Machine balancer with peristaltic fluid pump

Abstract

A balancer arrangement for a rotating machine element employs a peristaltic pump which pumps a balancing fluid to respective balancing chambers via flexible tubing. In an arrangement which employs four balancing chambers, two peristaltic pumps may be employed to control the flow of balancing fluid between respective pairs of the chambers. The radial positioning of the peristaltic pumps is not fixed, but may be selected in response to specific characteristics of the application. In addition, the pump motors may be configured to drive the peristaltic pump rollers by operation of the rotation of the motor shaft, or the motor housing. The tubing along which the balancing fluid is conducted need not have a circular cross-section, and may be installed in a groove or cavity of the balancing arrangement so as to secure against centrifugal forces and prevent ballooning effects. Variations in air pressure which are developed amongst the balancing chambers by operating of the delivery and withdrawal of balancing fluid are equalized via capillary passages which interconnect ones of the balancing chambers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.