US3367269A

US3367269A - Booster assembly for low pressure pump

Info

Publication number: US3367269A
Application number: US581518A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter V Nelson; William H Martinsen
Original assignee: Walter V. Nelson; William H. Martinsen
Current assignee: WALTER V NELSON; WILLIAM H MARTINSEN
Priority date: 1966-09-23
Filing date: 1966-09-23
Publication date: 1968-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-06

Description

Feb; 1968 W. V- NELSON ETAL BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FOR LOW PRESSURE PUMP Filed Sept. 23, 1966 FIG. 6

FIG. 4

INVENTORS. WALTER NELSON WILLIAM H. MARTlNSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,367,269 BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FOR LOW PRESSURE PUMP Walter V. Nelson, 680 Maple St., and William H. Martinsen, 488 W. 6th Ave., both of Junction City, Greg.

Filed Sept. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,518 6 Claims. (Cl. 1035) This invention relates in general to water supply pumps, and, more particularly, to pumps for water supply systems in areas where a central water supply system is not available and where the water must be obtained from a well or similar supply source.

More specifically, the invention relates to such water supply systems for individual homes and farms where the water is required for irrigation or garden sprinkling as well as for use inside the home. For household use it is desirable to have the water available at a higher pressure than is necessary for irrigating or garden use, while, on the other hand, a greater flow volume of water is generally required during such times as irrigating or sprinkling is taking place than is required ordinarily for household use. Thus a satisfactory and efiicient water system in such cases should be able to supply a larger volume of water at lower pressure part of the time and a smaller volume at higher pressure during the remainder of the time. The problem has been to take care of both requirements effectively at the lowest cost and with a single pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby a less expensive low pressure pump may be used to supply water at higher pressure but less volume part of the time in addition to supplying the water at lower normal pressure the rest of the time, without undue wear on the part of the pump and its motor.

A related object is to provide a booster assembly for use in connection with a low pressure water pump system which will function, whenever so desired, to reduce the output while proportionately increasing the pressure of the water supplied by the system, without changing the speed of the pump or the load on the pump.

A further and specific object of the invention is to provide a dual pressure attachment in a low pressure pump supply system which may be quickly and easily reversed from one position to another, thus from low to high pressure position, or vice versa, merely through manual movement of a convenient operating lever, and without the addition or removal of any members or parts in the system.

An additional object is to provide a dual pressure water supply system, combining a low pressure pump, a booster assembly for the pressure output, and a pressurized supply tank, so arranged that no priming of the pump is ever required, and with no possibility of the pump ever going dry even if the water in the well, from which the system draws the water, becomes exhausted.

The manner in which the above objects and other advantages are attained with the present invention, the construction of the booster assembly, and the manner of operation of the assembly in combination with the other elements in the water supply system will be readily understood from the following brief description and explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the entire pump supply system with the booster assembly shown in place as forming part thereof;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of the booster box, showing the members of the booster assembly which are mounted therein;

3,367,269 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3.3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the valves in the air line leading from the booster box to the water storage tank; and

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 2 drawn to a smaller scale.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the reference character P indicates a standard centrifugal type pump suitable for low pressure water lines, for example 1 /2 H.P. irrigation pump, which is driven by a motor M. Water is drawn from a supply well (not shown) up through the pipe 10 and, after passing through the booster box B (later de scribed), passes into the pump through the pipe 11. The pump P delivers water to the pipe 12 and thence through the pipe 13 and into the water tank T under pressure. Water is withdrawn from the tank, either for household use or for irrigation and sprinkling use, through the outlet pipe 14. The pipe 12 leading from the pump P is also connected to a branch pipe 15, and when this branch pipe 15 is not closed off a portion of the water delivered by the pump P, instead of passing into the tank T, passes back into the booster box B in the manner and for the purpose presently explained.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the booster box B consists of a closed rectangular housing having top, bottom and four sidewalls. The bottom wall of the box is formed with an inlet opening on the outside of which is an integral coupling element 16 to which the pipe 10, which leads from the well, is secured. An internal pipe 10' is connected with the pipe 10 through this coupling 16 and extends up into the booster box terminating about two-thirds of the distance between the bottom and the top of the box and carries a hinged check valve 17 which, as apparent from FIG. 2, enables the water to be drawn up through the connected

pipes

10 and 10 into the box B but does not permit reverse flow back down through these plpes.

The booster box B is formed with a stationary composite housing sleeve formed of two aligned portions 18 and 18' extending through and integral with opposite sides of the box respectively. The inner ends of these aligned housing sleeve portions are spaced a short distance apart leaving an open passageway 19 between them. The first portion 18 (or left hand portion of the composite housing sleeve as viewed in FIG. 2), terminates in an internally threaded nipple at its outer end outside the box B. This provides the connection for the pipe 11, which pipe leads to the pump, as shown in FIG. 1.

The second portion 18 of the housing sleeve leads at its outer end to a boss 29 on the outside of the box B, which boss has a larger interior diameter. The two

portions

18 and 18 of the housing sleeve in the box B have the same interior diameter and thus constitute two separated and axially aligned sections of a composite housing sleeve.

A hollow valve member 20 shaped as shown in FIG. 2, having a cylindrical outer surface, is mounted in the

composite housing sleeve

18, 18 for partial rotation. A portion of the interior channel through this valve member 20 is so formed as to constitute a venturi tube 21 leading to the discharging end of the member 20 and thus leading to the pipe 11 which in turn leads to the pump P. The wall of this venturi portion of the valve member 20 is formed with a pair of diametrically opposite ports 22 (see also FIG. 3), which, when the valve member 20 is rotated to a limited extent in one direction, are in registra tion with a pair of ports 23 respectively in the housing sleeve 18, but which ports 23 are closed of1 when the member 20 is rotated to a limited extent in the opposite 3 direction. The last mentioned rotated position of the valve member 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The interior channel of the valve member 20 near the opposite end has a cylindrical chamber 24 which is closed at the outer end by a removable, threaded plug 25, and which has a reduced diameter wall portion 26 which portion is internally threaded to provide a mounting for a removable nozzle 27. The nozzle 27 extends forwardly into a large diameter portion of the interior channel in the valve member 20 ahead of the venturi tube portion 21, as shown in FIG. 2.

The valve member 20 has four open ports 30 (see also FIG. 4) spaced 90 apart, which are all in registration with the spacing 19 between the inner ends of the two portions 18 and 18' of the housing sleeve, and thus the interior channel of the valve member 20 is always in communication with the interior of the box B, the water passing from the box B through the ports 30 around the nozzle 27 into the venturi tube portion of the channel in the valve member 20 and thus through the pipe 11 to the pump at all times when the pump is in operation.

The portion 18 of the housing sleeve for the valve member 20 has an integral inlet pipe 31 (see FIG. arranged at 90 with respect to the axis of the housing sleeve and leading through another wall of the box B. This inlet pipe 31 has an internally threaded nipple 32 at its outer end on the outside of the box B with which the pipe 15 (FIGS. 1 and 5) is connected. The wall of the cylindrical chamber 24 (FIG. 2) of the valve member 20 has a port 33 which registers with the inlet pipe 31 when the valve member 20 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, but the inlet pipe 31 is closed off by the valve member 20 when the valve member is rotated from this position.

The valve member 20 has an annular shoulder 34 (FIG. 2) which is received in the boss 29 and has an outer end portion 35 which accommodates the plug 25. A ring 36, secured on the boss 29 by suitable screws, prevents the valve member 20 from being drawn out of its housing sleeve, and a sealing gasket 37 is placed between the ring 36 and the outer face of the shoulder 34. An operating handle 38 has a bottom ring 39 which fits over the end 35 of the valve member 20 and which is secured thereto by a set screw 40. A pair of stops, one of which is shown at 41 in FIG. 2, limit the movement of the operating handle 38, and therewith the rotation of the valve member 20, to 90.

The valve member 20 is formed of suitable metal, preferably bronze, as well as the removable nozzle 27, and the valve member 20 is provided with O-rings 42 to aid in preventing any possible water leakage from the box B around the valve member.

The operation of the booster assembly and of the entire pump system as thus far described will now be briefly explained. Let it be assumed that the valve member 20 has been set by the operating handle 38 into the position illustrated in FIG. 2, which position provides for the delivery of water from the system at a higher pressure than would normally be provided by the pump without other aid, but delivery of water in lower volume. With the operation of the pump the water is sucked up through the well pipe and the connected pipe 10', past the check valve 17, into the box B, thence through the space opening 19 between the ends of the

housing sleeve portions

18 and 18, through the ports 30 of the valve member 20 around the nozzle 27, through the channel in the valve member 20 and through the pipe 11 to the pump P. The pump delivers the water through the pipe 12, a portion, but not all of which water is delivered through the pipe 13 into the tank T.

However, a portion of the water is also delivered through the branch pipe since the port 33 of the valve member is now in registration with the pipe 31 and pipe 15 and this water passes through the nozzle 27 forming a jet directed into the venturi tube portion of the valve member 20. This boosts the output of the pump in the well-known manner and causes the pump to function as a higher pressure jet pump. However, while the output from the pump is boosted in this manner the amount of water actually delivered into the tank T is less due to the fact that a considerable portion of this water passes back through the branch pipe 15 to produce the nozzle jet.

Next, let it be assumed that the valve member 20 is rotated to set the system for supplying water at a lower pressure but in greater volume for irrigating use. The rotation of the valve member 20 now closes the branch pipe 15 and also renders the nozzle 27 inoperative. At the same time the rotation of the valve member brings the ports 22 of the valve member into registration with the ports 23 of the housing sleeve portion 18, affording greater access into the valve channel from the box B. All the water drawn into the pump is now delivered into the tank, thus resulting in a greater volume of final output but under lower pressure.

The operation of the pump is controlled by a pressure switch on the tank T diagrammatically indicated at 43 in FIG. 1. The pressure switch is set for the higher pres sure at which the water for use in the house is desired. The pump will operate continually therefore if the water is being used for irrigation at the same rate at which it is being furnished under the low pressure system. When the water is no longer being used for irrigation or sprinkling, the pump continues operating until the pressure of the tank reaches the desired level (for example 65 pounds p.s.i.) at which pressure the pump then automatically will be shut ofi.

The top of the tank T constitutes an air chamber normally containing air under pressure. The top of the booster box B has an air vent 44 (FIG. 2) which leads into an air valve housing 45. An air valve member 46 (see also FIG. 7) allows air to pass from the box B and valve housing 45 through a pipe 47 to the tank T (see also FIG. 6). A valve 48 permits air to enter the tank T until there is maximum air pressure set up therein. In the form of this valve as illustrated in FIG. 6, the valve has a ball member which rolls by gravity down a short inclined channel until it is stopped by a pin 50. The air line 47 also has an external air valve 51 enabling outside air to be drawn into the line and into the tank T whenever the air pressure drops to a low level.

The check valve 17 for the pipe 10 in the box B is high enough up in the box so that the pump P will not go dry even if there is a leak in the pipe to the well. The outlet 14 from the tank T is above the inlet 13. The pump P is always full of water and thus no priming of the pump is ever required.

The nozzle 27 (FIG. 2) is readily removed from its place in the valve member 20 by removing the plug 25 and inserting a suitable tool to engage notches in the back wall of the nozzle, and nozzles with different size interior channels may be used as desired.

Various minor modifications would be possible in different parts of the booster assembly without departing from the principle of the invention, but the construction as herein illustrated and described has been found highly satisfactory in actual practice and is therefore regarded as the preferred form for carrying out the invention.

In a typical example in which this booster assembly has been installed on a small farm a moderate piece 1 /2 horsepower low pressure irrigation pump was utilized which had been capable of supplying water for irrigation use at the rate of 1800 gallons per hour but only under 45 pounds pressure which was not as high as was desired for household use. The connecting of the booster box into the water system in the manner illustrated made it possible to have the water furnished also at a desired pressure of 65 pounds when needed. While the volume output at the higher pressure was about half the output from the same pump at the lower pressure, the reduced volume at the high pressure was more than was needed for the household use. This example is mentioned only by way of illustration.

We claim:

1. In a water supply system in which a motor-driven pump operates to draw Water from a source and to deliver the water under pressure, a booster assembly for optionally increasing the pump discharge pressure including an enclosed suction fiow box interposed in the suction line between the Water source and the pump, an outlet for said suction line located within said box, a check valve in said suction line outlet, an outlet port for said box connected with the suction side of the pump, a valve housing in said box connected at one end to said box outlet port, a valve member mounted in saidhousing in said box for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis, said valve member having an interior channel, a venturi-shaped portion in said channel discharging into said box outlet port, said housing and said valve member provided with an open passageway leading from the interior of said box into said valve member channel at the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a nozzle mounted in said channel With its discharging tip extending into the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a chamber in said channel behind said nozzle, a nozzle supply pipe leading into said box and terminating in said valve housing at the wall of said channel chamber, an inlet port in said wall of said channel chamber adapted to be brought into registration with the termination of said nozzle supply pipe when said valve member is in one position, a discharge line leading from said pump to a storage tank, a branch pipe leading from said dis charge line to said nozzle supply pipe in said box, and manual control means on said box connected to said valve member for rotating said valve member selectively either into a first position in which said inlet port of said valve channel chamber will be in registration with said nozzle supply pipe, or into a second position in which said valve will close off said nozzle supply pipe outlet, whereby the moving of said valve into said first position with the Water supply system in operation will produce a jet effect by said nozzle thereby increasing the pump discharge pressure, and the moving of said valve into said second position will render said nozzle inactive and discontinue the pressure boosting jet.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the wall of said valve member in the venturi-shaped portion of said channel provided with a pair of diametrically opposite inlet ports, and with said housing for said valve member having a corresponding pair of openings so positioned as to be in registration With said latter mentioned ports respectively when said valve member is rotated to said second position to close off said nozzle supply pipe.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 with said suction line outlet in said box located a distance above said valve member and said housing for said valve member.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 with an air vent in the top of said box, an air chamber and valve connected with said vent, an air line connecting said air vent chamber with the upper portion of said storage tank, an air inlet valve leading into said tank from said air line, and an outside air inlet valve leading into said air line.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 with said nozzle removably mounted in said channel of said valve member and with a removable plug forming the end Wall of said chamber in said valve channel opposite said nozzle.

6. In a Water supply system in which a motor-driven pump operates to draw Water from a source and to deliver the Water under pressure, a booster assembly for optionally increasing the pump discharge pressure including an enclosed suction flow box interposed in the suction line between the water source and the pump, an outlet for said suction line from said source located Within said box, a check valve in said suction line, an outlet port for said box, said box outlet port connected with the suction side of the pump, a valve housing in said box connected at one end to said box outlet port, a valve member movably mounted within said housing, said valve member having an interior channel, a venturi-shaped portion in said channel discharging into said box outlet port, said housing and said valve member provided with an open passageway leading from the interior of said box into said valve member channel at the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a nozzle removably mounted in said channel with is discharging tip extending into the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a chamber in said channel behind said nozzle, a removable plug forming the closure outlet end of said chamber, a nozzle supply pipe leading into said box and terminating in said valve housing at the Wall of said channel chamber, an inlet port in said wall of said channel chamber adapted to be brought into registration with the termination of said nozzle supply pipe when said valve member is in one position, said valve member closing oit said nozzle supply pipe when said valve member is moved to a second position, a discharge line leading from said pump to a storage tank, a branch pipe leading from said discharge line to said nozzle supply pipe in said box, the wall of said valve member at the venturi-shaped portion of said channel provided with a pair of diametrically opposite inlet ports, said housing for said valve member having a corresponding pair of openings so positioned as to be in registration with said latter mentioned ports respectively When said valve member is moved to said second position, said suction line outlet located in said box a distance above said valve member and said housing for said valve member, an air vent in the top of said box, air valve means connected with said air vent, and manual control means on said box connected to said valve member for moving said valve member selectively either into said first mentioned position, whereby the moving of said valve member into said first position will cause a jet ettect to be produced by the discharge of water through said nozzle and increase the pump discharge pressure and the moving of said valve member into said second position will render said nozzle inactive and discontinue the boosting of said pump discharge pressure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,772 7/1942 Gilman et al 1035 X 2,425,952 8/ 1947 Samelson 1()35 X 2,519,158 8/1950 Symmons 137-604 X 2,615,397 10/1952 Conery 1035 2,634,680 4/1953 Schleyer 1035 2,642,813 6/1953 Woodruff et al 103-271 2,794,447 6/ 1957 Spitz 103272 X 2,990,778 7/1961 Deters 1035 X 3,225,696 12/1965 Brigman 1035 X 3,316,846 5/1967 Bender 10341 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

WARREN KRAUSS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN WHICH A MOTOR-DRIVEN PUMP OPERATES TO DRAW WATER FROM A SOURCE AND TO DELIVER THE WATER PRESSURE, A BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FOR OPTIONALLY INCREASING THE PUMP DISCHARGE PRESSURE INCLUDING AN ENCLOSED SUCTION FLOW BOX INTERPOSED IN THE SUCTION LINE BETWEEN THE WATER SOURCE AND THE PUMP, AN OUTLET FOR SAID SUCTION LINE LOCATED WITHIN SAID BOX, A CHECK VALVE IN SAID SUCTION LINE OUTLET, AND OUTLET PORT FOR SAID BOX CONNECTED WITH THE SUCTION SIDE OF THE PUMP, A VALVE HOUSING IN SAID BOX CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID BOX OUTLET PORT, A VALVE MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING IN SAID BOX FOR ROTATION ON A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING AN INTERIOR CHANNEL, A VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION IN SAID CHANNEL DISCHARGING INTO SAID BOX OUTLET PORT, SAID HOUSING AND SAID VALVE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN PASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID BOX INTO SAID VALVE MEMBER CHANNEL AT THE INTAKE SECTION OF SAID VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION, A NOZZLE MOUNTED IN SAID CHANNEL WITH ITS DISCHARGING TIP EXTENDING INTO THE INTAKE SECTION OF SAID VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION, A CHAMBER IN SAID CHANNEL BEHIND SAID NOZZLE, A NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE LEADING INTO SAID BOX AND TERMINATING IN SAID VALVE HOUSING AT THE WALL OF SAID CHANNEL CHAMBER, AN INLET PORT IN SAID WALL OF SAID CHANNEL CHAMBER ADAPTED TO BE BROUGHT INTO REGISTRATION WITH THE TERMINATION OF SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN ONE POSITION, A DISCHARGE LINE LEADING FROM SAID PUMP TO A STORAGE TANK, A BRANCH PIPE LEADING FROM SAID DISCHARGE LINE TO SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE IN SAID BOX, AND MANUAL CONTROL MEANS ON SAID BOX CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR ROTATING SAID VALVE MEMBER SELECTIVELY EITHER INTO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID INLET PORT OF SAID VALVE CHANNEL CHAMBER WILL BE IN REGISTRATION WITH SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE, OR INTO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID VALVE WILL CLOSE OFF SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE OUTLET, WHEREBY THE MOVING OF SAID VALVE INTO SAID FIRST POSITION WITH THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN OPERATION WILL PRODUCE A JET EFFECT BY SAID NOZZLE THEREBY INCREASING THE PUMP DISCHARGE PRESSURE, AND THE MOVING OF SAID VALVE INTO SAID SECOND POSITION WILL RENDER SAID NOZZLE INACTIVE AND DISCONTINUE THE PRESSURE BOOSTING JET.