MOLTEN METAL PUMP COMPONENTS

• US 20090054167A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Incorporated (Molten)
• Original Assignee: Molten Metal Equipment Innovations Incorporated (Molten)
• Inventors: Cooper, Paul V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 464/181
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/026 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/044 Arrangements for joining or assembling shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/20 Mounting rotors on shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 7/00 Pumps adapted for handling specific fluids, e.g. by selection of specific materials for pumps or pump parts F04D11/005, F04D29/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 7/065 for liquid metal
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/171 Steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/20 Oxide or non-oxide ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/224 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12 All metal or with adjacent metals

Abstract

Improved components for a molten metal pump include a coupling for connecting a rotor shaft to a motor shaft, a rotor shaft and a rotor. The rotor shaft has a first end and a second end wherein the first end optionally has a vertical keyway formed in the outer surface of the shaft. The second end optionally has flat, shallow threads. The coupling can be one-piece or multi-piece, includes a cavity for receiving the first end of the rotor shaft and, if the first end of the rotor shaft has a keyway, the coupling includes a projection in the cavity for being received at least partially in the keyway. The rotor includes a connective portion that connects to the second end of the rotor shaft. If the second end of the rotor shaft includes flat, shallow threads, the connective portion is essentially a bore having flat, shallow threads configured to receive the second end of the rotor shaft. Optionally, the first end of the rotor shaft may have flat, shallow threads in which case the coupling would have a cavity that receives the first end of the rotor shaft, wherein the cavity has flat, shallow threads.

Claims

1. A rotor shaft for use in a molten metal pump, the rotor shaft having an outer surface, a first end for connecting to a coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor wherein the first end includes a vertically-extending keyway formed on the outer surface, the keyway comprising a groove for receiving a projection whereby the projection can apply driving force to the rotor shaft.

2. The rotor shaft of claim 1 that is comprised of graphite.

3. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the outer surface is annular.

4. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the first end does not include threads.

5. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the keyway has a length of 3″

-4″

.

6. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the keyway has a depth of ⅜

″

.

7. The rotor shaft of claim 5 wherein the keyway has a depth of ⅜

″

.

8. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the rotor shaft has a longitudinal axis and the keyway is formed at a 45 degree angle relative the longitudinal axis.

9. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the second end includes flat, shallow threads.

10. The rotor shaft of claim 1 that further includes a ceramic sleeve.

11. The rotor shaft of claim 1 wherein the second end includes a taper for centering the shaft in a bore in the rotor.

12. The rotor shaft of claim 9 wherein the second end includes threads that are about 0.495″

wide and 0.100″

deep.

13. The rotor shaft of claim 9 wherein the threads are not pointed.

14. The rotor shaft of claim 12 wherein the threads are not pointed.

15. A rotor shaft for use in a molten metal pump, the rotor shaft having a first end for being received in a coupling and a second end for connecting to a rotor, the first end including keyway means for receiving driving force from the coupling.

16. The rotor shaft of claim 15 wherein the second end includes connection means for connecting the rotor shaft to the rotor.

17. The rotor shaft of claim 15 wherein the rotor shaft has an outer surface and the keyway means is a vertical keyway comprising a groove formed in the outer surface.

18. The rotor shaft of claim 17 wherein the keyway means has a length of between 3″

-4″

.

19. The rotor shaft of claim 17 wherein the rotor shaft has a longitudinal axis and the keyway means is formed parallel to the longitudinal axis.

20. The rotor shaft of claim 17 wherein the keyway means has a depth of ⅜

″

.