Spring loaded submersible turbine pump

Abstract

The present invention provides a submersible turbine pump (STP) including a packer and a manifold and that requires less force to separate the packer from the manifold. The STP comprises a casing body including the manifold and the packer that is removably secured to the manifold. The STP also includes one or more springs located within pockets in the manifold and that exert a force against the packer when the packer is secured to the manifold due to compression. In one embodiment, the force exerted by the one or more springs is sufficient to separate the packer from the manifold. The packer may be secured to the manifold by a fastener, such as a stud and corresponding nut. In one embodiment, studs extend from within the pockets in the manifold, thereby placing the one or more springs below a corresponding nut.

1 . A submersible turbine pump, comprising: 
 a casing body, comprising: 
 a manifold including a pocket;  
 a packer removably secured to the manifold; and  
   a spring located within the pocket that is compressed and exerts a force against the packer when the packer is secured to the manifold.    
     
     
         2 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 1  wherein the manifold further comprises at least one stud and corresponding nut and the packer is removably secured to the manifold via the at least one stud and the corresponding nut.  
     
     
         3 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 2  wherein one of the at least one stud extends from within the pocket, wherein the spring is located below the corresponding nut.  
     
     
         4 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 2  wherein when the corresponding nut is removed from the at least one stud, the force exerted by the spring against the packer is sufficient to separate the packer from the manifold.  
     
     
         5 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 1  wherein the manifold further comprises an upper plane and the spring extends beyond the upper plane when uncompressed.  
     
     
         6 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 1  wherein the manifold further comprises an upper plane and the spring is compressed down to a level of at least the upper plane when the packer is secured to the manifold.  
     
     
         7 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 1  wherein the force exerted by the spring is sufficient to separate the packer from the manifold.  
     
     
         8 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 1  wherein the manifold further comprises at least one additional pocket and at least one additional spring is located within the at least one additional pocket and exerts an additional force against the packer when the packer is secured to the manifold.  
     
     
         9 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 8  wherein the manifold further comprises a plurality of studs and corresponding nuts and further wherein the packer is removably secured to the manifold via the plurality of studs and the corresponding nuts.  
     
     
         10 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 9  wherein the plurality of studs extend from within the pocket and the at least one additional pocket, wherein the spring and the at least one additional springs are located directly below the corresponding nuts.  
     
     
         11 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 9  wherein when the corresponding nuts are removed from the plurality of studs, the forces exerted by the spring and the at least one additional spring against the packer is sufficient to separate the packer from the manifold.  
     
     
         12 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 8  wherein the manifold further comprises an upper plane and the spring and the at least one additional spring extend beyond the upper plane when uncompressed.  
     
     
         13 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 8  wherein the manifold further comprises an upper plane and the spring and the at least one additional spring are compressed down to a level of at least the upper plane when the packer is secured to the manifold.  
     
     
         14 . The submersible turbine pump of  claim 8  wherein the forces exerted by the spring and the at least one additional spring are sufficient to separate the packer from the manifold.  
     
     
         15 . A method of removing a packer from a manifold on a submersible turbine pump, comprising the steps of: 
 storing energy in at least one spring located within a pocket in the manifold when the packer is secured to the manifold;    releasing the energy from the at least one spring when the packer is being removed from the manifold to apply a force against the packer away from the manifold.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising separating the packer from the manifold using the energy from the at least one spring.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the releasing step further comprises unfastening the packer from manifold.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the manifold further comprises at least one stud and corresponding nut and the packer is removably secured to the manifold via the at least one stud and the corresponding nut, further wherein the releasing step further comprises removing the corresponding nut from the at least one stud.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising applying a pulling force to the packer.