Flexible-vaned centrifugal pump

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE-VANED, COMBINATION POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT AND CENTRIFUGAL PUMP INCLUDING: (A) A HOUSING PROVIDED THEREIN WITH AN IMPELLER CHAMBER HAVING AN AXIS AND HAVING AXIALLY SPACED END WALLS AND A PERIPHERAL WALL; (B) AN IMPELLER IN SAID CHAMBER AND ROTATABLE THEREIN ABOUT SAID AXIS IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION AND PROVIDED WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, FLEXIBLE, ELASTOMERIC VANES EACH HAVING AXIALLY SPACED EDGES RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID END WALLS AND AN OUTER END ENGAGING SAID PERIPHERAL WALL, THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID VANES BEING UNOBSTRUCTED; (C) SAID PERIPHERAL WALL INCLUDING AN INLET CAM SURFACE OF INCREASING RADIUS RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS IN SAID DIRECTION OF ROTATION, AND INCLUDING AN OUTLET CAM SURFACE OF DECREASING RADIUS RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS IN SAID DIRECTION OF ROTATION; (D) SAID HOUSING BEING PROVIDED WITH A BIFURCATED INLET PASSAGE ORIENTED GENERALLY TANGENTIALLY OF SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING BRANCHES RESPECTIVELY TERMINATING IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING INLET PORTS IN SAID END WALLS JUST RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE INNER ENDS OF SAID VANES AND SPACED FROM THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID VANES, SAID PORTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY, WITH SAID INLET CAM SURFACE, SAID BRANCHES HAVING AXIALLY OUTER WALLS WITH TERMINAL PORTIONS CURVING AXIALLY INWARDLY TOWARD SAID IMPELLER TO SMOOTHLY IMPART AXIALLY INWARD COMPONENTS OF MOTION TO FLUID PASSING THERETHROUGH TO INSURE COMPLETE FILLING OF THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID VANES, SAID BRANCHES AND SAID PORTS HAVING SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME TO MINIMIZE RESISTANCE TO FLOW SO THAT FLUID ENTERS SAID SPACES WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL COMPONENT OF MOTION APPROACHING THE SPEED OF SAID IMPELLER THEREBY INSURING SMOOTH, EFFICIENT FLOW; (E) SAID OUTLET CAM SURFACE BEING PROVIDED THEREIN WITH AN OUTLET PORT; AND (F) SAID HOUSING BEING PROVIDED THEREIN WITH AN OUTLET PASSAGE ORIENTED GENERALLY TANGENTIALLY OF SAID CHAMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTLET PORT, THEREBY INSURING A SMOOTH DISCHARGE AND MAINTAINING MAXIMUM ENERGY IN THE DISCHARGED FLUID.