Bladeless pump impeller

Claim 2

An impeller especially adapted to pump liquids containing substantial quantities of suspended solids, comprising: a. a tubular body open at both ends and throughout the interior thereof and having a central axis; b. said body having adjacent one end thereof a wall portion of cylindrical section defining a circular inlet; c. said body having at the opposite end thereof a wall portion of generally oblong section defining the outlet of the impeller; d. the maximum diameter of said oblong wall portion being substantially greater than the minimum diameter thereof and the diameter of said inlet; e. the interior of said body defining a continuous axially extending pumping channel having a continuous, gradual, and smooth transition, free of internal blading, from said circular inlet wall portion to said oblong outlet wall portion, said pumping channel having a substantially uniformly increasing oblong cross section in the plane of rotation from said inlet toward said outlet; f. and hub means on said body for mounting said body on a shaft for rotation on said axis to subject liquid in the interior of said body to increasingly positive rotation normal to said central axis, as the shape of the fluid column gradually becomes increasingly oblong in said pumping channel, said rotation causing such liquid to flow from said inlet to said outlet.

Claim 3

An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein the minimum diameter of said oblong portion is substantially the same as the diameter of said inlet.

Claim 4

An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein said hub means comprise extensions on one end of said body.

Claim 5

An impeller as deFined in claim 1 wherein said hub means comprise extensions on said oblong wall portion, and a hub portion connected between the outer ends of said extensions externally of said body.

Claim 6

An impeller as defined in claim 1 comprising skirt portions forming external continuations of said oblong portion and cooperating therewith to impart a circular external outline to said body at all radial section lines along said axis.

Claim 7

An impeller as defined in claim 5 comprising means closing the interiors of said skirt portions substantially flush with the outlet end of said body.

Claim 8

An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein the external outline of said body in radial section varies progressively from circular at said inlet to said oblong section at the outlet end of said body.

Claim 9

An impeller especially adapted to pump liquids containing substantial quantities of suspended solids, comprising: a. a tubular body open at both ends and throughout the interior thereof and having a central axis; b. the outer wall of said body having a substantially symmetrical frustoconical shape; c. the smaller end of said body defining a circular inlet to the impeller; d. a pair of partition means extending within said body in symmetrically opposed relation from a location adjacent said inlet to the opposite end of said body; e. said partition means cooperating with portions of said outer wall to define a generally oblong outlet from said body having a maximum diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said inlet; f. the interior of said body defining a continuous axially extending pumping channel having a continuous, gradual, and smooth transition, free of internal blading, from said circular inlet to said oblong outlet, said pumping channel having a substantially uniformly increasing oblong cross section in the plane of rotation from said inlet toward said outlet; g. and hub means on said body for mounting said body on a shaft for rotation on said axis to subject liquid in the interior of said body to increasingly positive rotation normal to said central axis, as the shape of the fluid column gradually becomes increasingly oblong in said pumping channel, said rotation causing such liquid to flow from said inlet to said outlet.

Claim 10

An impeller especially adapted to pump liquids containing substantial quantities of suspended solids, comprising: a. a tubular body open at both ends and throughout the interior thereof and having a central axis; b. the outer wall of said body having a substantially symmetrical frustoconical shape; c. the smaller end of said body defining a circular inlet to the impeller; d. a pair of partition means extending within said body in symmetrically opposed relation from a location adjacent said inlet to the opposite end of said body; e. said partition means cooperating with portions of said outer wall to define a generally oblong outlet from said body having a maximum diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said inlet; f. the interior of said body defining a continuous axially extending pumping channel having a continuous, gradual, and smooth transition, free of internal blading, from said circular inlet to said oblong outlet, said pumping channel having a substantially uniformly increasing oblong cross section in the plane of rotation from said inlet toward said outlet; g. and hub means on said body for mounting said body on a shaft for rotation on said axis to subject liquid in the interior of said body to increasingly positive rotation normal to said central axis, as the shape of the fluid column gradually becomes increasingly oblong in said pumping channel, said rotation causing such liquid to flow from said inlet to said outlet.

Claim 11

An impeller as defined in claim 8 wherein said hub means comprise extensions on said partition means, and a hub portion connected between the outer ends of said extensions and cooperating therewith to define a pair of radially directed discharge ports from said outlet.

Claim 12

An impeller as defined in claim 9 comprising cylindrically curved skirt portions extending axially beyond said body from the larger end thereof substantially coextensive with said extensions on said partition means, said skirt portions cooperating with said extensions and with said hub portion to enclose the spaces between said partition means and the surrounding wall portions of said body.