US2412397A - Flexible tube pump - Google Patents

Description

Dec.

l.. E. HARPER FLEXIBLE TUBE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. 51, 1943 l lNvEm-on LYNoua E. HARPER ATTORNEY De- 10,1946- L. E. HARPER 2,412,397

FLEXIBLE TUBE PUMP v l Filed Decfsl, 1943 2 Sheets-sheet 2 5s a1 i?) v5 9 s 5:5 sa eo 56 l 3l xNvENToR LYNDUS E. lHARPER WW/ECL, A

ATTORNEY Patented Dee...1o, ,194e

UNITED 'STATES' l PATENT, OFFICE nauwer, um city. M0. l Appuull member 31, 1943, SOIN N0. 516,399 l I 1 My invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to a-iiexible tube pump.

It is a purpose of my'invention to provide a pump that comprises a flexible walled Dump chamber, with which is associated a flexible walled inlet valve and a flexible walled outlet valve, and means for compressing or squeezing the walls of said valves and said pump chamber to obtain a movement of fluid from an inlet connection to a discharge connection. Preferably, said flexible walled valve means and pump'chamber are all incorporated in a sin- 81e ilexible walled tubular member. Said ilexi-ble walled tubular member is made of resilient material, such as rubber, or the synthetic equivalent thereof, or any similar tubular member that will have the quality of a thick walled rubber tube of returning to its original contour after havin been deformed.

It is a particular Purpose of my invention to provide a device of the above mentioned character, in which the means for squeezing or com-- pressing the tubular member to seal on portions thereof to provide inlet and outlet valve means and for varying the capacity of a portion thereof to produce a pumping action, has a simple compressingl action on the tubular member by a movement transversely of the length thereof, without any longitudinal component'to such movement, to thus overcome objections to pumping devices which have been previously provided, that utilize exible tubular members to obtain a pumping action, in which means for squeezing the walls of the tube together have a movement lengthwise of the tubular member, always in the same direction, which tends to cause the tubular member to be stretched and the material thereof to flow in the direction of movement of said squeezing means, thus causing said material to bunch up at a certain point, and reducing the thickness of the wall of the tubular member at all other points to thus shorten the life thereof.

The above referred to purpose of my invention l is accomplished, preferably, by means of followers, which cooperate with ca m means to move in a direction transversely of the length of or substantially transversely of the length of the tubular member to bring about the pumping action through operation ofthe valve means and the pumping means thus provided. Said cam means may constitute a cam for each of said followers or a single cam for all of the followers.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a pump of the above mentioned character having a body portion that has a passage therein, within 1e claims. (ci. 10s-14s) 2 which the flexible tubular member having the resilient walls is conilned, and to make the passage of such cross sectional size andshape that the same will accommodate the tube when it is squeezed ,or distorted out of the substantially circular cross sectional contour.

It is another purpose of my invention to provide a pump of the above mentioned characterthat can be adjusted so as to pump any desired quantity of fluid in a given period of time that it maybe desired to pump therethrough, this being accomplished by either varying the speed of -rotation of the cam or drive shaft, or by providing means for limiting the movement of the follower or tube compressing member that varies the capacity of the pumping chamber. v

An important feature of the `invention is that it can be used to introducematerial to the suc-- tion side of a larger pump and material will'not now through the pump forming the subject matter of this invention, due to the suction created Aby the larger pump. Similarly, the pump can be used to introduce materials into 'any line in which there is a partial vacuum or suction and at. no time willthere be any more material pass through the pump forming the subject matter of this in-` vention than the same is intended to pump in accordance with the adjustment thereof. The pump can be operated either at a very slow rate or at a high rate of speed, as may be found desirable, and can b'e made with the tubular member of very small bore and also of large bore so that pumps of either small or large capacity, or

in face of any capacity, can be built in accordance with my invention.

My pump is particularly adapted for supplying small quantities of fluid material, such as liquid, to larger bodies of liquid, and can be utilized, for

example, for introducing'small quantities of water` purifying or similar material into a larger supply of water in the exact proportion desired, by providing a water meter in the pipe through which flows the water to which the treating or dosing material is to be supplied, and driving my improved pump directly from the drive shaft of` the water meter to thus maintain the proportion of purifying material to the quantity of Water passing through the meter in accordance with particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through A my improved pump, the drive shaft being brolien away.

Fig. 2 is a section Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line of Fig. 1.

` Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. '1. I

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of pump, the cover plate being removed.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the pump shown in Fig. 5, the section being taken on'a plane lcorresponding to the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, but the cover plate being shown in position, and l Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken on the line l--`| of Fig. 5, but showing the cover plate in place. A

Referring in detail to the drawings, in the 20 form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to` 4, inclusive, the pump comprises a body portion "I, which is shown as being made of two similar halves 8 and 9, which are secured together in any desired manner so as to be held inl relatively fixed position. The two halves of said body portion are provided with channels or grooves therein to form a passage I0 therethrough, which is somewhat deeper than it is wide, vas shown in the drawings, the width of the passage I0 being substantially that of a flexible 'tubular member II, which is, preferably, made of resilient material, such as rubber, or a synthetic material of a similar character to rubber, vor any similar ina-,- terial that has suiicient elasticity to return to 35 its original shape after having been distorted out of such shape by applying pressure thereto.

'The channel -I0 is, preferably, provided with an annular'groove I2 and an annular groove I3 in the wall thereof, in which the annular ribs I4 40 and I5 of the inlet connection I6 and outlet connection Il, respectively, are mounted. The inlet connection and outlet connection have reduced Aend portions I8 and I3, respectively, received within the tubular member II, and to which the 45 tubular member II is clamped bythe cooperating halves 8 and 9 of the body portion, which have the channels therein so shaped as to provide a substantially cylindrical or circular por` from the inner end of the inlet connection to the inner end of the outlet connection is, however, preferably rectangular or oblong in cross section, as will be obvious from Figs. 3 and 4.

. Said body portion made up of the members 8 and 9 is also provided with suitable channels to provide a passage for the drive shaft or cam shaft 22,v and recesses for accommodating the 'cams provided on said shaft. Said portions 8 65 and 9 of the pump body may be provided'with channels therein to provide the bearing portions 23, 24, 25 and 26 for said shaft, or if desired,

'separate bearings for the shaft can be mounted in recesses, provided in said members to accom- 70 modate said separate bearings, and secured to one thereof.- `The body portion is further provided with suitable channels in the halves 8 and 9 thereof to provide passages 21, 28 and 23, which serve as guides for reciprocable followers -to be I5 taken on the line 2-2 of 5- described below. The

vThe shaft 22 is provided with a cam 30, which l engages a follower 3|, a cam 32 'that engages a follower 33, and a cam 34 that engages a follower 35. The body of the pump made up of the portions 8 and 3 is provided with suitable recesses,

therein to accommodate the cams 30, 32 and 34, these recesses being designated by the numerals 36, 31 and 38, respectively.Y 'Ihe cam 30 is provided with a high portion 33, the cam 32 with a high portion 40 and the cam 34 with aA high portion 4|.

When the high portion of the cam 39 is in engagement with the follower 3| the tubular member Il is compressed between the end 42 of said follower 3| in engagement therewith and the wall of the passage so that the same will be squeezed or distortedto seal the passage 43 normally existing in said tubular member II, the passage being closed then, as indicated at 43' in Fig. 2. The portion of the tubular member engaged by the follower 3| in cooperation with said follower has been completed and the discharge stroke of follower in engagement with said tubular member ||,does not commence until the follower 3| has reached the position shown in Fig.A 2.

Similarly, the high portion 4| of the cam 34 is of such arcuate length relative to the high portion 39 of the cam 30 and the high portion 40 of the cam 32, that the follower will be in engagement with the low portion of the cam 34 at the time that the' movement of the follower 33 in a direction to compress the tubular member` I begins, said follower 35in cooperation with the portion of the tubular member |I engaged thereby constituting the discharge or outlet valve of the pump, which will' then be wide open to permit discharge of the uid in the pump cham'- ber formed by the portion of the tubular `mem-- ber opposite the follower 33 to pass out through the same into the discharge or4 outlet connection I1. Said high portion 4| of the cam 34 is further of such arcuate length and so disposed relative to the high portion 40 of the cam 32 that the same will move the4 follower 35 so as to compress the tubular member between the end thereof engaging said tubular member II and the wall of the passage I0 Opposite thereto, to close the passage 43 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, after the follower 33 hasl completed its movement toward the wall ofthe passage lllopposite thereto and while the high portion 40 of said cam 32 is in engagement with said follower. Further the high portion 39 of the cam 30 is of such arcuate length and so disposed that it will pass from engagement with the follower 3| and said follower will be in engagement with the low portion of said cam before said high portion 40 of the cam 32 leaves the follower body portions 8 andl 9 f may be made of any suitable material, such as 33, the inlet valve thus opening before the foilower 33 begins its return stroke, which constitutes the suction or intake stroke of the pump.

The inherent resiliency. of the tubular member Il will cause the followers to remain in contactv trolling the rate of rotation of said shaft. In-

mmgaaeaiidmn l for the shaft 52, upon which a single cam 53 is mounted. Said body portion 5ll" is provided with a passage 54 therein, having straight portions 51, 58 and 59 that are substantially rectangular in crossv section and, preferably, of greater depth than width, the width thereof being subaddition to this, or instead of this, means-can be provided for controlling the amount of ma- A terial pumped per stroke of the pump by suitable stroke adjusting means to be described below.

stantially .that of thel externaldiameterfofthe tubular member 55, which is similar to the tubular member Il, previously described. Said passage 54 has curved'portions 56v connecting the Qstraight passage portion 58 with the straight Preferably, said stroke adjusting means comprises adjustable stop means for limiting return movement of the follower 33, as -in that manner the stroke of the pump and the quantity of material pumped on each stroke can be controlled,

as obviously if the follower 33 does not return to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the capacity of the portion of the passage 43 constituting the Dump chamber of variable capacity bymeans of said follower 33 will not be at its maximum. While the follower 33 will compress or squeeze the tubular member Il against the wallof the passage portions 51 and 59. The curved portions 56 of .said passage are circular in cross section and, preferably, closely iitA the tube 55, as shown in Fig. '1.Y The body portion 56 also has passages i 60 vand 6I therein,fwhich. extend substantially. transversely to the .straight portions 51 and 58 of the 'passage 54, which these intersect, and these extend substantially radially from the axis of the shaft 52..

I0 so as to close the same throughout the length thereof opposite the face 44 of said follower 33,

'- or distorted to substantially the shape of said tubular memberrsownl in Fig. 2, when the limit of the stroke of t e follower 33, due to engagement with the high@V portion of the cam is reached,

the amount of material pumped by such action of the follower will be dependent upon the size to which the passage 43 is permitted to expand when the follower moves away from the wallof the passage I8 due to the high portion 40 of the cam leaving the same. While the adjustable stop means for limiting this return movement,

A recess 62 is provided in the body portion 56, suiciently large to readily accommodate the cam 53 and the passages 60and 6I extend from said recess to the passage 54. A wide rectangular recess 53 is connected with the recess 62 by a wide passage 64. The cam has a single semi-circular high portion 65 and a semi-elliptical low portion 66, said high and low portions being so related to the followers 51, 69 and 68 slidably mounted in the passages 68 and 6I and in the recess 63 that said followers will operate in proper se quen'ce to compress or squeeze the'tubular inem- .b'er 55 into engagementv with the wall of the straight portion 51` of the passage 54 close the *inlet valve formed by means of the follower 61 l and the cooperating portion of the tubular memt ber 55 before the follower 68 begins to compress j 4o and thus the'lcapacity of the pump chamber, may j be of any desired character, and may be provided with any suitable means for indicating the adjustment/thereof, a simple form -of such stop means may be such as shown in Fig. 3, in which an adjustable stop screw 46 is screw-threadedly mounted in the upper member 9 of the body por.- tion 1, the head portion 41 thereof being mounted in a recess 48 therein. Rotation of the screw or. squeeze the tubular member 55, and lto retract the follower 59 so as to open the outlet valve formedby said follower and the cooperating portion of the tubular member 55 before'said squeezing or compressing action of the follower commences, and conversely tol close the outlet valvey by means of the follower`69 and open the inlet valve by means ofthe follower` 51 before the reengage therewith, and which can in a similar manner be distorted to pump liquid material therethrough by means of the follower 33, can be utilized as long as said material has an inherent resiliency or elasticity, such that it will tend to return to its normal shape of circular cross section, or any other desired cross section,

in which the passage through the same has its maximum capacity, upon the squeezing pressure exerted thereon by the followers being relieved.

Instead of providing a pump with a straight passage through the same for thetubular member and a plurality of cams for operating the followers to accomplish the pumping action, my improved pump can be made in the form shown screw 18 also has a nut-like locking member 86 the high portion 65 of the cam disengaging the roller 10 on the follower 68.

Suitable means is provided for adjusting the stroke of the follower 68 to any desired length to pump the desired quantity of fluid material per stroke of said follower. The follower 68 is, preferably, provided with a partially cylindrical re cess 1| in which the roller 10 is seated. Said roller ismounted on va depending shaft-like or pivot portion 12 of a slide.13 mounted for reciprocation in a passage. 14 in the cover member 15 xed to the body portion 50 to complete the pump body. Said cover member is also provided with a recess 16 to accommodate the depending member 12 in its lmovements with the follower 68. The slide 13 has a depending bracket portion 11 provided' with a threaded opening forreceiving the adjustable stop screw 18 having a knurled head 19 thereon for adjusting the same. The

thereon having a finger piece thereon for adjusting the same. Said screw can be adjusted to limit the return movementof the follower 64,

said screw thus serving as adjustable stop means for the follower.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the shaft 52, but, preferably, means is prowhich thevniain iscr- .'tion 56 of the pump is provided with a, bearing 'ana-fsa? 2 7 a vided the speed of which isv adjustable. z One of the desirable applications of a pump of the character shown in Fig. 5 is to supply small quantities of dosing material, such as water purifying material, to a larger quantity of liquid in proper proportion, such as to water for softening or purifying the same, and in such case it is highly desirable to operate the shaft 52 at speeds in proportion to the amount of water that is to bev treated. This can be readily accomplished by connecting the shaft 52 with the shaftv 8| of a water' meter 82 by means of any suitable means, such as the which seats on the water meter and is bolted thereto by means of the bolts 81, said body portion having a slight offset therein at 88 to seat in the ledge usually provided for the removable top of the water meter.

Screw-threaded openingsV 89 may be provided in the body portion 50 for fastening said body portion to any suitable base or bracket, or other means for mounting the same by means of screwthreaded headed members of any-suitable character. Said pumping means can be made of such small size that the same can be readily driven by a water meter proportionate to the rate of rotation of said meter, and thus proportionate to the rate at which the water passes through a conduit or pipe in which the meter is interposed, without in any manner interfering with the operation of the water meter. Preferably the tubular member 55 passes from the passage 54 out of the pump body through enlarged end portions 90 of said passage, provided to clamp spiral stiiening members 9| between said tubular member 55 and the walls thereof to hold said-stiffening members in posi` tion to prevent any kinking of said flexible tubular member 55 where it passes from the pump body.

It will be `noted that in both forms of the inven tion the ends of the followers are provided with rounded contours so as to avoid sharp corners that might cut or sharply bend or crease the resilient deformable tube to avoid injury thereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a. pump of the character described, a flexible tubular member, an inlet conduit leading into one end thereof, a discharge conduit leading from the other end thereof, reciprocable means for sealing od a portion of said tubular member from said inlet conduit, reciprocable means spaced therefrom for sealing olf a portion of said ltubular member from said discharge conduit, reciprocable means engaging said tubular member to 'alternately decrease and increase the capacity thereof between said sealing means, driven means for reciprocating said means in relative succession to move a iiuid from said inlet conduit to Said discharge conduit through said exible tubular member, and means for adjusting `the amplitude of movement of said reciprocable.

capacity varying means.

2. In a pump of the character described, a'

flexible tubular member, an inlet conduit leading into one end thereof, a discharge conduit leading from the lother end thereof, means for sealingV discharge conduit, reciprocable means engaging said tubular member to alternately decrease and i Lbody portion having a continuous passage of substantially uniform cross section therein, a.

Y. exible tubular member, an inlet conduit leading into one end thereof, a discharge conduit leading from the other end thereof, means cooperating with the wall of said passage to deform a predetermined portion of said tubular member'to sage to seal said member at said station, meansv at a predetermined' station between said other. end of said tubular member and said deforming means cooperating with the wall of said passage to seal said member at said last mentioned station, means for movingsaid deforming means and said sealing means toward .and awayfrom said wall in relative succession to move a fluid from said inlet conduit to said discharge conduit through said tubular member, and means for limiting the amplitude of movement of said deforming means.

4. In a pump of the character described, a body portion having a passage therethrough, a flexible. tubular member' having an unobstructed vpassage therethrough mounted in said passage, an inlet connection leading into one end of said tubular member, a discharge connection leading out of the other end thereof, a plurality of followers mounted for reciprocation in said body portion each engaging said tubular member at one `end thereof, a

shaft, and asingle cam on said shaft* engagingA said followers to successively vmove the same into engagement with said tubular member to move flexible tubular member mounted in said passage,

' an inlet connection leading into one end of said tubular member, a discharge connection leading out of the other end thereof, a plurality of followers mounted for reciprocation in said body portion transversely of saidpassageeach engaging said tubular member 'to squeeze the same between said followers and the wall of said passage, rotatable means engaging said followers tomove the same into squeezing engagement with said tubular member, and adjustable means for limiting the reciprocating movement of one of said followers. k

6. In a pump ofthe character described, abody portion having a continuous passage of substan- -tially uniform cross section therethrough, a flexible tubular member mounted in said passage, an inlet connection 'leading into one end of said tubular member, a discharge connection leading out of the other end thereof, an inlet valve comprising a blunt ended follower mounted forreciprocation in said body portion transversely of said passage to engage the blunt end thereof with said tubular member, an outlet valve comprising a blunt ended follower mounted for re- `ciprocation in said body portion transversely of `saidpassage to engage the blunt end thereof with saidtubular member in spaced relation to said inlet valve follower, a wide, fiat faced reciprocable vmember mounted to engage said tubular member between said followers to vary the capacity of the portion of said tubular member engaged thereby,

and means for reciprocating said followers to/ squeeze said tubular member between the same and wall portions of said passage to seal said tubular member and said reciprocable member to alternately decrease and increase the capacity of said portion of said tubular member in such order as to pump a iiuid through said tubular member from saidinlet connection to. said discharge connection.

'7. In apump of the character described, a body portion having a passage therein, a flexible tubular memberl mounted in said passage, an inlet at one end thereof, an outlet at the otherend thereof, reciprocable means for sealing off a portion of said tubular member from` said inlet, reciprocable means spaced therefrom for sealing off a portion of said tubular member from said outlet, reciprocable means engaging said tubular member to alternately decrease and increase the capacity thereof between said sealing means, and driven means for reciprocating said means in relativeysuccession to move a fluid from said inlet to said outlet through said exible tubular member, said tubular member lo mal cross sectional shape having an unobstructed passagev of a defined normal cross sectional area therethrough, inlet valve means and outlet valve means engaging said tubular member at spaced points to control flow of fluid therethrough, a reciprocable member engaging said ltubular member between said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means to alternately decrease and increase the capacity of the 'portion thereof between said valve means, driven means for operating said valve means and said member in such relative succession that duid enters said portion of said tubular member through said inlet valve means and is discharged through lsaid outletvalve means, and means for adjusting the stroke of said reciprocable member.

11. In a Dump of the character described, a`

body portion having a continuous passage of substantially uniform cross section therethrough being normally of substantially circular cross v into said pump through said inlet valve means and discharge, it through said discharge valve l means, and means for adjusting the stroke of one of said squeezing means to control the quantity of fluid passing through said pump during one cycle of operation'thereof.

9. In a pump of the character described, a exible tubular member of a predetermined normal cross sectional shape having a uniform passage of a dened normal cross sectional area therethrough free of obstructions therein, a housing through which said tubular member extends, inlet valve means and outlet valve means engaging said tubular member at spaced pointsA in said housing to control ow of fluid therethrough, a member reciprocable in said housing having a blunt end engaging said tubular memlet valve means to alternately decrease and increase the capacity of the portion thereof `between said valve means, and driven means for operating said valve means and said member in such relative succession that uid enters said portion of said tubular member throughsaid inlet valve meansand is discharged through said outlet valve means, said means positively moving said reciprocable member in capacity decreasing direction, vsaid tubular member having the inherent tendency to return to normal cross sectional shape upon deformation thereof to move said reciprocable member in capacity increasing direction.

10. In a pump of the character described, a flexible tubular member of a predetermined norber between said inlet valve means and said outfree of obstructions therein, a flexible tubular member mounted in said passage, said tubularmember having the inherent tendency to resume its normal cross sectional shape upon distortion thereof, a plurality of followers mounted `for`reciprocation in said body portion each engaging said tubular member at one end thereof to squeeze the same solely between itself and a wall portion of said passage, a shaft, and cam means on said shaft engaging the other ends of said followers to successively positively move the same into squeezing engagement with said tubu f lar member and to permit movement of said folf lowers in a return direction due to the tendency s v of said tubular member to return to its normal shape to move a fluid tnrough the same in a pre f determined direction.

1.2. In a pump of the character described a body portion having a shaft mounted therein, a single cam Iori said shaft, said body portion hav-` ing a continuous passage extending around said cam in spaced relation thereto and having spaced end portions, a flexible tubular member mounted in said passage with the ends thereof `projecting from said body portion at the ends of said passage, and means actuated by said cam reciprocable in said body portion and engaging -said tubular member to successively squeeze the walls of the same together between said reciprocable means and awall of said passage, said reciprocable means comprisingr inlet and discharge valve means spaced along said passage and a member that alternately decreases and increases the capacity of said tubular member between said valve means having a blunt end engaging said tubular member.

13. In a pump of the-character described a body portion Vhaving a shaft mounted therein, a' single cam on said shaft, said body portion having a continuous passage extending around said cam in spaced relation thereto and having spaced end portions, a flexible tubular member mounted in said passage with the ends thereof projecting from said body portion at the ends of said passage, means actuated by said cam reciprocable in said body portion and engaging said tubular member to successively squeeze the walls of the same together between said reciprocable means and a wall of said passage, said reciprocable means comprising inlet and' discharge valve means spaced along said passage and a member that alternately decreases and increases the capacity of said tubllar member between said valve means having a blunt end engaging said tubular member, and means for adiustingthe stroke of said capacity varying reciprocable member.

14. In a pump of the character described, a flexible tubular member ofa predetermined normal cross sectional shape having an unobstructed passa e of a dened normal luniform cross secg housing through` tional area therethrough, a which said vtubular member extends, inlet valve anasev v wall of. said passage. said reciprocable means means and outlet valve` means engaging said y tubular member at spaced points in said housing to control fiow of fluid therethrough, a member reciprocable in said housing having a blunt end engaging said tubular member between said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means to alternately decrease and increase the capacity of the portion thereof between said valve means, and a single cam for operating said valve means and said member in such relative succession that iluid enters said portion of said tubular member through said inlet valve means and is discharged through said outlet valve means without inating said portion and without increasing comprising inlet and discharge valve meansl v spaced along said passage and a member that alternately decreases andincreases the capacity of said tubular member between said valve means having an end engaging said tubular member. 4

16,-In a pump of the character described a body portion having a passage therethrough hav' ing a lcontinuous rigid fixed wall restrainedv thereof, a plurality of followers mounted for rec P- the crossv sectional area of the passage thereg through beyond normal.

15. In a pump of the character described a body portion having a shaft mounted therein, a single cam on said shaft, said body portion having a continuous passage extending around said cam in spaced relation thereto, a flexible tubularmember mounted in said'. passage, and means actuated by said cam reciprocable in said body portion and engaging said tubular member to rocation in said body portion transversely of s d' passage each engaging said tubular member -\to vsqueeze the same solely between said followers.

and the xed wall of said passage that is-restrained from any movement, and rotatable means engaging said followers to move the same into squeezing engagement with said tubular Amember and release thesame to permit said LYNDUS E. HARPER. Y

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