PORTABLE PUMP

Description

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/599,425, filed on Oct. 11, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to portable pumps. More particularly, the invention relates to the configuration of a portable pump with an electric motor for pumping a non-flammable liquid.

BACKGROUND

It is known to have a portable water pump that can be easily moved and used to pump water from a variety of locations. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,522,515 and D800,176. However, there are a number of disadvantages with conventional pumps.

While such pumps work well with clean water and in good conditions, they do not work well in a variety of difficult circumstances. For example, the volume of liquid to be pumped may be large or contain dirt and/or debris. If the pump intake becomes clogged, it can fail to pump the water. Sometimes, the motor in the pump continues to operate even though it is not pumping the water. The motor may then fail and the pump becomes inoperable. In the case of battery-operated pumps, the battery may be drained, which in turn may negatively impact its ability to fully recharge or the length of time it can operate without needing to be recharged.

Conventional pumps are also limited in their operation. There may be a need to pump the liquid a long distance or a significant height. The location may be dark or confined or otherwise difficult to access. It would be an advantage if the pump could be lighted and supported in a desired position without the need for a person to have to attend to the pump during the entire time the liquid is being pumped.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In a preferred embodiment, the pump has an improved mounting for the motor device which facilitates the relatively quick and easy removal of the motor from the pump. The pump has a main body, said main body being hollow and cylindrical, a motor housing, said motor housing being connected to said main body by threads at a first end and having a removable end cap on a second end, and an electric motor located in said motor housing. An electronics housing has a battery adapter plate, a switch, and a discharge port, said housing enclosing wires and electronics such that said motor pumps liquid from the end cap, through the motor housing and the main body, and out of the discharge port when said switch is turned on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pump according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is the back view of the pump in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is the front view of the pump in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are left and right side views, respectively, of the pump in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top and bottom views, respectively, of the pump in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a close-up view of the preferred motor housing of the pump in FIG. 1 when disconnected.

FIG. 9 is a disassembled view of the pump in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are side view, end view, and perspective view, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of the motor assembly in the pump shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a disassembled view of the preferred discharge hose connector for use with the pump.

FIG. 12 is a disassembled view of the preferred connector for discharge hose 16 of the pump shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the screen or filter 4 and other elements inside the preferred motor housing of FIG. 9.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate an alternative electronics housing having LED lights.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a first preferred embodiment of an optional stand for the pump.

FIGS. 16A through 16E illustrate a second preferred embodiment of an optional stand for the pump.

FIGS. 17A through 17D illustrate a third preferred embodiment of an optional stand for the pump.

FIG. 18A is a partial perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the pump FIGS. 18B and 18C are an assembled view and a disassembled view, respectively, of the second preferred embodiment.

FIG. 18D is an exploded view of the pivoting head in the second preferred embodiment.

FIG. 19A is a partial perspective view of an optional hose adapter for use with a preferred embodiment of the pump.

FIGS. 19B, 19C, 19D and 19E are a perspective view, end view, side view, and disassembled view, respectively, of the optional hose adapter.

FIG. 20 shows an optional hook and an optional tool holder for use with a preferred embodiment of the pump.

FIG. 21A is a partial perspective view of an optional strainer with horizontal slits for use in combination with the end cap 9 of a preferred embodiment of the pump.

FIGS. 21B, 21C, and 21D are a top view, side view, and a perspective view, respectively, of an optional strainer for the pump with vertical slits.

FIGS. 22A, 22B, and 22C are a top view, side view, and a perspective view, respectively, of an optional strainer for the pump with horizontal slits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first preferred embodiment of a pump 100 according to the invention has the exterior configuration shown in FIGS. 1-7. Referring to the disassembled view in FIG. 9, pump 100 has a main body 14 which is hollow and generally cylindrical in shape. The main body 14 is preferably composed of anodized aluminum, but may alternatively be composed of other high-strength materials.

At the top end of main body 14 is an electronics housing, preferably formed from a rugged, impact resistant, polycarbonate material. The electronics housing preferably has a front part 6 that includes a water-resistant, sealed power switch 8 and has a discharge port extending from the surface of the housing. The discharge port may extend approximately 2 to 4 inches from the surface of the housing or, with a suitable configuration of parts and materials, may be as little as little as 1.375 inches from the surface. The outer circumference of the discharge port matches the inner circumference of discharge hose 16. On the flange of the discharge port is a washer mount 11 and a coupling washer 18 which couples with the magnets in the coupler of discharge hose 16 as described in further detail below. Rear part 7 of the electronics housing may have either a battery attachment or a battery adapter plate. The battery attachment receives, secures in place, and electrically connects a battery of a specific configuration to switch 8 and the electric motor. The battery adapter plate allows batteries of different configurations to be secured and connected through the use of configured adapters respectively corresponding to the different configuration batteries.

Front part 6 and rear part 7 are secured to each other and to main body 14 by a plurality of screws 10 or other equivalent attachment mechanism. When attached, the top of front part 6 and rear part 7 have a hole with interior threads that engage with the exterior threads of a cylindrical handle 13. Cylindrical handle 13 is preferably of the same material as main body 14, and is covered with a grip 1, which may be made of rubber or other suitable material. The distance from the bottom of the pump to the discharge port is preferably about 38 inches high. The handle 13 is preferably about six inches long so that the entire height of the pump is about 48 inches. There may be multiple handles 13 of different lengths, each of which can be alternatively connected and disconnected to the electronics housing so as to change the effective height of the pump. These alternative length handles preferably still have the grip 1 of approximately six inches on the end and are useful for use with deep sump pumps and pits. The handle may be, for example, 24 inches long so as to provide an overall height of approximately 66 inches.

The electronics housing contains within it the wires and electronics so that the motor is turned on and off by the switch 8. The wires extending through main body 14 to the motor are preferably color coded to ensure proper connection to the pump motor.

The bottoms of front part 6 and/or rear part 7 may have one or more LED lights 20 that are directed downwards and turned on automatically whenever switch 8 is turned on. There can be two LED lights as shown in FIG. 14A or there can be a different number of lights. The LED lights are shown outside of the electronics housing in the partially assembled view of FIG. 14A for the purpose of illustration and understanding. It is to be understood that when fully assembled, the LED lights are recessed into holes formed in the electronic housing so that no part thereof extends beyond the outer periphery of the electronics housing. Preferably, the holes are tapped and the LED lights are threaded into the holes, but any suitable arrangement may be employed

The LED lights preferably illuminate the area near the bottom of the pump to assist in dark conditions. Although only two LED lights are shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, there may be any number of lights and they may be located at various locations. However, none of the LED lights should not be located directly above the discharge port to hose 16 as shown in the example of FIGS. 14A and 14B. Optical elements may be part of the LED lights themselves or they may be located in the holes along with the LED lights in order to provide a desired field of illumination. There may be LED lights of different fields of illumination so that an operator may choose to have a narrow field or a wider field around the pump. The LED lights of different fields are preferably selectable by the user using a switch or other device located on the electronics housing.

There are exterior threads on the bottom end of main body 14. The threaded portion may be the last two inches of the bottom end, or may be as little as 1.25 inches of the bottom end. The top end of a motor housing 12 has similar threads and is connected to the bottom end of main body 14 by a union 2 and plastic cap 3. It is preferable that the motor housing 12 can be disconnected from main body 14 by hand so as to allow easy access to the motor within. For this reason, plastic cap 3 is ridged as shown in the figures or the surface is otherwise formed so as to permit easy turning.

Motor housing 12 preferably has a larger diameter than main body 14 so as to accommodate a motor 17 that can pump liquid at a high rate and/or to a relatively high height. Motor 17 is not mounted directly to the inside wall of motor housing 12. A key feature of the preferred embodiments is that motor unit 17 is assembled so that it can be accessed and replaced if necessary by a person once motor housing 12 is disconnected from the main body. The preferred embodiments use a wire harness assembly 15 having a first open end into which motor unit 17 can be inserted and then securely fixed into place. The wires from the electronic housing pass through the second end of wire harness assembly 15 opposite the first end and are preferably terminated by terminals which can be connected to the terminals of the motor unit 17. The terminals of motor unit 17 are preferably marked or color coded to match the marked or color coded wires. The motor unit 17 has one or more seals such that, when motor unit 17 is fixed in place inside wire harness assembly 15, the bottom of motor unit 17 can be secured to wire harness assembly 15 to form a water tight fit. Preferably, motor unit 17 is secured to wire harness assembly 15 by a plurality of screws through a respective plurality of flanges.

FIG. 10C shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of motor unit 17 having a cylindrical motor mount 17-2 surrounding impeller 19. As best seen in FIG. 10B, the shaft of motor 17 is not perfectly round and instead has a flat so that impeller 19 can be aligned and pressed onto the motor shaft. As shown in FIG. 10A, screws attach motor mount 17-2 to motor 17 with a large diameter O-ring squeezed inbetween. A smaller diameter O-ring surrounds the shaft of motor 17.

A round spacer 5 preferably has a plurality of slots that are sized and located to engage with corresponding flanges on motor unit 17. A screen or filter 4 fits on the side of spacer 5 opposite from the motor unit 17. The bottom end of motor housing 12 has external threads similar to those on its top end. End cap 9 is screwed onto the bottom end of motor housing 12 holding screen or filter 4 and the other elements within motor housing 12 firmly in place.

With this configuration, screen or filter 4 can be easily replaced or changed simply by unscrewing end cap 9. Motor unit 17 can also be replaced or changed by unscrewing the end cap and reversing the steps described above to assemble the motor unit 17 into a watertight fitting inside motor housing 12.

The pump operates when switch 8 is turned on. When configured as shown and described herein, motor 17 operates to force the transfer of liquid drawn from the bottom of the pump through end cap 14 and screen or filter 4, through motor housing 12 and main body 14, and out the discharge port 60 formed as part of the electronics housing. The water exits from discharge hose 16 which is preferably flexible and contains the connector shown in FIG. 11. The discharge port 60 is an integral part of the front part 6 of the electronics housing. Discharge port 60 has a base part 61 with a circular end face 61-2 formed therein. End face 61-2 may be substantially flush with base part 61 or, as shown, the base part 61 may have a lip 61-1 surrounding the outer circumference of end face 61-2. The pumped liquid passes through a hollow coupling 61-3 on the inside of circular end face 61-2. The outer circumference of hollow coupling 61-3 matches the inner circumference of the connector of discharge hose 16 and the outer circumference of end face 61-2 matches the outer circumference of the connector of discharge hose 16.

A magnetic washer 62 is glued onto circular end face 61-2, preferably by using Loctite 416, but other adhesive or bonding agent may be used. The end face 61-2 matches the dimensions of the circular end face of the connector of discharge hose 16. The circular end face of the discharge hose connector is formed of a rigid polycarbonate material. As illustrated by FIG. 12, a plurality of cylindrical magnets are glued into a plurality of correspondingly shaped and dimensioned holes in the discharge hose connector. These magnets and the magnetic washer provide a strong and secure connection when the parts are brought into close proximity with each other, while the connection can be broken by mere manual effort and no tools. The number and strength of magnets can be varied although it is preferred that the magnets be equally spaced about the end face of the discharge hose connector.

While the connector of the discharge hose is rigid, there is an O-ring provided on the end of the connector opposite the discharge port so that the majority of the discharge hose can be flexible and yet securely connected to the connector without leakage. The O-ring can also be fashioned so as to provide robust friction keeping the discharge hose in place. The other end of discharge hose 16 preferably has a connector which is the same as the discharge port shown in FIG. 11. This allows a plurality of hoses to be daisy-chained together in serial fashion so that discharge hose can be lengthened. The hoses preferably have different lengths, such as 2 feet, four feet, seven feet, etc., so as to afford greater flexibility in the overall length of the discharge hose. Such flexibility adds to the adaptability of the pump to work well in different conditions. It is frequently desired that the pump is turned on and left unattended while liquid is being pumped. If, for example, liquid is to be pumped over a wall, through a window, etc. a suitable plurality of hoses can preferably be daisy-chained so that they will not move during unattended operation, perhaps undesirably pumping the liquid right back into the confined environment from which it is desired to be pumped in the first place.

Alternatively, an optional hose adapter 190 can be used as shown in FIGS. 19A-19E. This adapter has a preferably polycarbonate body with a face 192 that matches the dimensions of the face of discharge port and a plurality of magnets 194 glued into a plurality of correspondingly shaped and dimensioned holes embedded in face 192 that match with the magnets of the discharge port. The adapter 190 has an internal groove for an O-ring 193. The combination of the magnets and O-ring with the magnetic washer of the discharge port makes a strong and secure connection and seal when the parts are brought into close proximity with each other, while the connection can be broken by mere manual effort and no tools. Although six magnets are shown in FIGS. 12, 19B and 19C, an alternative number of magnets, such as 4, 5 or 8 magnets, can also be used, but they are preferably equally space around the end face of adapter 190. The face 192 is thus attached to the discharge port, and on the other end of the adaptor are threads 191 that match the standardized threads of a hose not specifically intended for use with the preferred embodiments, such as for example, a common garden hose. The hose is preferably at least % inches in diameter so as not to impede the flow of water through the pump. This adapter provides the advantage of using a single pump according to one of the preferred embodiments with either the hoses describe herein or with other hoses at the discretion of the user by easy and simple use of the adapter 190 rather than being constrained to a pump that can only use one hose or the other.

A second preferred embodiment differs from the first embodiment insofar as it has a pivoting head as shown in FIGS. 18A-18D. Referring to the perspective view in FIG. 18A, the second preferred embodiment has an upper pivot head 181 preferably having a “t-shape” body, the “T” being attached to the lower end of main body 14. One side end of upper pivot head 181 is attached to lower pivot head 182 and the other end of upper picot head 181 is capped. The lower picot head is preferably elbow shaped, with a cap at the elbow and the long end being attached, directly or indirectly, to motor housing 12 as in the first preferred embodiment. Upper pivot head 181 and lower pivot head 182 have a shaft or bolt extending therethrough which is capped at the ends so as to be watertight. The interiors of upper pivot head 181 and lower pivot head 182 are otherwise hollow except for the wires connected to the motor.

The lower pivot head 182 rotates about the axis of the center shaft or bolt, thus causing the motor housing 12 and end cap 9 to extend out at any desired angle relative to the axis of the main body 14. For example, the motor housing 12 and end cap 9 may be positioned at an angle of 90 degrees, or more than 90 degrees, relative to main body 14. It can be particularly advantageous in some circumstances where there are obstacles or tight spaces. For example, excessive debris can clog a pump and is typically concentrated at the bottom of any body of water. When a pump such as in the first preferred embodiment is located so that its intake is at the very bottom of the body of water, it tends to be in direct contact with the debris and easily get clogged by the debris. By rotating the motor housing 12 and end cap 9 up more than 90 degrees, the end cap 9 is located above the bottom of the body of water, and above most of the debris, and therefore tends to take in cleaner water and avoid clogging.

The rotation in the second preferred embodiment preferably has a fixed limit, the limit being less than 360 degrees so that the wiring is not wound up on the center pivot shaft or bolt. A friction device is utilized (not shown in FIG. 18A) to keep the motor housing 12 and end cap 9 in place once it has been rotated, but which does not prevent intentional rotation upon the application of adequate force. This friction device can, for example, be located at the contacting exterior surfaces of upper pivot head 181 and lower pivot head, or it can be provided in some other manner. The lower pivot head 182 can be directly attached to the motor housing 12 or it can be connected via a hollow extension. The hollow extension can have any length. It can be relatively short, such as 2 inches, or it can relatively long, such as 12 inches. The friction device may be calibrated in conjunction with the length of the extension since gravity has a greater effect on rotation of the motor housing 12 when it is on a lengthy extension rather than a short extension.

A pump according to the second preferred embodiment may be configured and assembled in any number of ways. It can be a fixed device, but preferably, it can be assembled as an adaptation of the first preferred embodiment as shown in the example of FIGS. 18b-18D. This allows a user to obtain a pump according to the first embodiment, and use additional parts if and when they want to convert it to a pump according to the second preferred embodiment.

The exemplary adapting part 180 is shown in FIG. 18D and utilizes the threads on the lower end of the main body 12 and the union 2 of the first preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-9 and use additional parts. As shown in FIGS. 18B-D, upper pivot head 181 has threads that connect with the threads of main body 14, and a female-to-female threaded connector 184 connects the threads in union 2 with threads on lower pivot head 182. This connector can be of any desired length and is preferably of the same diameter as main body 14. A threaded center shaft or bolt 183 extends through the center of upper and lower pivot heads 181 and 182 and clamps the two together. Lower pivot head 182 slides into upper pivot head 181 and rotates inside of it. A threaded knob 185 has threads that interact with the threads on center shaft 183. The threaded knob 185 is turned to loosen pivot head 182 so it can be rotated and to tighten it in place as shown in FIG. 18D. As shown in FIG. 18C, locking teeth or notches that align and interface may be molded in a circle arrangement into the abutting surfaces of upper pivot head 181 and lower pivot head 182 to ensure that the motor housing 12 and end cap 9 are secured in place after desired rotation occurs. Preferably, there is a less than a full circle of teeth or notches in the abutting surface of lower pivot head 182 and one tooth or notch (or a few) molded into the abutting surface of upper pivot head 181. The extent and location of the partial circle of teeth or notches in the lower pivot head 182 determines the range of rotation. Preferably, there is a half circle of teeth or notches located so that there is a range of rotation of almost 180 degrees from straight down to almost straight up.

As a further option to address the problem of clogging, a circular nylon push-on strainer such as that shown in FIGS. 21A-21D or 22A-22C may also be used with any of the preferred embodiments. As shown in FIG. 21A, the circular strainer is formed to fit over the exterior of end cap 9 and projects beyond it by a short distance, for example, 2-3 inches is preferred. The strainer works in conjunction with filter 4 to help protect impeller 19 from damage caused by debris. Although a strainer number 250 with horizontal slits is shown in FIG. 21A, a strainer 250 with vertical slits as shown in FIGS. 21B-21D may also be used. The strainer has a single piece hard plastic body 252, preferably molded, and a soft nylon O-ring 251 that is dimensioned to pass over the exterior of end cap 9 and rest on the top bezel thereof. The O-ring 251 is secured in place relative to body 252 by the horizontal notches 252-5 respectively formed in vertical ribs 252-1 as best seen in FIG. 21D. The strainer can be removed by mere manual effort and no tools by grabbing hold of the strainer and pulling in a straight direction off of the motor housing 12 and end cap 9, leaving the retainer ring 251 in place.

Petal-shaped slits 252-3 in the bottom of body 252 and especially vertical slots 252-4 in the circular wall of body 252 provide multiple points for water or other liquid, and thus decreases the chances of clogging. so that there are multiple slits through which water or other liquid may pass. Alternatively, the circular strainer 260 may have horizontal slots 263 in the circular wall. Even if some of the lower horizontal slits become clogged, the liquid may still pass through the higher slits. Strainer 250 can have any configuration of slits on the circular wall. So long as the area of slits greatly increases the area for water intake compared to the area of the flat filter 4, it decreases the likelihood of clogging. Although the switch 8 and electronics housing are preferably water-resistant, they should ordinarily not be permitted to be immersed in the liquid to be pumped. Moreover, in operation, the pump should be kept substantially upright in order to maximize the flow rate of liquid through the bottom end cap and to reliably transfer the liquid until it is almost entirely pumped. However, it is frequently desired to let the pump run attended and sometimes difficult to reliably position the pump so that it can be left unattended without falling into the liquid.

Any number of tools may be used to keep the pump upright. However, it is preferable that there be a stand of some sort that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to transport and use with the pump, and reliable. The flow of liquid through the pump may not be absolutely constant and the pump may shake or jerk due to interruptions in the transfer caused by debris in the liquid or even differences in the viscosity of the liquid.

In realizing these goals, the inventors have made the important determination that the stand need not, and preferably does not, place the pump in a perfectly upright position. When in a perfectly upright position, the pump may lean in any direction and thus any stand would have to provide support in any direction. A stand for the pump would preferably position the stand at a slight angle from the vertical. It would provide support in the direction in which the pump would lean. And the stand would preferably be located on the side of the pump on which the battery is located since that would be the heavier side of the pump.

One preferred embodiment of such a stand is stand 150 shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B. It consists of a circular ring 151 that fits snugly around the main body 14. A triangular supporting structure 152 is connected to the ring with a brace 153 and multiple points of contact 154 with the ground or other surface on which the pump is placed. The stand preferably holds the pump at an angle of approximately six degrees from the vertical on the side of the battery. There may any manner of indentation or orientation between the main body 14 and the circular ring that causes the circular ring to be positioned so that the stand leans in the direction of the battery. The stand can be composed of aluminum or other strong material, and is preferably coated so as to be resistant to rust or other corrosion from the liquid in which it is placed.

An alternative embodiment is a pump stand 160 as shown in FIGS. 16A-16E. The primary component in pump stand 160 is body 161, which may be, for example, a single piece of hollow, light-weight aluminum. The body 161 may be bent into a substantial V-shape, as shown in FIG. 16A, or a substantial U-shape (not shown), or any shape between a U-shape and a V-shape. A connection portion 162 of brace 161 may be treated to provide a friction surface. A brace 163 fits around most of the circumference of the connection portion 162 and has an extension component 163-1 which extends slightly below body 161 as shown in FIGS. 16B and 16D. A bracket 165 fits around main body 14 of the pump and passes through two holes in extension component 163-1. At least a portion of bracket 165 may be treated with rubber or other surface to prevent marring or scratching main body 14. When fasteners 164 are tightened while manually manipulating the angle between stand 160 and main body 14, the stand 160 is put into a position where it can contain the pump substantially upright as shown in FIG. 16A. Fasteners 164 are preferably formed nuts that enable tightening by hand. There may also be end covers 166, which may be made of rubber, that inhibit the stand 160 from slipping.

Another embodiment is pump stand 170 shown in FIGS. 17A-17D. The primary component is body 171, which may be, for example, a single piece of hollow, light-weight aluminum. The body 171 may be bent into a substantial V-shape, as shown in FIG. 17A, or a substantial U-shape (not shown), or any shape between a U-shape and a V-shape. A connection portion 172 of brace 171 may be treated to provide a friction surface. A U-shaped bracket 175 surrounds main body 14 of the pump and passes through two holes in main body 171. When fasteners 174 are tightened while manually manipulating the angle between stand 170 and main body 14, the stand 170 is put into a position where it can contain the pump substantially upright as shown in FIG. 17A. Fasteners 174 are preferably formed nuts that enable tightening by hand. A portion of bracket 175 is treated with rubber or other surface to prevent bracket 175 from marring or scratching main body 14. There may be a cover or frictional element 173 on main body 171 that prevents it from marring or scratching main body 14 while holding the pump in a substantially, but not perfectly, upright position. There may also be end covers 176, which may be made of rubber, that inhibit the stand 170 from slipping.

There may be various modifications of the alternative stand embodiments shown and described herein. Such a stand would remain especially easy to manufacture and set up.

Additional optional devices are shown in FIG. 20. The first of these devices is a hook apparatus 200 that may be utilized instead of one of the stands described above. This simple device comprises a single piece of molded plastic or similar material having a U-shaped part 201 that is shaped and dimensioned to fit around main body 14. In particular, part 201 has two deformable pieces that can deform away from each other so that the hook device can be pushed sideways onto main body 14 and then tightened in place by a threaded bolt 204, threaded nut 205 and thumbscrew 203. A downward descending part 202 acts as a hook allowing an embodiment of the pump to be easily suspended from a rail or other horizontal structure (not shown) between main body 14 and part 202. For example, in the case of a sump pump hole or other hole having water or other liquid in it and debris at the bottom, there can be a saw horse or other structure with legs and a horizontal piece that spans the hole and the pump can be hung from the horizontal piece into the hole so that the end cap 9 is above the bottom of the hole and does not rest on the bottom of the hole, which makes it more likely to be clogged by debris. The height of the end cap 9 is adjusted by simply suitably adjusting the point at which hook device is attached to main body 14.

Part 201 need not have the shape of the tongs with inner vertical surfaces as shown in FIG. 20, and part 202 may vary somewhat from that shown in FIG. 20. Similarly, hook device 200 could have an alternative mechanism for attaching it to main body 14 other than parts 203-205, but it is particularly desired that hook device 200 can be attached at various point along the height of main body 14. This flexibility allows a single pump to be suspended so that the bottom end cap 9 can be at various distances.

Device 210 is an optional holder for a tool such, as for example, a flashlight that may be used instead of the LED lights in the electronics housing. Tool holder 210 has a part 211, thumb screw, 213, threaded bolt 214 and threaded nut 215 which are similar to part 201 of hook device 200. Part 212 extends out horizontally from part 211 and has a circular shape and dimension that is deformable to receive and securely hold in place a flashlight or other tool pushed into it from the side. The circular vertical surface of part 212 is preferably slightly more than a semi-circle (180 degrees). Like device 200, the parts of tool holder 210 may vary from that as shown in FIG. 20 as long as it can be attached to main body 14 at any desirable point and releasably hold the tool in place. In the case of a flashlight, this flexibility allows the flashlight to be easily placed at any desired distance from the end cap 9 to adapt to different circumstances. This easy to use optional flashlight holder 210 also avoids the cost of including LED lights in the electronics housing of the pump. While both hood device 200 and tool holder 210 are both shown in FIG. 20, this is for convenience of illustration only and either device can be used without the other.