Automatic motor driven in-line piston pump lubricator

• US 8,783,418 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephania Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Natasa Enterprises Ltd.
• Inventors: Orlitzky, Anton, Orlitzky, Stephan, Sheremeta, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Dondero, William E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reese, Robert T
• Application Number:
  US11/579,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20090133962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,364 Days
• Field of Search: 184/37.1, 184/105.1, 184/27.1, 184/7.4, 184/6.28
• 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 changer 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 driven 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 in axial co-alignment with the pump piston and adapted to rotate a cam about an axis of rotation, wherein rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes a cam surface of the cam to ride on the pump piston along a path on a surface of the pump piston, the path having varying heights, relative to the pump piston, along the axis of rotation and the cam surface having varying heights, relative to the drive shaft, along the axis of rotation such that rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes the 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 pump piston is biased in the pump chamber against the cam surface, so that the plate cam surface rides on the pump piston.

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

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

7. The lubricator of claim 6, wherein the cam and the drive shaft are arranged to allow upward travel of the cam in the drive shaft.

8. The lubricator of claim 6, wherein the means for limiting the pressure generated by the piston pump comprises an overpressure spring.

9. 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.

10. The lubricator of claim 9, wherein the means for compensating for temperature variations is arranged to maintain the position of the pump piston in relation to the pump chamber.

11. The lubricator of claim 9, wherein the means for compensating for temperature variations is arranged to allow the cam to move in a direction parallel to the drive shaft.

12. The lubricator of claim 11, wherein the drive shaft is connected to the motor such that the drive shaft is allowed to move in the direction parallel to the drive shaft.

13. The lubricator of claim 9, wherein the means for compensating for temperature variations comprises a retainer to maintain the position of the pump piston in relation to the pump chamber.

14. 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 pump piston adapted to be driven to discharge the lubricant from the pump chamber through the lubricant outlet;

iii) means for driving the means for pumping, the means for driving having a drive shaft in axial co-alignment with the pump piston and adapted to rotate a cam about an axis of rotation, wherein rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes a cam surface of the cam to ride on the pump piston along a path on a surface of the pump piston, the path having varying heights, relative to the pump piston, along the axis of rotation and the cam surface having varying heights, relative to the drive shaft, along the axis of rotation such that rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes the 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.

15. The lubricator of claim 14 further comprising means for limiting the pressure generated by the means for pumping.

16. The lubricator of claim 14, wherein the means for pumping comprises means for compensating for temperature variations so as to modulate lubricator output over a temperature range.

17. 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; and

,

iii) a motor for driving the piston pump, the motor having a drive shaft in axial co-alignment with the pump piston and adapted to rotate a cam about an axis of rotation, wherein rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes a cam surface of the cam to ride on the pump piston along a path on a surface of the pump piston, the path having varying heights, relative to the pump piston, along the axis of rotation and the cam surface having varying heights, relative to the drive shaft, along the axis of rotation such that rotation of the cam about the axis of rotation causes the cam to drive reciprocating motion of the pump piston in the pump chamber.

18. The lubricator of claim 17 further comprising electronic controls for regulating the activation of the motor to control the discharge of the lubricant from the lubricator.