Flexible hose pump with resiliently pressed rollers

Claim 1

A PUMP FOR PUMPING LIQUIDS OR A MIXTURE OF LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS, WHICH PUMP COMPRISES: (A) A CONCAVE, ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE, (B) A PAIR OF UPRIGHT, SPACED APART END PLATES, ONE SECURED TO EACH END OF SAID CONCAVE, ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE, (1) A BEARING HOUSING MOUNTED ON EACH SAID END PLATE EXTERIORLY THEREOF, (2) EACH SAID END PLATE HAVING A TRANSVERSE, SLOTTED OPENING FORMED THEREIN FOR A PORTION OF THE WIDTH THEREOF, (A) EACH SAID SLOTTED OPENING LYING IN A PLANE WHICH PASSES MEDIALLY THROUGH EACH SAID SLOTTED OPENING AND THROUGH AN AXIS COMMON TO THE CONCAVE FACE OF SAID ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE, (C) A ROLLER ASSEMBLY, (1) A DRIVE SHAFT, (A) A BEARING ON EACH END OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, EACH BEARING BEING RECEIVED BY ONE SAID BEARING HOUSING ON THE RESPECTIVE END PLATES, (2) HUBS MOUNTED ON AND SECURED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT IN SPACED APART RELATION, (A) RADIAL BARS MOUNTED ON EACH SAID HUB, (3) ROLLER SHAFTS JOINING THE RESPECTIVE OUTER ENDS OF CORRESPONDING RADIAL BARS OF SAID HUBS AND BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, (4) A SPRING SURROUNDING EACH SAID RADIAL BAR AND BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID RESPECTIVE HUBS AND THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID ROLLER SHAFT TO URGE SAID ROLLER SHAFT OUTWARDLY, (A) ROLLER SHAFT RETAINING MEANS ON THE DISTAL END OF EACH SAID RADIAL BAR TO LIMIT THE OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE ROLLER SHAFTS, (5) A ROLLER MOUNTED ON EACH SAID ROLLER SHAFT, (D) SCREW THREADED BOLT MEANS ON EACH SAID BEARING HOUSING, (1) THREADED NUT MEANS THREADABLY ENGAGING EACH SAID BOLT MEANS TO HOLD SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY IN SAID BEARING HOUSINGS, (E) A MANIFOLD POSITIONED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID CONCAVE, ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE, (1) SAID MANIFOLD HAVING AN INLET OPENING FORMED THEREIN, (A) A CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID INLET OPENING OF SAID MANIFOLD, (2) SAID MANIFOLD HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLET OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, (3) AN ELASTOMER HOSE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO EACH SAID OUTLET OPENING OF SAID MANIFOLD IN SECURE RELATION AND EXTENDING IN RELATIVELY CLOSE FITTING RELATION AROUND SAID CONCAVE, ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE, (A) MEANS ANCHORING SAID ELASTOMER HOSE ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID CONCAVE, ARCUATE BACK-UP PLATE OPPOSITE SAID MANIFOLD, AND (B) THE ROLLERS OF SAID ROLLER ASSEMBLY, UPON ROTATION, WILL ALTERNATELY COMPRESS AND RELEASE SAID ELASTOMER HOSE TO CREATE SUCTION WHICH WILL DRAW LIQUID INTO SAID ELASTOMER HOSE, WHICH LIQUID WILL DISCHARGE FROM SAID ELASTOMER HOSE AT THE ENDS THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID MANIFOLD.