GB510024A - Lubricating systems - Google Patents

Abstract

510,024. Lubricating. WORTH, W. Feb. 1, 1938, No. 3111. Convention date, Feb. 11, 1937. [Class 12 (iii)] When starting up a lubricated mechanism from cold, only a part of the lubricant store is circulated in the lubricating system, said part being diluted by a liquid to reduce its viscosity. As shown, an internal-combustion engine 12 has an oil supply pump 10 and an oil scavenging pump 16, a cooler 18 with an automatically actuated valve 20 being included in the lubricant circuit to keep the lubricant at constant viscosity. The main oil reservoir 14 has a compartment comprising a vertical tube 76 open above and below to the reservoir 14. The oil inlet 46 is tangential to the sides of the tube 76 so that the lubricant entering the tube is given a rotating motion to separate any air from the oil. The bottom portion of the tube has vanes 84 to stop the rotating movement of the oil before the latter reaches the outlet 80 which is located above the lower end of the tube 76. The oil lead from the reservoir has a drain cock 72 and is connected at 60 by a pipe 48 communicating at 50 with the source of engine fuel supply. A valve 62 which normally blocks the pipe 48 can be opened by pressing on a button 68. In operation, the valve 62 is opened a few minutes before it is desired to stop the engine 12 so that oil fuel is drawn into the lubricating system. As the system includes the tube 76 oil fuel does not mix with the main body of lubricant in the reservoir 14. The engine can thus be easily started up again when cold as the lubricating fluid in the lubricating system is quite fluid due to the presence of oil fuel. As the engine warms up the oil fuel content vaporizes and separates out from the lubricating oil, this loss being made up by some of the oil in the reservoir 14 passing into the tube 76 and so into circulation. Further, during normal running only a comparatively small amount of lubricant is circulated, the wastage being made up by oil from the reservoir 14. The oil fuel pressure gauge 54 is fitted to the pipe 48, and this will give an indication of the amount of oil fuel passing into the lubricant system when the valve 62 is opened.