Manifold assembly for reciprocating pump

In a reciprocating pump assembly having a pump housing that houses a crankshaft, a plurality of pistons mechanically connected to the crankshaft for pumping a fluid through a cylinder block, the cylinder block defining a cylindrical piston chamber for each of the pistons that receives fluid from an inlet manifold and a fluid outlet that conveys fluid to an outlet manifold, the reciprocating pump, comprising:

• a plurality of outlet valves associated with and being in fluid communication with each respective piston chamber defined by the cylinder block, which actuate along a respective outlet valve axis to an open position when an outlet valve fluid pressure differential exceeds a predetermined outlet valve differential across respective ones of the outlet valves;
• a plurality of inlet valves extending through a side of the cylinder block portion to each of respective ones of the piston chambers, which actuate along a respective inlet valve axis to an open position when an inlet valve fluid pressure differential exceeds a predetermined inlet valve differential across respective ones of the inlet valves, the inlet valve axes being parallel to and offset from respective ones of the outlet valve axes;
• a plurality of discharge passages extending from respective ones of the outlet valves to the outlet manifold;
• and
• an inlet valve retainer for each of the inlet valves that retains respective ones of the inlet valves relative to respective ones of the piston chambers, each of the inlet valve retainers extending along respective ones of the inlet valve axes and through respective ones of the discharge passages.

A cylinder block assembly for a reciprocating pump, comprising:

• a block body defining a piston chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the piston chamber being adapted to receive a piston of the reciprocating pump;
• an inlet valve within an inlet passage extending through the block body to the piston chamber;
• an inlet valve retainer comprising a first flange, a second flange and a column extending between the first and second flanges, the inlet valve being in engagement with the second flange;
• an outlet valve assembly having an outlet valve actuation axis;
• a threaded member having a threaded profile formed on its outer circumference that engages a threaded profile on the block body, and the block body engages the first flange to retain the inlet valve retainer relative to the piston chamber;
• and
• a discharge passage extending from the outlet of the piston chamber to a side of the block body, a portion of the discharge passage extending around the column between the first and second flanges of the inlet valve retainer,
• wherein the inlet valve has an inlet valve actuation axis which is parallel to an non-coaxial with the outlet valve actuation axis.