Automatic motor driven in-line piston pump lubricator

• US 20090133962A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephania Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stephania Holdings Inc.
• Inventors: Orlitzky, Anton, Orlitzky, Stephan, Sheremeta, Danny
• Granted Patent: US 8,783,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 184/37
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 13/02 with reciprocating piston pumps with distributing equipment F16N13/22
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 13/14 with cam or wobble-plate on shaft parallel to the pump cylinder or cylinders

Abstract

In various embodiments, the invention provides a lubricator comprising a housing defining a main lubricant chamber adapted to contain a fluid lubricant. A piston pump in fluid communication with the main lubricant chamber may be adapted to be driven to discharge the lubricant from a pump chamber through a lubricant outlet in the housing. A check valve may be mounted on the lubricant outlet, to check the discharge of lubricant from the lubricator. The lubricator may include a motor having a drive shaft adapted to rotate a swash plate to act as a cam to drive reciprocating motion of the pump piston in the pump chamber. The drive shaft may be in axial alignment with the piston, the swash plate being set obliquely on the drive shaft to revolve when the motor is activated to give reciprocating motion to the piston in a direction parallel to the drive shaft. The piston may be biased in the pump chamber against the swash plate, so that the swash plate rides on the piston.

Claims

1. A lubricator comprising:

i) a housing defining a main lubricant chamber adapted to contain a fluid lubricant, the housing having a lubricant outlet for discharging the lubricant from the lubricator;

ii) a piston pump in fluid communication with the main lubricant chamber, the piston pump comprising;

a) a pump chamber adapted to receive the lubricant from the main lubricant chamber; and

,

b) a pump piston adapted to be driven to discharge the lubricant from the pump chamber through the lubricant outlet in the housing;

iii) a motor for driving the piston pump, the motor having a drive shaft adapted to rotate a swash plate to act as a cam to drive reciprocating motion of the pump piston in the pump chamber;

iv) a means for urging the fluid lubricant into the pump chamber; and

,

v) electronic controls for regulating the activation of the motor to control the discharge of the lubricant from the lubricator.

2. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the means for urging the fluid lubricant comprises a main chamber piston biased in the housing to urge the lubricant from the main lubricant chamber into the pump chamber.

3. The lubricator of claim 1 further comprising a check valve, positioned to limit the return of discharged lubricant to the lubricator when the piston pump is not driven, wherein the check valve is either:

i) incorporated into an adapter located on the lubricant outlet;

or

ii) incorporated into the bottom of the pump chamber.

4. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is in axial alignment with the piston, the swash plate being set obliquely on the drive shaft to revolve when the motor is activated to give reciprocating motion to the piston in a direction parallel to the drive shaft.

5. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the piston is biased in the pump chamber against the swash plate, so that the swash plate rides on the piston.

6. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the electronic controls comprise an input for setting the rate of discharge of the lubricant from the lubricator.

7. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the swash plate is mounted on the drive shaft with means for limiting the pressure generated by the piston pump.

8. The lubricator of claim 1, wherein the drive shaft comprises means for compensating for temperature variations so as to modulate lubricator output over a temperature range.

9. The lubricator of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lubricant outlets, each comprising a piston pump.

10. A lubricator comprising:

i) means for containing a fluid lubricant having a main lubricant chamber and a lubricant outlet for discharging the lubricant from the lubricator;

ii) means for pumping the lubricant in fluid communication with the main lubricant chamber, comprising;

a) a pump chamber adapted to receive the lubricant from the main lubricant chamber; and

,

b) a piston pump adapted to be driven to discharge the lubricant from the pump chamber through the lubricant outlet in the housing;

iii) means for driving the piston pump, the means for driving having a swash plate to act as a cam to drive reciprocating motion of the pump piston in the pump chamber;

iv) means for urging the fluid lubricant into the pump chamber; and

,

v) means for regulating the discharge of the lubricant from the lubricator.

11. The lubricator of claim 10 further comprising means for limiting the pressure generated by the piston pump.

12. The lubricator of claim 10, wherein the piston pump comprises means for compensating for temperature variations so as to modulate lubricator output over a temperature range.