US2920928A

US2920928A - Journal lubricator

Info

Publication number: US2920928A
Application number: US740683A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clifford L Burkart; William J Mcewen
Original assignee: BURKART Manufacturing Co F
Current assignee: BURKART Manufacturing Co F; F BURKART MANUFACTURING Co
Priority date: 1958-06-09
Filing date: 1958-06-09
Publication date: 1960-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1977-01-12

Description

United States PatntO This invention relates to journal lubrication and. more particularly to an improved wick oiler device for 'lubricating axles or journals and the like of railway rolling stock. I I

The principal object of the presentinvention is to provide an improved lubricator for continuously supplying liquid lubricantdirectly to.a moving surface, and having 1 excellenttwear characteristics. ,1.

Another object is to provide a journal lubricator that will remain in fixed lubricating position relative to the surface to be lubricated.

Still another object is to provide a journal lubricator that is simple in construction, economically manufactured and highly efficient in operation.

These and still other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The invention is embodied in a journal lubricator including a body of resilient material having encased wicking bundles extending therethrough and forming a mat of wick material on opposite surfaces thereof, and an absorbent wear resistant covering around the body in contact with the mats of wick material, the body and covering being formed into a saddle for spaced surface numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. l is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a journal lubricator embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the lubricator taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lubricator taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the lubricator positioned in a typical journal box, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that a journal lubricator constructed according to the present invention is adapted to be positioned in a typical journal box 11 for lubricating contact with a journal or axle 12. The journal box 11 includes a curved lower wall 13, side walls 14 and houses a bearing 15 seated on the shaft 12. The journal box 11 also includes the usual opening 16 for inserting the lubricator 10 and adding lubricant (not shown) as needed, the opening 16 being closed by a cover 17.

The lubricator 10 comprises a resilient, oil, acid and heat resistant body 18, preferably formed of synthetic foam such as neoprene or polyurethane plastic. The body 18 has upper and lower surfaces 19 and 20 which may have

longitudinal grooves

21 and 22 formed therein at the transverse center of the body 18. If desired, the body 18 may be rectangular in cross-section, but the cen- 2,920,928 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 ter portions of the surfaces 19 and 20 may'be'drawn together orcompressed so that the lubricator 10 has a saddle shape. A plurality of openings or bores 23 are formed in the body 18 between the surfaces 19 and 20 for receiving wick members 24.

Each of the wick members 24 comprises a plurality of strands of fibrous material, such as cotton yarn or the like, forming a bundle 25, the material having excellent absorption or capillaryattraction for lubricant. The bundle or strands 25 are encased in a braided covering or sleeve 26 having a length substantially the same as the axial dimension of the bores 23, and this length is shorter than the over-all length of the bundle 25. Accordingly, the upper and

lower ends

27 and 28 of each bundle 25 extend out of the sleeve 26 and form tufts, which are flared out and substantially ,cover the entire upper and lower surfaces 19 and 20 of the body 18. The braided sleeves 26 also have good absorption characteristics for lubricant. I 1

The body 18 and wick members 25 are encased in a covering 29'formed of a suitable fibrous base 30 and having a closely woven chenile cord 31 forming relativelysmall closed loops covering the entire exterior surface of ,the base 30. The cord 31' is formed on the base 30 in such a manner that the "wear of one'loop, or a pull exerted thereon, will not cause the entire cord to ravel. Accordingly, snagging of the cord 31 by a rough spot on the shaft 12 of a railway car or the like will not cause the lubricator 10 to become entangled and fail, whereby a hot box may occur due to improper lubrication. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the covering 29 extends longitudinally beyond the body 18 and forms a.

peripheral flange 32 for added protection to the body. The margin 33 of the flange 32 is bound in any suitable manner to form a wear resistant abutment for contact shoulders 34 of the shaft 12 to maintain the lubricator 10 in fixed axial position relative to the shaft 12.

When the covering 29 is positioned around the body 18, the upper and

lower walls

35 and 36 of the covering are pulled together and attached in any suitable manner such as by stitching 37. Accordingly, the lubricator has a saddle shape or spaced apart longitudinal contact surfaces for wicking contact with the shaft 12.

In operation, the lubricator 10 is positioned in a journal box 11 and is wedged between the lower wall 13 and the axle 12. The body 18 is compressed slightly to exert a yieldable force maintaining the contact surfaces of the upper wall 35 of the covering 29 in abutment with the shaft 12. The covering 29 and wick members 24 become saturated with lubricant, which is passed upwardly to the axle 12 by capillary action in the usual manner. Improved stability of the present lubricator 10 in the journal box 11 is obtained by the saddle construction of the lubricator whereby it cannot become displaced. Furthermore, the inability of the covering 29 to ravel provides a lubricator having long wear characteristics, and the bundles 25 of the wick elements 24 assure an improved and continuous supply of lubricant to the contact surfaces of the covering 29.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications in the present disclosure which will be readily apparent to all skilled in the art, and is to be limited only by the claims which follow.

What we claim is:

l. A lubricator device comprising a resilient body having an opening therein, an absorbent wick member positioned in the opening extending through the body and having flared end tuft above said body, and an absorbent wear-resistant covering having an exposed abutment surface and an interior surface in contact with said end tuft.

2. A lubricator device comprising a resilient body having an opening therethrough, a wick member positioned in said opening and including a bundle of absorbent mai terial in an absorbent sleeve, the ends ofsaid bundle being flared and forming tufts above and below said body, and an absorbent wear-resistant covering in contact with said tufts and'ha-ving an exposed abutment-surface. p

3. A lubricator device comprising a resilient bodyhaving an opening therethrough, a wick member-in said' opening and including a bundle of yarn encased in an absorbent sleeve,.the ends of the bundle being-flared outwardly and forming tufts projecting beyond said' body, and a wear-resistant covering having a fabric base and being covered, with loops of absorbent material, said covering being in contact with said tufts and-having an exposed abutment surface.

4. A lubricator device comprising a-resilientbody having a pluralityof openings therein, a wick member p'ositioned in each of said openings and including a bundle of absorbent material encased inan absorbentsleeve, ends of the bundles extending-out of'tlie body 'and forming a mat substantially-covering a surface of said body, and a wear-resistant absorbent coveringin contact with said mat and having an exposed abutment surface,

5. A lubricator device comprising a resilient body having a plurality of openings, a wick member positioned in each of said openings and including a plurality of'strands of absorbent yarn and a braided absorbent sleeve encasing said strands intermediate the ends thereof, said sleeve being substantially coextensive with said opening,

the end portions of said wick members being flared outwardly of said openingformingamat substantially covering a surface of said body, and a wear-resistant absorbent covering circumscribing said body and being in contact with said mat, said covering having an exposed transfer surface formed of closelyadjacent, closed loops of absorbent material. 7

6. A lubricator device comprising a resilient body having a plurality of spaced openings, 21 wick member positioned, in each of said openings and including a plurality of strands ofa bsorbentyarn' and an absorbent sleeve, each sleeve having a length substantially the same as that of the opening therefor and assembling said strands of yarn in closelyadjacentrelationship, an end portion of the strands of each wiclg member extending out of said sleeve and said body andbein'g flared out into an exposed position forming a mat substantially covering a surface of said body and an absorbent wear-resistant covering in contact with the exposed mat forming ends of said strands.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS