Lawrence Edward Klote
Engineers at Sagamore Rd, Shawnee Mission, KS

5267830, Dec 7, 1993

Oct 13, 1992

7/959521

Dean R. Wickoren - Paola KS
Richard J. Wickoren - Overland Park KS
Troy L. Pennington - Olathe KS
Lawrence E. Klote - Leawood KS
Lawrence R. Gardner - Spring Hill KS
Ronald L. Dellinger - Overland Park KS

Innovative Material Systems, Inc. - Olathe KS

F01D 302

415 99

A pump for handling abrasive materials includes a housing having two chambers. A shaft mounts a high pressure impeller and a high volume impeller in respective chambers of the housing, each chamber having a separate and opposite inlet. A channel is provided to divert a portion of the flow generated by the high pressure impeller to a purge ring adjacent the primary inlet corresponding to the high volume impeller. The purge ring directs a flow of relatively abrasive-free liquid toward the inlet to reduce wear on the housing and high-volume impeller. Another part of the flow from the high pressure impeller is diverted through the housing to isolate portions of the housing and the high volume impeller from the abrasive material laden intake through the primary inlet. The invention also includes a method of dredging abrasive materials which includes immersing a pump into a liquid in proximity to a deposit of abrasive materials, directing a first flow of liquid containing abrasive materials into a primary inlet of the pump and directing a second, relatively abrasive-free flow of liquid into a secondary inlet, circulating a portion of the abrasive-free flow toward the intake, and combining the first and second flows in the pump before discharging the combined flow to a remote location.