Patent Publication Number: US-11642638-B2

Title: Portable pump for high viscosity materials

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/820,635 filed Mar. 19, 2019 and Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/822,105 filed Mar. 22, 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to pumps for high viscosity materials. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Being able to easily move a pump for high viscosity materials is important as they are frequently moved for use at different construction sites. Current pumps for high viscosity materials do not allow the pump to be easily or efficiently packed into trucks or trailers because of geometric protrusions, odd-shaped geometry, and lack of tie down points that address all loading positions. 
     The handles used on conventional pumps are designed to give the user the ability to push the machine, but are not adjustable and do not allow the machine to be positioned correctly for manual loading and carrying of the unit, which occurs frequently, especially at small job sites. This can lead to more on-site injuries as the unit&#39;s weight is not ergonomically distributed. 
     Current designs utilize a fixed axle in conjunction with one or two steering wheels or a fixed front support to maintain a low hopper loading height and a narrow width for easy access to doors and a minimal site footprint. This causes the unit to be able to be transported only in a single direction due to the fixed axle. On construction sites, the pump frequently needs to be moved in multiple directions to allow for disconnection from hoses and the cleanup of mixers. To accomplish this, the current units must be slid or lifted and moved in parallel directions to the fixed axle which is not easily accomplished due to the weight of the pump, contents of the hopper and typical site obstructions that make it difficult to utilize a forklift. 
     The lack of access to cranes, elevators, and forklifts on many jobsites make the current designs very difficult to move because they are large and heavy. They cannot be disassembled quickly, if at all, and cannot easily be made lighter for ease of carrying and moving. 
     Small pumps do not have forklift pockets or loops to secure the machine to the forklift when lifting because they are often bulky and get in the way of the operation of the machine. Because of this, small pumps are frequently dropped during lifting operations. 
     Current seals and mounting systems for pump motors or gearbox drives contain seal systems that either do not adequately protect and isolate the gearbox from failure or they isolate the gearbox from seal failure but add additional space and parts. Adding additional parts or making the pump system larger is not ideal as these pumps are often used on different construction sites in various stages of the build-out. 
     Pumps currently have a fixed guard or grate to protect the operator. This has traditionally been accomplished by bolting the guard in place. This creates problems due to the frequent cleaning required when pumping aggregate materials and can lead to unsafe operating conditions and Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations if the operator does not put the required bolts back in place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a pump for high viscosity materials that is capable of being easily disassembled and moved. By having a rectangular exterior design, the pump is flat on each side, which makes it easier to be packed in a truck or trailer, which are frequently used to transport the equipment. The rectangular, flat, surfaces allow the pump to mate against the transport surface, enhancing the pump&#39;s ability to be secured safely and easily with minimal effort. 
     Extendable handles allow the geometric protrusions to be exposed for operation and covered for transport by the rectangular exterior design, which is unavailable in current designs. The extendable handles also allow for easy attachment to loading straps and loops which provides the capability to efficiently tie the pump in place. Extendable handles can also solve the loading issues of the current design as the weight is able to be balanced and users can lift in a position that is ergonomically correct. This makes the unit able to be carried up steps or over uneven terrain by users in a safer manner. 
     The rectangular design of the frame allows for swivel wheels to be independently mounted on each corner inside the frame. This allows swivel wheels or pivotable wheels to be used without changing the outer physical dimensions of the pump. In addition, a locking device can be mounted on one or more of the swiveling wheels so that during transport one or more wheels can be locked to allow the pump to be easily steered by one person in a similar manner to a unit with a fixed axle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    shows an isometric view of the pump sitting on swivel wheels with various components of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    shows an exploded view of the pump which demonstrates the detachability of the console, grate, and extendable handles. 
         FIG.  3    shows an isometric view of the pump with the grate lifted and out of proximity to the sensor. 
         FIG.  4    shows an top view of the pump with the forklift pockets rotated to the in-use position. 
         FIG.  5    shows a cross-section view of the gearbox motor, drive shaft, and bearingless seal unit. 
         FIG.  6    shows a bottom view of the pump with the forklift pockets rotated to the in-use position. 
         FIG.  7    shows a console for the pump, and an inverter drive, control box, and gearbox motor. 
         FIG.  8    shows a console quick detach latch to detach the console from the frame. 
         FIG.  9    shows a close up view of the caster lock mechanism for the swivel wheel and the quick detach latch to detach the grate and hopper from the frame. 
         FIG.  10    shows a side view of the pump sitting on one extendable handle and a push handle for ease in cleaning and storage. 
         FIG.  11    shows a close up view of the forklift pocket rotated to the in-use position. 
         FIG.  12    shows a side view of the pump with an auxiliary air compressor attached to one of the extendable handles. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a pump for high viscosity materials as shown in one embodiment in  FIG.  1   . To utilize the embodiment of the present invention depicted in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a person may fill the hopper  112  with a high viscosity material, such as fireproofing, plaster, cement or the like by pouring it through grate  102 . Next, grate  102  should be placed in the closed position as shown in  FIG.  1   , in view of the proximity sensor  108  located on the console  103 . The proximity sensor  108  acts as a safety kill switch and will not allow the pump to operate if the grate  102  is not in the proper position as shown in  FIG.  3   . A hose or sprayer can then be connected to the pump outlet  110 . Then the pump can be turned on via a switch or button on the control panel  104 . 
     Once the pump is turned on, the material moves down through the hopper  112  to a rotor/auger or connecting rod  114 . The connecting rod  114  is connected to the gearbox motor  113  via the drive shaft  117  and bearingless seal unit  119  on one end and to the rotor  115  on the other end. The gearbox motor  113 , via the drive shaft  117  and connecting rod  114 , rotates the auger/rotor  115  and creates the pressure to push the material through the stator tube  109  and out of the pump outlet  110 . While the embodiments as depicted in  FIGS.  2  and  4    utilize a rotor  115  to assist in pumping the high viscosity material, the present invention is not limited to a rotary pump; a piston pump may be utilized pump the high viscosity material from the hopper. As is further evident from  FIGS.  2  and  4   , the frame has a width and depth which define a perimeter and hopper  112 , motor  113  and pump are within the width and depth of frame  101 . 
     The drive shaft  117  is driven by gearbox motor  113 . Driveshaft  117  and it extends all the way through the bearingless seal unit  119  and the gearbox motor  113  and terminates with a hexagonal drive shaft end  118  opposite the connecting rod  114  as shown in  FIG.  5   . The motor has an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to drive shaft  117 . Exposed hexagonal drive shaft end  118  allows the user to use a wrench to twist the drive shaft  117 . This is helpful if the pump unit becomes stuck, because it is unnecessary to empty the hopper  112  via the hopper drain  127 , as shown in  FIG.  6   . Instead, the hexagonal end of the drive shaft may be manually rotated to thereby rotate the auger. 
     As further shown in  FIG.  2   , a frame may comprise a first parallel frame member  130  and a second parallel frame member  131 , each of which has a first end  133  and a second end  138 . A first handle  132  and second handle  134  may each be comprised of parallel members  136  and  135 , respectively, and a connecting member  137  and  139 . 
     As shown in the embodiment in  FIG.  7   , control panel  104  is connected to control box  122  which is located within console  103 . Control box  122  has a wire connected to the gearbox motor  113  with a twist electrical connector  124  for quick disconnection. While this embodiment shows a twist electrical connector  124 , other quick disconnect connections may be used. The use of a quick disconnection from the control box  122  to the gearbox motor  113  and a console disconnect latch  121 , as shown within console  103  in  FIG.  8   , allows for the console  103  to be removed quickly to reduce the weight of the pump for transport. Also located within the console  103 , is the inverter drive  123  that converts the power for gearbox motor  113 . 
     There are many embodiments of the present invention that contain different components that are used to assist with maneuvering the pump quickly and safely. For example, console  103  contains handle  105  that can be used to move the pump without having to bend down, alleviating safety concerns for the user&#39;s back. The swivel wheels  107  fit within the frame  101  so they do not add any extra width to the pump. In one embodiment, the width of the frame  101  is not more than 28 inches, which allows the pump to fit through many standard door frame. Swivel wheels  107  may be locked into various positions independent of the other swivel wheels  107  using a locking system which enables a single user to maneuver the pump with ease. While caster position locks  116  are shown in the embodiment of  FIG.  9   , other locking systems may be utilized. 
     Also as shown in  FIG.  9   , is the second end  138  of first parallel frame member  130 , which may include hole  140 . One of the parallel members of second handle  135 , also has a plurality of holes, one of which is shown as  141 . Aligning the holes on the parallel members of handles with the holes on the parallel frame members facilitates locking the extent to which the handles telescope within the side frame members. The locking may be accomplished by a variety of means well known in the art. For example, a depress button may be incorporated into the handles or frame to lock them to each other. Alternatively, a pin may be positioned to pass through the mating holes in the frame members and handle members. 
     In addition, extendable handles  111  that fit within and telescope from frame  101  allow for increased ease in maneuverability. The extendable handles  111  allow for the pump to be lifted to more easily distribute the weight of the pump and allow the user to be ergonomically positioned for lifting and carrying the pump. Further, extendable handle  111 , located just below the push handle,  105  can be locked into place to be even and/or coplanar with the push handle  105 . In one embodiment, the push handle is connected to the frame via the console. This allows the pump to be placed on its side resting on the extendable handle  111  and the push handle  105  as depicted in  FIG.  10    to allow for transport in a confined space such as an elevator, or for compact storage. Forklift pockets  106  can also be rotated from their stored position within the frame  101  to their in-use position outside of the frame  101 , as in  FIGS.  4 ,  6 , and  11   , to allow the pump to be safely lifted or moved by a forklift. 
     Console  103  is removable from the frame  101  via console disconnect latches  121 . Grate  102  is likewise removable from the hopper  112  via grate disconnect latches  120 . Removing console  103  and grate  102  greatly decreases the weight of the pump for transport and allows for easy cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, extendable arms  111  can be used to hold auxiliary components such as an air compressor  125  as shown in  FIG.  12   . The air compressor  125  is secured to a platform with recesses to fit over the extendable arms  111 . The platform then holes  126  in which pin locks, detent locks or other types of locks may be used to secure the platform to extendable arms  111 . 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that are within the scope of the following claims are desired to be protected. 
     All references cited in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they supplement, explain, provide a background for, or teach methodology or techniques employed herein.