US2291637A - Lubricant cooling device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1942. w KQHLMANN 2,291,637 LUBRICANT COOLING DEYICE Filed July 28, 1941 INVENTOR wlTN Ess ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE f. 2,291,637 f LUBmoAN'r COOLING DEVICE y Walter Kohlmann, MilwaukeefWls. K

Application July 2s, 1941,'-ser'ia1 No. 404,412

` n l (01.'257-2) I ZCIaims.

Y This invention relates to lubricant cooling, de- I vices, and its `generalobject is to provide an electrical thermostatic device that is primarily designed for installation in the lubricating system of an internal combustion engine for the purpose of maintaining the oil at alow operatf, ing temperature, thus prolonging the" lubricating qual-ities thereof, so as to allow the use of oil of light viscosity, in order to assure proper lubrication of the'engine and easy starting thereof in coldweathen'but without fear ofthe oil break-- ing down or thinning under the action of heat.

A further object is to'provide' a lubricant cooling device that is Vnormally inactive and allows j-oilv at a low temperature to pass directly therei .v through, but when the'oil reaches a predetermined high temperature, the device is rendered active to divert the oil from its" regular course, v and directs the same for passage through cool- `ing tubes,"and when the temperature of the oil x again becomes normalyit is diverted from then cooling tubes back'to its'regular course, thus it matelyon line of Figure /1',.looking in the direction of the arrows. o Y, Y.

kReferring, to the drawing -indetail, and particularly to Figure 1, it will be noted tha't my device includes a plurality of vertically arranged cooling tubes I ilxedv at theirends in openings provided in the horizontal walls of flat cylindrical upper and lower receptacles 2 and 3that provide inlet and outlet chambers for the tubes I. Formed V'on the outer ends ofthe vertical walls of the receptacles are outwardly. directed marginal flanges 4 and 5 and mounted on the `anges aref closure plates 6 andiL-lthe upper yplate 6 having formed onandidepending'from aicentral opening .thereinI a collar 8 .whichfhas the upper end of a direct flow vtube 9 mountedltherein. The

tube 9 is of `greater diameter'than that of the coolingtubes and extends through the horizontal walls of the receptacle for disposal centrally of the groups/.of cooling tubes, andfthe'lower end of the tube 9 is xed to the lower-plate 1 about an will beseen that my device is entirely automatic and is controlled solely by the temperature of the oil to retain the latter at a low temperature underall running conditions of the engine.

Another obj ect is to provide a lubricant cooling device that can be installed in an easyand expeditious mannerand preferably between the crank case and the outletof the oil pump, and the device vis simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eilicient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists iny certain othery `features of construction and in the combination and arrangementof 'the several parts, to be hereopening centrally-arranged therein, with the result -it will be Aseenthat oil within the upper rel ceptacle 2 can reach the lower receptacle 3 only by passing through the cooling tubes I,'A as the tube 9 extends through the receptacles and has no communication whatsoever therewith.

Mounted on the upper closure'platefli is a cap -plate I0 that is secured to the nange 4 by screws mari-.er fully described, ,illustrated 4in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended-claims.l v v In describing'the invention in. detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein likefjgharacters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, :rand inv which:

f Figure lis a `vertical sectional vview taken through the. device which formsthe subjectmatter of the present invention. v

that likewise secure the plate 6 to the flange 4, as will be apparent, and formed onv the cap plate III Iand rising therefrom is a substantially rectangular casing -II having apartition I2 adjacent one end thereof toprovide a relatively large direct flow chamber I3 ,and an inlet chamber I4. The chamber I3 communicates with the upper end of the tube9 by an opening I5 in the cap plate I0 and the inlet chamber I4 communicates with the chamber I3 by a port or opening I6 in the Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approxi-4 mately on line 2-2 -of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. i'

Figure 3 is a. detail fragmentary side elevation illustrating the electro-magnet for controlling the inlet valve. Y

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approxipartition I2. Formed on the casing II and extending from` the inlet chamber I4 is a threaded inlet nipplel'l for connection of a pipe or tub-` ing lIl! theretoV for installing the device in the lubricating systemof the engine, and the tubing I8 preferably extends from the oil pump.

, Secured to the lower closure plate l by screws threaded in the flange 5 is the anged upper end of adepending outlet receptacle I9 having formed thereon a threaded outlet nipple 20 for connection o'f a pipe 2| thereto that leads to the crank case of the engine, and thepnipple Zis shown as being disp''s'i in parallelism with the inlet nipple Il. The plate l has an outlet opening 22 therein for communication between'the receptacles 3 and I9 and fixed to the plate l for lift it to its seat 29 to close the passageway 28 to the chamber I3, consequently the oil will then e pass through the opening .25, the receptacle v2,

Y the cooling tubes I,the.receptacle 3, the opening through the outlet nipple 20.

plate 6 to provide an inletfor the upper receptacle. 2 and'registering. with` 'the :opening 25 and formed in thatpo'rtion of the cap plate I0 that provides the bottom of the inlet chamber I4 is an opening having a valve seat in the upper edge thereof for a metallic ball valve 26, the valve 26 being normally arranged on itsseat, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, so that theinlet opening tothe upper receptacle or chamber 2 is normally closed. Mounted within the upper portion of the chamber I4 is a shelllikemember 21 having a right angle passage\28 therethrough, with the lower end ofthe passage disposed in the path of the ball valve 26 and having a seat 29 .for 'receiving the same, while the oppositeend of the passage l28 registers with the port I6.

The member 21 is integral with-the core 39 of n an electro-magnet 3| that is mounted on the top of the casing I I, with the shell member extending through an opening in the top, as clearly shown in Figure 1, and the coilof the magnetis grounded to the casing II as at 32. 1 Suitably secured to one side of the 'casing I is a switch `33 that includes a spring arm 34 having one end fixed .to .the inner headed end 35 of a binding post 36 that extends'through and is insulated from the wall `31 of theswitch casing, as best shown in Figure 2. 'The opposite end of the arm 34 is fixedadjacentto `and insulated from one end of a thermostatic `or biznetal strip 3B that has Vsecured to its opposite end la right angle member 39 of a .material having Vhigh y heat conducting qualities, such as 'for example copper, and the member 39 extends'into the casing II for disposal at the inner endof the inlet nipple I1, to be arrangedin the path of Ythe incoming oil, as will be .apparent upon inspection of Figures 1-and 2. Extending through and insulated from the wall 31 is a :binding vpost 40 having a contact head on the inner -end `.thereof for disposal in the path of a contact teat14I on the free end of the .arm l.34. The binding post 36 has a conductor 42 from Vthe coil, connected thereto, and a conductor 43 that extends from a suitable source of current, is connected to the binding post40.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it isbelieved'that the operationof my device will be obvious, but it might be mentioned that when the ball valve 26 is mounted on its seat in the opening of the cap plate I0, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, the oil is caused to ow through the passage r28, the direct flow chamber` I3, `the tube v9, the receptacle I9, and `thence out .through the nipple 20 to the crank case, it being apparent that the oil follows that course when it is -at a normal (140 to 160 F.) operating temperature. However, in the event the temperature of the oil should rise above normal, the heat thereof will be conducted by the member 39 to thestrip 38 and cause the latter to move the contact 4I in engagement with the head of the binding post to close'the circuit to theV electro-magnet 3| and thus energize the same, so that the shellllke member 21 will attract the ball valve 26 and 22, and the receptacle I9, and vfrom the latter After the oil has been cooled to anormal temperature, the switch will open to deenergizethe electro-magnet and the ball 26 will dropby gravityto close the opening 25;'so that ythe oil will again -iiow normally through -the device, with the result it will be seen that my Adevice maintains the oil at a low Aoperating temperature, yto bring kabout the advantagespreviously set forth.

It is thoughtfrom the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes rmay be made .in thevconstruction :and in the combinaution and arrangement of vthe several parts, provided that such-changes fall within the scope of theappendedc'laims.

What I claim is:

1. A lubricant ncooling ,device for the lubricating system of an engine, comprising cooling tubes and a direct flow tube, said tubes being vertically arranged, upper and lower -chambers `having the lends of the cooling tubes connected thereto for communication therewith and said direct flow tube extending through vthe chambers, a Ycasing mounted on .the -upper chamber and having .the direct flow tube vopening therein, said casing communicating with the .upper chamber, `inlet means for the casing, .a valve Within `the casing for lcontrolling the lpassage of lubricant from the inlet 4means to either the di-` rect flow tube or the cooling tubes, means acted upon by the temperature Vof theflubricant passing through the inlet Ymeans for `controlling the valve, a receptacle secured to the lower chamber for receiving lubricant therefrom Vand from `the direct flow tube, and outlet means for the receptacle.

2. A lubricant cooling device for thelubricat- `ing system of .an engine, comprising Vcooling tubes and a direct flow tube, .said 'tubes being vertically arranged, upper and lower ichambers having the ends ofjthe cooling tubes connected thereto :for communication therewith ...and -said ldirect flow tube vextending through thel chambers, a casing mounted on the rupper chamber,

ya partition dividing the casing into an inlet chamber and a direct flow chamber, the Alatter having the direct vflow :tube .opening therein, said inlet vchamber communicating with said upperchamber yand having a valve seat therein, said partition having ian opening therein, a shell likemember mounted in said inlet chamber and providing a passage registering with the opening .of the partition, said shell like .member being 'formed with Va lvalve seat, inlet means for .the casing and opening into said .inlet chamber, a

valve in .said inlet chamber and receivable on either of .the seats for controlling the passage of lubricant to the direct iiow chamber and said upper chamber,`means acted upon by 'the temperature 'of the lubricant .passing through the inlet means for controlling VJthe valve, a receptacle secured to the 'lower vchamber .for receiving lubricant therefrom and from thedirect flow tube, check valves within the receptacle, and outlet means for the receptacle.

WALTER -KOHLMANN.

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