Lower grinder pump tank

Details Lower grinder pump tank Lower grinder pump tank

1999-04-09

2001-10-09

Husar, John M. (Department: 3725)

Solid material comminution or disintegration

Apparatus

Including means applying fluid to material

C241S100000, C241S101200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06299080

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sewage grinder pumps and, more particularly, to an improved horizontal lower collection tank assemblage for a grinder pump station that can accommodate one or more grinder pump units mounted to the inside of the single collection tank.
2. Description of the Background
Sewage grinder pump stations are well-known, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,254 issued to Sleasman et al. On Oct. 8, 1996 (which specification is incorporated by reference herein).
FIG. 1
is a perspective drawing from the '254 patent illustrating the grinder pump station
10
, and
FIG. 2
is a cross-section drawing from the '254 patent illustrating lower tank portion
16
formed by a cylindrical non-corrugated inner wall
52
and a corrugated outer wall
54
.
FIG. 3
illustrates how the prior art grinder pump station
10
of
FIGS. 1 and 2
is installed in the ground.
As seen throughout
FIGS. 1-3
and as fully described in the '254 patent, this grinder pump station
10
is positioned substantially vertically in the ground. Grinder pump station
10
includes a lid assembly
22
, an upper tank portion
14
, a transition section
18
, a lower tank portion
16
, and a base
32
. The outer side walls of upper tank portion
14
and lower tank portion
16
are corrugated, while the outer side wall
17
of transition section
18
is smooth. Extending through side wall
17
of transition section
18
is an inlet opening
20
through which sewage enters grinder pump station
10
, and a discharge opening
19
, through which processed sewage exits grinder pump station
10
. Attached to this upper tank portion
14
is a lid assembly
22
. Lid assembly
22
includes the electrical and ventilation interfaces of the grinder pump station, as more fully described hereinafter, and an access hatch
24
for allowing interior access. A base
32
is secured to the lower portion
16
of grinder pump station
10
. Mounted within grinder pump station
10
is a grinder pump unit
34
. Grinder pump unit
34
includes a grinder head
36
for pulverizing sewage. A grinder pump
39
is secured to grinder head
36
for pumping ground sewage through grinder pump station
10
. Grinder pump
38
includes a discharge housing
40
, which is joined to a discharge outlet pipe
42
. A sealed control housing
44
houses the controls for grinder pump
34
, and underneath housing
44
, a motor housing casting
47
houses an electric motor (not shown) for powering both grinder pump
38
and grinder head
36
. Grinder pump unit
34
employs one or more sensing tubes
46
to sense pressure variations by measuring increases in the level of sewage collected in grinder pump station
10
. Upon the attainment of a predetermined sewage level, the motor within motor housing casting
47
is energized. The sewage collected in grinder pump station
10
is then be ground by grinder head
36
and is pumped by grinder pump
38
from discharge housing
41
to discharge outlet pipe
42
. From discharge outlet pipe
42
, the processed sewage travels to a remote location, e.g., to a pressure sewage main and ultimately to a sewage treatment plant. The entire above-described grinder pump unit is commercially available as the Model 2000 Series from Environment One Corp., Schenectady, N.Y.
With particular reference to the tank portions
14
and
16
of grinder pump station
10
, it can be seen that the upper tank portion
14
and lower tank portion
16
are identical in every respect apart from their relative height. Both upper tank portion
14
and lower tank portion
16
have a substantially cylindrical non-corrugated inner wall
52
secured to a substantially cylindrical corrugated outer wall
54
. The corrugations of the outer wall
54
form a series of alternating crests
56
, ridges and troughs
58
. Each trough
58
of corrugated wall
54
is secured, during the manufacturing process, to inner wall
52
. An extrusion method of manufacture can be employed to form the corrugated configuration, wherein the cylindrical corrugated outer wall
54
and cylindrical inner wall
52
integrally form double walled upper tank portion
14
and lower tank portion
16
.
A transition section
18
separates the upper tank
14
from lower tank
16
. Transition section
18
is substantially cylindrical in shape, and has a non-corrugated outer wall to facilitate the formation of one or more inlet openings
20
and discharge openings
19
through its sides, and has an enlarged axial opening extending therein. Transition section
18
includes structure for positioning and aligning grinder pump unit
34
in grinder pump station
10
. The inner diameter of transition section \
18
is defined by the axial opening, and the outer diameter is defined by outer side wall
17
. An internal conical wall
118
forms the upper reservoir portion of transition section
18
, while conical wall
118
flows inward from the outer diameter to a proximity near the inner diameter of the transition section. The conical shape provides structural stiffness for transition section
18
and facilitates the insertion of grinder pump unit
34
into the axial opening or transition section
18
. The grinder pump stations, lower tank portions, and transition sections as described above and as illustrated in the '254 patent are commercially available from Environment One Corp., Schenectady, N.Y.
It is noteworthy that the above-described design is limited to the illustrated vertical/coaxial configuration of the upper and lower tank portions
14
and
16
of grinder pump station
10
. This configuration ostensibly allows for easy field height adjustability, in small increments. However, the vertical configuration can only accommodate a single grinder pump unit, and the overall storage volume is very limited. Moreover,
FIG. 3
shows the use of concrete reinforcement
143
for the submerged tank. Concrete reinforcement
143
is necessary to support the vertical and coaxial configuration of the upper and lower tank portions
14
and
16
. A concrete truck must somehow gain access to the site, and this greatly increases the cost of manufacturing and installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved horizontal lower collection tank for a grinder pump station that can accommodate one or more grinder pump units mounted to the inside of the single collection tank.
It is another object to allow readily available parts (such as, for instance, the series 2000—60 gallon tank e.g., from Environment One Corp., Schenectady, N.Y.) to be used in a lower tank design with an inlet at the top of the wet well thus creating a storage volume that is far in excess of existing capabilities.
It is another object to facilitate submersion of the tank no matter the volume without the need for concrete or other reinforcement, thereby lowering the cost of both manufacturing and installation.
It is another object to allow the manufacturer to mount as many grinder pumps to a given tank as the project may require, and to thereby increase the discharge rate of the given tank.
According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing an improved horizontally-disposed lower tank for a grinder pump unit, the lower tank including at least one section of corrugated pipe, and at least one aperture formed therein for mounting a grinder pump unit. The lower tank is buried lengthwise in the ground with the aperture(s) directed upwardly. A transition collar is fitted into each aperture of the cylindrical lower tank for mounting grinder pump unit(s) thereon.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3920550 (1975-11-01), Farrell, Jr. et al
patent: 4014475 (1977-03-01), Grace et al.
patent: 4822213 (1989-04-01), Grace et al.
patent: 4904387 (1990-02-01), Jordan
patent: 4919343 (1990-04-01), Luik, Jr. et al.
patent: 5337966 (1994-08-01), Francis et al.
patent: 5480548 (1996-01-01), Daigger et al.
patent: 5996621 (1999-12-01), Hagiwara et al.

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