Abstract: An apparatus for detecting ultrasonic energy generated by a mechanical device and for applying lubricant to the device is presented. The apparatus includes a lubrication tool, such as a grease gun, which has a lubrication delivery element for delivering lubrication to the mechanical device. An ultrasonic transducer is contained in a housing which is removably attached to the outside of the lubrication delivery element such that the transducer makes acoustical contact with the lubrication tool. An electrical circuit, which may be attached to the lubrication device, produces an output signal which indicates the magnitude of detected ultrasonic energy. A method using such an ultrasonic energy detector in conjunction with a lubrication tool to detect the condition of a sealed mechanical rotating device and to determine when sufficient lubricant has been applied is also presented.

Abstract: An ultrasonic leak detector with a wide dynamic bandwidth and repeatable fixed attenuation reference points includes a transducer which receives ultrasonic energy and converts it into an electrical output signal related in intensity and frequency to the received ultrasonic energy. A high gain charge preamplifier is connected to the transducer and generates an amplified version of the transducer's electrical output signal. The amplified signal is then passed through a multi-level logarithmic attenuator having at least one fixed attenuation reference point to create an attenuated version of the detected and amplified ultrasonic signal. The output of the logarithmic attenuator is connected to a frequency shift circuit which converts the ultrasonic frequency signal into an audio frequency signal related in magnitude and frequency to the attenuated signal.