Apparatus for controlling lubricating oil fires due to oil line failure

Apparatus for controlling lubricating oil fires around a machine having bearings to which lubricating oil if fed under pressure through at least one conduit, comprising:

• means mounted in said conduit for stopping the flow of lubricating oil through the conduit in response to a greater than normal flow of oil through said conduit downstream of said flow stopping means, said flow stopping means comprising a valve seat, a valve element movable from a first position spaced from said valve seat to a second position engaging said valve seat, and means for supporting said valve element for movement from said first position to said second position;
• and
• means associated with said flow stopping means for shutting down the machine in response to said valve element moving at least part way from said first position to said second position,
• whereby the flow of lubricating oil is stopped and the machine is shut down when there is a break in the conduit,
• wherein said valve element is a hollow piston having an open end, an closed end, a side wall, and at least one slot extending through said side wall, and said means for supporting said valve element comprises a sleeve having at least one port, said port being in alignment with said slot in the side wall of the piston, and said first coupling member defining an annular space around said sleeve.

Apparatus for controlling lubricating oil fires around a machine having bearings to which lubricating oil is fed under pressure through at least one conduit, comprising:

• means mounted in said conduit for stopping the flow of lubricating oil through the conduit in response to a greater than normal flow of oil through said conduit downstream of said flow stopping means, said flow stopping means comprising a valve seat, a valve element movable from a first position spaced from said valve seat to a second position engaging said valve seat, and a coupling for connecting two portions of the lubricating oil conduit, said coupling including a first coupling member and a second coupling member secured to said first coupling member, said first coupling member having means for supporting said valve element for movement from said first position to said second position, and said second coupling member defining said valve seat;
• and
• means associated with said flow stopping means for shutting down the machine in response to said valve element moving at least part way from said first position to said second position,
• whereby the flow of lubricating oil is stopped and the machine is shut down when there is a break in the conduit,
• wherein said means for shutting down said machine comprises a magnetically operated switch mounted on said second coupling member.

A device for controlling lubricating oil fires around a machine having bearings to which lubricating oil is fed under pressure through at least one conduit, comprising:

• a valve body mountable in the conduit, said valve body defining a flow passage for the lubricating oil and a valve seat around the flow passage, whereby the flow of lubricating oil through the device is stopped;
• a hollow valve element having an open end, a closed end, a side wall, at least one slot defined in the side wall, and a valve surface defined on the closed end;
• means for supporting said valve element for movement from a first position in which said valve surface on said valve element is spaced from said valve seat to a second position in which said valve surface engages said valve seat, said supporting means comprising a sleeve having at least one port in alignment with the slot in the side wall of the valve element;
• means for biasing said valve element to said first position, said biasing means holding said valve element in said first position during normal flow of lubricating oil through said flow passage and allowing said valve element to move to said second position in response to greater than normal flow through said flow passage, whereby the flow of lubricating oil through the device is stopped;
• a circuit element mounted adjacent and external to said flow passage, said circuit element being connectable to a circuit for shutting down the machine;
• and
• means mounted on said valve element for actuating said circuit element in response to said valve surface moving at least part way between said first position and said second position.

In a machine having a plurality of bearings to which lubricating oil is fed under pressure, the improvement comprising:

• a plurality of lubricating oil conduits feeding the lubricating oil to the bearings, each said conduit feeding a bearing different from the bearings fed by any other of said conduits;
• means mounted in each said conduit for stopping the flow of lubricating oil through said conduit in response to a greater than normal flow of oil through said conduit downstream of said flow stopping means, said flow stopping means comprising a valve element and a valve seat, each said valve element being movable from a first position spaced from its associated valve seat to a second position engaging its valve seat in response to greater than normal flow of oil through its associated conduit downstream of the valve seat;
• and
• means associated with said flow stopping means for shutting down the machine in response to any said valve element moving at least part way from said first position to said second position,
• whereby the flow of lubricating oil is stopped only to a bearing fed by a conduit in which a break occurs, and the machine is shut down when there is a break in any of said conduits.