High pressure reciprocating pump

Abstract

A stuffing box for a high-pressure, reciprocating pump. A high pressure reciprocating pump has a mounting plate secured to the plunger end of a pump drive housing and a suction and discharge manifold hingedly connected thereto. A stuffing box in an opening in the mounting plate has a central bore receiving one end of the plunger and forming a plunger pressure chamber coaxial with the plunger. A tapered packing assembly in the stuffing box surrounds the plunger in sealing relation. A suction and discharge valve cartridge in a valve cavity in the manifold block is coaxial with the plunger. The stuffing box includes a body and a sleeve. The body includes a longitudinal socket having an inner surface with a taper extending longitudinally a predetermined distance. The sleeve is disposed in the socket of the body. The sleeve includes a bore longitudinally disposed therein configured to receive a plunger of the pump. The sleeve has an outer surface tapered such that the outer surface of the sleeve substantially corresponds to the inner surface of the body. The body compressively retains the sleeve.

1 . A reciprocating pump comprising: 
 a mounting plate, the mounting plate including an opening;    a manifold block removably secured to the mounting plate, the manifold block having a cavity;    a valve cartridge disposed in the cavity of the manifold block; and    a stuffing box disposed in the opening of the mounting plate, the stuffing box having a valve end, the valve end of the stuffing box disposed adjacent to the valve cartridge, the stuffing box in operative relation with the valve cartridge, the stuffing box including a body and a sleeve, the body having a longitudinal socket, the socket having an inner surface, the inner surface being tapered over at least a predetermined portion thereof, the sleeve disposed in the socket of the body, the sleeve having a bore longitudinally disposed therein, the bore opening to the valve cartridge, the sleeve having an outer surface tapered such that the taper of the outer surface of the sleeve substantially corresponds to the taper of the inner surface of the body, and wherein the body compressively retains the sleeve.    
   
   
       2 . The pump according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a reciprocating plunger disposed in the stuffing box.    
   
   
       3 . The pump according to  claim 2  wherein the stuffing box includes a packing end, the packing end opposing the valve end, and the stuffing box includes a counterbore disposed at the packing end, the counterbore of the body and the pump cavity of the sleeve defining a plunger chamber.  
   
   
       4 . The pump according to  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a packing assembly disposed at the packing end of the counterbore of the stuffing box, the packing assembly providing a seal between the plunger and the plunger chamber.    
   
   
       5 . The pump according to  claim 4  wherein the stuffing box includes a seating surface, and the packing assembly includes a packing gland having an end surface, the end surface engaged with the seating surface of the stuffing box.  
   
   
       6 . The pump according to  claim 4  wherein the packing assembly includes a packing gland and a guide ring, the packing gland having a packing end with an annular groove, the groove receiving the guide ring therein, the guide ring encircling the plunger.  
   
   
       7 . The pump according to  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a stuffer sleeve disposed in the plunger chamber between the stuffing box and the plunger, the stuffer sleeve having a longitudinal bore configured to substantially, closely correspond to the size of the plunger.    
   
   
       8 . The pump according to  claim 7  wherein the stuffer sleeve includes an outer surface having a groove extending around the outer surface with a retaining ring disposed therein, and the retaining ring engaging the stuffing box.  
   
   
       9 . The pump according to  claim 1  wherein the body of the stuffing box is generally cylindrical and includes an annular flange at the valve end, and the flange including a retaining portion configured to engage the opening of the mounting plate to prevent the stuffing box from rotating with respect to the mounting plate.  
   
   
       10 . The pump according to  claim 9  wherein the opening of the mounting plate includes a counterbore to receive the flange of the stuffing box.  
   
   
       11 . A stuffing box for a high-pressure, reciprocating pump, the stuffing box comprising: 
 a body, the body having a longitudinal socket, the socket having an inner surface, the inner surface having a taper extending longitudinally a predetermined distance; and    a sleeve, the sleeve disposed in the socket of the body, the sleeve having a bore longitudinally disposed therein, the bore configured to receive a plunger of the pump, the sleeve having a tapered outer surface, the outer surface tapered such that the outer surface of the sleeve substantially corresponds to the inner surface of the body;    wherein the body compressively retains the sleeve.    
   
   
       12 . The stuffing box according to  claim 11  wherein the body is generally cylindrical and includes an annular flange with a flat surface.  
   
   
       13 . The stuffing box according to  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a valve end and an opposing packing end; and    wherein the body of the stuffing box includes a counterbore disposed at the packing end of the stuffing box, the taper of the inner surface extending from the valve end to the counterbore.    
   
   
       14 . The stuffing box according to  claim 13  wherein the inner surface tapers inwardly from the valve end to the counterbore of the body.  
   
   
       15 . The stuffing box according to  claim 11  wherein the taper of the inner surface of the body and of the outer surface of the sleeve is about one-half inch per foot.  
   
   
       16 . A method for making a stuffing box for a high-pressure, reciprocating pump, the method comprising: 
 heating a body for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature, the body having a longitudinal socket, the socket having an inner surface, and the inner surface having a taper extending longitudinally a predetermined distance;    inserting a sleeve into the socket of the body such that the sleeve is seated in the body, the body and the sleeve forming an assembly, the sleeve having a tapered outer surface, the outer surface tapered such that the outer surface of the sleeve substantially corresponds to the inner surface of the body; and    allowing the body to cool, thereby urging the size of the socket of the body to reduce such that the body compressively retains the sleeve.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16  further comprising: 
 inserting the body into an oven to heat the body.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  further comprising: 
 removing the body from the oven.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  further comprising: 
 inserting the assembly into the oven for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined temperature.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 16 , the stuffing box having a valve end and a packing end, the method further comprising: 
 machining at least one of the sleeve and the body at the valve end to define a substantially planar end surface.    
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , the stuffing box having a counterbore disposed at the packing end, the method further comprising: 
 machining at least one of the sleeve and the body in the counterbore to define a substantially planar counterbore end surface.    
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 16 , the body applying a compressive stress upon the sleeve, the method further comprising: 
 adjusting the compressive stress the body applies to the sleeve by varying the temperature in the heating step.