Variable flow reversible vane pump

Abstract

A variable flow reversible vane pump having a rotor with slidable vanes, a shaft providing rotary power take off for the rotor and a cam ring wherein said rotor rotates with the vanes engaging the inside of the cam ring. A case encases the cam ring and a front bearing plate connects to the front of the case. A rotary valve surrounds the shaft and flushes against the cam ring and the rotor with slidable vanes and has a structure defining a plurality of directly opposed channeled arcuate grooves, at least one port in each of the opposed grooves, and a plurality of gear teeth along part of the periphery. A rear bearing plate encloses the other end of the cam ring and the rotor and has a structure with rear plate apertures in communication with one of the opposed arcuate grooves and the port therein of the rotary valve plate. A rotatable gear is lodged within a gear channel of the case and meshes with the gear teeth along the periphery of the rotary valve plate. A central shaft is bound to the gear and externally rotates the valve plate relative to the cam ring and the rotor and the rear plate apertures. The method of the pumping with the vane pump comprises controlling externally the angular position of the rotary valve plate with respect to the fixed cam ring and the rotating rotor therein having radially slidable vanes engaging the inside of the cam ring in order to control the direction and rate of flow of the fluids through the rear plate apertures of the rear bearing plate.