US2225324A - Lubricator - Google Patents

Description

F. M. SLATER Dec. 17, 1940.

LUBRICATOR Filed March 10, 1939 RW Y O E V 2 T N v T in A m w P Y H B \m ww Rh Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES LUBRICATOR Fred M. Slater, Phillipsburg, N. J., assignor to Ingersoll-Rand Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 10,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricators, and more particularly to lubricators adapted to be attached to a supply line used for conveying pressure fluid to rock drills and other fluid actuated mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to assure an adequate supply of lubricant in a suitably atomized state to the mechanism intended to be lubricated.

Another object is to assure these favorable conditions in all positions which the lubricator may occupy in practice, and a further object is to prevent the undesirable occurrence of flooding the pressure fluid supply line with oil.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention and in which. similar reference numerals refer to similar parts:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a lubricator constructed in accordance with the practice'of the invention, and

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are transverseviews taken through Figure 1 on the lines 22, 33 and 4-4, respectively.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the invention is shown embodied in a lubricator of substantially the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,925,826, granted to E. F. Terry et al., September 5, 1933. The lubricator, designated 20, accordingly comprises an oblong casing 2|, the interior of which serves as a reservoir 22 for oil.

One end of the casing 2| is constricted and carries a head 23 to which is connected a section of a conduit 24 whereby pressure fluid is supplied from a source of supply to the machine intended to be operated thereby. The head 23 also supports an end of a pipe 25 that forms a continuation of the supply line 24. The pipe extends through the reservoir 22 and has its opposite end seated in a head 26 forming a closure for the opposite end of the reservoir 22. The head 26 is hollow, having a passage 21 to afford communication between the pipe 25 and another section of the supply conduit 24 attached to the head 26.

The interior of the pipe 25 thus forms a main passageway 28 through which pressure fluid flows from one section to another of the supply conduit 24, and on the exterior of the pipe 25, intermediate the ends of the reservoir 22, is an oil delivery device 29 comprising a pair oflplates 3|]. The plates are disposed in face to face relation with each other and recessed to define an annular groove 3| around the pipe 25, and from the groove 3| extend a series of radial passages 32 that open into an annular groove 33 in the peripheries of the plates 30.

The outer ends of the passages 32 are controlled by a ring 34 disposed loosely in the groove 33 and of larger diameter than the groove so that it will drop by gravity and lie over the 1939, Serial No. 260,925

mouths of the uppermost passages 32 to control I communication between the reservoir and the groove 3|. The ring, being larger than the groove, will then uncover the lowermost passages 32 and permit the entrance of oil from a low point in.

the reservoir into the groove 3|.

The oil entering the groove 3| is conveyed therefrom by a tube 35 seated with one end in one of the plates 3i] and with its other end in the head 26 where it opens into a passage 35 leading to a bore 31 extending transversely of the head 26. The bore 31 has portions 38 and 39 lying on diametrically opposite sides of the passage 21 to receive a. nozzle member 40 press fitted into both portions 38 and 39 or otherwise secured to the head 25. The member 40 has a passage 4| extending longitudinally therethrough to convey oil from the passage 35 to a passage 42 extending transversely of the nozzle member, and of the passage 21, so that the oil issuing from the passage 42 will be introduced into the pressure fluid flowing through the passage 21 on opposite sides of the nozzle member.

The portion 43 of the passage 4| in direct communication with the passage 42 is preferably considerably restricted and at its juncture with the enlarged portion of the passage 4| is a needle valve 44 which is in threaded engagement with the nozzle member for controlling the flow area through the passage 4|. The nozzle member 40 lies entirely within the head 25 and the outer end of the bore 31 is enlarged and threaded to receive a closure 45 which may be conveniently removed whenever it becomes necessary to adjust the needle valve 44.

In the portion of the nozzle member below the passage 42 are a pair of passages 45 and 41 for conveying pressure fluid from the passageway into the part of the bore 31 lying below the nozzle member. The entrance ends 48 and 49 of the passages 45 and 41, respectively, lie longitudinally of the passageway 28 and point in opposite directions. Thus, an entrance end, either 48 or 49, will point into the fluid current and a full admission of pressure fluid into the lower portion of the bore 31 will thereby be assured irrespective of the direction of flow of the pressure fluid stream.

Thepressure fluid thus directed into the lower portion of the bore 31 is conveyed to the reservoir 22 to maintain a pressure on the oil therein for causing it to flow through the delivery device 29 and associated channels into the passageway 28. In accordance with the practice of the invention, the head is provided with a pair of channels 58 and 5| of which the latter'channel opens directly into an annular groove 52 in the periphery of an extension 53 on the head 25 and lying in the end of the reservoir 22.

The groove 52 may be of any desired width and contains a ring 54 which is of only sufliciently less width than the groove to permit the passage of pressure fluid between the opposed surfaces of the ring and the groove into and from the reservoir. The spaces between the side surfaces of the ring 54 and the groove 52 are somewhat exaggerated in the drawing but in practice are sufliciently narrow so that oil froth, such as is created within the reservoir through the agitation of the oil by the pulsations resulting from the admission and cut-off of pressure fluid in the tool intended to be lubricated, will be broken up and precluded from passing into the channel 5|.

The passage 50 is connected with the opposite end of the reservoir 22 through a tube 55 seated with one end in the head 26 and with its other end in a plate 56 arranged on the pipe 25. In the periphery of the plate 56 is an annular groove 51 which, like the groove 52, lies closely adjacent the inner surface of the casing 2| and affords communication between the reservoir and the tube 55, the plate 56 having a passage 58 that leads from the tube 55 to the bottom of the groove 51. The groove 51 is also of substantial width and contains a ring 59 which is of slightly smaller width than the groove 51 to define the flow area between the reservoir 22 and the passage 58.

In this connection it .may be stated that the width of the clearance between the rings 54--59 and the sides of the grooves containing them is less than the width of the annular space between the point of the needle valve 44 and its seat. In practice, however, the reservoir 22 is not filled entirely so that considerable portions .of the rings 54 and 59 lie above the surface of the oil. In consequence of this arrangement, a total flow area through the grooves 52 and 51 inexcess of the flow area around the needle valve is exposed to the foam in the reservoir and the air in the upper, portion of the reservoir will escape through the grooves 52 and 51 when the supply line is cut off from pressure fluid supply rather than through the comparatively smaller space around the needle valve.

In the operation of the device, pressure fluid flows from the supply line through either the passage 46 or 41, depending upon the direction of flow of the pressure fluid, into the lower portion of the bore 31, thence through the passages 50 and 5| and associated channels into the reservoir 22 to create a pressure on the lubricant in the reservoir. Lubricant will then be caused to flow from the reservoir through" the immersed passages 32, and associated channels to the outlet ends of the passage 42 where it mingles with the pressure fluid stream.

During the operation of, a rock drill connected to the supply line 24 the pulsations in the pressure fluid stream incident to the alternate admission and cut-off of pressure fluid to, its percussive element create an oil foam in the reservoir. In many devices of this character, when the supply .line is cut off from the source of pressure fluid supply, the foam will be carried into the supply line by the pressure fluid returning from the reservoir to the lower pressure zone and cause flooding of the rock drill at the beginning of a subsequent period of operation.

In the present arrangement, owing to the restricted flow area in the grooves 52 and 51 the air and oil constituting the foam are separated and only the air, will pass through the grooves and return to the supply line. The oil will be restrained from entering the grooves and in this way the undesirable occurrence of floodingthe rock drill with oil will be prevented.

I claim:

1. A lubricator, comprising a casing having a lubricant reservoir, a hollow member extending through the reservoir to form a passageway for pressure fluid, means for delivering lubricant from the reservoir to the passageway, a channel for conveying pressure fluid from the passageway into the reservoir and to return such pressure fluid from the reservoir to the passageway, and means in the reservoir forming a restricted area of communication between the reservoir and the channel to prevent the conveying of lubricant into the passageway by the pressure fluid flowing from the reservoir into the channel upon the cut-off of pressure fluid to the passageway.

2. A lubricator, comprising a casing having a lubricant reservoir, a hollow member extending through the casing to form a passageway for pressure fluid, means for delivering lubricant from the reservoir to the passageway, a channel for conveying pressure fluid from the passageway to the reservoir and from the reservoir to the passageway, and a plate in the reservoir having an annular groove to form a restricted area of communication between the reservoir and the channel to prevent the conveying of lubricant into the passageway by the pressure fluid flowing from the reservoir into the channel upon the cut-off of pressure fluid to the passageway.

3. A lubricator, comprising a casing having a lubricant reservoir, a hollow member extending through the casing to form a passageway for pressure fluid, means for delivering lubricant from the reservoir to the passageway, a channel for conveying pressure fluid from the passageway to tha reservoir and from the reservoir to the passageway, a plate in the reservoir having an annular groove to afford communication between the channel and the reservoir, and a ring in the groove to restrict the flow area of the groove and therebyprevent the conveying of lubricant into the passageway by the pressure fluid flowing from the reservoir into the channel upon the cut-off of pressure fluid to the passageway. i

4. A lubricator, comprising a casing having a lubricant reservoir, a hollow member extending through the casing to form a passageway for pressure fluid, means for delivering lubricant from the reservoir to the passageway, means defining channels that leadto the ends of the reservoir to convey pressure fluid from the pasnels upon the cut-oil of pressure fluid to the pask sag eway.

FRED M. SLATER.

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