Pump having a flange for mounting an auxiliary pump

Abstract

A pump is disclosed. The pump may have a housing connectable to a transmission of a machine adjacent a front end of the pump. The pump may also have a flange attached to the housing adjacent a rear end of the pump. The flange may have a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the flange, and a transverse axis extending along a width of the flange. The flange may also have a first mounting hole configured to connect an auxiliary pump to the flange. Further, the flange may have a second mounting hole configured to connect a bracket to the flange. The first mounting hole may be positioned on a first axis inclined at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump stack for a machine, comprising:
 a first pump mounted at a front end to a gearbox of the machine, the first pump including a first pump shaft;   a second pump mounted to a rear end of the first pump, the second pump including a housing, a flange protruding from the housing, and a second pump shaft configured to engage with the first pump shaft, the flange comprising:
 a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the flange and a transverse axis extending along a width of the flange, the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis together defining four quadrants of the flange; 
 a first pair of mounting holes configured to connect an auxiliary pump to the housing, wherein
 the first pair of mounting holes are located at a first radial distance relative to the second pump shaft, and 
 the first pair of mounting holes are positioned on a first axis inclined at a first acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange; and 
 
 a second pair of mounting holes configured to connect a bracket to the housing, the second pair of mounting holes being located at a second radial distance relative to the second pump shaft, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial and the second pair of mounting holes both being located in a same quadrant of the four quadrants. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the second pair of mounting holes are positioned on respective axes inclined at a second acute angle relative to each other. 
     
     
         3 . The pump stack of  claim 2 , wherein the respective axes are each inclined at respective third acute angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange. 
     
     
         4 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of mounting holes are positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein at least one mounting hole of the first pair of mounting holes and the second pair of mounting holes is threaded. 
     
     
         6 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the second pump shaft includes a splined recess configured to receive a shaft of the auxiliary pump. 
     
     
         7 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket is attached to the housing of the second pump via the second pair of mounting holes, the bracket also being attached to one of the gearbox or a chassis of the machine. 
     
     
         8 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket extends across a gap between the flange and one of the gearbox or a chassis of the machine, and the bracket further includes:
 a first end that is attached to the flange; and   a second end that is attached to one of the gearbox or a chassis of the machine.   
     
     
         9 . The pump stack of  claim 8 , wherein the bracket includes an elongated structural member extending from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         10 . The pump stack of  claim 8 , wherein
 the first end of the bracket is attached to at least one mounting hole of the second pair of mounting holes of the flange via a fastener, and   the second end of the bracket is attached to the gearbox or the chassis via another fastener.   
     
     
         11 . The pump stack of  claim 10 , wherein the first end of the bracket is attached to the second pair of mounting holes of the flange via a pair of fasteners. 
     
     
         12 . The pump stack of  claim 11 , wherein the second end of the bracket is attached to the gearbox or the chassis via a pair of fasteners. 
     
     
         13 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the flange includes a first flange surface connected to the housing of the second pump and a second flange surface disposed opposite to and separated from the first flange surface by a thickness of the flange. 
     
     
         14 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the flange is integral with the housing of the second pump. 
     
     
         15 . The pump stack of  claim 1 , wherein the flange is removably attachable to the housing of the second pump. 
     
     
         16 . A pump stack for a machine, comprising:
 a first pump including a first front end and a first rear end opposite the first front end, the first front end of the first pump being mounted to a gearbox of the machine and extending along and spaced apart from the gearbox defining a gap between the gearbox and the pump stack;   a second pump including a second front end and a second rear end opposite the second front end, the second front end of the second pump being mounted to the first rear end of the first pump, the second pump including a housing and including a flange protruding from the housing at the second rear end, the flange including:
 a first pair of mounting holes configured to connect a third pump to the housing of the second pump; and 
 a second pair of mounting holes; and 
   a bracket extending across the gap between the pump stack and the gearbox, the bracket having a first end connected to the flange via the second pair of mounting holes and a second end connected to the gearbox.   
     
     
         17 . The pump stack of  claim 16 , wherein the bracket includes an elongated structural member extending from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         18 . The pump stack of  claim 16 , wherein the first pair of mounting holes are positioned on a first axis inclined at a first acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the flange.