BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to oil film bearings employed in various types of industrial equipment, including for example the roll stands of rolling mills, and are concerned in particular with an improved connector for coupling hoses to the oil drainage ports of the chocks of such bearings.

2. Description of Related Art

In the typical rolling mill application, high viscosity oil is continuously circulated through and drained from the bearings. Drainage occurs under gravity and with a very low head. These factors contribute to a build-up of vacuum in the drain lines, and a reduction in flow. When the drains stop flowing efficiently, oil can build up in the bearing chocks, causing leakage.

SUMMARY

Broadly stated, embodiments of the present invention address the above described vacuum-induced problems by providing an improved chock drain connector incorporating a breather valve designed to admit ambient air into the oil drainage line.

In exemplary embodiments, the drain connector comprises an elbow-shaped conduit having a horizontal leg adapted to be connected to a bearing chock drainage port, and a downwardly angled leg adapted to be connected to a drainage hose. A breather valve serves to admit ambient air into the conduit when oil is flowing through the conduit from the chock drainage port of the hose. The breather valve is adapted to close automatically in the event that the conduit becomes filled with oil.

In exemplary embodiments, closure of the breather valve is float actuated.

The breather valve may comprise a tubular neck communicating with and projecting vertically upwardly from the conduit. A cap cooperates with the neck to define an internal flow path leading from the exterior of the breather valve to the conduit interior. The neck and cap may be internally configured to define a valve seat spaced vertically above a slotted support ledge. A float ball a is gravitationally urged onto the support ledge, and is buoyantly moveable into contact with the valve seat to effect closure of the valve.

The valve neck may advantageously be located at the juncture of the horizontal and downwardly angled conduit legs.

In one exemplary embodiment, the drain connector further comprises a flow deflector defining a recess in the conduit beneath the slotted support ledge. The flow detector is configured to deflect oil flowing through the conduit around the recess and past the float ball gravitationally seated on the slotted support ledge.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a front view of an oil film bearing with hoses attached to the chock drainage ports by connectors in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a drain connector in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the circled portion in Fig. 2, showing the breather valve with the float ball in an open position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, with the cap and float ball removed in order to better illustrate internal components of the breather valve;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the breather valve cap; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the float ball of the breather valve in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The components described hereinafter as making up the various embodiments are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same or a similar function as well as the materials described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of embodiments of the present invention.

Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the view, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. With reference initially to Fig. 1, an oil film bearing is generally depicted at 10. Hoses 12 are coupled to drainage ports of the bearing chock 14 by connectors 16 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

With reference additionally to Figs. 2-6, the connectors 16 each comprises an elbow-shaped conduit 18 having a horizontal leg 18a adapted to be connected to the chock 14 in communication with an oil drainage port 20, and a downwardly angled leg 18b adapted to be connected to a hose 12.

A breather valve 22 communicates with the interior of the conduit 18 at an optimum location of the flow path through the conduit, preferably at the juncture of the horizontal and vertical conduit legs 18a, 18b. The breather valve 22 is adapted to admit ambient air into the conduit when oil is flowing through the conduit from the drainage port 20 to and through the hose 12, and is adapted to automatically close in the event that the conduit is filled with oil as a result of a reduction or stoppage of oil flow through the hose.

The breather valve may comprise a tubular neck 24 projecting upwardly from the conduit 18. As can best be seen in Fig. 4, the interior surface of the neck is grooved to provide vertical channels indicated typically at 26 extending downwardly to a slotted support ledge 28.

A cap 30 encloses the upper end of the neck 24. The cap 30 comprises an inner collar 32 threaded onto the upper end of the neck 24, and an outer cover 36 supported on and spaced from the collar 32 by means of internal radial and vertical ribs 38, 40. Collar 32 defines a valve seat 34 spaced above the slotted support ledge 28. A float ball 42 is captured between the slotted support ledge 28 and the valve seat 34. As shown in Fig. 3, the breather valve is open when the float ball 42 is spaced beneath the valve seat 34 and gravitationally urged onto the slotted support ledge 28. With the float ball in this position, ambient air can be admitted into the conduit 18 via a path defined by the space between the cover 36 and collar 32, through an opening between the float ball 42 and the valve seat 34, along the channels 26 on the inner surface of the neck 24, and through openings between the ball 42 and the slotted support ledge 28.

In the event that the conduit 18 should become filled with oil, the float ball 42 will respond buoyantly by rising from the support ledge 28 into contact with the valve seat 34, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby closing the val ve and preventing leakage of oil from the connector 16.

In one exemplary embodiment, the drain connector may further comprise a flow deflector 44 defining a recess 46 in the conduit beneath the slotted support ledge 28. As indicated diagrammatically by the arrows in Fig. 3, the flow deflector is configured to deflect oil flowing through the conduit 18 around the recess 46 and past the float ball 40 seated in the slotted support ledge 28.

While exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed,

modification, additions and deletions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its equivalents, as set forth in the following claims.