US3217654A

US3217654A - Combination screw and centrifugal submergible pump

Info

Publication number: US3217654A
Application number: US300796A
Authority: US
Inventors: Springer Frederick Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-08-08
Filing date: 1963-08-08
Publication date: 1965-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-16

Description

Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. sPRlNGl-:R

COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. s, 1963 INVENTOR.

MMF'

LQ. (y EPA/mia.:

Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. SPRINGER COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1963 H MR w WO E onT E Pm A JW J H1 M w on F. 0 M W F Y B r l f Pi ^\\JN`N` L w Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. SPRINGER COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 8: 1963 Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. SPRINGER COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 8, 1953 m505/MX H, SPR/W55? INVENTOR.

MAM /V 7 Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. sPRlNGl-:R 3,217,554

COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP Filed Aug. 8, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Femm/[k H, JMP/N55? INVENTOR, l I8 Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. SPRINGER COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP Filed Aug. 8, 1963 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 l i I ...lill

INVENTOR.

/f/J A65/V7' Nov. 16, 1965 F. H. SPRINGER 3,217,654

COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP Fled Aug. 8, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 United States Patent O "ice 3,217 654 COMBINATION SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL SUBMERGIBLE PUMP Frederick Howard Springer, Rte. 1, Hale Center, Tex. Filed Aug. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 300,796 8 Claims. (Cl. 10S-88) This invention relates to improvements in pumps and more particularly to a portable, centrifugal pump which is ycapable of being moved over the terrain by mobile power, and which may be submerged in a body of water to enable the water to be lifted to a higher elevation, without loss of power while lifting the water by suction to the pump before the water is discharged into a conduit. The present pump is particularly adapted to irrigation purposes and to other uses which require lifting a large volume of water.

An object of this invention is to provide a pump in which substantially all the power is utilized to perform the lifting action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal pump which utilizes a suction conduit to raise water from a point below the pump to the pump, or the pump suction conduit and the pump may be submerged in the water that is to be pumped.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump which combines the characteristics of a centrifugal pump and a screw pump, so as to eliminate a low pressure area at the inlet end of the impeller blades by the utilization of a spiral screw impeller element which will maintain a charge of liquid in this area which is equal to or in excess of the capacity of the pump.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pump, the housing of which does not require packing glands or a bearing support for a shaft transversely through the housing.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in a pump, a stator element to introduce liquid into the pump in a swirling motion so as to lessen the amount of impact on the impeller blade, which will give a pump of greater capacity than a conventional pump of the same size.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, :in a pump, a stator vane which is so arranged as to present a cutting edge which is in shearing relation with the vanes of the screw element, so foreign matter, such as weeds, stalks, animal matter, and the like, which are drawn into the pump will be chopped into bits, thereby preventing c-logging of the pump.

With these objects in mind, and others which will become manifest as the description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characte-rs designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

FIG. l is a sectional view of a body of water, showing a mobile pump, which has a power unit attached thereto, positioned in the water so as to withdraw water from the body of water and direct it upward and outward through a conduit, with portions being shown in dashed outline to show the position of the discharge conduit;

FIG. 1A is an enlarged top plan view of a fragmentary portion of a trailer frame and tubular element, showing a drive shaft and universal joints therein;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the pump and power unit adjusted in position for movement over the terrain, and showing the unit attached to a trailer connection for such movement;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, to show the manner of mounting the pump on a trailer to transport the pump and conduit, and to enable the 3,217,654 Patented Nov.. 16, 1965 pump to be raised and lowered with respect to the terrain;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, transverse sectional view taken on the line dt of FIG. 1A, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, a portion of which is taken through the hinge joint which hinges the trailed portion of the pump to the power unit, the other portion of the view being taken through the lock bolt, which lock bolt maintains the trailed portion of the pump in locked position with respect to the power unit, either while being pulled over the terrain or while the pump is in position to pump water from a body of water;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the centrifugal pump apart from the trailer and the drive portion of the pump;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on a plane passing longitudinally through the axis of the pump housing;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 8, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 5, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, with portions being broken away and portions being shown in full outline to more clearly bring out the details of construction;

FIG. 9 is a perspective View of the impeller removed from the housing of the centrifugal pump and showing the inlet side of the impeller;

FIG. l0 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away and with parts shown in section, of the inlet end of the impeller;

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary view of a portion of the impeller taken from the side opposite that shown in FIG. l0, with part of the plate being broken away to show the interior details of construction of the rear side of the impeller;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12--12 of FIG. 10, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, to show the details of construction of the spiral blades, both of the screw portion and of the impeller portion of the pump, and showing the transition from the screw type spiral blades to the centrifugal blades, and showing an alternate arrangement of the backing plate to obtain an increase in volume of the pump without changing the diameter of the housing, with the full outline showing the front portion of the impeller as machined to give a pump of smaller capacity, and with the dashed outline showing the front portion of the impeller as machined to give greater liquid handling capacity to the pump;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 10, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, to show the details of the impeller blades at this point;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 12, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 15 is a perspective View of a stationary vane or turbilizer positioned in the inlet of the pump to direct water therento with a swirling motion so as to shear any portions of animal and/or vegetable matter into short lengths to prevent clogging the pump;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of a modified form of pump, showing the housing with a shaft extending therefrom, with parts being broken away and parts being shown in section to bring out the details of construction;

FIG. 17 is an elevational view of the inlet end of the impeller as shown in FIG. 16, but removed from the Pump;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken on the line 19-19 of FIG. 18, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and showing the impeller blades only;

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of a combination cutting element and screw impeller which may either be made integral with or secured to the centrifugal pump impeller so as to enable the cutting action and charging action of the screw impeller of the centrifugal pump; and

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of the combination screw type charging impeller and cutter element as used in the form of the pump shown in FIGS. 16 to 19, and showing how the screw type impeller may be made separately from the centrifugal impeller portion and t thereinto and be secured therein as by welding, casting or pressing, or by other suitable means.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a power unit which, in the present instance, is an internal combustion engine mounted on a trailer unit 2, which trailer unit may be attached to a trailer hitch 4 on a traction element, such as a truck, tractor or the like.

The power unit 1 has a shaft 6 extending rearward therefrom, which shaft 6 has universal joints 8 therein so that the shaft 6 will connect with shaft 10, which shaft 10 extends rearward from the universal joints 8 into tubular members 12, which tubular members 12 have bearings 14 therein to maintain the shaft 10 in axially aligned relation with respect to tubular members 12. It is preferable to have the tubular members 12 made up in uniform modular lengths and connected together as by bolt flanges 16, which bolt ilanges 16 are faced and piloted to enable the separation thereof to give access to a shaft coupling joint 18 which secures lengths of shaft 10 together, thereby enabling a length of shaft 10 and the modular lengths of tubular members 12 to be the same, so when the lengths of shaft 10 are recoupled by shaft coupling joints 18, the flanges 16 on each end of each modular length of tubular members 12 will t together to give a housing for shafts 10 of any desired length.

A hinge joint is provided intermediate the power unit 1 and the adjacent end of one of the tubular members 12, as will best be seen in FIGS. l, 1A, 2 and 4. The power unit 1 has a pair of frame members 23 which extend rearwardly therefrom. Each of the frame members 23 has a hole therein to receive a pivot pin 22. An arcuate slot 26 is formed in each frame member 23 to receive bolt 24 therein. The tubular member 12 has a forwardly extending, apertured channel member 25 secured thereto on each side thereof, which channel members 25 are in overlapping side-by-side relation, with the respective frame members 23. A pivot pin 22 passes through the hole in each of the frame members 23 and through an aperture in each channel member 25 to form a hinge joint.

The bolt 24 passes through the respective apertures in channel members 25 and through the respective arcuate slots 26 in frame members 23 to enable the channel members 25 to be secured to the frame members 23, as will best be seen in FIGS. l, lA, 2 and 4.

Each frame member 23 has an out-turned lug 21 thereon to abut with the respective upper flanges of the channel members 25, when the channel members 25 are in aligned relation with the respective frame members 23, so as to hold the channel members 25 in supported relation with respect to frame members 23, for movement of the power unit 1 over the terrain, as shown in FIGs. 2 and 4. The `bolts 24 may be loosened to enable the pump 56 to be backed into a body of water, as indicated at 62, in FIG. l, whereupon, the bolts 24 may be tightened to hold the power unit 1 in fixed relation with respect to the channel members 25 and tubular member 12.

A support member 28 is connected to the distal end of the outermost tubular member 12 by means of a saddle clamp 30, which saddle clamp 30 pivotally mounts a U-shaped member 32, which U-shaped member 32 connects to the axles 34 of the support member 28. An invertd U-shaped member 36 is rigidly connected to the axles 34, so, upon back and forth movement of the U- shaped member 32, which is also connected to the axles 34, the axles 34 and wheels 38 will be moved back and forth, and `by manipulation of a winch 40, mounted on a flange 16 on one of the tubular members 12, the pump 56 may be raised and lowered with respect to the terrain on which the wheels 38 are located. In order to tighten or loosen the winch line 42, which passes around pulley 44, which pulley 44 is xedly secured to the tubular member 12 and thence anchored to inverted U-shaped member 36, as will best be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the winch 40 is utilized to wind the winch line 42 thereonto or to unwind the winch line 42 therefrom. This will cause a radius rod 46, which extends forward from axles 34 to move a yoke member 48 along tubular member 12, and at the extreme forward point of movement, bolts 50 in the outermost portion of the flanges 16 pass through apertures 52 in the yoke 48, and a nut 54 is secured to each ybolt 5t) to hold the radius rod 46 in rigid relation with respect to the bolts 50.

A centrifugal pump, designated generally at 56, is secured to the distal end of the outermost tubular member 12 with the shaft 74 thereof coupled in axial alignment with shaft 10 which is mounted within tubular member 12. The pump 56 has an inlet pipe 58 and an outlet pipe 60 connected thereto, as will be more fully brought out hereinafter.

With the present arrangement, the device may be moved over the terrain, when arranged in the position as shown in FIG. 2, and when desired, it can be backed into a body of Iwater indicated at 62 until the pump 56 is wholly or partially submerged, thereby power loss due to suction of water from a lower level is eliminated. The inlet pipe 58 has a flange 64 thereon, to which flange 64 a conduit or hose may be connected, if it is desired to use the pump 56 above the water level. The outlet pipe 60 has a flange 66 thereon for connection of a discharge pipe 68 thereto, which discharge pipe 68 may lead to a higher elevation for discharge, as will best be seen in FIG. l.

With more specific reference to the pump used in connection with the present driving arrangement, the pump 56 is of a character which can be completely submerged within a body of water, so that the inlet pipe 58, as well as the entire pump 56, will be `below the surface of the water, thereby lessening the power required to lift the water of other liquid being pumped.

The present pump 56, as will best be seen in FIG. 8, supports the impeller, designated generally `by the numeral 70, on a shaft 74 within pump housing 72. The shaft 74 is journaled in

bearings

76 and 78 within a bearing support member 80, which will best be seen in FIG. l5. The bearing support member has a diffuser vane 82 on each side thereof, which diffuser vanes 82 are secured to a central tubular member 84, which central tubular member 84 is secured to or is made integral with a ilange 86 that is bolted to an end 88 of inlet housing 90 by bolts 92. The varied bearing support member 80 has a seal 94 therein which surrounds shaft 74 and prevents the passage of water or other liquid thereby. A seal 96 is provided around shaft 74, near the end thereof opposite seal 94, so as to prevent entrance of water or other liquid into the bearing chamber in which

bearings

76 and 78 are mounted. A coupling 98 is secured to the outer end of shaft 74 and is complementary lto a coupling portion on shaft 10. This will enable shaft 74 to be connected to shaft 10 and to shaft 6 on the power unit 1 to connect the shaft 74 in driving relation with the power unit.

It is to .be pointed out that the shaft 74 is journaled wholly within inlet housing and merely extends into pump housing 72 and is not journaled therein, as is the custom with most centrifugal pumps, therefore, a seal and bearing within the pump housing 72 is dispensed with.

The pump impeller 70 is centrally apertured and keywayed to receive shaft 74 therethrough, with a key 100 securing pump impeller 70 in fixed relation with respect to shaft 74. The pump housing 72 has a ring 102 surrounding the inlet opening thereof, which ring 102 is secured within the inlet opening in close fitting relation, as by a press fit or a shrink lit. The ring 102 has a groove 104 therein to receive a sealing element 106, such as an Oring 106, therein. The sealing element or O-ring 106 is in contact sealing relation with a ring S which surrounds the inlet end 110 of pump impeller 70. The ring 108 is secured around the inlet end 110 of the pump irnpeller 70 in close fitting relation as by a press or a shrink t. This arrangement enables the

rings

102 and 108 to be readily removed and replaced when these become worn, without having to replace an entire housing or an entire impeller because of a defective or Worn seal.

When the pump is operating in a submerged position, the sealing element or O-ring 106 divides the low pressure area and the high pressure area of the pump, however, when the pump is used at Ia higher elevation than the water level from which it is pumping, the sealing element or O-ring 106 prevents the passage of air therethrough which would lessen the suction of the pump 56.

The diffuser vanes 82 are positioned diametrically opposite each other on central tubular member 84, with the diffuser vanes lying in a plane which passes transversely through the axis of the inlet opening of inlet pipe 58 and through the axis of shaft 74.

Water drawn into the pump will be divided equally in such manner that each portion thereof, as it flows past the diffuser vanes into inlet pipe 58 of the pump, will be directed into the impeller 70 with a circular motion, due to the curved lips 83 on the terminal ends of the respece tive diffuser vanes 82, which will direct Water into the opening in the inlet end 110 of the pump impeller 70 in such manner as to charge the pump impeller 70 to capacity into the inlet end of spiral screw vanes 112 of the pump impeller 70, as will best be seen in FIGS. 9, 12, 13, and 14. The spiral screw vanes 112 are of the character of a screw pump and will eliminate the low pressure area, which is normal in centrifugal pumps in general. Therefore, with the inlet of the pump, which is usually submerged, being thoroughly charged by swirling water into the screw portion of the pump impeller 70, the water is directed by the screw vanes 1'12 into and through transition spiral vanes 115 to the interior of the centrifugal portion of the pump into spirally arranged centrifugal impeller blades 114. The impeller blades 114 are enclosed between a face plate 116 and a removable back plate 118 of the pump impeller 70 in such manner as to give denite passages, so the water will be directed therefrom upon rotation of the pump impeller '70 to direct the water outward into pump housing 72, which pump housing 72 'has a partition 120 therein spirally therearound, for approximately 1S() degrees, to enable water discharged into one segment of the housing 72 to take the outermost water course 122, and -the water discharged into the other segrnent of the pump housing 72 will take the water course '124 so that the water from both the

Water courses

122 and 124 will discharge into the outlet pipe 60 and then into discharge pipe 68 which leads to the point of use.

Each of the diffuser vanes 82 has a cutting edge 3S thereon which is complementary to a cutting edge 113 of spiral screw vanes 112, so when the pump impeller 70 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow, FIG. 10, twelve cutting actions between the cutting edges 85 on the diffuser vanes 82 and the cutting edges 113 on spiral screw vanes 112 will be accorded during each revolution of the pump impeller 70. If the pump impeller 70 is a six blade impeller, it will means that if the pump impeller 70 is turning at 2000 r.p.m., there will be 24,000 cutting actions taking place each minute, therefore, in event vegetation or animal matter is sucked into the inlet side of the pump 56, it will be chopped into very fine pieces and will thus -be prevented from clogging the pump 56 or the conduits which lead therefrom. The above figure is given merely for the purpose of illustration, as the pump impeller may be driven at any desired speed consistent with the size of the impeller and the horse power used to drive the impeller.

As will be best seen in FIG. 12, the back plate 118 of pump impeller 70 is screw threaded and is attachably secured to a screw threaded boss 126 which enables the pump impeller 70 to be cut away to any thickness, as indicated in FIG. 12, to vary the capacity of the pump 56, and with the screw threaded boss 126 engaging the screw threads of back plate 113, the back plate 118 may be screwed into place and the back plate tack welded or otherwise secured to an impeller blade 114 to prevent relative rotation between the pump impeller 70 and the back plate 118. By having the patterns constructed in this manner, an impeller rmay be cast for pumps of a variety of capacities, thereby achieving Ia great Vsaving in the cost of patterns.

FIGS. l0, 11, 12, 13, and 14 disclose minutely the transition of the spiral screw vanes 112 into spiral upright centrifugal impeller blades 114. A portion of each of FIGS. 10 and 1l is broken away to show the front and back respectively of the pump impeller 70 to show the transition of the spiral screw vanes 112 to the centrifugal impeller blades 114 on the combination dual impeller. It is believed that this feature, coupled with the diffuser vanes S2, makes possible the changing of the centrifugal pump to the upmost capacity thereof to give the maximum efficiency of a pump of this character.

It is to be pointed out that the particular relation of the diffuser vanes 82 to the screw pump impeller is such that the water is directed in a swirling motion into the screw pump impeller, which is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows, FIGS. 9, 10, and 14, so the forward or cutting edge 113 of the respective blades of the screw type impeller will rotate to come into shearing relation with the cutting edges 85 of the ditfuser vanes 82. Each diffuser Vane 02 is curved adjacent the screw pump impeller vanes 112, as indicated at 83, so that the liquid, which is discharged from the inlet pipe 58 into the diffuser vanes 82, will be given a swirling motion so it will enter the spiral screw vanes 112 so as to completely fill the voids between the vanes with water. With the pump impeller 70 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 9, l0, and 14, water will be given initial pumping action into the interior of the pump impeller 70 and into the voids formed between spirally arranged centrifugal impeller blades 114 of the pump impeller 70, which, in turn, will move the water or other liquid outward by centrifugal force within the spirally arranged passages into the pump housing 72, with a portion of the water or other liquid passing into the outer periphery and to the exterior of partition 120, with the water in the outer periphery passing into Water course 122 between the periphery and the outer wall thereof until the water is discharged into outlet pipe 60. The water which is discharged on another segment of the pump for approximately 180 degrees is discharged inward against partition and follows the water course 124 into outlet pipe 60, thereby lessening the turbulence by unloading the pump impeller 70 in different segments of the volute pump housing 72.

Modied form of invention The modified form of the invention, as shown in FiGS. 16 through 19, comprises a volute pump housing '72, FIG. 16, which is of substantially the same character as the pump housing 72 shown in FIGS.. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8, and has an outwardly extending inlet housing 90, into a side of which an inlet pipe 58 enters. The pump housing 72 has an outlet pipe 60 extending outward from the periphery thereof for connection with a discharge pipe in the manner set out for the aforementioned form of invention.

The pump housing 72 is closed on one side thereof, as indicated at 73, with the flange 91 thereof being of sufcient diameter to close an opening 75 in the opposite side of the pump housing 72. The flange 91 is secured to the housing 72 by means of bolts 93. The opening 75 is of suicient size to admit the

pump impeller

70 or 70a thereinto, as the pump impeller, as shown in FIGS. 17 through 19, may be made interchangeable with the pump impeller shown in the above described form of the invention. The outwardly extending inlet housing 90 has a flange or end 88, which end S8 is complementary to flange 16, thereby enabling the pump 56 to be connected in driving relation with a suitable power unit, such as shown in FIGS. l and 2. The tubular member 12, on which ange 16 is mounted7 has bearings therein to support shaft 10 in aligned driving relation with the pump 56. The pump impeller 70a has a back plate 151 made integral therewith and integral with varies 152, which vanes are spirally arranged about the axis thereof in a conventional marmer. An outer cover plate 154 is made integral with vanes 152 so that the space between the vanes will form passages for the passage of water outward therethrough. An outwardly extending end or collar 156, which is similar in construction to the inlet end 110 of the aforementioned form of the invention, forms a seal with a sealing element, such as an O-ring 106. A screw type, vaned impeller 158 is fitted within the opening formed within the inlet end 156 and is secured therein, as by welding or the like, or is made integral with the outer cover plate 154. The screw type, vaned impeller 1.58, as shown in the present form of the invention, has three blades 160, each with a leading or sharpened edge 162, so as to form a complementary cutting edge with the cutting edge 85 of diffuser vanes 82, when rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 20.

By having the removable diffuser vane secured in the inlet end 156 of pump impeller 70a, the screw type, varied impeller 158 may be readily removed and replaced when the edges thereof become so worn that the impeller can no longer perform the desired function.

The screw type, vaned impeller 158 has a pitch of such character as to charge the pump impeller 70a to normal capacity, thereby enabling a greater amount of fluid to be pumped than if the pump were not charged by the screw type, varied impeller 158.

It is preferable to submerge this pump in the same manner as shown for the form of pump as shown in FIGS. 1, 1A, 2, and 3, so as to get the greatest eiciency from the pump.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A centrifugal pump comprising:

(a) a volute housing,

(l) said volute housing having an opening formed in one axial side thereof only, which opening forms an inlet opening,

(2) said volute housing having an outlet opening formed in the periphery thereof,

(b) a shaft extending into the inlet opening in said housing,

(c) a vaned impeller mounted on said shaft,

(l) said vaned impeller having a cutting edge formed on the vanes within said inlet opening,

(d) a housing surrounding said shaft and extending outward therefrom,

(l) said outwardly extending housing having an inlet opening formed in a side thereof, and being in fluid communication with said inlet opening in said volute housing,

(e) a bearing support, vaned diffuser member mounted in said outwardly extending housing,

(l) said vaned diffuser member lying in a plane passing axially through said shaft and medially through said opening,

(2) means securing said bearing support, vaned diffuser member in said outwardly extending housing,

(3) each vane of said vaned diffuser member having a cutting edge formed on the terminal end thereof, which cutting edges are adjacent and are in complementary cutting relation with the cutting edges of said vaned impeller when said vaned impeller is rotated in one direction, and

(f) at least one bearing mounted within said bearing support, vaned diffuser member to journal said shaft mounting said impeller within said housing wholly from one side thereof.

2. A centrifugal pump, as defined in claim 1, wherein (a) the vanes of said vaned impeller terminate on a plane in the inlet end of said impeller, with the inwardly extending portion forming a helical screw with the terminal ends thereof extending into and connecting with spirally curved blades to form vanes of a centrifugal pump,

(l) said cutting edges on said vaned impeller being a helical screw, and

(b) a closed back plate secured to said impeller so said vanes will form closed spiral passages.

3. A combination screw and centrifugal pump for pumping liquids, which pump comprises;

(a) a volute housing,

(l) said volute housing having an inlet opening formed axially in a side thereof,

(2) said volute housing having an outlet opening formed therein which is tangential thereto intermediate the minimum dimension of said volute housing and the maximum dimension thereof,

(b) a shaft extending into said housing through the inlet opening thereof,

(l) a bearing support mounted on said housing on the inlet side thereof,

(2) bearing means journaled on said shaft in said bearing support for rotation of said shaft about a longitudinal axis of said shaft,

(c) a varied impeller mounted on and secured to said shaft,

(1) said impeller having a front plate and a back plate, which are spaced apart to define a pumping chamber,

(2) said front plate of said impeller having an axial inlet opening formed therein,

(i) said front plate having an outwardly extending cylindrical ring on the end thereof which surrounds said inlet opening,

(ii) a helical screw vaned impeller attachably secured within said outwardly extending ring with the outermost portion of the respective varies forming cutting edges, said helical screw varies being in register with "the inlet opening of said volute housing,

(1n) said helical screw impeller having at least two varies thereon,

(d) centrifugal pump vanes having a spiral of at least degrees, mounted between said front and said back plates and extending to the periphery of said front and back plates,

(e) said back plate being closed at the rear side thereof,

(f) centrifugal pump vanes positioned between said front plate and said back plate and being in abutting relation therewith, and extending in a spiral-like patternto the periphery of said impeller plates, and

(g) said bearing support having a varied member mounted thereon and having an end thereof in complementary curved relation to the helical screw impeller varies,

(1) the adjacent end of said vaned member having at least one cutting edge thereon which will be 1n complementary cutting relation with the cutting edge of the end of Said helical screw impeller vanes when said pump impeller is turned in a direction to pump liquid and foreign matter therethrough so as to cut said foreign matter into bits upon passing into the inlet of said pump.

4. A centrifugal pump comprising:

(a) a volute housing,

(1) said volute housing having an outlet formed in the periphery thereof,

(2) said volute housing having an inlet opening formed in a side thereof,

(b) a shaft extending into one side only of said volute housing,

(c) a vaned impeller mounted on said shaft,

(l) the vanes of said impeller terminating on a plane on the inlet end thereof,

(2) the terminal ends of the vanes of said impeller forming cutting blades,

(d) a housing surrounding said shaft and extending outward therefrom,

(1) said outwardly extending housing having an inlet opening formed in a side thereof, and being in fluid communication with the inlet opening in said volute housing,

(2) said outwardly extending housing having a first bearing support therein,

(i) a first bearing mounted in said first bearing support in said outwardly extending housing, and journaling -said shaft for rotation,

(e) a vaned diffuser member mounted in said outwardly extending housing and forming a second bearing support,

(1) said vaned diffuser member lying in a plane passing axially through said shaft and medially through said inlet opening,

(2) means securing said vaned diffuser member forming said second bearing support in said outwardly extending housing,

(3) a second bearing mounted in said second bearing support and being in axial alignment with said first bearing and journaling said shaft for rotation and to support said shaft mounting said impeller within said -housing wholly from one side thereof,

(4) the terminal ends of said vanes of said vaned diffuser member adjacent said impeller blades 'being curved to form cutting edges which are complementary to the cutting edges of the irnpeller vanes, and

(i) said terminal ends of said vanes of said vaned diffuser Amember lying substantially in the same plane as the terminal ends of the vanes of said impeller.

5. A centrifugal pump comprising:

(a) a volute housing,

(1) said volute housing having an outlet formed in the periphery thereof,

(2) said volute housing having an inlet opening formed in a side thereof,

(b) a shaft extending into one side only of said volute housing,

(c) a vaned impeller mounted on said shaft,

(1) said vaned impeller having a back plate de tachably secured to a side thereof,

(2) means varying the out-put capacity of said impeller by varying the distance between said back plate and an end of said vaned impeller,

(d) a housing surrounding said shaft and extending outward therefrom,

(l) said outwardly extending housing having an inlet opening formed in a side thereof which is in communication with the inlet opening in said volute housing,

(l) said vaned diffuser member lying in a plane passing axially through said shaft and medially through said inlet opening in said diffuser member,

(2) means securing said bearing support, varied diffuser member in said outwardly extending housing, and

(f) at least one bearing mounted within said bearing support, vaned diffuser member to journal said shaft, mounting said impeller, within said housing wholly from one side thereof.

6. A centrifugal pump, as defined in claim 5, wherein (a) said vaned impeller has an outwardly extending screw threaded boss on the back side thereof, and (b) said backing plate is screw threaded to complementally engage said screw threaded boss. 7. A combination screw and centrifugal pump for pumping liquids and solids that may be entrained therein which pump comprises;

(a) a volute housing,

(2) said volute housing having an outlet opening formed therein which is tangential thereto intermediate the minimum dimension of the volute housing and the maximum dimension thereof,

(b) a shaft extending into one side only of said volute housing,

(1) a bearing support member mounted on said housing on the inlet side thereof,

(2) bearing means journaling sai-d shaft for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said shaft,

(c) a vaned impeller mounted on and being secured to said shaft,

(1) said impeller having a front plate and a back plate, which plates are spaced apart to define a pump chamber,

(i) a ring mounted on said front plate of said impeller, which ring extends outward therefrom and surrounds said inlet opening thereof,

(3) said back plate being closed on the rear side thereof,

(d) helical screw impeller vanes positioned within said inlet opening of said vaned impeller and being in register with the inlet opening of said housing,

(1) the outer terminal ends of said helical screw impeller vanes extend so as to be substantially flush with the outer end of said ring, which terminal ends form cutting edges to perform a cutting action, when said impeller vanes are rotated in one direction,

(2) said bearing support having a vaned member mounted thereon, an end of each vane thereof being in complementary curved relation to the helical screw impeller vanes,

(i) the ends of the vanes of said vaned member adjacent the terminal ends of said helical screw impeller vanes each having a cutting edge formed thereon which will be in complementary cutting relation when said pump impeller is turned in a direction to pump liquid and foreign matter therethrough, so as to cut the foreign matter into bits upon passing into the inlet of said pump:

(e) transition vanes connected to said helical screw impeller vanes and being unitary therewith and extending toward the back plate of said impeller and toward the periphery of said impeller, and

(f) centrifugal pump vanes positioned between said 1 1 front and said back plates and being in abutting relation therewith, and being connected in unitary relation with said transition vanes and extending into a spiral-like pattern to the periphery of said impeller plates.

8. A comination screw and centrifugal pump for pumping liquids and solids that maybe entrained therein, which pump comprises:

(a) a volute housing,

(b) a shaft extending into one side only of said volute housing,

(1) a bearing support member mounted on said housing on the inlet side thereof,

(2) bearing means journaling said shaft for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said shaft,

(c) a vaned impeller mounted on and being secured to said shaft,

(3) said back plate being closed on the rear side thereof,

(i) said vaned impeller being of a size to enenable the back side thereof to be machined away to vary the volume of liquid which the impeller will handle, when the back plate is secured thereto,

(ii) said back plate being detachably secured to said vaned impeller,

(f) centrifugal pump vanes positioned between said front plate and said back plate and being in abutting relation therewith, and being connected in unitary relation with said transition vanes and extending in a spiral-like pattern to the periphery of said impeller plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 944,864 12/1909 Holzer 103-111 1,094,836 y 4/1914 De Laval 10.3-111 1,308,108 7/1919 Peterson 103-111 2,069,640 2/1937 Beardsley 10?*111 2,371,681 3/1945 Durdin 103-111.1 2,664,052 12/1953 Schmidt 103k87 2,749,846 6/1956 Karrer 103-87 2,766,697 10/1956 Judd 10388 2,984,189 5/1961 Jekat 103-88 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

LAURENCE V. EFNER, Examiner.

Claims

1. A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP COMPRISING: (A) A VOLUTE HOUSING, (1) SAID VOLUTE HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING FORMED IN ONE AXIAL SIDE THEREOF ONLY, WHICH OPENING FORMS AN INLET OPENING, (2) SAID VOLUTE HOUSING HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING FORMED IN THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, (B) A SHAFT EXTENDING INTO THE INLET OPENING IN SAID HOUSING, (C) A VANED IMPELLER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, (1) SAID VANED IMPELLER HAVING A CUTTING EDGE FORMED ON THE VANES WITHIN SAID INLET OPENING, (D) A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING OUTWARD THEREFROM, (1) SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING HOUSING HAVING AN INLET OPENING FORMED IN A SIDE THEREOF, AND BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INLET OPENING IN SAID VOLUTE HOUSING, (E) A BEARING SUPPORT, VANED DIFFUSED MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING HOUSING, (1) SAID VANED DIFFUSER MEMBER LYING IN A PLANE PASSING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID SHAFT AND MEDIALLY THROUGH SAID OPENING, (2) MEANS SECURING SAID BEARING SUPPORT, VANED DIFFUSER MEMBER IN SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING HOUSING, (3) EACH VANE OF SAID VANED DIFFUSER MEMBER HAVING A CUTTING EDGE FORMED ON THE TERMINAL END THEREOF, WHICH CUTTING EDGES ARE ADJACENT AND ARE IN COMPLEMENTARY CUTTING RELATION WITH THE CUTTING EDGES OF SAID VANED IMPELLER WHEN SAID VANED IMPELLER IS ROTATED IN ONE DIRECTION, AND (F) AT LEAST ONE BEARING MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BEARING SUPPORT, VANED DIFFUSER MEMBER TO JOURNAL SAID SHAFT MOUNTING SAID IMPELLER WITHIN SAID HOUSING WHOLLY FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF.