Pool pump primer

• US 5,154,821 A
• Filed: 11/18/1991
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ian R. Reid
• Original Assignee: Ian R. Reid
• Inventors: Reid, Ian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman, Stanley S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): POPOVICS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US07/793,558
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 210/169, 210/416.1, 210/416.2, 4/490, 417/569, 137/566
• US Class Current: 210/167.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/26 Filters with built-in pumps filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing aquarium pumps or filters A01K63/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/12 Devices or arrangements for circulating water , i.e. devices for removal of polluted water, cleaning baths or for water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 9/043 the priming pump being hand operated or of the reciprocating type

Abstract

A pool pump primer has an elongated housing that enables a user to prime a pool pump and the elongated housing has a distal end thereon defining an outlet from the primer and the primer has an inlet on one side thereof closely adjacent the outlet to be locatable below the water level in a skimmer chamber of a swimming pool. The pump has an imperforate piston stroked up and down by a piston rod for drawing fluid from the skimmer chamber through the inlet to fill the elongated housing during an upstroke and for discharging priming fluid from the tubular housing during a downstroke for flow thereof through the distal end into a water supply line connected to the pool pump for priming the pump.

Claims

1. In a pool pumping system having an electric motor driven pump having an impeller and an inlet connected to a pump for drawing water from a pool skimmer for flow through a skimmer drain into a pump water return line to a pump inlet filter and for discharging water through a pool filter and thence into the pool the improvement comprising:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

a portable pool pump primer having a tubular housing having an interior surface;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and an imperforate piston connected to said second end of said plunger rod;

said imperforate piston slidably sealingly engaging the inner surface of said tubular housing;

said tubular housing having a tapered nose portion on one end thereof defining an outlet from said tubular housing and an enclosure cap on the opposite end thereof;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said tapered nose portion operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said tapered nose engageable with the skimmer drain and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid from the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging liquid from the interior of said tubular housing into the pump water return line during the downstroke of the plunger rod so as to prime the pump impeller following replacement and or repair of the pump filter of the pool pumping system.

2. In a pool pumping system having an electric motor driven pump having an impeller and an inlet connected to a pump for drawing water from a pool skimmer for flow through a skimmer drain into a pump water return line to a pump inlet filter and for discharging water through a pool filter and thence into the pool the improvement comprising:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

a portable pool pump primer having a tubular housing having an interior surface defining a variable volume pumping chamber;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and an imperforate piston connected to said second end of said plunger rod;

said imperforate piston slidably sealingly engaging the inner surface of said tubular housing;

said tubular housing having a nose portion on one end thereof defining an outlet from said housing and an enclosure cap on the opposite end thereof;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said nose portion operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said nose portion engageable with the skimmer drain opening and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid from the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging fluid from the interior of said tubular housing into the pump water return line during the downstroke of the plunger rod so as to prime the pump impeller following replacement and or repair of the pump filter of the pool pumping system.

3. A portable pool pump primer for use in drawing fluid from a pool skimmer for discharge into the inlet of a pool pump for priming the pool pump following replacement of a filter comprising in combination:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

a tubular housing with an interior surface and piston means defining a variable volume pumping chamber;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes of said plunger rod;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and said piston means connected to said second end of said plunger rod;

said piston means slidably sealingly engaging the inner surface of said tubular housing;

said tubular housing having a distal end defining an outlet from said tubular housing;

a cap no the opposite end thereof including an air hole and means for guiding said plunger rod during downstrokes and upstrokes;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said distal end operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said distal end engageable with a skimmer drain opening and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid form the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging fluid from the interior of said tubular housing into a pump water return line during the downstroke of the plunger rod.

4. A portable pool pump primer for use in drawing fluid from a pool skimmer for discharge into the inlet of a pool pump having a pump water return line for priming the pool pump comprising in combination:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

a tubular housing having an interior surface and a height in excess of the vertical distance between the skimmer drain opening and the inlet to the pool pump;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes of said plunger rod;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and a piston connected to said second end of said plunger rod slidably sealingly engaging the inner surface of said tubular housing;

said tubular housing having a tapered nose portion on one end thereof defining an outlet from said tubular housing and an enclosure cap on the opposite end thereof;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said tapered nose portion operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said tapered nose engageable with the skimmer drain and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid from the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging fluid from the interior of said tubular housing into the pump water return line to the pump during the downstroke of the plunger rod so as to prime the pump.

5. A portable pool pump primer for use in drawing fluid from a pool skimmer for discharge into the inlet of a pool pump having a pump water return line for priming the pool pump following replacement of a filter comprising in combination:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

an tubular housing with an interior surface and an imperforate piston having seal means thereon in engagement with said interior surface for defining a variable volume pumping chamber;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes of said plunger rod;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and said imperforate piston connected to said second end of said plunger rod;

said tubular housing having a distal end defining an outlet from said tubular housing;

a cap on the opposite end thereof including means for guiding said plunger rod during downstrokes and upstrokes;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said distal end operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said distal end engageable with a skimmer drain opening and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid from the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging fluid form the interior of said tubular housing into the pump water return line to the pump during the downstroke of the plunger rod so as to prime the pump.

6. A portable pool pump primer for use in drawing fluid from a pool skimmer for discharge into the in let of a pool pump through a pump water return line for priming the pool pump comprising in combination:

a pool skimmer having a vertical height and a skimmer drain opening;

a tubular housing with an interior surface and an imperforate piston disc having seal means thereon in engagement with said interior surface for defining a variable volume pumping chamber;

a plunger rod movable into and out of said tubular housing respectively through downstrokes and upstrokes of said plunger rod;

said plunger rod having a first end located exteriorly of said tubular housing and a second end located interiorly of said tubular housing;

a handle connected to said first end of said plunger rod and said piston disc connected to said second end of said plunger rod;

said tubular housing having a tapered nose portion on one end thereof defining an outlet from said tubular housing and a cap on the opposite end thereof;

a one way outlet valve located within said tubular housing in coaxial alignment with said tapered nose portion operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close;

a one way inlet valve on said tubular housing at a point above said one way outlet valve a distance less than the vertical height of the skimmer;

said one way inlet valve operable during the downstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to close and operable during the upstroke of said piston within said tubular housing to open;

said tapered nose engageable with the skimmer drain opening and said plunger rod reciprocable with respect to said tubular housing for drawing fluid from the skimmer into the interior of said tubular housing during an upstroke of the plunger rod and for discharging fluid from the interior of said tubular housing into the pump water return line during the downstroke of the plunger rod so as to prime the pump.