Integrated emergency lubrication system having single feed line to bearings

An integrated emergency lubricating system for supplying an oil/air mist to a lubrication conduit associated with bearings in the event that the supply of lubricating oil to said bearings through a main oil supply line fails, said system comprising:

• (a) an oil accumulator for containing a fixed amount of emergency supply oil, said accumulator containing an oil inlet conduit section having a pressure-sensitive inlet valve communicating with a pressurized main oil supply line adapted to supply said fixed amount of emergency supply oil to said accumulator, an oil outlet conduit having a pressure-sensitive outlet valve for retaining said oil within the accumulator under non-pressurized conditions, and an air inlet conduit for admitting pressurized air under emergency conditions to pressurize the oil within the accumulator sufficiently to force it through said oil outlet valve and said outlet conduit;
• (b) a misting chamber having an upstream oil inlet conduit section for supplying oil thereto from said accumulator under emergency conditions and an upstream air inlet conduit for supplying air to said misting chamber under emergency conditions to produce therein an oil/air mist with said oil, and having a downstream lubrication conduit for supplying said mist to one or more bearings requiring emergency lubrication;
• (c) an air supply conduit having an outlet for admitting compressed air from a source to said system under emergency conditions;
• (d) an air shut-off valve communicating with said air outlet and with an oil conduit section which communicates with the main oil supply line, said air shut off valve being biased to open said air outlet during emergency operation but being movable to close said air outlet during normal operating conditions by oil pressure within said oil conduit section;
• (e) an air conduit section communicating with said air shut-off valve and with said air inlet conduit to the accumulator for conveying high pressure air directly to the accumulator when said air shut-off valve is in open position, and also communicating with a pressure-regulating means which is open to the air inlet conduit to said misting chamber, for supplying air under regulated pressure to said misting chamber when said air shut-off valve is in open position;
• and
• (f) an oil flow-control valve communicating with said oil outlet conduit from said accumulator and with said oil inlet conduit section to said misting chamber, for uniformly metering the flow of oil from the accumulator to the misting chamber independently of differences between the oil pressure from said accumulator to said oil outlet conduit and the oil pressure in said oil inlet conduit section and independently of the temperature and viscosity of said oil, whereby a uniform volume of emergency oil is automatically metered through said flow control valve, to said misting chamber under the effects of full pressurized air, and a regulated supply of air is supplied to said misting chamber whenever the pressure of the oil to said air shut-off valve fails.