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US3918272A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Centrifugal pump assembly for use in nuclear reactor plants or the like

Assignee: Klein Schanzlin and Becker AG
•
Filing: 1973-12-12
•
Granted: 1975-11-11
•
Expires: 1993-12-12
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Abstract

Abstract A vertical centrifugal pump assembly for use as a primary recirculating pump in a nuclear reactor plant has an uppermost shaft which is driven by a motor, a lowermost shaft which drives the impeller of the pump, and an intermediate shaft which is movable axially between the uppermost and lowermost shafts and carries a housing for radial and/or thrust bearings. A rigid coupling between the lowermost shaft and the intermediate shaft is disengaged when the intermediate shaft is lifted to thereby afford access to certain parts of the lowermost shaft. The uppermost shaft can drive the intermediate shaft through the medium of a flexible coupling having coupling elements mounted on the lower end of the uppermost shaft and the upper end of the intermediate shaft, and a distancing sleeve whose internal threads are in permanent mesh with external threads of the two coupling elements. A shroud which surrounds the flexible coupling has a maximum-diameter tubular section rigid with the housing for the bearings, a minimum-diameter tubular section rigid with but detachable from the casing of the motor, and a median tubular section which penetrates into the maximum-diameter section when the intermediate shaft is lifted. When the minimum-diameter section is detached from the casing of the motor, it can be slid, together with the intermediate section, into the maximum-diameter section to thereby afford access to the flexible coupling. The rigid coupling has two coaxial coupling elements which are mounted at the upper end of the pump shaft and the lower end of the intermediate shaft and may have teeth which mate when the intermediate shaft assumes its lower end position in which it can drive the pump.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ernst Honold
  • 👤 Michael Rupp

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 14:03
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04D; F04D13/00; F04D13/02; F04D29/00; F04D29/60; F04D29/62; F04D29/628; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/50

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 113 words
In a centrifugal pump assembly, particularly in a primary recirculating pump for use in nuclear reactor plants, a combination comprising an upright motor shaft; a pump shaft coaxial with and spaced apart from said motor shaft; a bearingscarrying intermediate shaft coaxial with, disposed between and movable axially relative to said first mentioned shafts between an operative position and an inoperative position; a first coupling provided between said motor shaft and said intermediate shaft; a variable-length shroud normally surrounding said first coupling; and a second coupling provided between said pump shaft and said intermediate shaft, one of said couplings being respectively engaged and disengaged in said operative and inoperative positions of said intermediate shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 113 words
In a centrifugal pump assembly, particularly in a primary recirculating pump for use in nuclear reactor plants, a combination comprising an upright motor shaft; a pump shaft coaxial with and spaced apart from said motor shaft; a bearingscarrying intermediate shaft coaxial with, disposed between and movable axially relative to said first mentioned shafts between an operative position and an inoperative position; a first coupling provided between said motor shaft and said intermediate shaft; a variable-length shroud normally surrounding said first coupling; and a second coupling provided between said pump shaft and said intermediate shaft, one of said couplings being respectively engaged and disengaged in said operative and inoperative positions of said intermediate shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said motor shaft is disposed above said intermediate shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said one coupling is a rigid coupling and constitutes said second coupling.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 46 words
A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said second coupling comprises a first coupling element rigid with said pump shaft and a second coupling element rigid with said intermediate shaft and engaging said first coupling element only in said operative position of said intermediate shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 65 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said first coupling is a flexible coupling and includes a sleeve-like first coupling element receiving torque from said motor shaft, a second coupling element provided on and movable axially with said intermediate shaft, and means for maintaining said second coupling element in torque-receiving engagement with said first coupling element in all axial positions of said intermediate shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 40 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said shroud comprises a plurality of telescopically connected tubular sections including a first section movable with said intermediate shaft, a second section normally connected with said motor shaft and a median section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 49 words
A combination as defined in claim 6, wherein the diameter of said first section exceeds the diameters of the other sections of said shroud so that at least one of said other sections enters said first section in response to movement of said intermediate shaft to said inoperative position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 41 words
A combination aS defined in claim 7, wherein said second section of said shroud is separable from said motor shaft and is thereupon movable with said median section into said first section to thereby at least partially expose said first coupling.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 51 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said first coupling is a flexible coupling and comprises a first coupling element rigid with said motor shaft, a second coupling element rigid with said intermediate shaft, and a distancing sleeve arranged to transmit torque from said first to said second coupling element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 40 words
A combination as defined in claim 9, wherein said first and second coupling elements have external teeth and said sleeve has internal teeth mating with said external teeth of said coupling elements in each axial position of said intermediate shaft.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 33 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein said internal teeth include discrete first and second sets of teeth which respectively mate with the external teeth of said first and second coupling elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 52 words
A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said one coupling is said second coupling and said second coupling comprises coaxial first and second coupling elements respectively rigid with said pump shaft and said intermediate shaft, said coupling elements having complementary teeth which mate in said operative position of said intermediate shaft.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US521677A Cited
US2830801A Cited
US2959943A Cited
US3282614A Cited
US3306076A Cited
US3487432A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-11-10 1979-05-12 1979-11-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-11-10 1983-05-12 1983-11-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-11-10 1987-05-12 1987-11-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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