US 5,975,864 AGranted

Pump with self-reciprocating pistons

AssigneeJetech, Inc.

InventorsGerard J. De Santis, Stanley E. Reed

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Abstract

A pump for providing a pressurized fluid flow. The pump includes a pump casing that defines a pump chamber. A pump shaft is has a head end in the pump chamber; the head end has a circumferential outer surface. The pump shaft head end has inwardly extending piston chambers. A discharge manifold is formed in the pump shaft head end. The discharge manifold has one end in fluid communication with the piston chambers and a second end in fluid communication with a discharge conduit that extends outside of the pump casing. A piston is mounted in each piston chamber. The pistons are formed with flow-through bores that provide fluid communication between the pump chamber and the piston chambers. A suction valve associated with each piston regulates fluid flow from the pump chamber through the flow-through bore into the associated piston chamber. Discharge valves regulate fluid flow from each piston chamber into the discharge manifold. The head end of the pump shaft is axially offset from the center axis of the pump chamber. As the pump shaft is rotated, the pistons engage in reciprocal motion in their piston chambers. Fluid is introduced into the pump chamber. When each piston is in its extended position, the suction valve allows fluid flow into the piston chamber. When each piston is retracted, it forces the fluid in the associated piston chamber through the discharge valve, through the discharge manifold and out the discharge conduit.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A pump, said pump including:

a pump casing, said pump casing being formed with a curved inner wall that defines a pump chamber and an inlet bore extending into an outer perimeter portion of said pump chamber;
a pump head rotatably mounted in said pump chamber, said pump head having a center and a circumferentially extending outer wall that is inwardly spaced from said outer perimeter of said pump chamber, said pump head defining at least one piston chamber that extends from said outer wall to the center of said pump head and a discharge manifold that extends longitudinally through the center of said pump head, wherein said pump head is mounted in said pump chamber to rotate eccentrically relative to said inner wall of said pump casing so that as said pump head rotates, the distance between a point on said outer wall of said pump head and said inner wall of the pump casing varies;
a discharge conduit mounted to said pump casing, said discharge conduit having a first end that is disposed in said pump chamber and is in fluid communication with said discharge manifold and a second end in fluid communication with said first end that is located outside of said pump casing;
a piston disposed in said piston chamber, said piston having a flow-through bore that provides a fluid communication path between said pump chamber and said piston chamber;
a biasing member disposed in said piston chamber for urging said piston toward said inner wall of said pump casing;
a suction valve in said flow-through bore of said piston for allowing fluid flow from said pump chamber into said piston chamber when fluid pressure in said pump chamber exceeds fluid pressure in said piston chamber by a select amount;
and
a discharge valve disposed between said piston chamber and said discharge manifold for allowing fluid flow from said piston chamber into said discharge manifold when fluid pressure in said piston chamber exceeds fluid pressure in said discharge manifold by a select amount.

5 more elements

A pump assembly including:

a pump casing, said pump casing being formed with:
an inner wall having a circular profile so as to define a circular pump chamber, said pump chamber having a center axis;
and an inlet bore that extends into an outer perimeter portion of said pump chamber;
a pump head rotatably disposed in said pump chamber, said pump head having a center axis and being formed with:
a circumferentially extending, circular outer wall;
a plurality of piston chambers located around said outer wall that extend towards said pump head center axis;
a discharge manifold that extends longitudinally along said pump center axis;
and a plurality of secondary bores, each said secondary bore extending between a separate one of said piston chambers and said discharge manifold wherein, said pump head is axially offset from said pump chamber center axis, so that, as said pump head rotates, the distance between a point on said outer wall of said pump head and said inner wall of said pump casing varies;
a discharge conduit mounted to said pump casing, said discharge conduit having a first end located in said pump chamber that is in fluid communication with said discharge manifold and a second end located outside of said pump casing that is in fluid communication with said first end;
a plurality of piston assemblies, each said piston assembly being seated in a separate one of said piston chambers and including:
a piston seated in said piston chamber;
a plunger stroker seated in said piston chamber above said piston and dimensioned to extend beyond said outer wall of said pump head, said plunger stroker being fitted over said piston to move laterally relative to said piston;
and a biasing spring located in said piston chamber for urging said piston and said plunger stroker outwardly toward said inner wall of said pump casing wherein, said piston and said plunger stroker are each formed with a flow-through bore, said flow-through bores being positioned to allow fluid flow from said pump chamber into said piston chamber;
a plurality of suction valves, each said suction valve being positioned in a separate said piston flow-through bore for allowing fluid flow through said flow-through bore when fluid pressure in said pump chamber exceeds fluid pressure in said piston chamber by a set amount;
and
a plurality of discharge valves, each said discharge valve being located in a separate one of said secondary bores for allowing fluid flow through said secondary bore and into said discharge manifold when fluid pressure in said secondary bore exceeds fluid pressure in said discharge manifold.

13 more elements

A method of providing a pressurized fluid flow including the steps of:

providing a pump casing having an inner wall that defines a cylindrical pump chamber, an inlet bore into said pump chamber and a discharge conduit having a first end located in said pump chamber and a second end located outside of said pump casing;
providing a pump head with a plurality of pistons in said pump chamber, said pump head having a center axis, a circular outer wall, a plurality of piston chambers that extend from said outer wall towards said center axis and a discharge manifold, said discharge manifold having one end in fluid communication with said piston chambers and a second end in fluid communication with said first end of said discharge conduit wherein each said piston is seated on one of said piston chambers and is formed with a flow through bore that allows fluid communication between said pump chamber and said piston chamber in which said piston is seated;
rotating said pump head and said pistons so that, during said rotation, said pistons are moved reciprocally in and out of said piston chambers;
introducing fluid into said pump chamber under pressure so that said fluid flows into said piston flow-through bores;
when fluid pressure in each said piston flow-through bore exceeds fluid pressure in said piston chamber with which said flow-through bore is associated by a select amount, allowing fluid flow from said flow-through bore into said piston chamber;
and
when fluid pressure in each said piston chamber exceeds fluid pressure in said discharge manifold, allowing fluid flow from said piston chamber to said discharge manifold so that said fluid will flowthrough said discharge manifold and out of said discharge conduit.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.