US1475980A - Lubricating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

O. ZERK LUBRICATING APPARATUS Original Fil'edNoy. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR OscAR ZERK BY H ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR ZERK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALLYNE-ZERK COMPANY, 013' CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Original application filed November 21, 1922, Serial No. 602,465. Divided and this application filed August 2, 1923. Serial No. 655,294.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR ZERK, a citizen of Republic of Czechoslovakia, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lubricating apparatus.

In the lubrication of moving elements, and especially in automobiles, it has become uniform practice to provide the elements with inlet nipples, to which a grease or oil gun is detachably secured. Generally, the gun is provided with a flexible outlet tube having at its end a coupling which i adjusted manually and locked against the inlet nipple to provide av tight joint therebetween. After the user has locked the coupling by hand, he then grasps the gun barrel with one hand and with the other hand screws the lunger down, forcing the grease through tlie conduit.

These several operations each require considerable time, are often performed from awkward positions, and further, in handling the coupling, from which grease leaks during the pressure operation and especially after being removed, the users hands hecome greasy and dirty causing the gun and the coupling to slip when handled, and necessitating additional time in which to perform the attaching and detaching operations.

The main object of my invention resides in overcoming these objections by so constructing a pistol and a nipple, that the pistol can be held in one hand and placed in direct osculatory, leak proof contact with the nipple, and while so held will inject lubricant into the nipple, when direct pressure is applied thereto.

Another object of my invention resides in providing a pistol with a metal connector which is so shaped that it forms a leak proof direct metal to metal contact with a nipple.

Another object of my invention resides in constructing the contact portions of the nipple and the connector, so that a leak proof, direct pressure contact can be manually maintained between a surface of the one and an edge of the other.

Another object of my invention is to construct the contacting portions of a nipple and a connector, so that one rovides a peripheral circular edge which ts against a spherical surface of the other, to provide a leak proof pressure maintained contact therebetween, which when pressed together in varying angular relations the circular edge remains covered by the dome-shaped portion of the spherically shaped surface within such circular edge.

Another object of my invention resides in tlie construct-ion of a lubricant dispensing pistol consisting of a barrel having pressure creating means associated therewith, a lubricant exit and a handle portion whereby the user can grasp the pistol by its handle portion with one hand and by direct pressure, form a leak proof connection between the exit and a nipple inlet opening, to allow the lubricant to pas under pressure and without loss from the pistol into the nipple.

I Another object of my invention is to provide an improved lubricating system comprising a gun with a lubricant reservoir and a nozzle, the said nozzle having a contact face with a centrally disposed exit opening together with a lubricant receiving nipple with a face having an inlet opening positioned preferably centrally thereof, the one face having a. peripheral circular edge and the other face having a spherically sha ed surface. and means adapted to eject lu ricant under' pressure from the said exit opening, the said nozzle contact face being adapted to be pressed against that of the nipple by the operator pressing the gun toward the nipple from any one of a number of different angular directions, the manual pressure so exerted being adapted to cause the ejection of lubricant from the nozzle into the nipple and at the same time to provide sufiicient pressure to maintain a tight lubricant proof contact between the circular ed e of the one contact face with the spherica surface of the other contact face which engages it.

the same in osculatory manual pressure maintained contact with an improved nipple adapted to cooperate therewith, each of the parts being shown in lubricant discharging position.

'Fig. 3. shows an enlarged view of the nozzle and nipple illustrated in Figs. land 2, but the nozzle being presented 'angularly to the nip le.

Fig. 4 ows another embodiment of my invention comprising a nozzle terminating in a ball having a forward spherical end face together with a nipple adapted to co-operate therewith.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of my invention comprising the same kind of nozzle end together with a nipple contact face with a surrounding guide portion, the nozzle being present angularly to the nipple.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of my invention wherein the contact faces of the nozzle and nipple as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive are reversely formed, that of the nipple in this embodiment being similar to that of the nozzle in the first embodiment, and vice versa.

Referring now to all of the drawings, in all of which like parts are indicated by like reference characters;

At 1 I show a cylindrical lubricant containing reservoir, orbarrel, having a cover 2 at its rear or breech end. The barrel has its forward or muzzle end threaded externally as shown at 5, and over which threads a head 6 is adapted to be screw-threaded so bearing surfaces to the center of the contact face within the rim 16, and communicating with the nozzle orifice 21 of the gun. The tube 11 has its forward end, fitting within the cylindrical nozzle walls 13, of increased internal diameter, so as to provide a valve seat 22 for a check valve ball 23, spring pressed against such seat by a spiral spring 24:, bearing against the valve ball, and seating against the end wall 25 of the nozzle recess.

The tube 11 projects within the head 6 and contains therein a port 26 and a plunger guide portion 27 the said plunger guide portion extending beyond the port 26 toward the $0 interior of the gun. The guide portion 27 carries a washer 2 8 seated against a shoulder 29 which results from the making of the end of the guide portion 27 of slightly reduced external diameter. A metallic bridge 30 is rigidly secured to the head 6 as by ,making it a tight driving fit within the portion 31 of the head, or by electrically welding it to such portion, or in any other well known suitable way, and is preferably substantially cup shaped, its bottom 'wall 32 being perforated at 33 and elsewhere, as shown variously at 34.

.At" 35 I show a piston plunger comprising a relatively long cylindrical rod and a rear enlarged head or flanged portion 36, the end of the head 36 being adapted to seat on the bottom wall 32 of the bridge 30, the head 36 being of larger diameter than the diameter of the opening 33 through such bottom wall. 1

a A spiral compression spring 37. is disposed between the inner face 38 of the.

lindrical portion 7 and a tapered end 8, together with a bearin portion 9, the bearing portion 9 being of reduced diameter and containing a cylindrical bore 10, which is disposed in axial alignment, preferably, with the reservoir barrel 1.

Within the bore, 10 a cylindrical tube 11 is adapted to telescope the external cylindrical walls of the tube making a close fit with the internal cylindrical Walls of the bore 10. At the end of the tube 11 a in walls 14.- and a sp erical contact face'15.

he spherical contact face 15 is adapted to be engaged by the circular rim 16 of a threaded by its stem 18 into the frame 19 adjacent a machine bearing, the nipple containing a passageway 20 leading from the bearing receiving \nipple- 17, screw-' flanged end 33013 the plunger 35 and the washer 29, which is carried upon the guide portion 27 of the telescoping tube 11, the spring 37 serves to exert a separating pressure on the plunger and the tube, so as to tend tokeep them in extended positions, as shown in Fig. 1, and to retract them tosucli positions after a discharging operation, ll. wherein the plunger and the-tube have been telescoped to the positions shown in Fig. 2, as will be later described. The tube 11 is v I maintained in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the pressure of the spring 37, by virtue of a washer 39, which is sprung into place on the tube 11, being tightly fitted thereto,

- the tube 11 being sli htly ferruled so as to receive such washer, t e outer forward edges of the'washer contacting with the innermost 1!. forward portion of the conical internal walls of the head portion 8.

Within the gun barrel 1, I provide a piston or movable reservoir wall, said piston or movable wall comprising, preferably, an intermediate cork piston 40, and clamping end washers 41 and 42. At 43 I show a clamping rivet, the intermediate" portion being of slightly reduced diameter and passing through cylindrical aligned openings in the cork piston and washers 41 and 42, said openings being preferably axial relative to the bore of the barrel 1, within which bore the piston is adapted to be reciprocated.

The washer 42 is preferably cup-shaped, having cylindrical side walls 46 adapted to loosely fit within the inner walls of the barrel 1 and serving to guide the piston through the bore of the barrel, and to limit any tendency toward tilting, or so-called kip ing, of the piston, which, if present, woul reduce the freedom of movement otherwise had by the piston within the barrel.

The piston thus described is reciprocable within the barrel 1, but I do not provide any direct means of reciprocating such piston, such as a handle adapted to manually operate the piston, or a spring to propel such piston, nor do I provide means for supplying a positive fluid pressure from a pump or equivalent mechanism, relying, as will be later described, upon the effect of a vacuum, so-called.

Having now described the different parts of the specific embodiment of my invention herein illustrated, I will now describe the operation of the gun when used to dispense a lubricant, such as" grease, through a bearing nipple, such as the nipple 17 rior to the use of the gun the reservoir chamber 50 is filled with lubricant by dissociating the barrel 1 from the head 6 by unscrewing the head and barrel from one another, the parts being separated at the threads 5, normally joining such parts, for the purpose of loading the barrel. In loading the barrel all of the space comprisin the chamber 50 is filled with lubricant, and the piston or movable wall is forced to its rearmost position, wherein the piston end wall or washer 41 comes into contact with the cover 2, the air within the barrel to the rear of the piston being forced out through the orifice 51.

Also, at the same time it is understood that the other interior chambers of the gun, such as the chamber within the head 6 and the bridge 30, and the chamber within the tube 11, have been previously filled with grease or oil. This Is preferabl done by the manufacturer of the gun, fore the gun is put into the hands of a user, this being accomplished by the manufacturer in any suitable way, as by applying grease or oil under pressure to barrel to the rear end of the head 6, and forcing it through the chamber contained Within the head, through the orifices 34 and through the port 26, until the chamber within the tube 11 is also filled, and the lubricant begins to come through the orifice 21 of the nozzle 12. This is not a necessary prerequisite, but is preferred as permitting the instantaneous ready use of the lubricating gun of my invention without any preliminary non-lubricant discharging operations by the user.

The barrel 1 and the head 6 being thus charged with grease and re-united by the screw threads 5, the operator grasping the gun by the handle 3 will place the spherical contact face 15 of the nozzle in contact with the rim 16 of the nipple 17, the reduced end of the nipple being guided into engagement with such contact face by the flared guide surfaces 14 extending outwardly from the spherical contact face. The operator will then press on the handle forwardly towards the nipple, causing the head 6 to telescope over the tube 11, and at the same time causing the cylindrical plunger 35 to be pressed forwardly within the guide 27 of the tube 11 by the engagement of the bottom wall 32 of the bridge 30 with the rear enlarged face of such plunger. The plunger will, therefore, be advanced forwardly past the port 26 of the tube 11, closing such port and trapping lubricant contained within the tube 11 and, the operation being continued, the plunger 35 forced within the chamber 52 of the tube 11, will displace the lubricant contained within such chamber, forcibly ejecting it under great pressure past the ball valve 2322, and through the nozzle orifice 21, such discharged lubricant entering the passage 20 of the nipple and past the ball valve 54 of the nipple fo the bearing surfaces to be lubricated. Aleak proof connection is maintained between the rim or edge 16 of the nipple contact face and the spherical contact face of the nozzle by the manual pressure exerted toward the nipple upon the handle. This is true, even though the angle from which the nozzle is presented to the nipple is varied widely, the nipple circular edge making a tight joint with the nozzle spherical face 15 in all cases, so long as they are pressed together, and when so pressed together complete a closed conduit or passage-way for lubricant under high pressure passing from the gun nozzle to the interior of the nipple. Although I have described my invention in connection with a gun wherein the nozzle is rigidly secured to the reservoir, I may sometimes employ the means of my invention, broadly considered, in a form of gun wherein the nozzle is placed at the end of a flexible tube leading to the gun reservoir.

The very desirable result of securing a manually maintained lubricant leak-proof connection between the nozzle and the nip ple even when the gun is pressed from different angular directions toward the nipple, is very valuable as when the gun is used to lubricate nipples such as those herein illustrated placed adjacent the surfaces of mm chine bearings on an automobile where the space is oftentimes limited in which the gun can be operated, and intervening portions of the automobile prevent direct axial alignment of the gun and nipple, or, at any rate,

make it awkward to so position the gun relative to the nipple. In my present invention I secure this result and at the same time utilize the connection creating pres sure to force lubricant from the gun through the leak-proof joint thussecured by pressure and I secure the ejection of the lubricant under a "cry high pressure at the same time, and with the same manual effort as the tight leak-proof connection is secured. I thus have provided a one-hand lubricant gun capable of being used for oil or grease or other lubricant, or for any liquid or fluid substance sought to be ejected from a reservoir to a receptacle which may comprise an inlet nipple.

. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3 of' the drawings, in this figure the nozzle is shown as being resented at an angle to the axis of the nipp e and a leak-proof connection is shown as being secured between the peripheral edge of the contact face of the nipple and the pherical concave face of the sure exerted against the gun towards the ni ple.

n Fig. 4 I show a modified form of nozzle end and nipple wherein the nozzle instead of having a concave contact face, spherically formed, terminates in a ball 61, having its forward portion convex spherically formed, the convexly rounded end of the nozzle fitting within the circular inner rim 62 of a nipple annular contact face 63, and making a. leak-proof connection between the circular rim of the nipple contact face, and

the convexly rounded contact face of the nozzle.

Fig. 5 shows another view of asimilar nozzle and nipple to that illustrated in Fig. 4 modified, however, in that the nipple 64 is shown as comprising an outwardly flarin guide portion 66 like, in this respect, to the nozzles of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and like them serving to guide the face 67 of the nozzle to the apertured contact edge 68 of the nipple. Also in this figure, the nozzle is presented against the nipple from a-different angular direction than in axial alignment therewith, but serving to maintain, just as when in axial alignment, a tight lubricant proof connection between the nozzle and the nipple when pressure is directed by the user to force the gun against the nozzle.

In Fig. 6 I show another embodiment formed and adapted to receive the nozzle end, and the parts being guided to lubricant dispensing leak proof connecting position by an outwardly flared guiding surface 74 surrouniling the concave contact face of the n1 e.

aving described my invention in con nection with aparticular kind of lubricant dispensing gun, I am aware that my improved nozz e and nipple connection ma be embodied in structures varyin widely rom that herein illustrated and described, and when used in connection with a. gun such as a lubricant gun, the construction of the .gun may likewise be varied. In my coiending application Serial No. 602,465, filed lVovember 21, 1922, likewise I show a different form of gun and a number of different kinds of nozzles and nipples embodying the principles of my invention, and in my co-pending application Serial No. 602,466 filed November 21, 1922, I show still another form of gun together with a nozzle and nipple used in connection therewith employing the principles of my invention. I elect to claim in this application my invention comprising a. nozz parts associated therewith broadly, and to claim herein more specifically that construction of nozzle and nipple wherein the nozzle has a concave contact face adapted" to receive the nipple end, and to claim in other co-pending a plications other forms of apparatus embo ying the broad rinciples of my invention herein disclose After a charge of lubricant of a volume at least equal to the volume. of space occu pied by the plunger piston 35, disposed forwardly of the port 26, has been discharged from the gun, the operator will release the forwardly direct pressure on the handle and the spring 37, which, during such operation, was pressed as shown in F ig.- 2, will cause the piston and nozzle to regain their normal extended positions, as shown in Fig. 1, the spring 37 being strong enough to accomplish this over the power of a so-called vacuum created in the chamber 52 when the plunger 35 is removed therefrom, and the ball valve 22 and 23 during such removal being tightly closed.

At the moment the port 26 is again uncovered by the retractile action of the spring 37 upon the piston 35 the power of this vacuum will be communicated to the grease within the head 6, and which body of lubricant is continuous through the openings 34 of the bridge 30 through the chamber 50 of the barrel 1 to the piston comprising e and a nipple and the IOU the parts 40, 41 and 42, and the entire body of lubricant will be drawn forwardly, together with the large piston follower or so-called movable wall 404142, and the tube 11 will be immediately recharged with lubricant.

Although I have described the foregoing operation whereby the lubricant together with the follower or movable wall is drawn forwardly in the barrel 1 after a discharging operation, by referring to the so-called vacuum as drawing the lubricant and piston forward so that a new charge of lubricant is drawn into the chamber 52 for a subsequent discharging operation of the gun as described, I believe that another way of describing the operation relative to the recharging of the chamber 52 would be to state that lubricant together with the piston follower or movable wall is pressed forward by atmospheric pressure acting on its rear side, as through the opening 51, this atmospheric pressure being in excess of the hydraulic pressure existing on the forward portion of the lubricant when the piston 35 has been withdrawn from the chamber 52, such withdrawal causing .a consequent reduction in hydraulic pressure on the forward side of the said lubricant.

But in any event I find that the said follower always is in contact with the body of lubricant ahead of it, and the lubricant is forced forwardly into the chamber 52 after every discharge operation, as described.

By referring now to the different embodi ments of my invention illustrated, it will be observed that the lubricant conducting connection between the lubricant gun nozzle and the element to be lubricated comprises a contact face for the nozzle and a contact face for the element, the two contact faces being adapted to be pressed together such as by manual pressure directed from the gun toward the element, one of the said contactfaces having a spherical surface, and the other contact face comprising an edge which is circular and is preferably very narrow, to form a very thin annular surface a ainst which the spherical surface is presse In the different figures of drawing I have shown this very narrow annular surface as being formed on substantially the same radius of curvature as that of the said spherical surface, but the area of the annular contact surface in all caseswhere the annular surface or so-called edge, is placed on the nozzle or on the element to be lubricated, is of reduced area so as to intensify the lubricant sealing pressure exerted against such reduced surface.

I wish it to be understood also that where I have used the term annular in the claims and accompanying this specification and forming a part hereof. that I used it in the sense of its being circular or substantially s0, or so as to.accomplish the same results as a circular face edge, in substantially the same Way.

I find that by so forming the contacting portions of the nozzle and the element to be lubricated, that a great sealing pressure can be exerted between the contacting portions of the nozzle and the element in excess of the hydraulic pressure exerted by the lubricant enclosed by such portions so as to effectually retain the lubricant in the passageway thus formed, and I find that this can be most effectually accomplished by the novel means I have herein provided, and.

which comprise generally the contacting faces I have herein described.

My invention contemplates, moreover, the provision of contact faces for a lubricant gun nozzle, and a lubricant receiving element which have their engaging portions formed of hard material such as metal, and I prefer to use steel for thematerial having such surfaces, as by the use of such hard material, I secure a permanence of the contact surfaces which cannot otherwise be secured due to the durability of the material and I secure an increased degree of efficiency since the contacting portions are unyielding as would be the case were they formed of rubber or like material.

By the construction of a temporary joint between the gun nozzle and lubricant receptacle, as has been described, the end of the nozzle is adapted to be fitted to the contact face of the receptacle and to make a pressure maintained, substantially line contact therewith Without forcing dirt which may accumulate on the exterior o the receptacle, into the interior passages thereof and making a lubricant proof joint, the preferable metal-to-nietal contact substantially on a circular line causing a cutting through of the accumulated dirt.

Also especially in those forms of my invention having a very small inlet opening leading into the interior of the receptacle the liability of any considerable amount of dirt being forced into the receptacle is minimized. By providing such a metal-to-metal joint between the nozzle and the nipple, such dirt will be excluded from the joint which is not the case where a pressure joint is established betweeh contacting portions of rubber or other gasket material.

This case is a division as to the subject matter claimed herein, of an earlier application, Serial Number 602,465, filed November 21, 1922.

Having thus described my invention in a number of embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiments herein illustrated, described and referred to, but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricant receptacle element of a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricant thereto, means to put the lubricant in the reservoir under pressure, a lubricant feeding nozzle element, said reservoir communicating lubricant under pressure thereto, said receptacle element and said nozzle element having cooperative substantially non-compressible contact faces and openings therethrough, one of said contact faces having a concavely spherical surface, the other contact face having a dirt cutting circumferential edge ortion adapted to be embraced withm t e spherical surface of the other face and providing a solid contact therewith when the nozzle is pressed against the receptacle element from any one of a plurality of angularly different directions, to make a sealed, substantially non-yielding, lubricant conducting, connection between V the 4 face openings.

2. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricant receptacle element of a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricant thereto, means to put the'lubricant in the reservoir under pressure, a lubricant feeding nozzle element, said reservoir communicating lubricant under pressure thereto, said receptacle element and said nozzle element having cooperative substantially noncompressible contact faces and openings therethrough,.the nozzle contact face having a concavely spherical surface, the other contact face having a dirt cutting circumferential edge portion adapted to be embraced within the spherical surface of the nozzle face and roviding the sole contact therewith when t e nozzle is pressed against the receptacle element from any one of a plurality of angularly different directions, to make a sealed, substantially non-yielding, lubricant conducting connection between the face openings.

3. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricant receptacleelement of a lubricant gun for supplying lubricant under pressure thereto, said gun having a lubricant feeding nozzle element, said receptacle element and said nozzle element having cooperative substantially non-compressible contact faces and o enings therethrough, one of said contact aces having a concavely spherical surface, the other contact face having a dirt cutting circumferential edge portion adapted to be embraced within the spherical surface of the other face and providing the sole contact therewith when the nozzle is pressed against the receptacle element from any one of a pluing a spherical surface, and the other contact face comprising an annular dirt cutting edge'portion adapted to fit entirely within the border of the spherical surface of the other face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tight connection between said openings for the conduction of lubricant under pressure from said gun to the receiving element when said nozzle face is pressed against the said element from any one of a plurality of angularly different directions, after their faces are placed in contacting engagement.

5. In a lubricating apparatus, the combination with a lubricant receptacle of a lu bricant gun comprising a container and a rigid lubricant feeding nozzle secured directly thereto, said receptacle and said gun compressible contact faces and openings therethrough, the nozzle contact face having a concavely spherical surface, the receptacle contact face adapted to be received within and to engage the concave spherical surface of the nozzle face and having a dirt cutting circumferential edge portion providing the sole contact therewith, when the gun is directed against the receptacle and manual premure exerted against the con tainer from any one of a plurality of angularly different directions, to make and manually maintain a sealed, substantiallynonyielding, lubricant conducting swiveling connection between the face. openings.

6. In a lubricating system, the combination with a lubricant dispensing gun having a lubricant feeding nozzle, of a lubricant receiving element, said gun comprising means to supply lubricant under pressure to said element, the nozzle and said element having cooperating substantially non-compressible contact faces with communicating openings therethrough, one of said contact faces having a spherical surface, and the,

other contact face comprising an annular dirt cutting edge portion. adapted to fit entirely within the border of the spherical surface of the other face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tight connection between said openings for the conduction'of lubricant nozzle having cooperative substantially nonunder pressure from said gun to the receiving element when said nozzle face is pressed a ainst the said element from any one of a p urality of angularl different directions, after their faces are p aced in contacting engagement, and an outwardly inclined guide for one of said elements to direct the other element contact face thereto.

7. In a lubricating system, the combination with a lubricant dispensing gun having a lubricant feeding nozzle, of a lubricant receiving element, said gun comprising means to supply lubricant under pressure to said element, the nozzle and said element having cooperating substantially non-compressible contact faces with communicating openings therethrough, one of said contact faces having a spherical surface, and the other contact face comprising an annular contacting portion, said nozzle face being concave, the nipple face adapted to fit entirely within the border of the concave nozzle face and to swivel thereagainst forming a tight dirt cutting connection between said openings for the conduction of lubricant under pressure from said gun to the receiving element when said nozzle face is pressed against the said element from any one of a plurality of angularly different directions, after their faces are placed in contacting engagement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 1st day of Au ust, 1923.

OS AR ZERK.

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