Electromagnetic plunger pumps

3,000,321

Sept. 19, 1961

L. C. PARKER

ELECTROMAGNETIC PLUNGER PUMPS

Filed Sept. 23. 1959

Sheets-Sheet 1

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BY

3,000,321

Sept. 19, 1961

L. C. PARKER

ELECTROMAGNETIC PLUNGER PUMPS

Filed Sept. 23, 1959

Sheets-Sheet 2

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y/TTOR/VE-Y

United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 19, 1961 pump casing constitute an inlet port chamber 34, an outlet port chamber 36 and an intermediate or solenoid coil chamber 38. A conduit connection 40 is provided for admitting fuel to the inlet port chamber 34 and an outlet conduit connection 42 is provided for discharging fluid from the outlet port chamber 36. . The. connection 40 leads from a supply of fuel which, in this case is a gasoline tank and the connection 42 is adapted to be connected to the carburetor or injector system of an internal combustion engine vehicle.

The two partitions 28 and 30 are bored tightly to receive a non-magnetic cylinder 44 which is fixed in position and extends through the coil chamber 38 and terminates in each of the two end chambers 34 and. 36. This cylinder may conveniently be made of brass. Fixed to the lower end of the cylinder 44 is a port member 46 tightly held within the cylinder 44 and bearing an opening 48 for the admission of fluid from the chamber 34 to the cylinder 44. The port member..46 also_is reshoulder 50. A ring 52 is fixed within the end of the port member 46 loosely to retain a circular valve member 54 within the port member. This valve member is shown in FIGURE 4_as being circular and having Jhree riphery. The distance between the ring 52 and the shoulder 50 slightly exceeds the height of . the tabs 55 and the diameter of the valve element 54 is slightly less than the diameter of the recess in the port member 46. The motion of the valve member in both the horizontal and the vertical directions. Surrounding the tube 44 and the port member 46 within the port chamber 34 is an inverted cup 56 having an annular series of openings 58 35 formed in its wall. These openings are fitted with screens or filter material 60 to traverse the path of fluid leading from the connection 40 to the opening through the ring 52 as will be understood.

Located within the outlet port chamber 36 is an an40 nulus 62 of spongy distortionable material. This material is resilient and compressible because of its continuous pore structure when subjected to fluid pressure and is therefore adapted to serve as a flow modulator. A variety of elastomeric materials are available for this ' purpose. The material chosen must be resistant to whatever liquid is to be handled by the pump. The dimensions of the annulus 62 must be such as not to impede the flow of fluid through the chamber 36 to the connection 42 as will be understood. The ability to regain shape sure is shared by such suitable elastomers as synthetic sponge rubber. The elastomer chosen must not absorb either gas or liquid.

A plunger 64 is slidably mounted m the cylinder 44 ⁵³ and defines a passage 66 which connects the two end chambers 34 and 36 of the pump. The upper end of the plunger is such as to bear a slanted surface 68 and a one-way nylon valve member 70 of flat form is pivoted at 72 to the plunger 64 for control of flow through ⁶⁰ the passage 66. The exact method of pivoting the valve member 70 on the plunger is not illustrated but may obviously be undertaken in various ways. Trunnions may be formed integrally with the nylon valve member 70 and journaled in bores formed on the plunger. The lower ⁶³ end of the plunger is reduced in diameter as at 74 for retention of one end of a coil spring 76. The other end of the spring 76 is received on the top of the port member 46. This spring is arranged to urge the plunger 64 upwardly and towards the outlet port chamber 36. A ⁷⁰ portion of the upper end of the brass cylinder 44 is enlarged as at 80 to give a free sliding action to the plunger.

solenoid plunger coop- 20 cessed in order to define a downwardly facing annular ^r . ^σ . - -- . Λ · αηΗ λΤ ΤΠΑ in the first or intermediate chamber, a filter 25 equally spaced tabs 55 extending upwardly from its pe3,000,321

ELECTROMAGNETIC PLUNGER PUMPS

Leland C. Parker, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware

Filed Sept. 23,1959, Ser. No. 841,794 2 Claims. (Cl. 103—53)

This invention relates to pumps and more particularly to electromagnetic plunger pumps suitable for supplying Equid fuel to internal combustion engines.

An object of the present invention is to provide an effective, reliable and low-cost pump which may be installed adjacent a source of liquid supply such as a vehicle gasoline tank for the purpose of placing that liquid under a predetermined pressure for the avoidance of vapor lock and other difficulties often encountered in the use of conventional pumps.

A feature of the present invention is an electromagnetically driven pump having a t_?_ 22 / _ *2 grating with a solenoid coil and effective in actuating a make-and-break arrangement for energizing the coil intermittently. Another feature of the invention is a pump having three axially aligned chambers with a solenoid coil in .1— 2-.: — 2 ' ’ in the second or end inlet port chamber and flow modulator means in the third or end outlet port chamber, the second or inlet port chamber and the third or outlet port rTiamber beine connected bv a valve controlled passage ------------ -,, .

defined in a magnetic plunger mounted for sliding mo- 30 dimensions of these parts are such as to permit some tion in the magnetic field of the coil.

These and other important features of the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view through an electromagnetic pump and its support, the pump being one embodiment of the present invention and the section being along the line 1—1 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the pump shown m FIGURE 1, portions being taken in section better to illustrate the construction;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical circuit involved and the rectangle enclosing the ⁴⁵elements mounted on the pump; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a valve element utilized in the structure of FIGURE 1.

Tn FIGURE 1, a flange member 10 is shown having a -----------—------ - .

horizontal portion 12 from which the electromagnetic ³⁰ and volume after being subjected to a surge in fluid presnuiizuHicu. pviuivu _____ id _____ i™ ennl·» enitaWft ftlastomers as svntnetlC pump 14 is supported. In an automobile, the pump 14 and also the support 10 may be located adjacent the gasoline. tank as will be understood. Bolts may. be received in openings 15 of the member 10 for holding the latter on the car frame.

The pump 14 comprises a casing having two end castings 16 and 18 with an intermediate cylindrical and sheet metal casing 20. Two gaskets 22 and 24 are interposed between the ends of the cylindrical casing 20 and the end castings 16 and 18 to constitute a tight closure. The complete casing of the pump 14 is held in position on the support 10 by means of a bolt arrangement 24 and a suitable bail 26, the latter passing down the sides and under the bottom casting 16 of the pump. Although not shown in the drawings, it will be understood that the upper ends of the bail 26 are hooked into a plate 27 forming a part of the bolt arrangement 24.

The interior of the casing is divided into three coaxial chambers by transverse inner partitions 28 and 30. These are firmly located with relation to the casing 20 by welding as at 32 and 34. The three chambers in the

3,000,321 ..... . .....3 The lower end of the plunger terminates intermediate the height of the coil chamber 38 when the plunger is urged to its upper position by virtue of the loading of the spring 76.

A -solenoid 82 sufrounds ’the cylinder 44 arid is Tobated within the coil chamber 38. It is held tightly in its axial .position by virtue of a spring washer 84 inserted between the partition 30 and an end plate of the coil. . An opening 86 of substantially circular contour is formed in the casing 20 adjacent the side of the coil 82. The casing is also slotted as at 88 and 89 oh a horizontal plane at opposite sides of the opening 86. A portion of the casing is bent outwardly as shown in FIGURE 2 and to form a supporting flange 90. A U-shaped spring bracket 92 is fixed to the flange 90 and supports a condenser 94. The flange 90 also supports a bracket'96 for holding two leaf springs 98 and 100 in parallel and insulated relation. -A screw 97 holds the brackets 92 and 96 to the flange 90. Normally closed contacts 102 and 104 are fixed to the leaf springs 98 and 100 respectively. A terminal plate 106 is held in contact with the leaf spring 100 and dielectric washers 108 are utilized to provide the insulation between the leaf springs 98 and 100. The opposite ends of a strap 110 are held together by means of a bolt 112 to hold a subcasing 114 to the side of the pump casing 20. This subcasing tightly encloses the condenser 94 arid the iriake-and-break arrangement constituted by the contacts arid leaf springs. A disc-like magnetic armature 116 is fixed to and supported by the ______________₌ _____„„„ _i(J1 end of the leaf spring 98 arid is in registry with the open- 30 intermittently energizing the latter and thereby ^aitradt ing 86 of the casing for movement therein toward and . - - . ...

away from the coil 82.

, FIGURE 3 shows the condenser 94 connected across the contacts 102 arid 104 conventionally to aid arid speed prevent sparking. The damping or time delay circuit includes a resistance 118.

In FIGURE 1, the plunger 64 is shown in an upper 'position at the end of a puriiping stroke as brought about to the coil 82 from a battery 120 by closure Of a switch 122, current will flow through the normally closed contacts 102 and 104 to the ground line 124 to complete the be ®^staW?shed and the cycle of the pump repeated. During the down stroke of die plunger, the valve member’54 closes and traps fluid which will open the valve 70. During the up-stroke, the valve 70 will be closed and the valve member 54 will be raised to-its open position.