Molten metal pump impeller
First Claim
1. An impeller for pumping molten metal including a shaft assembly having an axis, a central hub fixed to said shaft and a radial member extending from said hub transversely away from said shaft, vanes projecting in an axial direction from said radial member at angularly spaced locations about said shaft, each of said vanes having a circumferential thickness extending between opposed surfaces, at least one of said vanes including at least one opening extending between said surfaces.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An impeller for a molten metal pump includes a base and a plurality of vanes having openings for flow of molten metal there through during pumping, Alternatively, or in combination with the vane openings, a single drain opening extending through the base of the impeller may be provided remote of the rotational axis of the impeller. In another embodiment, an impeller provides axial and radial pumping. The multiflow impeller includes at least one pumping chamber inclined into the direction of rotation to provide axial pumping.
20 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. An impeller for pumping molten metal including a shaft assembly having an axis, a central hub fixed to said shaft and a radial member extending from said hub transversely away from said shaft, vanes projecting in an axial direction from said radial member at angularly spaced locations about said shaft, each of said vanes having a circumferential thickness extending between opposed surfaces, at least one of said vanes including at least one opening extending between said surfaces.
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9. A method of improving pressure equalization during pumping of molten metal with a pump having a shaft assembly having an axis, an impeller including a central hub, a radial member extending transversely from said hub, and a plurality of vanes projecting in an axial direction from said radial member at angularly spaced locations about said shaft, comprising the steps of rotating said impeller about said shaft, introducing molten metal in an axial flow direction into an array of vane pockets defined by adjacent vanes, said radial member and said hub, flowing molten metal in a circumferential flow direction through a majority of said vanes into interior regions of associated vane pockets and removing molten metal in a lateral flow direction from said array of vane pockets.
Specification