Apparatus and method for application of lubricants to the surface of metallic sheet material
AssigneeCoral Chemical Company
InventorsDaniel L. Tracy, W. J. Alexander Hugill, Robert E. DeBlois
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and method for applying a liquid lubricant to at least one surface of a moving metal sheet. The apparatus includes a wick and a liquid lubricant reservoir and at least one conduit in flow communication with the wick and reservoir. The liquid lubricant moves from the reservoir in controlled amounts, through the conduit or conduits to the wick by gravity flow and is moved by capillary action through the wick to the surface of the moving metal sheet without the application of an external mechanical force, such as a piston, to generate a pressure gradient through the wick to move the liquid lubricant therethrough.
Claims30
A method for applying a liquid lubricant to a horizontally moving metal sheet, the method comprising:
- supplying the lubricant to a plurality of conduits;
- spreading the liquid lubricant over at least one wick from the conduits above the wick to provide a spread lubricant flow;
- moving the spread liquid lubricant through the at least one wick by gravity flow without the application of an external mechanical force to generate a resulting pressure through the wick to move the liquid lubricant therethrough, the wick supplying liquid lubricant to the moving metal surface by capillary flow of the lubricant through the wick;
- and
- applying the liquid lubricant from the wick to the moving metal sheet, the supply of liquid lubricant from the conduits and the thickness and density of the wicks effective to provide a generally uniform coating of liquid lubricant to the metal sheet at variable traveling rates of the metal sheet.
A method for applying a liquid lubricant to at least two surfaces of a continuously moving, generally planar metal sheet, the method comprising:
- spreading the liquid lubricant over at least two wicks to provide a spread lubricant flow;
- supplying the spread lubricant flow to the least two wicks;
- moving the spread liquid lubricant through the at least two wicks by gravity flow without the application of an external mechanical force to generate a resulting pressure through the wicks to move the liquid lubricant therethrough;
- and
- applying the liquid lubricant from the wicks to the moving metal sheet.
A method for applying a liquid lubricant to a moving metal sheet, the method comprising:
- spreading the liquid lubricant over at least one wick to provide a spread lubricant flow;
- supplying the spread lubricant flow to the least one wick;
- moving the spread liquid lubricant through the at least one wick by gravity flow without the application of an external mechanical force to generate a resulting pressure Through the wick to move the liquid lubricant therethrough;
- and
- applying the lubricant to at least one application/transfer roller which is in rolling contact with the wick the application/transfer roller in combination with the wick being effective for moving the liquid lubricant from the wick to the moving metal sheet.
A method for applying a liquid lubricant to at least two surfaces of a continuously moving, generally planar metal sheet, the method comprising:
- spreading the liquid lubricant over at least two wicks to provide a spread lubricant flow;
- supplying the spread lubricant flow to the least two wicks;
- moving the spread liquid lubricant through the at least two wicks by gravity flow without the application of an external mechanical force to generate a resulting pressure through the wicks to move the liquid lubricant therethrough;
- and
- applying the lubricant to at least two application/transfer rollers at least one transfer roller in rolling contact with a wick, the application/transfer rollers in combination with the wicks being effective for moving the liquid lubricant from the wicks to the at least two surfaces of the moving metal sheet.
A method for applying a liquid lubricant to a horizontally moving metal sheet, the method comprising:
- supplying the lubricant to a plurality of conduits;
- spreading the liquid lubricant over at least one wick from the conduits above the wick to provide a spread lubricant flow, the liquid lubricant being spread by moving the lubricant over a surface to spread it relative to the wick;
- moving the spread liquid lubricant through the at least one wick by gravity flow without the application of an external mechanical force to generate a resulting pressure through the wick to move the liquid lubricant therethrough, the wick supplying liquid lubricant to the moving metal surface by capillary flow of the lubricant through the wick;
- and
- applying the liquid lubricant from the wick to the moving metal sheet, the supply of liquid lubricant from the conduits and the thickness and density of the wicks effective to provide a generally uniform coating of liquid lubricant to the metal sheet at variable traveling rates of the metal sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.