Multistage, turbine driven booster pump system

Claim 1

A PUMPING SYSTEM FOR THE PUMPING OF A LIQUID WITH BAD CAVITATION CHARACTERISTICS COMPRISING: (A) A CONTAINER FOR THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED; (B) MAIN PUMP MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED; (C) A FIRST STAGE TURBINE DRIVEN BOOSTER PUMP MEANS OF THE ROTARY TYPE DISPOSED BELOW THE MAIN PUMP MEANS; (D) THE INLET OF THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE DRIVEN BOOSTER PUMP MEANS DISPOSED IN THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED; (E) SECOND STAGE TURBINE DRIVEN BOOSTER PUMP MEANS OF THE ROTARY TYPE DISPOSED BELOW THE MAIN PUMP MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE DRIVEN BOOSTER PUMP MEANS; (F) THE OUTLET OF THE SECOND STAGE TURBINE DRIVEN BOOSTER PUMP MEANS CONNECTED TO THE MAIN PUMP MEANS TO SUPPLY LIQUID TO BE PUMPED THERETO; (G) BY-PASS CONDUIT MEANS COMPRISING: (1) A MAIN BY-PASS CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE MAIN PUMP; (2) A FIRST BRANCH CONDUIT CONNECTING THE MAIN BYPASS CONDUIT TO THE INLET OF THE FIRST STAGE BOOSTER PUMP MEANS; (3) A SECOND BRANCH CONDUIT EXTENDING FROM THE MAIN BY-PASS CONDUIT TO THE INLET OF THE SECOND STAGE BOOSTER PUMP MEANS; (H) CONTROL VALVE MEANS COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BY-PASS CONDUIT MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO THE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID TO BE PUMPED WITHIN THE CONTAINER THEREFOR TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF THE LIQUID BY-PASSED FROM THE MAIN PUMP MEANS TO DRIVE THE FIRST AND THE SECOND STAGE BOOSTER PUMP MEANS; AND (I) THE FIRST AND THE SECOND STAGE BOOSTER PUMP MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO OPERATE AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND WITH DIFFERENT DISCHARGE HEADS WHILE PUMPING THE SAME QUANTITIES OF LIQUID TO PREVENT CAVITATION AND LIQUID VAPORIZATION OF THE LIQUID PUMPED.