Lubrication system for power transmission chain

Abstract

A lubricating system for a transmission of the kind having a driving shaft driven to rotate, a transmission shaft disposed parallel to the driving shaft, a chain for transmitting power from the driving shaft to the transmission shaft and a chain case enclosing the chain, the lubricating system comprising a chain chamber and an oil reservoir chamber in the chain case, the oil reservoir chamber having an upper inlet port for receiving oil from the chain chamber, at least some of the oil in the chain chamber being driven to reach the inlet port by movement of the chain, and the oil reservoir chamber having a lower outlet port for returning oil to the chain chamber, whereby oil flowing through the oil reservoir chamber may be cooled and the amount of oil in the chain chamber subject to agitation by the chain movement at any one time may be reduced, substantially prolonging the operational life of the lubricating oil. When the transmission is further provided with a support part for the transmission shaft and a rotatable bearing assembly disposed between the support part and the transmission shaft, the lubricating system may further comprise the support part having a passage therein forming part of a flow path along which oil moves from an upper part of the oil reservoir to a lower part of the oil reservoir, the rotatable bearing assembly being disposed adjacent one end of the passage, whereby the rotatable bearing assembly is continuously lubricated by oil flowing through the oil reservoir.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.