Water pump for use in irrigation and for other purposes

• US 8,734,132 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Full Belly Project Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Full Belly Project Ltd.
• Inventors: Brender a Brandis, Joost
• Primary Examiner(s): LETTMAN, BRYAN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US13/499,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 417/413.1, 417/374, 417/313
• US Class Current: 417/413.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/03 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/02 having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms F04B43/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/16 Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/22 Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/14 Pumps characterised by muscle-power operation hand-held spraying or dispensing apparatus using pumps or bulbs B05B11/00

Abstract

The present invention addresses the need for a water pump that may be constructed from inexpensive materials available even in impoverished areas. The pump uses a simple rocking motion to pump water and can pump significant amounts of water from sources that otherwise could not be reached. In a preferred embodiment, the pump comprises three concrete chambers, a pumping platform adapted to rock in a see-saw fashion, and a plurality of valves to control the flow of water. The first two chambers contain diaphragms that, as a result of rocking the pumping platform, draw liquid into the chambers and force liquid from those chambers into the third chamber. Two valves selectively permit liquid to be drawn into the first and second chambers, and prevent the liquid from exiting the chambers and returning to the source. Third and fourth valves allow liquid to flow from the first and second chambers into the third chamber, and prevent the liquid in the third chamber from flowing back into the first or second chambers.

Claims

1. A pump, comprising:

(a) a molded concrete base, said molded concrete base having formed therein;

(i) first, second, and third lower cavities; and

(ii) a fulcrum;

said molded concrete base having embedded therein;

(i) a first pipe having first and second outlets connecting respectively to said first and second lower cavities;

(ii) a second pipe having an inlet for connecting to said first lower cavity and an outlet for connecting to said third lower cavity; and

(iii) a third pipe having an inlet for connecting to said second lower cavity and an outlet for connecting to said third lower cavity;

(b) first and second single valves secured respectively to the first and second lower cavities for selectively opening and closing the first and second outlets of said first pipe during alternate half cycles of said pump;

(c) a double valve secured to the third lower cavity for selectively opening and closing the outlet of said second pipe and the outlet of said third pipe during alternate half cycles of said pump;

(d) first, second, and third top portions;

(e) first and second diaphragms, said first diaphragm being secured between said first top portion and said concrete base and said second diaphragm being secured between said second top portion and said concrete base;

(f) an output chamber formed by securing the third top portion to the third lower cavity, said output chamber having an outlet;

(g) a pumping platform, said pumping platform, comprising;

(i) a pivot for engaging the fulcrum of the concrete base; and

(ii) a lever having first and second portions extending respectively to either side of said pivot; and

(h) first and second driving rods, the first driving rod being secured to the first portion of said lever and to the first diaphragm, and the second driving rod being secured to the second portion of the lever and to the second diaphragm.

2. The pump of claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, and third concrete top portion is a concrete cylinder having formed in the underside thereof an upper cavity.

3. The pump of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second concrete cylinders has a hole through the top thereof proximate to the center of said concrete cylinders.

4. The pump of claim 1, further comprising at least a first, second, and third seals each being secured respectively between each of said first, second, and third concrete cylinders and the concrete base.

5. The pump of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second single valves, the double valve, the first and second diaphragms, the first, second, and third concrete cylinders, the first and second driving rods, and the first and second portions of the lever are secured by a first nut and washer.

6. The pump of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second diaphragms are held between a first and second metal disk and the first and second metal disks are secured by a first and second nut and washer.

7. The pump of claim 1, wherein a first hose is connected to an inlet of said first embedded pipe.

8. The pump of claim 1, wherein a second hose is connected to said third top portion.

9. The pump of claim 1, wherein the concrete base has embedded therein a first plurality of securing bolts arranged in a circle proximate to the rim of said first lower cavity, a second plurality of securing bolts arranged in a circle proximate to the rim of said second lower cavity, and a third plurality of securing bolts arranged in a circle proximate to the rim of said third lower cavity and each said first, second, and third top portion has holes formed around the perimeter thereof for engaging said first, second, and third plurality of securing bolts.

10. The pump of claim 1, wherein the concrete base has embedded therein first bolts in the first lower cavity, second bolts in the second lower cavity, and third bolts in the third lower cavity, and the first single valve is secured to said first bolts so as to selectively seal said first outlet of said first pipe during alternate half cycles of said pump, the second single valve is secured to said second bolts so as to selectively seal said second outlet of said first pipe during alternate half cycles of said pump, and the double valve is secured to said third bolts so as to selectively seal the opening of either the outlet of said second pipe or the outlet of said third pipe during alternate half cycles of said pump.

11. The pump of claim 1, wherein none of the lower cavities or cylinders are formed of machined parts.

12. The pump of claim 1, wherein the material being pumped is water.

13. A pump, comprising:

(a) three concrete chambers;

(b) a pumping platform adapted to rock in a see-saw fashion;

(c) the first and second of said chambers being provided with diaphragms adapted to be displaced from their rest positions by said rocking motion of said pumping platform and, as a result of said rocking of said pumping platform, to;

(i) draw liquid into said first and second chambers respectively, and

(ii) force liquid from said first and second chambers respectively into said third chamber;

(d) first and second valves adapted to allow a liquid to respectively enter the first and second chambers from a source outside the chambers through first and second openings in said chambers, but to prevent the liquid from exiting the first and second chambers through said first and second openings; and

(e) third and fourth valves adapted to respectively allow liquid to flow from the first and second chambers into the third chamber, but prevent the liquid in the third chamber from flowing into either the first or second chamber.

14. The pump of claim 13, wherein the liquid being pumped is water.

15. The pump of claim 13, wherein the first valve is located in the first chamber, the second valve is located within the second chamber, and the third and fourth valves are located within the third chamber.