Fluid handling apparatus

Claim 1

In fluid control apparatus, the combination comprising: fixed means including a stationary seal seat; a member rotatable with respect to said fixed means; and a seal fixed to said member in a position to slide against said seat, said seal and seat being annular and concentric with the axis of rotation of said member, said fixed means including a bearing assembly, a drive shaft rotatable in said bearing assembly, said member being a hollow cylindrical cup to fit over the end of said shaft each having a pair of flat surfaces so that rotation of said shaft causes rotation of said cup, said seal being resilient, said member having an outer cylindrical surface, said seal having an unstressed inside diameter smaller than that of said surface to provide for an interference fit on said surface, said member having an outwardly extending flange contiguous to said seal, positioning means to prevent said member from moving away from said seat, said positioning means being located to maintain said seal in axial compression against said seat, said positioning means being fixed with said bearing assembly, a pump body fixed to said bearing assembly, said body having an approximately cylindrical cavity therein concentric with the axis of said shaft, said cavity having an opening on opposite sides thereof through said body, said seat being sealed in a fluid-tight manner about one of said openings, a resilient impeller in said cavity having radially projecting blades to engage the cylindrical internal surface of said cavity, said impeller having a hollow insert molded therein at the center thereof, said insert being made of a material hard in comparison to that of said impeller, said cup having one end closed, said cup having a reduced diameter portion at said closed end, said shaft terminating at said reduced diameter portion, said reduced diameter portion and said insert each having a mating pair of flat surfaces to cause rotation of said impeller in unison with rotation of said member, a plate to cover said other cavity opening, said impeller being in axial compression between a wall of said cavity and said plate, a plurality of bolts to hold said bearing assembly, said body and said plate in fixed positions relative to each other, said body having a flat surface perpendicular to the axis of said shaft, said plate having a flat surface engaged with the flat surface of said body, and an O-ring seal around said other opening in compression between said body and said plate.