Digital vibration coupling stud

• US 5,992,237 A
• Filed: 07/22/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SKF USA Incorporated (SKF)
• Original Assignee: SKF Condition Monitoring Inc
• Inventors: Thompson, Steve, Calderwood, Bryan, Drury, Jerry, McCarty, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brock, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US08/898,485
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 73/660, 73/661, 73/659, 73/593, 702/56, 702/77, 340/683
• US Class Current: 73/659
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/18 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence

Abstract

A vibration coupling stud for use in a vibration monitoring system includes digital memory and temperature sensing devices. Data is transferred between the vibration coupling stud and a vibration monitor. Data stored in the stud may include measuring point identification, prior measurement data, machine or bearing part numbers, and alarm limits.

Claims

1. A stud for coupling machine vibrations to a transducer provided as part of a portable vibration monitor having a probe, the stud comprising:

a body having a machine attachment portion for attaching said stud to a measuring point on a machine and also having a location adapted to accept said probe for removably engaging said portable vibration monitor so as to mechanically couple said machine vibrations to said transducer;

a printed circuit board attached to said body;

one or more readable and writeable integrated circuit non-volatile memories mounted on said printed circuit board, wherein said non-volatile memories store one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of alarm limits, bearing part number, bearing quality characteristics, lubrication information, installation date, signal filtering parameters, defect indication frequency, and date stamped value of a parameter measured during a previous data collection operation; and

at least one electrical communication point electrically connected to at least one of said integrated circuit non-volatile memories wherein said at least one electrical communication point is positioned with respect to said probe coupler so as to transmit at least a portion of said one or more types of data to said portable vibration monitor from said stud or to said stud from said portable vibration monitor when said portable vibration monitor is engaged to said probe coupler.

2. The stud of claim 1, additionally comprising a temperature sensor mounted to said printed circuit board.

3. The stud of claim 1, wherein said body comprises double start threads.

4. A stud for coupling machine vibrations to a transducer provided as part of a vibration monitor, said stud comprising:

a body having a probe receptacle for removably coupling to said vibration monitor, said probe receptacle extending along a longitudinal axis of said body;

a printed circuit board mounted to said body in a plane lying above said probe receptacle and substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis, wherein said printed circuit board includes an aperture situated approximately at the intersection of said printed circuit board and said longitudinal axis;

one or more integrated circuit memories mounted on said printed circuit board; and

a probe contact comprising a conductive trace which forms a ring around said aperture, wherein said conductive trace is electrically connected to at least one of said integrated circuit memories.

5. A vibration and temperature monitoring system comprising:

a machine having a rotating shaft and a bearing surrounding said rotating shaft, said bearing being confined within a bearing housing;

a coupling stud attached to said bearing housing having an electrical interface combined with a vibration coupling portion, wherein said vibration coupling portion is adapted to removably engage a portable vibration monitor; and

a temperature sensor mounted on said coupling stud and configured to communicate the approximate temperature of said bearing housing to said portable vibration monitor via said electrical interface, said electrical interface being engaged when said portable vibration monitor is engaged to said vibration coupling portion.

6. A stud for coupling machine vibrations to a transducer provided as part of a portable vibration monitor, said stud comprising:

a body defining a longitudinal axis thereof and having a probe coupler for removably engaging said portable vibration monitor and providing a mechanical interface between said stud and said portable vibration monitor;

a printed circuit board mounted to said body in a plane lying substantially transverse to said longitudinal axis;

one or more integrated circuit memories mounted on said printed circuit board; and

an electrical interface between said stud and said portable vibration monitor, said electrical interface comprising a data connection electrically isolated from said body comprising an exposed contact of conductive material which is electrically connected to at least one of said memories, and a ground contact comprising a portion of said body.

7. A vibration monitoring system, comprising:

a stud comprising a machine connection point and a vibration monitor connection point;

a vibration monitor comprising a coupler for removably coupling to said stud at said vibration monitor connection point so as to detect machine vibration through said stud, said portable vibration monitor further comprising processing circuitry including a first memory circuit, wherein said first memory circuit stores one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of alarm limits, point identification data, date, time, and bearing data, and wherein said processing circuitry is connected to an electrical interface associated with said coupler;

a second memory circuit mounted to said stud, wherein said second memory circuit stores one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of alarm limits, bearing part number, bearing quality characteristics, lubrication information, installation date, signal filtering parameters, defect indication frequency, and date stamped value of a parameter measured during a previous data collection operation, and wherein said second memory circuit is connected to an electrical interface associated with said vibration monitor connection point, whereby data stored in said vibration monitor is transferred from said vibration monitor to said stud and data stored in said stud is transferred from said stud to said vibration monitor through said electrical interfaces.

8. The vibration monitoring system of claim 7, wherein said second memory circuit is mounted to a printed circuit board mounted on said stud.

9. The vibration monitoring system of claim 7, wherein said second memory circuit comprises an EEPROM.