US3753632A

US3753632A - Pump

Info

Publication number: US3753632A
Application number: US00203551A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Mills
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-12-01
Filing date: 1971-12-01
Publication date: 1973-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-21

Abstract

A novel pump for food or other material which comprises a cylindrical shaped housing which slidably receives therein a cylindrical shaped piston. A longitudinal portion of the piston is removed and engages a sliding valve which is mounted in the cylinder. The sliding valve is formed with a depression in which a projection of the piston extends such that when the projection engages the slide valve it moves it between intake and outlet ports. The pump requires no springs or valve actuating structures other than the piston itself and thus a simple and sanitary pump structure is formed.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Mills Aug. 21, 1973 PUMP [76] inventor: Archie w. Mills, 2941 s. Michigan f Ave" Chicago mi 60616 Assistant Exqmmer-Leonard Smith Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [22] Filed: Dec. 1, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 203,551 [57] ABSTRACT A novel pump for food or other material which com- [52] US. Cl. 417/520 prises a cylindrical shaped housing which slidably re- [51] Int. Cl. F04b 7/04 ceives therein a cylindrical shaped piston. A longitudi- [58] Field Of Search 417/466, 51 l, 518, na] portion of the piston is removed and engages a slid- 417/520 ing valve which is mounted in the cylinder. The sliding valve is formed with a depression in which a projection References Cited of the piston extends such that when the projection en- UNITED STATES PATENTS gages the slide valve it moves it between intake and 1,514,567 11/1924 O'Neill 417/466 Mlle The Pump requires Springs valve 1,511,962 10/1924 Hanson tuating structures other than the piston itself and thus 76,072 3/1868 Garaner a simple and sanitary pump structure is formed. 70,842 11/1867 Hirlinger..... 2,818,029 12/1957 Petzold 417/511 5 7 Drawing Figures PUMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates in general to pumps and in particular to a new and novel pump for transferring foods or other liquids. It is particularly useful in transferring liquids in a food establishment which contain particles of solid food that would normally clog up conventional pumps and which would prevent sanitation requirements from being met.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional pumps used for moving food such as soup, gravy and tomato catsup in present use cannot be easily taken apart for cleaning and reassembling. Thus generally soups, gravies and tomato catsup are transferred from one large pot to a smaller receptacle by pouring from the large pot into a smaller one. Another method is to provide a spout on the larger pot and tilt the larger pot to pour the liquid through the spout into a smaller receptacle.

It is expensive to mount large pots for tilting and transfer of the food by dipping is undesirable because it is dangerous and can result in burns to the operator.

Some large pots have a spigot mounted at their bottom through which the liquid may be drawn but this method is not desirable because it results in the spigot being placed too low or the top of the pot being too high for the contents to be stirred and compounded during the process of manufacture.

Thus, a need exists for an efficient and sanitary method of transferring liquids such as soups, gravies, tomato catsup and similar foods from a large pot in which it is made to a smaller receptacle for distribution and consumption. A device which is simple in operation and which is sanitary so that it will not clog up and become inoperative when small particles of solid food get into it is desirable. The device must also be capable of being taken apart, washed, sterilized and reassembled by a person of average skill so as to quickly an inexpensively disassemble, clean and reassemble the pump.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The pump of the present invention comprises a cylinder formed with a threaded cap member through which a piston rod extends and upon which a cylindricalshaped piston is mounted within the cylinder. A longitudinal portion of the piston is removed so as to provide room fr a sliding valve formed with a depression in which a projection of the piston extends so as to move the sliding valve between intake and output ports formed in the cylinder. A handle is mounted on the end of the piston rod and as the piston is moved from one end of the cylinder toward the other end the slide valve is aligned with the intake port and food is drawn into the cylinder by the suction created by the movement of the piston. As the piston is moved further toward the second end, the projection on the piston engages the slide valve and moves it from the intake port to the output port. The piston is then moved from the second end of the cylinder toward the first end and as it does so it pushes the food which has been drawn into the cylinder out the output port. Near the end of the stroke of the piston the projection on the piston engages the slide valve and moves it from alignment with the output port to an alignment with the input port so that the cycle can be repeated.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pump which is practical and effective to transfer liquids containing food particles from a large pot in which it is prepared to a smaller receptacle for distribution and consumption.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump which meets the high requirements of sanitation in food handling establishments.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of a certain preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating the pump of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view illustrating the pump with the piston moving toward the left relative to the figure;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the pump of the invention illustrating the piston in the far left position relative to the figure;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line V-V in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the slide valve of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the pump housing taken on line VII-VII in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in sectional view of FIG. 1 a cylindrical housing 1 is formed with a cylindrical opening 9 in which a piston 2 of generally cylindrical shape is mounted. The housing 1 is formed with an end wall 32 at one end and is threaded with threads 33 which threadedly receive a cap member 30 which has a threaded portion 31. A piston rod 6 is attached to the piston 2 and extends through the cap 30 and has a handle 38 mounted on its end. The piston 2 is formed with a longitudinal cut so as to provide a flat mating surface which rides against a slide valve 3. The slide valve 3 is formed with a recess 16 in which a projection 10 of the piston 2 extends.

As shown in FIG. 6, the slide valve 3 has a curved surface and a flat surface against which the piston 2 slides. The end of the recess 16 at one end is designated by the numeral 12 and the end of the recess 16 at the other end is designated by the numeral 15.

A lower portion 34 of the housing 1 includes an input port 4 and an output port 5.

An air vent 7 is formed through the cap 30 into the space 9 behind the piston 2 and an air vent 8 is formed in the housing 1 in the portion 32 and extends down to the slide valve 3 as shown.

In operation, the inlet port 4 is connected to a container from which food is to be transferred and the outlet port 5 is connected to a container into which food is to be transferred.

With the piston 2 in the position shown in FIG. 1 and with the valve port 13 aligned with the inlet port 4, the piston 2 is moved to the left relative to the figure which creates suction in the space 11 behind the piston between the piston 2 and the end wall 32 so as to draw food through the inlet port into the space 11 as shown in FIG. 2. As the piston 2 is moved further to the left to the position shown in F IG. 3, the projection 10 engages the end 12 of the slide valve 3 and moves the slide valve 3 such that the opening 13 moves out of alignment with the inlet port 4 and into the alignment with the outlet port 5 as shown in H6. 3. Then the piston is moved by the handle 38 to the right relative to FIG. 3 which will force the food in the space 11 between the piston 2 and the end wall 32 out the outlet port 5. As the piston is moved further to the right relative to the figure, the projection will engage the end 15 of the depression 16 and will move the slide valve 3 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 1 where the opening 13 is in alignment with the inlet port 4 and the cycle can be repeated by alternately moving the piston 2 to the left and right as described.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 are respectively sectional views taken on lines lV-IV, VV and VIl-Vll.

After use, the pump of the invention can be easily disassembled by removing the cap 30 from the housing 1 to withdraw the piston 2 and the slide valve 3 so that they can be washed and sterilized and reassembled for subsequent use.

It is to be noted that no springs are required to position or move the slide valve and that very few parts make up the pump.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment, it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made which are within the full intended scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pump comprising a tublular cylinder having end walls, a cylindrical piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and having a longitudinal portion of the piston adjacent the cylinder side wall removed, a slide valve conforming to the shape of the side wall and the removed portion of the piston and formed with a longitudinal slot in which a transverse port is formed, an inlet port and outlet port formed through the cylinder wall and positioned longitudinally of the cylinder wall to align at different times with said transverse port, a projection formed on said piston which is receivable in said slot of said slide valve to move the valve longitudinally of said cylinder, and one of said end walls formed with an opening having a shape which conforms to said slide valve and said slide valve is received therein.

2. A pump according to claim 1 wherein the other of said end walls is formed with an opening, and a piston rod attached to said piston and extending through the opening in said other end wall.

3. A pump according to claim 2 wherein said other end wall is threadedly connected to said tubular cylinder to allow said piston and valve to be removed from said cylinder for easy cleaning.

4. A pump according to claim 3 comprising a pair of air vents with the first air vent extending through the cylinder into the space between said other end wall and said piston and said second air vent extending through said one end wall to said opening having a shape which conforms to said slide valve.

5. A pump according to claim 4 comprising a handle on the outer end at said piston rod.