Submersible pump

Claim 2

A submersible pump comprising: a unitary, one piece motor housing having an opening therein; a motor positioned in the motor housing; an apertured closure member positioned across and closing the opening in the unitary housing; shaft means drivingly connected to the motor and extending through the aperture in the closure member; an apertured, back support plate bonded to said closure member and surrounding said shaft means; an impeller keyed to said shaft means and positioned on the opposite side of said back support plate from said closure member; an impeller housing around said impeller and having an inlet opening and a discharge opening therein; a sealing gasket positioned between said impeller housing and said back support plate and sealingly engaging said shaft means; an impeller backup plate positioned in said housing between said impeller and said sealing gasket and surrounding said shaft means; and fastening means interconnecting said back support plate and said impeller housing and drawing the impeller housing toward said back support plate to compress the sealing gasket therebetween.

Claim 3

An electric pump comprising: a motor housing open at one side and having a power lead line opening therein spaced from the open side of the housing; an electric motor positioned inside the housing and having a shaft extending toward the open side of the housing and a power lead line extending through the power lead line opening; means securing the motor in a fixed location in the housing; a rigid dished closure member frictionally pressed into the motor housing to close the open side thereof and defining with the motor housing a continuous groove adjacent the edge of the motor housing at the open side thereof, said dished closure member having a shaft opening therethrough; a shaft extension element extending through the shaft opening in the dished closure member and connected at one end to the motor shaft; a bonding and sealing material in the continuous groove bonding the dished closure member to the motor housing and forming a seal therebetween; an apertured, back support plate bonded to the dished closure member and encircling the shaft Extension element; fastening elements secured to the back support plate and extending therefrom in a direction away from the motor housing; an impeller keyed to said shaft extension element and positioned on the opposite side of said back support plate from said rigid dished closure member; an impeller housing connected to said fastening elements and enclosing said impeller, said impeller housing having an inlet opening axially aligned with the shaft extension element, and a discharge opening extending tangentially with respect to the circular path of the outer ends of the blades of the impeller; a resilient sealing gasket positioned between the back support plate and said impeller housing and establishing a seal therebetween, said sealing gasket having an aperture therethrough receiving said shaft extension element and dimensioned for sealing engagement between the shaft extension element and sealing gasket; and an impeller backup plate in said impeller housing and positioned between said sealing gasket and said impeller to abut said sealing gasket, said impeller backup plate having an aperture therethrough receiving said shaft extension element.

Claim 4

An electric pump comprising: a motor housing open at one side and having a power lead line opening therein spaced from the open side of the housing; an electric motor positioned inside the housing and having a shaft extending toward the open side of the housing and a power lead line extending through the power lead line opening; means securing the motor in a fixed location in the housing; a rigid dished closure member frictionally pressed into the motor housing to close the open side thereof and defining with the motor housing a continuous groove adjacent the edge of the motor housing at the open side thereof, said dished closure member having a shaft opening therethrough; a shaft extension element extending through the shaft opening in the dished closure member and connected at one end to the motor shaft; a bonding and sealing material in the continuous groove bonding the dished closure member to the motor housing and forming a seal therebetween; an apertured, back support plate bonded to the dished closure member and encircling the shaft Extension element; fastening elements secured to the back support plate and extending therefrom in a direction away from the motor housing; an impeller keyed to said shaft extension element and positioned on the opposite side of said back support plate from said rigid dished closure member; an impeller housing connected to said fastening elements and enclosing said impeller, said impeller housing having an inlet opening axially aligned with the shaft extension element, and a discharge opening extending tangentially with respect to the circular path of the outer ends of the blades of the impeller; a resilient sealing gasket positioned between the back support plate and said impeller housing and establishing a seal therebetween, said sealing gasket having an aperture therethrough receiving said shaft extension element and dimensioned for sealing engagement between the shaft extension element and sealing gasket; and an impeller backup plate in said impeller housing and positioned between said sealing gasket and said impeller to abut said sealing gasket, said impeller backup plate having an aperture therethrough receiving said shaft extension element.

Claim 5

A pump as defined in claim 2 wherein said sealing gasket comprises an elastomeric material having a bifurcated edge portion adjacent the aperture through the sealing gasket with the bifurcation in the edge portion forming a pair of annular, diverging sealing lips sealingly engaging the periphery of said shaft extension element.

Claim 6

A pump as defined in claim 3 wherein said shaft extension element is an aluminum oxide ceramic material.

Claim 7

A pump as defined in claim 3 wherein said sealing gasket further includes at least one annular groove formed therein and surrounding the aperture therethrough which receives said shaft extension element.

Claim 8

A pump as defined in claim 2 wherein said motor housing is of one piece unitary construction, and said means securing the motor in a fixed location in the motor housing is a settable resinous material surrounding a portion of the motor and positioned between the motor and the motor housing.

Claim 9

A pump as defined in claim 2 wherein said back support plate is bonded to said dished closure member by an epoxy resin.

Claim 10

A pump as defined in claim 2 wherein the apertures in said closure member, said back support plate and said impeller backup plate are all substantially larger in diameter than the cross-sectional dimension of the shaft extension element extended therethrough so that clearance around the shaft extension element is provided, and the necessity of precise alignment of the motor in the motor housing is obviated.

Claim 11

A pump as defined in claim 4 wherein said shaft extension element is an aluminum oxide ceramic material and is dimensioned to pass with substantial clearance through the apertures in said closure member, back support plate and impeller backup plate so that the necessity of precise alignment of the motor in said housing is obviated.

Claim 12

A pump as defined in claim 9 wherein said motor housing is of one piece unitary construction, and said means securing the motor in a fixed location in said motor housing is a settable resinous material surrounding a portion of the motor and positioned between the motor and the motor housing.

Claim 13

A pump as defined in claim 10 wherein said back support plate is bonded to said dished closure member by an epoxy resin.