flanges by screws 76.

Flanges 67, 69 are connected by a hollow central boss 77 which defines a discharge chamber 78 and which is internally threaded at the bottom end to receive one end of the discharge pipe 81. The pump-motor unit 83 is attached to the opposite end of the pipe and is thereby suspended from the cap. Flange 67 of cap 71 is provided, within the boss 77, with a port 53 which is internally tapped to receive the air release tube 55. The tube is provided with a restricted opening 57 to permit a goodly fiow of air or gas but to restrict the flow of liquid from discharge chamber 78. The port 53 communicates with the space between the pipes 1 and 81 so that the efiluent is returned to the tank. The upper end of tube 55 terminates closely adjacent the highest point of chamber 78 which is above the level of port 133, so that substantially all of the gas will be driven from the chamber and gas will be prevented from passing through port 133 to the dispensers.

The upper end of the boss 77 is provided with a transverse wall 87 which comprises a downwardly extending recess which serves as a packing box. The wall is perforated at 89 to slidingly receive one end of the electric wire conduit 91, the other end of which is sealinglyattached to the motor-pump unit 83. Wires 93 which are attached to the motor at one end, run through the conduit 91.

A spring 95, packing 97 and a nut 99 are disposed in the packing box. The packing engages the walls of the box and conduit when it is compressed by nut and serves to prevent the passage of gas or the product from chamber 78 into junction or wire chamber 101 which is formed in the cap 71.

A ground lead 103 has one end held in electrical contact with the top end of conduit 91 by a clamp 105 while the other end is held in electrical contact with the nut 87 by means of screw 107.

The upper end of the conduit 91 is provided with a suitable sealing plug 109 of yieldable material such as synthetic rubber, which prevents liquid from entering the conduit either along the inner conduit wall or along the wires 93.

Junction box or chamber 101 is provided with a threaded top opening 111 which is sealed by a plug 113 and an O-ring gasket 115 which is seated in a suitable recess 117 and is compressed by the flange 119 on the plug.

The bottom wall of the chamber 101 is provided with an opening 121 into which extends the connector plug 123. The latter is held in place by screws 125 which pass through the flange 127 of the plug and are screwed into the cap 71.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the plug 123 is provided with a number of prongs 129 to which are attached the wires 93, while the socket 33 (FIGURES 2 and is provided with the same number of correspondingly arra ged friction sockets 131 to which are attached the wires 41. Thus when the cap is lowered onto the body, the prongs will enter the proper, respective sockets to establish a relatively tight electrical connection between corresponding pairs of

wires

41 and 93.

It will be noted that the opening 17 in flange 13 of the body is larger than the peripheral diameter of the flange 67 on the cap so that the flange may be lifted through the opening. The discharge pipe 81 and the motor-pump unit 83 are also smaller in diameter than both of the openings 15 and 17 so that they too may be withdrawn therethrough.

It will be seen from FIGURE 2 that the boss 77 has a lateral discharge port 133 which communicates with the pipe 81 and with the discharge chamber 19 in the body.

A bracket 135 having outwardly extending parallel ears 137 is fixed to the boss 77 above the port 133 (FIGS. 2 and 3) by screws 139. A check valve 141 is pivotally suspended in a position to close the port by an arm 143 which has lateral projections 145 which are mounted in holes in the ears 137 by being passed through slots 146 therein. The valve is held closed by a spring arm 147 which forms a part of the bracket, extending upwardly therefrom and being bent downwardly so as to contact the valve and hold it seated over the port.

The valve will thus open against the action of the spring to permit liquid to flow from pipe 81 through chamber 78, port 133, chamber 19 and out the opening 21 to delivery conduit 24 and the dispensers but will prevent flow in the reverse direction.

In the case of the double outlet header (FIG. 6), two check valves will, of course be required, one for each port 133.

One or more screw eyes 149 may be provided. Each has its shank 151 threaded to enter a threaded hole 152 in the cap to provide a means which can be engaged by a hook or other lifting tool to facilitate the removal of the cap and its associated parts from the stationary parts.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the cap is held on the body by a number of cap screws 153 which, when tightened, hold the cap in place on the body and hold the

gaskets

51, 63 and 65 suitably compressed to seal their respective joints.

A pressure relieve valve of any usual construction, preferably of the tire valve type, is mounted in the fitting 155 which is screwed into port 157 in the boss 77. The valve is normally held closed until the pressure in chamber 19 exceeds that in chamber 78 by a predetermined amount whereupon it permits the passage of the small quantity of fluid from chamber 19 necessary to relieve such excess pressure. The valve prevents flow in the opposite direction.

Operation It will be seen from the drawings and the above description that the body 7 will be screwed and suitably sealed on the nipple 1 which is similarly fixed on the tank and the wires 41 will be run through conduit 38 and will be suitably sealed at 39 and connected with the socket 33 in making the initial installation. The delivery conduit 24 is connected to flange 22 which is bolted to body 7. These parts represent the permanently installed stationary portions of the system.

The cap 71 has fixed to it the wire conduit 91, discharge pipe 81, pump-motor unit 83, plug 123, check valve 141, air separator tube 55 and gaskets 63 and 65. This structure forms the removable portion of the installation. These parts usually require more frequent service or replacement than the permanently installed parts and it is seen that all of them are removable as a unit merely by removing the cap screws 153, engaging a hook or other lifting means with screw eye 149 and lifting the entire assembly out of the tank and body.

A replacement assembly may then be quickly inserted and fastened in place so that the dispensing of gasoline from the tank will be interrupted only for a short time. The defective unit may then be repaired at leisure.

No electric wiring need be disturbed since the plug and

socket arrangement

123 and 33 precludes the necessity for disconnecting and reconnecting wires which is usually rather laborious and which sometimes results in improper 7 connections being made and consequent failure of the new unit to operate after it has been installed. Further, the workman servicing the installation is protected against electric shock which might otherwise be incurred in disconnecting the usual wire connections without first having opened the switch usually provided in the circuit. Such procedure could also result in the production of sparks which could readily produce a fire or explosion of the gasoline vapors which are usually present as a result of gasoline spillage which is usually unavoidable in servicing operations of this nature.

In the event the failure lies in the check valve, a gasket, the conduit packing, the motor-pump unit or other part which is a removable part of this assembly, any of these parts can be quickly replaced and the same unit can be reinstalled without great delay if no spare unit is available.

To remove the check valve requires only the removal of the two screws 139, the substitution of a new valve and reinsertion of the screws.

To add to or replace the packing 97 requires only the removal of

plugs

113 and 123, disconnection of Wires 93, freeing clamp 105, screw 107 and packing nut 99 and their reassembly after the packing has been chan ed or added. Removal of either gasket 63 or 65 requires removal of a few screws and the corresponding retainer 73 or 75, replacing the gasket and reassembly. O-ring 51 is simply lifted from recess 49 and replaced. To replace the motor-pump unit, the

wires

93 and 103 are disconnected, packing 97 is removed and pipe 81 is unscrewed. A similar subassembly can then be substituted. Or, if desired, the plug 109 can be removed and

conduits

81 and 91 can be unscrewed from the motor-pump unit and a new one can be substituted, using the conduits and other removed parts.

It will thus be seen that service from the tank can be restored very quickly. This is important since the motorpump unit usually serves 3 or more dispensing pedestals and a failure of this unit renders a relatively large percentage of the filling station fuel dispensing facilities useless.

It is also to be noted that when the motor-pump unit is operating, liquid under pressure is forced up through pipe 81, through port 133, check valve 141, chamber 19, port 21, flange 22 and conduit 24- to the various pedestals.

The packing 97 prevents the liquid or gases from passing into the junction box chamber 101 and gasket 63 prevents them from flowing into the space between nipple 1 and pipe 81, back to the tank.

Should air or gas be present in pipe 81 or chamber 78, it will rise to the top of the chamber and pass out through orifice 57 and tube 55 into the space between nipple 1 and pipe 81 and is returned to the tank. The spring 147 prevents valve 141 from opening until a predetermined pressure is attained in chamber 78. Such pressure is not attained until solid liquid substantially fills chamber 78, at least to a level above the top of port 133. Thus there will be no delivery'of fluid through the valve until chamber 78 has ben purged of gas to the extent that no gas can pass to the conduit 24. After the gas is eliminated as indicated, sufficient pressure will be developed in chamber 78 to open the check valve. The tube 55 also allows pipe 81 to drain when the motor-pump is inactive and no foot valve or an ineifective foot valve is provided in the pump but the check valve 141 holds the chamber 19 and the pipes and dispensers downstream therefrom full of liquid. The restricted orifice 57 permits the circulation of a limited amount of the liquid through the pump to cool it when no liquid is flowing out of conduit 24, but restricts such flow so as to not materially impair the pump delivery during dispensing.

The gasket 51 prevents water or other foreign material from the ground or from the pit in which the header is installed, from entering the bores 31 or 121 in which the electrical plug and socket are installed. Gaskets 63 and 65 prevent water, etc. from entering the chamber 19 and prevent product from leaving the chamber. Gasket 115 and plug 113 prevent water or other foreign matter from entering the junction chamber 101 and the sealing material in recess 39 prevents entry of water, etc. into chamber 29.

The entire unit is thus sealed against leakage of product from the interior of the header or the entry of water etc. into the header from the exterior thereof.

Siphon primer As shown particularly in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, the structure disclosed above has provision for receiving a siphon primer.

It often occurs that two or more tanks, some of which are provided with pumps are connected together by a siphon line so that the liquid levels in the various tanks will remain approximately even. Thus, in case one pump experiences a greater usage than the others, it can draw from all of the tanks and will remain in service whereas if it were connected to a separate tank, the product sup ply would become exhausted and the pump would be out of service although other tanks contained an adequate supply of the product.

For various reasons, in such systems, the siphon lines sometimes lose their prime and the system does not function as intended. Accordingly, it is advisable to provide a siphon primer on the pump or pumps to insure that the siphons remain primed or to prime them if they have drained.

FIGURE 8 illustrates two

tanks

161, 163 which are connected by a siphon line 165, the ends of which, of course, terminate adjacent the bottoms of the respective tanks. One of the tanks, 161 is shown fitted with a pump 83 to the

header

7, 71 to which is attached the aspirator or injector 167 which is shown in detail in FIGURES 6, 7 and 9.

The injector has a body 169 which defines an inlet chamber 171 having an inlet 181 which is closed by a check valve 173. The valve is preferably molded of a synthetic rubber suitable for use in the product being handled and is formed integrally with the O-ring seal which is received in the groove 177 of the inlet flange 179. The flange defines the inlet port 181 and a seat 183 for the valve which closes in a direction to prevent flow from the inlet chamber 171 to the port. The port is connected by a suitable conduit 185 to the highest point of the siphon line 165 as shown in FIGURE 8.

A channel 187 (FIGS. 2 and 7) is formed in the cap, which terminates at its lower end within the discharge chamber 78 near the top thereof and at its upper end in a threaded opening 189 which receives a fitting 191.

The body 7 is provided with a tapped opening 193 which communicates with the annular space between the nipple 1 and the discharge pipe 81 and so with the tank.

The discharge fitting 195 of the injector, having a discharge passage 196, enters this opening while a tube 197 is releasably connected to the fitting 191 at one end and with the fitting 198 and thus supplies liquid to the jet tube 199 of the injector. The suction chamber 201 between the jet tube and the passage 196 is in communication with the suction chamber 171.

When the primer is used with the header, the air release tube 55 is omitted and the opening therefor is plugged, because when the pump is started, any air in the pipe 81 or discharge chamber 78 is driven out of the chamber through channel 187, tube 197, the jet tube 199 and fitting 195 to the tank and thereafter liquid flows along this path. The jet tube 199 affords sufiicient restriction so that as soon as the air or gas has been driven out of the system, sufficient pressure will prevail in chamber 78 to open the check valves and to supply the dispensers with an adequate flow of product.

The liquid flowing through the jet pipe Will create a vacuum in the chamber 201, chamber 171, conduit 185 and the siphon line and will cause liquid to flow into the latter. Since the conduit 185 is connected at the highest point in the line, any gas therein will be withdrawn therefrom by the injector and will be discharged into the tank 161. When all of the gas has been evacuated from the siphon, the injector will continue to withdraw a small flow of product from the siphon and discharge it into the tank and of course, any gas which collects in the siphon during the operation of the pump will be quickly withdrawn so as to maintain the siphon operative.

Use of a primer in connection with a submerged pump and siphon is not claimed to be new. However, it is believed that the particular arrangement shown wherein the injector and

conduits

185 and 197 are fixed to the body 7 or permanent portion of the installation and wherein the tube 197 is connected with the cap 71 by a separable fitting is new. The simple act of disconnecting the fitting 191 and then removing the screws 153 as described above will permit the removal of the cap and its attached parts as described above for the purposes set forth.

In the event the siphon primer is not used with the header the air separator tube is used and the

openings

189 and 193 are of course plugged.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts of the specific embodiments of the invention disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desire to be limited to such specific embodiments but desires pro tection falling fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A header for a submerged motor pumping apparatus, including a body and a cap, said' body defining an upright, through passage of a size to permit the movement of a coaxially assembled motor pump unit, discharge pipe and wire conduit therethrough, in opposite directions into and out of a tank, means on the body for mounting it on an upstanding tank nipple, means for sealingly mounting said cap on the body adjacent the top end of said passage, said cap including wall means and sealing means extending into said passage and defining a discharge chamber and defining with said body, a delivery chamber, means for mounting the discharge pipe on said wall means for communication with said discharge chamber, said wall means defining a port between said discharge and delivery chambers, said cap including means defining a junction chamber having a wire conduit receiving opening communicating with the discharge chamber and a first connector part receiving opening spaced laterally therefrom, said body including means defining a connector chamber having a second connector part receiving opening and a power supply conduit receiving opening, a two part, axially separable connector, means for mounting one part of said connector on said cap and the other part on said body within said respective connector openings, said connector parts and connector openings being disposed coaxially when said cap is mounted on said body, with their axes substantially parallel with said directions of movement so that said connector parts will be respectively joined and separated when said cap is assembled on and removed from said body.

2. The structure defined by claim 1 wherein the parts of said connector comprise a plug and a socket which are separable and engageable upon relative motion in opposite directions, said parts being disposed so that the relative motions of said parts are parallel to the motions of the cap as it is installed on or removed from the body.

3. The structure defined by claim 1 wherein the conduit passes through the wire conduit receiving opening, said junction chamber defining means also defining a packing box surrounding said conduit and opening, packing means disposed in said box and a packing compressing means disposed in said box and movable relative to said conduit and box to compress the packing.

4. The structure defined by claim 3 which includes a ground wire, means for connecting one end of said ground wire to the wire conduit, Said packing compressing means being in electrical contact with said box and means for connecting the other end of said ground wire with said packing compressing means, said ground wire and packing compressing means forming an electrical path between the conduit and said cap.

5. A header structure for a submerged pump assembly which comprises a motor-pump unit suspended from a discharge pipe and having a motor wire conduit within said pipe, said structure comprising a body, means for mounting said body on a tank, said body defining a delivery chamber having an outlet and having aligned top and bottom openings of a size sufiicient to pass said assembly, said openings being substantially aligned on a common vertical axis, a cap for said body, said cap and body having means adapted to seal said openings when said cap is mounted on said body, means on said cap for suspending said discharge pipe therefrom with said pipe in communication with said delivery chamber and substantially coaxial with said openings, said cap also defining a junction chamber having a portion disposed above said sealing means and having a passage to receive the end of said wire conduit, additional means on said cap, adjacent said conduit for sealing said conduit in said passage, a two part, axially separable, electrical connector, means for mounting said parts, one on said cap in communication with said junction chamber, the other on said body and with said parts in axial alignment and substantially parallel to the axis of said openings, when said cap is mounted on said body, so that said connector parts will be separated and joined as said cap is lifted and replaced on said body, the motor wires issuing from said conduit being housed in said junction chamber and connected with the connector part which is mounted on said cap.

6. The structure defined by claim 5 wherein said body defines a supply wire conduit chamber, means for mounting the other part of said connector on said body in communication with said conduit chamber, whereby supply wires issuing from a supply wire conduit are connected to said connector part in said conduit chamber.

7. The structure defined by claim 5 wherein the additional sealing means comprises a packing box defined by said cap, packing disposed in said box and packing compressing means disposed in said box, in engagement with said packing, and which includes means connected with said wire conduit and said cap for electrically connecting said wire conduit with said cap.

8. The structure defined by claim 5 wherein said cap defines an access opening for said junction chamber, said opening being located substantially opposite said wire conduit passage and means removably mounted on said cap for closing said access opening.

9. The structure defined by claim 5 wherein the parts of said connector comprise plug and socket means which are separable and cngageable upon relative motion in opposite directions, said parts being disposed so that said relative motions are parallel to the motions of said cap as it is installed on and removed from said body.

10. A header structure for a submerged pump assembly which comprises a motor-pump unit suspended from a discharge pipe and having a motor wire conduit within said discharge pipe, said structure comprising a body, means connected with said body and a tank for mounting said body on the tank, said body defining a delivery chamber having an outlet and having aligned top and bottom openings of a size to pass said assembly, said openings having a common axis, a cap for said body, said cap and body having means adapted to seal said openings when said cap is mounted on said body, wall means on said cap defining a discharge chamber having an opening disposed substantially on said axis and a port for connecting said discharge and delivery chambers, interengaging means on said wall means and on said discharge pipe for suspending said discharge pipe from said wall means in said opening so as to discharge into said discharge chamber, a normally closed check valve mounted on said cap, so as to prevent flow from said delivery to said discharge chamber, said cap also defining a junction chamber having a portion disposed above said sealing means and having a passage to receive the end of said wire conduit, additional means coacting with said conduit for sealing said passage, a two part, axially separable, electrical connector, means for mounting said parts, one on said cap in communication with said junction chamber, the other on said body and with said parts in axial alignment and substantially parallel to the axis of said openings, when said cap is mounted on said body, so that said connector parts will be separated and joined as said cap is lifted and replaced on said body, the motor wires issuing from said conduit being housed in said chamber and connected with the connector part which is mounted on said cap.

11. The structure defined in claim 10 wherein said cap includes means defining a restricted passage having its inlet adjacent the top of said discharge chamber and its outlet communicating with the interior of said body below said delivery chamber, said passage serving to conduct gas from said discharge chamber.

12. The structure defined by claim 11 which includes yieldable means acting on said check valve for closing said check valve, the force exerted by said yieldable means and the diameter of said passage being constructed so as to prevent the opening of said check valve so long as gas is flowing through said passage.

13. The structure defined by claim 10 wherein said cap defines a relief passage having its inlet in said delivery chamber and its outlet in said discharge chamber and a. relief valve mounted on said wall means so as to prevent flow from said discharge to said delivery chamber and yieldable means for holding said valve closed until the pressure in the delivery chamber exceeds that in said discharge chamber by a predetermined amount.

.14. The structure defined by claim 'lowhere'in said cap defines an additional fluid passage having its inlet :in said discharge chamber and its outlet at the exterior of the cap, an ejector having a jet tube, a suction inlet and a discharge channel, tube means, including a separable fitting, connected with said cap and said ejector forconnectingsaid jet tube in communication "with the outlet of said additional passage, means connected'to said ejector and 'to .a siphon line for connecting said suction inlet in communication with a siphon line and means connected with said ejector and said body for mounting said ejector on said body with said discharge channel in communication with the interior of the body below said delivery chamber, said cap being removable from said body Without disturbing said ejector by parting said separable fitting.

15. A header for a submerged motor pumping apparatus, including a body and a cap, said body defining an upright passage of a size to permit the movement therethrough of a coaxially assembled motor pump unit, discharge pipe and Wire conduit, in opposite directions into and out of a tank, means on the body for mounting it on an upstanding tank nipple, means for sealingly mounting said cap on the body adjacent the top end of the passage, said cap including wall means defining a discharge chamber, means for mounting said discharge pipe on said cap for communication with said discharge chamber, said body defining a delivery chamber, said wall means defining a port communicating with said discharge chamber, said cap including means defining a junction chamber and a first connector part receiving opening spaced laterally from said discharge pipe mounting means, means for connecting the wire conduit to said cap in communication with said junction chamber, said body including means defining a connector chamber having a second connector part receiving opening and a power supply conduit receiving opening, a two part, axially separable connector, means for mounting one part of said connector on said cap and the other part on said body in said respective connector openings, said connector parts and connector openings being disposed coaxially when said cap is mounted on said body and with their axes substantially parallel with said directions of movement so that said connector parts will be joined and separated when said cap is assembled on and removed from said body.

16. The structure defined by claim wherein said connector includes a plug part and a socket part.

17. A header for a submereged motor pumping apparatus including a body and a cap, said body defining a passage having a size to permit the movement therethrough of a coaxially assembled motor pump unit, discharge pipe and motor wire conduit, said body defining a delivery chamber having an outlet, said cap having means for closing said passage and means defining a discharge chamber having a port for communication with said delivery chamber when said cap is mounted on said body, means on said cap for suspending said discharge pipe therefrom in communication with said discharge chamber, said cap also defining a junction chamber, means for connecting the wire conduit to said cap in communication with said junction chamber, said body defining a connector chamber and means for connecting a power supply conduit in communication with said connector chamber, electrical connector means including two axially separable parts, means for mounting one of said parts on said cap so as to extend into the junction chamber and means for mounting the other of said parts on said body, so as to extend into said connector chamber and in axial alignment with the one part and substantially parallel with said passage when said cap is mounted on said body, so that said connector parts will be separated and joined as said cap is lifted from and replaced on said body.

18. A header for a submerged motor pumping apparatus including a body and a cap, said body defining a passage having a size to permit the movement therethrough of a coaxially assembled motor pump unit, dis- 1' 0 charge pipe and motor wire conduit, said body defining a delivery chamber having an outlet, said cap having means for closing "said passage and means defining a discharge chamber having a port for communication with said delivery chamber when said cap "is mounted on said body, means on said cap for suspending said discharge pipe therefrom in communication with 'said discharge chamber, said cap also defining a junction chamber, means for connecting the wire conduit to said cap in communication with said junction chamber, said :body defining a connector chamber and means for connecting a power supply conduit to said body in communication with said connector chamber, electrical connector means-including two axially separable parts, said cap and body defining communicating openings which are substantially aligned and axially juxtaposed when said cap is on said body, the opening in said body communicating with said connector chamber, said connector parts being disposed, one in said cap and the other in said connector chamber, for connection and separation through said respective openings upon relative axial motion toward and away from each other.

19. In a liquid dispensing system having a tank provided with an opening therein and supporting means adjacent said opening, an electric motor-pump unit within said tank and removable through said opening, a discharge pipe extending through said opening and to said motor-pump unit to suspend said unit in said tank and to convey liquid from said pump, a motor wire conduit within said discharge pipe encasing wires of the circuit for said motor, a two-part header, one part of said header comprising a first body having a delivery outlet and mounted on said supporting means to form with said supporting means and tank a normally fixed structure, the other part of said header comprising a second body connected to said discharge pipe to form with said discharge pipe and motor-pump unit a unitary organization adapted to be moved in a direction axially of said pipe to be assembled with and removed as a whole from supported relation on said normally fixed structure, said header defining passage means connecting said discharge pipe to said delivery outlet, said wire conduit extending through said discharge pipe to the exterior of said passage means, and electrical connector means including two axially sepa- Table parts having complementary axially engageable connections, one part of said connector being mounted on said normally fixed structure adjacent the mounting for said second body and the other part being mounted on said second body in axial alinement with said one part when said second body is assembled on said fixed structure for connection and separation of said connections by relative axial motion of said second body and said fixed structure.

20. In a liquid dispensing system having a tank provided with an opening therein and supporting means adjacent said opening, an electric motor-pump unit within said tank and removable through said opening, a discharge pipe extending through said opening and to said motor-pump unit to suspend said unit in said tank and to convey liquid from said pump, and a motor wire conduit within said discharge pipe encasing wires of a circuit for said motor, a two-part header, one part of said header comprising a first body having a delivery outlet and mounted on said supporting means to form with said supporting means and tank a normally fixed structure, the other part of said header comprising a second body connected to said discharge pipe to form with said discharge pipe and motor-pump unit unitary organization adapted to be moved in a direction axially of said pipe to be assembled with and removed as a whole from supported relation on said normally fixed structure, said header defining passage means connecting said discharge pipe to said delivery outlet, said wire conduit extending through said discharge pipe to the exterior of said passage means, said first and second bodies having opposed, axially facing chambers to form an enclosed chamber when said two parts of said header are assembled, and electrical connector means including two axially separable parts, one part of said connector being mounted in each of said chambers with said parts in axial alinement when said two parts of said header are assembled for connection and separation of said connector by relative axial motion of said two parts of said header.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Horvath Mar. 7, 1939 Hoover Mar. 4, 1941