Air/oil mixture as a lubricant

Details Air/oil mixture as a lubricant Air/oil mixture as a lubricant

1993-06-09

1995-05-16

Look, Edward K.

Lubrication

Systems

With mist or fog means

184 551, F01M 100, F16N 734

Patent

active

054152496

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, producing an air/oil mixture which is suitable for use as a lubricant.
Lubrication of bearings and other moving parts on a machine or plant may be carried out automatically using an air/oil mixture as the lubricant. Small droplets of oil are intermittently injected into an airstream and then conveyed by the air to the region where lubrication is required.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a method of producing an air/oil mixture which is suitable for use as a lubricant, oil under pressure is supplied alternately to a pair of separate oil lines; at least one dual-line metering valve connected to the two oil lines receives oil from each line in turn and injects a predetermined quantity of the oil into a mixing zone each time the supply of oil to the valve is changed from one oil line to the other; characterised in that a stream of air under pressure flows continuously through the mixing zone and the oil injected into the zone mixes with the air to form the air/oil mixture.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a method of producing an air/oil mixture which is suitable for use as a lubricant, two separate oil lines are pressurised with oil in turn; at least one dual-line metering valve connected to the two oil lines receives a predetermined quantity of oil from each line when that line is pressurised and injects the oil into a mixing zone when the other line is pressurised; characterised in that a stream of air under pressure flows continuously through the mixing zone and the oil injected into the zone mixes with the air to form the air/oil mixture.
Conveniently, the oil under pressure is supplied continuously to a control valve which distributes it alternately to the oil lines.
By arranging for the supply of oil to the two oil lines to be switched at a predetermined rate, the rate of injection of oil into the mixing zone is controlled. Since a predetermined amount of oil is injected into the zone each time the oil is switched from one line to the other, to accurately control the amount of oil in the air/oil mixture, it is only necessary to to control the rate of switching.
Furthermore, it is convenient for the two oil lines to supply oil-simultaneously to a plurality of metering valves, each of which also receives a continuous supply of air from a pressurised air supply and an air/oil mixture is formed in the mixing zone of each metering valve.
By arranging for the oil lines to supply all the metering valves simultaneously, it means that, if one of the valves should fail in the closed position, oil is still supplied to the other valves.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, apparatus for producing an air/oil mixture which is suitable for use as a lubricant comprises two separate oil lines; means for pressurising each line with oil in turn; at least one dual-line metering valve connected to the two oil lines to receive a predetermined quantity of oil from each line when that line is pressurised, the or each metering valve having a mixing chamber to which the predetermined quantity of oil is injected when the other line is pressurised; characterised in that means are provided to cause a stream of air to pass continuously through the mixing chamber and for the oil to mix with the air.
It is convenient for each dual-line metering valve to have provision for adjusting the amount of oil which it injects into the mixing chamber each time the supply of oil is changed from one line to the other. Thus, when a plurality of dual-line metering valves are connected to the same two oil lines, each valve will inject a predetermined quantity of oil into its mixing chamber simultaneously with all the other valves, however, the quantity of oil injected by the valves can differ one from another dependent upon the load which requires the air/oil mixture.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, it will now be described, by way of example o

REFERENCES:
patent: 3146681 (1964-09-01), Sheesley
patent: 3199416 (1965-08-01), Robson
patent: 3706355 (1972-12-01), Oglesbee
patent: 4785913 (1988-11-01), Maurer et al.
patent: 5154259 (1992-10-01), Magome

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