Abstract: A centrifugal pump including a pump chamber, a wear plate, and a rotatable impeller is disclosed. The wear plate has a suction inlet. The pump chamber includes a high pressure region around the impeller within the pump chamber. The impeller's front face has portion located adjacent the wear plate to form a recirculation zone in fluid communication with the high pressure region. Another portion of the impeller's front face forms a small running clearance between it and a portion of the wear plate. That running clearance is interposed between the recirculation zone and the suction inlet. The wear plate includes plural deflector vanes projecting into the recirculation zone. A portion of the front face of the impeller includes plural pump-out vanes in the recirculation zone. The deflector vanes cooperate with the pump-out vanes to expel abrasive particles and prevent them from collecting and eroding the running clearance.

Abstract: A convertible check valve having a pair of valve body sections, each of which includes a central passageway extending through it is disclosed. Each passageway terminates at an elliptical port. A moveable flapper is located within the check valve between the valve body sections and is movable between a between a closed state and an opened state, and vice versa, to effect the selective closing and opening of the ports. The valve body sections are configured to be rotated 180 degrees with respect to each other so that they are in an either an axially aligned state or in an elbow state. The interface between the passageways is formed by two elliptical shaped planar surfaces, each extending at an angle of 45 degrees to the central axis of the associated passageway. The valve also includes a pressure relief assembly.

Abstract: A convertible check valve having a pair of valve body sections, each of which includes a central passageway extending through it is disclosed. Each passageway terminates at an elliptical port. A moveable flapper is located within the check valve between the valve body sections and is movable between a between a closed state and an opened state, and vice versa, to effect the selective closing and opening of the ports. The valve body sections are configured to be rotated 180 degrees with respect to each other so that they are in an either an axially aligned state or in an elbow state. The interface between the passageways is formed by two elliptical shaped planar surfaces, each extending at an angle of 45 degrees to the central axis of the associated passageway. The valve also includes a pressure relief assembly.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump including a pump chamber, a wear plate, and a rotatable impeller is disclosed. The wear plate has a suction inlet. The pump chamber includes a high pressure region around the impeller within the pump chamber. The impeller's front face has portion located adjacent the wear plate to form a recirculation zone in fluid communication with the high pressure region. Another portion of the impeller's front face forms a small running clearance between it and a portion of the wear plate. That running clearance is interposed between the recirculation zone and the suction inlet. The wear plate includes plural deflector vanes projecting into the recirculation zone. A portion of the front face of the impeller includes plural pump-out vanes in the recirculation zone. The deflector vanes cooperate with the pump-out vanes to expel abrasive particles and prevent them from collecting and eroding the running clearance.