US3407747A

US3407747A - Mount means for pump apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3407747A
Application number: US629135A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rule Clinton
Original assignee: RULE MARINE Inc
Current assignee: RULE MARINE Inc
Priority date: 1967-04-07
Filing date: 1967-04-07
Publication date: 1968-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1985-10-29

Description

Oct. 29, 1968 c. RULE MOUNT MEANS FOR PUMP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 7, 1967 2 2 2 M 4 s a 3 ll. 1 M

fl .llll n Q 3 2 w m o L Q 7 M 7 m Q m 2 3 Oct. 29, 1968 c. RULE MOUNT MEANS FOR PUMP APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April '7, 1967 FIG. 2

United States Patent Oifice 3,407,747 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 3,407,747 MOUNT MEANS FOR PUMP APPARATUS Clinton Rule, Beverly, Mass., assignor to Rule Marine, Inc., Beverly Farms, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,135 11 Claims. (Cl. 103-218) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention comprises a novel mount means for pump apparatus which means provides secure attachment of pump apparatus thereto. Said mount means comprises resilient horizontally notched post members extending upwardly from a base means, the notches of said post members engaging mating recesses provided on the pump means and, due to the resilient nature of said post members providing a secure attachment of the pump to the mount.

There are presently commercially available numerous and varying types of mechanical pumps for the transfer of liquids. In particular, impeller pumps suitable for pumping liquids from cavities such as sumps, bilges, and the like enjoy considerable popularity, Basically, such impeller pumps comprise an impeller chamber, a driven impeller disposed within said chamber, and inlet and outlet ports in open communication with said chamber. Also, there is often associated with such pumps a strainer device of some form associated with the inlet port in order to prevent ingestion of foreign objects of sufiicient size to cause damage to the pump apparatus or to otherwise stop the flow of liquid therethrough.

One of the difficulties encountered with prior art pumps of the hereinbefore-described type resides in the method utilized in mounting same to the bilge, sump, or whatever the intended site of operation. Heretofore, such pumps have commonly been affixed to the operative site by such means as screws, bolts, rivets, etc., which means are often disadvantageous due to loosening thereof during operations (such as by vibration) and/ or which are of such a nature that facile and quick removal and replacement of the pump apparatus is achieved with difficulty, if at all. Previous efforts toward providing a more secure mounting for pump apparatus have often involved the use of cotter keys, hairpin clips and the like, which, while often providing an acceptable solution to the above-described security problem nevertheless provide further difliculties with respect to ease of removal and reassembly of the pump apparatus, particularly in view of the close quarters in which such pumps are normally emplaced. Obviously, due to the often critical nature of the many tasks to which such pumps are assigned, it is emminently desirable that mounting means be provided which provide the facility for quick removal of the pump for serving, replacement or the like, while further providing a secure mount therefor. In accordance with the present invention such mount means have been provided.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide novel mount means for impeller pumps.

It is another object of the present invention to provide mount means for impeller pumps which provides the beneficial combination characteristics comprising quick removal and installation of the pump and an unusually secure attachment thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel combination of mount and strainer means for impeller pumps.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of the present invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention and its objects and advantages will be better understood by reference to the drawings forming part hereof wherein in FIGURE 1 there is provided a schematic, diagrammatic, partially sectional view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention in an assembled state; and

In FIGURE 2 there is provided an isometric diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention prior to assembly.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the mount means of the present invention comprises, in its broadest aspect, base means 12 and at least two upwardly extending resilient post members 14. Said post members have horizontal notches 16 associated therewith. Base means 12 is aflixed to the site of operation by any suitable method, such as by means of screws 17. Assembly of the mount to the pump is as follows: Impeller housing 18 'of pump 20 is inserted between post members 14. Recesses 22 in flange 24 engage said post members. At the initial engagement of said post members and said recesses, due in part to a nicety of fit and in part to the resilient nature of said posts, posts 14 are displaced outwardly and thereafter provide an inwardly directed bias. At the end of the assembly procedure, notches 16 and recesses 22 are indexed, and the inwardly biased post members 14 urge said notches and said recesses into an interlocking arrangement one with the other, thus providing an unusually secure, vibration-proof attachment of pump 20 to the mount means. Preferably, when interlocking of the notches and recesses has been accomplished, post members 14 are substantially completely recovered from the displaced position and, therefore provide substantially no biasing forces in the locked position, but do however, provide beneficial resistance when other forces incurred during operations, such as vibration, tend to urge the notches and recesses into an unlocked position. This aspect of the mount means of the present invention is thought to contribute materially to the unusual security of the mount means. To remove the pump from said mount means merely requires that post members 14 be displaced outwardly thereby disengaging notches 16 from recesses 22 followed by, or concomitant with, withdrawal of pump 20.

In a preferred embodiment of the mount means there are also provided a plurality of upwardly extending projections 26 arranged preferably substantially equidistantly about the periphery of base means 12. When the pump is assembled to the mount means, said projections are of a length sufficient to substantially abut impeller chamber end plate 28, and of even greater preference, extend over the surfaces of impeller casing 18, thereby providing a strainer means whose function it is to prevent the ingestion of excessively large foreign objects into intake port 30. While said projections can also be provided substantially adjacent the periphery of intake port 30 it is generally preferable to provide as large a strainer surface as is practical. This, of course, is conveniently achieved by positioning said projections in the preferred manner, i.e. about the periphery of impeller casing 18.

The design specifics of the mount means of the present invention are subject to considerable variation and are generally not critical provided that the resilient nature of post members 14 be provided. For instance, base means 12 can be of any convenient shape, such as a rectangle, circle or ring. Generally speaking, however, it is desirable that the shape of said base means be such that a minimum of space is required for fixation thereof to the site of operations. To this end, it will usually be preferred to utilize a circular base means. Furthermore, any suitable means can be utilized to afiix said base means to the intended site of operation.

It is all important, however, that post members 14 be resilient. Said resiliency can be achieved through design and/or choice of materials of construction. For instance, when said post members are not integral with the base means, i.e. when base means 12 comprises a separate and distinct element from each of said post members 14, said resiliency can be achieved by fastening the post members to the base means by a hinged arrangement and providing biasing means to each of said hinged posts. However, for the sake of construction and servlcmg s1mplicity, it is much preferred that the post members 14 be integral with base means 12, i.e. that the entire mount means structure comprise one piece. It will be apparent that the pump mount means depicted in FIGURE 1 lends itself to integral construction such as by use of plastic materials and suitable thermo-forming techniques. Thus, the mount means comprising base means 12, resilient post members 14 and, in the preferred embodiment, projections 26 can generally be produced in one piece by injection molding of a suitable plastic material.

In further regard to the post members it should be noted that at least two thereof are necessary to provide secure counting of the pump. However, it will generally be preferred to provide at least three such members, spaced at substantially equal intervals about the periphery of pump when assembled. Further, it is preferred that ends 32 of said posts be rounded or otherwise provided with a lead contour in order that indexing and engagement thereof with recesses 22 of flange 24 be facilitated.

Flange 24, which bears recesses 22 can be integral with or form a separate part of the structure of pump 20. Preferably, and for the same reasons as previously indicated with respect to base means 12 and post members 14, said flange is integral with said pump. The particular position flange 24 occupies with respect to pump casing 21 or impeller casing 18 is not critical provided that, when assembled to the mount means, sufiicient clearance or stand-off distance between impeller chamber end plate 28 and base means 12 is provided for substantially unrestricted flow of liquid into intake port 30. Preferably a minimum stand-off of at least one fourth of the diameter of port 30 is provided in order to provide a curtain area equal to the area of port 30. Obviously, said stand-off distance can be controlled by adjustment of, the height of horizontal notches 16 on post members 14, the position of flange 24 relative to casing 21 or various combinations thereof. Generally, however, it is desirable that flange 24 be positioned at a location approximating the junction of casing 21 and impeller housing 18. Said positioning normally results in provision of maximum strength because a water-tight end wall 27 separating motor 29 from impeller chamber 31 is normally present in the vicinity of said junction.

In one embodiment of the invention, the mount means, in addition to comprising a base means 12 and at least two resilient post members 14, also comprises a plurality of projections 26 spaced at substantially equal intervals about intake port 30. With respect to said preferred embodiment it is obvious that, when assembled, the free ends of said projections should approximate an abutting relationship with impeller chamber end plate 28. As indicated previously, however, it is much preferred that said projections be positioned about the periphery of impeller housing 18. When such is the case, it is still further preferred that the lengths of said projections be sufiicient to extend beyond the level defined by impeller chamber end plate 28 and approach abutting relationship with lower surface 34 of flange 24. When said projections extend above the level of impeller end plate 28 it is advantageous to provide chamfers 36 on the inner aspects of the ends of each of said projections and/ or chamfers 29 about the circumference of said end plate 28. The function of said chamfers is to provide positioning of impeller casing 18 as said casing is inserted during engagement of the pump with the mounting means, thereby further facilitating assembly.

Generally speaking, materials of construction suitable for the apparatus of the persent invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and are normally not critical provided that, as has been previously indicated, the necessary resilience of mount posts 14 be provided. Therefore, metals such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, copper alloys, and the like, are entirely suitable. However, plastic materials having good resilience properties are normally admirably suited as materials of construction of pump apparatus and generally preferred. Specific examples of such plastic materials are polyamides, polyacetals, acrylonitrile but adiene-styrene copolymers, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, etc.

Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made in the above description and drawings without departing from the scope of the invention.

For instance, referring now to FIGURE 2, mount post 50 can also be displaced inwardly to engage recesses 52. In this case, the direction of bias is directly outwardly and horizontal notches 54 are provided on the exterior aspects of post members 50.

Further, again referring to FIGURE 2, it will be apparent that although previous discussion has been limited to flanges which encompass substantially the entire circumference of the pump in a continuous manner it is also suitable and specifically contemplated to provide mounting lugs 56 which are disposed in a discontinuous manner about pump housing 58. It should be borne in mind, therefore, that the term flange for the purposes of the present specification and claims appended hereto includes within its scope mounting lugs such as are shown in FIGURE 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A novel pump mount which comprises a base means, means to allow said base means to be affixed to a site of operation, at least two resilient post members each bearing at least one horizontally disposed notch thereon, a flanged disposed about the perimeter of impeller pump apparatus which apparatus comprises a motor housing, an impeller chamber, an impeller positioned within said chamber and an inlet and an outlet in said impeller chamber, said flange having recesses therein adapted to (l) first displace each of said resilient post members thereby providing a biasing force thereto, and (2) to subsequently engage said notches of said displaced resilient post members in interlocking relationship.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are provided at least three of said post members.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said post members and said base means are integral.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said integral base means and post members comprise a plastic material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recesses and said notches in the interlocked position provide substantially no displacement of said resilient post members.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the free ends of said resilient post members are provided with lead coutours.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flange and said pump apparatus are integral.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locus of said flange resides at approximately the junction of the impeller chamber and the motor housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein in addition to said mount post members, said base means also comprises a plurality of upwardly extending substantially equally spaced projections disposed about the perimeter of the intake part thereby defining a strainer structure around said intake port.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said projections are positioned about the periphery of the impeller housing and are of a length sufiicient to extend thereabove.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the free end UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1965 Nasvytis 103-87 1/1966 Albee et a1. 103103 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.