Pumping device

Claim 1

IN FLUID DISPLACEMENT APPARATUS, A HOUSING HAVING AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER FORMED THEREIN; BELLOWS MEANS SECURED TO SAID HOUSING FOR DIVIDING SAID CHAMBER INTO A FIRST PORTION FOR CONTAINING A FLUID ON ONE SIDE OF SAID BELLOWS MEANS AND INTO A SECOND PORTION FOR CONTAINING A FLUID TO BE PUMPED,SAID FIRST PORTION HAVING WALLS DEFINING A COUNTERBORED COMPARTMENT WITH A SHOULDER, SAID BELLOWS AND RIGID END PLATE SECURED TO SAID CYLINDRICAL BELLOWS AND RIGID END PLATE SECURED TO SAID BELLOWS; A PLUNGER RECIPROCABLY DISPOSED IN A PORTION OF SAID COMPARTMENT FOR ALTERNATELY RAISING AND LOWERING THE PRESSURE OF THE FLUID THEREIN AND EFFECTING A CORRESPONDING ALTERNATE EXTENSION OF THE BELLOWS MEANS INTO AND OUT OF SAID SECOND PORTION; FLUID INLET AND OUTLET MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SECOND PORTION FOR PASSAGE OF THE FLUID TO BE PUMPED THERETHROUGH; A RING MEMBER SECURED TO SAID BELLOWS AND DISPOSED AT AN END OF SAID COUNTERBORED COMPARTMENT, SAID RING MEMBER HAVING A BEARING SURFACE; AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE WALLS OF SAID BELLOWS, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MEMBER HAVING A PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED WITHIN SAID WALLS AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FORMED THERETHROUGH, SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BEING INTERGRAL WITH SAID END PLATE, AND FLANGE MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER FOR LIMITING THE MAXIMUM EXTENSION AND CONTRACTION OF SAID BELLOWS, SAID FLANGE MEANS ENGAGING SAID SHOULDER UPON THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE BETWEEN THE FLUID IN SAID FIRST PORTION AND THE FLUID IN SAID SECOND PORTION REACHING A FIRST PREDETERMINED VALUE AS A RESULT OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER, SAID FLANGE MEANS ENGAGING SAID BEARING SURFACE UPON SAID DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE REACHING A SECOND PREDETERMINED VALUE.