Pump for concrete and other sludging materials

Claim 2

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper, two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons cyclically reciprocally mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the material back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pump cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately to permit discharge from the pump chamber during the discharge portion of the cycle, and means for cyclically pressing and releasing the lower ends of the C-shaped discharge pipe against the said ends of the pump cylinders during the discharger portion of the cycle to minimize leakage.

Claim 3

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hopper has a rear wall to which the inlet end of the delivery pipe is secured, the said pivot axis of the discharge pipe being coaxial with the inlet end of the delivery pipe.

Claim 4

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hopper has a rear wall to which the inlet end of the delivery pipe is secured, the said pivot axis of the discharge pipe being offset from the delivery pipe.

Claim 5

A pump as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an inspection platform above the hopper, and a pivot mounting secured to the platform and supporting the discharge pipe to provide said pivot axis thereof.

Claim 6

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper, two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the materiaL back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pump cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, a hydraulic piston and cylinder motor mounted on the hopper in general alignment with but spaced from said end of each of the pump cylinder, which motors are operable to press the lower end of the discharge pipe releasably against the said end of the pump cylinders aligned with the motors.

Claim 7

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper, two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the materiaL back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pump cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, a hydraulic piston and cylinder motor mounted on the hopper in general alignment with but spaced from said end of each of the pump cylinder, which motors are operable to press the lower end of the discharge pipe releasably against the said end of the pump cylinders aligned with the motors.

Claim 8

A pump as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pistons of said motors are interconnected by a transversely extending bar which is releasably engageable against the discharge pipe to press said lower end thereof against the said end of either of the pump cylinders.

Claim 9

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper, two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the material back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pump cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, two actuators mounted externally of the hopper adjacent to the respective pump cylinders, two tie bars which are respectively connected to the actuators and which extend into the hopper and are movable lengthwise of themselves by the actuators, and a cross-bar disposed in the hopper and interconnecting the tie bars, which cross-bar is movable by each of the tie bars and the actuator connected thereto to press the lower end of the discharge pipe against the said end of the pump cylinder adjacent such actuator.

Claim 10

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper, two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the material back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pump cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, two actuators mounted externally of the hopper adjacent to the respective pump cylinders, two tie bars which are respectively connected to the actuators and which extend into the hopper and are movable lengthwise of themselves by the actuators, and a cross-bar disposed in the hopper and interconnecting the tie bars, which cross-bar is movable by each of the tie bars and the actuator connected thereto to press the lower end of the discharge pipe against the said end of the pump cylinder adjacent such actuator.

Claim 11

A pump as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said actuators are connected to be actuated simultaneously with the pump pistons in the respective adjacent pump cylinders.

Claim 12

A pump as claimed in claim 8, further comprising two piston and cylinder motors mounted on the other ends of and coaxially with the respective pump cylinders, which motors are connected to reciprocate the pump pistons, and wherein the actuators comprise auxiliary plungers projecting into the cylinder of the respective motors for actuation by pressure fluid supplied to the motors, a cross-member being provided which interconnects the plungers.

Claim 13

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the material back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pUmp cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, a cover in the form of a grating over the hopper, said grating having elements which are positioned to be struck by the discharge pipe just before the lower end of the discharge pipe comes into register with the said ends of the respective pump cylinders during the movement of the discharge pipe to and fro.

Claim 14

A pump for concrete and like sludgy material comprising a hopper two parallel pump cylinders disposed side by side extending laterally from the hopper and opening at one end to the bottom of the hopper, pump pistons reciprocatably mounted in the respective pump cylinders for drawing said material into said one end of the pump cylinders from the hopper and discharging the material back through said one end, a delivery pipe disposed above the pump cylinders and having an inlet end which faces in the same direction as the said ends of the pump cylinders, a C-shaped discharge pipe disposed in the hopper and having an upper and a lower end whereof the upper end is connected to said inlet end of the delivery pipe, and means for oscillating the discharge pipe to and fro, about a pivot axis extending parallel to the pUmp cylinders, to bring the said lower end of the discharge pipe into register with the said ends of the two cylinders alternately, a cover in the form of a grating over the hopper, said grating having elements which are positioned to be struck by the discharge pipe just before the lower end of the discharge pipe comes into register with the said ends of the respective pump cylinders during the movement of the discharge pipe to and fro.

Claim 15

A pump as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wear plate which is mounted in the hopper and which is adapted to be swept by said lower end of the discharge pipe during the latter''s oscillatory movement.

Claim 16

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge pipe has a smaller diameter than the pump cylinders and has a conical end-ring secured on the lower end thereof, which end-ring increases in diameter in a direction towards the said ends of the pump cylinders.

Claim 17

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge pipe has a tapering diameter from its lower to its upper end.

Claim 18

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery pipe has a diameter which tapers in a direction away from the discharge pipe.

Claim 19

A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery pipe includes an upstream section which is secured to the upper end of the discharge pipe, and a fixed downstream section, and wherein a rotatable coupling interconnects the upstream and downstream sections.

Claim 20

The pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said C-shaped discharge pipe includes an intermediate section between its upper and lower ends, the intermediate section inclining vertically towards the upper portion of the hopper rear wall, the upper and lower ends of said C-shaped section having openings facing rearwardly to provide a discharge path for material being handled which approximates 180* from its inlet at the bottom of said C-shaped discharge pipe to the outlet at the top of said C-shaped discharge pipe.