Air-Operated Pump

Abstract

An air-operated pump for pumping material such as oil or grease. The pump is powered by an air motor which operates to reciprocate a piston and plunger to effect a pumping action. The air motor is modular in that the air valve system is contained in a single housing fastened to the pump head. The housing is removable as a unit from the pump head to facilitate servicing of the air valve system.

1 . An air-operated pump for pumping material, particularly a lubricant such as oil or grease, said pump comprising:
 a head comprising a cylinder;   a piston reciprocal up and down in the cylinder;   a pump plunger having an upper end connected to the piston and a lower end;   an elongate pump tube connected to the head and surrounding the plunger, said pump tube extending down below the lower end of the plunger; and   an air motor module for supplying air under pressure to the head for reciprocating the piston in the cylinder to move said pump plunger up and down in the pump tube through pumping strokes;   said air motor module comprising
 a housing at one side of the head, 
 an air valve system in the housing for supplying air under pressure to the head for reciprocating the piston in the cylinder, said air valve system comprising air signal valves, a relay valve and a power valve, and 
 a fastening system for securing the housing to the head such that the housing may be removed as a unit from the head. 
   
   
   
       2 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said housing comprises a block recessed to receive said air signal valves, relay valve and power valve. 
   
   
       3 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said air signal valves are mounted in recesses in the block adjacent upper and lower ends of the block, said housing further comprising removable upper and lower covers covering said recesses, the covers being removable to provide access to said signal valves. 
   
   
       4 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said relay valve is mounted alongside said power valve in respective bores in the block. 
   
   
       5 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said relay valve and power valve are movable in a generally vertical direction in said housing. 
   
   
       6 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said head and said housing have mating generally planar faces. 
   
   
       7 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said power valve comprises a perforated sleeve mounted in a bore in said housing, and a spool movable in said perforated sleeve. 
   
   
       8 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said perforated sleeve has a plurality of circumferential rows of openings therein spaced at intervals along the sleeve. 
   
   
       9 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said air signal valves, relay valve and power valve move along generally parallel axes. 
   
   
       10 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said axes are generally vertical when the pump is operational. 
   
   
       11 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said housing comprises a solid one-piece monolithic rectangular block having bores therein for receiving said air signal valves, relay valve and power valve, and removable covers fastened to said block for closing the ends of said bores. 
   
   
       12 . An air-operated pump for pumping material, particularly a lubricant such as oil or grease, said pump comprising:
 a head comprising a cylinder;   a piston reciprocal up and down in the cylinder;   a pump plunger extending down from the piston, said plunger having an upper end connected to the piston and a lower end; and   an air motor module for supplying air under pressure to the head for reciprocating the piston in the cylinder to move said pump plunger up and down through pumping strokes;   said air motor module comprising
 a housing at one side of the head, said housing comprising a solid one-piece monolithic rectangular block, 
 an air valve system in the housing for supplying air under pressure to the head for reciprocating the piston in the cylinder, said air valve system comprising air signal valves, a relay valve and a power valve received in respective recesses in said block, and 
 one or more fasteners for securing the block to the head such that the module may be removed as a unit from the head. 
   
   
   
       13 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said head and said block have mating generally planar faces. 
   
   
       14 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said housing further comprises at least one removable cover closing respective ends of said recesses. 
   
   
       15 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said recesses comprise vertical bores in said block, and wherein said at least one removable cover comprises a pair of removable covers for closing opposite ends of the bores. 
   
   
       16 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said power valve comprises a perforated sleeve mounted in a respective bore in said block, and a spool movable in said perforated sleeve. 
   
   
       17 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 16  wherein said perforated sleeve has a plurality of circumferential rows of openings therein spaced at intervals along the sleeve. 
   
   
       18 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said air signal valves, relay valve and power valve move along generally parallel axes. 
   
   
       19 . An air-operated pump as set forth in  claim 18  wherein said axes are generally vertical when the pump is operational.