US2500524A - Pump for centralized lubricating systems - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1950 Y* E. w, DAVIS 2,500,524

PUMP FOR CENTRALZED LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 30, 1946 Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED Ns rmflsfs PATENT orf/FICE 'PUMPFOR CENTRALIZED LUBRICATING SYSTEMS `Ernest iavis, River fForest, 111.

Application August-30, 194i6, Serial No. 693,836

@-6 .Glaims. .l

invention relates generally-to lpumpsffor centralized lubricatingfsystemaand more par-- l""-ticularly to control means for'autornaticallyfrelieving -the'pressure atthe outlet `'oi such'pump atlpredetermined intervals.

In l many centralized lubricating systems l eml plo'ying` measuring .valVes, it is` necessary for the properoperation of` such measuringt Valves that the pressure in `the supply `line :be `relieved. :periodically to permitthevalve mechanisms to `be .freseti for fa subsequent operation.

`.Itis the-'object of my;invention;to provide a simple andfaeffective `pumping apparatus, .which :operates automatically torelieve the pressure in the `supply line atapredetermined timejntervals :1A: further object is toy provide animprovedelectromagnetic means for maintaining a pressure `relieving Valve, connected to a centralized lubri- Lcating system, inopen position` for alpredetermined 1 `time interval, provided a predetermined pressure in the lubricating system has been eX- ceeded during atpreceding time interval.

A `further object is `to;.provide an improved timing mechanism for `centralized lubricating #.systems. l

Other objects will `be apparentfromthe vfol-- `lovving description, reference beinghad to ,the i fl accompanying drawings, .in which: ",liig. 1 is a central Vertical'sectionalview of a l preferred embodiment `of-my invention; and i IEig."2 is aldiagrarnmatic representationthereof.. including a, schematic Wiring diagram.

Referring to"Fig..1, the lubricant pump is en-` closed in a reservoir I`for oilorthe like, the pumping mechanism being supported on a shelf I2 which may be secured to the side Walls of the .reservoirill in any suitable manner, as by Weld- "ing The top I4 of thecontainer is provided With a lling'opening normally closed' byaplug suitably' secured 'upon"the shelf: I2 'is a small fractional 'horsepowerpump driving motor I8 which, through'a suitable speed'reducing gearingcontained Withina housing 20, 'drivesa crank i-`disct22 to which the upperend'of` a connecting `ro'di'is 4pivotally connected. The lower end of "'-theconnecting-rod 24 is secured to a` piston rod *V26* having 4a piston 28'reciproc'ableti-ny a` cylinder 36 formed in' a cylinderlblockBZ. IThecylincler l block'is carriedby' a pipe 34 suitablysecuredat its f 'upper-end` tothe shelf I2. The lowerendof-` the "c'yl-inder blocki32 is notched tdprovide inletports The `outlet port 42 :of athe pump "is-"connected-b '.alcheckvalve 43 andlzconduitfM With'a pressure Vresponsive deviceili whichacomprises a cylinder l48in which a-plungeriis reciprocable. ySecured.v

to the plunger 5|] is awweight :512lmadepat `least in part, ofrsofth iron or similar` magnetic material. .Thecylin'der T118 has `an outlet vent .port 54. "The Vinterior of thecylinder`48 is lin communica- C tion `nfth"`tlie conduit/M as well: as a rconduit :156 110 which leads to a branched yconduit vsystem F58, the'latter leadingto suitablezmeasuring devices which may be of any `suitable constructionpsuch, forexample as those showninlthe :patentsto "Teal No. 2,205,320 `and the application `of :Fred- 115ferick fG. Schweisthal, Serial No. .`570,961,;'flled January l, 1945. p

A timing motor 62, preferably a synchronous imotor, .operatesnthrough fa` suitablefspeed reducing gearing :to` drivexa cam ylill/thetcam having a single highepointadapted `to` actuate theiresiliently biased operating .arm '1:66 vor" "a i microswitch 1.163. "The:microswitch` controls; the-penergzation fof :the .Imotor I8, as Well as.` anv electromagnet Il!! having a shading `coil il I Which `is `secured to.: a mountking. plate 12,;'the'.latterfbeingd suitably; mounted: on Luthei `.shelf 1 ['2, ,and also-serving as .a mountingtpfor l the :switch :6B "and motortIZ.

Referring now `towlig.12, `itwWill befinote'dithat `upon closure. of lazmaintswitchsm, current` is asup- '30 plied'fto'the timing motorZ, and `afterthe cam te thereof has `rotated throughwasmalltangle from the t positionvshown, the 'vmicroswitch :arm 1:66 `permits l switchi'* to close, .thereby supplying current 1 to :the motor I8 and electromagnet 1.10. Whentheumotor Is8vis energizedithe piston 528 :of 4the pump is reciprooated, .thispiston descend-` ing'below the upper edges ofthe` inlet portsi361to admitlubricant, and discharging oilf past the put i let port 1421and check valve? 43. Thepressure': is l .therebybuilt` up )in the conduit system L5 6,658 ,fand

supplied fto the x measuring Valves or feederfdef-vicesf60- These devices lareuthus"operatedto supply measured charges: of lubricant to other respective Sbearingstol which they are" connected. x

continued operation :of the pump-'builds i up the pressure in the conduit systemfand in' thelower `eri'd'offthe cylinder '48. 'When the pressurelin 1"the conduit Vsystem i and -cylinder "l48l isV sufficient to overcometheiforce Aofgravity acting upon ythe weight f52 ,Y the" latter 4is elevated' to a 'position 'approximatelyas shown inI dotted lines* inf4 Fig?" 2, f in relatively*close proximityl to the.:.polesnoflthe -flelectromagnet' l0. i

"Ilmheeshadingrcollv?! Itis yused-to"prevent-'chattin- After all of the devices 6l) have-operatdythe p the underlying principles of the invention.

ing Whenever the apparatus is operated from alternating current. When the weight 52 is thus raised to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, the electromagnet 'l0 exerts a suiiicient pull on the Weight to draw it-upwardly against the poles of the electromagnet, in which position the plunger 50 fully uncovers the vent port 54, and the oil under pressure in the conduit system G, 58, as well as that'supplied by the pump, is freely discharged through the vent port 54, thus reducing the pressure in the conduit system 58 substantially to atmospheric pressure. Under these conditions, the measuring devices Gil are free to reset themselves to normal condition in which they are ready to operate upon again supplying them with lubricant under pressure suflicient to operate them.

After a predetermined time interval, the cam 64 opens switch 68, thus deenergizing both the electromagnet lo and a motor i3. the electromagnet l!) is deenergized, the weight 52 `will force the plunger 'd to the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, whereupon the system is in condition for repetition of the cycle above described.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from I therefore desire, by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, an electric motor to drive said pump, a plurality of measuring devices operable to discharge measured quantities of lubricant to their associated bearings upon alternately supplying lubricant t under pressure and relieving the pressure, a conduit system connecting the discharge of said pump "to the measuring devices, a rvertical cylinder having one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder and when in its lower position obstructing said vent port, a weight having a portion of magnetic material secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby when the lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insufficient strength when energized to draw the weight from its lower position, but operable when the weight is raised a distance substantially suiiicient to uncover the vent port to draw the weight to the electromagnet,

and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize said electric motor and said electromagnet. v

2. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a plurality of measuring devices each operable upon alternately supplying lubricant under pressure and relieving the pressure to discharge measured quantiv ties oflubricant to their associated bearings, a

i one end thereof in communication'with the con- AS S0011 aS 4 duit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end thereof, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder, a weight having a portion of magnetic material operatively connected to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby whenA the lubricant pressure in the conduit system exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insuiiicient strength when energized to draw the weight from its lower position, but operable to draw the weight to the electromagnet when the weight is raised a distance substantially suicient to uncover the vent port, and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize said electromagnet.

3. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduitl system connected to receive the discharge of the pump, a vertical cylinder having one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end thereof, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder, a weight having a portion of magnetic material secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby when the lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insufficient strength when energized to draw the Weight from its lower position, but operable when the weight is raised a distance substantially sufficient to uncover the vent port to draw the weight to the electromagnet, and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize said electromagnet.

4. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduit system connected to receive the discharge of said pump, a cylinder having one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced from said end thereof, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder, a weight having a portion of magnetic material operatively connected to the plunger and adapted tobe elevated thereby when the lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight, an electromagnet located above the weight and of insuiicient strength when energized to draw the weight from its lower position, but operable to draw the weight to the electromagnet when the weight is raised a distance substantially sufficient to uncover the vent port, and a time switch operated at predetermined intervals to energize said electromagnet.

5. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, `means to drive said pump, a conduit system connected to receive the discharge of said pump, a cylinder' having one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinder having a `vent port spaced from said end thereof, a. plunger reciprocable in said cylinder, a weight of magnetic material secured to the plunger to be elevated thereby when the force due to the lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger,

means to hold the weight in raised position after -it has been elevated a distance substantially sufcient to cause the plunger to uncover the vent port, and periodically operating means to render said holding means ineffective.

6. In a lubricant supply system for centralized lubricating systems, the combination of a pump, means to drive said pump, a conduit system connected to receive the discharge of the pump, a vertical cylinder having one end thereof in communication with the conduit system, said cylinder having a vent port spaced `from said end thereof, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder, and when in its lower position obstructing the vent port, a weight having a portion of magnetic material secured to the plunger and adapted to be elevated thereby 'to-uncover the vent port when the force due to lubricant pressure in the lower end of the cylinder exceeds that which can be resisted by the force of gravity acting upon the weight and plunger, an electromagnetic ERNEST W. DAVIS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,135,563 Davis Nov. 9i, 1938 2,206,335 Rotter July 2, 1940 2,328,812 Klein Sept. 7, 1943

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