The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 1997
Filed:
Apr. 10, 1996
Don J Gerhardt, Clemmons, NC (US);
Ingersoll-Rand Company, Woodcliff Lake, NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for providing lubricant to thrust bearings and rotors of a rotary screw compressor. The apparatus includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the lubricant supplied to the rotors; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the compressed gas discharged from the compressor; and a speed sensor for detecting the operating speed of the rotors. An electronic controller responsive to signals received from the temperature sensing means, the pressure sensing means and the speed sensing selectively opens and closes the second valve means to optimize the volume of lubricant supplied to the compressor rotors, and also controls the first valve to control the flow of lubricant to the thrust bearings. A pressure regulator controls the supply of lubricant to the thrust bearings in response to input signals received from the electronic controller. The regulator is flow connected to each thrust bearing by an independent lubricant supply line to thereby permit the pressure of one thrust bearing to be adjusted independent of the other thrust bearing.