US 5,636,975 AGranted

Inlet and discharge valve arrangement for a high pressure pump

AssigneeReynolds Metals Company

InventorsJames C. Tiffany, William K. Morgan

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Abstract

A high-pressure, plunger-type liquid pump including a liquid manifold that includes a plunger chamber in the form of an axial cylindrical bore portion for slidably receiving a pressurizing plunger, and that also includes a valve chamber coaxial with the plunger chamber and in communication therewith for removably receiving a cartridge-type flow control valve. The liquid manifold includes a closure plug to close the valve chamber. The cartridge-type valve is slidably received in the valve chamber for enabling removal of the cartridge-type valve from the liquid manifold without the need for separating the liquid manifold from the pump drive housing. The cartridge-type valve is of a structure that includes in-line, axially spaced suction and discharge valves that are each spring biased into closed positions. High-pressure liquid is confined within a valve housing body that contains the suction and discharge valves, to minimize damage to the liquid manifold as a result of pressure fluctuations and high-pressure flows. The cartridge-type valve is removable from the manifold without the necessity of removing or even separating the manifold from the pump drive housing.

Claims51

Dependent claims

A high-pressure pump having at least one pump cylinder including a reciprocating plunger for increasing the pressure of a liquid to pressures of the order of up to about 15,000 psi. and at flows of up to at least about 20 to 30 gpm. for a single pump cylinder, said pump comprising:

a) a pump drive housing including at least one plunger extending outwardly of the drive housing and supported for reciprocating movement along a plunger movement axis, and drive means within the pump drive housing and operatively connected with the at least one plunger for converting continuous rotational input power into linear, reciprocating movement of the at least one plunger;
b) a liquid manifold overlying and at least partially enclosing the at least one plunger and adapted to be connected with the drive housing, the manifold including a plunger cylinder coaxial with the at least one plunger for receiving and supporting the at least one plunger as the at least one plunger reciprocates within the cylinder to increase the pressure of liquid contained within the cylinder, the manifold including a valve chamber having a longitudinal axis and coaxial with and in communication with the plunger cylinder and including suction and discharge passageways extending from the valve chamber to outer surfaces of the manifold for conveying liquids to and from the valve chamber and a valve removal opening on a side of the manifold opposite from the plunger cylinder and coaxial therewith, the valve removal opening providing communication between the valve chamber and an outer surface of the manifold for permitting insertion and removal of a valve into and out of the valve chamber without separating the manifold from the pump drive housing;
and
c) a cartridge-type valve removably carried in the valve chamber to control liquid flow into and out of the plunger cylinder, the cartridge-type valve defining within the valve chamber a suction valve chamber for receiving fluid to be pressurized, and including at least one passageway for providing fluid communication between the suction valve chamber and the suction passageway in the liquid manifold, and a suction valve for controlling flow of low-pressure liquid into the plunger cylinder and a discharge valve for controlling flow of high-pressure liquid from the plunger cylinder, the manifold suction passageway providing communication via the at least one passageway between an inlet opening in the manifold and the suction valve for admitting into the cartridge-type valve liquid to be pressurized, the suction valve being movable into a position blocking fluid communication between the at least one passageway and the suction valve chamber and the manifold discharge passageway providing communication between the discharge valve and an outlet opening in the manifold for conducting pressurized liquid from the cartridge-type valve to the outlet opening in the manifold.

1 more element

A fluid manifold for a high-pressure plunger pump adapted to provide liquid at pressures of at least about 10,000 to 15,000 p.s.i., said manifold comprising a unitary housing including a cylindrical plunger cylinder within the housing for slidably receiving a reciprocating plunger for pressurizing a liquid introduced into the plunger cylinder, a flow control valve chamber within the housing and coaxial with and in communication with the plunger cylinder, the flow control valve chamber having a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area greater than that of the plunger cylinder for receiving and supporting a cartridge-type flow control valve having in-line suction and discharge valves, the flow control valve chamber extending from the plunger chamber to a valve removal opening in an outer surface of the manifold spaced from and opposite from the plunger chamber to permit the flow control valve to be removed from the manifold through the valve removal opening while the manifold is secured to a pump drive housing, a suction passageway extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the valve chamber and extending between the valve chamber and a low-pressure-liquid inlet opening at an outer surface of the manifold for providing communication between a source of low pressure liquid external to the manifold and the valve chamber, and a discharge passageway spaced axially along the valve chamber longitudinal axis from the suction passageway and extending transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the valve chamber to provide communication between a high-pressure-liquid outlet in the manifold and the valve chamber, the portion of the valve chamber containing the suction passageway having a smaller diameter than the portion of the valve chamber containing the discharge passageway.

A cartridge-type valve for controlling the flow of low pressure inlet liquid and high-pressure outlet liquid to and from a plunger cylinder of a high-pressure liquid pump, said valve comprising:

a. a tubular valve housing having a longitudinal axis and including a suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a suction valve body, a discharge valve chamber spaced from the suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a discharge valve body, the valve housing including a suction inlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a first axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, a discharge outlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a second axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, wherein the second axial position is axially spaced along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the first axial position, a suction valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing, and a discharge valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing and spaced axially along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the suction valve seat;
b. a suction valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the suction valve seating surface;
and
c. a discharge valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the discharge valve seating surface and spaced axially from the suction valve, wherein the suction valve body includes a frustoconical sealing surface engageable with the suction valve seating surface for preventing flow of fluid into the valve housing, and wherein the sealing surface is defined by a pair of axially spaced, inclined annular sealing surfaces.

1 more element

A cartridge-type valve for controlling the flow of low pressure inlet liquid and high-pressure outlet liquid to and from a plunger cylinder of a high-pressure liquid pump, said valve comprising:

a. a tubular valve housing having a longitudinal axis and including a suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a suction valve body, a discharge valve chamber spaced from the suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a discharge valve body, the valve housing including a suction inlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a first axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, a discharge outlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a second axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, wherein the second axial position is axially spaced along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the first axial position, a suction valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing, and a discharge valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing and spaced axially along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the suction valve seat;
b. a suction valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the suction valve seating surface;
and
c. a discharge valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the discharge valve seating surface and spaced axially from the suction valve, wherein the suction valve body includes a central axial throughbore having its axis coincident with the valve housing longitudinal axis and includes an interconnecting bore coaxial with the valve housing longitudinal axis and interconnecting the suction valve chamber and the discharge valve chamber, and wherein the suction valve throughbore has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the interconnecting bore within the valve housing.

1 more element

A cartridge-type valve for controlling the flow of low pressure inlet liquid and high-pressure outlet liquid to and from a plunger cylinder of a high-pressure liquid pump, said valve comprising:

a. a tubular valve housing having a longitudinal axis and including a suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a suction valve body, a discharge valve chamber spaced from the suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a discharge valve body, the valve housing including a suction inlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a first axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, a discharge outlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a second axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, wherein the second axial position is axially spaced along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the first axial position, a suction valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing, and a discharge valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing and spaced axially along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the suction valve seat;
b. a suction valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the suction valve seating surface;
and
c. a discharge valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the discharge valve seating surface and spaced axially from the suction valve, said cartridge-type valve including suction valve guide means positioned within the suction valve chamber for axially guiding movement of the suction valve body as it moves toward and away from the suction valve seating surface, and wherein the suction valve guide means includes a positioning flange extending transversely within the valve housing for contact with the valve housing, and a plurality of flow apertures extending through the flange to permit liquid flow therethrough.

1 more element

A cartridge-type valve for controlling the flow of low pressure inlet liquid and high-pressure outlet liquid to and from a plunger cylinder of a high-pressure liquid pump, said valve comprising:

a. a tubular valve housing having a longitudinal axis and including a suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a suction valve body, a discharge valve chamber spaced from the suction valve chamber for axially removably receiving a discharge valve body, the valve housing including a suction inlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a first axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, a discharge outlet passageway extending transversely through the valve housing to a second axial position relative to the valve housing longitudinal axis, wherein the second axial position is axially spaced along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the first axial position, a suction valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing, and a discharge valve seating surface positioned within the valve housing and spaced axially along the valve housing longitudinal axis from the suction valve seat;
b. a suction valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the suction valve seating surface;
and
c. a discharge valve axially slidably received within the valve housing for movement toward and away from the discharge valve seating surface and spaced axially from the suction valve,, said cartridge-type valve including discharge valve guide means positioned within the discharge valve chamber for axially guiding movement of the discharge valve body as it moves toward and away from the discharge valve seat, wherein the discharge valve guide means includes a positioning flange extending transversely within the valve housing for contact with the valve housing, and a plurality of flow apertures extending through the positioning flange to permit liquid flow therethrough.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.