HK1119760A - Grease gun with remote-feed adapter - Google Patents

Description

grease gun with remote feed adapter

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. patent application serial No. 60/562,355 entitled "multi-pressure Portable Grease Gun (multi-pressure Portable Grease Gun)" at 4/15/2004, and is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application serial No. 11/104,819 entitled "Grease Gun with remote supply adaptor (Grease Gun) at 13/4/2005.

Background

Portable grease guns are commonly used in the industry to supply pressurized grease to lubricate vehicles and many types of machinery. In conventional portable handheld grease guns, the grease gun body includes a threaded mounting to which a grease "barrel" (a tube having a closed end and an open end) containing a quantity of grease or grease cartridge can be attached to provide a source of grease for the grease gun. When the grease in the cartridge is used up, the barrel can be removed and a new cartridge inserted, and the barrel can then be reinstalled on the threaded mounting of the grease gun body. This type of grease gun is limited to use with a self-contained grease barrel mounted on and carried with the grease gun body. Such grease guns are useful when the user needs to walk over a wide area to lubricate the device fill nozzle.

Other grease guns are provided with a coupling to a flexible hose that is connected to a grease supply that can rest on a floor or other surface without being carried by the user. Grease supply devices of this type are typically containers of bulk grease, such as buckets, buckets or kegs, which are fitted with hand-or foot-operated pumps. When grease is required in the grease gun body, the user draws a charge of grease from the grease barrel by operating the manual pump, thereby delivering a supply of grease into the compression chamber of the grease gun. Existing grease hoses of this nature can only be coupled to them. Grease gun bodies of this type are useful when the user can leave a limited area to apply grease.

Existing hand-held portable grease guns having removable grease barrels are provided with an output check valve that can resist pressures in the pressure chamber below about 25 psi so that grease at pressures below about 15 psi in the grease barrel is not discharged through the output nozzle. Resupply of the barrel through a standard resupply port on the grease barrel is limited to a low pressure source so that grease passing into the grease barrel at the supply port is not forced through an output check valve associated with the output nozzle.

There is a need for a multi-functional grease gun body that can be supplied by either a grease barrel mounted on the body or by a relatively large number of grease supplies contained in a grease pail, barrel or keg and will be supplied to the grease barrel by a hose coupled to the grease gun body.

There is also a need for a multi-function grease gun that can be supplied with pressures in excess of 25 psi through a standard resupply port, such as through a hose coupled to a grease reservoir pressurized by a foot pump.

The grease gun invention solves the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a portable grease gun that can be attached to a grease containing barrel or a hose carrying grease from a grease supply container. The grease gun includes a threaded fitting that receives a grease barrel that can be refilled through an inlet valve in communication with its interior, either by replacing a cartridge within the barrel, or by withdrawing from a bulk container. When the grease barrel is removed, the grease barrel may be replaced with an adapter that includes a fitting to which a hose may be attached. The adapter includes external threads similar to the external threads of the grease barrel that are receivable in the barrel mount of the grease gun. The adapter includes a hose fitting mountable opposite the barrel mount. The hose fitting includes threads that will mate with a threaded hose fitting secured to the end of a suitable hose for delivering grease from a pressurized grease pail, bucket, keg or other grease reservoir.

In an alternative embodiment, the grease gun body is provided with a plug member mounted to the barrel mount to close the opening. The alternate embodiment grease gun also includes a fitting to couple the grease gun hose to a resupply port located on the grease gun body so that grease from the foot pumped reservoir can be supplied to the grease gun in a forward travel manner.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-function grease gun which can be supplied from a self-contained pumped grease reservoir mounted directly to the grease gun or from a bulk grease supply contained in a reservoir such as a pail, bucket or keg.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable, manually operated grease gun which can be used in applications where the grease gun operator does not need to move through a wide area, and also in applications where the user must carry the grease gun to various locations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a grease barrel adapter that can be fitted to the barrel mount of a grease gun provided with a barrel mount to adapt the grease gun for supplying grease from a bulk grease supply via a conduit or hose.

It is a further object to provide a portable grease gun that can be supplied at the resupply port of the grease gun body through a hose coupled to a pumped grease reservoir.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable grease gun that can be supplied from a pumped grease supply through the barrel mount or a replacement fill port of the grease gun.

These and other objects will be understood after reading the following detailed description.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front view of a grease gun according to the present invention coupled to a grease reservoir by means of a hose.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grease gun of FIG. 1 with a portion of the handle and actuating lever cut away.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the grease gun of the present invention with a grease barrel mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another grease gun system having a grease reservoir interconnected to a resupply port of the grease gun by a grease supply hose.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the grease gun body taken along line 4-4 of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 discloses a grease gun 2 according to the present invention, which grease gun 2 is coupled to a grease reservoir 6 by a flexible hose 4. Hose 4 is attached to grease gun 2 at adapter 8, which adapter 8 is removably mounted to grease gun body 10. In this configuration, grease from reservoir 6 may be forced through hose 4 and through adapter 8 into grease gun body 10 by operation of first pump 7. The figure shows actuating lever 12 in its stowed position pivoted away from handle 14.

Referring now to fig. 2, a partial cross-sectional view of grease gun 2 shows adapter 8 mounted to grease gun body 10, preferably by threads, at barrel mount 16. Barrel mount 16 is configured to receive the end of a grease barrel, but when a grease barrel is not installed, adapter 8 can be screwed into barrel mount 16. The adaptor 8 includes a hose coupling 18, the hose coupling 18 being adapted to receive the male coupling and swivel connection means of a hose as shown in figure 2. The adapter 8 has a grease chamber 20 in which grease is stored until forced through an inlet valve 22 into a pressure chamber 24 of the grease gun body 10. Because adapter 8 is detachable from grease gun body 10, a conventional grease barrel may be installed in place in barrel mount 16. It should be understood that although barrel mount 16 is shown as a threaded mount, other mechanical attachment means such as bayonet mount structures may be used in place of the threaded mount shown.

Adapter 8 is preferably cylindrical in shape with an open first end wall 11, which first end wall 11 communicates with barrel mount 16 and thus with inlet 15 of grease gun body 10. The first end wall 11 includes external threads for mating with internal threads of the frame mount 16.

The adapter 8 comprises a second end wall 17, which second end wall 17 accommodates a hose coupling 18. Typically, the second end wall 17 will be smaller than the first end wall 11. The second end wall 17 receives a hose coupling 18 and is preferably provided with internal threads 19 to receive a conventional grease hose end coupling.

The nozzle body 34 of grease gun body 10 includes an output check valve spring 35 that biases a ball 37 to close an outlet 39. The check valve spring 35 is preferably selected to resist movement of the ball 37 unless the grease pressure in the outlet 39 exceeds approximately 150 psi, however, the check valve spring 35 pressure resistance may also be selected to provide a resistance as low as approximately 30 psi. When grease gun body 10 is supplied through a hose mounted to adapter 8, a high check valve resistance is desirable because grease pumped from the grease reservoir may tend to exceed the grease pressure in conventional grease barrel 26 as shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows a conventional grease gun 2 with a grease barrel 26 mounted to barrel mount 16 of grease gun body 10. Grease barrel 26 may typically hold a 14.5 ounce grease cartridge and it may be filled with a large quantity of grease. As with conventional grease guns, grease within grease barrel 26 is forced into grease gun body 10 by a coil spring biased follower (not shown) contained within grease barrel 26. Grease pressure in conventional grease barrels 26 typically does not exceed 16 psi. When the supply of grease in grease barrel 26 is exhausted, grease may be replenished within grease barrel 26 after plunger handle 28 is withdrawn from grease barrel 26 thereby compressing the coil spring therein. Grease may then be introduced through a resupply port 30 (also referred to as a replacement fill port) mounted on the grease gun body 10, which resupply port 30 communicates with the interior of the grease barrel 26. The resupply port 30 is covered when not in use.

Another embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in fig. 4 and 5. Grease gun body 10 is provided with a plug 40, which plug 40 is selectively received in barrel mounting 16. Plug member 40 includes a cylindrical sidewall 52 and a base 54 joined thereto, which together define a hollow 50 therein. A hexagonal body 56 is formed integrally with base 54 and depends from plug 40. Hexagonal body 56 may be tightened with a wrench to tighten plug member 40 within barrel mounting 16. Hollow 50 provides a temporary reservoir for grease entering grease gun body 10 through resupply port 30. Preferably, cylindrical sidewall 52 is provided with external threads 58, and external threads 58 are receivable by internal threads 57 in barrel mount 16. Thus, grease gun body 10, which may be supplied by a conventional grease barrel, such as grease barrel 26 shown in fig. 3, may be modified by removing the grease barrel so that plug member 40 may be installed in barrel mounting 16. Plug 40 completely blocks the passage of grease through barrel mounting 16.

Resupply port 30 is provided in grease gun body 10, and resupply port 30 is typically covered when the grease gun body is conventionally used, such as when a grease barrel is mounted to grease gun body 10 at barrel mount 16. When plunger member 40 is substituted for grease barrel 26, the cap of resupply port 30 is removed and may then be coupled to a remote supply of grease. In the embodiment of the invention shown in fig. 4 and 5, an adapter fitting 41 can be selectively received in the resupply port 30. Grease supply hose 4 may be coupled to resupply port 30 of grease gun body 10 by hose coupler 43, hose coupler 43 being coaxially joined to adaptor coupler 59, adaptor coupler 59 being connected in series with manually operated valve 44. The manually operated valve 44 is in turn coupled to the adapter fitting 41. A manually operated valve 44 is interposed between the hose coupler 43 and the adapter 41 to prevent grease from escaping when the adapter fitting 41 is disconnected from the re-supply port 30.

Nipple 62 of adapter fitting 41 is threaded into resupply port 30, which is conventionally internally threaded. Grease may be forced from the grease reservoir 6 through the hose 4 through the axial passage 60 of the adapter fitting 41 into the re-supply port 30 by action of the first pump 7. Grease entering resupply port 30 then travels along internal passage 61 of grease gun body 10 into hollow 50 of plug member 40, from which hollow 50 grease may be drawn into pressure chamber 24 of grease gun body 10.

As with the preferred embodiment of fig. 1-3, because the check valve spring 35 (see fig. 2) is selected to resist unseating of the ball 37 unless the pressure in the outlet 39 significantly exceeds at least 25 psi, grease at pressures well in excess of 16 psi can be introduced through the re-supply port 30 without leaking out through the output check valve ball 37 of the nozzle body 34.

The reason for removing the grease barrel 26 and plugging the barrel mount 16 when grease is supplied into the re-supply port 30 from the remote pump supply is that the follower in the grease barrel 26 will not be able to seal the pressure delivered by the pump 7. This can result in leakage around the handle 28 of the grease barrel 26.

The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Various modifications and changes may be made in light of the above teachings or may be learned by practice of the invention. The described embodiments were chosen in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Having described the invention, we claim:

Claims (7)

1. A grease gun for portable use, the grease gun comprising:

a grease gun body including a first mounting seat adapted to receive a self-contained grease reservoir;

the grease gun body also comprises a resupply port communicated with the first mounting seat;

a pumped grease supply coupled to one of the first mount and the resupply port; and

a plug structure that plugs the other of the first mounting seat and the resupply port;

whereby grease from said pumped grease supply may be introduced into said grease gun through said one of said first mounting block and said resupply port.

2. A grease gun for portable use, the grease gun comprising:

a grease gun body including a first mounting seat adapted to receive a self-contained grease reservoir;

the grease gun body also comprises a resupply port communicated with the first mounting seat;

a plug member selectively receivable by the first mount,

the plug member blocks the first mount when received by the first mount; and

an adapter member coupling the resupply port to a grease supply hose;

whereby grease from a grease reservoir coupled to the grease supply hose can be introduced into the grease gun through the re-supply port.

3. A grease gun as recited in claim 2, wherein the grease in the grease supply hose is at a pressure in excess of 25 psi.

4. A grease gun as recited in claim 2,

said first mounting seat being adapted to receive a grease barrel which may be carried with said grease gun;

the plug member includes a cylindrical sidewall and a bottom portion joined to the sidewall;

said plug member further comprising a hollow defined by said cylindrical sidewall and said bottom;

the adapter includes a nipple selectively receivable in the resupply port.

5. A portable grease gun system, comprising:

a grease reservoir containing grease;

a pump associated with the grease reservoir,

the pump may increase the pressure of grease in the grease reservoir;

a grease supply hose coupled to the grease reservoir;

the grease gun body is provided with a grease gun body,

the grease gun body includes a first mounting adapted to receive a self-contained grease barrel,

a resupply port in the grease gun body in communication with the first mounting seat;

a plug member selectively receivable by the first mount,

the plug member blocks the first mount when received by the first mount;

the re-supply port is coupled to the grease supply hose.

6. A method of supplying grease to a grease gun body having a grease barrel mount and a resupply port, the invention comprising the steps of:

mounting a stopper member on one of the barrel mount and the resupply port;

coupling a grease supply hose to the other of the barrel mount and the resupply port.

7. A grease gun for portable use, the grease gun comprising:

a first mounting seat adapted to receive a self-contained grease reservoir; and

an adapter for selectively mounting to the first mounting base,

the adapter includes a first opening in communication with the first mount,

the adapter includes a second opening that receives a hose fitting.