US3738453A

US3738453A - Oiling means for pumps

Info

Publication number: US3738453A
Application number: US00135890A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Boswell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-23
Filing date: 1971-04-21
Publication date: 1973-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-12
Also published as: AU2794171A; CA925443A

Abstract

An oiler for a pump having a delivery side and an inlet side, the delivery side being at a higher pressure than the inlet side, the oiler having a wick passing through a tube, one end of the wick lying in a dish of oil which dish is constantly being replenished from a reservoir of oil by a flow of air passing through a tube, part of which is below oil level, a flow of air passing downwardly through the tube in which the wick is placed so that oil is delivered from the wick to the air and into the fuel pipe of a pump, with the air pressure differential to create the flow being obtained by the air supply pipe being connected to the delivery side of the pump. The pump may be used under both pressurized and ''''vacuum'''' conditions.

Description

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,738,453 Boswell June 12, 1973 [54] OILING MEANS FOR PUMPS 2,495,601 1 1950 Rawson 184/64 x Inventor: Gordon Henry Boswell, 7, The

Anchorage, Pakuranga, Auckland Filed: Apr. 21, 1971 Appl. No.: 135,890

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 23, 1970 New Zealand 159934 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1949 Duerr, Jr. 184/64 X 9/1954 l84/6.l6 X 2/1942 184/64 X 4/1961 Ivie 184/6.16 X

Primary ExaminerManuel A. Antonakas Attorney-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT An oiler for a pump having a delivery side and an inlet side, the delivery side being at a higher pressure than the inlet side, the oiler having a wick passing through a tube, one end of the wick lying in a dish of oil which dish is constantly being replenished from a reservoir of oil by a flow of air passing through a tube, part of which is below oil level, a flow of air passing downwardly through the tube in which the wick is placed so that oil is delivered from the wick to the air and into the fuel pipe of a pump, with the air pressure differential to create the flow being obtained by the air supply pipe being connected to the delivery side of the pump. The pump may be used under both pressurized and vacuum conditions.

6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure OILING MEANS FOR PUMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to oiling means for pumps.

Moving vane rotary pumps are frequently used under conditions in which the pump creates a reduced pressure in a vessel connected to one side, exhausting the vessel to atmosphere, i. e., the pump operates as a vacuum pump and, under other circumstances, the pump draws air at atmospheric pressure, and pressurizes this air for deliver to the vessel. These circumstances arise, for example, where a farmer uses the pump for drawing liquid manure into a tank when the pump is acting as a vacuum pump, and for pressurizing that tank for delivery of the liquid manure from the vessel under pressure. The task of oiling the working parts of this pump under these conditions is quite arduous.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide oiling means for a pump of the type described which will enable the pump to be oiled adequately in a simple yet effective manner, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the invention relates to an oiling means for a pump of the type having a delivery side and an inlet side, the delivery side being at a higher pressure than the inlet side, the oiling means comprising a covered vessel for containing oil, the vessel being mounted above the pump, an air pressure inlet leading to the interior of the vessel, conduit means connecting the air pressure inlet leading to the interior of the vessel, conduit means connecting the air pressure inlet to the delivery side of the pump, means defining an oil outlet passageway leading from the interior of the vessel downwardly through a floor of the vessel, said passageway being connected to the inlet side of the pump, a dish within the vessel mounted above the floor thereof, said dish surrounding the outlet passageway and having an upper edge located below an upper edge of the outlet passageway, a conduit leading from a point in line with said air inlet through said dish, the conduit having a lower end submerged in the oil supply within said vessel in a manner such that incoming air entrains oil from said vessel and lifts it into the dish, and wick means in said dish adapted to collect oil therefrom and deliver it to said outlet passageway, the arrangement being such that air entering said vessel via said air inlet entrains oil raising it to said dish in which said oil is picked up by said wick and passes in controlled amounts to the inlet side of said pump.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Onc preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the sole FIGURE is a side view, partly in section ofa pump having mounted thereon an oiling means according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, preferably, means are provided to prevent the entry of oil from said vessel to said higher pressure side of said pump.

In a further aspect, the invention may broadly be said to consist in a pump having incorporated therein oiling means as above described.

A pump oiler denoted generally 1 for a moving vane type pump 2 is constructed as follows:

A vessel 3 may, for example, comprise an open topped receptacle having a closure 4 and preferably a seal 5 which can be fixed in place so as to render the vessel airtight in use. The vessel is suitably mounted above the pump and may, for example, have a spigot or extension 6 which fits in a female thread 7 on a lower pressure side 8 of the pump. A small passageway 9 leads through this spigot from interior 10 of the vessel 3 to the pump 1 and a tube 11 leading from the passageway 9 has an end 12 above a dish 13, also mounted in the vessel at a level above a normal oil level 14 in the vessel. A wick 15 is mounted in the tube 11, with end 15a, of the wick 15 lying loosely in the dish 13 or preferably tucked under a deflector 22 to prevent dislodgement by motion of the pump, e.g., when the pump is part of a mobile installation. A supply tube 16 for air and oil is supported by the dish 13 and has one end 17 positioned in an upper part or as shown above upstanding edge 18 of the dish and passes through a bottom 19 of the dish 13. A lower end 20 of the tube 16 terminates just above a floor 21 of the vessel, for allowing oil to be admitted to the supply tube. The deflector 22 is fanshaped and is mounted above the end 17 of the tube 16 so thatoil and air rising in the supply tube 16 impinge on the deflector, allowing at least some oil to run into the dish 13, and consequently over the parts of the wick 15 on the dish. An air tube 23 is directed towards the lower end of the supply tube, and has a short length 24 within and concentric with the lower end 20 of the tube 16 with the air tube 23 being connected to a higher pressure side 25 of the pump by a pipe 26. The pipe 26 has a restriction therein or leading thereto or therefrom to limit the supply of air passing therethrough, e.g., by the provisions of a small hole in a union 27 connecting the pipe to the pump. In addition, the tube has a substantially U-shaped bend 28 therein so that a portion of the tube is above the likely level of oil in the vessel. This is to prevent oil running from the vessel back through the air tube into the high pressure side of the pump when it is stationary where it would in face, be wasted. The ball bearings or other bearings on which the pump rotor shaft is mounted are oiled by means of normal Alemite or other grease gun lubrication points (not shown).

The pump 2 includes a casing 31 with an interior cylindrical curved pumping surface 32. A hollow cylindrical rotor 33 rotates within the casing 31 and running in slots 39 are vanes 34 extended by springs (not shown) so that ends 35 thereof bears against the curved surface 32. The rotor is mounted on a shaft 36 with the shaft in turn being eccentrically mounted on

end bells

37 and 38. This, of course, describes a well known type of rotary vane pump. With such a pump being used as a pressure pump, the vanes 34 do not always maintain a good sealing contact with the surface 32, having either some tendency to twist and grip in the slots 39 in the rotor 33 or tending to be forced back against spring pressure due to pressure on the ends 35 particularly when there is a considerable pressure differential between the inlet and outlet sides of the pump.

Accordingly, the present invention envisages the provision of a slot 40 positioned in one or both

end bells

37 and 38. This slot connects the normal swept volume of the pump at a point adjacent to an outlet 41 of the pump to interior 42 of the hollow rotor 33 in at least some positions of the rotor. This has the advantage of tending to equalize the pressure between the discharge side of the pump and the interior 42 of the rotor 33 and in particular tending to equalize the pressure around the vanes 34. It has been found that this gives a consid erably better performance of the pump particularly when the pump is operated at higher pressures due to the vanes being more readily kept pressed outwardly against the curved surface 32 of the pump casing.

The pump may now be utilized under circumstances in which the lower pressure side 8 is below atmospheric pressure for operation of the pump-as a vacuum pump, and as a pressure pump when the intake side is at atmospheric pressure and the higher pressure side 25 is at higher than atmospheric pressure. This duty for a pump is necessary, for example, for drawing liquid manure into a pressure vessel and then pressurizing the vessel with high pressure air so that such liquid manure may be discharged from the pressure vessel. Under these circumstances, in both cases, the pressure differential between the higher pressure side 25 and the lower pressure side 8 creates an air flow through tube 23 and some oil is entrained in the flow of air. This oil collects on the dish 13 and when the dish 13 is full, the excess overflows back into the vessel. It should perhaps be mentioned that the reason for the dish is to maintain a level of oil in relation to the wick so that a constant lift" height for the wick is provided regardless of the amount of oil in the vessel. The oil in the dish is picked up by the wick 15 and fed at a substantially controlled rate through the restriction 9 into the interior of the inlet to the pump. The oil is then mechanically distributed within the pump and the vanes are adequately oiled. The vessel is sealed and resealed by removing the closure 4.

Because of the equalization of pressure between the interior of the rotor and discharge pressure of the pump, a considerable advantage is obtained when the pump is acting as a pressure pump rather than as a vacuum pump in that the vanes are kept in contact with the outer casing of the pump in a satisfactory manner.

it will be clear that the oiler could be fitted to any gas pump, even one which is used only as a vacuum pump.

One of the advantages of the system is that the oil in the dish 13 feeds over into the intake of the pump while it is stationary, after a run, thereby providing a shot" of oil when the pump is restarted.

I claim:

1. An oiling means for a pump of the type having a delivery side and an inlet side, the delivery side being at a higher pressure than the inlet side, said oiling means comprising a covered vessel for containing oil, said vessel having an air pressure inlet, conduit means connecting said air pressure inlet to the delivery side of the pump, means defining an air outlet passageway within the vessel, said passageway passing downwardly through a floor of the vessel and being connected to the inlet side of the pump, a dish within the vessel mounted above the floor thereof surrounding the oil outlet passageway, said outlet passageway having an upper edge located above an upper edge of said dish, a conduit leading from a point in line with said air inlet through said dish, the conduit having a lower end submerged in the oil supply within said vessel and being spaced from the vessel floor so that incoming air entrains oil from said vessel and lifts it into the dish, and wick means positioned in the oil outlet passageway passing over the upper edge of said passageway and having an end in said dish adapted to collect oil therefrom and deliver it to said oil outlet means, the arrangement being such that air entering said vessel during operation of the pump via the delivery side, conduit means and air pressure inlet entrains oil raising it via said conduit to said dish in which oil is picked up by' said wick and passes in controlled amounts to the inlet side of said pump via said oil outlet passageway.

2. The pump oiling means as claimed in claim 1 wherein an air pipe constitutes said conduit means through which air is conducted to said air pressure inlet, said air pipe being provided with a substantially U- shaped bend so that a portion of the air pipe is above the level of oil in the vessel to prevent oil flowing from said vessel to the delivery side of the pump.

3. The pump oiling means as claimed in claim 1 wherein a deflector plate is positioned above said conduit to deflect oil into said dish.

4. The pump oiling means as claimed in claim I wherein said oil outlet passageway has a bore of restricted cross sectional area.

5. The oiling means as claimed in claim I in which the pump includes a casing, a hollow rotor rotatable in said casing and in which pumping vanes slide and a passageway being provided in said casing adjacent the delivery side of the pump, with said passageway leading in at least some positions of the rotor to the hollow interior of the rotor.

6. The pump as claimed in claim 5 wherein said passageway is provided in an end bell of said casing.

Claims

1. An oiling means for a pump of the type having a delivery side and an inlet side, the delivery side being at a higher pressure than the inlet side, said oiling means comprising a covered vessel for containing oil, said vessel having an air pressure inlet, conduit means connecting said air pressure inlet to the delivery side of the pump, means defining an air outlet passageway within the vessel, said passageway passing downwardly through a floor of the vessel and being connected to the inlet side of the pump, a dish within the vessel mounted above the floor thereof surrounding the oil outlet passageway, said outlet passageway having an upper edge located above an upper edge of said dish, a conduit leading from a point in line with said air inlet through said dish, the conduit having a lower end submerged in the oil supply within said vessel and being spaced from the vessel floor so that incoming air entrains oil from said vessel and lifts it into the dish, and wick means positioned in the oil outlet passageway passing over the upper edge of said passageway and having an end in said dish adapted to collect oil therefrom and deliver it to said oil outlet means, the arrangement being such that air entering said vessel during operation of the pump via the delivery side, conduit means and air pressure inlet entrains oil raising it via said conduit to said dish in which oil is picked up by said wick and Passes in controlled amounts to the inlet side of said pump via said oil outlet passageway.

2. The pump oiling means as claimed in claim 1 wherein an air pipe constitutes said conduit means through which air is conducted to said air pressure inlet, said air pipe being provided with a substantially U-shaped bend so that a portion of the air pipe is above the level of oil in the vessel to prevent oil flowing from said vessel to the delivery side of the pump.

4. The pump oiling means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said oil outlet passageway has a bore of restricted cross sectional area.

5. The oiling means as claimed in claim 1 in which the pump includes a casing, a hollow rotor rotatable in said casing and in which pumping vanes slide and a passageway being provided in said casing adjacent the delivery side of the pump, with said passageway leading in at least some positions of the rotor to the hollow interior of the rotor.