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A vane pump for an automatic transmission includes a housing which may be spaced from the axis of the transmission input shaft axis and driven by a chain or gear train driven by the torque converter hub or disposed on and about the axis of the transmission input shaft and driven at engine speed. The

A vane pump for an automatic transmission includes a housing which may be spaced from the axis of the transmission input shaft axis and driven by a chain or gear train driven by the torque converter hub or disposed on and about the axis of the transmission input shaft and driven at engine speed. The vane pump includes a pair of port plates which reside on the end faces of a pump body having a cylindrical chamber which receives an eccentrically disposed rotor that is coupled to a stub shaft in an off-axis arrangement. The rotor includes a plurality of radial slots which receive a like plurality of vanes. The outer ends or edges of the vanes are in contact with the wall of the cylindrical chamber and the inner ends or edges are in contact with a pair of vane rings received within recesses in the ends of the rotor. The vanes are thus constrained between the wall of the chamber and the vane rings which positively determine their radial positions as they and the rotor rotate. Suitable inlet (suction) and outlet (pressure) ports in the port plates supply and collect hydraulic fluid to and from the cylindrical chamber. A compression spring biases the port plates and body together. The vane pump according to the present invention is self-priming and achieves high pumping efficiency.

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1. A fixed displacement vane pump comprising, in combination, a housing for receiving a body defining a cylindrical pumping chamber having a wall and first and second port plates defining axial ends of said pumping chamber, one of said port plates including a surface exposed to fluid pressurized by

1. A fixed displacement vane pump comprising, in combination, a housing for receiving a body defining a cylindrical pumping chamber having a wall and first and second port plates defining axial ends of said pumping chamber, one of said port plates including a surface exposed to fluid pressurized by said fixed displacement vane pump,a rotor disposed eccentrically in said pumping chamber, said rotor having a shaft extending through said first and said second port plates and defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart slots and axially extending circumferential lips defining opposed re-entrant end portions, a plurality of vanes disposed in said slots, said vanes having outer edges adapted to contact said wall of said pumping chamber,first and second bearings disposed between said shaft and said housing for rotatably supporting said shaft,a ring disposed in each of said re-entrant end portions, said vanes having inner edges adapted to contact said rings whereby said vanes are constrained to move radially between said wall of said pumping chamber and said rings as said rotor rotates, anda Belleville washer for axially biasing said body and said port plates together, said Belleville washer having a center opening for receiving said shaft. 2. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 1 further including a driven gear secured to said shaft and a drive gear secured to an input member of a transmission whereby said shaft rotates oppositely relative to said input member. 3. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 1 further including a driven chain sprocket secured to said shaft, a drive chain sprocket secured to an input member of a transmission and a chain engaging said sprockets. 4. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 1 further including a first fluid port communicating with said pumping chamber for supplying fluid thereto and a second fluid port communicating with said pumping chamber for exhausting fluid therefrom. 5. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 1 wherein said first and said second bearings are ball bearings. 6. A fixed displacement vane pump comprising, in combination, a housing for receiving a body defining a cylindrical pumping chamber having a wall and first and second circular members defining axial ends of said pumping chamber, said second circular member defining a surface exposed to pressure of fluid pumped by said fixed displacement vane pump,a rotor disposed eccentrically in said pumping chamber, said rotor including a shaft extending through said pair of circular members, said rotor defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart slots and axially extending circumferential lips defining opposed re-entrant end portions, a plurality of vanes disposed in said slots, said vanes having outer edges adapted to contact said wall of said pumping chamber,first and second anti-friction bearings disposed between said shaft and said housing for rotatably supporting said shaft,a first fluid port in said first circular member communicating with said pumping chamber for supplying fluid thereto and a second fluid port in said second circular member for exhausting fluid therefrom;a pair of rings disposed in respective said re-entrant end portions, said vanes having inner edges adapted to contact said rings whereby said vanes are constrained to move radially between said wall of said pumping chamber and said rings as said rotor rotates, anda compression spring for biasing said body and said pair of circular members together, said compression spring defining a center opening for receiving said shaft and locating said spring. 7. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 further including a driven chain sprocket secured to said shaft, a drive chain sprocket secured to an input member of a transmission and a chain engaging said sprockets. 8. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 further including a driven gear secured to said shaft and a drive gear secured to an input member of a transmission. 9. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 wherein rotor includes nine slots and nine vanes. 10. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 wherein an axial width of said vanes is substantially equal to an axial width of said rotor between said lips. 11. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 wherein said compression spring is one of a Belleville spring and a wave washer. 12. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 6 wherein said first and said second circular members are port plates. 13. A fixed displacement vane pump comprising, in combination, a housing adapted to receive a body defining a generally cylindrical chamber having a circumferential wall and first and second circular members defining respective axial ends of said cylindrical chamber,a rotor disposed on and coupled to a shaft, said rotor and said shaft disposed eccentrically in said cylindrical chamber, said rotor defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart radial slots and a pair of axially extending circumferential lips defining opposed re-entrant end portions, a plurality of vanes disposed in said slots, said vanes having outer edges adapted to contact said wall of said cylindrical chamber,a first bearing and a second bearing disposed between said shaft and said housing for rotatably supporting said shaft,at least one fluid inlet port in one of said pair of circular members communicating with said cylindrical chamber for supplying fluid thereto and at least one fluid outlet port in another of said pair of circular members communicating with said cylindrical chamber for exhausting fluid therefrom, said another of said pair of circular members having a surface exposed to pressurized fluid from said fluid outlet port,a ring disposed in each of said re-entrant end portions, said vanes having inner edges adapted to contact said rings, anda compression washer adapted to bias said body and said pair of circular members together, said compression washer defining a center opening for receiving said shaft and positioning said compression washer about said shaft,whereby said vanes are positively constrained to move radially by said wall of said cylindrical chamber and said rings as said rotor rotates. 14. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 wherein said compression washer is one of a Belleville spring and a wave washer. 15. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 further including a first gear driven by an input member meshing with a second gear coupled to said shaft whereby said shaft rotates in a direction opposite to rotation of said input member. 16. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 further including a driven chain sprocket secured to said shaft, a drive chain sprocket secured to an input shaft of a transmission and a chain engaging said sprockets. 17. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 further including a seal disposed between said housing and one of said circular members. 18. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 wherein said first and said second circular members are port plates. 19. The fixed displacement vane pump of claim 13 wherein said first bearing and said second bearing are anti-friction bearings.