Lubricant controller
AssigneeBijur Lubricating Corp.
InventorsRoger L. Schroeder, Terry Walker, Herbert Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for controlling the application of lubricant to parts of a locomotive or a vehicle is taught. Briefly stated, the distance traveled by the locomotive or the like is computed, with lubrication to a component then being provided. The distance between lubrication application may be adjusted, as well as the amount of lubrication being applied. Further, this rate and amount of lubrication, as well as the use of lubrication at all, can be manually or automatically adjusted according to various sensors such as braking, sanding, reversing curves or the like.
Claims20
A method of lubricating a rotating component of a vehicle having a lubricant application device and a distance measurement device, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. registering distance traveled by said vehicle;
- b. applying lubrication to a first sector of said rotating component of said vehicle as a function of the distance traveled;
- c. applying lubrication to a second sector of said rotating component of said vehicle as a furnction of the distance traveled;
- d. sequentially applying lubrication to remaining sectors of said rotating component in a sequence in which all of said sectors receive one application of said lubrication before a previously lubricated sector is once again lubricated;
- and
- e. thereafter repeating steps b and c and d.
Lubricant control apparatus for vehicles, said apparatus comprising:
- distance measurement means connected to said vehicle for determining distance traveled thereby and for producing an output signal at an output terminal of said distance measurement means in relation to the distance traveled by said vehicle;
- said distance measurement means being comprised of an axle pluse generator which is connected to an axle on said vehicle and produces a plurality of output pulses for each revolution of a wheel axle of the vehicle, and a counting means connected to said axle pulse generator for counting said pulses from said axle pulse generator, said output signal being derived from said pulses;
- and
- lubricant application means for applying lubricant to different portions of at least one component of said vehicle in response to said output signal applied to an input terminal of said lubricant control means and in a sequence in which all of said portions receive one application of said lubricant before a previously lubricated portion is once again lubricated.
Lubricant control apparatus for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- lubricant application means for applying lubrication to different portions of at least one component of said vehicle in response to an input signal at an input terminal of said lubricant application means and in a sequence in which all of said portions receive one application of said lubrication before a previous lubricated portion is once again lubricated;
- axle rotation sensing means adjacent a wheel of said vehicle for producing a plurality of pulses for each revolution of a wheel axle of the vehicle and producing an output signal in response to rotation of said wheel at output terminals of said rotation sensing means;
- distance measurement means connected to said output terminals of said rotation sensing means for producing a second output signal at second output terminals of said rotation sensing means, said second output signal being representative of distance traveled by said vehicle;
- and
- controller means connected to said second output terminals and producing a third output signal at a third output, said third output signal being representative that said vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance and being applied to the input terminal of said lubricant application means to enable said lubricant application means to apply a predetermined amount of lubrication to a portion said component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.