Bearing protection with positive lubricant-level indication
AssigneeNorthern Tool & Equipment Company, Inc.
InventorsBryson Sharp, John David Schuetz, Brent Starnes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing-protection device for protecting and lubricating bearings. The bearing-protection device provides positive indication of lubrication levels provided to the bearings and includes a protector housing defining a lubrication chamber with an outer wall, a proximal end and a distal end. The device also includes a piston assembly movable within the lubrication chamber, the piston assembly biased in a direction generally toward the proximal end of the bearing protector housing, and a viewing window defined in the outer wall of the bearing protector housing. Indicia associated with the piston is viewable through the viewing window to indicate a level of lubricant within the chamber.
Claims18
A bearing-protection device for protecting and lubricating wheel bearings installed in hubs of towable vehicles while positively indicating lubrication levels provided to the wheel bearings, the bearing-protection device comprising:
- a bearing protector housing defining a lubrication chamber and including an outer wall, a proximal end and a distal end, a viewing window defined in the outer wall of the bearing protector housing, the viewing window having a proximal side and a distal side;
- a lubricant-level indicia on the outer wall of the bearing protector housing intersecting the viewing window intermediate the proximal side and the distal side;
- and
- a piston assembly movable within the lubrication chamber, the piston assembly biased in a direction generally toward the proximal end of the bearing protector housing, wherein at least a portion of the piston assembly is viewable through the viewing window to determine the position of the piston assembly relative to the lubricant-level indicia, thereby providing an indication of a lubrication level in the lubrication chamber.
A bearing-protection device for protecting and lubricating wheel bearings installed in hubs of towable vehicles while positively indicating lubrication levels provided to the wheel bearings, the bearing-protection device comprising:
- a bearing protector housing defining a lubrication chamber and including an outer wall, a proximal end and a distal end, a viewing window defined in the outer wall of the bearing protector housing, the viewing window having a proximal side and a distal side;
- a lubricant-level indicia on the outer wall of the bearing protector housing intersecting the viewing window intermediate the proximal side and the distal side;
- and
- a piston assembly movable within the lubrication chamber, the piston assembly biased in a direction generally toward the proximal end of the bearing protector housing, the piston assembly including means viewable through the viewing window to determine the position of the piston assembly relative to the lubricant-level indicia for providing an indication of a lubrication level.
A bearing-protection device for protecting and lubricating wheel bearings installed in hubs of towable vehicles while positively indicating lubrication levels provided to the wheel bearings, the bearing-protection device comprising:
- a bearing protector housing defining a lubrication chamber and including an outer wall, a proximal end and a distal end, a viewing window defined in the outer wall of the bearing protector housing, the viewing window having a proximal side and a distal side;
- a lubricant-level indicia on the outer wall of the bearing protector housing intersecting the viewing window intermediate the proximal side and the distal side;
- and
- a piston movable within the lubrication chamber, the piston biased in a direction generally toward the proximal end of the bearing protector housing, wherein indicia associated with the piston is viewable through the viewing window to determine the position of the piston indicia relative to the lubricant-level indicia, thereby providing an indication of a lubrication level in the lubrication chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.