Constant flow cascade lubrication system

A system for lubricating bearings on a vertical rotatable shaft within a bearing housing, comprising:

• a lower lubricant sump at a lower portion of said bearing housing;
• an upper lubricant reservoir at an upper portion of said bearing housing;
• a conduit providing fluid communication between said lower and upper lubricant sumps;
• means for metering a gravity induced flow of lubricant from said upper lubricant reservoir into upper bearings;
• means for pumping lubricant from said lower lubricant sump, through said conduit, to said upper lubricant reservoir at a rate exceeding a rate of said gravity induced flow into said upper bearings;
• means in said upper lubricant reservoir for maintaining a constant head of lubricant above said metering means and for shunting excess lubricant back to said lower lubricant sump;
• and
• means for feeding a portion of said excess lubricant to lower bearings before said excess lubricant is returned to said lower lubricant sump.

A system for lubricating bearings on a vertical rotatable shaft within a bearing housing, comprising:

• a lower lubricant sump at a lower portion of said bearing housing;
• an upper lubricant reservoir at an upper portion of said bearing housing;
• a conduit providing fluid communication between said lower lubricant sump and said upper lubricant reservoir;
• means for metering a flow of lubricant from said upper lubricant reservoir into upper bearings;
• means for pumping lubricant from said lower lubricant sump, through said conduit, to said upper lubricant reservoir at a rate exceeding a rate of said metered flow into said upper bearings;
• means in said upper lubricant reservoir for maintaining a constant head of lubricant above said metering means and for shunting excess lubricant back to said lower lubricant sump;
• and
• means for feeding a portion of said excess lubricant to lower bearings before said excess lubricant is returned to said lower lubricant sump.