Lubricating system
Latest Lubrication Systems Company of Texas, Inc. Patents:
Claims
2. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 1 including an oil collection/supply vessel connected to said return assembly and into which said oil and excess oil mist, uncontaminated by said surrounding environment, are returned for reuse.
3. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 2 in which said oil collection/supply vessel is connected to said oil mist generator means to supply oil for said combination of said air and oil therein to form said.Iadd.dry.Iaddend.oil mist.
4. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 2 including demisting filter means connected to said oil collection/supply vessel and by which excess oil mist from said return assembly is separated into oil and oil-free air, said oil for accumulating in said oil collection/supply vessel and said oil-free air for venting therefrom.
7. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 6 including at least one oil mist manifold having an inlet connected to said supply header and one or more outlets, one of which is connected to said one.Iadd.or more.Iaddend.reclassifiers.
8. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 7 in which said oil mist manifold is provided with a normally closed valve the outlet of which is connected to said collection means, opening of said valve allowing any oil accumulated in said manifold to drain to said collection means.
9. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 8 in which said oil mist manifold is provided with a transparent sight tube through which any oil accumulating in said manifold is viewed and, when said oil is drained from said sight tube, oil mist flow is viewed.
10. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 1 in which said collection means comprises an enclosed container to which drain lines from one or more of said bearings are connected and into which excess oil and oil mist from said bearings may flow and accumulate.
11. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 10 in which said collection means comprises a pump, the inlet of which communicates with oil in said enclosed container and the outlet of which is connected to said return assembly operation of said pump transferring oil from said enclosed container through said return assembly for said reuse thereof.
12. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 1 in which said return assembly comprises at least one return manifold an outlet of which is connected to a return header through which said oil and excess oil mist are returned for reuse, said return manifold having an inlet for receiving oil from said collection means and an inlet for receiving excess oil mist from said collection means.
14. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 13 in which said oil collection/supply vessel is provided with demisting filter means by which any excess oil mist from said return header may be separated into oil and oil-free air, said oil for accumulation in said supply vessel and said oil-free air for venting therefrom.
16. An improved lubricating system as set forth in claim 15 in which said collection container is provided with pump means by which said excess oil accumulated therein may be pumped through said return header to said oil collection/supply vessel.
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Type: Grant
Filed: May 6, 1996
Date of Patent: Jul 14, 1998
Assignee: Lubrication Systems Company of Texas, Inc. (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Charles W. Ehlert (Katy, TX)
Primary Examiner: Thomas E. Denion
Attorney: Bill B. Berryhill
Application Number: 8/643,477
International Classification: F01M 100;
