Pumps

Claim 1

A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND CASING COMPONENTS DEFINING A PUMP CHAMBER, THE FIRST CASING COMPONENT HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT FACE PRESENTED INWARDLY TO THE CHAMBER, THE FACE HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE THEREIN, THE SECOND CASING COMPONENT BEING FORMED IN SHEET METAL TO A DISHED CONFIGURATION HAVING A BASE AND A PERIPHERAL WALL, RELEASABLE MEANS TO HOLD THE COMPONENTS IN ASSEMBLED RELATION WITH SAID BASE OPPOSITE SAID FACE AND SAID PERIPHERAL WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BASE AND THE FACE, COMPLEMENTARY CIRCULAR SEALING FORMATIONS ON THE PERIPHERAL WALL AND AROUND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FACE, THE FORMATIONS DEFINING A PERIPHERAL CAVITY EXTENDING FROM THE PUMP CHAMBER WHEN THE COMPONENTS ARE IN ASSEMBLED RELATION, A SEALING GASKET RECEIVED IN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CAVITY, AN IMPELLER SHAFT EXTENDING INTO THE CHAMBER THROUGH SAID APERTURE, AN UNSHROUDED IMPELLER ON SAID SHAFT, THE IMPELLER HAVING A HUB AND THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID IMPELLER BEING LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE CIRCLE DEFINED BY THE SEALING FORMATIONS, WHEREBY THE CASING COMPONENTS CAN BE ASSEMBLED TOGETHER AND DISASSEMBLED WITH THE IMPELLER ON THE SHAFT, RELEASABLE MEANS ENGAGING THE HUB PORTION OF THE SHAFT TO SECURE THE IMPELLER TO THE SHAFT, A NON-ROTATABLE SEAL FACE IN SEALING RELATION WITH THE FIRST COMPONENT, SAID SEAL FACE SURROUNDING THE APERTURE AND STANDING PROUD OF SAID FLAT FACE, A SEAL MEMBER SURROUNDING THE IMPELLER SHAFT WITHIN THE CHAMBER AND PROVIDING A SEAL FACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID STATIONARY SEAL FACE, SAID SEAL MEMBER BEING LOCATED AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT ON THE SHAFT BETWEEN SAID STATIONARY SEAL FACE AND THE BUB AND BEING IN GRIPPING SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHAFT WHEREBY THE SEAL FACE OF THE SEAL MEMBER ROTATES WITH THE SHAFT, RESILIENT MEANS OF THE SEAL MEMBER URGING THE SEAL FACES INTO CONTACT AND BLADES ON THE IMPELLER HAVING PORTIONS WHICH SWEEP OUT A PATH SURROUNDING THE OUTER EDGES OF THE SEAL FACES TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE FLOW OF LIQUID AROUND SAID EDGES DURING OPERATION OF THE PUMP.