US1189242A - Safety-feed for lubricators. - Google Patents

Description

T. A. DELANEY. SAFETY FEED FOR LUBRICATORS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1915.

Patented July 4, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

THOMAS A. DELANEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HILLS, MCCANNA. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-FEED FOR LUBRICATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1915. Serial No. 49,968.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS A. DELANEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Feeds for Lubricators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In power plants and in machines which use multiple force feed lubricators, .it often becomes necessary to clean or repair the oil supply mechanism. In such instances, considerable trouble is sometimes encountered due to the lubricating oil, which has already been forced into the supply or feed lines which tends to flow in a reverse direction leaking out at the opening or parts where the repairing or cleaning is to be performed.

This condition causes waste of oil and is also a hindrance and annoyance to one making the repairs or cleaning the line.

My invention relates to an improved nonreturn sight feed valve mechanism for force-feed lubricators', adapted to be used more particularly with force-feed lubricators of the type claimed and described in United States Letters Patent No. 694,406, dated March 4th, 1902, for lubricators, issued to B. T. McCanna and myself.

It is an object therefore of this invention to construct a non-return valve mechanism embracing an automatically acting ball valve and a retaining means therefor.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a one way flow valve mechanism adapted to be threaded into one end of a pipe coupling of a sight feed lubricator.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct an improved valve to prevent the return of oil forced into feed lines of a lubricating system.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a pump force-feed lubricator in elevation, and a sight-feed mechanism in section attached thereto, embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the sight- 65 feed mechanism. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the threaded retaining bushing forming a part of'my invention. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof.

As shown in the drawings: A pump 1, is mounted upon an oil reservoir 2, provided with a plunger 3, adapted to be reciprocated by a yoke 4, acting on adjustable stops 5 and 6. Connected to an outlet extension on said pump 1, in any suitable manner is a pipe 7, threaded at its upper end to receive a sight-feed device comprising a main casing 8, having integrally formed at both ends thereof coupling bosses 9 and 10, respectively, said boss 9, adapted to be threaded on the feed pipe 7, to connect the same with an oil passage 11, communicating with a chamber 12. Slidably mounted with in saidcasing 8, is a tubular plunger 13, contalning a light spring 14, which acts normally to force the plunger outwardly toward a glass 15, held in place by a retaining gland 16, threaded on a lateral extension of the casing S. Said plunger 13, is provided with a plug threaded in the end thereof having a restricted passage 13, to

permit oil to pass therethrough into the inner part of the chamber 12, and also having a groove or slot 17 across the outer surface thereof to receive a screw driver or other suitable tool for adjusting the plug. Formed in the upper end of the casing 8, is an oil passage or channel 18, communicating through the plunger 13, with the cham ber 12, and terminating in an enlarged threaded opening 19, in the coupling boss 10. Sald opening 19, is shaped at its lower end to afford a seat 20, for a small steel ball 21, adapted to rest thereon to close the oil passage 18. Threaded into said opening 19, is a retaining bushing designated as a whole by the reference numeral 22, and shown enlarged in Figs. 4 and 5, and comprising an exteriorly threaded cylindrical body portion 23, having a passage 24, axially therethrough. Formed on the lower end of said bushing 22, with a plurality of slots or passages 25, therebetween, are integral prongs or projections 26, and cut across the upper end of the bushing is a groove 27, to afford a means of engagement for a tool in threading the bushing into the opening 19, of the coupling boss 10. Threaded into the upper end of the opening 19, above the bushing and connecting with the passage 24, is a distributing feed pipe 28, for conducting the oil to the mechanisms to be lubricated.

The operation is as follows: When the pump 1, is operated, oil is forced from the reservoir 2, by the plunger 3, through the pipe 7, into the passage 11, to the chamber 12, immediately below the glass 15, and due to the pressure of the oil, thrusts the plunger 13, inwardly, the oil then flowing through the small passage 13, upwardly through the plunger and into the channel 18, raising the ball 21, from the valve seat 20, against the projections 26, of the retaining bushing 22. From this point on, the oil flows around the ball through the slots 25, upwardly through the passage 24, into the pipe 28, to be conducted to the mechanisms to be lubricated. The pressure of the oil thrusting the plunger 13, inwardly, obscures it from sight at the glass 15, and should the oil cease flowing, the spring 14-, would force the plunger outwardly again into view, thus giving a visual indication of the flow or nonflow of oil. If, however, during the operation of a machine, it becomes necessary to clean or repair parts of the pump or the sigh'tdi'eed device, the pump is stopped and the forced flow of oil is thus discontinued. The oil already forced into the feed pipe 28, however, is prevented from flowing in a re verse direction, due to the ball valve 21, lodging against the valve seat 20, thus closing the passage 18. The parts of the system below the valve can then be cleaned or repaired without loss of oil or annoyance caused by a back flow.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention. I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lubricating device of the class described, a sight-feed connection having oil inlet and outlet passages, a ball movably placed in said outlet passage, and a slotted retaining bushing adj ustably mounted above said ball, said ball adapted to permit flow of oil through said outlet passage in one direction only.

2. A lubricating device, comprising an oil duct, a transparent wall forming a part thereof, a movable indicator normally impelled against said transparent wall and adapted by the flow of oil to be forced therefrom, a spring to resist such movement of said indicator whereby said indicator indicates the flow or non-flow of the oil, a dis tributing passage leading from said oil duct, a ball therein, and a bushing having a plurality of openings therein threaded into said passage above said ball to retain the same within said passage, said ball and bushing being adapted to permit a flow of oil in one direction only.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. DELANEY.

\Vitnesses CHARLES l/V. HILLS, J r., EARL M. HARDINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latent Washington, D. G."

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