Distributing element for lubricating systems

A distributor element for metering lubricant for lubricating installations, said distributor element comprising:

• a housing having a lubricant inlet, a connecting passage, and a lubricant outlet;
• a valve piston having a bore for allowing lubricant to flow therethrough, said valve piston being operable to move within said housing under pressure from a lubricant entering said housing through said lubricant inlet;
• a first return spring for applying a pressure against said valve piston to oppose the pressure from the lubricant entering said housing through said lubricant inlet;
• a dispensing piston operable to move within said housing under pressure from lubricant entering a metering chamber of said housing via said connecting passage;
• a second return spring for applying a pressure against said dispensing piston to oppose the pressure from the lubricant within said metering chamber;
• and
• a hollow supporting body arranged within said housing between said first return spring and said second return spring such that said hollow supporting body supports and provides leverage for each of said first return spring and said second return spring;
• wherein said valve piston is operable to move within said housing between:
• (i) a valve piston starting position, whereat said valve piston is positioned such that said bore of said valve piston allows a dispensing chamber between said dispensing piston and said valve piston to communicate with said metering chamber via said connecting passage;
• (ii) a metering position, whereat said valve piston allows said lubricant inlet to communicate with said metering chamber via said connecting passage;
• and
• (iii) an intermediate position whereat said valve piston blocks said lubricant inlet from communicating with said metering chamber via said connecting passage, and blocks said dispensing chamber from communicating with said metering chamber via said connecting passage;
• wherein said dispensing piston is operable to move within said housing from a dispensing piston starting position, whereat a volume of said metering chamber is a minimum, to a dispense position, whereat said dispensing piston has displaced the lubricant present in said dispensing chamber through said lubricant outlet and has moved said valve piston from said metering position to said intermediate position;
• and
• wherein, upon pressure relief at said lubricant inlet, said valve piston is operable to be moved back from said intermediate position to said valve piston starting position by said first return spring, and said dispensing piston is operable to be moved back from said dispense position to said dispensing piston starting position by said second return spring.