Detector for detecting malfunction of lubricating oil feeder

Abstract

A lubricating oil feeder for supplying an air-oil mixture containing compressed air and lubricating oil to oil receiving units including a pump for generating compressed air, an air supply pipe coupled to the pump, air induction pipes for introducing the compressed air from the pump in the oil receiving units, and oil supply source for intermittently discharging lubricating oil from the intermittent oil supply source to the oil receiving units, and oil injection devices for intermittently supplying a small fixed quantity of lubricating oil from the intermittent oil supply source to the lubricating oil supply pipes. The oil injection devices are installed between the intermittent oil supply source and the lubricating oil supply pipes, and the oil lines are coupled to the air induction pipes through the lubricating oil supply pipes and check valves. A detector detects a malfunction of the lubricating oil feeder and includes first throttle valves between the air supply pipe and the air induction pipes, second throttle valves between the air induction pipes and the oil lines, and third throttle valves at the front ends of the air induction pipes so as to set the internal pressures of the air induction pipes higher than the atmospheric pressure and lower than the internal pressure of the air supply pipe and to set the internal pressure of the oil lines equal to the internal pressures of the lubricating oil supply pipes. A malfunction is detected using pressure detecting means when the internal pressures of the oil lines set up by the first, second, and third throttle valves deviate from set values.