Abstract:
An oscillating spring valve fluid pumping system for use in a flowing stream of fluid comprises a spring valve, check valve and a housing with inlet and two outlets, one outlet for each valve. As fluid enters the system, it is directed to a spring valve which is biased in the open position by a first spring. Fluid passing by the spring valve exits the housing from one of the outlets and returns to the stream. When a predetermined amount of pressure is reached, the spring valve closes thus creating a back pressure and redirecting the fluid through a check valve mechanism to relieve that pressure. Fluid passing the check valve escapes through one of the outlets for distribution by the user. Concurrently, the pressure at the spring valve is reduced thereby causing the spring valve to open against a second spring. As fluid continues to enter the system, the spring valve repeatedly oscillates thus producing an increased pressure head at the system outlet. Because this system requires no motor or other electrical source, it is both light weight and inexpensive, thus making it ideal for applications in remote areas where electricity is not readily available.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM: 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/075,575, filed Feb. 23, 1998, and PCT/US99/03903 filed Feb. 23, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to fluid pumping systems. In particular, the present invention relates to an oscillating spring valve fluid pumping system. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Pumping fluid from a flowing source of the fluid (i.e., water from a river) in order to redirect the fluid for other applications, such as irrigation or filling a tank with water, has been the object of a number of pumping systems. However, most systems require the use of an electrical or other type of motor. This requirement limits the use of many systems in areas where electricity is not readily available. Although combustion engines are typically used as an alternative source of power in remote areas, these are relatively expensive, inconvenient to transport, and not always readily available in remote locations. Furthermore, generators cannot operate pumps for extended periods of time without refueling. 
     Manual pumps (i.e., hand pumps) may also be used in remote areas. Manual pumps are less expensive than those powered by electricity or combustion engines. However, because manual pumps require an operator, they are typically used in one-time-use applications or short-term applications. 
     Solar powered pumps are also used to partially remedy the above mentioned shortcomings. However, solar powered pumps are not without limitations. For instance, this type of pump is at the mercy of available sunlight and may limit the size of the pump to very small applications. Although the coupling of rechargeable backup battery sources can be used to reduce this limitation, such a system would be relatively expensive and not readily available to most users in remote areas. 
     As such, there is a need for a pumping system capable of utilizing the pressure head produced by the flowing fluid (i.e., river) to operate the pump and produce an increased pressure head so that the fluid may be redirected for other applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention is an oscillating spring valve fluid pumping system. The system comprises a housing that encloses a check valve, an inlet and two outlet orifices, and a spring control valve. The system uses the pressure of the flowing fluid against the spring valve and the resulting water hammer as a power source to pump a portion of the fluid. The check valve is located past the inlet and the spring valve is located past the check valve and at a lower elevation. The spring valve closes when pushed up hard enough against the spring by the force of the flowing water; the check valve opens when pushed up. When the flowing water pressure is not great enough to close the spring valve, fluid flows from the pump past the spring valve and through its outlet and back to the fluid stream. When the flowing fluid closes the spring valve, the back pressure opens the check valve and the fluid is expelled through one of the outlets by the pump for use in irrigation, etc. By setting the spring valve to oscillate (somewhat like starting a pendulum of a clock to swinging but with the flowing fluid continually suppling energy to maintain the oscillations), the two valves will then continue to oscillate under pressure from the flowing fluid and will pump fluid from the check valve&#39;s outlet. 
     The spring control valve alternately opens and closes 180° out of phase with the opening and closing of the check valve to produce an outlet pressure head proportional to the water hammer that results when the spring valve closes and backs up the pressure in the housing. More specifically, in an initial state of rest, the spring control valve is in an open position while the check valve is in a closed position. As fluid flows through the system, a predetermined amount of fluid is allowed to pass around the open spring control valve and return to the source stream downstream of the pump inlet. At a predetermined pressure, the spring control valve closes causing the fluid to be redirected through the check valve and thus through the outlet. Instantaneously, as the fluid is redirected, the pressure at the spring valve drops causing the spring control valve disk to spring open thus causing a hammer affect upon the fluid. On the upward return of the spring control valve disk, the fluid is again redirected through the check valve, but at an increased pressure head. Both the spring control valve and the check valve oscillate through this repeating cycle, resulting in a continuous hammering effect on the fluid. Given a flow rate of the stream of fluid and a diameter of the piping, the spring setting on the spring control valve can be adjusted to maximize the outlet pressure head and/or to achieve a predetermined outlet pressure head, preferably, at 80-90 cycles per minute. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fluid enters the system through a flared inlet and is directed through a series of elbow joints so that the fluid is flowing in a vertical direction when it contacts the spring control valve and the spring control valve is at approximately the same elevation of the fluid when it enters the flared inlet. This arrangement provides the maximum available force against the horizontal disk of the spring control valve thus facilitating the vertical oscillation of the spring control valve. The spring control valve is positioned vertically so that gravity can be used to open the valve. Additionally, two independently operating springs are used on the spring control valve so that one provides an upward force when the disk is in its lower extended position, and the other provides a downward force when the disk is in the upper closed position for greater control over the frequency of oscillation. The amounts of upward and downward spring force can vary depending on several factors including, fluid flow rate, pipe diameter, horizontal position of the disk relative to the stream of fluid flow at the inlet, and the weight of the spring control valve. However, these variables can be easily compensated for by rotating a set of adjustment nuts to increase or decrease the spring tension. 
     A feature of the present invention is the alternating opening and closing of the spring control valve and the check valve to produce an outlet pressure head. No motor or other power source is required because the power for the pump comes from the flowing fluid itself harnessed by the springs of the spring valve; nonetheless, with the appropriate spring adjustments, a predetermined increase in pressure head results at the system outlet. Additionally, because the present invention requires no motors and because any unused fluid is recycled back into the source stream, the present invention is environmentally friendly. 
     Other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments accompanied by the following drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oscillating spring valve fluid pumping system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of a check valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional side view of a check valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in an open position; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top view of a check valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional side view of a spring control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in an open position; and 
     FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional side view of a spring control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in a closed position; 
     FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional side view of a spring control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in an extended position; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional top view of a spring control valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a chart showing the performance of a pump, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is an oscillating spring valve fluid pumping system. Referring now to the figures, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the present invention, indicated generally by reference numeral  10 . Device  10  comprises spring control valve mechanism  20  and check valve mechanism  180  cooperating through a series of piping  60 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4A,  4 B,  4 C, and  5 , spring control valve mechanism  20  comprises, preferably, three springs  34 ,  48 ,  126 , five spring support washers  38 ,  44 ,  54 ,  125 ,  127 , two spring control valve stem covers  28 ,  51 , six nuts  36 ,  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  124 ,  138 , gasket  130 , elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26 , u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24 , four support fins  56 , stem support tube  57 , stem support ring  58 , two seal support rings  132 ,  136 , and seal ring  134 . Elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  is centered within spring mechanism pipe housing  62  in a vertical position by u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24 , support fins  56 , stem support tube  57 , and stem support ring  58  so that spring control valve mechanism  20  can utilize gravity to facilitate oscillation. Vertically positioned stem support tube  57  is rigidly attached to horizontal support fins  56  which are secured to pipe linkage  64  within slots  59 . Stem support ring  58 , carried by support fins  56 , is rigidly attached to and provides support for u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24 . Elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  is positioned through opening  25  of u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24  and stem support tube  57  thus securing elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  in a vertical position but allowing movement in the upward and downward direction. 
     Secured on lower portion of elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  by gasket  130  and sixth nut  138 , and sandwich therebetween is first seal support ring  132 , seal ring  134 , and second seal support ring  136 . To prevent movement during operation, sixth nut  138  is secured, preferably, by tack weld  209 , to elongated threaded spring valve stem  26 . First seal support ring  132  has a radius smaller than seal ring  134  so as to allow seal ring  134  to contact bottom surface  142  of spring mechanism pipe housing  62 , thereby producing a seal when spring control valve  20  is in the closed position. Second seal support ring  136  acts as a hammering surface while spring control valve  20  is in operation. 
     First spring control valve spring cover  28  is carried by elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  to prevent snagging and to facilitate vertical movement of elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  through opening  25  of u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24 . First spring control valve spring cover  28  is supported in a fixed vertical position, relative to elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26 , by first nut  36 . 
     Carried by the upper area of elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  is first spring control valve spring cover  28 , first spring  34 , first spring support washer  38 , and first and second nut  36  and  40 , respectively. First spring support washer  38  is secured between first nut  36  and second nut  40  in a fixed position, relative to elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26 . First spring  34  is interposed between top surface of first spring support washer  38  and surface  27  of u-shaped spring control valve stem support  24  wherein first spring  34  urges elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  in the downward direction when spring control valve mechanism  20  is in the closed position. 
     Carried by the middle area of elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  is third and fourth nut  42  and  46 , respectively, second and third spring support washers  44  and  54 , respectively, and second spring control valve stem cover  51 . Third spring support washer  54  rest upon and is supported by the top surface of stem support tube  57 . Second spring  51  is interposed between top surface of third spring support washer  54  and bottom surface of second spring support washer  44 . Second spring support washer  44  is secured between third nut  42  and fourth nut  46  in a fixed position, relative to elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  wherein second spring  48  urges elongated threaded spring control valve stem  26  in the upward direction when spring control valve mechanism  20  is in the extended position. 
     Secured, preferably by tack weld  128 , on the lower portion of second spring valve stem cover  51 , but sufficiently low enough to avoid contact with stem support tube  57  during operation of spring control valve mechanism  20 , is fifth nut  124 . Interposed between fifth nut  124  is fourth spring support washer  125  and fifth spring support washer  127  and interposed therebetween is third spring  126 . Through fourth spring support washer  125 , the force exerted by the lower surface of third spring  126  compresses gasket  130  thereby forming a watertight seal to prevent leakage through the contact area between first seal support ring  132 , seal ring  134 , second seal support ring  136 , and elongated threaded spring valve stem  26 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2A,  2 B, and  3 , check valve mechanism  180  comprises, preferably, four nuts  182 ,  184 ,  198 ,  208 , gasket  200 , two washers  199 ,  203 , spring  201 , elongated threaded check valve stem  186 , check valve stem cover  188 , check valve support tube  190 , four support fins  192 , two seal support rings  202 ,  206 , seal ring  204  and valve seat  207 . Elongated threaded check valve stem  186  is centered within check valve housing pipe  106  and check valve extension pipe  108  in a vertical position by support fins  192  and stem support tube  190 . Vertically positioned stem support tube  190  is rigidly attached to horizontal support fins  192  which are secured to check valve extension pipe  108  within slots  194 . 
     Secured to lower portion of elongated threaded check valve stem  186  by gasket  200  and fourth nut  208  and sandwiched therebetween is first seal support ring  202 , seal ring  204 , and second seal support ring  206 . To prevent movement during operation, fourth nut  208  is secured, preferably, by tack weld  209 , to elongated threaded check valve stem  186 . Second seal support ring  206  has a radius smaller than seal ring  204  so as to allow seal ring  204  to contact valve seat  207  of check valve housing pipe  106 , thereby sealing check valve mechanism  180  is in the closed position. First nut  182  and second nut  184  are thread to the top area of elongated threaded check valve stem  186 . 
     Secured, preferably by tack weld  197 , on the lower portion of check valve stem cover  188 , but sufficiently low enough to avoid contact with stem support tube  190  during operation of check valve mechanism  180 , is third nut  198 . Interposed between third nut  198  is first washer  199  and second washer  203  and interposed therebetween is spring  201 . Through first washer  199 , the force exerted by the lower surface of spring  201  compresses gasket  200  thereby forming a watertight seal to prevent leakage through the contact area between first seal support ring  202 , seal ring  204 , second seal support ring  206 , and elongated threaded check valve stem  186 . 
     To prevent snagging and to facilitate vertical movement of elongated threaded check valve stem  186  within stem support tube  190 , check valve stem cover  188  is interposed between third nut  200  and second nut  184  and carried by elongated threaded check valve stem  186 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, piping configuration of invention  10  is formed by the connection and linkage of a series of pipes forming piping  60 . Housing for spring control valve mechanism  20  is defined by first cap  61 , spring mechanism housing pipe  62 , first pipe coupling  64 , and spring valve seal chamber  70 . First cap  61  is attached to top of spring mechanism housing pipe  62 . Attached to bottom of spring mechanism housing pipe  62  and linking spring valve seal chamber  70  thereto, is first pipe coupling  64 . Evenly spaced about circumference of first pipe coupling  64  are fluid return throughholes  66 , preferably four, for returning fluid that bypasses spring control valve  20 . Spring valve seal chamber  70  must have an interior diameter sufficient for spring control valve mechanism  20 , more specifically seal ring  134 , to freely oscillate up and down. 
     Beginning at the bottom of spring valve seal chamber  70 , the following piping is connected in series to link spring valve seal chamber  70  with first T-pipe  98 : first extension pipe  72 , first elbow pipe  74  (inverted right), second elbow pipe  80  (inverted left), second extension pipe  86 , and third elbow  90  (right), preferably so that the fluid flow through inlet  96  is redirected to flow vertically through spring control valve mechanism  20 , thereby providing the maximum force on second ring  136  to facilitate oscillation. Preferably, piping length should be selected such that inlet  96  is on the same approximate horizontal plane with spring valve seal chamber  70  to equalize the pressure head between the fluid flow at the inlet and the fluid flow through spring control valve mechanism  20 . 
     To prevent the entrance of detrimental material into device  10 , weir  95  is attached to flared inlet extension  99  at inlet  96 . Flared inlet extension  99  is utilized to increase the amount of captured fluid at inlet  96 . Flared inlet extension  99  is connected to first T-pipe  98  at first lip  97 . In order to further increase outlet pressure head, reduction extension pipe  102  is attached at second lip  100  of first T-pipe  98 . First coupling  104  is connected to top of reduction extension pipe  102  and bottom of check valve housing pipe  106 . Housing for check valve mechanism  180  is defined by the connection of check valve extension pipe  108  and check valve housing pipe  106  thereby positioning check valve mechanism  180  above T-pipe  98  so as not to interfere with fluid flow through inlet  96 . Check valve housing pipe  106  must have an interior diameter sufficient to allow check valve mechanism  180 , more specifically seal ring  204 , to freely oscillate up and down. 
     Connecting check valve extension pipe  108  to second T-pipe  116  is second coupling  109 . Fourth pipe extension  120  is connected to second T-pipe  116  at lip  118 . Second cap  122  is connected to top of fourth pipe extension  120 . In order to further increase the outlet pressure head, reduction fitting  114  is connected to lip  115  of second T-pipe  116  and thus defines outlet orifice  112 . Outlet orifice  112  can be connected to a multitude of well known disbursement systems  124  for specific applications or discharge the pumped fluid into a tank. 
     Because gravity is utilized within the device  10  to facilitate oscillation, the housing for both spring control valve mechanism  20  and check valve mechanism  180  should be maintained in a substantially vertical position for proper operation and spring control valve mechanism  20  should be positioned below check valve mechanism  180 . The connection means for individual parts of piping system  60  can be an adhesive compound, threaded fittings, or other suitable watertight connecting means. 
     When device  10  is inserted into a stream of fluid flow, and spring control valve mechanism oriented so that it is approximately at the same elevation as the fluid at inlet  96 , spring control valve mechanism  20  is initially in an open position and check valve mechanism  180  is initially in the closed position. Therefore, traveling the path of less resistance, the fluid travels via series of pipe  60  through spring control valve mechanism  20  and out fluid return throughholes  66 . By pressing briefly on spring control valve mechanism  20  to start it oscillating, the pumping action is initiated. When the pressure of the flowing fluid upon second ring  136  is high enough, spring control valve mechanism  20  is forced shut thereby causing a back-pressure and redirecting the fluid to press against check valve mechanism  180 . This “water hammer” pressure is sufficient to open check valve mechanism  180  and allow fluid to flow through outlet orifice  112 . Once check valve mechanism  180  opens, the pressure at spring control valve mechanism  20  is subsides thereby allowing spring control valve mechanism  20  to spring open again. But the springs and the water pressure cause it to shut again, thus continuing the oscillations and controlling the rate of oscillation. This oscillation between spring control valve mechanism  20  and check valve mechanism  180  will continuously repeat at preferably 40-60 cycles per minute for maximum output. 
     FIG. 6 is a chart showing the performance of a pump made according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The pump used developed an output of 50 gallons in a 24 hour period from a source 1200 feet away. The pipe from the source to the output was a three inch diameter pipe. Greater output can be obtained at the expense of lower pressure. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and substitutions can be made to the preferred embodiment herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.