Abstract A pump assembly comprises a principal or first cylinder with a uniformly reciprocating first piston and a suction line and a pressure or exit line governed by valve means at the end of each piston stroke, and auxiliary or second cylinder having at most one-half of the capacity of the first cylinder and a uniformly reciprocating second piston cooperating with a connecting line leading into said pressure line. The second piston reciprocates in phase with but adversely to the first piston thus sucking a portion of liquid pressed by the first piston into the pressure line and on its return movement presses said liquidal portion into the common pressure line while the first piston sucks liquid into the first cylinder whereby a uniform or programmed movement of liquid in the pressure or exit line is insured.
A small capacity uniform discharge rate pump assembly comprising a first pump and a second pump, each of said pumps having a reciprocating piston in a cylinder and a port communicating with the interior of said cylinder, said pump assembly including an inlet passage and an outlet passage and rotary valve means, first means for conducting fluid between said inlet passage and said valve means, second means for conducting fluid between said valve means and said second pump port, said outlet passage communicating with said second fluid-conducting means said first pump port communicating with said valve means, said rotary valve means including a rotary valve element having an interior passage having an inlet and outlet spaced from each other around the circumference of said valve element, said passage being arranged for communicating exclusively between said first conducting means and said first pump port in a first rotary position and exclusively between said second conducting means and said first pump port in a second rotary position, said first conducting means communicating with said valve means on the opposite side of said pump port from said second conducting means, said first and second conducting means having substantially equal angular spacing from said pump port for mutually exclusive alternate alignment with said passage inlet and outlet upon equal rotation of said valve element in opposite directions with respect to said first pump port, and means for intermittently rotating said valve element between said first and second positions, said pistons of said first and second pump means being movable in mutually opposite directions, said second pump means having a volumetric working capacity of substantially one-half of the volumetric working capacity of said first pump means, said first and second pump means operating in timed relation with movement of said rotary valve element between said first and second positions, said second pump means drawing onehalf of the fluid discharge of said first pump means during the suction stroke of said second pump means, said second pump means discharging through said outlet passage fluid drawn during the preceding suction stroke, whereby fluid is pumped through said outlet passage alternately from said first pump means and said second pump means at a substantially uniform rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
368 words
A small capacity uniform discharge rate pump assembly comprising a first pump and a second pump, each of said pumps having a reciprocating piston in a cylinder and a port communicating with the interior of said cylinder, said pump assembly including an inlet passage and an outlet passage and rotary valve means, first means for conducting fluid between said inlet passage and said valve means, second means for conducting fluid between said valve means and said second pump port, said outlet passage communicating with said second fluid-conducting means said first pump port communicating with said valve means, said rotary valve means including a rotary valve element having an interior passage having an inlet and outlet spaced from each other around the circumference of said valve element, said passage being arranged for communicating exclusively between said first conducting means and said first pump port in a first rotary position and exclusively between said second conducting means and said first pump port in a second rotary position, said first conducting means communicating with said valve means on the opposite side of said pump port from said second conducting means, said first and second conducting means having substantially equal angular spacing from said pump port for mutually exclusive alternate alignment with said passage inlet and outlet upon equal rotation of said valve element in opposite directions with respect to said first pump port, and means for intermittently rotating said valve element between said first and second positions, said pistons of said first and second pump means being movable in mutually opposite directions, said second pump means having a volumetric working capacity of substantially one-half of the volumetric working capacity of said first pump means, said first and second pump means operating in timed relation with movement of said rotary valve element between said first and second positions, said second pump means drawing onehalf of the fluid discharge of said first pump means during the suction stroke of said second pump means, said second pump means discharging through said outlet passage fluid drawn during the preceding suction stroke, whereby fluid is pumped through said outlet passage alternately from said first pump means and said second pump means at a substantially uniform rate.