US2633209A

US2633209A - Automatic bearing oiler

Info

Publication number: US2633209A
Application number: US253266A
Authority: US
Inventors: Theadore M Kuehn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-10-26
Filing date: 1951-10-26
Publication date: 1953-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1970-03-31

Description

March 31, 1953 T. M. KUEHN AUTOMATIC BEARING OILER Filed Oct. 26. 1951 Inventor Tl/EADJAE M; KUEHN A llorney parts as shown in Figure 2,

Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,633,209 AUTOMATIC BEARING OILER Theadore M. Kuehn, Nara Visa, N. Mex.

Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,266

7 Claims.

. a 1 This invention relates to a device for automatically oiling a bearing and more particularly to an oiling device having a shutoff valve which is thermostatically controlled by temperature responsive means arranged to be actuated by the temperature of a bearing for opening the valve in response to heating of the bearing to supply oil thereto and for closing the valve to shut off the 7 oil supply when the bearing cools.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide an automatic bearing oiler of extremely simple construction constituting a small and compact unit which may be readily '7 supported on a bearing and which is capable of containing a sufficient quantity of a lubricant to insure proper lubrication of the bearing for long period of time.

nection between its shutoff valve and temperature responsive means and wherein the shutoff valve is adjustable for regulating the extent of opening thereof when actuated by the thermostat and the temperature required to effect an opening of the valve for supplying oil to the bearing.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred em-' bodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the assembled unit shown in an applied position on a bearing, illustrated partly in perspective and partly in section; a

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the unit with the cover part thereof removed;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the unit taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and with the cover in an applied position;

' Figure 4 is an end elevational view looking from right to left of Figure 2 and with the cover shown applied;

Figure 5 is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section of the unit portion as shown in Figures 'the invention is'designated generally 8 and is illustrated in Figure 1 in an applied position on a conventional bearing 9 which journals a shaft |0.

The bearing oiler 8 includes a storage tank for oil or other fluent lubricants which is filled through the filling neck |2 when the closure 13 is removed and which is provided adjacent its bottom with an outlet nipple M to which is connected one end of a supply conduit l5. The tank II is provided with a base l6 having fastenings ll extending therethrough by means of which the tank may be secured to and supported on the bearing 9, as illustrated in Figure 1, or on any other suitable supporting surface.

A supporting plate I8 is secured by means of fastenings l9 against the bearing 9 at either a side or end thereof and as illustrated in Figure 1, said plate I8 is preferably disposed beneath the nipple M of the tank II. An elongated member 20 of channel shape cross section is suitably secured to the outer side of the supporting member I8 and longitudinally thereof. The base portion 2| of the channel member 20 terminates at a distance from corresponding ends of a top Wall 22 and a bottom Wall 23'of said channel member so that extensions of said

walls

22 and 23 which project beyond an endof the base 2| form vertically spaced apertured ears 24. A bolt 25 extends outwardly through the supporting mem ber l8 and through the base 2| adjacent the opposite end of the channel member 20 and likewise extends through a temperature responsive element 26, adjacent to one end thereof. A nut 21 is threaded onto the outer end of the bolt 25 against said end of the element 26 and clamps said element end against the'base 2|. The bimetallic element 28 extends longitudinally of the channel member 20 and it is normally disposed loosely therein and substantially parallel to its base 2|. The said bimetallic element 26 preferably comprises two coextensive plies or

strips

28 and 29 formed of different metals having a different sensitivity to temperature variations, so

A, pivot pin 32 extends loosely through an open ing 33 of the head 3| and the ends of said pin extend through and are flattened on the outer sides of the extensions 24, as seen in Figure 2 at 34. The head 3| has a portion 35 projecting from the pivot pin 32 at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the lever arm 30 and which extends toward the adjacent, free end of the thermostatic element 28. The outer, distal end of the head portion 35 is concavely recessed to provide a groove of arcuate cross section that is designated 36, which extends from top to bottom of the head portion 35 and in which the free end of the bimetallic element 26 engages to form a pivotal joint between said element 26 and the lever 39. The opposite, free end of the lever 39 is preferably outwardly offset, as seen at 31, and has a thumb screw 38 threaded therethrough and to the inner end of which is secured a valve element 39 which is preferably spherical. The valve element 39 is disposed on the inner side of lever 30 and a nut 40 is threaded on the screw 38 and is adapted to be advanced to engage the outer side of the lever 30 to function as a jamb nut for retaining the screw and valve in adjusted positions relatively to the lever arm.

The supporting member it has a shelf 4! proiecting outwardly therefrom adjacent its bottom edge and beneath and spaced from the channel member 26. An extended lip portion d2 of a funnel s3 is secured to the underside of a portion of the shelf 4! by a fastening is to support the open top of the funnel it beyond an end and side edge of the shelf 5! and beneath the lever portion 31. A portion of the conduit 15 located adjacent its opposite, discharge end 65 is disposed on and suitably secured to the shelf 5| to position the discharge end 65 above the open top of the funnel 433.

The lower, restricted end Q5 of the funnel 53 is connected to one end of a conduit i! which is preferably flexible and which is provided at its opposite end with a threaded nipple 2-3 which is tapped into a radial port :19 of the bearing 9 and which port communicates with the bearing bore below the level of the funnel 43.

A cover 56 is detachably disposed over the open outer side of the channel member 28 to enclose the thermostatic element 26 and has an open end 5% terminating adjacent the lever arm 39 and disposed so as not to interfere with operation of said lever or the thermostat 26.

Assuming that the screw 38 has been adjusted to cause the valve 39 to seat tight in the discharge end 45 of pipe l5 when the temperature responsive element 26 is in its normal position of Figures 1 to 5 and that the jamb nut 49 has been advanced to retain the screw 38 in adjusted position, the parts as thus disposed are in normal positions with the supply conduit l5 from the storage tank H sealed at its outlet end 45 by the valve 39 so that no lubricant, not shown, from the tank H will be supplied to the bearing 9. Assuming that the shaft Iii is revolving, reciprocating or otherwise moving in the bearing 9, when there is insufficient lubricant in the bearing bore to permit the shaft to move freely therein, the bearing 9 will commence to heat and the heat will be transmitted therefrom through the parts l8 and 2| for heating the heat responsive element 25. The inner or rear strip 23 of the element 26 being more sensitive to temperature variations than the outer strip 29 will expand. in response to this increase in temperature causing the free end of the element 26 to be biased outwardly of the channel member 2%. As the free end of the element engages in thegroove 36 of the lever 30 to form a pivotal joint, due to the length of the lever 39 from its pivot 32 to the screw 38, a slight movement of the free end of the heat responsive element 26 outwardly of the channel member 29- will cause the lever 30 to swing counterclockwise on its pivot 32 sufficiently to unseat the valve 39 from the pipe end 45 allowing oil to flow therefrom by gravity into the pipe 47 through the funnel 43. Since the funnel 43 is above the level of the inner end of the bearing port 49, the lubricant will fill the pipe 4? until it rises into the bore of the bearing 9, and in actual practice the portion of the pipe 4i disposed below the level of the upper end of the nipple 48 will be constantly filled with oil so that as soon as a slight amount of oil or lubricant is thus released into the funnel 43, lubricant will be supplied to the bore or bearing 9. When this occurs, the bearing 9 will be cooled by a reduction of friction between it and the shaft l9 and the strip 28 in response to this decrease in temperature will contract relatively to the strip 29 so that the element 26 will resume a position substantially parallel to the parts l8 and 2| for returning the valve 39 to a seated position to close the pipe outlet 35. Figure 6 illustrates the extreme open position of the valve 39, Whereas in actual operation the valve 39 will ordinarily only open slightly to allow sufficient lubricant in the tank H to replenish the lubricant in the bearing 9 for cooling the bearing and causing the valve to be returned to a closed position by retraction of the thermostatic element 26, as previously described.

The various parts may be made of different sizes and shapes and the tank ll may be supported on any other suitable support than the bearing 9 so long as it is disposed to supply the lubricant by gravity to the discharge end 45 of conduit it. Likewise, the nipple d3 may discharge into any desired part of the hearing so long as it is disposed below the level of the upper portion of the funnel 43.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic lubricating device of the character described comprising a source of supply of a lubricant, an outlet conduit leading therefrom and having an outlet end disposed below the level of the source of supply from which a lubricant is adapted to be fed by gravity, a supporting member adapted to be secured to a bearing, a temperature responsive element secured at one end to said supporting member and having an opposite, free end, a lever having a head at one end thereof pivotally connected to said supporting member beyond the free end of the temperature responsive element, said head having an extension projected at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the lever, means forming a flexible joint between the free end of the heat responsive element and said extension of the lever head, a second conduit having a flared upper end secured to said support beneath a free end portion of the lever, a portion of said outlet conduit being secured to the support for positioning the outlet end thereof above the flared end of the second conduit, said second conduit having an opposite discharge end adapted to open into the bearing bore below the level of its first mentioned flared end, and a valve connected to and carried by the free end portion of said lever, said temperature responsive element being normally disposed in substantially a straight position in an end-to-end relationship to th lever head extension for maintaining the lever and lever head extension for swinging the leverin a direction to displace the valve away from the outlet end of the outlet conduit to permit oil to be discharged by gravity therefrom through the second conduit to the bearing bore.

2. An automatic bearing oiler as in claim 1,

said supporting member including an elongated channel member in which the temperature responsive element is disposed and to which one end thereof is secured, said lever head being pivotally mounted in the opposite end of said channel member.

3. An automatic bearing oiler as in claim 2, and a cover member detachably mounted over the open side of said channel member and substantially enclosing the temperature responsive element, said cover member having an open end beyond which the lever is disposed when the valve is in a closed position.

4. An automatic bearing oiler as in claim 1, said heat responsive element including substantially coextensive strips of metal, one of said strips being more sensitive to heat variations than the other strip and being disposed nearer the bearing to be expanded by an increase in temperature to cause the free end of said temperature responsive element to be biased in a direction away from the bearing.

5. An automatic bearing oiler as in claim 1, and a funnel detachably connected to said conduit and to the supporting member constituting the flared, first mentioned end of said second conduit.

6. An automatic lubricator of the character described comprising a supporting member adapted to be secured to a journal or hearing, a temperature responsive element secured to said supporting member having a free end biased away from the bearing or journal in response to an increase in temperature and biased towards the bearing or journal in response to a decrease in temperature, a lever having a head at one end thereof pivotally connected to the supporting member beyond the free end of the temperature responsive element, said lever head having an extension disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the lever, means forming a flexible joint between the lever head extension and free end of the temperature responsive element, a lubricant supply conduit having a discharge end to which a lubricant is adapted to be fed by gravity, a valve connected to and carried by the opposite, free end of the lever normally seating in and closing the discharge end of the supply conduit when the temperature responsive element is in a normal position substantially in alignment with the lever head extension, and a second conduit having an upper inlet end secured to the supporting member beneath the discharge end of the supply conduit for receiving the lubricant therefrom and having a lower discharge end opening into the bore of the hearing or journal, said lever being rocked on its pivot in a direction for displacing the valve away from the discharge end of the lubricant supply conduit when the temperature responsive element is biased away from the bearing or journal by an increase in temperature to permit a lubricant to flow from the supply conduit into said second conduit for lubricating the bearing or journal. '7. An automatic lubricating device as in claim 6, a valve stem extending threadedly through the free end of said lever on which said valve is supported, said valve stem being adjustable in the lever for adjusting the valve laterally of the lever toward and away from the discharge end of the lubricant supply conduit to vary the amount of heat required to unseat said valve.

THEADORE M. KUEHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,649,467 Goodrich Nov. 15, 192'? 1,930,313 Hammond Oct. 10, 1933 2,024,536 Pearce Dec. 17, 1935