method and apparatus for improving oil delivery from a wick lubrication system to a locomotive traction motor support bearing

摘要

an improved wick maintainer for mounting a felt grease wick of a shaft sleeve surface lubrication system supported on a traction motor support bearing used in a locomotive is provided with a plurality of safety receptacles. oil reservoir shutter or molded or pressed spill cups in the wick maintainer that store oil from the time the oil reservoir was full or near its maximum height and which store spilled oil during normal operating use , and delays oil flow to increase the oil saturation of the wick housed in the wick maintainer. The oil sump receptacles are located above the minimum service oil level and are designed to improve and increase wick oil saturation. As a result of the increased oil saturation, the wick is therefore capable of sending increased amounts of oil to the shaft sleeve area. each reservoir receptacle or spill cup is preferably venetian shaped, whereby, during normal locomotive operation service, oil spill in the bearing housing oil reservoir is collected and sent to the lubrication wick. In a second embodiment, the reservoir receptacles or spill cups are provided in a separate spill sleeve. In another version, improved lubrication is achieved through a passive inertia-activated pump mounted for submersion in the shaft coping lubricant reservoir to a level that ensures that at all reservoir levels the pump inlet is submerged. in the reservoir lubricant, and the passive inertia-activated pump outlet is directed to the surface interface between the felt wick and the shaft sleeve surface area to increase lubrication beyond what normally follows due to capillary action felt wick. In a modification of the first embodiment, the pump is mounted on the spill sleeve that is part of the wick maintainer.