A CENTRIFUGO-HELICAL PUMP
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Paul François Aerts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1880.
PAUL FRANCOIS AERTS, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belguim, Engineer.
"A CENTRIFUGO-HELICAL PUMP."
The object of this Invention is to improve the construction of rotary pumps
capable of giving a continuous flow of liquid, and in which the turbine is mounted
on a vertical axle, such an arrangement having many advantages over rotary
pumps with horizontal turbine axles.
In carrying out my Invention I form the turbine of a cup shaped casting with a
central vertical stem or sleeve to receive a vertical spindle which screws into or is
otherwise secured to the bottom of the casting. Formed on the outside of this
cup shaped casting is a series of wings or blades, which are so arranged as to give
a combined centrifugal and helical action, the first serving to draw in the liquid
and the second to drive it out. The turbine thus formed is placed in a vertical
cylinder, the interior of which is made to conform to the external shape of the
turbine. This cylinder is provided with suitable suction and discharge pipes. The
central vertical spindle extends through the head of the cylinder, and on to it is
fixed a circular metal plate which rests on and revolves upon a series of conical
rollers. These rollers run upon a second plate secured to the cylinder head. By
this arrangement of apparatus the turbine is suspended in the cylinder without
any contact therewith, except through the conical rollers, thus avoiding the
inconvenience caused by the wearing of the step bearings ordinarily used with
vertical spindles.
The upper end of the central spindle carries a pulley through which motion is
communicated to the turbine by a belt from any prime mover, and the spindle is
steadied in a vertical position by a cross head.
Instead of a stuffing box of the ordinary construction (which would cause too
much friction) to prevent the water passing from the cylinder to the conical rollers
I form the cylinder head with an inverted disk-shaped central boss or enlargement
.

page_text: on its underside, and I insert in the cavity a leather or other washer, which is held
in place by a metal washier. This metal washer rests on a spring which bears
against a cross piece of the turbine, and by this means a gentle and constant
pressure is applied to the leather washer, which is thus caused to form a water
tight joint without offering any undue friction to the rotation of the spindle.
The suction pipe is closed by a valve which is capable of being always maintained
in a vertical position, and the liquid before passing to the cylinder enters a chamber
in connection therewith, where any extraneous matters may be deposited. This
valve is provided with an india rubber or other washer in order to make a tight
joint.
4,
Attached to the suction pipe is a priming pipe, through which the suction pipe
may be primed should it become dry. This pipe is. provided with a cock at top
and bottom, and the priming is effected in the following manner, viz. :-The lower
cock is closed and the priming pipe is filled through the upper.cock, which is then
also closed. The lower cock is now opened and the water allowed to run into the
suction pipe, the air therein entering the priming pipe.
The lower cock is then closed and the operation is repeated until the suction pipe
is full. The priming pipe is filled for the last time, and the lower cock is opened.
Communication being thus established between the two pipes a vacuum is formed
in the priming pipe, which will hold the liquid suspended at a height equal to that-
of the level of the water in the priming pipe, and the cylinder will thus be
always full.
By the above described arrangement for priming the suction valve may be placed
in full view instead of at the bottom of the well, as usual, where it is often
rendered useless by the entrance of extraneous matters floating in the water.
The water in the cylinder will receive, first, a centrifugal horizontal direction,
slightly inclined; then, gradually and insensibly, the curve of the wings or blades
will impart to it a vertical direction, and raise it without shock or rebound. I am
thus enabled to obtain in one and the same apparatus a centrifugal and a helical
force.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Paul François Aerts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
January 1881.
PAUL FRANÇOIS AERTS, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Engineer.
"A CENTRIFUGO-HELICAL PUMP."
The object of this Invention is to improve the construction of rotary pumps
which are capable of giving a continuous flow of liquid, and in which the turbine
is mounted on a vertical axle, such an arrangement having many advantages over..
rotary pumps with horizontal turbine axles.
The usual mode of mounting a vertical axle or spindle has hitherto been to
employ a step bearing for the foot of the spindle, the verticality of the spindle being
maintained by various means. It is, however, found that in pumps the bearing
surface is insufficient to support the weight of both the turbine and the liquid, and
that the water being raised, charged with extraneous matters, enters the bearing
and expels the lubricant; thus the lubricating element is replaced by a destructive
element, which, after a short time of working, wears away or grinds down the point
of the spindle, so as to render any further working of the apparatus practically;
impossible.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved pump,
taken on the line A, B, of Fig. 2, which is a top plan view, and Fig. 3 is an inverted
side view of the lower portion of the turbine.
a, a, is the turbine, consisting of a cup shaped casting having a central vertical
hollow stem or sleeve b, formed therewith to receive a spindle c, which screws into
or is otherwise secured to the bottom of the casting a. Formed on the outside of
this cup shaped casting a is a series of wings or blades d, d, which are so arranged
in the form of a quintuple or sextuple screw thread as to give a combined
centrifugal and helical action, the first serving to draw in the liquid and the second
to drive it out.
By this arrangement of the blades the water acquires a speed gradually
accelerated with a constant and uniform pressure and without shocks or rebound,
advantages which have not hitherto been attained.
The turbine thus formed is placed in a pump case e, e, the interior of which is
made to conform to the external shape of the turbine, and in which it is free to
turn without the least contact. This case e is provided with a suction pipe f and
discharge pipe g.
The spindle c projects, through the head e¹ of the pump case e, and to it is secured
in any suitable manner a circular metal plate h, which rests on and rotates upon a
series of conical rollers i, i. These rollers run upon a second plate h¹ secured to the
pump case head e¹.
By this arrangement of apparatus the turbine a is suspended in the cylinder e
without any contact therewith, except through the conical rollers i, i, thus avoiding
the inconvenience caused by the wearing of the step. bearings used with vertical
spindles.
This arrangement of the parts provides for a rolling friction, instead of sliding
friction, by which means the wear and tear and the resistance is reduced to a
minimum.
The upper end of the central spindle c carries a pulley j, through which
motion is communicated to the turbine by a belt from any prime mover, and
the spindle is steadied in a vertical position by a pin k, which is inserted in a
crosshead ¹.
As the spindle c projects through the head of the cylinder it will be necessary to
provide means for preventing the water from the turbine passing up to the conical
rollers i, i, and thereby causing excess of wear of these parts.

page_text: In similar cases it is usual to employ a stuffing box, but in the present instance
such a box would cause too much friction and therefore cannot be employed. In
lieu thereof I form the pump case head e' with an inverted dish shaped central boss
or enlargement e² on its underside, and I insert in the cavity a leather or other
washer, which is held in place by a metal washer 7. This metal washer & rests on
a spring, which bears against the turbine a, and by this means a gentle and
constant pressure is applied to the leather washer, which is thus caused to form a
water tight joint round the spindle c without offering any undue friction to the
rotation of the spindle.
The suction pipe f enters a valve chamber m cast with the pump case e, and is
closed by a valve m'.
This valve m¹, which may be of disc or inverted cup shape, has its seat on the
upper edge of a ring m², of, say, from five to six centimetres in depth, placed
centrally in the valve chamber m, and forming part of the same casting. The
valve m' is formed with an annular recess on its underside, into which is inserted
an india rubber washer m³. This washer m³, when the valve m¹ is down, rests on
the upper edge of the ring m² and forms an hermetically sealed joint.
The valve m' is also provided with a stem on either side, which stems enter
guides suitably placed for the purpose, whereby the valve is always maintained in
a working position.
During the working of the pump the water will be drawn through this valve m'
into the valve chamber m, and any extraneous matters suspended in the water.
will drop into an annular recess formed by the ring m² and the walls of the
valve chamber m, from whence they may be removed through the cock m
A sight hole is also provided in the valve chamber m, by which means the state
of the valve and chamber may always be ascertained.
Attached to the suction pipe f is a priming pipe n, through which the suction
pipe may be primed should it become dry.
This pipe n is provided with a cock at top o, and at bottom p, and the priming
is effected in the following manner, viz.:-The lower cock p is closed and the
priming pipe'n is filled through the upper cock o, which is then also closed. The
lower cock is now opened and the water contained in the pipe n runs into the
suction pipe f, the air therein entering the priming pipe n. The lower cock P is
then again closed and the operation is repeated until the suction pipe fis full.. The
priming pipe is then filled for the last time, and the lower cock is opened.
Communication being thus established between the two pipes fand n, a vacuum is
formed in the pipe n, which will hold the liquid suspended at a height of from nine
to ten metres above the level of the water in the well.
By the above described arrangement for priming the suction valve m can be
placed in full view and close to hand, instead of at the bottom of the well, where it
is often rendered useless by the entrance of extraneous matters floating in the
water.
The vacuum formed in the pipe n will have an attractive force which will assist
in supporting the weight of the liquid being raised, a force unrecognized hitherto
by science, but which is there none the less.
The working of the apparatus is as follows, viz.:-As soon as the turbine is put
in motion the water will be drawn into the pump case, and will at first receive an
impetus in a centrifugal horizontal direction, slightly inclined, then gradually and
insensibly the curve of the wings or blades d, d, will impart to it a vertical direction
and raise it without shock or rebound. I am thus enabled to obtain in one and
the same apparatus a centrifugal and a helical force.
Although the substitution of the rolling friction for the sliding friction was
described as applied to pumps only, it will be evident that this motion is equally
applicable to other apparatus in which vertical axles are used, such, for instance, as
the mounting of millstones.
Having now described my Invention of a centrifugo-helical pump, and explained

page_text: the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,--
First. The construction and arrangement of a rotary pump, substantially as
herein shown and described.
Secondly. The means, substantially as described, for suspending the turbine in
the body of the pump, for the purpose set forth.
Thirdly. The means, substantially as herein shewn and described, for preventing
the passage to the antifriction rollers i, i, of the water or other liquid being raised.
Fourthly. The arrangement of suction valve and chamber, substantially as shewn
and described, whereby the continuous and regular working of the valve is rendered
more certain.
In witness whereof, I, the said Paul François Aerts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
PAUL FRANÇOIS AERTS. (L.S.)