US3149573A

US3149573A - Valved flexible body positive partial displacement fluid pump

Info

Publication number: US3149573A
Application number: US183509A
Authority: US
Inventors: James K Rice; Richard C Rice
Original assignee: CYRUS WM RICE AND CO
Current assignee: CYRUS WM RICE AND CO
Priority date: 1962-03-29
Filing date: 1962-03-29
Publication date: 1964-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-22
Also published as: GB960806A

Description

Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE 0 Y POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEM FLUID PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 I i u, ,a 4, 3 a M Q 5% L iu \r V '1 I JAMES KE Z E E/amaze C, c5

7745/; A rranusv Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 54 E/. o 7- I a- 7 53 I VENT JAMeaK. files Emu/ma C. E/cE THE/R rfcmA/EY Sept. 22, 1964 RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLE LE Y POSITIVE PARTIAL DISP CEM FLUID PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 JAMEJ 5 El 04480 C. E/CE THE/8 Arromve'v J. K. RICE ETAL I VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL Sept. 22, 1964 DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 29, 1962 5 E w mix? a w I W A a w M 2 7% W Y B ww NQ mm N 3 QQ am a NQ\ a ND\ m w m8 2 .k

Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 6- V NVEN 0R5 Jewssk; 1:5

El CHAAO C. f CE THE/1G Arroeuev Sept. 22, 1964 J. K. RICE ETAL 3,149,573

VALVED FLEXIBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DISPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP Filed March 29, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Fig/3 NVEN 0R5 JAMEJK 505 2 5/04/020 0. fi

United States Patent 3,149,573 VALVED FLEXEBLE BODY POSITIVE PARTIAL DlSPLACEMENT FLUID PUMP James K. Rice and- Richard 6. Rice, Pittsburgh, Pa,

assignors to Cyrus Wm. Rice & Company, Craiton, Pa,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 29, 1962-, Ser. No. 183-,5fl9 17 Claims. (Ql. 193-67) This invention relates generally to. rotary fluid pumps and more particularly to a rotary valved, flexible chambered body, positive partial displacement fluid pump.

This pump has many variations and its principal use is for small capacity metering pumps rather than large capacity pumps, but it is endowed with novel features capable for use inlarge and small capacity pumps.

Present small capacity flexible body positive displacement pumps are diflicult to maintain and are not always consistent in their delivery. Where very accurate feeding is most important the summation of the feed over a period of time is sometimes relied upon for accuracy which may be acceptable for some purposes but is. not acceptable for other processes requiring the constant and continuous addition of small portions of liquid or gas to the process being treated. Under such circumstances a period of over feeding or under feeding of the fluid supplied may have a very drastic eflect on the process. These and many other problems arise in which the present flexible body pumps fail whether these pumps are full or partial displacement.

The present invention is directed. to a rotary valve chambered flexible body partial positive displacement pump wherein the flexible body may have single or multiple chambers with inlet and. outlet valves for each chamber. This flexible body may be made in a single disc having many chambers or it may be made of many flexible tubes each having a single chamber. lirr either event eachchamber is connected to inlet and outlet porte valves.

Each valve is preferably formed as a single member with a smooth face having a port for each chamber. This valve member may be a flat disc or a cylinder with tapered smooth valve faces which cooperate with the supple.- mentary mating port members. The port member is a single part having an extending port connection with its valve ports. The inlet and outlet ports. are connected through the inlet and outlet valve members to opposite ends of the partially diminishable chamber means in the flexible body means. Yet these inlet and outlet ports are offset in rotary progression from one another so that no single chamber is open to the inlet and outlet at the same time.

The flexible body means, Whether a single or a multiple body, may have their partially displaceabl'e chambers disposed in parallel or radial relation to the rotary a-xis. These chambers may be partially displaced by eccentric movement relative to the. axis. This may be produced by one valve and valve port member having its axis disposed at an angle relative to the axis of the other valve member. This angular disposition may be employed on the flexible body means-regardless of whether thev partially compressible chambers therein are disposed axially or radially of the rotary axis or even spherical chambers. The eccentricity may be produced by disposing. the parallel axis of two members in: eccentric relation to each other or by disposing the axes of the two members at an angle to each other. Both conditions produce a relative eccentricity that permits partial displacement in each chamber for each rotation of the pump. Thus the pump structure comprising this invention may take a variety of forms, shapes, and sizes. Generally speaking if the valves. and

3,149,573 Patented Sept. 22., 1964 ice the flexible body carrying the chambers. are the disc type having substantially common axes the device is quite simple and has many advantagesv over that of a structure wherein the valves are cylindrical and also have the same or common axis but the mating valve surfaces. with their supplementary faces are preferably frusto-conical in order to maintain a proper sealing relation.

In regard to the materials of avalve of this character the valve members themselves. may be made of any suitable rigid material such as metal or glass. Glass or ceramic forms provide. good valve. members because the elastomer forming the flexible body means carrying the chambers may be vulcanized or cemented thereto and the smooth valve face can be aground and polished glasslike surface which when cooperating with. a port member made of plastic such as that which is known in the present market under the trademark Teflon provides an excellent cooperative surface for relative motion which although providing a perfect seal when new will lap itself, and the longer that the pump is operated the better seal conditions are provided. Pumps of this character are operated under relatively low pressures and thus the seal between relatively rotatable supplementary surfaces will operate without any leakage whatsoever between these valve surfaces.

If the flexible body means is in the form of a single elastomer member having multiple chambers it need only be cemented to a smooth or ground surface of the glass valve members and the drive. shaft need only be. secured to one valve member to drive the rotary portion of the pump which is the flexible body means cemented between the two valves and the cement or vulcanization between the elastomer and the valves is sufficient to drive the valve that is disposed eccentrically for producing the partial displacement of the chamber.

The plastic port members may be secured. to the opposed surfaces of a pair of plates by any suitable means. However, they may be held in place by the inlet and outlet tubes passing through these. plates and being secured to the plastic port member. The plates are then secured to each. other one plate having the tie rods fastened thereto and the other plate having clearance holes for the tie rods which are threaded to receive nuts. One nut being pulled up tighter than the other will cause the plates. to beheld at an angle relative to each other thereby producing the eccentric action in compressing the flexible body means adjacent this: tie rod, thus, this, the shorter tie rod disposes the port and its cooperating valves in eccentric relation to partially displace the chamber in the flexible body means. The ports in the port members are arranged relative to the short tie rodso that the chamber in the elastomer when passing the short tie rod will have its outlet connection just about to close and after its outlet connection is closed further rotation will open its inlet sothat the chamber may be fully filled when it reaches a diametric positionv of full chamber expansion at which time the inlet valve is closed and shortly thereafter the outlet valve is opened as the chamber begins to be. compressed so that the valve chamber, whilebeing contracted, will discharge the fluid through the outlet.

Thus one may vary the contraction of the plates relative to each other during the operation of the pump to change the volumetric capacity of the chambers while the pump operation subsists.

The rotary shaft driving the pump may be operated by any suitable prime mover. However, provision should be made to enableone to vary the speed through the mechanical speed changer or if the pump is: driven by an electrical motor one should be able to change the speed of the motor, thereby changing the output of the pump without changing its volumetric capacity. Thus; one is enabled to invoke the change in speed or volumetric capacity during the operation of the pump to maintain proper control and operation of such metering pump.

Another motive for attaining eccentricity for the purpose of partially displacing the pump chambers is by providing a member that is adjustably eccentric of the flexible body containing the chambers even though this abutment is maintained on an axis parallel to the axis of rotation. Here the abutment may be effective in engaging the flexible body and partially displacing the chambers therein without relative rotary motion but by reason of a radial motion due to the eccentric mounting of the abutment relative to the flexible body means. As previously mentioned the parallel eccentricity may also be obtained through radial adjustment of one of the port members which maintains a concentric relation to a valve member and when this combination is made eccentric it will provide partial displacement of the flexible body means between the valve members and thus create a pump action even though the eccentric valve members are tied together through the body means but one rotates in an orbit eccentric to the other.

Other structures carrying different combinations of these features may be provided in constructing a pump of this character.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification Without limiting this invention or the claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a single body, multiple chamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity and disc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the relative positions of the valve ports employed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a multiple body each with a single chamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump with an angular eccentricity and with disc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a multiple body each with a single chamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump, with axial eccentricity and having tapered plug inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7- of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 6 with parts broken away.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a single body, multiple chamber, radial flow, positive partial displacement pump with axial eccentricity and with plug inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional View of a single body with multiple chambers and radial flow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity and with disc inlet and outlet valves.

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1212 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of the axial flow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity With disc inlet and outlet valves and having a modified eccentricity producing housing.

FIG. 14 is a perspective View of a single body, multiple chamber, axial flow, positive partial displacement pump with angular eccentricity and with disc type inlet and outlet valves.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings a single body, multiple chamber is indicated at 1 as a disc-like elastomer member of uniform thickness and which is flexible and contains an annular series of chamber means 2. This flexible body means is preferably made from an elastomer material that may be subjected to compressive forces from the valve members 3 and 4 which will deform the flexible body means which cause the chambers to be either diminished in size when pumping a gas type fluid because the gas is compressed or to actually deform the chamber itself in bulgin the chamber walls outwardly and maintain the same volume when pumping a non-compressible liquid.

The valve members 3 and 4 are preferably made of glass and each have one face 5 which is preferably ground to produce a surface similar to that of a ground glass bottle stopper for receiving the adjacent surfaces of the elastomer member 1. These adjacent surfaces of the elastomer 1 may be vulcanized to the surfaces 5 of the valve members or they may be cemented thereto.

Each valve member is provided with a corresponding flow passage 6 for each of the chambers 2 and it is preferable that these flow passages be substantially the same size as the chambers 2 in the elastomer member to prevent any resistance to flow from the inlet valve member to the outlet valve member. In the structure as shown either of the valves 3 or 4 can be either the inlet or the outlet valve, the determining factor being the manner in which the pump is rotated.

The opposite faces 7 of each of these valve members are preferably ground to a flatness or smoothness and these faces are termed the smooth faces of the valve which actually cooperate with the smooth faces 8 on the port members 10 and 11. These port members are preferably formed of a plastic material such as that which is purchased under the trademark Teflon. Their smooth faces 8 are preferably formed as well as possible to prop erly mate with the smooth faces '7 of the valves and when properly formed will not permit the pump to leak when the fluid is under a puessure of several pounds. It is obvious, however, that when relative motion is provided between the supplementary

smooth faces

7 and 8 they become lapped in and the longer they are used the better seal is provided therebetween.

The port members 10 and 11 may be secured to the plate or

abutment members

12 and 13 by means of the bolts 14 or by means of the

fluid connections

15 and 16 at opposite ends of the pump. The abutment members or

plates

12 and 13 are secured relative to each other by a pair of

tie rods

17 and 18 which are diametrically disposed relative to each other in a plane that lies transversely through the rotary axis of the drive shaft 29. This drive shaft is secured to the valve member 3 as indicated at 21 and passes through the stationary port member 10 and through a clearance hole 22 in the port member it) and the clearance hole 23 in the abutment member 12. This rotary shaft may be driven by any suitable rotary prime mover. It is preferable, however, that some form of speed change device be provided so that one may change the speed of rotation of the pump while the same is in operation. This could be performed by many different speed changing devices or if the prime mover was an electrical motor the same could be made to be a variable speed for changing the speed of the operation of the pump while in service or While its operation subsists. Since the shaft 20 is secured to the valve member 3 when the latter rotates, it causes the flexible body means land a valve member 4 to rotate therewith. This rotation permits the valve passages 6 to be valved in respect to the inlet port 24 and the outlet port 25 as shown in FIG. 3. It would be noted that the inlet port 24 is of arcuate shape being of the same radius as the center of the passage 6, and extends for substantially The inlet port is not shown in FIG. 1 because it would be in the portion that is removed by this sectional View. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the rotation is counterclockwise in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A stub shaft 26 is secured to the outlet valve member 4 as indicated at 2'7 and passes through the

clearance openings

28 and 30 in the outlet port member 11 and the abutment member 13.

The

tie rods

17 and 18 are provided with the

nut members

31 and 32. The nut 3-1 is turned up on its thread to provide an assembly tightness between, the relative rotary surfaces 7- and 8, however, the nut 32 is turned up further so as to slope the abutment T3 to dispose the same at an angle relative to the rotary axis of the shaft 20 and thereby provide an angular eccentricity of. the port member 11 and the valve member 4,. which. angular eccentric position causes the upper portion of the flexible body means to be compressed. It will, of course, bulge slightly from between the valve members 3' and 4 if the fluid is a non-cornpressible liquid and if the material being pumped is a gas, the chamber 2 at this position might be smaller, since the gas is compressible. The chamber may bulge be greater because in this position both of the passages 6. in. the inlet and outlet valves 3' and 4 would be closed as they would be at the vertical position as illustrated. in FIG. 3. In like manner, when the lowermost chamberZ. would. be at the lowermost position as shown in FIG. 3 which would be the larger or expanded position of the chamber 2, the inlet valve could be open to the chamber 2. at this position if the rotation of the pump were to be maintained in the same direction. However, it is preferable to mate the ports in the port members It) and 11 as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the pump may be operated in. opposite directions and thus the inlet and outlet port and valve members would change. Thus it is preferable to make the port members 24 and 25 symmetrical so that the pump may be operated in opposite directions.

Referring now to FIG. 4 the structure is precisely the same as that shown in FIG. 1 with the exception that the flexible body means is in: the form of a series of elas-tomer tube sections. 33 each provided with a chamber 34. In view of the fact that the valve surfaces 5 are fastened to a materially smaller area of the flexible body means 33, it is preferable to provide some form of dent clutch member 35 between the adjacent shafts 2t and 26. This permits mechanical driving force to be transferred from the valve member 3 to the valve member 4 without unduly twisting the elastomer members 33. In allother respects it functions in the same manner as that already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. i As: shown: in FIG. 5 each of the elastomer members 33 are independent elastomers each being a section of a hose. However, their chamber means 34 are substantially the same size as that of the passages 6 and the valve members 3 and 4.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and 8 the fluid pump is a multiple flexible body means each with a single chamber and disposed so as to, provide axial flow, the partial displacement being attained through an abutment which is axially eccentric with the rotary shaft and is provided with rotary sleeve valves having mating plug surfaces. Here the base member 36 is provided with two

upstanding members

37 and 38 for supporting the bearings of the pump. The stand37 has a central bore 39 to receive the plug member that is preferably made of a material such as Teflon and is provided with arcuate port members 41 and 52 which lead to the passages 43 and 44 that form the inlet and outlet or suction and discharge passages depending upon the rotation of the pump. This plug member 4% is secured by means of the nut member 45 to the standard 37 and is stationary.

The inner face of the standard 37 is provided with a vertical dovetailed groove 46 to receive the supplementary dove-tailed members 4'7 which are diametrically o-pposed to each other on the ring member 48. This ring has a transverse slot 543 to receive the headed end 51 of the displacement adjustment screw 52 which has secured on its outer end the knurled thumb head 53 fixed in position by the pin 54. The ring member 48 carries the outer race 55 of the antifriction bearing having its ball members and the inner race member 57, the inner race member 57 6 has the hubmember 58 secured therein for the purpose of carrying the spider'members 60 that support the abutment ring 61.

Thus by rotating the thumb head 53 the outer ring 48 is moved vertically and the axial center of the anti-friction bearing is made eccentric to the axial center of the opening 38 and the plug 40.

The standard 38 has a threaded opening 62 for receiving the bearing support member 63 that carries the outer racemember 64 of the antifriction ball bearing 65 The inner race member 66 has mounted inits opening the valve member 67. The end. of the valve member has a shaft 65; secured thereto by means of the claw 69 on the hand 70,v the claws being forced into supplementary openings in the end of thetubularvalve member 67.

The valve member 67 is preferably made of glass or other suitable rigid material and its. perimetral surface is substantially cylindrical with the exception of the com tersupport member 71. This support member is in the form of a disc having a uniformly disposed arcuaterpocket 72. On. the other side of the support disc 71 the valve is. provided with a series of radial valve passages 73 which extend through the smooth frusto-conical surface 74 that males with thetapered plug 40 and the port member 41. Each of the passages 73 isprovided with an extension; 75.. Onv the opposite side of the support member 71, a second, annular. series of radially disposed valve passages 76 extend through the. valve and the. smooth surface 77 so as to connect with. the port 42. and thus the passage 44 in the plug 46 which mates therewith in rotary contact, the passage ways '76 are likewise provided with an extension 75.. A flexible body means 78 extends be tween each of the pairs of extensions and are sealed or otherwise cemented to the perimetralsurface of the valve members and to the extension 75 and their intermediate sections likewise. in the arcuate pockets 72 in the support member 71.

Since the spider 60 with its annular ring 61 is. disposed eccentric to the axis of the drive shaft 68 and valve member 67, the flexible body means adjacent the upper portion of the drawing are depressed by the abutment 61, whereas the same flexible body means at the bottom of the drawing are free and fully expanded as illustrated in FIG. 6. Since the ring 61 is free to rotate and has very little friction and since it is likewise provided with small arcuate pockets 79'. these pockets aid in maintaining the ring 611 in continuous contact therewith as the members rotate. As shown in FIG. 7 when each chamber ofthe flexible body means. 78 leave the lower six ocl'ock position they become progressively smaller until at the twelve ocl'ock position where they are partially depressed to their full extent after which the chambers'begin to open up to the full extent as shown at the consecutive six oclock position.

As shown in FIG. 8 if the rotation is clockwise each inlet passage 73- is' connected to the inlet port 41 at approximately the one oclock position and is closed at approximately the five oclockposition whereas the discharge port 42 is opened at the seven oclock position to allow thefluid to be discharged from. the passages 76 to the discharge which is closed at approximately the eleven oclock position.

If one were to regulate the displacement adjustment screw 5-2 he can change the eccentricity of the abutment ring 61 relative to the support 71 and the flexible body means 78 and thereby control the amount of fluid discharge from each chamber for each revolution.

Another type of single body multiple chamber, radial: flow, positive partial displacement pump that is provided with an axial eccentric abutment, is illustrated in FIG. 9. Here the base member 81 is likewise provided with. a vertical disposed dove-tailed groove 82. for receiving the dove-tailed members SS on the outer ring member 84 and has. an enlarged. bore 85 in which is received the annular port member 86. The small bore 87 of the ring member is larger than the central port member 88 which is provided with a flange having bolts extending therethrough for securing the port member 88 to the base member 81.

The ring member 84 is provided with an annular sleeve 99 which slips over the ring member 84 and has a keeper 91 having a slot therein to receive the head on the end of the displacement adjustment screw 92 received in the threaded opening in the base member 81 and being provided with a knurled thumb head 93. Thus by turning the screw and moving the ring vertically its center is adjusted eccentric to that of the axis of the port member 88 in the base 81.

The rotary shaft 94 is properly journaled to support the rotary valve member 95 that has an annular valve portion 96 with a smooth valve face 97 to receive the supplementary tapered surface of the port member 88 in sealed engagement. The valve 96 is provided with the radial passages 98 and its exterior perimetral surface has secured thereto the flexible body means 959 as by vulcanizing or cementing. The outer surface of the flexible body means 99 is secured to the bore of the valve member 1111 and each of these members is provided with its corresponding opening 101 and 102 which are substantially the same size as the radial opening 98 and in line therewith. The exterior surface of the valve member 1190 is also frustoconical and is provided with a smooth face 1113 which is in mating engagement with a supplementary face in the port member 86.

Thus when the displacement adjustment screw 92 is actuated to move the ring 84 eccentric to the rotary axis of the shaft 94 the flexible body means will become deformed-between the inner valve member 96 and the outer valve member 1% as illustrated in FIG. 9 thereby partially displacing the fluid contained in this member. Although the outer valve member 190 is secured to the annular flexible body means 9, it has a radial sliding engagement with respect to the abutment 19 1 on the member 95. Thus as the shaft 94 is rotated, the outer valve 1% and the flexible body means 99 is required to move inwardly to compress the latter at the top of the ring on each rotation of the valve. In this manner partial displacement of the chamber 101 is provided for the purpose of pumping fluid.

As shown in FIG. 10 the suction or inlet port 105 is formed in the frusto-conical surface of the port member 88 and is connected by means of the passage 196 to the source of fluid supply. The outer annular port member 86 is provided with a port 1117 as illustrated in FIG. 10 for the purpose of discharging the fluid through the discharge passage 1118. Here each of the valve members may be made of glass and be provided with smooth annular surfaces to function as the valve faces in porting the chambers between the inlet and outlet port members.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 the single flexible body is provided with a series of radial chambers 111 and on either side thereof are provided with the offset valve connection members 112 and 113. Member 112 is in the form of a disc which is preferably made of the same elastomer material as the flexible member 110 and made integral therewith. A series of passages 114 are formed around its perimeter to connect with the valve passages 115 in the valve member 116 which is preferably constructed of glass and is cemented or vulcanized to the adjacent surfaces of the bodies 110 and 112. The opposite face 117 of the valve 116 is the smooth face which engages with the surface 118 of the port member 119. This port member is provided with an arcuate port 120 and an exterior passage 121 connected thereto. The port member 119 is secured to the base 122 by means of the screw members 123.

The valve connection member 113 is of ring shape and is likewise formed integral with the flexible member 110 and is provided with passages 124, one for each of the chambers 111 and are connected to corresponding valve passages 125 through the valve member 126 which passes through the smooth valve face 127 that is in sealing engagement with the port face 128 of the port member 130 which is secured to the movable abutment member 131 by means of the screws 132. This abutment member is connected to the base by means of the fulcrum 133 and its opposite end has a slot 134 to receive the rod 135 having the nut 136 retractably engaging the same. Thus by turning up the nut 13s the upper portion of the flexible member 110 is compressed as it passes through the twelve oclock position in rotation. The port member 130 is provided with an arcuate port 137 and is connected to the exterior passage 138.

The valve member 126 may be provided with a stub shaft formed integral therewith as indicated at 140 which rotates and is journaled in the opening 141 of the port member 130. The valve member 126 has an oppositely extending stub shaft 142 which engages the bore of the flexible member 111 All of the adjacent engaging portions between the

valve members

116 and 126 are vulcanized, cemented, or otherwise secured to the flexible member 111) and the offset valve connections 112 and 113.

The valve member 116 is provided with a rotary shaft 143 for the purpose of rotating the valve members and the flexible member 110 that is supported therebetween.

The structure shown in FIG. 13 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, however, the abutment plates have been replaced by the

housing sections

144 and 145. The circular end of each housing has its corresponding valve member 111 and 11 secured thereto by the bolts 14 and the inlet and outlet connections. The cylindrical portions of the housing 144 is provided with a pair of oppositely projecting diametrically

disposed pin members

146 and 147. The pin 1% operates in a slot 148 that lies in a transverse radial plane. However, the slot 150 for the pin 147 follows a helix and when the housing 145 is rotated relative to the housing 144 the helix causes the pin 147 to compress the adjacent portion of the flexible member 1. In other words, the helix creates the same condition as the

tie rods

17 and 18. The shaft 20 extends into the motor 151. Thus this structure provides an enclosed and compact pump unit.

The structure illustrated in FIG. 14 is the same pump structure that is shown in FIG. 1 in perspective for the purpose of illustrating the simplicity of the pump and the manner in which it is supported and connected with the drive motor which is somewhat similar to that shown in FIG. 13. The volumetric displacement screw 152 is mounted in such a position as to be readily adjusted for changing the volumetric capacity of the pump during its operation without changing the speed. However, one may change the volumetric capacity of the pump as well as the speed to control the output While the operation of the pump subsists. In this manner very accurate control is had over delivery of the fluid supplied by the pump.

The plate 153 has the

upstanding ears

154 and 155 each of which is provided with a slot 156 that has an arcuate recess 157 for receiving the pins 158. The pins 158 project from each side of the depending arms 159 of the plate member 161). The pins 158 on opposite sides of the pump are axially aligned with each other and this axis passes through the approximate center of the elastomer member 1 as wel! as through the vertical central axis of the drive shaft2fl. Thus the housing 161 may be rocked back and forth on the trunnions 158 seated in their arcuate bearing surfaces 157. In order to mount this pump assembly in position the parts are assembled and placed on the plate 153 and the elastomer member 1 is compressed by pushing downwardly on the housing 161) and turning the housing clockwise until the trunnions 158 engage in the slots 156 and become seated in the arcuate bearings 157. The mounting bracket 161 is secured to the mounting plate 162 that is fastened to the motor M3. The shaft 164 of the motor 163 is provided with a dent type clutch 165 to secure it to the drive shaft 20. To one side of this clutch there appears the fluid inlet 166. The outlet 167 is in the housing member 160. These, of course, will change according to the direction of rotation of the pump.

An upstanding lug 168 is provided with a threaded collar 169 to receive the adjusting screw 152 the inner end of which engages the socket 170 at the lower end of the arm 159. A thumb and finger cap 171 is provided on the outer end of the screw 152 to enable one to move the screw inwardly or outwardly and thus cant the housing 160 on the trunnions 158 and in this manner further compress one sector of the flexible body means 1 which, of course, relieves the initial compression of the other side in corresponding amount.

In this manner the volumetric capacity of the chambers in the elastomer means 1 may be changed during the operation of the pump and may be changed at the same time that the speed of the motor is varied.

We claim:

1. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of a flexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least one chamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other, independent inlet and outlet valve means secured to the opposite sides of said flexible body means and connected to said chamber means to supply and discharge fluid therefrom, shaft means connected to one of said valve means to rotate said other valve means and said intermediate flexible body means, a fixed valve port member in surface engagement with the outer face of each rotary valve means, angularly disposed abutment means engaging said port members and supported relative to the rotary axis of said shaft means to angularly shift the axis of said other valve means and its respective valve port member to be effective in flexing said body means and partially compressing said chamber means during rotation to pump fluid, and control means to vary the output of said fluid pump while its operation subsists.

2. The fluid pump structure of claim 1 characterized in that said control means is a variable speed means to operate said shaft means.

3. The fluid pump structure of claim 1 characterized in that said control means is an operator to vary the angular position of the axis of said other valve means relative to said rotary axis to vary the volumetric output of said fluid pump.

4. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of a flexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least one chamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other, independent inlet and outlet valve means secured to the opposite sides of said flexible body means and connected to said chamber means to supply and discharge fluid therefrom, shaft means connected to one of said valve means to rotate said other valve means and said intermediate flexible body means, a fixed valve port member in surface engagement with the outer face of each rotary valve means, abutment means eccentrically supported relative to the rotary axis of said shaft means to angularly shift the axis of said other valve means and its respective valve port member to be effective in flexing said body means and partially compress said chamber during rotation to pump fluid, variable speed means connected to drive said shaft means, and an operator to vary the angular position of the axis of said other valve means relative to said rotary axis to shift the said abutment and vary volumetric output of said pump While the operation of said fluid pump subsists.

5. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of a flexible body means having opposite sides and containing at least one chamber means extending therethrough from one side to the other, rigid inlet and outlet valve members each having its inlet and outlet passages and a smooth face, one end of said passages extending through the smooth faces of their respective valve member, each of said passages in said valve members having their other ends connected to said chamber means, said valve members secured to the opposite sides of said flexible body means, inlet and outlet port members each with a smooth face to supplement and cooperate with its corresponding smooth valve face, rotary driven shaft means secured to at least one valve member to rotate both of said valve members and said flexible body means, and angularly disposed abutment means engaging said port members and supported at an angle relative to the rotary axis of said shaft means to be effective in flexing said body means and partially compress said chamber means during at least one portion of each rotation to pump fluid.

6. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said flexible body means consists of a series of tubular hose members with each bore forming one chamber means.

7. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 in that said flexible body means is an elastomer means having a plurality of transverse openings therethrough each forming a chamber means.

8. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said chamber means are normally disposed to be substantially parallel with the rotary axis of said shaft means.

9. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said chamber means are normally du'sposed transversely of the rotary axis of said valve means.

10. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said rigid inlet and outlet valve members are washer type members with said flexible body means extending therebetween, said shaft being connected to one of said washer valve members, said port members like wise being washer members with the smooth faces in engagement with said valve members, said abutment means including opposed plates on the opposite sides of said port members and tie rods connecting said abutment means, one of said tie rods being shorter than the other to partially compress one portion of said flexible body means between said valve members as the assembly is rotated between said port members and inlet and outlet connections extending from said port members to the exterior of the pump.

11. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized by inlet and outlet connections extending from said port members through said abutment means to interlock and prevent the latter from rotation.

12. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said flexible body means is an elastomer and said valve members are glass having their ground surfaces secured to opposite sides of said flexible body means, said port members being constructed of Teflon to provide substantially frictionless smooth faces in engagement with the smooth faces of said valve members.

13. The fluid pump structure of claim 11 characterized in that said port members each having port extensions to alternately connect said valve passages to said inlet and outlet connections.

14. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said abutment means includes an annular ring supported to move transversely of the rotary axis of said shaft means to provide movement to partially collapse said chamber means in said flexible body means.

15. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said valve members are tubular members on opposite sides of a support and having radially disposed passages extending through their smooth face bores, and said flexible body means are a plurality of elastomer hose members connecting associated ports on said valve members with their intermediate portion carried by said support, said valve members being supported by bearing means and connected to said shaft means, said smooth valve faces being conical, said port means including a plug member having complementary tapered smooth face angers surfaces and port connections for said valve passages, said plug being held stationary and providing the inlet and outlet openings at the opposite end of said pump from said shaft means, said abutment means including an annular ring held by a spider rotatably supported independently of said valve members and means to adjust the relative position of the rotary axis of said abutment relative to the rotary axis of said shaft to vary the partial compression of the chamber means in said elastomer hose members and vary the volumetric capacity of said pump.

16. The fluid pump structure of claim 5 characterized in that said valve member is a tubular body having its passages radial and with its central bore being tapered and providing said smooth surfaces, said flexible body means being an annular elastomer provided with radial chambers that align With said passages, said other valve member being tubular and secured to the perimeter of said elastomer body means and having its passages aligned with the chamber means in said body means, the smooth face of said last mentioned valve member being frustoconical, a port member having a supplementary frustoconical surface to fit the smooth surface of said last valve member and retained in a ring, a base member to support said ring and having a guide transverse of the center of rotation of the shaft means, a guide means on said ring and retained in said transverse slot and means carried by said base for moving said ring in either direction in said slot to position said frusto-conical port member angularly disposed relative to the rotary axis of said shaft means to compress said chamber means, a frustoconical port member disposed axially of said first valve member and having a smooth face to coact therewith, said port member being supported by said base and providing a fluid connection to said pump.

17. A positive partial displacement rotary fluid pump consisting of a base, a flexible body means having valve faces on opposite sides and containing at least one chamber extending therethrough from one valve face to the other to supply and discharge fluid therefrom, rotary shaft means connected to rotate said flexible body means, a fixed valve port member in surface engagement with each valve face on the opposite sides of said body means, abutment means supported from said base and in turn supporting said valve port members with said rotary body means therebetween, and means to change the relative angular position of the axis of one of said valve port members relative to the angle of the axis of the other port member to be effective in flexing said body means and partially changing the volume of said chamber means regardless of the rotary movement and speed of said pump.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,092,393 Hewitt Sept. 7, 1937 2,240,537 Young May 6, 1941 2,392,279 Woods Jan. 1, 1946 2,435,820 Diggs Feb. 10, 1948 2,499,093 Fast Feb. 28, 1950 2,672,825 Quintilian Mar. 23, 1954 2,677,329 Owen May 4, 1954 2,882,830 McDuffie Apr. 21, 1959 2,964,437 Appleton et a1 Dec. 13, 1960 2,988,003 Schmied June 13, 1961 3,019,772 Humphrey Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 583,008 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1946 857,530 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1960 1,057,612 Germany May 21, 1959 1,096,755 Germany Jan. 5, 1961