| Frame mounted pump -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Frame mounted pumpFrame mounted pump description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080031743, Frame mounted pump. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/835,717, filed Aug. 4, 2006. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002](1) Field of the Invention [0003]The present invention relates to an apparatus for evacuating a body of water. In particular, the invention relates to a water evacuation system that can be mounted on the rear of a tractor to drain water from bodies of standing water, such as flooded sand traps and other bodies of water on a golf course. [0004](2) Description of the Prior Art [0005]Evacuation pumps are often used in agriculture to direct irrigation water from one location to another. Typically, a large capacity evacuation pump is powered by the rear power takeoff of a large size tractor. These large pumps are usually attached to the three-point hitch of the tractor, although some can be so large that they are towed in a tractor-trailer type configuration. [0006]While these large evacuation systems are suitable for large agricultural applications, they are too large and too expensive for other purposes such as evacuating water from golf course sand traps. For one, driving large agricultural tractors into or near the edges of golf course sand traps would be very damaging to the sand traps. What is needed is a medium capacity pump that can be used with the power takeoff of a compact or small sized tractor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]The present invention comprises a water extraction system that is attachable to the rear three-point hitch of a motorized, wheeled vehicle, such as a small tractor, with the system being powered from the tractor's rear power takeoff. It will be understood that while the invention is described in terms of use with a small tractor, that it is also attachable to other vehicles that have a three-point hitch and a rear power takeoff. [0008]Vehicles such as farm tractors are typically equipped with a rear mounted three-point implement hitch. For the purpose of this disclosure a vehicle three-point hitch comprises three movable hitch arms. Two lower spaced arms are the hitch lifting arms, and they are controlled by the vehicle's hydraulic system. The hitch lifting arms provide lifting and lowering for an attached implement such as the present frame mounted pump apparatus. A centrally located upper arm in relation to the two lower spaced hitch lifting arms is known as the center hitch arm. The center hitch arm is movable manually, but is typically not powered by the vehicle's hydraulic system. Each hitch arm has a distal end bore for receiving a hitch pin for attaching an implement, and the implement has corresponding hitch pins that fit through the end bores of each hitch arm. The implement is secured by placing a locking pin also known as a lynch pin on the bored ends of each implement hitch pin. [0009]The present apparatus includes a mounting frame attachable to a tractor's three-point hitch, a pump having a water inlet, a water outlet and a rotatable drive shaft carried on the mounting frame, and a drive means for connecting the pump drive shaft to the rear power takeoff. The system also includes a suction hose having a proximal end attached to the water inlet of the pump, and a distal end that preferably includes a debris strainer. A discharge hose is attached to the water outlet of the pump. [0010]The mounting frame is preferably constructed of steel. However, other materials such as aluminum and composite materials can be used to make the apparatus lighter in weight. The frame is releasably attachable to the three-point implement hitch of the tractor near the tractor's rear power takeoff. [0011]The mounting frame includes a rectangular deck frame that is attached to a pair of spaced skids. The rectangular deck frame has front, rear, left and right side members. The side members are preferably constructed of angle iron. A rectangular deck plate is attached to the rectangular deck frame. The deck plate is preferably made of steel such as diamond plate and includes predrilled bores and/or slots for attaching the pump and other equipment to the deck plate. The skids are preferably constructed of angle iron, and have elongated foot sections for contacting the ground. Front and rear upwardly extending legs sections with upper ends attach to the rectangular deck frame to connect the skids to the mounting frame. [0012]A pair of rigid arms having lower ends are bent to jointly present an inverted Y structure that terminates at the top of the Y structure in a pair of spaced and bored ends that receive an implement center hitch pin for connecting the pump apparatus to a tractor's implement center hitch arm. When properly hitched, the distal bored end of the tractor's center hitch arm is captured between the Y structure's spaced and bored ends by the implement center hitch pin. [0013]A reinforcing bar is attached to rigid arms just below bored ends. The lower ends of the rigid arms are attached to rectangular deck frame left and right side members such that the inverted Y structure formed by the rigid arms is perpendicular to the deck plate, and is adjacent to the front member. The hitch pins for connecting the pump apparatus to the hitch lifting arms of a tractor or tow vehicle are attached to and extend outwardly from the deck frame side members at locations adjacent to the front member. [0014]The fluid transfer or evacuation pump mounted on the frame is powered by a gearbox, which in turn is powered by the power takeoff at or near the rear of a small sized tractor to which the mounting frame is attached. The pump includes a rotatable pump drive shaft with a pump drive pulley. Moreover, the pump has a water inlet for attachment to the proximal end of a suction hose and a water outlet connectable to the proximal end of a discharge hose. [0015]The gearbox includes a rotatable gearbox input drive shaft that is used to connect the gearbox to the tractor's power takeoff. A gearbox output drive shaft has a gearbox drive pulley. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gearbox increases the gearbox input drive shaft speed from about 540 rpm to a gearbox output drive shaft speed of 3450 rpm for driving the pump at speeds significantly higher than by the tractor's PTO alone. It is also preferred that the gearbox gears are arranged to reverse the direction of the shaft rotation of the gearbox output drive shaft relative to the direction of rotation of the gearbox input drive shaft. [0016]A continuous belt extends around the pump drive pulley and the gearbox drive pulley, whereby rotation of the tractor's power takeoff rotates the gears of the gearbox and gearbox output driveshaft and pulley, which in turn rotates the pump drive pulley to actuate the pump. An operator controllable actuator on the tractor is used to engage the power takeoff pulley, and pump drive pulley with the drive belt. In this way, power from the power takeoff is transferred to the fluid pump under operator control. [0017]The preferred pump is a self-priming centrifugal type with an intake opening and an intake hose coupling centered on the front of the pump and a discharge opening and a discharge hose coupling at the top of the pump. Pacer Pumps of 41 Industrial Circle Lancaster, Pa., manufactures a suitable pump for the present invention. An especially suitable Pacer Pump is the one having model number SE3LL CSS with a pumping capacity of around 280 gal/min. [0018]The suction hose is preferably substantially shorter than the discharge hose, and is short and rigid enough to remain conveniently attached to the pump's inlet opening during transport. For example, a preferred hose has a length of from about 3 to 8 feet, a diameter of about 3 to 4 inches, and a bend radius of about at least 8 inches, e.g., from about 8 to 15 inches. However, the suction hose length is long enough such that its distill end is in a plane below the bottom of the skids when the skids are on the ground, i.e., with the pump apparatus in its lowered position. A preferred hose is a semi-rigid hose of reinforced PVC. Tractors such as those usable with the present invention typically have rear hitch hydraulic lifts that can raise the frame and pump high enough off the ground surface to prevent the end of the rigid suction hose from striking the ground during transport. Thus, the suction hose need not be detached and reattached between pumping applications. The discharge hose is preferably about 20 to 30 feet in length, e.g., a 25 foot PVC hose, permitting discharge substantially away from the body to be evacuated. The hose is coilable when not in use. An elastic strap is adapted to strap a coil of the discharge hose to the mounting frame for transport. [0019]Before operation, an operator backs a three-point hitch equipped tractor to be hitched to the apparatus up to the front end of the mounting frame. The operator adjusts the height of the tractor's hitch lifting arms to align the hitch lifting arms with the hitch pins of the frame mounted pump apparatus. The operator then brings the tractor and apparatus together such that the end bores of the hitch lifting arms engage the apparatus hitch pins. Next, the operator secures the apparatus to the tractor hitch by fastening the tractor's center hitch arm to bored ends of the inverted Y structure using the apparatus's implement center pin. Next, the operator assures that the outlet end of the discharge hose is connected to the pump's outlet and that the pump inlet connection end of the suction hose is connected to the pump inlet. Preferably, a canister type strainer is connected to the suction hose intake end to prevent debris from being sucked into the pump intake. At this point, the apparatus is ready for operation. [0020]To begin operation, the operator uses the tractor's rear hydraulic lift to raise the apparatus off the ground, and drives the rear of the tractor to or into the water body to be evacuated, such as a water saturated golf course sand trap. Next, the operator will lower the tractor's rear hydraulic lift in order to submerge the suction hose debris strainer into the water. The operator will also deploy the discharge hose such that the discharge hose outlet end is placed within a ditch or other location to where the pumped water is to be discharged. The operator then engages the tractor's power takeoff to transfer power to the pump. Once the power takeoff is engaged, the pump self-primes and begins pumping water out of the water source discharging the water at the desired location. [0021]Other aspects of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the drawings. For example, a hose reel may be added to a hose storage arm that is attachable to the mounting frame for quicker deployment and retrieval of the discharge hose. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Frame mounted pump... Full patent description for Frame mounted pump Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Frame mounted pump patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Frame mounted pump or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Arrangement and method for treatment of compressed gas Next Patent Application: Axial piston machine Industry Class: Pumps ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Frame mounted pump patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13721 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
