Improvements in Helico-centrifugal Pumps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Helico-centrifugal Pumps.
I, CLAUDE GUSTAVE PINETTE of Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône aud Loire) in the
Republic of France, Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to helico-centrifugal pumps and consists of a number of
improvements therein.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation view of a single helico centrifugal pump of my
invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the body itself of the pump.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line X Y of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line y of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the whole of a connected pump.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pump bodies 1 and 2 of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line X Y of Figure 6.
The improvements consist of:
1. A system of paddles I, 1 (Figure 2) placed inside of the nave P, P, of the
propeller and cast in one piece with a ring H H fixed upon the edge of said nave.
These paddles are put in motion by the propeller and turn in juxtaposition with and
as near as possible to disc D D of copper or galvanized sheet iron having a
diameter at least as large as their spread and fixed upon the bottom of the forcing
body R R.
The rotary motion of the paddles will produce in the entire mass of water they
stir, a relative depression depending upon the size of their spread and calculated in
each case to compensate totally or partly the relative depression existing in the
mass of water comprised between the nave P P, and the envelope C C of the
propeller. The longitudinal reaction upon the motive shaft and thus the effort
upon the abutment are attenuated or annulled.
The projection (c d) of the paddles 1 I upon the disc H H must be small in
order to reduce as much as possible the waste work.
2. In general, in the centrifugal pumps which absorb water only through one
cheek, the pump body C C is united with the aspiring tube by means of a straight
or elbowed connection and it has never been attempted to adapt to the same, the
spiral aspiring device used in centrifugal pumps which absorb water through both
cheeks.
In my improved arrangement the water absorbing orifice of the pump body is
widened in the shape of a bell mouth U U (Figure 2) in which the water of
aspiration arrives, following the entire circumference of a spirally shaped neck J J,
having a form similar to that of the neck G G of the forcing body R R and having
a straight prolongation that carries the aspiring flange (Figure 4).
Thus it will be seen that my aspiring body A A, bolted with a socket joint upon
the pump body CC, is removable and adjustable in all directions in a plane
perpendicular to the axle of rotation of the propeller and besides does not
encumber the pump.
3. A special arrangement of stuffing boxes with hydraulic caulking, insuring at
the same time the circulating of refrigerating water around the stuffing box.
As can be seen in Figure 2, the water of the forcing body arrives through the

page_text: notch (f) and the channel (a) into the annular space F F, formed around a
sleeve E, E having thin walls, and thus renders heating of the stuffing box
bearing V V, and of the stuffing box TT impossible. The water will then pass
through the spaces left open between the grooves ss, to reach the back of the
stuffing box, in the chamber OO, where it transmits the pressure existing in the
forcing body, thus insuring the hydraulic caulking, whereafter it is carried through
the space existing between the motive shaft and the ring B B on account of
the depression existing in the central region of the rotating paddles. Besides, the
sections of the successive passages (f) (a) and of the free spaces between the
grooves (ss) are large enough to make the speed of circulation of the water very
slow, so that the pressure of the forcing body is almost entirely transmitted to the
rear of the stuffing box.
4. An improved method of wedging the propeller upon its shaft. The seat L L
of the nave P P of the propeller has been enlarged so as to permit the use of a
solid fastening nut K, insuring the fixing of the propeller concurrently with the
shoulder (e e) of the motive shaft. On the other hand, in order that the nut may
not interfere with the water running into the propeller, the hub M M of the
aspiring body A A is made longer so that its edge (m m) comes as near as possible
to the nut K, while said edge has a diameter slightly larger than that of the
seat L L of the nave of the propeller, so as to mask or cover the nut.
The considerable increase in the diameter of the seat L L, and the elongation
of the hub M M of the aspiring body, fill out a zone around the motive shaft at a
point where it is of benefit on account of the swells resulting by the action of the
water as it comes out of the aspiring body.
5. A new system of mounting connected pumps.
The heads of the two connected pumps Pi and P2 (Figures 5 and 6) are brought
near each other and connected by means of a central coupling box S through
which the common shaft passes.
The driving pulley or the coupling disc, when there is a direct driving, is located
outside of the pumps.
The two stuffing boxes of the forcing bodies, which were absolutely necessary
in the old system where the driving device was placed between the two pumps, are
omitted, the shaft is shorter, and, where the driving is done directly, the motor,
which is outside of the pumps, is more accessible than if it were placed between
the same, in which case one coupling disc for each pump would be required. The
two connected pumps form practically only one complete pump.
Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section of the two parts of my arrangement of
connected pumps. It will be noticed that the two propellers H H and HH' being
symmetrical, there will be no resultant of pressure following the motive shaft,
which renders unnecessary the use of paddles required with a single pump described
hereinbefore.
The absence of stuffing boxes and the great difference of pressure existing in
the two forcing bodies permit the water to pass from the forcing pump where the
pressure is highest into the aspiring pump, traversing successively the space
between the shaft on one side and the ring bb the bearings KK, K K¹ and the
ring 661 on the other side. In order to prevent the circulation of the water along
the shaft in the bearings K K, K' K', which would carry along very fine sand and
other very tiny substances which would penetrate between the points of friction
and would wear out the bearings rapidly, I have made at both extremities of each
bearing K K, K¹ K', wide passages between the grooves ss, s¹ s¹ and, between the
inside wall of the coupling box S, and the motive shaft, an annular space of
sufficient size so that the water can circulate from one pump to the other, through
all these passages, only with imperceptible speed which enables to obtain at the
two extremities of each bearing KK, K' K¹, the same pressure, namely that of
the forcing pump.
It is even possible to use for the inside bearings KK, K' K₁ compression
-lubricators without fearing to have the grease driven out of the frictional points.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The various herein described improvements in helico-centrifugal pumps single or
connected consisting in :-
1. The application to such pumps of paddles cast in one piece with a ring fixed
on the edge of the nave of the propeller and placed inside said nave which carries
them with it causing them to turn in juxtaposition with and as near as possible to a
disc having a diameter at least as large as the spread of these paddles and fixed
upon the bottom of the forcing body, substantially as herein before described and
shown as an example on the accompanying drawing.
2. The application to helico-centrifugal pumps absorbing water only through one
cheek, of an arrangement of a spiral aspiring body similar to that of the neck of
the forcing body and having a straight prolongation carrying the aspiring flange,
substantially as herein before described and shown as an example on the
accompanying drawings.
3. The application of a special arrangement of stuffing boxes with hydraulic
caulking, obtained by an arrangement insuring a circulation around the stuffing box
of a small quantity of water under pressure arising from the forcing body, said
circulation taking place first round a sleeve with thin walls intended to prevent
heating of the stuffing box bearing, then in a chamber where it insures by its
pressure the hydraulic caulking; substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
as an example on the accompanying drawings.
4. The application of an improved method of wedging the propeller upon its
shaft obtained by enlarging the seat of the nave of the propeller so as to permit of
the use of a solid fastening nut; substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
as an example on the accompanying drawings.
5. The new system of mounting connected pumps consisting in bringing the
heads near each other and connecting them by means of a central coupling box
through which the common shaft passes, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown as an example on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.