US3667878A - Pump construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A PUMP IS PROVIDED WHICH IS CAPABLE OF HANDLING A FLOWABLE PRODUCT SUCH AS PLASTIC CONCRETE OF THE LIKE. THE PUMP INCLUDES TWO MOVING PARTS BOTH OF WHICH ARE DRIVEN FROM A SINGLE POWER SOURCE. ONE MOVING PART COMPRISES A ROTATING WALL WHICH COOPERATES WITH A STATIONARY ARCUATE WALL TO FORM A CAVITY IN WHICH IS DISPOSED AN IMPELLER. THE IMPELLER IS CARRIED BY THE ROTATING WALL AND MOVES THEREWITH. THE SECOND MOVING PART IS A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN THE CAVITY AND ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS OFSET BUT PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE ROTATING WALL. THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER IS PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE IMPELLER EXTENDS. THE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER IS ROTATED BY THE IMPELLER. THE STATIONARY ARCUATE WALL IS PROVIDED WITH A PRODUCT DISCHARGE PORT AND THE ROTATING WALL IS PROVIDED WITH A PRODUCT INFEED PORT DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF THE IMPELLER.

Description

June 6, 1972 1.. c. REEVE 3,667,878

PUMP CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 8, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.| FIG.2

INVENTOR LEO C fiEEl/E BY m/fiwuw ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1971 FIG.5

INVENTOR LEO C. REEVE ATTORNEYS June 6, 1972 Filed Jan. 8, 1971 FIG.|3

L. C. REEVE PUMP CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet S INVENTOR United States Patent 3,667,878 PUMP CONSTRUCTION Leo C. Reeve, Lombard, Ill., assignor to Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. Filed Jan. 8, 1971, Ser. No. 104,856 Int. Cl. F01c 1/00, 11/00; F04b 15/02 US. Cl. 418-173 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pump is provided which is capable of handling a flowable product such as plastic concrete or the like. The pump includes two moving parts both of which are driven from a single power source. One moving part comprises a rotating wall which cooperates with a stationary arcuate wall to form a cavity in which is disposed an impeller. The impeller is carried by the rotating wall and moves therewith. The second moving part is a substantially cylindrical member disposed within the cavity and rotatable about an axis offset but parallel to the axis of the rotating wall. The cylindrical member is provided with an opening through which the impeller extends. The cylindrical member is rotated by the impeller. The stationary arcuate wall is provided with a product discharge port and the rotating wall is provided with a product infeed port disposed rearwardly of the impeller.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various pumps for handling plastic concrete (sometimes referred to as wet concrete) or the like have heretofore been proposed which normally utilize a plurality of hydraulic cylinders and intricate and complex valving control means. The valving control means were generally susceptible to excessive wear and to readily becoming out-of-adjustment. Thus, maintenance of such pumps became a costly item. Furthermore, such prior pumps were bulky, heavy and difiicult to move and required a substantial initial capital investment. For these latter reasons, the utilization of such prior pumps was normally restricted to .very large construction jobs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a positive displacement rotary pump which is capable of handling in a controllable manner against appreciable pressure a flowable abrasive product such as plastic concrete, or the like.

It is a'further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described which is of simple, compact, and inexpensive design and requires but two readily accessible moving parts driven by a single power source.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described wherein no elaborate and complex valving mechanism is required to control the product flow.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described wherein loading or charging of the product into the pump housing is continuous and uninterrupted.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described wherein the impeller, feed means, and housing thereof are disposed within a hopper in which the product is initially accumulated, thereby minimizing the need for maintaining extremely close tolerances between relatively moving parts of the pump.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described which may be utilized in conjunction with one or more pumps of similar construction whereby the product discharge from said pumps may be combined into a single conduit to produce a substantially continuous, smooth flow of product through the conduit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described wherein the discharge therefrom may be distributed through a plurality of discharge conduits thereby enabling the product to be simultaneously distributed to various remote locations.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described which may be used in combination with other pumps of like construction and the impellers of said pumps driven by a common shaft.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pump of the type described wherein the direction of rotation of the impeller therefor may be reversed, when desired, to facilitate pressure reversal and for cleaning.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a pump for a flowable product is provided which includes a housing having a cavity therein formed by an arcuate first wall and an annular second wall disposed to one side of the first wall and delimited thereby. The second wall is mounted for rotation about an axis extending through the center of curvature of the arcuate first wall. The first wall is provided with a product discharge port and the second wall is provided with a product inieed port. Disposed within the housing cavity is an elongated impeller which rotates with the second wall. Carried by and extending rearwardly from the outer end of the impeller is an elongated curved gate member which conforms to the configuration of said first wall and is adapted to close off the discharge port when said impeller is in a predetermined position of rotational adjustment. Also disposed within the housing cavity is a substantially cylindrical member which is adapted to rotate about an axis oifset from, but parallel to, the rotary axis of said second wall. The cylindrical member is provided with an elongated arcuate opening through which the impeller extends." The impeller engages a peripheral segment of theopening in the cylindrical member and imparts rotational "movement thereto. The exterior of the cylindrical member is in substantially tangential relation with the first wall at a location adjacent the leading peripheral segment of the discharge port formed in the first wall. The exterior of the cylindrical member cooperates with the first wall to form a product discharge compartment, the volume of which is progressively reduced from a maximum to zero' upon each revolution of the impeller starting from a posi-j tion adjacent the leading peripheral segment of the dis-'- charge port.

DESCRIPTION FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but showing the unitary rotating wall, impeller, and product feed means in exploded relation with respect to the remainder of the heirsing and cylindrical member.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pump shown in FIG. 3, but with the unitary rotating wall, impeller, and product feed means removed.

' FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken through the axes of the rotating wall and cylindrical member and showing the impeller in a position adjacent the leading peripheral segment of the discharge port.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7-8 are similar to FIG. 6, but showing the impeller in successive positions of rotational adjustment. FIG. 9 is similar to FIGS. 68, but showing the impeller adjacent the product discharge port; an extension of the discharge chute being shown in dotted lines for connecting to the discharge chute of a similar pump.

FIG. 10 is a perspective top view of the cylindrical member per se shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional View similar to FIG. 5, but showing a pair of improved pumps having the impellers thereof driven by a common shaft.

FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 5, but showing a modified form of the improved pump.

1., FIG. 13 is a fragmentary, top perspective view of the modified pump shown in FIG. 12.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, one form of the improved pump 20 is shown which is adapted to handle a flowable product such as plastic concrete or the like. Where concrete is the product being pumped, it is preferred that it havea plasticity range of from about 2 to about 8" slump. The pump 20 includes a housing 21 which is supported by a frame 22, a hopper 23 extending upwardly from the housing and in which the product is initially accumulated, and a power source 24 such as an electric motor, internal combustion engine, or the like, including appropriate speed reducing transmission and control means which are also supported by the frame and disposed outside of the housing and hopper.

The illustrated housing 21 includes an arcuate or cylindrical first wall 2'5 in which is formed an elongated arcuate product discharge port D, see FIGS. 2 and 3. Wall 25 delimits a rotatably mounted annular second wall 26. The axis of rotation of wall 26 is coincident to thecenter of curvature of wall 25. Subtending wall 26 and in substantially parallel relation therewith, is a third wall 27. The walls 25, 26, and 27 cooperate with one another to formqa cavity 28, see FIG. 5. The wall 26 is supported in a horizontal rotating position by .a centrally disposed depending shaft 30 which extends through a suitable sleeve bearing 31 mounted on the wall 27 and terminates at a thrust bearing 32 carried by the-frame 22, see FIG. 5. Keyed to the portion of the shaft. disposed intermediate the bearings 31 and 32 is a drive sprocket, pulley, or gear, 33 which, in turn, is suitablyconnected to the power source 24 by conventional means.

Depending from and carried by wall 26 is an elongated impeller 34 which is disposed within the cavity 28 and substantially spans the distance between walls 26 and 27. The impeller 34 is substantially radially disposed with respect to shaft 30 and has the outer end 34a thereof disposed adjacent the interior surface of arcuate wall 25, and the inner end 34]) thereof spaced from shaft 30 so as to form a passageway P, see FIGS. 5 and 6.

Afiixed to the outer end- 34a of the impeller 34 and extending rearwardly therefrom is an elongated curved gate member 35. The center of curvature of gate member 35 is coincident to the axis of shaft 30. The gate member is disposed closely adjacent the interior surface ofwall 25 and is of such an extent that it closes off the discharge port D when the impeller is in a position A of rotational adjustment, see FIG. 6.

Wall 26 is provided with a product infeed port 36 which is preferably of substantially sectoral configuration. The port 36 is partially shown in broken lines in FIG. 6. The impeller 34 is disposed adjacent the leading peripheral segment 36a of the port 36. Extending upwardly and forwardly from the trailing peripheral segment 36b of the port is a bafile 37, the function of which will be described more fully hereinafter. The bafile 37, impeller 34, gate member 35, Wall 26, and shaft 30 are adapted to rotate as a unit about a vertical axis XX defined by shaft 30, see FIG. 5.

Also disposed within cavity 28 is a substantiallycylindrically-shaped member 38, see FIG. 10. The member 38 has the lower edge thereof offset inwardly to form an annular flange 38a from which depends an annular second flange 38b. Flange 38b is disposed in concentric relation with respect to the annular cavity-forming wall of member 38. Flange 38b is slidably disposed within an annular guideway 40 formed in wall 27. The thickness of the stationary wall 27 disposed outside member 38 may be greater than the remainder of the wall 27, see FIG. 5, so that the flange 38a of the member 38 will be in flush relation with respect to the thickened portion of the wall 27. In some instances the depending flange 38b and the corresponding guideway 40 may be omitted where the thickness differential of wall 27 is substantial.

The member 38 is adapted to be rotated about a vertical axis Y-Y which is offset from, but parallel to, the axis XX of shaft 30, see FIG. 5. Axis Y-Y is coincident to the center of curvature of member 38. The diameter of member 38 is greater than the radius of arcuate Wall 25 and substantially less than the diameter of the latter. Preferably, the diameter of member 38 is approximately three quarters of the diameter of wall 25. Annular flange 38a of member 38 overlies and slidably engages a second portion of wall 27.

The cavity-forming wall of member 38 is interrupted by an elongated curved (approximately opening 41, see FIG. 10. The impeller 34 is adapted to extend through the opening 41, see FIGS. 6-9, and as the impeller rotates about axis XX, it will engage the leading peripheral segment 41a of the opening 41 and cause the member 38 to *be rotated around axis Y--Y. Because of the oifsetting of the axes XX and Y-Y, and the diameter differentials of wall 25 and member 38, the impeller 34 will extend and retract relative to the wall of member 38 as the impeller is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIGS. 6-9.

As seen in FIG. 10, an upwardly extending lug 41b is formed on the inwardly extending annular flange 38a of member 38 and is annularly spaced rearwardly from the leading peripheral segment 41a. The impeller is adapted to be disposed between peripheral segment 41a and lug 4112 during normal operation of the pump. The lug 41b is drivingly engaged by the impeller only when the latter is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, for purposes of relieving excessive pressure buildup within the pump housing or when the pump is to be cleaned.

The curved wall of member 38 cooperates with the curved interior surface of wall 25 to form a product discharge compartment 1, which is initially crescent shaped, as seen in FIG. 6. The shape of compartment I changes and the volume thereof is progressively reduced from a maximum, (FIG. 6) to approximately zero (FIG. 9) as the impeller makes one revolution starting from position A, which is adjacent the leading peripheral segment 25a of discharge port D, see FIGS. 2, 3, and 6. The leading peripheral segment 25a of port D may be defined by a yieldable block 39 formed of rubber or the like. The block 39 will be described more fully hereafter.

When the pump is operating, the entire space-volume beneath wall 26 is essentially completely filled with the product. That portion of the product in compartment I ahead of the impeller is under high or discharge pressure as the impeller rotates and all the remainder of the product is under relatively low or hopper pressure.

Because of the cylindrical configuration of member 38 and the size and shape of infeed port 36, the product will also accumulate within the area II formed by the interior surface of the curved wall of member 38. To prevent the product disposed Within area H from becoming stagnant and hardened, an agitator element or blade 42 is afl'ixed to the underside of wall 26 and is in slidable contact with shaft 30. The element 42 is angularly disposed rearwardly from impeller 34 and is of a length slightly greater than the width of passageway P formed by the inner end 34b of the impeller and shaft 30. The height of element 42 approximates the height of the impeller 34. Thus, element 42 and impeller 34 sweep the cavity-forming surface of wall 27 as the wall 26 is rotated. The passageway P and the opening 41 in member 38 permit product flow between area II and compartment I as the impeller and element are rotated as a unit.

Adiustably mounted on the exterior of wall 25 and in registered relation with discharge port D is a chute 43 which is adapted to direct the product flow away from the housing. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the chute 43 may be hingedly connected to wall 25 at 44 which is adjacent the trailing peripheral segment 25b of port D. When the chute is in operative position, an input opening 43a formed therein is disposed in substantially coincident relation with the port D formed in wall 25. As aforementioned, the leading peripheral edge 25a of the discharged port D is formed by a block 39 of rubberlike material. The end of the block forming the leading edge of the port D is shaped so as to conform to the curved interior surface of wall 25. Block 39 is held in position in a pocket Z which is formed by a portion of the wall 34a of the chute, when the latter is in an operative position and a bracket 49 projecting outwardly from the exterior of wall 27, see FIGS. 6-9. When required, the block 39 may be readily replaced.

One wall 45 of the chute, adjacent the opening, is uniformly curved causing the product flow to be in a substantially tangential direction away from wall 25. The discharge end 46 of the chute forms a conduit to which a flexible or inflexible conduit section can be removably attached so that the product can be readily distributed to the desired job site. In other instances a forklike connector, not shown, can be removably connected to the chute discharge end 46 so that two or more streams of product can be simultaneously distributed to a plurality of job sites.

If two or more pumps are being used simultaneously in concert with one another, the discharge end 46 of the chute of one pump may be extended and connected to the chute of the second pump through a suitable opening formed in the curved wall 45 of the second chute so that the product fiow of the first pump will be in the same tangential direction as the product flow of the second pump. A dotted line extension E of the chute discharge end of the pump of FIG. 9 is shown connecting with the curved wall 45 of the chute of the pump of FIG. 8. In such an arrangement, the connected pumps are disposed in horizontally spaced relation. With the pumps so disposed, the product feed therefor may be from a single hopper which encompasses both pumps or from separate hoppers, one for each pump. Furthermore, in order to attain a steady combined product flow from the pumps, it is desirable that the impellers therefor be driven from a common power source and the impeller of one pump be 180 out of phase with the impeller of the other pump.

Whether one or more pumps are utilized on a particular job, the matter of periodic cleaning is of utmost importance, particularly where the product being pumped will solidify if it remains in a quiescent state for a given period of time. To facilitate the cleaning operation, the chute 43 may be unlocked or released from its operative position, see FIG. 4, and swung outwardly about its hinged connection 44 to an inoperative position (see FIGS. 2 and 3) thereby readily exposing the interior of the housing through the elongated port D. Upon slowly rotating the impeller, in either direction, while the chute is in its inoperative position, the impeller 34, agitator element 42, and

member 38 will become exposed through the port D. A high velocity stream of water or suitable fluid may be directed through the port D into the housing interior and thereby effectively clean same. In addition, the interior surfaces of the hopper walls may be readily washed down by directing thereagainst a similar high velocity stream.

Where binding or jamming of the impeller or member 38 occurs due to an entrained solid of the product becom ing wedged between relatively moving parts, the problem normally can be rectified by merely reversing the direction of rotation of the impeller. If such a procedure is not successful, the chute can be moved to its inoperative pos1- tion so as to expose the wedged solid and enable same to be mechanically removed.

FIG. 11 discloses a modified construction 50 wherein a pair of pumps 51 and 52 of substantially like construction are disposed in spaced, side-by-side relation with the impellers 53 thereof rotated by a common, horizontally extending shaft 54. Each pump 51 and 52 is of substantially the same construction as pump 20 previously described, except that the rotating wall 55 to which the impeller 53 is connected assumes a vertical position rather than a horizontal position. Furthermore, the rotating walls 55 of pumps 51 and 52 are adjacent one another and in spaced parallel relation. In lieu of the bafiie 37 of pump 20, a helically-shaped flange 56 is provided which is secured to the portion 54a of the shaft 54 exposed between the pumps 51 and 52. One half 56a of the flange 56 which is adjacent the rotating wall 55 of pump 51 is shaped so as to urge, upon rotation of the shaft in one direction, the product flow to be substantially horizontal towards the infeed port formed in the rotating wall 55 of pump 51. The other half 5612 of the flange 56, on the other hand, is disposed adjacent the rotating wall of pump 52 and is shaped so as to urge, upon rotation of the shaft in said one direction, the product flow in the opposite direction. The two flange halves 56a and b meet one another at substantially the midpoint between the two pumps.

Subtending the flange 56 is the bottom wall 57 of the hopper 58. The upwardly extending walls of the hopper delimit the arcuate walls 60 forming a part of the housing for each pump 51 and 52. Wall 60 is shaped like wall 25 of pump 20. The stationary wall 61 of each pump 51 or 52, which is opposite the rotating wall 55, is disposed outside of the hopper 58, thereby making same more accessible for cleaning or maintainance. The bearings 62 for the shaft 54 as well as the drive sprocket, pulley, or gear 63 therefor are also disposed outside the hopper 58.

It will be noted in FIG. 11 that pump 50 is disposed in an elevated position by being secured to a raised platform 64 thereby enabling the chute 65 for each pump housing to extend downwardly through suitable openings 66 formed in the platform 64. The openings 66 are of sufficient size to permit each chute 65 to be swung downwardly to an inoperative position, when required, so that the interior of the pump housing can be exposed for cleaning from beneath the platform. Pump assembly 51 or 52 may be adjustably affixed to hopper 58 to permit repositioning of discharge chutes 65 about shaft 54 to provide a choice of discharge angles from horizontal to vertical.

The relative dispositions of the impellers 53 of pumps 51 and 52 with respect to shaft 54 may be such that they are out of phase by approximately 180, thus eliminating a pulsating product flow, if the discharge ends of the chutes are connected to a single conduit, not shown.

The rotating walls 55 of the pumps serve as side walls for the hopper 58 thereby causing the product to accumulate therebetween and be agitated by the rotating helicallyshaped flange 56.

FIG. 12 shows a modified pump 70 having an upright hopper 71 and pump housing 72, the latter forming the base of said hopper. The housing 72 includes a rotating wall 73 which has an annular periphery and is provided with a product infeed port 74, see FIG. 13, which is in constant communication with the interior of the hopper thereby assuring that the housing will be constantly charged with the product accumulated in the hopper. Projecting angularly upwardly from the trailing peripheral segment of the infeed port is a curved feed baflle 75, see FIG. 13. The baffie serves to agitate the product disposed within the hopper and to direct it into the infeed port 74.

Wall 73 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction by an elongated shaft 76 which only extends upwardly from the center of the wall into the interior of the hopper 71. The shaft is held in its upright position by a suitable support 77, the outer extremities of which are secured by brackets 78 to the interior surface of the hopper.

The inner ends of the support engage a sealed gear box or enclosure 80 in which is enclosed the upper end of shaft 76. Extending horizontally outwardly from enclosure 80 is a drive shaft 81. The shaft 81 extends through a suitable seal bearing 82 formed in the wall of the hopper and terminates at a drive motor 83 disposed outside the hopper and shown schematically in FIG. 12.

Depending from and affixed to the underside of wall 73 and disposed adjacent the leading peripheral segment of port 74 is an elongated impeller 84 which is similar in configuration to the impeller 34 of pump 20 and an agitator blade 84' which is similar in configuration to the blade 42 of pump 20. The height of impeller 84 and blade 84 approximates the spacing between wall 73 and a stationary second wall 85 which forms a wall of the cavity within housing 72.

Mounted within the housing cavity and immediately above wall 85 is an annular plate member 86 upon which is affixed an upwardly extending arcuate flange 87. The member 86 and flange 87 are of unitary construction and rotate about the axis of a depending shaft 88. Shaft 88 has the upper end thereof afiixed to member 86 and is held rotatably in place by bearings 90, see FIG. 12. The axis of shaft 88 is oliset from, but parallel to, the axis of shaft 76. The center of curvature of flange 87 coincides with the axis of shaft 88. The ends 87a and 87b of flange 87, see FIG. 13, are angularly spaced from one another so as to form an elongated opening through which the impeller 84 extends. When the pump is in operation, the impeller 84 will engage flange end 87a and cause the flange to rotate about shaft 88. As seen in FIG. 13, impeller 84 is provided with a curved rearwardly extending gate member 89.

The curved wall delimiting the housing cavity is provided with a discharge port D and chute, not shown, which may be of a type described with regard to pump 20. The advantage possessed by pump 70 is the elimination of an annular guide formed in wall 85 thereby facilitating cleaning of the pump.

As in the case of pump 20, the impeller 84 of pump 7 will extend and retract relative to flange 87 as the latter rotates about shaft 88 and the impeller 84 rotates about shaft 7 6.

The radius of curvature of flange 87 and the location of shaft 88 with respect to shaft 76 are such that the exterior of flange 87 assumes a substantially tangential relation with respect to the curved surface of the housing cavity at the leading peripheral segment of the discharge port formed in the housing curved surface.

The improved pumps have heretofore been described as utilizing a hopper; however, if desired, the hopper may be replaced with a product-accumulating chamber into which the product is fed through a suction pipe or the like. The bottom of the accumulating chamber in such a construction would be formed by the rotating wall 26 or 73 in which is formed the product inlet opening. In order to produce the necessary suction, the clearance tolerances between the various components of pump 20 or 72 might need to be substantially reduced.

. Thus, it will be seen that a pump has been provided which is of simple yet sturdy construction; has a minimum of moving parts; may be readily cleaned when required without disassembling the pump; where charging of the pump with the product is continuous and uninterrupted; and where the housing for the pump is disposed within a hopper thereby eliminating the need for maintaining very close tolerances between the various moving parts of the pump.

I claim:

1. A pump for a flowable product comprising a housing having a cavity formed therein by an arcuate first wall provided with a product-discharge port and a rotatably mounted second wall delimited by said first wall, the axis of rotation of said second wall being coaxial with the center of curvature of said first wall, said second wall being provided with a product infeed port; means for rotating said second wall; an elongated impeller disposed within said cavity and rotatable with said second wall about said axis of rotation; an elongated arcuate gate member extending rearwardly from the outer edge of said impeller and rotatable with said impeller, said gate member closing oif said product-discharge port when said impeller is in a predetermined position of rotational adjustment; and a cylindrical member disposed within said housing cavity and mounted for rotation about an axis offset from the rotary axis of said impeller, said cylindrical member being provided with an elongated arcuate opening through which said impeller extends, said impeller drivingly engaging a leading peripheral segment of said opening, said first Wall, second wall, cylindrical member and impeller cooperating to form a product-discharge compartment ahead of the impeller and a product-collection area behind the impeller, the volume of said productdischarge compartment being progressively reduced from maximum to zero and the volume of said product-collection area being progressively increased from zero to maximum as said impeller makes a single revolution starting from the leading peripheral segment of said discharge port; said product infeed port being in continuous communication with the leading end of the product-collection area immediately trailing the impeller.

2. The pump of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member has a portion thereof disposed within a guide formed in the interior surface of a third wall spaced from said second wall and cooperating with said first and second walls to form said cavity.

3. The pump of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical memher opening is provided with a lug spaced rearwardly from the leading peripheral segment thereof, a portion of said impeller being slidably disposed intermediate said lug and the leading peripheral segment of the cylinder member opening.

4. The pump of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member comprises an elongated arcuate flange, the opposite ends of which delimit said opening through which said impeller projects, said arcuate flange substantially encompassing the rotary axis of said second wall, and cooperating with said walls and impeller to form said cavity into a product-discharge compartment and a product-collection area, the latter being in continuous communication with said infeed port.

5. The pump of claim 1 wherein the inner edge of said impeller is spaced a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of said second wall, said impeller inner edge being disposed intermediate the exterior of said cylindrical member and the axis of rotation of said second wall at all times during rotation of said impeller.

6. The pump of claim 5 including a product agitator angularly offset with respect to the inner edge of said impeller and rotatable with said impeller about the rotary axis of said second wall, said agitator being disposed in spaced relation and rearwardly of said impeller.

7. The pump of claim 1 including a chute adjustably mounted on the exterior of said housing and having an opening in registration with the product-discharge port and cooperating therewith to direct the discharged product away from the housing.

8. The pump of claim 7 wherein said chute includes a curved wall adjacent said opening to effect flow of the discharged product in a substantially tangential direction with respect to said arcuate first wall.

9. The pump of claim 8 in combination with a second pump of like construction spaced horizontally therefrom and wherein the discharge end of the chute of one pump is connected to an opening formed in the curved wall of the chute of the second pump; the impellers of said pumps being in substantially 180 out of phase relation with respect to one another.

10. The pump of claim 1 wherein rotary axes of said second Wall and said cylindrical member are vertically disposed.

11. The pump of claim 10 including an upright hopper, the sides of which delimit said second wall.

12. The pump of claim 11 wherein the rotating means for said second wall is disposed outside of said hopper.

13. The pump of claim 1 including a baffie extending angularly upwardly and forwardly from the trailing pe ripheral segment of the product infeed port formed on said second wall.

14. The pump of claim 10 including an upright hopper, the sides of which delimit said second wall; said bafile projecting into the hopper interior.

15. The pump of claim 1 wherein said second Wall is connected to a centrally disposed transversely extending rotating shaft and said impeller is afiixed to said second wall and is radially disposed with respect to said shaft.

16. The pump of claim 15 including a second pump of like construction disposed in side-by-side relation and with the second walls thereof in adjacent spaced relation and said second walls being connected to a common rotating shaft.

17. The pump construction of claim 16 including product feed means aflixed to the portion of said shaft disposed intermediate said second walls and effecting substantially 10 axial movement of said product towards said second walls upon rotation of said shaft.

18. The pump construction of claim 17 including an upright hopper the sides of which embrace said second walls and said product feed means; said rotating shaft being substantially horizontally disposed.

19 The pump of claim 15 including an upright hopper and said rotating shaft is vertically disposed; the rotating second wall of said housing being delimited by sides of said hopper, said second wall forming a bottom for said hopper.

20. The pump of claim 19 wherein said rotating shaft projects upwardly from said second wall into the interior of said hopper and means for driving said shaft is afiixed to the upwardly projecting end portion of said shaft; said cylindrical member being rotatably supported by a shaft depending from a substantially horizontal surface superposing said third wall, the axis of said depending shaft being offset but parallel to the upwardly projecting shaft of said second wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,496,704 6/1924 Camin ez 418-173 1,917,444 7/1933 Gregg 418172 2,530,925 11/1950 Udelman 418-183 2,705,591 4/1955 Anderson 418173 FOREIGN PATENTS 457,016 11/1936 Great Britain 418270 CARLTON R. CROYLE, Primary Examiner J. J. VRABLIK, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

4l8l77, l83, 210, 270; 4l7-900 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,667,878 Dated June 20, 1972 Inventor (s) Leo C Reeve It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as; shown below:

IN THE CLAIMS:

Claim 14, line 1 numeral "10" should be numeral "13''.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents QRM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 US. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1959 0-366-331 Dedication 3,667,878.Le0 O. Reeve, Lombard, I11. PUMP CONSTRUCTION. Patent dated June 6, 1972. Dedication filed June 16, 1977, by the assignee, Portland Uement Association. Hereby dedicates to the Public the entire remaining term of said patent.

[Oyficz'al Gazette August 23, 1.977.]

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