Barnes Group Inc.

Edward C Kuhar

Henry J Kelm

A self-lubricating cylinder assembly for use in a press operable in an upright orientation and in an inverted orientation. The cylinder assembly contains a working fluid under pressure and lubricating oil. The cylinder assembly includes a cylinder body that has sidewalls that terminate in an opening at a first end and an end wall at a second end. The cylinder assembly further includes an interior wall assembly that connects to the cylinder body and has walls that extend within the cylinder body to the end wall. The wall assembly walls are preferably formed of a cylinder liner in connection with an insert. The cylinder liner has a piston mounted for reciprocal motion therebetween. A variable volume wall assembly space is defined as a space between the piston, the wall assembly walls and the housing end wall. An expansion reservoir is defined as a space between the side walls of the cylinder body, the wall assembly walls and the cylinder body end wall. A first passage opens to the wall assembly space and to the expansion reservoir. At least the expansion reservoir opening of the first passage is positioned below the level of the lubricating oil when the cushion assembly is in the upright orientation. Both first passage openings are positioned above the level of the lubricating oil when the cushion assembly is in the inverted orientation. A second passage opens to the wall assembly space and to the expansion reservoir. Both second passage openings are positioned above the level of the lubricating oil when the cushion assembly is in the upright orientation. The second passage opening that opens to the expansion reservoir is positioned below the level of the lubricating oil when the cushion assembly is in the inverted orientation. Lubricating oil recirculation is accomplished by means of a jet mixture of compressible working fluid and lubricating oil sprayed onto the cylinder wall by means of a controlled pressure differential of the compressible working fluid while the piston is moving during the expansion stroke of the work cycle.

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Richmond Heights, OH, United States of America

Edward C Kuhar