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Oiler pump

Oiler pump description/claims

1) Field of the Invention

The present application relates to the fluid pumping arts and, more particularly, to a hand pump for manually pumping fluids from a reservoir. The preferred embodiment will be described in connection with a manual pump gun used in combination with a utility oiler for dispensing lubricating fluids onto workpieces during machining operations such as tapping and threading pipes and the like. It is to be appreciated, however, that the preferred embodiments are applicable in a wide range of applications beyond use with industrial lubricants such as in chemical processing applications, food service applications and anywhere there is a need to manually transfer fluids by pumping from a reservoir into a desired area.

2) Description of the Related Art

Many metal working procedures require some form of lubricating fluid delivered to the workpiece and/or to the tool by a pump or the like from an auxiliary source. Examples include hand threading applications where a tool such as a cutting die is rotated around a stationary pipe, usually using a ratcheting head holding the tool. Other examples include automated and semi-automated threading operations wherein power driven threading equipment rotates a tubular workpiece such as a pipe or the like relative to one or more die heads mounted on the threading equipment and carrying one or more cutters or reamers for removing metal from the workpiece as it rotates relative to the tooling. It is important of course to provide a sufficient amount of cooling and/or lubricating fluids to help prevent damage to the tooling resulting in high quality and accurate threads or other patterns imparted onto the workpiece. It is also important to wash the work area free from chips, filings, and the like by providing a fluid which can be selectively delivered under a modest pressure.

Portable oil dispensers have been provided heretofore for use with pipe threading apparatus, for example. One such oil dispenser has been available from The Ridge Tool Company of Elyria, Ohio under the latter's product designation no. 418 Oiler, comprising a bucket for providing a reservoir for thread cutting oil, a drip pan removably mounted on the bucket for receiving chips and oil from the thread cutting apparatus and separating the oil for return to the reservoir in the bucket, and a hand-held trigger operated pump connected to the bucket by a flexible hose and operable by a threading machine operator to dispense oil onto a workpiece being threaded. The bucket typically includes a bulkhead fitting for connecting a reservoir area of the bucket in flow communication with a manually operated pump and, preferably, a strainer for straining oil during pumping thereof from the reservoir area in order to prevent chips of metal or other materials from entering into the manual pump.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a prior art pump 10 well accepted and known in the art. As will be appreciated from that figure, the pump 10 includes a handle 12 by which the pump is held and manipulated by a user, a dispensing nozzle or tube 14, and a trigger 16 which is manually operable to pump oil from the reservoir area of an associated bucket (not shown) through the nozzle 14 and onto a workpiece. The pump typically also includes an upper hook 18 by which the pump can be supported adjacent the work area. A flexible hose 20 is attached to the pump 10 using a suitable threaded coupling element 22 by which means the hose 20 delivers oil to pump 10 in response to actuation of the trigger 16.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate cross-sectional views of the pump 10 of FIG. 1 shown with the trigger 16 in a relaxed (FIG. 2a) and in an actuated (FIG. 2b) position. As can be seen in those figures, the pump 10 includes a housing 24 shaped to form the handle 12 on a lower end thereof and the hook 18 on an upper portion. A fluid passageway 26 is defined by the housing 24 and extends between the threaded coupling element 22 and the dispensing nozzle 14. A piston member 28 is slidably received within the fluid passageway 26 and is biased generally against the handle 12 by a spring member 30 acting on a proximal end of the piston 28 to urge the piston to the right as viewed in the figure.

With continued reference to those figures, the prior art pumps of the type described typically include first and second one-way check valve devices 32 and 38 operable in a manner well known in the art to draw lubricating fluid from the associated reservoir (not shown) through the flexible hose 20, into the fluid passageway 26 and ejected onto the workpiece through the dispensing nozzle 14. In the prior art pump 10 illustrated, the check valve assemblies 32, 38 include a steel check ball 34, 40, respectively biased against suitable check ball seats 36, 42 formed on the distal end of the piston member 28 and on a side of the threaded coupling element 22 opposite from the flexible hose 20.

One disadvantage of the prior art pump 10 illustrated in the figures is a modest degree of vulnerability to decrease the efficiency through the passage of metal chips and other particles from the reservoir and into the fluid passageway 26. The metal particles have, at times, become lodged between the steel check balls 34, 40 and their respective seats 36, 42 thus preventing a complete and efficient fluid seal therebetween.

It is to be observed that the upper end of the fluid passageway 26 adjacent the piston member 28 and in the region of the spring member 30 is rather large as compared against the remainder of the passageway. This has, at times, lead to some difficulty in priming the pump during initial use and in reducing the ability of the pump to pull lubricating fluids up through the hose 20 to a specified height which is convenient to the user.

More particularly, the pump 10 of the prior art may become partially or fully filled with gas such as air when the device is opened during such operations such as cleaning or disassembling the unit. Under these conditions, the ability of the pump to pull oil up through the hose to a specified height is significantly different from that of a pump which is fully filled with a liquid such as oil. As the piston member 28 of the pump is actuated between the positions illustrated in FIG. 2a and 2b, the volume of the fluid passageway 26 is modulated causing a pumping action. Squeezing the trigger decreases the volume thus allowing lubricating fluid to be drawn into the fluid passageway through the lower check valve 38. When the trigger 16 is released, the piston is urged to move from the position illustrated in FIG. 2b to the position illustrated in FIG. 2a by the base of the spring 30. As can be seen by comparison of those figures, the volume displaced by the piston between the fully extended position (FIG. 2a) and the fully retracted position (FIG. 2b) is relatively large relative to the overall volume of the fluid passageway 26 defined between the opposed check valve assemblies 32, 38. A large amount of air can be accumulated in this volume with significant negative consequences on performance of the pump.

It is therefore an object of the present application to provide a fluid pump of the type which is not easily susceptible to performance degradation due to particles or the like becoming lodged therein during normal use.

It is a further object of the present application to provide a fluid pump of the type which is easily primed regardless of whether it is first operated from a “dry” condition filled with air or other gasses.

It is yet a further object of the present application to provide a manually operated fluid dispenser of the type which can pull or otherwise draw fluid or other oils from an associated reservoir up to at least the shoulders or waist of a user during normal use thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of the fluid pump of the present application will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the drawings and specification to follow below.

The fluid pump of the present application provides a unique manually operable oiler which overcomes the difficulties encountered in prior art oilers and provides improved performance over prior oilers during priming of the pump, during use of the pump elevated heights relative to the reservoir, and with regard to pump efficiency while pumping fluids having metal particles or other debris entrained therein.

In one form, a fluid pump is provided including a housing defining a cylinder and a chamber in fluid communication with the housing. The fluid pump includes a manually displaceable piston received in the cylinder. The piston has a distal end, a proximal end, and a fluid payout conduit extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The piston is slidable with the cylinder between first and second positions relative to the housing. A spring is provided in the chamber and is received therein between the housing and the proximal end of the piston. The spring biases the piston towards the first position. A first one-way check valve is disposed on the distal end of the piston and is in fluid communication with the fluid payout conduit defined through the piston. A second one-way check valve is disposed on the housing and is in fluid communication with the chamber. For purposes of enabling enhanced priming capabilities and suction capabilities, a fluid displacement member is provided for substantially completely filling the chamber when the piston is in the second position and for substantially completely emptying the chamber when the piston is in the first position. In that way, the volume difference in the passageway is defined by the housing as determined when the piston is at the first and second positions is substantially enhanced over prior art pumps.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present application, the fluid displacement member includes an annular member surrounding the spring. The annular member is preferably movable with the piston and, in one embodiment, is formed integrally with the piston.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present application, the fluid displacement member is a cylindrical spring disposed within the space defined by the spring biasing the piston towards the first position. Preferably, the cylindrical member is movable with the piston and, in one embodiment, is formed integrally with the piston.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present application, the fluid displacement member includes an annular member surrounding the spring together with a cylindrical member disposed within the inner cylindrical hollow spaced defined by the spring biasing the piston towards the first position. Preferably, the annular member and cylindrical member are movable with the piston and, in one embodiment, are formed integrally with the piston.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present application, the cylinder defined by the housing includes a rough cylinder surface adapted to receive a plastic piston therein. The plastic piston carries an elastic o-ring having a low durometer.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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