Improvements in Centrifugal Pumps.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Centrifugal Pumps.
I, WILLIAM IRLAM ELLIS of number sixty two Ward's Buildings, Deansgate,
Manchester, 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 :-
These improvements have for their objects the diminution of the friction
accompanying the motion of the revolving wheel and to make the pumps more easy to
put in action.
In centrifugal pumps as at present constructed there is great loss of
power owing to the friction between the fluid and the wheel and the casing; and one
cannot be started to pump until the pump casing and suction pipes have been filled
with fluid, which necessitates the use of a retaining valve on the bottom of the suction
pipes if the pump is fixed above the level of the fluid to be raised. To fill the suction
pipe is usually troublesome and has to be often repeated when the valve is leaky.
Firstly. To prevent friction, when the arms of the wheel, fan or disc are made with
side plates, I construct them with vanes, ribs, wings, segments, channels or passages.
or any of them, on or in the outer sides of the plates for the discharge of any fluid &c.
that it may be desired to remove from the space or spaces between the wheel, fan or
disc and the sides of the pump casing.
Secondly. I construct the sides of the pump casing in the parts opposite to and
nearly in contact with the wheel, fan or disc, with guide bars, ribs, segments,
channels or passages, or any of them, for the same purpose.
These two arrangements may be used in combination or either of them separately.
When the wheel is made to revolve the action of the vanes, ribs, guide bars,
n
027

page_text: wings, segments, channels or passages is to expel entirely or in part, the fluid or other
substances which may be in, or which may enter the space or spaces between the side
plates of the wheel and the casing, so that the wheel will revolve more freely and with
less friction. In order to assist the action of the above named vanes, ribs, wings,
guide bars, segments, channels or passages, or any of them, water, oil or other fluids
or lubricants may be admitted through the casing into the space or spaces between the
wheel and casing.
Passages or holes may be made through the sides of the wheel for the purpose of
emptying the space or spaces between its side plates and the sides of the casing or for
reducing the pressure therein, but this I do not claim as new or as part of my
invention.
Thirdly. In order to make it more easy to put a centrifugal pump in action I
enlarge the suction pipe or passage so as to form an air-tight reservoir above the
level of the fluid to be raised which reservoir I provide with a valve to retain air
or fluid from descending into the suction pipe.
On the upper part of this reservoir, or on the pump casing, or on the suction
pipe or passage of the pump, on any or on all of them, I place a valve or cock
through which the air contained in the suction pipes, passages, reservoir, pump
casing &c., can be discharged.
The mode of action is as follows, the reservoir and all the parts of the apparatus
above the retaining valve are to be filled with fluid, by preference up to the top
of the pump casing, then the wheel is to be made to revolve with sufficient speed
to force some of the fluid into the discharge pipe; the space previously occupied by
the fluid so raised will be filled with air or fluid from the suction pipe.
When as much fluid and air as may be necessary, or practicable at one operation,
has been raised the wheel is stopped, then the fluid pumped up runs back, forcing
the air out through the air valve or valves, the wheel is then to be re-started and
the same operations repeated until the air has been exhausted from the suction
passages sufficiently to obtain a continuous flow of fluid for the regular action of the
pump. For the purpose of containing the fluid pumped up as above described the size of
the discharge pipe may be enlarged, or it may be fitted with tanks or reservoirs, or
special pipes, tanks &c. with valves for this purpose may be used.
Centrifugal pumps have been fixed in water and in tanks, but the tanks, were
not air-tight, the water to be lifted being contained in them and not raised
into them through a suction pipe. The sides of the wheels and casings have hitherto
been made with smooth surfaces, sometimes they have been made a close fit in the
casings at their peripheries to prevent entry of the fluid between the wheel and the
casing, but it has not been attempted to expel the fluid &c. from the space or spaces
between the wheel and the casing by projections from or passages in these last as
herein described.
In the accompanying drawing shewing one modification of my invention fig. 1 is an
elevation shewing a vertical section through the centre of the pump and a section of
the reservoir and retaining valve. The pipes are not shewn in section.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the centre of the pump.
Fig. 3 is an elevation and fig. 4 is a section of a wheel of twice the size of that
shewn is figs. 1 and 2.
In all these figures the vanes and segments on the outer sides of the side plates of
the wheel are marked 1.
The suction pipe is marked 2, retaining valve 3, reservoir or enlargement of suction
pipe 4, discharge pipe 5 and reservoir on discharge pipe 6, air valve 8.
An alternative arrangement of suction pipe, with a retaining valve at the bottom,
which may be useful in some cases is shewn in figures 1 and 2 marked 7.
These improvements are applicable to pumps with spindles placed vertically,
horizontally, or at any intermediate angle although it has only been considered
* necessary to shew in the drawing a pump with horizontal spindle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The construction of the wheels, fans or discs of centrifugal pumps which have a
side plate or plates on the arms or vanes, with vanes, segments &c. on the outer side
of the side plate or plates, or on the outer side of one such plate only, when two are
used, if preferred.
2. The construction of the casings of centrifugal pumps with guide bars, ribs,
segments, channels or passages on or in the parts opposite to and nearly in contact
with the wheel, fan or disc.
3. The method of priming, charging or fanging centrifugal pumps by pumping up
fluid and allowing it to run back again, repeatedly if necessary, until the air has been
forced out of the parts below the centre of the wheel and the fluid raised to continue
the pumping as usual.