US1969563A - Apparatus for lubricating wire rope - Google Patents

Description

1934- H. G. KINDER APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING' WIRE ROPE Filed Oct. 16'. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 7, 1934. H. G. KINDER m 1,959,563 4 APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING WIRE ROPE F'iled Oct. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 PATENT, OFFICE APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING wms ROPE Halsey G. Kinder, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Macwliyte Company, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Illinois Application October 16, 1931, Serial No. 569,221

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for lubricating strands of wire rope.

It has for one object to provide means for and a method of lubricating the several strands as '5 they are about to be formed into a rope. An-

other object is to provide means for applying to the strands a. cold lubricant. In this sense the word cold means that the lubricant has not been heated. It is not artificially cooled but is applied at room temperature. In the past, in

the manufacture of wire rope, it has been customary to heat the lubricant so as to render it more fluid and so that it can be poured or flowed". For many reasons this-has proven unsatisfactory and it is one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, to avoid the necessity of heating the grease or other lubricant and to provide an apparatus and a method for applying it cold. Another object is to provide means for positively supplying cold grease to the entire surface of each strand of the wire. A further object is to do this just prior to the moment when the strands are formed or wound into the rope.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a rope making machine, with parts omitted, parts broken away and parts .in section, showing the lubricant supplying device in position;

Figure 2 is an end elevation showing the same .3 machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section along line 3-3- of Fig. 2.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

A indicates a foundation upon which the machine is supported. Any foundation may be provided so long as it is sufiicient in size and strength to carry the load. A is a standard supported upon the foundation and serving to carry and position a' portion at least of the rope making machine. The details of this machine are not shown as they form no particular part of the present invention. It is sufficient for the purposes of the present invention that means are provided for supplying the rope strands and for forming them into the, rope. A is a forming member which is mounted for rotation and through which a number of strands B pass. The strands are joined at a point B where they enter a die or other forming member B This die may be of any suitable form and its details form no part of the present invention. It is carried in a frame member B and is preferably removably held in position therein by a locking and adjusting screw B upon which a thumb nut B may 8 be mounted. B B are rods preferably mounted in the standard A and projecting outwardly from it and serving to carry the frame memberB which is provided with portions B to fit upon or embrace the rods 3*. B are set screws formed 66 in the members B by means of which the frame may be removably fixed in position upon the rods B A support C may be mounted upon the foundation A and serves to carry the lubricant supply- 70 ing assembly and its driving means. It may be driven in any suitable manner. It may, for example, be driven from the mechanism which drives the rope making machine or it may be separately driven. As shown herewith a motor 76 C and a shaft C are provided for driving the lubricant supplying machine. A pinion C is mounted on the shaft C A. gear housing b'o'xis provided beneath the lubricant assembly and it is preferably formed to serve as the bottomof 80 the lubricant hopper or container. It may be formed with a generally annular portion D across which extends a web member D and within which one or more open spaces. D may be provided. The member D is perforated as at D and providedat its upper end with a socket portion D which may also serve as asupport and receiving means for a bearing or bearing race. Extending downwardly fromthe annular portion D, preferably formed integrally with it and forming in effect a generally cylindrical housing, is a portion D A pair of bearing portions D D is formed in it. The member D is preferably closed at its outer end and the member D is open and interiorly threaded as at D to receive a packing gland D9. At its bottom the cylindrical portion D is closed by a preferably removable bottom plate D A shaft E is positioned in the bearings D D".

It carries at it'souter end a gear E which meshes with the pinion C on the motor shaftC Adjacent its opposite end and within the housing D the shaft E carries a beveled pinion E.

F is a lubricant conveyor shaft positioned within the perforation D in the cross member D and preferably having fixed upon it a laterally extending flange F A bearing F which may be of any suitable type but is here shown as an anti-friction bearing, is positioned within the socket D of the cross member D and beneath the flange F and thus serves to support the shaft The lubricant supplying apparatus is assem- F. At its lower end the shaft F carries a beveled gear F which meshes with the beveled pinion E on the shaft E. A helical portion F is mounted upon the shaft F and may extend throughout themajor portion of its length.

G is an annular supporting member provided I with one or more upwardly extending arms G which preferably are inclined inwardly and con-' verge towarda hollow collar member G2 having within it an inwardly extending flange or ledge G H is a tube positioned Within the collar member G2 and preferably resting upon the flange or ledge G It may be fixed in position therein in any suitable fashion.

, I is a varying cylindrical portion of an irregularly shaped tubular member which has aninterior diameter of approximately the same as the exterior diameter of the tube H. It is positioned over this tube and may be arranged for telescopic adjustment along it. I is on upper portion of the member I preferably formed integrally with it and flattened so that in one plane it is wider than the portion I and in a plane preferably at right angles thereto it is narrower than the member I. The flattened portion I is notched or cut away at its upper end as at 1 This cut away portion is preferably generally rounded and may have a circular bottom and mayor may not have straight sides. The members I are preferably formed on the flattened portion I and supported upon the framememberB although the flattened tube may be supported in any other suitable manner. It is preferably positioned as shown in-Figure 1 in par-- ticular, so that the wire strands B, as they pass to the forming die and as they move to be formed into the rope, pass through the notched or cut away portion 1. J ,is a lubricant container. It may be of any suitable shape but is shown as formed with sloping sides. It has an open top and may have an opening J in its bottom and may also have an inwardly extending flange member J about the opening J It rests upon and is preferably secured to the annular member I).

It will be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described a practical operative device, nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from'the spirit of my invention and I wish, therefore, that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

bled as shown at a suitable point with relation to a rope making machine, so that the several strands of the rope, before they are formed into the rope, pass above and adjacent to the tubular assembly. The lubricant container is filled with lubricant and the shaft carrying the helices is rotated. The shaft picks up a quantity of lubricant and carries it upwardly through the tubular assembly, discharging it out of the open top. Since the strands of the rope are passing above and adjacent the open top, the lubricant is discharged against them and they thus pass through a body of lubricant and are fully lubricated on all sidesand'move thence to the point where they are madeinto the rope. Each strand is thus completely lubricated on all sides and the rope formed of them is thus formed of lubricated strands and is itself lubricated thereby internally and externally. That portion of the lubricant which does not adhere to the strands, falls back into the lubricant container or vat and may move again through .the tubular assembly to yard its point of discharge against the strands.

Since the driving means for the lubricant supply apparatus is positioned in effect within the lubricant housing'or vat, it is itself lubricated by that lubricant. It might, of course, be made in a separate chamber.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rope forming machine, provided with means for forming a rope from a plurality of strands, means for lubricating said strands with relatively solid lubricant, individually, prior to their formation into the rope, said lubricating meansincluding a lubricant container and means for forcing lubricant rom the container to the individual strands, said forcing means including a tubular enclosing means, formed of'a plurality of relatively telescopical parts, and mounted to discharge lubristrands.

I HALSEY G. KIIIDER.

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