Improvements in Rotary Pumps.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Pumps.
A communication by PRESTON KING WOOD, of Los Angeles, in the County of Los
Angeles, and State of California, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.L.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
This invention relates to an improved rotary pump, the object being to pro-
vide a pump of superior economy which is adapted for raising large quantities
of water with great speed and small expense of energy. Also to provide econo-
mical and superior construction for the same.
In this pump are provided two or more sets of rotary inclined blades mounted
on a shaft in a casing and guides on said shaft, a set of guides being provided
for and arranged close to and just below each set of superposed blades and
arranged at a considerable distance above the set of blades next below so as to
allow the liquid thrown by the lower blades to ascend in a spiral path from said
lower blades to the guides, and whereby said guides are caused to reflect the
whirling liquid thrown by the blades of the lower set and to direct the liquid on
to the upper set in a direction opposite to that in which the blades rotate.
My correspondent provides resilient water-guides with boxing for the shaft
attached thereto, said guides extending along the casing and from the boxing
outward toward the casing and when free inscribing a circle somewhat larger
than the inside of the casing or pipe in which they are to fit so that they must
be sprung inward to he inserted into the casing and the friction of the blades
against the casing will prevent the blades and their boxing from turning.
Preferably the guides are curved in the direction in which the blades rotate
and when free they inscribe a circle somewhat larger than the inside of the
casing or pipe into which they are to fit, so that they must be sprung inward to
be inserted into the casing.
They
The guide-blades are mounted on a box which journals the shaft and are
arranged stationary just below the blades of the upper set of runners.
extend tangentially from said boxing to the casing to direct the whirling water
outward to the casing and to deffect it onto said blades in a direction opposite
to that in which the blades rotate. By the above construction the shaft with
blades and guides attached thereto can be shoved down the casing of an ordinary
bored well to any depth. The rotary blades are spirally arranged and when the
shaft carrying these blades is rotated the water is thrown upward by the blades
and passes upward in a spiral course until just before it reaches a second set of
rotary blades. Here the water encounters the stationary guides and is stopped
from rotating in the same direction as the blades and is deflected and thrown
upon the blades in a direction opposite to that in which the blades are rotating
C

page_text: so that the momentum of the water is impeded as little as possible until the
water is about to be taken up by another set of blades and then the inertia of
the water is utilized to increase the effectiveness of the rotary blades in catching
the water and forcing it on up through the pipe. The water from this set of
rotary blades ascends as before until intercepted by another set of guides and
thereby directed on to another set of blades just above such guides.
The upper end of the pump is provided with a cap and spout and the shaft is
supported by ball-bearings sustained by the cap.
A communication by PRESTON KING WOOD, of Los Angeles, in the County of Los
Angeles, and State of California, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a rotary pump of superior cheapness
simplicity and power. Also to provide a pump of this character which is adapted
to be readily applied inside the casing of a bored or driven well and to use the
casing of such wells, as the pump casing
By this invention such a well is provided with this pump by simply running
down into the well a shaft with blades and guides mounted thereon, the top of
the shaft being supported by a suitable head having anti-friction ball-bearings.
A further object is to increase the output from such wells. It is an object of
this invention to provide means whereby the water may be lifted from the bottom
of deep bored or driven wells and carried up the same and discharged at the top
in great volume with comparatively little expenditure of power. This invention
is applicable for use in any situation where water is to be raised and comprises
essentially the combination with the pipe, tube, stock or casing for conducting
the water, of a shaft with two or more rotary spiral blades in the casing, and
guides in the casing between any two sets of blades and close below the bottom
of the upper one of such sets to utilize the rotary motion of the liquid produced
by the lower set of rotary blades and being arranged to receive the rotating liquid
thrown, from the lower of said sets of blades and deflect said liquid and throw the
liquid onto the upper set of rotary blades in a direction opposite that in which
the blades are turning, thus to take advantage of the momentum of the water
which is thrown upward spirally by the blades; and thus to increase the lifting
capacity of the pump without a proportionate increase of the power consumed.
These guides are preferably thin sheets of metal which extend lengthwise of
the casing for a sufficient distance to catch the water and reflect it and therefore
set it to whirling around within the casing in the direction opposite to that in
which the blades rotate. These guides in their preferred form are resilient and
are fixed upon a boxing in which the rotary shaft turns and they are arranged

page_text: extending to the casing from the boxing tangential to the boxing, and extending
from the boxing in the direction the blades rotate so that the water passes freely
to the casing. In practical operation they give to the moving water a direction
opposite to that imparted to it by the rotating blades and this greatly increases
the capacity of the pump because the momentum of the water forces the water up
the blades and counteracts the tendency of the liquid to whirl around in the
same direction with the blades until the liquid has been caught and thrown up-
ward by the blades. The blades give the liquid a spiral motion, and it is pre-
ferred to arrange them in pairs at intervals along the rotary shaft and to place
a set of stationary guides close below each pair of blades; and it is preferable
to use in each set three guides mounted on a box in which the shaft rotates;
each of the guides being preferably curved in the direction in which the blades
rotate. It is preferred to so arrange the curved guides that they inscribe a
circle somewhat greater than the inside of the casing or pipe into which they are
to fit so that they must be sprung inward to be inserted into the casing, and the
friction of the blades against the casing will prevent the blades (and boxing to
which they are attached) from turning. The guides form a support which
centers the boxing and the rotary-shaft in the casing. It is preferred to leave a
sufficient clearance between the top of the guides and the bottom of the blades to
avoid undue friction of the water between the guides and the blades and to also
allow any obstruction, such as gravel, &c., to pass between the guides and the
rotating blades.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention.
Figure is an elevation with casing in vertical mid-section, showing this
newly invented pump ready for operation.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view showing a portion of a well-
casing and two sets of guides and runners on a rotary shaft for lifting the water.
Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical mid-section showing a modification of the head
which supports the shaft and column of water. This form is designed for pumps
which discharge through a pipe having an outlet above the head.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional plan on line 4-4 Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional plan on line 5-5 Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a vertical mid-section on line 6-6 Figs. 4 and 5.
A indicates a rotary shaft carried by ball-bearings B or any other suitable
support to allow the shaft to rotate. CC indicate a pair of spiral blades fixed to
the rotary shaft A to rotate therewith. D indicates a boxing around the rotary
shaft and provided with guides dd. The guides below the lower set of
blades are designed to prevent the water from whirling around in the casing at
the place where the guides are arranged. The guides are stationary and the
shaft rotates in the boxing. The action of these guides is such that when the
rising liquid whirling in one direction encounters the guides the liquid is not
only interrupted from whirling in the direction of the rotary blades, but is
deflected and issues above the top of the guides in a direction opposite to that in
which it was whirling before it encountered the guides so that the liquid is
thrown upon the rotary blades immediately above them in a direction opposite
to that in which the blades rotate and its momentum tends to carry it up along
the blades toward the top thereof at the same time that the blades are rotating
and tending to force themselves underneath the liquid. By this means the
momentum of the whirling liquid is caused to materially assist in raising the
water.
E indicates a collar fixed to the rotary shaft A below the guides d d¹ du.
Each set of guides rests upon such a collar. Findicates a loose collar or washer
around the shaft between the top of the guides and the bottom of the rotary
blades to hold them apart. G indicates the casing. H indicates the pump-
head composed of a T, h, a cap bolted on the top of one-arm of the T and
provided with a yoke with bearings in which the rotary shaft A is
journalled.

page_text: When it is desired to lift the water after it has been ejected from the pump,
that is to say, when the discharge-pipe I is led to an elevation above the place
where the power is applied to the pump, below the lower bearing will be
provided a stuffing-box . See Fig. 3.
Each set of blades C C and their hub C, upon which they are mounted is
termed a runner. ⚫ indicates a set-screw screwed through the hub C and
against the shaft A to fix the hub firmly on the shaft so that it will not slide
on the shaft, but will rotate with the shaft to lift water.
It is only necessary for starting the pump, that the lower runner shall be
immersed in the water; but the capacity of the pump is so great that the lower
runner should be immersed to a considerable depth so as to get the advantage
of the water pressure for supplying water to the lower runner. It is to be under-
stood, however, that where the supply of water is inexhaustible for all practical
purposes, the lower runner need only be immersed sufficiently to allow sufficient
water pressure above it to keep the runner always supplied with water. It is
preferable, however, to immerse two or three runners spaced on the shaft about
four feet apart, more or less.
In practical operation, the shaft is rotated by any suitable means, such as
the belt J over pulley K, and when the blades C C have reached a speed sufficient
to throw the water thereon upward, the pressure of the liquid below will supply
the vacuum thus formed and the liquid passing upward between the guides is
prevented by the guides from being whirled around to any very great extent by
the friction of the water below the blades. The blades pick up the ascending
water and discharge it at the top and force it up along within the casing. The
liquid is given a whirling motion by the blades and as it ascends whirls around
in the same direction in which the blades rotate until the liquid reaches the set
of guides just below the next runner and these guides deflect the water which is
thereby turned in its course and started to whirling in the opposite direction so
that when it strikes the blades above this guide it will be whirling in the direc-
tion opposite to that of the second runner and the momentum of the liquid will
tend to force the liquid up along the blades at the same time the blades are
whirling to lift the liquid. The liquid when it issues from this second set of
blades will be whirling in the same direction with the blades.
It is to be understood that any number of runners and guides may be provided
and that the operation with each set of guides and runners will be substantially
that which has been just described.
It is always desirable to have a number of runners and guides so as to take
advantage of the momentum of the whirling water driven by the runner and
also to prevent the water from slipping back past the runner. The larger the
number of runners, the less liability of slipping back.
The runners should be speeded up to a considerable speed, depending upon the
size and pitch of the runner and the amount of water required. The higher
the speed the greater amount of water discharged. For a runner seven inches in
diameter a speed of from one to two thousand revolutions per minute gives satis-
factory results.
In practice to apply the pump to a bored well the runners will have about one-
eighth of an inch clearance in the casing, and the rotary shaft with runners and
guides will be lowered into the casing to any suitable depth and will be sup-
ported by the ball-bearings B and power will be applied to turn the rotary shaft.
The water will be thrown up by the runners which are covered by water and
the water from the well below the lower runner and from the earth surrounding
the well will rush in to supply the vacuum thus induced and it is to be noted
that there is no possibility of air finding its way down inside the well-casing
to supply any vacuum formed because the column of liquid thrown up by the
runners fills the well-casing. For this reason this pump will increase the output
of wells over that produced when pumped by ordinary pumps which allow the
air pressure to get down inside the casing of the well."

page_text: This invention includes the use of one set of guides in combination with the
two sets of runners, when said guides are arranged just below the upper set of
runners to turn the whirling water and direct it onto the upper runner in a
reverse direction; and said guides may be of various forms and arrangements
and such forms and the various ways in which they can be arranged will suggest
themselves to mechanics: but the form and the arrangement shown are deemed
preferable, the guides being resilient and curved in the same direction in which
the blades rotate. By reason of this arrangement the whirling water which
strikes upon the blades is directed outward toward the casing and is caused to
whirl in the opposite direction. The purpose of curving the guides and also
making them resilient is to allow them to be easily inserted into the casing and
at the same time give the pressure and the friction which will hold the boxing
and the shaft steady in the casing.
The curvature of the guides also causes them to more readily throw the liquid
outward toward the casing and to direct the liquid onto the blades in the direc-
tion opposite to that in which the blades rotate.
It is very important that there be no obstruction between any set of runners
and the guides which are just below the set of runners next above; so as not to
interrupt the whirling motion of the water until just before the water comes to
the upper set of runners. The superior capacity of this pump depends upon
having the guides so arranged as to allow the water to ascend spirally from one
set of runners until just before it reaches the next set above, and then to set the
water to whirling in the other direction.
The space between the runner-blades and the guides next above is sufficient
to allow the inertia of the water and the friction of the casing to diminish the
violence of the rotation of the water before the water strikes the guides so that
the water will be reflected and directed onto the blades in a direction opposite
that in which they rotate, without the waste of force which would occur if the
rotation were stopped immediately above instead of immediately below the
blades.
Practical tests which have been made show that any obstruction to the course
of the water is a detriment when placed close above any set of runners for the
reason that it prevents the ready discharge of the liquid upward from such set
of runners.
The blades will vary in pitch for various pumps according to the height of lift,
the amount of water to be thrown, and the amount of water available for
operating the pump. Where there is plenty of power and a large supply of water
to be lifted, the pitch can probably be as high as 350 or 40° and with less avail-
able power and a greater height of lift, the pitch will be correspondingly less.
It is preferred to employ a low pitch. The less the pitch, the less power required
to drive the blades at an effective speed, but the quantity of water lifted at each
rotation of the shaft will be less.
In practical operation the water is thrown upward, in a constant stream so that
the inertia of the liquid at rest needs to be overcome but once.
Each runner is provided with two blades arranged symmetrically on opposite
sides of the hub which carries them so that when in operation, the two blades
will take up an equal amount of water on opposite sides of the shaft so that the
pump is preferably balanced in its operation and the weight of the water
throughout the pump is evenly balanced on the shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what
claim is
1. A pump comprising two or more sets of rotary inclined blades mounted on
shaft in a casing: and guides on said shaft, a set of guides being provided for
and arranged close to and just below each set of superposed blades and arranged
t a considerable distance above the set of blades next below so as to allow the

page_text: liquid thrown by the lower blades to ascend in a spiral path from said lower
blades to the guides, and whereby said guides are caused to reflect the whirling
liquid onto the upper set in a direction opposite to that in which the blades
rotate.
2. The combination of a casing: a shaft to rotate in the casing and provided
with two or more sets of rotary blades; and resilient guides with boxing for the
shaft and curved in the direction in which the blades rotate, and when free,
inscribing a circle somewhat larger than the inside of the casing or pipe into
which they are to fit so that they must be sprung inward to be inserted into the
casing and the friction of the blades against the casing will prevent the blades
and their boxing from turning.
3. The combination of the casing; the rotary shaft therein; a boxing on the
shaft with curved resilient liquid-guiding blades extending therefrom and
engaging the inside of the casing to form supports for the boxing and to form
guides for the liquid in the casing; and inclined rotary blades carried by the
rotary shaft.
4. The combination of the casing; the rotary shaft therein; two or more sets
of rotary blades within the casing and carried by the shaft; and the guide-
blades mounted on a box which journals the shaft and arranged stationary just
below the blades of the upper set of runners and extending from said boxing
tangentially from said box to the casing to direct the whirling water outward to
the casing and to deflect it onto said blades in a direction opposite to that in
which the blades rotate.
5. The combination of a casing: a shaft to rotate in the casing and provided
with two or more sets of rotary blades; and resilient water-guides with boxing
for the shaft attached thereto, said guides extending along the casing, and when
free, inscribing a circle somewhat larger than the inside of the casing or pipe in
which they are to fit so that they must be sprung inward to be inserted into the
casing and the friction of the blades against the casing will prevent the blades
and their boxing from turning.
6. The combination with the well-casing, of the pump-head composed of a T
fastened to the top of the well-casing a cap bolted on the top of one arm of
the T and provided with a yoke with bearings; and a rotary shaft journalled in
said bearings and provided with a collar by which it is supported.
Dotal this 30th day of March 1899