US2308815A - Lubrication - Google Patents

Description

J. MM.

E. H. ROCHER LUBRICATION Filed July 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J e5 3 2 ff y ,I 7@ I 79 K pf w1 fr' ATTORNEYS JMW 1m@ R943. E M Kom-1ER -LUHRICATI0N Filed July 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,4 [11:15.

JW I'y BY @Mmw ATTORNEYS Patente Jan. 19, 1943 LUBRICATION Edward H. Kocher, Boonton, N. J., assignor to Auto Research Corporation, a corporation of Delaware 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a centralized lubrication installation and it particularly re-v lates to a mechanically driven reciprocating pump which may be utilized in connection with said centralized installation.

Although not specifically limited thereto, the present invention will be specifically described in connection with its application to high restricted flow metering systems, which vvill distribute relatively minute, yet accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant to a plurality of spaced bearings on a mechanism, such as a printing press, textile loom, knitting machine, accounting machine, filling machine, sewing machine and various other types of machines at intervals during operation or continuously during running of the machine.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved compact, simple, inexpensive, automatically actuated, mechanically driven central pressure pump unit which may be readily associated with a reservoir, and at the same time Will supply lubricant to a distributing system of the character above described with assurance that either an intermittent or a continuous pressure will be maintained and with assurance that adjustment of feed may be readily secured in accordance with the requirements of the particular machine and the operating characteristics or the number of bearings to be lubricated.

Another object is to provide an improved pump unit particularly adapted for the feeding of lubricating oils under pressures varying from a fraction of a pound to several hundred pounds or more, which may be readily adjusted to feed any desired numbers of bearings and which may be operated to give a continuous high pressure feed to a plurality of high restriction outlets.

Other and further objects and advantages will also appear from the more detailed description given below, it being understood however, that this more detailed description is given by Way of illustration and explanation only and not by Way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the scope and sphere of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactory according to one embodiment of the present invention to mount the actuating, adjusting and pump units all upon a cover element which may be positioned or attached to a separate reservoir or more preferably actually mounted so that the pump Will be immersed in a. lubricant Well in the machine structure itself.

Desirably a flat cover member is provided with a cup Within which there is a reciprocating operating mechanism having an outside shaft connection and which also may receive an overow device in parallel with the distributing system, which will be readily adjusted from the cover so as to control the feed from the pump to the system.

The pump itself may be carried by means of the U-shaped bracket which will position the pump substantially adjacent the bottom of the reservoir. The U-shaped bracket at one side may carry a connecting rod element and at its lower side carry the pump body which, in the preferred form of the invention, consists of an elongated unpacked metal plunger.

The piston desirably may also have a relief mechanism which will collapse When a predetermined pressure is arrived Within the distributing system and thus either limit or decrease the pressure or amount of lubricant feed into the system, even though the pump be substantially continuously actuated during the operation of the mechanism which is being lubricated.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that means are provided, for example taking the form of a manually actuated button to enable increase in pressure of lubricant upon the distributing system or a substantially continuous or excess feed at desired intervals and for desired periods of time.

In the vdravvings which show one of the various possible embodiments which may be constructed according to the present invention, but to which the invention should not be restricted, since this embodiment is merely illustrative,

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of one form of the pumping mechanism upon the line l--I of Fig. 3,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view upon the line 2-2 of Fig 1, with the cover of the Well removed,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the adjusting mechanism and also the continuous or excess feed button,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view upon an enlarged scale of one type of a flow metering outlet which may be employed and fed from the pump as shown.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the reservoir A, which may consist of a well in the machine or mechanism being lubricated, is provided with a cover B, an inlet or filler device C, a driving or pump actuating mechanism D, a cover well E, a pump structure F, a sight glass arrangement G and a feed adjustment H and an excess flow control device I.

The pump is designed to feed a distributing system of the type shown and described in Patents Nos. 1,632,771, 1,732,212, 1,746,139; and in applications Ser. No. 745,187, filed September 24, 1934, now Patent No. 2,229,095; Ser. No. 635,526J filed September 30, 1932, now Patent; No. 2145,245, issued January 31, 1939; and Ser. No.

30,462.. led July 9, 1935, now Patent No. 2,229,096; A

which systems may be provided with outlet ttings of the high restriction flow metering type, as indicated at J.

Referring specifically to the reservoir illustratively shownI in Figs. 1 to 3, the reservoir consists of metal or glass, having a base I and the sides which receive the bosses I2 to have suitable attachment bolts. There is a vertically elongated recess I3 provided at one side of the reservoir (see Fig. 3), which recess has the bottom portion Ill and the top portion I5. The portion hl receives the socket I6 having the gasket contacted by the lower end of the glass sight tube I8.

Through the central portion of the gasket is the nipple sleeve |9, the lower flared end of which 28 projects into the reduced socket portion 2|.

The .bore 22 communicates with the bottom of the reservoir A. The upper portion is provided with a bore 23, the upper part of which is tapped and which receives the threaded plug 24 having the nipple 25 which retains in place the gasket 26.

The plug 24 has a llister slot 21, by which it may be screwed down to press the gasket 26 against the top of the glass tube |8.'

This will seal in position the cylindrical sight glass I8 which indicates the level of lubricant in the reservoir A.

The upper portion of the reservoir is also provided with the bosses '28 which receive the bolts 28 in the corners 36 of the cover element B. The cover element B is provided with a base 3|, a portion of which has the upstanding cup E having the side walls 32. The chamber 33 inside of the cup 32 is covered by the supplementary cover 34 provided with the gasket 35 and bolted in position by the screws 36.

The base 3| of the cover B also carries the U- shaped bracket 37 which has an arm 38 bolted at 39 to the cover B. The lower arm lil of the bracket carries the hexagonal pump body 4| which has a reduced extension 112 fitted into an opening 43 in the bracket with the shoulder 84 abutting the bottom of the bracket (see Fig. 1).

The nut i5 (see Fig. 1) which screws upon the upper threaded portion 46 of the pump body ,21| draws the shoulder 48 up against the arm 60. The pump body is provided with a central bore il which receives the plunger 48, said plunger being relatively elongated and being unpacked. The lower portion of the cylinder or bore 41 is enlarged, as indicated at 49 and is further enlarged and tapped at 50 to receive the inlet ball check unit 5| which carries the ball check 52. Said ball check receives a coil spring 53 pressing the ball check against the valve seat 54 and also a retainer 55 for said spring 53,

The lowerportion of the pump body carries the cup 56 which has the metal screens 51 and the felt disk 58 held in position by the snap ring 59. The ring 59 is held in position in turn by the inturned crimped portions 6l) at the bottom of the cup 56.

In the side of the body 4| is a tapped socket 5| receiving the outlet ball check assembly 62 having the spring seated ball check 63. The unit 62 is connected by the coupling nut 64 (for example of the construction shown in my copending applications Serial No. 727,719, filed May 26, 1934, now Patent No. 2,182,811, issued December 12, 1939; and Serial No. 727,720, filed May 26, 1934, now Patent No. 2,134,719, issued November l, 1933) to the U-shaped tube or pipe 65, which is connected by similar coupling 66 to the bore 6l in the nipple extension 68 of the bracket 3l.

The upper portion 68 of the bracket 31 is provided with a chamber 'i0 from which projects the nipple having a central bore 12. The bore 72 is connected by the coupling 13 (for example of the same construction as the couplings 64 and 66) to the tube 14. The tube 'I6 projects upwardly into the bore 'F5 and is connected thereto by the coupling nut T6 having the coupling sleeve Ti, which may be of the same construction as the couplings 64, 66 and 13.

This bore 'I5 is formed in the enlargement 'I8 of the cover B and extends through to the top of the cover, as indicated at '19, where a suitable coupling connection may be made to a distributing outlet system, as for example of the type shown and described in applications Serial No. 30,462, filed July 9, 1935, now Patent No. 2,229,096, Serial No. 123,384, led February 1, 1937, now Patent No. 2,229,655; and Serial No. 635,526, filed September 30, 1932, now Patent No. 2,145,245, issued January 31, 1939. As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, T fitting I 'l5 feeds a distributing pipe |16 from which are supplied a multiplicity of bearings, each of which is fed through a branch I'l by a metering tting J at the bearing.

In the enlargement 18 on the cover B is also the bore receiving the shaft 8|. The shaft 8| may be connected by the extension 82 to any desired reciprocating driving element, such as for example shown in application Serial No. 30,462, filed July 9, 1935, or even as shown in Serial No. 635,526, filed September 30, 1932, now Patent No. 2,145,245, issued January 31, 1939.

For example, the shaft may be connected by a crank or lever to a reciprocating bed of a lathe or other machine tool, to the head of a power press, or it may be actuated from a cam or eccentric driven by a shaft on a printing press, loom, spinning machine, accounting machine, lamp making machine, can making or filling machine, or a bottling machine.

Referring specifically to the shaft 8| it will be noted that the portion 'I8 is provided with a recess 83 which receives the bearing washer 84 held in position on the shaft 82 by the tapered pin 85. The cap 86a holds said bearing washer in said recess 83.

The other end of the shaft 8| projects into the chamber 33 and has a reduced end portion which fits into an opening in the collar member 88 (see Fig. 3) said collar 86 being held in position by the tapered pin 8T. The collar 86 has a clevis extension 88 which has rounded top and bottom portions 89 which respectively ride against the washer 98 and the washer 9|.

The washer 90 is held over in position by the peaned over portion 92, while the washer 9| is pressed against the lower side of the clevis 88 by,

the spring 93. The lower part of the spring 93 bears against the shoulder 94 at the top of the reciprocating shaft or connecting rod 95.

The connecting rod or shaft 95 bears in the opening 96 in the upper portion B9 of the yoke 31 and it is encircled by a spring 95a. between the portions and 69 of the frame.

The upper portion of the spring 95a reacts against the lower face of the arm 69 of the frame 31, while the lower end of the spring reacts against the nut 91 (see Figs. 1 and 3). The spring 95a tends to press the piston 48 downwardly in the bore 41.

The nut 91 is screwed onto the lower threaded portion 93 of the reciprocatory shaft 95 (see Fig. l).

It will be noted that when the piston 48 is in its lower-most position, as indicated in Fig. 1, the lower end of the connecting rod 95 will abut the upper end of the cylinder body 4| limiting the downward motion of the piston under the action of the spring 95a.

The upper end of the piston 48 is provided with a semi-spherical or mushroom enlargement 99a. which is pressed against the ring 99 by the spring |09.

The spring |90 is much weaker than the spring 95a and will collapse if too high a pressure is created in the pump chamber 49 or in the distributing system, which is fed through the tubing and 14 and out through the tapped outlet 19.

In such case, depending upon the stroke of the shaft 95 and of the reciprocatory driving element 82, the stroke of the piston 48 will be decreased or possibly the spring |90 may take up the entire stroke of the shaft 95 without movement of the piston.

The piston 48 is generally designed to be of such a size and for such a stroke and to be reciprocated at such a frequency as to maintain a substantially continuous pressure upon the distributing system as is maintained for example by the pump shown in application Serial No. 468,799, iiled July 18, 1930, now Patent No. 2,145,854, issued February 7, 1939; and Serial No. 745,187, iiled September 24, 1934.

IThis will cause a substantially continuous seepage through the high restriction flow metering outlet ttings, a typical of one is indicated at J in Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 5, the fitting is provided with a tubing end |9| which is connected in liquidtight fashion to the inlet nipple |92 of the body |93 by the coupling nut |94, the double tapered coupling sleeve |95 and the hard steel bushing sleeve |95. The lter or strainer |91 is positioned in the inlet socket |98 of the body |03.

Centrally positioned in the body |93 is a bore |99 substantially completely filled by a pin which provides a crevice of the order of a few thousandths of an inch. This pin may be centered in the manner described in copending application Ser. No. 226,414, filed August 24, 1938.

The outlet nipple which may have a pipe thread to be connected to a bearing, has a socket i 2 receiving the check valve I |3 pressed against `the seat |14 by the bowed spring ||5. The bowed spring is held in position by the retainer |6 having the outlet openings ||1.

instead of the nipple |92 being connected to the tubing |91 and the outlet end being connected to a bearing, it is possible for the inlet end |92 to be threaded into a junction with the outlet end being connected to a tail pipe which in turn leads to a bearing or drops upon a lubricant receiver.

Although the type of fitting shown in Fig. 5 is preferred, it is also possible to use many other types of fittings, such as those shown in Patents 1,732,212, 1,746,139 and 1,975,929.

A most important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that it is possible to increase the pressure upon the distributing system containing the fittings J and to cause a more rapid emission through the fittings J to the bearings to which they are connected for purposes of test or under special circumstances by means of the constructions H and I more particularly shown in Fig. 4 and shown in smaller scale at the top of Figs. 1 and 3.

The device H shown in large scale in Fig. 4 also enables more ready permanent adjustment to permit increased flow or decreased flow to the system to control the feed to the bearings or to take care of increased or decreased numbers of bearings or even to take care of different grades of lubricant without changing the stroke or rate of reciprocation of the pump F.

Referring specifically to Fig. 4, there is shown a control adjustable high restriction iiow metering outlet fitting H permitting regulation of the feed through the fittings J at the outlet ends of the distributing system.

The manually actuated device I, which also may be automatically actuated, serves to increase the flow of lubricant through the system or to increase the pressure of lubricant in the system and thus causes enhanced emission through the high restriction flow metering fittings J.

The adjustable flow metering restriction device H to function most satisfactory should have an order of restriction of about the same magnitude as the restricting effect of the various outlets J, all arranged in parallel, which restricting effect is from 10 to 100 times that of the tubing system 'and of the bearings to be lubricated. When the restricting effect is adjusted in this manner, it is found possible to regulate the admission and pressure on the fittings J with maximum accuracy and exact control.

Referring specifically to Fig. 4, the body |49 is press-fitted into the bore |4| forming the upper part of the chamber 19 in the upper leg 59 of the frame 31,

The lower part of the body has a socket |42 which receives the ball check |43 pressed against the seat |44 by the spring |45. The body is also provided with an accurately drilled conical bore |46 which receives the conical restriction or needle valve element |41 having the fiat |48 which may be so adjusted that when the conical member is closed, as indicated at |119, the flat |48 will permit an emission varying from 1/8 to 3A that permitted by the high restriction metering outlet ttings J.

The upper portion cf the body |49 is provided with the tapped sleeve |59 which is slit at I5| for resiliency and which receives the threaded shank |52 above the neck |53 of the adjustable restriction member |41. The member |41 may be readily adjusted by applying a screw driver to the fillister slot |54.

The side of the upper extension |50 of the body |49 is provided with the openings |55 through which lubricant which has flowed past the conical element |45 passes out into the chamber |56 in the shell |51. The cylindrical tube or shell |51 has an enlarged portion |58 which is press-fitted into the bore |59 at the bottom of the chamber 33. The cover 34 of the chamber 33 is provided with an opening |60 which receives the sleeve |6I, said sleeve forming a bearing |62 for the shaft |63.

The shaft |63 is pressed upwardly by the spring 64 which bears at one end against the enlargement |16 on the shaft |63 and at the other side bears upon the shoulder |66 on the sleeve |6I.

The lower end of the shaft |63 carries the annulus |61 which backs the valve disk |68 of a pliable material, such as cork, ber, oil silk or similar materials. The upper part of the shaft |63 has an extension |69 upon which is pressfitted the nipple |1|a projecting downwardly from the interior of the cup |1I.

The skirt |12 extends downwardly around the upper end of the sleeve |6I. The top of the Cup is concaved, as indicated at |13, to receive the end of the finger.

In operation the piston 18 will be reciprocated by the shaft or connection 95 bearing in the bracket 31 by the clevis 88 and the reciprocating shaft 62. The shaft 82 will be driven from the mechanism being lubricated s that its reciprocations will be proportional to the lubricant requirements of the bearings.

The lubricant discharged by the pump will feed past the outlet check 63, to the tubing 61 through the chamber 16, to the tubing 14 and through the distributing system connected to the outlet 19, to the outlets J.

A considerable volume of lubricant varying from 1/8 to 1%, of the discharge through the outlets J will be relieved through the fiat |48 of the adjustable outlet H and this lubricant will well up in the tube |51 and will overflow into the chamber 33. The lubricant will fill the chamber 33 until it reaches the shelf |16 (see Fig. 2) whence it will overflow through the return passage !15 back to the reservoir A.

The lubricant filling the cup 33 up to the level of the shelf |13 will assure lubrication of the bearing 6|) (see Fig. l) and the bearing 96 (see 3). The excess lubricant which will flow through the bearing 80 into the pocket 83 will be returned through the bores |16 and |11 (see Fig. l).

The pressure of the pump at all times will be sufiicient to unseat the ball check |43, which ball check |133 will cooperate with the conical restriction |41 to limit the flow into the well 33.

Desirably the conical restriction |41 is set in an intermediate position so that there will be an annular lubricant relief space around its entire periphery at |69. Adjustment may be made when the cover 34 is removed by applying a screw driver to the fillister slot |54.

It is therefore possible to decrease the iiow when a great emission is desired through the outlets J or when an increased number of outlets J are placed upon the system or to increase the fiow when a lessened emission is desired through the outlets J or when a smaller number of outlets J are placed upon the system.

When it is desired to obtain a more rapid emission through the outlets J for a predetermined period of time, to test the system or to assure an initial shot of lubricant to the system at commencement of operation, the element I may be actuated by pressing the valve face |68 down against the top of the tube |51 which will prevent emission through the adjustable fitting H that constitutes a by-pass device for lubricating the pump mechanism. When said by-pass device is thus closed lubricant is forced into the distributing system with enhanced feed through the outlet fittings J to the bearings.

Although many different changes in dimensions may be made, it has been found most satisfactory according to one embodiment of the invention to provide pistons 48 varying in diameter from 35e to T57.; of an inch, with a stroke varying from 1/4 to of an inch.

It will be understood that many changes could be made in the particular features of manual excess feed button for reciprocating pumps as shown, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a centralized lubricating installation for a mechanism, having a plurality of spaced and distributed bearings requiring small, yet accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during operation of the mechanism, said installation including a central reservoir, a central pump receiving lubricant from said reservoir, a branched distributing tubing system substantially completely filled with lubricant, having an inlet receiving lubricant from the pump and a plurality of outlets to the bearings, said outlets including high restriction fiow proportioning fittings having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the tubing system and the bearings, so that said fittings will predominantly control the proport-ionment of lubricant discharged by the pump among the bearings, said pump having a reciprocating plunger, driving means to reciprocate said plunger, and actuating means to cause said driving means mechanically driven by the mechanism to continuously reciprocate said plunger and thus maintain a substantially continuous discharge from the pump into the tubing system, and a substantially continuous lubricant pressure in said tubing system, and a substantially ccntinuous slow seepage feed past said fittings into said hearings during operation of the mechanism, and means at said central pump momentarily to increase the feed past said fittings into said bearings, said means includes an adjustable valve and a reciprocating element to decrease the flow past said valve.

2. In combination with a centralized lubrieating installation for a mechanism, having a plurality of spaced and distributed bearings requiring small, yet accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during operation of the mechanism, said installation including a central reservoir, a central pump receiving lubricant from said reservoir, a branched distributing tubing system substantially completely filled with lubricant, having an inlet receiving lubricant from the pump and a plurality of outlets to the bearings, said outlets including high restriction fioiv proportioning fittings having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the tubing system and the bearings, so that said fittings will predominantly control the proportionment of lubricant discharged by the pump among the bearings, said pump having a reciprocating plunger, driving means to reciprocate said plunger, and actuating means to cause said driving means mechanically driven by the mechanism to continuously reciprocate said plunger and thus maintain a substantially continuous discharge from the pump into the tubing system, and a substantially continuous lubricant pressure in said tubing system, and a substantially continuous slow seepage feed past said fittings into said bearings during operation of the mechanism, and means at said central pump momentarily to increase the feed past said fittings into said bearings, said last mentioned means includes an adjustable needle valve and a reciproeating manually operated button for optionally closing the outlet from said needle valve.

3. In combination with a centralized lubricating installation for a mechanism, having a plurality of spaced and distributed bearings requiring small, yet accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during operation of the mechanism, said installation including a central reservoir, a central pump receiving lubricant from said reservoir, a branched distributing tubing system substantially completely filled with lubricant, having an inlet receiving lubricant from the pump and a plurality of outlets to the bearings, said outlets including high restriction flow proportioning fittings having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the tubing system and the bearings, so that said ttings will predominantly control the proportionment of lubricant discharged by the pump among the bearings, said pump having a reciprocating plunger, driving means to reciprocate said plunger, and actuating means to cause said driving means mechanically driven by the mechanism to continuously reciprocate said plunger and thus maintain a substantially continuous discharge from the pump into the tubing system, and a substantially continuous lubricant pressure in said tubing system, and a substantially continuous slow seepage feed past said fittings into said bearings during operation of the mechanism, and means at said central pump momentarily to increase the feed past said fittings into said bearings, said last mentioned means including a by-pass from said pump back into said reservoir, an adjustable obstruction upon said by-pass to regulate the relative restricting effect of said by-pass and said fittings and a manually operated device to close oif said by-pass.

4. In combination with a centralized lubricating installation for a mechanism, having a plurality of spaced and distributed bearings requiring small, yet accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during operation of the mechanism, said installation including a central reservoir, a central pump receiving lubricant from said reservoir, a branched distributing tubing system substantially completely filled with lubricant, having an inlet receiving lubricant from the pump and a plurality of outlets to the bearings, said outlets including high restriction fiovv proportioning fittings having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the tubing system and the bearings, so that said fittings Will predominantly control the proportionment of lubricant discharged by the pump among the bearings, said pump having a reciprocating plunger, driving means to reciprocate said plunger, and actuating means to cause said driving means mechanically driven` by the mechanism to continuously reciprocate said plunger and thus maintain a substantially continuous discharge from the pump into the tubing system, and a substantially continuous lubricant pressure in said tubing system, and a substantially continuous slow seepage feed past said fittings into said bearings during operation of the mechanism, and means at said central pump momentarily to increase the feed past said fittings into said bearings, said last mentioned means including an adjustable by-pass restriction mounted at said reservoir and between the pump and the inlet to said tubing system and a manually operated valve to cut off said by-pass.

5. In a lubricating installation for a main mechanism having a plurality of bearings to be lubricated with relatively accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during the operation of the mechanism, pump mechanism, a distributing conduit system with an inlet to receive lubricantxunder pressure from said pump mechanism for distribution through outlets to the bearings of said main mechanism, said system being provided with a plurality of flow proportioning devices substantially preventing gravity flow and only permitting slow seepage flow under substantial applied pressure from said source and having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the conduits and the bearings so as to predominantly control the proportioning of lubricant among said bearings and a by-pass device provided with a needle valve controlling an outlet to said pump mechanism for lubricating the latter, said needle valve being provided with a flat surface and manually operated valve means to close oif the outlet of said needle valve.

6. In a lubricating installation of the type having distributing conduits with flow control means for a mechanism having a plurality of spaced and distributed bearings to be lubricated; the combination therewith of a central pump unit feeding said system, said pump unit including a reservoir, an actuating mechanism at the top of said reservoir, including a horizontal shaft at the top of the reservoir and a vertical shaft driven from said horizontal shaft extending down into said reservoir, a plunger and a cylinder unit in the bottom of said reservoir, said actuating mechanism being carried by said cover and means to lubricate said mechanism from said plunger-cylinder unit while feeding said piping,

said latter means including an outlet connection' from said plunger-cylinder unit to said conduits and a needle valve restriction upon said connection to permit a proportional part of the clischarge of the pump to flow to said actuating mechanism, said needle valve being natted, and manually operated means to close off the outlet of said needle valve.

7. In a lubricating installation for a main mechanism having a plurality of bearings to be lubricated with relatively accurately proportioned quantities of lubricant during the operation of the mechanism, a pump mechanism, a distributing conduit system with an inlet to receive lubricant under pressure from said pump mechanism for distribution through outlets to the bearings of said main mechanism, said system being provided with a plurality of iiovv proportioning devices substantially preventing gravity flow and only permitting slow seepage now under substantial applied pressure from said source and having an obstructing effect tremendously greater than the conduits and the bearings so as to predominantly control the proportioning of lubricant among said bearings, a by-pass device provided with a needle valve controlling an outlet to said pump mechanism, said needle valve being provided with a flat surface and manually operated Valve means to close oli the outlet of said needle valve, including an upstanding sleeve enclosing the outlet of said needle valve and a sealing member having a push button to be pressed against the upper end of said sleeve and to close the upper end of said sleeve.

8. In a centralized lubricating installation 5 nism, said by-pass including an adjustable needle valve provided with a threaded adjustment and with a close-off valve, said close-off valve being provided with a spring to bias it to open position and with a press button to enable its closure.

EDWARD H. KOCHER.

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