Patent Publication Number: US-3877613-A

Title: System for coupling pump units to outlets under water

Description:
United States Patent 1191 Alfvegren SYSTEM FOR COUPLING PUMP UNITS T0 OUTLETS UNDER WATER [75] Inventor:  
 Sweden Jan Alfvegren, Vasterhaninge,  
 [73] Assignee: ITT Industries, &#39;Inc., New York,  
  22 Filed:  
  211 App]. No.: 462,218  
 Apr. 19, 1974 [52] US. Cl. 222/180; 285/24; 285/325;  
 [51] Int. Cl [58] Field of Search 415/219 C, 201; 285/325 X, 24 X, 27  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,427,982 2/1969 Englesson 417/360 1451 Apr. 15, 1975 3,656,871 4/1972 Carlsson 417/361 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner1-1add Lane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James B. Raden; Delbert P. Warner [57] ABSTRACT A system is disclosed for bringing sewage disposal pumps into contact with outlet pipes without permanently attaching the pumps to the pipes. The pumps can then be removed for maintenance work and replaced without using screws and the like. The pump is locked against the pipe by an eccentrically suspended turnable weight which automatically turns and makes contact with guides positioned near the outlet pipe. When the pump is to be raised, the weight is turned in the opposite direction using means operated from a point above the water surface.  
 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure SYSTEM FOR COUPLING PUMP UNITS TO OUTLETS UNDER WATER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a locking unit for a sealed pump unit so that it may be immersed in a liquid and installed therein. It relates particularly to fastening and releasing a flanged outlet of a pump unit to an outlet pipe under water by use of weights and latching means.  
 2. Discussion of the Prior Art With pump units which are meant to work entirely or partly immersed in liquid there is a great inconvenience in maintenance work if the pump units are permanently installed. In order to solve these problems it is a known practice to arrange for the pump units to be lowered into the pumped medium guided along guides and, in their lowered position bearing against a rigidly arranged outlet pipe for the pumped liquid. The connection of the pump unit must in this position close tightly against the outlet pipe without needing to be attached to it by screws or the like.  
  These known devices admittedly enable the pump unit to be easily raised out of the pumped medium for maintenance work, but certain problems may occur as difficulties to get the connection of the pump unit to close tightly against the outlet pipe during pump operation when a force occurs which endeavors to part the two coupling devices.  
  This problem has up to now been solved by forming the coupling units so that the gravity of the pump unit compensates and overcomes the named force. An example of such a locking device is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,925.  
  With the development of lighter pump units and increases in motor power of pump units, the pull of gravity sometimes is not sufficient to keep the pump unit down. This is especially the case with hydraulic motor driven pumps for instance, where the motor unit built together with the pump is very light and at the same time the pump power is often very high. The leakage which then occurs between the coupling devices may cause a considerable decrease in efficiency.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention, therefore, to supply the coupling units with a locking device, which is in operation when the pump unit is working and which locking function, when necessary, may be released in a simple way.  
  According to the invention, the above mentioned object and objects collateral thereto have been attained by an arrangement including an eccentrically pivoted weight, which is turnable around a point of suspension so that it, because of the application of its mass against a guide and an outlet pipe holds a pump unit against the outlet pipe. Further means are provided to enable removal of the weight from contact with the guide and pump unit to enable removal of the pump unit from contact with the outlet pipe.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE shows an arrangement of elements in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning to the drawing, 1 and 2 stand for a pump unit and an outlet pipe respectively, and 3 and 4 stand for their coupling flanges. 5 Stands for a guide .means arranged on the pump unit 1, which means is meant to slide along the guide 6 when raising or lowering the pump unit. 7 Stands for a clutch at the guide means 5, 8 a turnable weight, 9 the pivot suspension of the latter, 10 a projection on the same, and 11 an elongated tensionable operation means for the weight.  
 The locking device works as follows:  
  When the pump unit 1 is lowered to its working position, it is guided by the guide means 5 which partly encircles the guide 6. In order to secure better guidance, it is common to use two guides, of which only one can be seen in the drawing. When the pump unit has reached its working position, the clutch 7, arranged on the guide means 5, will grip over the flange 3 of the outlet pipe 2, so that the coupling units, flanges 3 and 4 automatically come into the right position relative to each other.  
  Due to the fact that a certain play between sleeve openings 12 in the guide means 5 and the guide 6 is necessary, the pump unit has the possibility to move a little from its contact with the outlet pipe 2 caused by the reaction force mentioned above. In order to eliminate that risk, a weight 8 has been arranged in conjunction with the guide means 5, which weight is turnable around a pivot indicated by a bolt 9. The weight 8 is provided with a projection 10, which is formed like a cam with a varying radius. Because of its eccentric suspension, the weight will turn around the bolt 9 in a direction shown by the arrow in the FIGURE, which means that the projection 10 will be pressed against the guide 6. The frictional contact between the guide 6 and the projection 10 will press the pump unit 1 downwardly as the weight 8 turns in the direction of the arrow, so that the angled face of clutch 7 enngages the angled face of flange 3 and thus draws the pump flange 4 into a firm and sealed engagementwith the flange 3 of the outlet 2. In this way the pump unit is prevented from lightening from the coupling unit of the outlet during operation.  
  When the pump unit will be lifted up for service, the weight 8 is turned in the opposite direction by help of the operation device 11, which can be operated from a point above the water surface. The projection 10 then losses its contact with the guide 6 and the pump unit can be lifted up in the usual way.  
  The invention disclosed is a locking device for a submersible pump unit which is simple and strong and easy to operate and which is not affected by pollutants which occur in the pumped water.  
  While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus and applications, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.  
 I claim:  
  1. A locking device for submersible pumps arranged as a releasable connection between a pump unit and a generally submerged outlet pipe, comprising guide means attached to a pump unit, said guide means during lowering of a pump including means adapted to slide along a substantially vertical guide, a weight eccentrically suspended on the guide means, said weight being turnable around its point of suspension so that due to the effect of gravity it endeavors to turn around this point, said weight including a projection which,  
 during the turning, comes into contact with the guide and thus presses the pump unit firmly against the outlet pipe.  
  2. The invention according to claim 1, in which the weight, under the influence of gravity automatically locks the pump unit to the outlet pipe, but which, when it is desired to release the locking, is brought out of a locking position via an operation means.  
  3. The invention as claimed in claim 1, in which the substantially vertical guide is rigidly attached to the outlet pipe and the guiding means adapted to slide along the vertical guide includes a sleeve forming an correct alignment with the flange of the outlet pipe.