Slurry pump apparatus including fluid housing

• US 5,114,312 A
• Filed: 06/13/1991
• Issued: 05/19/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atsco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Atsco Incorporated
• Inventors: Stanislao, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSON, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US07/714,698
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 415/203, 415/206, 415/225, 415/912, 417/900
• US Class Current: 415/206
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/2244 Free vortex
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/426 especially adapted for liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 5/00 Pumps with circumferential or transverse flow control thereof F04D15/005
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 7/04 the fluids being viscous or non-homogenous
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 9/007 Preventing loss of prime, siphon breakers stopping of pumps F04D15/02
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/12 rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/121 square
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 415/912 Interchangeable parts to vary pumping capacity or size of pump

Abstract

A slurry pump is provided having an impeller housing with an impeller chamber receiving an impeller having a rotation axis and a plurality of wedge-shaped pockets on a fluid engaging face. A fluid housing is adjacent to and cooperates with the impeller housing to form a fluid chamber adjacent the impeller. An input passage to the fluid housing is perpendicular to and offset from the rotation axis and links an exterior of the slurry pump to the fluid chamber to permit fluid to enter the pump. An output passage from the fluid housing links the fluid chamber to an exterior of the pump to permit fluid to exit the pump. A feedback input passage links the output passage back to the fluid chamber to permit a portion of the fluid exiting the pump to reenter the fluid chamber, thus creating a dynamic and continual prime. The fluid housing includes a circular wall member with an input passage eccentrically located relative to the circular wall member and the rotation axis of the impeller. The fluid housing further includes a side wall member including the output passage, with the side wall member surrounding the circular wall member and cooperating with the circular wall member to define the fluid chamber. The side wall member has an interior width substantially equal to the inside diameters of the input and output passage. The capacity of the pump can be changed by interchanging different fluid housings.

Claims

1. A fluid housing mountable to an impeller housing of a slurry pump wherein the impeller housing contains a rotatable impeller rotatable about an axis of rotation, the fluid housing comprising:

a circular wall member opposing the impeller and having a substantially circular input passage eccentrically located relative to a center of the circular wall member, the input passage further being eccentrically located relative to the axis of rotation of the impeller; and

a circular side wall member surrounding the circular wall member about an outer periphery of the circular wall member, the circular side wall member having a substantially circular output passage, the circular side wall member being mountable to the impeller housing wherein the circular wall member and the circular side wall member of the fluid housing cooperate with the impeller housing to define a fluid chamber, the impeller of the impeller housing being located substantially outside the fluid chamber;

the circular side wall member having an interior width substantially equal to an inside diameter of the input passage and an inside diameter of the output passage.

2. The fluid housing of claim 1 wherein the input passage has a centerline which is offset at least 1/8 and no greater than 1/2 of the inside diameter of the input passage.

3. An adjustable capacity pump comprising:

an impeller having an axis of rotation and a fluid engaging face;

an impeller housing having an impeller chamber receiving the impeller, the impeller being rotatably mounted in the impeller chamber for rotation about the axis of rotation;

a fluid housing having a circular wall member opposing the fluid engaging face and a side wall member surrounding the circular wall member, the fluid housing cooperating with the impeller housing to form a fluid chamber defined by the circular wall member, the side wall member, and the fluid engaging face, the impeller located substantially outside the fluid chamber, the circular wall member having an input passage linking an exterior of the fluid housing to the fluid chamber, the side wall member having an output passage linking the fluid chamber to an exterior of the fluid housing, the input passage permitting fluid entering the fluid chamber to engage the fluid engaging face of the impeller during rotation of the impeller about the axis of rotation wherein the fluid is directed by the impeller through the fluid chamber toward the output passage to exit the fluid chamber; and

the capacity of the pump being adjustable by interchanging the fluid housing with another fluid housing wherein an inside diameter of the input passage and an inside diameter of the output passage are varied by interchanging the fluid housing.

4. The adjustable capacity pump of claim 3, wherein an inside width of the side wall member between the circular wall member and the fluid engaging face is varied by interchanging the fluid housing.

5. The adjustable capacity pump of claim 3, wherein the inside diameter of the input passage, the inside diameter of the output passage, and a side wall member width are varied equally by interchanging the fluid housing.

6. A slurry pump apparatus kit comprising:

an impeller having an axis of rotation and a fluid engaging face;

an impeller housing having an impeller chamber for receiving the impeller, the impeller being rotatably mounted in the impeller chamber for rotation about the axis of rotation; and

a plurality of interchangeable fluid housings each having a circular wall member and a side wall member surrounding the circular wall member, each fluid housing interchangeably cooperating with the impeller housing to form a fluid chamber defined by the fluid engaging face and the circular wall member and the side wall member of each fluid housing, the impeller located substantially outside the fluid chamber, each fluid housing having an input passage linking an exterior of the fluid housing to the fluid chamber, each fluid housing further having an output passage linking the fluid chamber to an exterior of the fluid housing, the input passage permitting fluid entering the fluid chamber to engage the fluid engaging face of the impeller during rotation of the impeller about the axis of rotation wherein the fluid is directed by the impeller through the fluid chamber toward the output passage to exit the fluid chamber, each fluid housing further having equal dimensions for an interior width of the side wall member, an inside diameter of the input passage, and in inside diameter of the output passage;

each fluid housing further having different dimensions than the other fluid housings.

7. The slurry pump apparatus of claim 6, wherein the impeller directs the fluid through the fluid chamber in a spiral angular motion.