Gravity water pumps that pump fluid by gravity

Abstract

A gravity water pump pumping various kinds of fluids, including a waterfall, river water and drizzle, and gases heavier than air, using gravity and producing kinetic and potential energy is provided. As fluid falls into a set of a piston and a switch, which are hung by strings passing over pulleys supported by a support frame, a pressure is applied to fluid contained in the cylinder along an inner wall of which the piston and the switch move down, so that the fluid is pumped up. Kinetic energy is generated as the piston and the switch rise and fall during pumping, and potential energy is generated by the pumped fluid. When the pumped fluid is allowed to enter a fluid tank mounted an the support frame and reserving a fixed amount of fluid such that the pumped water can be circulated through the fluid tank, kinetic and potential energy can be generated continuously, without requiring a supply of fluid from an external source. The generated energy can be used in various industrial fields.

1 . A gravity water pump comprising: 
 a support frame ( 35 , 35 ′) including a front support plate ( 55 ,  55 ′), a rear support plate ( 18 , 18 ′), legs ( 36 ,  36 ′,  36 ″,  36 ′″) attached to the front support plate ( 55 ,  55 ′) or the rear support plate ( 18 , 18 ′), a cross bar ( 34 ) connecting the legs ( 36 ,  36 ″), a cross bar ( 34 ′) connecting the legs ( 36 ′,  36 ′″), beams ( 71 ,  71 ′) connecting the front support plate ( 55 ,  55 ′) and the rear support plate ( 18 , 18 ′), and pulleys ( 32 ,  32 ′,  23 ,  23 ′) with recesses coupled to bearings ( 39 ,  39 ′,  41 ,  41 ′) fixed to top surfaces of the beams ( 71 ,  71 ′) by shafts ( 33 ,  33 ′,  21 ,  21 ′), wherein a bolt shaft ( 46 ,  46 ′) having a hole ( 43 ,  43 ′) in a lower end portion is supported by a shaft holder ( 45 ,  45 ′) fixed to bottoms of the beams ( 71 ,  71 ′), and an adjusting nut ( 49 ,  49 ′) having gauges is coupled to a threaded portion of the bolt shaft ( 46 ,  46 ′) passing through a center hole of the shaft holder ( 45 ,  45 ′);    a fluid tank ( 8 ,  8 ′) mounted on the front support plate ( 55 ,  55 ′) and the rear support plate ( 18 , 18 ′) of the support frame ( 35 ,  35 ′) and having drainage holes ( 27 ,  27 ′) with annular downward protrusions ( 9 ,  9 ′), wherein packings ( 42 ,  42 ′) are placed around the drainage holes ( 27 ,  27 ′) opposite to the annular downward protrusions ( 9 ,  9 ′); valves ( 80 ,  80 ′) with handles ( 26 ,  26 ′) are placed thereon, respectively, such that intermediate slant portions ( 53 ,  53 ′) and end slant portions ( 52 ,  52 ′), which extend from the handles ( 26 ,  26 ′), respectively, of the valves ( 80 ,  80 ′), protrude downward the drainage holes ( 27 ,  27 ′); the valves ( 80 ,  80 ′) are capped with protective covers ( 67 ,  67 ′), respectively; and edges of the protective covers ( 67 ,  67 ′) are fixed to an inner bottom surface of the fluid tank  8 ( 8 ′);    sets of a piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) and a switch ( 1 ,  1 ′), which are hung by strings ( 30 ,  30 ′,  31 ,  31 ′) passing over the pulleys ( 32 ,  32 ′,  23 ,  23 ′) such that the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) and the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′) can move up and down along an inner wall of a cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′), the strings ( 30 ,  30 ′,  31 ,  31 ′) being tied to both ends of a support bar ( 29 ,  29 ′) fitted to an upper inner wall of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′), wherein a base plate ( 20 ,  20 ′) of the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) is coupled to a base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′); a hole ( 54 ,  54 ′) is formed in a lower portion of the switch  91 ,  1 ), a plurality of drainage holes ( 3 ,  3 ′) and an opening ( 12 ,  12 ′) are formed in the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′); a lever ( 56 ,  56 ′) with a hole ( 57 ,  57 ′) is supported in the opening ( 12 ,  12 ′) by a shaft ( 19 ,  19 ′) received in grooves ( 59 ,  59 ′) of bearings ( 16 ,  16 ′) formed along opposing edges of the opening ( 12 ,  12 ′); a packing ( 76 ,  76 ′) is placed underneath the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ) and the base plate ( 20 ,  20 ′) of the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′); an annular fixing plate ( 78 ,  78 ′) with a protective frame ( 70 ,  70 ′), which is positioned below a flexible sag ( 65 ,  65 ′), is placed below the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′) and the base plate ( 20 ,  20 ′) of the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) and fixed thereto using bolts; a floatable lid ( 62 ,  62 ′,  62 ″,  62 ′″) having an internal space ( 74 ,  74 ′) is installed between the packing ( 76 ,  76 ′) and the protective frame ( 70 ,  70 ′); an annular floatable plate ( 81 ,  81 ′) is mounted on a bottom surface of the fixing plate ( 78 ,  78 ′); the flexible sag ( 65 ,  65 ′) is placed inside the cylinders ( 2 ,  2 ′) such that an upper end portion of the flexible sag ( 65 ,  65 ′) folds back on itself and hooks over an upper end of the cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′); and a cylindrical extension ( 66 ,  66 ′) is fitted to the upper end of the cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′), wherein the size of the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) can be varied depending situations, and a floatable lid having no internal space and made of a material having a low specific gravity can be used;    a lever ( 77 ,  77 ′) coupled to an upper bearing ( 48 ,  48 ′) of a switching block ( 28 ,  28 ′) fitted to a hole ( 60 ,  60 ′) of a support bar ( 24 ,  24 ′) fixed to an upper portion of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′), the lever ( 77 ,  77 ′) including a hook ( 40 ,  40 ′) and a weight ( 44 ,  44 ′) on opposing lower portions and a horizontal lever ( 51 ,  51 ′) with an elliptical hole ( 61 ,  61 ′) on an upper end, wherein the hook ( 40 ,  40 ′) and the weight ( 44 ,  44 ′) are within an internal space ( 73 ,  73 ′) of the switching block ( 28 ,  28 ′);    a rod ( 25 ,  25 ′) with a hook ( 22 ,  22 ′) on a lower end positioned within the internal space ( 73 ,  73 ′) of the switching block ( 28 ,  28 ′); and    a drainage tube ( 4 ,  4 ′) connected to a lower end portion of each cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′) and having an annular protrusion ( 5 ,  5 ′) around a lower inner wall thereof, a packing ( 6 ,  6 ′) and a ball ( 7 ,  7 ′) placed sequentially on the annular protrusion ( 5 ,  5 ′), and another annular protrusion ( 79 ,  79 ′) formed around the inner wall of the drainage tube ( 4 ,  4 ′) above the annular protrusion ( 5 ,  5 ′) to retain the ball ( 7 ,  7 ′), wherein an end of a hose is connected to an upper end of the drainage tube ( 4 ,  4 ′) and the other end of the hose is connected to the fluid tank ( 8 ,  8 ′) or a place where fluid is required,    wherein a string ( 17 ,  17 ′) passing through a hole ( 83 ,  83 ′) of a flexible lid ( 14 ,  14 ′) and the hole ( 57 ,  57 ′) of the lever ( 56 ,  56 ′) supported by the shaft ( 19 ,  19 ′) received in the grooves ( 59 ,  59 ′) of the bearings ( 16 ,  16 ′) is tied to a lower end portion of the rod ( 25 ,  25 ′) with the hook ( 22 ,  22 ′); a string ( 50 ,  50 ′) tied to the hole ( 43 ,  43 ′) formed in the lower end portion of the bolt shaft ( 46 ,  46 ′) passes through the elliptical hole ( 61 ,  61 ′) of the horizontal lever ( 51 ,  51 ′) on the upper end of the lever ( 77 ,  77 ′) and is connected to the upper end of the rod ( 25 ,  25 ′) with the hook ( 22 ,  22 ′) in the internal space ( 73 ,  73 ′) of the switching block ( 28 ,  28 ′); and the volume of fluid discharged through the drainage holes ( 3 ,  3 ′) and the opening ( 12 ,  12 ′) is greater than the volume of fluid pumped up through the drainage tube ( 4 ,  4 ′).    
   
   
       2 . The gravity water pump of  claim 1 , wherein the hole ( 57 ,  57 ′) of the lever ( 56 ,  56 ′) supported by the shaft ( 19 ,  19 ′) received in the grooves ( 59 ,  59 ′) of the bearings ( 16 ,  16 ′), disposed along the opposing edges of the opening ( 12 ,  12 ′) formed in the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) together with the plurality of drainage holes ( 3 ,  3 ′), is connected to a hook ( 58 ,  58 ′) of a rotary lid ( 15 ,  15 ′) by a link ( 63 ,  63 ′), the rotary lid ( 15 ,  15 ′) with an annular protrusion ( 37 ,  37 ′) being placed on the packing ( 72 ,  72 ′) on the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′); a hole ( 38 ,  38 ′) of the annular protrusion ( 37 ,  37 ′) is connected to a lower end of the rod ( 25 ,  25 ′) with the hook ( 22 ,  22 ′) by the string ( 17 ,  17 ′); an annular fixing plate ( 78 ,  78 ′) with a protective frame ( 70 ,  70 ′) is disposed between the packing ( 76 ,  76 ′) on the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′) and a bellows ( 68 ,  68 ′) underlying the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′), and the bellows ( 68 ,  68 ′) and the annular fixing plate ( 78 ,  78 ′) with the protective frame ( 70 ,  70 ′) are fixed to the base plate ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the switch ( 1 ,  1 ′) using bolts; the floatable lid ( 62 ,  62 ′) with the internal space ( 74 ,  74 ′) is installed between the packing ( 76 ,  76 ′) and the protective frame ( 70 ,  70 ′); and a drainage hole ( 69 ,  69 ′) of the bellows ( 68 ,  68 ′) is connected to the drainage tube ( 4 ,  4 ′).  
   
   
       3 . The gravity water pump of  claim 1 , wherein, when the flexible bag ( 65 ,  65 ′) and the cylindrical extension ( 66 ,  66 ′) are detached, and a U-packing ( 11 ,  11 ′) is fitted in a circumferential groove of the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) such that the U-packing ( 11 ,  11 ′) rubs against an inner wall of the cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′) when the piston ( 10 ,  10 ′) rises and falls along the cylinder ( 2 ,  2 ′).