Bellows Pump

Abstract

This invention relates to a bellows-type pump connected to a cable and loed into surrounding waters for operation as the cable is moved up and down due to wave action or mechanically. A plate secured relative to the bellows is constrained against movement by the water thereby compressing and releasing the bellows from compression to provide pumping action.

Description

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a pump and more particular to a pump which is operative under water without the provision of any motive power.

Heretofore, various type pumps have been used under water which require an electric motor of some other means for producing pumping action. Other pumps have been disclosed which make use of wave motion for pumping action. These pumps secure the body against movement under the water and a rod extending to a float that moves up and down by wave action operates a piston that pumps the water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a pump operative under water due to wave action for the purpose of pumping water through a filter located at a predetermined depth in order to obtain samples of the trace elements at the predetermined depth. The pump elements are secured in a housing to which a flat plate is movably secured relative thereto. The housing is secured to a cable which is secured to a ship or some other floating means. The cable moves the pump housing and the flat plate being restrained by the surrounding water operates the pump elements. The pumps are secured to a manifold to which water flows through the filter in a line to the manifold. A flow meter is also provided in the incoming line to measure the amount of water passing through the filter.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a water pump which makes use of surrounding water for its pumping action.

Another object is to provide a pump which is easy to operate with very few moving parts and which requires no stopping motive force.

Yet another object is to provide a pump which enables one to obtain trace element samples from a predetermined depth in a body of water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pump taken through the basic elements;

FIG. 2 is a top view; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the pump in a system for obtaining trace element samples.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to the drawing there is shown by illustration a filter pump assembled in accordance with the teaching of this invention. As shown, bellows-type pump elements 11--14 are assembled within a frame 10. The frame includes an upper plate 15 and a lower plate 16 separated and held together by standoff bolts 17 which are provided with threaded ends 18 to which nuts 19 are screw threaded onto each of their ends. The standoff bolts are larger in diameter between the upper and lower plates than on the threaded ends to provide shoulders which hold the plates apart.

The outer ends of the bellows pump elements are secured to a plate 21 which is secured to the frame by suitable bolts 22 which pass through the plate 21 and the frame member. Nuts 23 secure the bolts in place to hold the plates 21 and bellows pumps in place within the frame. The pump elements are secured between the upper and lower bars such that pump elements 11 and 13 and pump elements 12 and 14 are oppositely disposed in axial alignment with each other with their inner ends adjacent each other. The inner ends of each of the bellows pump elements may or may not be secured to a large thin rigid metal pressure plate 24 which may be rectangular, circular or any other desired shape. (The bellows may be provided with springs therein for the purpose of expanding the bellows.) The plate is provided with apertures 25 through which each of the standoff bolts pass so that the plate has free up and down movement relative to the upper and lower frame elements. Each of the apertures in the plate through which the standoff bolts pass have secured thereto an elongated slide or guide 26 which has an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the standoff bolts in order to permit free movement relative to the standoff bolts. As shown, the slide elements may be cylindrical and made of two pieces which are screw threaded together in order to assemble the plate at the midpoint of the guide. The guides may be any other shape and with any other means provided to assemble the guides around the standoff bolts so long as they provide free up and down movement of the plate relative to the standoff bolts. The lengths of the guides may be such as to limit the compressional movement or stroke of the pump elements to about 50 percent of their length.

Each of the bellows pump elements are provided with an one-way inlet valve 31 and an one-way outlet valve 32. The inlet valve permits water to enter the bellows and the outlet valve permits water to leave the bellows.

The upper and lower frame members are provided with an aperture 33 at their midpoint through which a cable 34 passes. Each frame element is also provided with a tab 35 adjacent aperture 33 which has secured thereto a cable clamp 36 for the purpose of securing each of the frame elements to the cable. Of course, the center plate 24 must have an aperture 37 through the middle thereof through which the cable passes thereby permitting free movement of the plate. The aperture 37 in the plate must be of sufficient size that the plate moves up and down freely along the cable. A weight 38 is secured to the lower end of the cable to hold the cable taut when the upper end is connected to a ship or any other device with the pumps lowered into the water at a desired depth.

On assembly, the bellows 11 and 12 may be secured to the upper frame element and the lower bellows 13 and 14 secured to the lower frame member. The pressure plate slide elements are secured to the pressure plate and the standoff bolts are passed through the pressure plate slides. The upper and lower frames may then be secured in place by the standoff bolts with the bellows directed toward each other and with the pressure plate between the bellows. The pump assembly may then be connected to the cable by passing the end of the cable through the upper frame element, the pressure plate and then the lower frame element. The cable clamps are then secured to the cable to hold the pump assembly in place.

FIG. 3 illustrates a filter system with which the pumps may be used. The system includes an inlet line 41 through which water passes through a filter element 42 and then through an in-line flow meter 43 to measure the amount of water that passes through the filter. From the flow meter, the water enters a manifold 44 from which separate lines are connected with an inlet to each of the bellows pump. The outlet side of the flow meter could operate as the manifold.

In operation, a weight is secured to the lower end of the cable and the pump frame assembly is secured to the cable at any desired position. The cable is then lowered from a ship or other means to position the pump assembly at a desired depth within the water. During the lowering of the pump assembly there will be no pumping action, however, the inlet line and the bellows pump will fill up with water due to the water pressure. Once the pump assembly has been lowered to its desired position, pumping action will begin. Pumping action is produced by vertical movement of the cable brought about through wave action or through rocking motion of the ship due to wave action. As the ship moves to lift the cable and the pump frame secured thereto, drag is produced on the pressure plate by the surrounding water due to its relative large area. The pressure plate due to drag compresses bellows 13 and 14 to force water out through the outlet. While compressing bellows 13 and 14, bellows 11 and 12 will be extended against the pressure plate permitting water to enter bellows 11 and 12 through the inlet valves. As the ship rolls to lower the cable, the weight pulls the cable and frame assembly downwardly. This applies a drag on the pressure plate in the opposite direction thereby compressing bellows 11 and 12 to force water out of bellows 11 and 12. During compression of bellows 11 and 12, bellows 13 and 14 will be extended against the pressure plate permitting water to enter bellows 13 and 14. During up and down motion of the ship, a drag is produced on the pressure plate due to the surrounding water to either extend or compress the bellows depending on the direction of movement of the cable. Therefore, pumping action is maintained as long as the ship produces up and down motion on the cable. During movement of the cable, the pressure plate remains substantially stationary due to the drag and the pump housing moves with the cable.

The cable could be secured to a winch and the winch moved up and down for a desired up and down motion. This would permit operation in calm or smooth surface water. Also the cable could be moored to a buoy or any other device which will move up and down with the wave motion.

Since the water passes through the filter prior to passing through the flow meter and the bellows valves, most of the contaminants will be removed by the filter and will not have a deleterious effect on the meter or the valves. Since a meter is provided, one will know the amount of trace elements collected for the measured flow.

Since the frame, bellows, pressure plate, valves, etc. are to operate in water, the elements should be made of a material which will have the least corrosive effect due to the water.

In use, an assembly may be made with more than four bellows pumps such as six, eight or more, also, a pump assembly may be placed at any desired depth to collect trace elements of the water. More than one assembly may be used by spacing separate pump assemblies at desired distances along the cable to obtain samples simultaneously from different depths. Of course, too many units cannot be assembled onto one cable because the drag on the many pressure plates would prevent up and down movement of the cable. Obviously, vertical movement is necessary for the pumps to operate since the bellows depend on the drag on the pressure plate for compression and extension of the bellows elements.

The pump as been described as useful for collecting trace elements. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the pump may be used for pumping the bilge of a boat, a floating platform, a buoy or any other floating object which may require pumping of water or any other fluid. Further the pump may be operated in a fluid other than water for pumping other types of fuels.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

What we claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A pump unit operative to pump a fluid within which the pump unit is surrounded; which comprises,

a frame,

said frame including upper and lower narrow plates with standoff bolts secured between said narrow plates to secure said narrow plates in place,

at least one pair of oppositely disposed pump elements secured in axial alignment within said frame with their axis normal to said upper and lower narrow plates,

a one-way inlet valve and a one-way outlet valve in each of said pump elements to permit fluid flow into and out of said pump elements,

a flat plate means secured between said pump elements normal to their axis,

said plate means having a large flat surface area compared with the area of said pump element secured to said flat plate,

said flat plate extending outwardly of said frame and operative for movement along said standoff bolts relative to said upper and lower narrow frame plates in order to provide pumping action of said pump elements.

2. A pump unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said pump elements are bellows.

3. A pump unit as claimed in claim 1; which includes, means for securing said pump unit onto a cable.

4. A pump unit as claimed in claim 1; wherein:

one pump element of each pair is secured to said upper plate and the other pump element of each pair of pump elements is secured to said lower plate.

5. A pump unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein,

each of said pump elements are bellows.