US3153385A

US3153385A - Pump for high viscosity fluids

Info

Publication number: US3153385A
Application number: US252550A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Richard Le Baron Bowen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-01-17
Filing date: 1963-01-17
Publication date: 1964-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-20

Description

Oct. 20, 1964 Filed Jan. 17, 1963 R. LE Emmi BOWEN, JR 3,153,385

PUMP FOR HIGH VISCOSITY FLUIDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

RICHARD LEBARON BOWEN,JR.

ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, '1964 R. LE BARQN BOWEN, JR

PUMP FOR HIGH VISCOSITY FLUIDS Fil ed Jan. 17, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RICHARD LEBARON BOWEN, JR.

R. LE BARGN raowEN, JR 3,153,385

PUMP FOR HIGH VISCOSITY mums 3 Sheets-Sheet IS Filed Jan. 17, 1963 INVENTOR. F l G '5 RICHARD LEBARON BOWEN, JR

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,153,3ss PUMP FGR HIGH VISCIISITY FLUIDS Richard Le Baron Bowen, In, 35 Fessenden Road, Barrington, RI. Filed Ian. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 252,550 16 Claims. (Cl. 103-153) This invention relates to piston pumps, and more particularly to those of the metering type for handling fluids of a viscous nature, such as pastes, slurries, plastic fluids, heavy oils, grease and the like and is a continuation-inpart of my application, Serial No. 37,643 filed June 21, 1960, now abandoned.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a pump for handling viscous fluids which is of positive displacement so that it can be used for metering service which requires that the rate of pumping be maintained precisely.

Previously piston pumps for this type of service have suffered from the fact that there was leakage of fluid between the piston and/ or rod and the pump body at the point where the piston and/or rod emerged from the pump body. Previous pumps of this type used conventional packing with packing glands to solve this problem. However, pasty or plastic fluids tend to cling to the piston and/ or rod to such a degree that after a number of strokes they cause any stationary packing to fail. Other mate rials with abrasive particles mechanically destroy the stationary type of packing.

A more specific object of this invention is therefore to provide a pump in which no packing or packing gland is used.

A further object is to provide a pump with a .permanently sealed piston which can be used to handle pasty or plastic fluids.

Also an object of the invention is a simple and highly eflicient pump for handling very viscous materials with out the problem of leakage.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one design of the pump shown partly in section wherein the piston is shown midway of the discharge stroke;

FIGURE 2 shows a side elevation partly in section of a pump with an alternate piston for the pump body as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the piston of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 shows an alternate configuration of the pump body of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 shows an alternative method of providing a sealed connection in the configuration of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 7 shows an alternative configuration of the pump body. shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 8 shows another alternative configuration of the pump body shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 9 shows an alternative arrangement of a piston for the pump shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 shows an end view of the piston of FIG- URE 9;

FIGURE 11 shows another alternative arrangement of the piston shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 12 shows an end view of the piston of FIG- URE 11; and

FIGURES 13-15 show further alternate pump configurations.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a ice pump having a body 15 with a suction opening 16 and discharge opening 17. Adjacent the discharge opening 17 is a ball check valve 18 that is urged toward a seat at the discharge opening 17 by a spring 19 held in a housing 20 that is fastened to the pump body 15. This ball valve 18 is guided by vanes 21 which yield sufficient area therebetween to allow the passage of fluid thereby and on to the outlet 22.

The pump body 15 is provided with a bore 23 in which is slidably received a piston 24 that is connected by means of a link 25 to a prime mover shaft 26 through an eccentric 27. It will be evident that rotation of the shaft 26 causes the piston 24 to reciprocate in bore 23. The piston 24 is encircled after it emerges from the pump body 15 by a flexible bellows 28 which has one end aflixed to the pump body as at 29 by a ring 30 while the other end is fastened by means of a second ring 31 affixed to the end of the piston 24. Accordingly, as the piston reciprocates, it will be apparent that the bellows will expand and contract. It is evident that as the bellows expands upon retraction of the piston from the bore that the volume within the bellows will increase, the converse being true as the piston moves in the other direction or to the right as viewed in the drawing. Since leakage occurs along the extent the piston, it is evident that upon the reduction in volume of the bellows, a pressure will be generated within the bellows unless some means is provided to eliminate this pressure that would in time cause a rupture of the bellows. Means are provided to connect the bellows area with the suction opening. This means consists of a passage 36 formed between the suction 16 towards the bellows seal area in conjunction with a longitudinal recess 37 cut into the piston. These

passageways

36 and 37 communicate with each other and with the interior of the area within the bellows so that the pressure within the bellows will be kept to a minimum and certainly not exceeding that on the suction of the pump. This then keeps the seal around the pump at a minimum pressure which will increase the life of the bellows since this life is a direct function of the pressure under which the bellows operates whether the bellows is made of metal or of non-metallic materials.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the specific arrange ment of the piston 24 is brought out more fully wherein I the slot 37 is shown as being cut longitudinally into the periphery of the piston, this slot being sufliciently long so that communication will be had at all times between the bellows and the suction at both ends of the stroke.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shownhere another form of a pump in which the piston 24' is provided with a reduced section or piston rod 40 that connects the piston 24 with the connecting link means 25. In the showing in FIG. 2 the piston is shown as nearly in its fully retracted position, and it will be noted that the passage 36 still has not been completely covered up by the retraction of the piston 24' nor will it at any time be completely covered. When the piston proceeds to the right as viewed in'the drawing to the discharge position which is shown in broken lines, the diameter of the piston rod 40 is such that communication will always be had between the suction opening and the interior of the bellows 28 because of the relative diameter of the parts.

Under certain conditions it is not always necessary to provide a passage 36 between the suction opening and the area towards the back side of the piston. For instance, in referring to FIG. 5 I have shown a portion of a pump body such as is disclosed in the preceding figures in which no such passageway is provided. In this case the reciprocation of the piston is such that it is limited so that it does not completely go beyond the suction opening. In this case merely the recess 37 and a piston 24 is necessary 3 to provide the communication between the bellows 28 and the suction opening 16.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown an alternate means of providing a flexible connection between the piston and the pump body which could be used to replace the bellows shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 6 the piston is shown in its retracted position in full lines and in broken lines at the position at the end of the discharge stroke. The flexible connection in this embodiment con-. sists of a flexible connector supported by a sleeve 51 which is aflixed to the piston 52 by means of a nut 53 on the piston rod 54. The flexible connector 5% extends down the sleeve 51 and rolls back as at 55 and is connected to the pump body 15 by means of an external sleeve 57. As the piston 52 is moved to the right, the roll in the flexible connector also moves to the right and is supported by the external sleeve 5'7 and by the internal sleeve 51. It is evident that the chamber formed between the end of the piston 52 and the roll 55 around the connector 59 decreases as the piston 52 is moved to the left. Thus, fluid will pass through the passage 36 adjacent the suction opening 36 when the piston moves to the far left.

In FIG. 7 there is shown an alternate arrangement consisting principally of a different pump body. Here the pump body 15' is provided with an inlet 16, a bore 23 and a discharge opening 60. Here the discharge opening is located to the side of the bore 23 rather than at the end thereof as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6. As in the previous embodiments the check valve unit is quite similar and consists of the usual casing 20 with a ball check 13 and a spring 19'. In this pump body 15' there is provided a piston 24' which is fitted for reciprocation in the bore 23 as in the previous embodiments. A passageway 36' is also formed in this pump body 15' adjacent the suction opening 16, and this permits equalization of pressures as before, there being identical construction of the sealing device used in conjunction with this embodiment as has been shown in connection with FIGS. 2 and 6.

FIG. 8 shows still another modification of the pump body together with a modification of the piston. Here we have a pump body 7-9 provided with a suction opening 71 opening into a bore 72 in which there is fitted for reciprocation a piston 73. A discharge port 74 is provided substantially diametrically opposite the suction opening 71 and has fitted thereto a check valve body 20 as in the previous embodiments. The piston 73 is fabricated in an entirely different fashion and is provided with a general L-shape, there being a substantial cutout portion as at 75 which opens towards the discharge opening 74). This cutout portion '75 is provided so that fluid will pass out of the discharge opening 74 once the end '76 of the piston passes the suction opening 71 on the discharge stroke. Similarly in this case there is provided a passageway 7'7 adjacent the suction opening '71 which will permit communication with the bellows sealing the piston rod 7% much as has been done in the previous showings in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6.

In FIGS. 9 to 12 there is illustrated some specific forms which the piston 73 of FIG. 8 may take. For example, in FIG. 9 there is shown a piston 73 which is provided with a cutout portion 75 or passageway to permit the fluid being discharged to pass out of the discharge opening. This piston showing is much the same as that in FIG. 8 except less of a cutout portion is utilized. In FIG. 11 still a further alternate arrangement has been illustrated where the piston 73" is provided with a definite central bore 75" and a cutout portion 849 opening to one side of this bore to permit fluid to pass to the discharge opening such as '74. The pistons '73 and '73 that have been illustrated are useful since they provide a greater contact area with the bore 72 and therefore permit a greater sealing area between the discharge opening and the suction. A still further advantage is inherent in the piston design shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 where a more properly hydraulically balanced piston is provided.

FIGURE 13 illustrates another type of flexible sealing member which can be used. Here We have a pump body 8% with suction opening '81 opening into bore 82 in which is fitted for reciprocation a piston 83. A check valve body 29 is fitted to the discharge as before in the previous embodiments. At the back end of the pump body 84 is a flange 84 which holds the outside edge of diaphragm 85 by means of ring 86. Diaphragm 85 is fixed to piston 83 by means of washer 8'7 and nut 88. Operation of this modification is identical to the other embodiments.

- FIGURE 14 represents a further modification of FIGURE 13, wherein ring 86 is replaced by cap 90 which is fitted with guide 91 for extension 92 of piston 93, the cap 90 acting as a guard for the diaphragm.

FIGURE 15 represents a slight variation of FIGURE 14. Here the suction opening 101 has been located at an extreme position adjacent the actuating end of the piston. In this arrangement, the suction port 193 is a plurality of recesses axially oriented around the bore. The inner end of the suction opening as at 104 provides what in effect is a passageway between the opening and the area of variable volume formed by the diaphragm 102. In all other respects this embodiment is equivalent to that shown in FIGURE 14.

I claim:

1. In a pump, a pump body, said body providing walls defining a bore, a piston fitted for reciprocation in said bore with a free end extending into said bore, means connected to the end of said piston opposite said free end for actuating said piston, a flexible member forming a sealed connection between the end of said piston opposite said free end and said pump bore adjacent said actuating means, said flexible sealing connection forming a chamber of variable volume, a discharge port connecting with said bore, a suction port intermediate the chamber of variable volume and the discharge port, and means connecting said suction port and said chamber formed by the flexible sealing connection.

2. In a pump as in claim 1 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the wall of said bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber of variable volume.

3. In a pump as in claim 1 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of suflicient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

4. In a pump as in claim 1 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the wall of the bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber, and also a recess .cut into the piston, said recess being of suflicient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

5. In a pump, a pump body, said body providing walls defining a bore, a piston fitted for reciprocation in said bore with a free end extending to said bore, means connected to the end of said piston opposite said free end for actuating said piston, a flexible member forming a sealed connection between the end of said piston opposite said free end and said pump bore adjacent said actuating means, said flexible sealing connection forming a chamber of variable volume, a suction port opening into said bore, said suction port being located so that said piston seals said suction port off part way through the discharge stroke of said piston, a discharge port connecting with said bore, and a means connecting said suction port and said chamber formed by the flexible sealing connection.

6. In a pump as in claim 5 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the Wall of said bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber of variable volume.

7. In a pump as in claim 5 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of sufficient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

8. In a pump as in claim 5 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the wall of the bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber, and also a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of sufficient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

9. In a pump, a pump body, said body providing walls defining a bore, a piston fitted for reciprocation in said bore with a free end extending into said bore, means connected to the end of said piston opposite said free end for actuating said piston, a flexible member forming a sealed connection between the end of said piston opposite said free end and said pump bore adjacent said actuating means, said flexible sealing connection forming a chamber of variable volume, a suction port opening into said bore, saidsuction port being located so that at the end of the discharge stroke of said piston said suction port is positioned between the free end of said piston and the actuating means of said piston, a discharge port connecting with said bore, and a means connecting said suction port and said chamber formed by the flexible sealing connection.

10. In a pump as in .claim 9 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the wall of said bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber of variable volume.

11. In a pump as in claim 9 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of suflicient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

12. In a pump as in claim 9 wherein the means between the suction port and the chamber comprises a cutout portion of the wall of the bore opening at one end thereof into the suction opening and at the other end into the chamber, and also a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of suflicient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

13. In a pump, a pump body, said body providing walls defining a bore, a piston fitted for reciprocation in said bore, means passing through said body for actuating said piston, a flexible member forming a sealed connection between said piston and said body adjacent the actuating means, said flexible sealing connection forming a chamber of variable volume, a suction port opening into said bore, a discharge port connecting with said bore, and a passageway means connecting said suction port and said chamber formed by the flexible sealing connection, said passageway means comprising a cutout portion of the Wall of said bore opening at one end thereof into the suction port and at the other end into the chamber of variable volume.

14. In a pump as in claim 13 wherein the suction port is located so that at the end of the discharge stroke said suction port is position between the end of the piston opposite the piston actuating means and the actuating means so that said suction port is effectively closed by said piston.

15. In a pump, a pump body, said body providing walls defining a bore, a piston fitted for reciprocation in said bore, means passing through said body for actuating said piston, a flexible member forming a sealed connection between said piston and said body adjacent the actuating means, said flexible sealing connection forming a chamber of variable volume, a suction port opening into said bore, a'discharge port connecting with said bore, and a passageway means connecting said suction port and said chamber formed by the flexible sealed connection, said passageway means comprising a recess cut into the piston, said recess being of sufficient length to insure communication between the suction port and the chamber at all times.

16. In a pump as in claim 15 wherein the suction port is located so that at the end of the discharge stroke said suction port is positioned between the end of the piston opposite the piston actuating means and the actuating means so that said suction port is effectively closed by said piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,818 Fields et a1. Nov. 21, 1939