US3115840A - Submersible pump - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 31, 1963 H. J. FELTUS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 25. 1961 l N VEN TOR. Hf/Vk Y JAMES FL TUS ATTORNEYS Dec. 31, 1963 H. J. FELTUS 3,115,840

SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Filed July 25. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTOR.

HENRY JAMES FELTUS AT ORA/F Y5 United States Patent 3,115,840 SUBMERSEBLE FUR/ll Henry James Feltus, Seneca Falls, N.Y., assignor to Goultls Pumps Incorporated, Seneca Falls, N.Y. Filed July 25, 1961, Ser. No. 126,621 2 Claims. (Cl. 193-87) This invention relates to submersible pump assemblies and pertains more particularly to certain novel combinatlonal aspects in conjunction with submersible pumps of the deep well type.

In relation to deep well pumps as contemplated within the scope of the present invention, reference is had to operations in conjunction with wells extending in depth from in the neighborhood of 1500 feet to and beyond 10,0(ld feet. At the present time, the more conventional type of deep well pump, i.e., sucker rod type and others, are more increasingly being replaced by centrifugal pumps of the single or multistage type having, in association therewith, electric motors which may be either positioned above or below the pump but in close proximity thereto and which are kept dry by sealed housings filled with oil or wherein the sealed windings of the motors are insulated by being potted in plastic resin material. Pumpmotor systems of this type are normally built in one long casing and are adapted for a particular capacity suitable for pumping purposes within a discrete range of conditrons. Such a pump assembly, if it is to be of considerable capacity and suitable for operations at extremely great depths, is of necessity a structure having considerable length and is characterized by its fragility and unwieldiness rendering the same particularly difficult to transport. Also, such assemblies are normally of such construction as not to lend themselves readily to repair except by such equipment as the manufacturer alone possesses. It is consequently of primary importance in connection with the present invention to provide a standard modular pump unit having a specific capacity and to utilize in association therewith, a motor unit of modular form matching the capacity of the pump and capable of operation in conjunction therewith to provide the requisite power, the modular units permitting of cumulative interconnection and operation so as to accommodate for widely varying power requirements.

A further concern in connection with the present invention is to provide a modular assembly substantially as is described above wherein any required number of motor units can be connected together and wherein the requisite number of pump units can be readily attached thereto, one to the other, so that the over-all effect is a balanced and matched motor-pump assembly capable of operation under any given set of conditions and performing the desired work in an efficient manner.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of modular type pump and motor units capable of cooperation with each other in various combinations wherein the pump unit is characterized by its novelty of construction wherein the same may be readily disassembled and reassembled in the field without the necessity for special tools and equipment therefor. More spe cifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a modular type of pump assembly wherein the same is provided with an outer housing or casing of tubular form which is required only to sustain assembly forces and is not required to be subjected to the internal pressure of the pump system. Ancillary to this relationship, a modular pump unit so constructed is characterized by its ease of assembly and disassembly, even in the field and under conditions requiring only such equipment as would normally be available in the field.

More specifically, the above objects are accomplished by a specific construction of pump units wherein the same dilidh Patented Dec. 31, 1963 is characterized by having a bowl portion which forms the actual housing or casing for the pump assembly to confine the liquid being pumped therewithin, such bowl in each instance being housed within an outer tubular casing in loosely fitted relationship therewithinso as to be easily removed and replaced relative thereto.

A further object of this invention resides in the novel cooperation of the component parts of individual pump units in connection with the present invention wherein the pump units in each case are of the centrifugal type embodying a bowl which houses a diffuser means and an impeller means wherein the bowls of the pump units are manufactured within tolerances providing spaced upper and lower locating surfaces thereon, which when such units are disposed in stacked relationship, they will bear specific positional relationship with each other. In conjunction with this relationship, the axial length of the hub of the impeller means of each unit is held within a tolerance whose upper limit is equal to or at least does not exceed the lower limit of the tolerance for the spacing between the locating surfaces of the bowls. In this fashion, the upper locating surface of each bowl is easily usable as a gauge surface for a straight edge device to determine the proper position of the impellers as the same are assembled. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that by maintaining the conditions as specified, the upper hub sunface of an impeller means Will always be below, or ideally will be at the same level as the upper locating surface of the bowl within which it is assembled. In those cases where the hub surface is below the locating surface, shim means is employed to equalize the levels.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a modular type of pump assembly Wherein the modular units are adapted to be detachably connected to each other in end to end relationship and to be associated with modular power means wherein slight modular misalignment is compensated for in the pump modules by the use of novel combination in the means for driving the pump units. In this connection, the present invention envisages a modular pump unit having its own driven shaft adapted to be coupled to extensions thereof at either end and wherein the means for supporting the drive shaft embodies rigid main locating bearing means located a substantial distance from the ends thereof so that shafts may accommodate for slight misalignment as may occur during the assemblage of adjacent modular units one to the other without materially detracting from the eificiency of the device.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing features of the present invention will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of one, illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the same wherein like reference numerals denote like parts in each view, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through a portion of a well showing a combined motor-pump assembly installed therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view partly in section illustrating details of the internal construction of one of the modular pump units and the manner of interconnection between adjacent units;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view partly in section showing the manner in which one of the modular pump units is connected to a portion of the driving mechanism therefor;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4-4 in FIG. 3 showing details of one of the pump units;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 55 in FIG. 3 illustrating further details of one of the pump units;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line s s in FIG. 3 illustrating certain details of the mechanism;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view partly broken away to illustrate the manner in which dummy units may be places within the confines of a single modular pump unit; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing a break away plug utilized in association with the assemblage as illustrated.

Referring at this time more particularly to FIG. 1, a section of a well is shown therein and more particularly the bottom portion is shown specifically in this figure. Reference characters 1%, l2. and 1 indicates in general submersible motor units coupled together in end to end relationship as shown and being provided with a heat exchanger unit to of conventional nature. Coupled to the heat exchanger unit 16 is a first modular pump unit 18 and then successively coupled thereto is the modular pump unit 26* and finally the upper modular pump unit 22. In accord with prevailing practice, the entire assemblage as above described would be housed within a single integral unit and, moreover, it is also conventional to so construct the pump portion of such a unit so that the same is not easily disassembled except by special tools and equipment such as would normally be possessed only by the manufacturer of the pump unit and would not usually be available for field usage. The greater the depth of the well and the greater the capacity desired of the pump and motor assembly, the greater will be the over-all length of the assemblage. 'The motor units 1%, 12 and 14 per se form no part of the present invention. They constitute, with the heat exchanger 16, a sealed modular unit in and of itself, including the various coupling members 24, 26 and 23. According to the present invention, the pump units such as 18, 2t} and 22 are not only separate from each other, each being of modular form, but are also separate from each motor-heat exchanger module comprising members 10, 12, 14 and 16 which may be used. It will be understood that any number of motor-heat exchanger modules may be used and that, correspondingly, any requisite number of pump modules may be used therewith, as may be required to meet the demands of the particular situation involved. Such a relationship is in contrast to prevailing practice wherein a single, integrated unit, specifically constructed to apply to a particular problem, is used. Such prevailing units present difliculty in shipment due to their considerable length and their susceptibility, by virtue of such length, of damage during transit.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3, the connection between the heat exchanger unit 16 and the next uppermost pump unt i8 is shown. This is accomplished by means of an adapter indicated generally by the reference character 3%} which includes an upstanding body portion 32 pgovided with a flange 34 at its lower end suitably apertured in circumfere-ntially spaced relationship therearound to receive a plurality of fasteners 36 by means of which the adapter is detachably secured to the heat exchanger unit 16. An intermediate portion of the body 32. is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced fluid inlet openings 38 and a suitable screen at? encompasses these openings as is shown to protect the same from clogging by foreign material which may be present in the liquid being pumped.

The drive shaft means operated by the motors l d, 12 and 14 proiects upwardly from the heat exchanger unit 16 and terminates in a splined or otherwise feathered shaft portion 42 for cooperation with a coupling sleeve id substantially as is shown. The coupling sleeve is internally grooved as at 46 to receive a suitable seal 4-3 embracing the drive shaft extension and the upper end of the sleeve 44 is provided with an internally hexagonal sleeve t? rigid therewith, although it is to be understood that the hexagonal portion provided by the sleeve 4 5 may be integrally formed from the sleeve 4 i itself. Preferably, however, sleeve 5th is externally splined to be nonrotatably received by sleeve 44.

The sleeve 44 projects upwardly within the body 32 of the adapter 39 within the confines of the hub portion 52 thereof, such hub terminating at its upper end in an inturned flange portion 5 2 for the purpose of retaining a resilient bushing member 5a. The drive shaft for the pump unit 13 is indicated by the reference character 58 and is of noncircular cross section, specifically being of the hexagonal form as shown in the drawings. Resting upon the upper end of the sleeve 44 is a bearing sleeve of} having a hexagonal bore therethrough receiving the shaft 5%, the sleeve being journalled within the resilient bushing 56 to receive a limited degree of bearing support therefrom. interposed between the shafts 42 and 58 is a thrust button 62 which will be noted to underlie the lower end of the insert sleeve Sil previously described, the purpose of this construction being presently apparent.

The upper end of the adapter 3%) is provided with external buttress threads as is indicated by reference character 64 and terminates in an upstanding flange 65 extending circumferentially therearound and provided with its upper surface parallel to the lower surface of the body of the adapter 38. Such upper surface of the flange 65 presents a gauging surface 92 as will be more particularly pointed out hereinafter.

. Referring at this time more particularly to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the assemblage 1 8 hereinabove described consists essentially of the aforementioned adapter 30, a tubular housing or casing 66 and an upper plug or adapter as, all cooperative together to sandwich between the two adapters 3d and 68 a plurality of stacked pump units such as those indicated by reference character 7% At intermediate points within the casing 6-6 and spaced a substantial distance from the adapters 3d and 63 are bearing spider assemblies indicated generally by reference characters 72 and '74 for the purpose of locating the drive shaft 53 for the pump unit 18 as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

The upper adapter 68 is screwthreaded into engagement with the casing 18 as is the lower adapter 3t) and each are preferably provided with buttress type threads since these two adapters are responsible for the forcible sandwiching of the pump units therebetween and serving to maintain the same in aligned relationship.

Referring again to FIG. 3, it will be seen that each pump unit includes a bowl 849 having an upstanding cylindrical side wall whose outer dimension is slightly less than the inside dimension of the casing 66 so as to provide clearance therebetween substantially as is shown, the purpose of which will be presently explained. Each bowl also includes a bottom wall 82 having a central opening 84 for inducting the liquid being pumped therethrough into the eye of the impeller unit indicated generally by the reference character 86. Each bowl (iii is provided with two locating surfaces thereon, one, the lower, being formed by the under surface 88 of the downwardly projecting shoulder portion 136 thereof and the other, or upper, formed by the surface 89 surrounding the upper flange portion 90 thereof. The lowermost pump bowl 8%) rests upon the upper locating surface surrounding the flange 65 of the adapter 3t so that hearing contact is provided between the upper locating surface of the adapter 3% and the lower locating surface 88 of the bowl 86. Likewise, the next pump unit 94 has its lower locating surface bearing against the upper locating surface 89 of the lower bowl 843. By holding the distance between the lower locating surfaces of each bowl unit within prescribed tolerances, efiiciency and accuracy in assembling the units is permitted, as will be hereinafter more particularly explained.

Also fitted within each bowl 8% is a diffuser assembly including a lower portion 1% and an upper cover Till, the latter of which just clears the under surface of the bowl unit immediately thereabove and the former of which is bottomed within its associated bowl. The particular construction of the impeller 86 is shown more clearly in FIG. 5 of the drawings wherein it will be seen that the same is provided with a hexagonal hub sleeve 102 which drivingly engages the drive shaft 58 for the pump unit, the sleeve 102 being received in the hub portion 164 of the impeller. Extending spirally from the hub 104 are a series of impeller vanes 106 which term-inate at the peripheral edge of the impeller, substantially as is shown. The lower portion 1% of the diffuser assembly presents a series of stationary vanes 1% forming passages 119 therebetween which mate with notches 112, see particularly FIG. 4, on the periphery of the cover member d. The under surface of the cover 161 is provided with a circumferentially extending shoulder of uniform inside diameter as indicated by the dotted line 114 in FIG. 4 and provided with spiral steps on its outer surface as indicated by the dotted line 116 in FIG. 4. The forward edges of such steps, which are coextensive with the corresponding radial edges of the notches 112, form a male element cooperable with the trailing edges 118 of the fixed spiral vanes 10 8 of the lower diffuser member 161?, see particularly FIG. 5, serving to locate the upper and lower members relative to each other and properly positioning the same so that the notches 112 are properly oriented with relation to the channels 116. Further to this end, it will be noted that the outer surface of the lower portion 166 of the diffuser assembly is recessed in its outer surface as at 129, see particularly FIG. 3, starting from the forward edge 122 (see FIG. 5) of each of the stationary vanes 168 and being substantially coextensive with the notches 12.. In this fashion, the liquid flow is as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. The upper surface of the member 162 is provided with a series of stationary spiral vanes 124 for guiding the liquid toward the eye of the next uppermost impeller unit.

In assembling the unit 13 above described, it will be appreciated that the units 16, 12, 1-4 and 16 are first interconnected or assembled and suitably supported to be lowered into the well. Next, the adapter Stl is positioned and secured to the member 16 and the sleeve 44 is engaged on the shaft 42 whereafter the sleeve 66 and shaft 58 are fitted in place. The naked upstanding shaft 58 provides a guide and retaining means for the series of impellers 86 which are to be stacked therupon in hearing engagement with the upper end of the sleeve 6% and the locating surface 86 of the adapter Ell provides a base upon which the bowl units 8t) are stacked. The downwardly projecting shoulder portions 130 which circumscribe the flanges 62 or 90, as the case may be, hold 0- ring seal members 132 captive therebetween. The first sequence for assembling consists of placing a seal 132 and a bowl 86 on the locating surface of the adapter 36 which operation more or less centers the bowl. Then, the lower member 1W of the diffuser is positioned as is the impeller means $6. And lastly, the cover member 1611 is positioned to complete the first pump unit. However, before placing this first pump unit, a measurement is first made with a straight edge lying on the upper gauging surface 92 of the adapter to see What positional relationship the upper end of the bearing sleeve 60 has relative to such gauging surface 9 2. Manufacturing tolerances are maintained such that normally this member will either be substantially at the same level as the gauging surface or somewhat therebelow. In the instance that the upper end surface of the bearing sleeve 6% is below the gauging surface 92 of the adapter 3%, suitable shims are placed on top of the sleeve 69 to bring the level to that of the gauging surface at the upper end of the adapter 36. Then, when the impeller '86 is positioned within the bowl 80, the lower edge of the same will be coplanar with the gauging surface 92. This, in turn, will position the upper edge of the impeller hub substantially level with the gauging surface 96 of bowl 86*. Final leveling is accomplished by shim members.

The above operations are repeated until all of the pump units have been positioned in vertically stacked relationship. In respect to this, it will be noted that by holding the vertical spacing between the lower locating surface 83 and the upper locating surface 89 of each pump bowl within tolerances whose lower limit is always at least as much as or greater than the upper limit of the tolerance in which the axial length of the impeller hub is held while also accurately locating each gauging surface so that the vertical spacing between any adjacent two is not less than the spacing between locating surfaces, by pursuing the above mentioned assembly steps, the condition will always prevail wherein either the impeller hub is located properly with respect to the gauging surface of its associated bowl or it will require a minimum of shim means to bring the same up to that level. Thus, when the last pump unit has been installed, it is readily assured throughout the entire assemblage that the impellers are all properly related with respect to their diffuser means in their individual pump units.

As was mentioned previously, the casing or housing 66 of each modular pump unit sustains only assembly forces and is isolated from pump pressure. This is due to the presence of the seal members 132 which effectively confine the liquid pressure within the bowls. Also, it will be appreciated that by properly dimensioning the outside of the bowls, the same can be made to freely fit within a standard tubular casing 66 so as to minimize the cost of construction.

After all of the pump units have been stacked as preiously described, the casing 66 is lowered thereover and threadedly engaged with the adapter 36. At this time, the adapter 63 may be already positioned on the upper end of the casing 66 or it may be later applied. In either case, the next step is to thread the adapters 3t) and 68 tightly within the opposite ends of the casing 66 so that the pump bowls are subjected to a compressive force sustained by tension in the casing or housing 66. As a means of a lock to hold the position between the various adapters in the casings, the fasteners 134, see particularly FIG. 6, which hold the retaining shield 136 for the power conductors 138 may be so positioned as is shown in FIG. 6 to retain the adapter and casing in locked relationship.

It will be noted that the upper adapter 68 previously described contains no bearing provision but the next adapter which is directly attached thereto and indicated by the reference character 146 in FIG. 2 contains a hearing M2 rigidly attached thereto as by radial webs 144- or other suitable means as may be desired. The adapter 146 for the uppermost unit 22, on the other hand, varies somewhat in construction of the previously mentioned adapters in that it is provided with a cap like bearing retainer guidably receiving the upper end of its associated drive shaft 150. This adapter 146 is provided with an opening receiving a check valve element indicated generally by the reference character 152 which is of entirely conventional nature and forms no part of this invention. The adapter 146, in turn, receives a replaceable adapter unit 154 which includes the break-away plug element 156, the adapter 154 being secured to the lower end 158 of the pipe through which the fluid is transmitted.

FIG. 8 serves to illustrate the purpose of the adapter 15 which houses the rcak-away plug element 156. The plug element 156 is entirely conventional in nature and, as is shown in FIG. 8, its purpose is to be broken away to permit fluid to drain out of the tubing 158 when the entire assemblage is raised for any reason whatsoever. In order to achieve this, as is well known in the art, a suitable object is lowered through the pipe 158 and caused to strike the plug 156 and break the same oif as is illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 8.

From the above, it will be apparent that the weight of the bowls and the diffuser means is carried by the stationary portions of the device whereas the weight of the drive shafts is not imparted to the impellers since the drive shafts are freely slidable therewithin. At the same time, the rotating shaft assemblage also carries the weight of the impellers by virtue of the stacked relationship of these members. For example, all of the impellers of section 18 are carried by bearing sleeve 6% as is the weight of all of the other impellers of the units 29 and 22, although in the case of the unit 13, the load is imparted directly from the impellers, in stacked relationship, to the sleeve 6t). In the case of the next uppermost unit Zll, it will be noted that the coupling sleeve 16% thereof is provided with an integral thrust button 162 which engages on the upper end of the shaft 58 and permits the shaft 164 to bottom thereon. This bearing sleeve 166 forms a seat for all of the impellers thereabove within the unit 20 and thus their weight is transmitted through the sleeve 160 to the shaft 58. This relationship is similar for all instances at the couplings. For example, the dead weight of as many drive shafts as are involved is transferred to shaft 42 as indicated by arrows 167 hi FIG. 3. The weight of all the impellers, on the other hand, as indicated by arrows 169 in this figure, are transferred to shaft 42 through member 44 as indicated by the arrows at 171.

The construction as thus far described is easily assembled or disassembled in the field since the physical disengagement between component parts is readily effected by conventional tools and since the positioning of the pump unit as aforesaid is a simple matter in view of the particular manner of construction as is described. Any straight edge can be used for gauging purposes to determine the proper level for the impeller hubs and, needless to say, the process of positioning the lower end of each impeller hub substantially coplanar with the under surface or lower locating surface of its associated bowl assures proper positioning of that impeller within its associated diffuser means and bowl assembly.

At the same time, it will be readily appreciated that the bearing spiders 72 and 74 previously described are associated in each of the pump units but in such positions spaced relatively from their associated plugs or adapters at the opposite ends of the casing within which they are associated so that slight misalignment between units can occur without unduly binding the drive shaft associated with that particular unit or any of the other units. That is to say, considering FIG. 2, assume a slight misalignment between the two components 16 and 18. Since the lowermost bearing is of a resilient type, such misalignment is easily accommodated for and the deflection of the shaft will be distributed over a relatively large percent of the length of the shaft 53, that is up to the first bearing spider assembly 72, thereby preventing any highly localized pressure on the bearing assembly 72 as will tend to bind the shaft 53 and cause ultimate destruction of the bearing supporting means therefor. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the shaft 58 is devoid of any kind of support and is free to flex at any point above the bearing spiders 7d. The lower adapter 140 for the next uppermost unit is provided with the hearing means 142 which therefore serves as the locating means for the lower end of shaft 164 and thus also for the upper end portion of shaft 58 by means of sleeve loll. This relationship is used throughout for all intermediate units. That is, for all intermediate units, there is no rigid bearing support for its shaft immediately adjacent the upper end thereof whereas such a bearing is provided at the lower end so that, for any two adjacent units, of the two shafts which are coupled, only one is rigidly supported adjacent the juncture between the two units.

Also in conjunction with the ease of disassembly and assembly of the device in the field, .it will be readily appreciated that dummy means may be provided in any given pump unit so as to reduce the capacity thereof as may be required under certain circumstances to more evenly balance the power requirement of the pump units used under any given set of circumstances in conjunction with the number of motor units employed. That is to say,

under some circumstances, it may be desired to used say only a half of the pump unit in association with one motor unit. In this instance, the pump unit can be assembled so that only half of the pump assemblies thereof are operative. The fashion in which this may be achieved is clearly illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings wherein it will be seen that two adjacent bearing spider assemblies 17% and 172 are employed to cut down the over-all capacity of the pump. This figure also illustrates further bearing spider assemblies 174- and 176 to further out down the capacity of the pump unit shown. Needless to say, it is not necessary to employ only bearing spider units to cut down the pump capacity, since other means may be employed. For example, dummy pump bowls may be utilized which contain only an axial sleeve space corresponding in length to the length of an impeller hub or various other means may be employed.

Whereas only one specific example of the invention has been described hereinabove it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in combination with an encased elongated drive motor having a drive shaft extension projecting axially therefrom,

coupling means on said drive shaft extension,

a pump assembly attached to said drive motor to be driven thereby,

said pump assembly including a lower adapter attached to said drive motor, an elongate casing attached at its lower end to said lower adapter, a series of pump bowls stacked upon said lower adapter and supported thereby, an upper adapter attached to the upper end of said casing whereby said bowls are sandwiched between said upper and lower adapters, a dilfuser assembly and an impeller disposed in each of said bowls, each impeller having an axially elongate hub, and a pump shaft extending through said hubs for driving said impellers and having its lower end received in said coupling means,

said lower adapter having an upper gauge surface,

a sleeve surrounding said pump shaft and resting at its lower end upon said coupling means with its upper end at the height of said upper gauge surface,

the lowermost bowl of said stack being engaged upon said lower adapter and having an upper gauge surface,

the hub of that impeller associated with said lowermost bowl being of an axial extent such that its lower end, while resting upon said sleeve, positions its upper end at the level of said upper gauge surface of said lowermost bowl,

all of said impeller hubs, all of said diffuser assemblies and all of said bowls having identical axial extents and all of said bowls having an upper gauge surface whereby any deviations of the heights of said impellers and said diffuser assemblies relative to the upper gauge surface of an associated bowl may be detected to permit correction by shims and the like.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein a pair of bearing spiders are positioned in spaced relation to each other within said stack of bowls and in spaced relation to said upper and lower adapters, and the pump assembly being devoid of any rigid bearing means at its upper and lower ends to permit the opposite ends of said pump shaft to deflect for alignment purposes.

Ostenberg Aug. 16, 1921 Conant Mar. 31, 1931 (Qthcr references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,739 Meyers Oct. 30, 1934 3,025,800 Howard Jan. 9, 1945 Arutunoff Apr. 24, 1956 Buchi June 5, 1956 5 62273 123,153 Lung 10, Rice Dec. 17, 1957 10 Lung Oct. 4, 1960 Wolfe et a1. Mar. 20, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Nov. 25, 1913 Australia Jan. 17, 1947 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN ENCASED ELONGATED DRIVE MOTOR HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENSION PROJECTING AXIALLY THEREFROM, COUPLING MEANS ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT EXTENSION, A PUMP ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO SAID DRIVE MOTOR TO BE DRIVEN THEREBY, SAID PUMP ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A LOWER ADAPTER ATTACHED TO SAID DRIVE MOTOR AN ELONGATE CASING ATTACHED AT ITS LOWER END TO SAID LOWER ADAPTER, A SERIES OF PUMP BOWLS STACKED UPON SAID LOWER ADAPTER AND SUPPORTED THEREBY, AN UPPER ADAPTER ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID CASING WHEREBY SAID BOWLS ARE SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER ADAPTERS, A DIFFUSER ASSEMBLY AND AN IMPELLER DISPOSED IN EACH OF SAID BOWLS, EACH IMPELLER HAVING AN AXIALLY ELONGATE HUB, AND A PUMP SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HUBS FOR DRIVING SAID IMPELLERS AND HAVING ITS LOWER END RECEIVED IN SAID COUPLING MEANS, SAID LOWER ADAPTER HAVING AN UPPER GAUGE SURFACE, A SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID PUMP SHAFT AND RESTING AT

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