Abstract: An impeller for generating an air flow, for use in a device such as a blower/vacuum, the impeller having a hub structure for mounting the impeller on a rotatable shaft of the blower/vac and a plurality of air-flow generating vanes coupled to the hub structure in a non-uniform manner wherein the spacing between adjacent vanes is irregular. An impeller having non-uniform spacing between adjacent vanes is provided. Additional features of the impeller may include a plurality of debris engaging structures or serrations for facilitating a finer mulch of air-entrained debris.

Abstract: One or more particle arrestors are mounted in a curved radial flow portion of a gas turbine starter annular flow passage, between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The one or more arrestor rings block line of sight paths between the turbine wheel and the annular flow passage outlet. Thus, the one or more arrestor rings substantially inhibit relatively high energy particles from exiting the turbine housing, thus substantially inhibiting collateral damage to surrounding equipment and structure.

Abstract: One or more particle arrestor rings are mounted in a curved radial flow portion of a gas turbine annular flow passage. The arrestor rings block line of sight paths between the turbine wheel and the annular flow passage outlet. Thus, the arrestor rings substantially inhibit relatively high energy particles from exiting the gas turbine housing, thus substantially inhibiting collateral damage to surrounding equipment and structure.

Abstract: A grinding device for a drain pump on a dishwasher appliance includes moving elements that turn integrally with the impeller (5) of the pump (4) and fixed elements joined to the pump hydraulic body (2). The grinding is carried out by the combination of a blade (6), provided with a plurality of vanes, which turns integrally with the impeller (5) and a fixed support (7), provided with a plurality of apertures (7a), the gap between the blade (6) and the support (7) not being dependent on the fitting tolerances of the grinder assembly (1) in the hydraulic body (2) and the end play of the impeller (5).

Abstract: A centrifugal pump pumps fluid containing large or long objects of solid material. Solid parts cause problems with centrifugal pumps in that they both stick to the edge of the vanes of the pump wheel and get in between the pump wheel and the housing and stick to either one of these may cause the pump wheel to slow down or get stuck. Large parts may also form a bridge between two vanes. Objects which have become stuck to and rotate together with the pump wheel easily gather more objects and growth of the aggregate is often very rapid. In all of these cases the flow through the pump is distributed and the capacity of the pump is reduced. These problems are avoided with a centrifugal pump in which the edges of the vanes (11, 12, 13, 14) extend themselves continuously in the direction of the flow from the input adjacent the shaft and at an acute angle thereto to a lower part close to the wall (1-1A) of the housing and forwards in the direction of the flow of the pumped fluid.

Abstract: A rotodynamic pump comprising a centrifugal impeller (11) provided within a volute body (7) and an emulsifier (17) provided in the region of an inlet of the volute body and rotatable with the centrifugal impeller for emulsifying material to be pumped.

Abstract: A coolant supply and recycle system and method for cleaning used machine tool coolant and returning it to the machine tools for reuse. A tank receives used coolant containing metal chips from one or more machine tools. A pump is in communication with the tank, and is operative to extract used coolant from the tank into an inlet portion of the pump. Within the inlet, the pump includes an inducer-chopper operative to prime the pump and to chop the metal chips to effect a reduction in their size prior to discharging the used coolant from the pump. An impeller is recessed in the pump above the inducer-chopper to create a vortex of the used coolant and sized-reduced metal chips and force them from the pump discharge. The pump discharge portion is connected to a filter for removing the metal chips and supplying the clean coolant back to the machine tools.

Abstract: An apparatus for handing a waste material is disclosed. Generally, the apparatus comprises a pump mounted within a container. The container has disposed thereon a rail member. The apparatus also contains a trolley mounted on the rail. The trolley has operatively associated therewith a handling system that has attached thereto the pump. The pump has an impeller assembly that pumps the waste material from the container. The impeller assembly contains a first and second rotor blade. A process device may be included that is attached to the handling system. A process for handling a discharged waste slurry is also disclosed.

Abstract: A submersible centrifugal pump for downhole pumping of methane-saturated water from wells drilled in coal formations, has an electric motor-driven vertical shaft having centrifugal impellers distributed therealong, each impeller being located in a stationary diffuser within the pump wall to form a multi-stage pump. A concentric shroud is located at the lower portion of the pump wall. It is sealed with the pump wall such that all fluid to be pumped must enter holes near the top of the shroud and travel downward through an annulus to the pump inlet. A charge impeller and a solids grinder are located at the lower end of the pump central shaft. The multi-stage centrifugal pump is located above the solids grinder and includes multiple compression stages of diminishing volume as the methane and fluid mixture travels upward through the pump. Another charge impeller may be located at the upper end of the shaft at the outlet pipe.

Abstract: A rotodynamic pump comprises a centrifugal impeller (11) provided within a volute body (7) and an emulsifier (17) provided in the region of an inlet of the volute body and rotatable with the centrifugal impeller for emulsifying material to be pumped.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump has an impeller rotatable by means of a drive shaft. The impeller has a plurality of radially extending vanes connected to a hub and a partial back shroud with sharpened leading edges. The pump has a pump casing with a back plate adjacent to the back side of the impeller. Spiral grooves on the back plate interact with the sharpened edges on the back shroud to aid in protecting the area between the back plate and the impeller by cutting of solids and expulsion of solids through an output port. Cutting bars on the front plate of the casing project into the pump intake and interact with front edges of the vanes to cut incoming solids in a liquid mixture. A preferred form of impeller has vanes with sharpened leading edges that extend in a generally radial plane. These vanes sweep backwardly from their leading edges and each vane is given a double twist between the leading edge and its trailing edge.

Abstract: In a fluid coupling including a casing enclosing an impeller and a turbine wheel which is rotatably mounted in the casing, the turbine wheel is formed on its face turned toward the casing with scrapers designed to scrape off impurities that have settled on the inner wall of the casing.

Abstract: A flow directing device, system and method for delivery and pumping medium to high consistency stock slurries eliminates bridging of stock, creates a non-vortexing improved flow into the pump suction of a pump, is independent from pump operation, minimizes “slip/stick”, and does not mix air into the pulp fibers. The flow directing device is a low-speed, mechanical device including a two-stage turbine, a turbine shaft, a turbine mounting adapter, a gear reducer and an electric motor. The device is used with a dropleg to assist flow of medium to high consistency suspensions (pulp) to the pump, preferably a rotary pump. The flow directing device is operated independently from the pump. The flow directing device and pump work in concert with each other to form a stock pumping system capable of handling paper stock consistencies from 8-18% without the problems associated with other types of pumping systems.

Abstract: An apparatus is used for distributing a slurry flow to plural feed conduits. It has particular application in the injection of swine manure into the soil as fertilizer. The apparatus includes a circular manifold with a central inlet for delivering slurry to the manifold and outlet ports spaced around the outer wall of the manifold for connection to the respective feed conduits. An impeller in the manifold has back swept impeller blades mounted for rotation so that the impeller blades sweep in sequence past the outlet ports. The impeller blades produce pressurized zones in front of them as they sweep in sequence past the outlet ports. This produces a pulsating flow in the feed conduits, ameliorating blockage problems with the conduits. The impeller also includes knives that rotate around the inside of the outer wall and anvils mounted on the outer wall so the knives will act with the anvils to sever trash in the slurry flow. The knives and the anvils are oppositely inclined to produce a shearing action.

Abstract: A device for metering flowable material is formed from two components which are movable relative to each other. The relative movement of the components varies the width of a gap between the components to control the flow of material through the gap. One of the movable components carries a rotatable element to direct the flow of material towards the gap, and a guide element is provided to direct propelled material into the gap. The rotatable element is preferably a disk, and the gap is a channel located proximate to the periphery of the disk. An element mountable to and rotatable with the disk can be provided to act on and reduce the size of solid or semi-solid material carried by flowing fluid to permit such material to flow through the device.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump has an impeller rotatable by means of a drive shaft. The impeller has a plurality of radially extending vanes connected to a hub and a partial back shroud with sharpened leading edges. The pump has a pump casing with a back plate adjacent to the back side of the impeller. Spiral grooves on the back plate interact with the sharpened edges on the back shroud to aid in protecting the area between the back plate and the impeller by cutting of solids and expulsion of solids through an output port. Preferably the leading edges on the back shroud are also serrated and beveled and the spiral grooves are outward threaded. A disintegrator is preferably mounted on the end of the drive shaft in the conical intake of the pump. Also, cutting bars on the front plate of the casing project into the pump intake and interact with front edges of the vanes to cut incoming solids in a liquid mixture.