Automotive water pump
AssigneeColeman Machine, Inc.
InventorRichard Coleman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water pump allows adjustment of the drive belt by rotating a portion of the water pump housing. The water pump eliminates the need for additional drive-belt tensioning parts, therefore simplifying maintenance procedures. The pump housing has a support member mounted thereto, with a pump shaft extending therethrough. The support member flange includes eccentrically-formed mounting grooves. The support member is rotated by the loosening of adjustment screws securing it in place. By rotating the support member, the location of the pump shaft is re-oriented and the tension of the drive belt adjusted.
Claims15
A water pump comprising:
- a principal housing;
- a support member, having a plurality of mounting grooves, mounted on the principal housing, the support member rotatable with respect to the principal housing;
- a pump shaft extending through the support member, the plurality of grooves being eccentrically spaced from a center point of said pump shaft;
- and
- a drive belt having a tension disposed about the pump shaft and connecting the pump shaft to a driving means, the support member eccentrically mounted on the principal housing such that rotation of the support member causes change in the position of the pump shaft and adjustment to the tension in the drive belt.
A belt tensioning apparatus comprising:
- a principal housing;
- a support member, having a plurality of mounting grooves, mounted on the principal housing, the support member rotatable with respect to the principal housing;
- a drive shaft extending through the support member, the plurality of grooves being eccentrically spaced from a center point of said drive shaft;
- and
- a belt having a tension disposed about the drive shaft and connecting the drive shaft to a driving means, the support member eccentrically mounted on the principal housing such that rotation of the support member causes change in the position of the drive shaft and adjustment to the tension in the belt.
A water pump for use in a vehicle, the water pump comprising:
- a principal housing having an impeller cavity therewithin;
- a plurality of mounting bolts securing the principal housing to the vehicle;
- a support member having a pump shaft housing with a flange extending therefrom, the flange including a plurality of eccentrically-shaped mounting grooves;
- a plurality of adjustment screws extending through the mounting grooves of the flange so as to mount the support member to the principal housing such that it is rotatable;
- a pump shaft disposed through the support member, the plurality of eccentrically-shaped mounting grooves being eccentrically spaced from a center point of said pump shaft, the pump shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end having impeller blades secured thereto and the second end extending outward through the support member;
- and
- a drive belt disposed about the pump shaft and connecting the pump shaft to a driving means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.