US3910725A - Portable pump apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a portable, battery-operated pump apparatus.

Description

Unlted States Patent 1191 1111 3,910,725 Rule Oct. 7, 1975 [54] PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS 3,085,5l3 4/1963 Zimmerman 417/366 3,l95,148 7/1965 M kel 417/424 [75] Inventor: Cllnton Rule, Gloucester, Mass. 3,256,828 6/1966 S 417/424 [73] Assignee: Rule Industries, Inc., Gloucester, 3,264,999 8/1966 Tutthill 417/424 NlasS 3,408,942 1 1/1968 Davenport 417/424 3,776,666 12/1973 Ludwig 417/41 1 [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1974 [21] Appl. No.2 443,444 Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Assistant ExaminerO.T. Sessions 52 us. c1. 417/234; 417/366; 417/411; Ammey Agen Anastos 417/424 [51] Int. Cl.F04B 21/00 [58] Field of Search 417/411, 366, 234, 424 [57] ABSTRACT There is disclosed a portable, battery-operated pump [56] References Cited apparatus.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,015,281 1/1962 Umholtz 417/411 14 3 D'awmg F'gures U.S. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheetlof2 3,910,725

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Sheet 2 of 2 3,910,725

U.S. Patent Oct. 7,,1975

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PORTABLE PUMP APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to pumping devices for liquids and is more particularly concerned with portable, battery-operated pumps.

Portable electric pumps are known and find many uses in various liquid moving applications such as: bailing of boat hulls; emptying of tanks; transferring liquids from one tank or repository to another; circulating liquids; draining of pool covers, basements or the like; removing spills of liquids from structures such as due to heating oil tank rupture or plumbing failures, and the like. Generally, however, the portable electric pumps of the prior art maintain physical distinctness and separation of the pump from the electrical energy source therefor. Thus, a prior art portable electric pump normally requires provision of a separate and distinct electrical energy source such as line current, generator or batteries, and which energy source is located relatively remotely from the pump. Such physical separation of an electric pump from a suitable electrical energy source can result in substantial inconveniences, complexities in storage, transportation and setting up of the pump for operations. Too, it is often the case that many of the applications in which portable electric pumps find utility are either of an emergency nature or involve sites of operations which are themselves remote from convenient suitable electric energy sources. Accordingly, the time required to hook up portable electric pumps of the prior art to physically separate and remote electrical energy sources is often critical to the pumping task at hand and, at the least, is generally inconvenient. In accordance with the present invention, however, many of these and other problems associated with portable electric pumps have been substantially overcome.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the invention to provide novel, battery-operated, portable pump apparatus.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel, self-contained, portable pump apparatus adapted to integrally house an electrical energy source therewith.

It is another object of the invention to provide compact, completely submersible, portable, batteryoperated pump apparatus adapted to integrally house an electrical energy source therewith.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel, portable, compact, battery-powered, self-contained impeller pump apparatus.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a novel pump enclosure means for portable, batteryoperated pump devices.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The portable pump apparatus of the invention is generally composed of a pump enclosure comprising (a) a canister partitioned into a liquid-tight battery compartment and a pump compartment and (b) a canister lid. Said pump compartment contains therein an electrically energized pump means and said battery compartment contains a battery electrical energy source for said pump means. Suitable means are provided for conducting electrical energy from said battery energy source to said pump means.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic,'diagrammatic, partly sectional side view of the pump apparatus including batteries of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, diagrammatic, top view ofcanister 10 without batteries of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic, diagrammatic bottom view ofcanister lid 50 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like structural features, the pump enclosure of the invention generally comprises acanister 10 and acanister lid 50. Canister 10 is divided bypartition 12 intobattery compartment 14 andpump compartment 16, said pump compartment containing an electrically energized pump means 40. While substantially any type of suitable compact electrically energized pump means 40 can be employed such as pumps of the peristaltic, piston or diaphragm genera, it is preferred that the pump means 40 be of the impeller genus and even more preferred that said impeller pump be of the vertical shaft species. Accordingly, as shown,floor 18 ofpump compartment 16 is displaced upwardly fromlower margin 13 ofcanister 10.Impeller chamber 20 depends beneath saidfloor 18, saidimpeller chamber 20 having aninlet 21 and anoutlet 22 for the passage therethrough of liquid. Extending outwardly fromoutlet 22 is a nozzle means 23 which means 23 is desirably adapted to receive asuitable discharge hose 24. In order to provide a suitable curtain area through which liquid to be pumped is drawn throughinlet 21, thebottom 25 ofimpeller chamber 20 is displaced vertically upward fromlower margin 13 ofcanister 10, thereby to provide spacing or stand-off distance between saidimpeller chamber inlet 21 and anoperating surface 19.Intake 26, located through that portion ofcanister 10 extending beneathfloor 25 ofpump compartment 16, provides for access of the liquid to be pumped toinlet 21. It is much preferred that saidintake 26 be suitably adapted to screen or strain out solid foreign matter of a size sufficient to constitute a hazard to operations of pump means 40. Said straining function can generally be readily provided by appropriate design ofintake 26 such as anintake 26 comprising an array of spaced apartparallel slots 37.

Impeller 31 resides inimpeller chamber 20 and is in rotationally driven relationship with an electrically energizedprime mover 30. Preferably, theprime mover 30, for instance a fractional horsepower d.c. motor, is closely encased in a liquid-tight casing 32 through which drive shaft 38 extends, thereby to avoid the necessity for maintainingpump compartment 16 in a liquid-tight condition. Such closely enclosed liquid-tight electrically energized prime movers are known in the art, a specific commercially available example of which is the Rule-Mate power module, manufactured and sold by Rule Industries, Inc. Gloucester, Mass. In employing the preferred liquid-tight casing 32/prime mover 30 arrangement, it is further preferred thatpump compartment 16 be adapted to allow entry of liquid thereinto, thereby to provide for immersion ofcasing 32. These two features, in combination, provide for substantial cooling of theprime mover 30 during operations, which cooling can contribute substantially to the service life ofprime mover 30. Moreover, by maintainingpump compartment 16 open to the entry of liquid thereinto, saidcompartment 16 aids in maintaining neutral or negative buoyancy, thus contributing to the overall on-site stability of the pump. The free entry of liquid intocompartment 16 can be readily provided, for instance, by anaperture 29 located throughfloor 18 thereof. Also, in order to mitigate against the entrapment of air in head space 100 of saidcompartment 16, it is desirable that said head space 100 be suitably vented. This can normally be readily accomplished merely by avoiding the use of completely circumscribing gasketing or sealant material around theupper margin 27 ofpump compartment 16, the usual manufacturing tolerances normally resulting in adequate venting of the head space at the parting line betweencanister lid 50 and saidmargin 27. Alternative equivalent means to vent the headspace 100 ofpump compartment 16 will, however, be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Completing the assembly ofpump compartment 16, theimpeller chamber 20 is provided with seal 35 adapted to effectuate a substantially liquid-tight clo sure ofchamber 20 excepting, of course, forinlet 21 andoutlet 22 thereof. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1, said seal 35 is provided by an O-ring nested in a seat 36 defined between spaced apartflanges 33 and 34 located at the terminal portion ofhousing 32. In assembly,flanges 33 and 34 ofprime mover housing 32 are inserted intoimpeller chamber 20 to a depth sufficient to bringlower flange 34 into abutting relationship withcircumferential shoulder 39 ofchamber 20, said shoulder being located in the upper portion ofchamber 20. The O-ring is appropriately sized so as to be compressed between its seat 36 and the wall of the upper portion ofchamber 20, thereby to effectuate sealing thereof. This arrangement not only provides for the requisite closure ofimpeller chamber 20 but also provides a very convenient arrangement for the rapid disassembly, replacement and reassembly of the pump means 40.

Extending fromprime mover 30 areconductors 41 adapted to convey electrical energy thereto from a battery electrical energy source. Said conductors lead intobattery compartment 14 in such a manner as to preserve the requisite liquid-tight nature ofcompartment 14. This can be readily accomplished by leading saidconductors 41 through anaperture 42 inpartition 12 and sealing the resulting through-wall conductor arrangement such as by means of a daub of a suitable sealant material or by use of a tightly fitting elastomeric grommet.

Battery compartment 14 is of a size and shape adapted to contain one or more batteries 15 (shown in FIG. 1 only), whichbatteries 15 constitute the electrical energy source forprime mover 30. Desirably, the space provided incompartment 14 will be sufficient to provide the user of the pump devices of the invention with a choice of alternatives wherein either a single battery of the required capacity and voltage to operateprime mover 30, or a plurality of smaller capacity and voltage batteries wired in series to meet the electrical energy requirements ofprime mover 30, can be employed as the electrical energy source. For example, assuming the use of a 12 volt fractional horsepower dc.prime mover 30, one suitable electrical energy source therefor would be a single relatively large 12 volt dry cell such as represented by Ray-O-Vac No. 926 battery. Alternatively, however. two 6 volt dry cells, such represented by Ray-O-Vac 941 S batteries, can also be employed when wired in series.

It will be recognized, of course, that the height of a battery electrical energy source, as well as its length, is usually dependent upon its rated voltage and capacity. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention,battery compartment 14 is provided with means for adjustment of the height of the space used to store the battery(ies). To this end, sidewalls 2 and 3 and, if desired, endwalls 5 and 6 ofbattery compartment 14 are provided with a plurality of vertically oriented spaced apartridges 4, of substantially equal length. As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, theridges 4 associated withsidewall 3 are asymmetrically located with respect toridges 4 of opposed sidewalls 2. Likewise, theridge 4 associated with endwall 6 is asymmetric with respect toridge 4 ofopposed endwall 5. Accordingly, eachridge 4 is asymetrically located with respect to its opposite counterpart. Cooperating with the array of saidvertical ridges 4 is a reversible battery compartment floorplate 7 (depicted in non-sectioned form) having an overall length, width and shape adapted to overlie and rest upon upper margins 9 of theridges 4, but which floorplate 7 is equipped with a cooperative array ofedge recesses 8 which recesses 8 are adapted to receive saidridges 4 in sliding relationship therethrough. Thus oriented with one major surface of floorplate 7 dovm, eachrecess 8 will engage itscorresponding ridge 4 with the result that floorplate 7 will slide downwardly to lie on floor ll ofbattery compartment 14, thereby providing sufficient height for a single relatively large battery energy source. However, when floorplate 7 is turned over or reversed so as to orient the other major surface thereof down, the asymmetrically located edge recesses 8 thereof will not be in correspondence with the asymetrically locatedridges 4 and floorplate 7 will thus rest on upper margins 9, thereby to space floorplate 7 above floor 11 and to compensate the available battery storage space as shown specifically in FIG. 1 for use with smaller batteries.

Referring now principally to FIG. 3, the principal functions of canister lid are to provide for ready access tobattery compartment 14 andpump compartment 16 and to preserve the essential liquid-tight character ofbattery compartment 14. To this lastmentioned end, therefore, liquid-tight sealing ofcompartment 14 can be achieved by means of a resilient gasket orsealant 51 interposed between thelid 50 and the entireopen rim 52 ofbattery compartment 14. Additionally, means are provided to bias theresilient gasket 51 between the opposed surfaces of saidrim 52 andlid 50, thus to compress said gasket and to complete the liquid-tight sealing ofcompartment 14. Said gasket compression function and the assembly of thelid 50 tocanister 10 can be achieved by a plurality of latch means disposed about and depending from the perimeter oflid 50, said latch means being adapted to engage corresponding latch engagement means located oncanister 10. Each latch means 60 can take the form of inwardly biasable lockinglug 61 depending fromvertical wall 63 oflid 50. The outermost surface oflug 61 comprises ahorizontal recess 64 which recess is of a depth and width adapted to engageflange 71 ofcanister 10 in interlocking relationship therewith. Easy assembly of the latch means 60 can be had when the outermost surface of eachlug 61 is provided with a chamferedterminus 66.

Cooperating with lockinglugs 61 canister has aflange 71 spaced about the exterior perimeter thereof byflange web 76.Flange web 76 has latch receiving apertures 72 therethrough, said apertures 72 being adapted for receiving therethrough the corresponding locking lugs 61 ofcanister lid 50. in assembly of thecanister lid 50 tocanister 10, each lockinglug 61 is initially inwardly biased by action of chamferedterminus 66 working against the upper edge offlange 71. The locking lugs 61 each penetrate through its corresponding web aperture 72 and, by virtue of the inwardly directed biasing or springing thereof, snap thehorizontal recess 64 into interlocking engagement withflange 71. By appropriate dimensioning of the aforedescribed latching arrangement suitable compression ofresilient gasket 51 can be assured.

In a further preferred embodiment the pump device of the invention will additionally comprise a carryinghandle 54 extending from the upper surface oflid 50. The electric pump devices of the invention will also be preferably equipped with a suitable switch means 80 adapted to make and break the circuit between the battery energy source and theprime mover 30. Desirably, said switch means 80 will be of a push-button type located, for purposes of convenient operations, on saidhandle 54. It is also preferred, of course, that said switch means 80 be liquid-tight and be capable of operation in a completely submersed condition. For example, theswitch 80 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 can comprise a push-buttonelectric switch 80 having a resilientelastomeric hood 82 disposed over the normally exposed push-button portion thereof. Saidhood 82 is sealed in liquid-tight relationship against the structure ofhandle 54 such as by means of a metallic retainer-sealingring 84.

Obviously, any materials of construction can be employed in the fabrication of the pump devices of the invention which are capable of withstanding the intended and obvious working environments encountered in portable pump applications. However, it should be noted that the pump enclosure of the invention is especially adapted to fabrication from thermoplastic polymeric materials such as polyamides, polyolefins, polystyrene, polycarbonates, polyacetals, etc. The so-called impact-resistant polymers based on mixtures of copolymers of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene monomers have been found to be particularly useful. Further in favor of the use of thermoplastic polymers is the fact that the relatively complex forms of the pump enclosure elements of the invention are ordinarily amenable to fabrication by standard thermoplastic forming techniques, particularly by injection molding.

Obviously, many changes can be made in the above detailed description of the invention without departing from the intended and essential spirit thereof. Accordingly, the embodiments specifically described hereinbefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-limiting.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable pump enclosure assembly comprising a canister and a canister lid, said canister having a liquid-tight partition therein dividing the interior thereof into a pump compartment to receive therein electrically energized liquid pumping means and a battery compartment to receive therein an electric battery,

gasket means sealably interposed between said canister and said lid to establish a liquid-tight closure of said battery compartment, conductor means to conduct energy from a battery housed within said battery compartment to a pumping means housed within said pump compartment, and switch means located on the battery compartment side of said enclosure assembly and in circuit with said conductor means.

2. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said canister lid additionally comprises a carrying handle.

3. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is located on said canister lid.

4. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is submersible.

5. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is located on a carrying handle extending above said canister lid.

6. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein A. the interior of said battery compartment comprises a plurality of asymmetrically spaced vertical sidewall ridges extending upwardly from the floor thereof to a substantially uniform height thereabove, and

B. there is provided a removable battery platform having two major surfaces, said platform being adapted to rest on the upper edges of said vertical ridges in spaced relationship above said floor when one major surface of said platform is faced upwardly, and said platform being adapted when the other major surface of said platform faces upwardly to engage said asymmetrically spaced vertical sidewall ridges in sliding relationship.

7. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein the floor of said pump compartment is displaced vertically upwardly from the lower margin of said canister, and an impeller chamber comprising an inlet and outlet depends below said floor, the bottom of said impeller chamber being spaced above said lower margin and comprising said inlet.

8. The enclosure assembly of claim 7 wherein said canister additionally comprises liquid intake means to provide for flow of liquid from outside said canister to said inlet.

9. The enclosure assembly ofclaim 8 wherein said intake means comprises strainer means to strain out solid foreign matter.

10. A portable, battery-operated liquid pumping device comprising:

A. a pump enclosure assembly comprising a canister having a liquid-tight partition therein dividing the interior thereof into a pump compartment and a battery compartment, a canister lid, and gasket means sealably interposed between said canister and said canister lid to establish a liquid-tight closure of said battery compartment;

B. a liquid pumping means comprising an electrically energized prime mover disposed in said pump compartment;

.C. conductor means to conduct electrical energy from an electric batterydisposed in said battery compartment to said prime mover; and

D. switch means located on the battery compartment side of said enclosure assembly and in circuit with said conductor means.

11. The device ofclaim 10 wherein said pump compartment has a floor thereacross displaced vertically upwardly from the lower margin of said canister and wherein said pumping means comprises i. an impeller chamber integral with and depending below said floor and having an inlet and a separate outlet to conduct liquid into and out of said impeller chamber; and ii. an impeller disposed in said impeller chamber and in rotational driven engagement with said prime mover. 12. The device ofclaim 10 wherein said pumping

Claims (14)

1. A portable pump enclosure assembly comprising a canister and a canister lid, said canister having a liquid-tight partition therein dividing the interior thereof into a pump compartment to receive therein electrically energized liquid pumping means and a battery compartment to receive therein an electric battery, gasket means sealably interposed between said canister and said lid to establish a liquid-tight closure of said battery compartment, conductor means to conduct energy from a battery housed within said battery compartment to a pumping means housed within said pump compartment, and switch means located on the battery compartment side of said enclosure assembly and in circuit with said conductor means.

2. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said canister lid additionally comprises a carrying handle.

3. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is located on said canister lid.

4. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is submersible.

5. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch means is located on a carrying handle extending above said canister lid.

6. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein A. the interior of said battery compartment comprises a plurality of asymmetrically spaced vertical sidewall ridges extending upwardly from the floor thereof to a substantially uniform height thereabove, and B. there is provided a removable battery platform having two major surfaces, said platform being adapted to rest on the upper edges of said vertical ridges in spaced relationship above said floor when one major surface of said platform is faced upwardly, and said platform being adapted when the other major surface of said platform faces upwardly to engage said asymmetrically spaced vertical sidewall ridges in sliding relationship.

7. The enclosure assembly of claim 1 wherein the floor of said pump compartment is displaced vertically upwardly from the lower margin of said canister, and an impeller chamber comprising an inlet and outlet depends below said floor, the bottom of said impeller chamber being spaced above said lower margin and comprising said inlet.

8. The enclosure assembly of claim 7 wherein said canister additionally comprises liquid intake means to provide for flow of liquid from outside said canister to said inlet.

9. The enclosure assembly of claim 8 wherein said intake means comprises strainer means to strain out solid foreign matter.

10. A portable, battery-operated liquid pumping device comprising: A. a pump enclosure assembly Comprising a canister having a liquid-tight partition therein dividing the interior thereof into a pump compartment and a battery compartment, a canister lid, and gasket means sealably interposed between said canister and said canister lid to establish a liquid-tight closure of said battery compartment; B. a liquid pumping means comprising an electrically energized prime mover disposed in said pump compartment; C. conductor means to conduct electrical energy from an electric battery disposed in said battery compartment to said prime mover; and D. switch means located on the battery compartment side of said enclosure assembly and in circuit with said conductor means.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said pump compartment has a floor thereacross displaced vertically upwardly from the lower margin of said canister and wherein said pumping means comprises i. an impeller chamber integral with and depending below said floor and having an inlet and a separate outlet to conduct liquid into and out of said impeller chamber; and ii. an impeller disposed in said impeller chamber and in rotational driven engagement with said prime mover.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein said pumping means is a vertical shaft impeller pump.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein said prime mover is disposed in a liquid-tight casing therefor and wherein said pump compartment comprises means for providing free access of liquid thereinto and comprises a headspace in the upper portion thereof.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said headspace is vented.

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