Pneumatic pump having radial ball check valve array

In a pneumatic pump having:

• a fluid-tight casing having a bottom and a top,
• an outflow conduit communicated to the fluid-tight casing at one end, extending coaxially of the casing, and adapted for connection to a discharge pipe, the outflow conduit incorporating an outlet check valve for preventing fluid flow back into the fluid-tight casing;
• an actuating float within the fluid-tight casing moveable over the outflow conduit along an excursion path for actuating the pump from a first lower position adjacent the bottom of the casing to permit fluid tight casing flooding to a second upper position adjacent the top of the fluid-tight casing for actuating an inlet to discharge air into the fluid-tight casing;
• an air inlet valve having an inlet for communication to a source of air under pressure, an outlet to the fluid-tight casing of the pump, and means between the inlet and outlet for permitting flow pressurized air from the inlet to the outlet;
• and,
• an inlet check valve having an inlet exterior of the fluid-tight casing, an outlet to the fluid-tight casing, and means within the check valve for preventing flow from outlet to inlet;
• an improvement to the inlet check valve comprising:
• a plurality of check valves mounted in a radial array, the check valves having individual inlets exterior of the fluid-tight casing, individual outlets interior of the fluid-tight casing, the radial array of the plurality of check valves disposed around the outflow conduit of the pumps, and disposed immediately adjacent the excursion path of the float whereby the plurality of check valves mounted in the radial array overlaps the outflow conduit to minimize the distance from the radial array of check valves to the excursion path of the actuating float.