US3246934A - Emergency supply container and method - Google Patents

Description

April 19, 1966 1-. E. LOCKE 3,246,934

EMERGENCY SUPPLY CONTAINER AND METHOD Filed Sept. 18, 1963 INVENTOR TRAVIS E.LOGKE HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice 3,246,934 EMERGENCY SUPPLY CONTAINER AND METHOD Travis E. Locke, lR-.R. 2, New Madison, Ohio Filed Sept. 18,,1963, Ser. No. 309,623 4 Claims. (Cl. 30876) This invention relates to an improved emergency lubricating container or the like as well as to an improved method of emergency lubrication or the like.

It is well known that railroad cars frequently have the wheel bearing journals thereof severely damaged when the railroad car is on a long run and the journal box thereof has been improperly lubricated because of the excess heat created by the so called hot box situation that results whereby this improper lubrication has been an expensive and adverse condition for the railroads.

However, according to the teachings of this invention, an improved container is provided which can be located in the journal box of a railroad car and the like and should the journal box heat up because of improper lubrication thereof, the container of this invention automatically opens and discharges an emergency supply of lubricant to the packing in the journal box. to prevent damage to the bearing parts so that a hot box situation cannot exist.

Further, the container of this invention is so constructed and arranged that the same provides a visible signal ext'eriorly of the journal box so that upon routine checking of the railroad cars, it can be determined whether a particular emergency container has been discharged requiring attention to that particular journal box.

However, it is to be understood that the containerand method of this invention has many other uses than just for an emergency lubricating system for a railroad car journal box or the like and that this invention is not to be limited to only such a situation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved container having one or more of the novel features of this invention as set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved journal box for a railroad car or the like, the journal box having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of utilizing such a container or the like.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective viewillustrating one embodiment of the improved container of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the improved container of FIGURE 1 disposed in a conventional railroad car journal box or the like.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and illustrates the initial opening of the container of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 and illustrates a further operating position of the parts of this invention.

3,246,934 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates another embodiment of the container of this invention.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on lines 77 of FIGURE 6.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adaptable for providing an emergency lubricating systemfor a railroad car journal box or the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide a supply of fluid or the like for other systems as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention;

Referring now to FIGURE l, an improved container of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 1-0 and can comprise a conventional metallic container having a-cylindr ical side wall-1 1' and opposed flat end closures 1 2 and 13 secured thereto in any suitable manner.

However, the end wall 12 of the container- 10 is scored at 14 to' define part of the perimeter of a fiap means 15 for a purpose hereinafter described.

For example, the score 14 can partially pass through the end wall 12 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2 so that the end wall 12 is weakened in the area of the flap 15 so that the flap 15 can be readily severed from the end wall 12 for a purpose hereinafter described.

For example, the score 14 in the end wall 12 of the container 10 can be so controlled that the flap 15 will only open when an internal force in the container 10 reaches a predetermined pressure;

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, a certain quantity of lubricant 16- is disposed in the container 10 and the remainder of the chamber in the container 111 is filled with a suitable gas 17 for the purpose now to'be described.

The gas 17' is so selected thatthe" same changes its working pressure as the temperature thereof increases so that'when the gas 17 senses a predetermined temperature, the pressure thereof pushing on the lubricant 16 is 'of such a value that the same forces open the flap means 15 to provide an opening in the end wall 12 of thecontainer 10' through which the lubricant 16 cannot only be forced out of by the gas 17, but also can flow out of the same by gravity for a purpose hereinafter described.

For example, the gas 17 can comprise dichlorodifluorornethane normally sold under the trademark Freon-l2 and can have a p.s.i.g. of; 70.192 at F. However, when the temperature of the gas 17 reaches F. it has a p.s.i.g. of 117.16. Similarly, when the gas 17 has a temperature of F., it has a p.s.i.g. of 234.16, and when the gas 17 has a temperature of 200 F., it has a p.s.i;g. of 415.39.

Therefore, it can be seen that by properly selecting the gas 17 and by properly providing the score 14 in the end wall 12 of the container 11, the selected gas 17 can force open the flap means 15 of the container 10 when the same senses a predetermined temperature.

While dichlorodifluoromethane has been heretofore described as being a particular gas that can be utilized with the container 10 of this invention, it is to be understood that other gas or fluid can be utilized to control the operation of the container 10 in the manner now to be described.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, a conventional railroad journal box is generally indicated by the reference nurneral 18 and comprises a housing 19 having a rotatable wheel shaft 20 passing therethrough and being mounted for relative movement relative to the journal box housing 19 by suitable bearing means 20A.

A suitable packing 21 is disposed in the housing 19 and surrounds the journal shaft 20 so as to provide means for retaining a lubricant for lubricating the shaft 20 at the bearing means 20A of the journal housing box 18.

During normal maintenance of the railroad car, a maintenance man attempts to lubricate each journal box 18 in a conventional manner whereby the packing 21 is saturated with a lubricant which normally supplies a sufiicient amount of lubricant to the shaft 20 for the normal length of time of operation of the particular railroad car until it is again lubricated in the conventional manner.

However, as previously set forth, it has been found that either by negligence or by improper lubrication means, certain journal boxes 19 are not properly lubricated so that during a run of the railroad car, the lubricant in the packing 21 is used up so that subsequent operation of the shaft 20 causes friction on the bearing means 20A thereof whereby the same adversely heats up until the shaft and/or bearing means 20A are completely ruined.

However, by locating the container 10 of this invention above the packing 21 in the journal box 18 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3, the container 10 of this invention can prevent the aforementioned damage to the shaft 20 and its bearing means 20A in a manner now to be described.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the container 10 is disposed in the housing 19 of the journal box 18 in such a manner that the same is disposed on its side with the flap means 15 thereof being disposed adjacent the packing 21.

A suitable plunger 22 is provided and has the shank portion thereof passing out through an opening 23 formed in the journal housing 19 while an enlarged end 24 thereof abuts against the flap means 15 of the container 10 for a purpose hereinafter described.

During the operation of the railroad car journal box 18, it may be found that through improper lubrication thereof, that the journal box 18 begins to heat up because of the unlubricated bearing surfaces of the moving parts thereof whereby the increased temperatureof the journal box 18 increases the temperature of the gas 17 and the container 10. As the temperature of the gas 17 rises in the above manner, the pressure thereof acting against the lubricant 16 increases until the same reaches a predetermined pressure and forces open the flap means 15 in the end wall 12 of the container 10.

When the pressure of the gas 17 reaches the predetermined point, the same forces open the flap means 15 of the container 10 and, because, the flap 15 has an upper portion thereof integrally hinged to the container end wall 12, the same bends upwardly in the manner illustrated in FIGURE to provide an opening 25 in the end wall 12 of the container through which the lubricant 16 can be forced out of the container 10 by the pressure of the gas 17 above the same.

At the same time that the flap means opens, the flap means 15 pushes against the enlarged head 24 of the indicator means 22 to force the shaft to project completely out of the housing 19 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 4 so that the same provides a visible signal means to a person viewing the exterior of the journal box 19 that the emergency lubricating container 10 therein has been discharged and that the journal box 19 requires attention.

When the flap means 15 of the container 16 has been opened in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4, it can be seen that the pressure of the gas 17 rapidly forces the lubricant 16 out through the opening 25 so that the same can properly saturate the packing 21 to provide lubricating means for the bearing means 26A of the shaft 20 to prevent the same from being adversely affected.

As the level of the lubricant 16 is lowered, it can be seen that when the same reaches the level of the opening 25 in the end wall 12 of the container 10, the gas 17 can now escape out of the opening 25 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5 whereby the remaining lubricant 16 in the container 10 can flow by gravity out of the opening 25 to the packing 21 so that substantially the entire amount of lubricant 16 can be utilized to saturate the packing 21 of the railroad car journal box 18.

Therefore, it can be seen that the container 10 of this invention is readily adapted to sense an adverse temperature condition of the railroad journal box 18 and can reduce the temperature situation thereof by providing an emergency supply of lubricant to the shaft 20 before the same has reached a temperature which would adversely affect the same as well as the bearing means of the journal box 19, the supply of lubricant provided by the container 10 being suificient to last for many hundreds of miles of use of the particular railroad car.

While one form of providing the flap means 15 in the container 10 has been previously described, it is to be understood that other suitable means can be provided for the container 10 of this invention whereby the resulting structure will still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, an opening can be provided in the end wall 12 of the container 10 and a suitable plug can be provided therein which will rupture or blow out when the pressure of the gas 17 reaches a predetermined pressure.

In particular, reference is made to FIGURE 6 wherein another container of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 26 and comprises a cylindrical side wall 27 having a pair of opposed end walls 28 and 29.

The end wall 28 has an opening 30 cut therein in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7 and a suitable plug 31 is disposed in the opening 30 to temporarily close the same.

However, the plug material 31 is so constructed and arranged that the same will blow outwardly when the temperature of the gas in the container 26 reaches a predetermined temperature in the manner previously described for the container 10 so that the plug 31 will operate the signal means 22 in the manner previously described.

Therefore, it can be seen that many variations may be made in the container of this invention while the same will still function in the manner previously described and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, it can be seen that not only does this invention provide an improved container and an improved journal box for a railroad car or the like, but also this invention provides an improved method for utilizing such a container or the like.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other formsv may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims, which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a housing, bearing means disposed in said housing, and a container disposed in said housing, said container containing a lubricant and a gas means contacting said lubricant, said container having openable means to open said container when said gas means reaches a predetermined temperature caused by said bearing means whereby said gas means forces said lubricant out through said openable means to lubricate. said bearing means.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing carries signal means and said openable means of said container actuates said signal means when said openable means is opened by said gas means.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said openable means of said container comprises a scored portion of a wall of said container.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said openable means comprises a plug means disposed in an opening in a wall of said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Ferguson 116-103 Achufi et al. 3081.5 Shillady et al. 2'22-397 Webster 222-397 DON A. WAITE, Primary Examiner.

10 FRANK SUSKO, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING, BEARING MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING, AND A CONTAINER DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID CONTAINER CONTAINING A LUBRICANT AND A GAS MEANS CONTACTING SAID LUBRICANT, SAID CONTAINER HAVING OPENABLE MEANS TO OPEN SAID CONTAINER WHEN SAID GAS MEANS REACHES A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE CAUSED BY SAID BEARING MEANS WHEREBY SAID GAS MEANS FORCES SAID LUBRICANT OUT THROUGH SAID OPENABLE MEANS TO LUBRICATE SAID BEARING MEANS.

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