Patent ID: 8376432

Claim:
An impeller jig for lifting and positioning an impeller having a shaft bore in a pump, said impeller jig comprising: (a) a frame having at least one positioner, said at least one positioner including at least one grip defined by a cavity in the frame or at least one guiding bar secured on the frame, whereby the at least one positioner is adapted to position the impeller jig with respect to the impeller prior to lifting the impeller; (b) a lifting aperture attached to the upper end of said frame; (c) a lifting point attached to an opposed end of said frame opposing the upper end of said frame and adapted to engage the shaft bore of the impeller, said lifting aperture and said lifting point defining a lifting vertical centerline extending from said lifting aperture to said lifting point; (d) a pair of opposed jacks attached to the opposed end of said frame and spatially separated from the frame, wherein said pair of jacks extend in opposing directions substantially perpendicular from said frame and whereby the pair of opposed jacks are adapted to engage at least two opposed outer surfaces of the impeller adjacent to the shaft bore of the impeller thereby forming a stability triangle with said lifting point; and (e) a positioning weight adjacent to said lifting aperture for transferring the center of gravity of said impeller jig upwardly and sufficiently close to said lifting vertical centerline to permit said impeller jig to be positioned for engaging the impeller by an operator prior to lifting.