Patent Publication Number: US-2013228398-A1

Title: Automatic lubrication system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/605,505, filed Mar. 1, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to lubrication of an industrial machine, and in particular to automatic lubrication of one or more structural elements of an industrial machine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Industrial machines, such as electric rope or power shovels, draglines, etc., are used to execute digging operations to remove material from a bank of a mine. During that process, the machines employ various large mechanical components (e.g., a boom, a boom handle, a dipper, a dipper door, etc.). The industrial machines further include a variety of structural elements (e.g., pins, bearings, bushings, etc.) that connect the various mechanical components and linkages of the machines. Typically, the structural elements are not lubricated during the operation of the industrial machine, which increases the wear on these elements and decreases the longevity of the industrial machine and its structures. For example, in an electric shovel, without lubrication, bearings cannot be installed in a dipper bail, which leads to decreased pin life. 
     Current designs for structural elements are also dictated by bearing stresses for un-lubricated joints, which are based upon the presumption that operators do not lubricate the structural elements of the machine. This presumption leads to decreased allowable design stresses for the structural elements. 
     In those instances where the structural elements are lubricated, the operator typically must first stop the operation of the machine prior to lubricating the structural elements, which decreases the productivity of the machine and is also dangerous for the operator. Current lubrication systems include manual lubrication systems, or electro-chemical systems that operate well in a warmer weather, but are ineffective in a colder climate. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one construction, an automatic lubrication system includes a reservoir configured to be coupled to an industrial machine component, a lubricant line coupled to the reservoir, and a mechanism coupled to the reservoir, the mechanism configured to exact a volume of lubricant from the reservoir based solely on movement of the industrial machine component. 
     In accordance with another construction, an automatic lubrication system for lubricating a structural element associated with both a first industrial machine component and a second industrial machine component includes a reservoir coupled to one of the first and second industrial machine components, and a mechanism coupled to the reservoir, wherein relative movement between the first and second industrial components causes movement of the mechanism such that a volume of lubricant is discharged from the reservoir. 
     In accordance with another construction, a method of automatically lubricating a structural element on an industrial machine includes coupling an automatic lubrication system to an industrial machine component, the automatic lubrication system including a mechanism configured to move in response to movement of the industrial machine component, moving the industrial machine component so as to trigger movement of the mechanism, and automatically delivering an amount of lubrication to a structural element in response to movement of the mechanism. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an industrial machine according to one construction of the invention, including a dipper, the industrial machine including a plurality of structural elements benefitting from automatic lubrication. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a dipper according to another construction of the invention, the dipper including a plurality of structural elements benefitting from automatic lubrication. 
         FIGS. 3-7  illustrate a dipper according to another construction of the invention, the dipper including a plurality of structural elements benefitting from automatic lubrication. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an automatic lubrication system according to one construction of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an automatic lubrication system according to another construction of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an automatic lubrication system according to another construction of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic image illustrating the automatic lubrication systems of  FIGS. 8-10  coupled to various industrial machine components and providing lubrication to various industrial machine structural elements. 
     
    
    
     Before any constructions of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other constructions and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-7  illustrate various structural elements that benefit from the automatic lubrication systems described herein. While a shovel and dippers are illustrated, the automatic lubrication systems described herein are applicable to a variety of different industrial machines and industrial machine mechanical components. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a mining shovel  10  that includes a mobile base  15 , drive tracks  20 , a turntable  25 , a revolving frame  30 , a boom  35 , a lower end  40  (also called a boom foot), tension cables  50 , a gantry tension member  55 , a gantry compression member  60 , a dipper  65  including a dipper body  70  and a dipper door  72 , a bail  73 , a hoist rope  75 , a winch drum  80 , an electric motor  82 , a dipper handle  85 , a saddle block  90 , a pivot point  95  (e.g., a shipper shaft), a transmission unit  100  (also called a crowd drive), a bail pin  105 , a dipper door pin  110 , and a boom point pin  115 . 
     The mobile base  15  is supported by the drive tracks  20 . The mobile base  15  supports the turntable  25  and the revolving frame  30 . The turntable  25  is capable of 360-degrees of rotation relative to the mobile base  15 . The boom  35  is pivotally connected at the lower end  40  to the revolving frame  30 . The boom  35  is held in an upwardly and outwardly extending relation to the deck by the tension cables  50 , which are anchored to the gantry tension member  55  and the gantry compression member  60 . The gantry compression member  60  is rigidly mounted on the revolving frame  30 , and a sheave  45  is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the boom  35 . 
     The dipper body  70  is suspended from the boom  35  by the hoist ropes  75 . The hoist rope  75  is wrapped over the sheave  45  and coupled to the dipper body  70  at the bail  73 . The hoist rope  75  is anchored to the winch drum  80  of the revolving frame  30 . The winch drum  80  is driven by the electric motor  82  that incorporates a transmission unit (not shown). As the winch drum  80  rotates, the hoist rope  75  is paid out to lower the dipper body  70  or pulled in to raise the dipper body  70 . The dipper handle  85  is also rigidly coupled to the dipper body  70 . The dipper handle  85  is slidably supported in the saddle block  90 , and the saddle block  90  is pivotally mounted to the boom  35  at the pivot point  95 . The dipper handle  85  includes a rack tooth formation thereon that engages a drive pinion (not shown) mounted in the saddle block  90 . The drive pinion is driven by an electric motor and the transmission unit  100  to extend or retract the dipper handle  85  relative to the saddle block  90 . 
     An electrical power source (not shown) is mounted to the revolving frame  30  to provide power to the electric motor  82  for driving the winch drum  80 , one or more crowd electric motors (not shown) for driving the crowd transmission unit  100 , and one or more swing electric motors (now shown) for turning the turntable  25 . Each of the crowd, hoist, and swing motors is driven by its own motor controller or drive in response to control signals from a controller (not shown). 
     The controller is electrically and/or communicatively coupled to a variety of modules or components of the shovel  10 . Specifically, the controller is coupled to one or more sensors (not shown), a user interface (not shown), one or more hoist motors and hoist motor drives (not shown), one or more crowd motors and crowd motor drives (not shown), and one or more swing motors and swing motor drives (not shown). The controller includes combinations of hardware and software that are operable to, among other things, control the operation of the power shovel  10 , the dipper handle  85 , the dipper body  70 , etc., monitor the operation of the shovel  10 , etc. The sensors include position sensors, velocity sensors, acceleration sensors, an inclinometer, and one or more motor field modules. 
     The controller includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components (not shown) that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components and modules within the controller and/or shovel  10 . Specifically, the controller includes, among other things, a processing unit (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device), a memory, input units, and output units. The processor of the controller sends control signals to control the operations of the shovel  10 . Specifically, the controller monitors and/or controls, among others, the digging, dumping, hoisting, crowding, and swinging operations of the shovel  10 . 
     The dipper body  70  is coupled to the hoist rope  75  via the bail  73 . When the shovel  10  is ready to be unloaded, the operator positions the dipper body  70  over an unloading zone (e.g., vehicle, conveyor, etc.) and opens the door  72  to unload the collected material. This frequent movement of the shovel  10  wears out the structural elements of the bail  73  and the dipper body  70 . 
     Structural elements of mining shovel  10  that benefit from lubrication include at least the bail pins  105 , the dipper door pin  110 , equalizer pins (not shown), as well as any latching componentry that may be provided on the dipper  70  or mining shovel  10 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a different construction of a dipper  265  including a dipper body  270  and a dipper door  272  pivotally coupled to the dipper body  270  about a dipper door pin  310 . The Dipper  265  includes a snubber  274  for dampening rotation of the dipper door  272 . The dipper door  272  pivots between a closed position (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 2 ) and an opened position (shown in solid lines in  FIG. 2 ). The snubber  274  includes a housing  276  and an arm  278  that is pivotally supported by the housing  276  about a snubber pin  284 . The movement of the dipper door  272  between the opened and closed positions pivots the arm  278  relative to the housing  276 . The snubber  274  dampens the movement of the arm  278 , which in turn dampens the motion of the dipper door  272 . The dipper door pin  310  is located below the snubber  274 . 
     Structural elements of the dipper  265  that benefit from lubrication include at least the snubber pin  284  and the dipper door pin  310 , as well as any latching componentry that may be provided on door  272 . 
       FIGS. 3-7  illustrate yet a different construction of a dipper  465  including a dipper body  470  and a dipper door  472  pivotally coupled to the dipper body  470  about a dipper door pin  510 . The dipper body  470  includes a latch receiving opening  486 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  6 , and  7 , in order to keep the dipper door  472  closed until it is desired to open the door  472  to drop the dipper&#39;s contents, the dipper door  472  includes an impact actuated latch  488  in the form of a jaw having a “C” shape. The latch jaw  488  is pivotally and rotatably mounted on the dipper door  472  for rotation between a door-opened position and a door-closed position. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5-7 , a portion of the dipper body  470  is shown. The dipper body includes the receiving opening  486  and a dipper striker bar  492 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the latch jaw  488  is configured to engage the dipper striker bar  492  in a door-closed position. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the dipper  465  includes a locking mechanism  524  on the dipper door  472 . The locking mechanism  524  includes a primary locking mechanism  560  including a bar  564  pivotally coupled at pin  566  to the door  472 , and another connecting bar  568  pivotally coupled to and extending between each of the bar  564  at pin  567  and the latch jaw  488  at pin  569 . The latch jaw  488  is pivotally coupled to the door  472  at pin  571 . A hold open mechanism  522  biases the latch jaw  488  into its open position, and is in the form of a tension springs  523  coupled between the bar  564  and the connecting bar  568 . When locking the locking mechanism  524 , the pin  566  travels through the springs  523 , which helps to drive the latch jaw  488  into a locked position and hold the latch jaw  488  closed. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the locking mechanism  524  further includes a secondary latch  594  engaged with bar  564 , and a plunger  602  that engages the secondary latch  594 . In operation, the latch jaw  488  is held in a latched position by the secondary latch  594  that holds onto the primary locking mechanism  560  until the operator trips the secondary latch  594 . 
     Structural elements of the dipper  465  that benefit from lubrication include at least the dipper door pin  510 , the dipper striker bar  492 , the plunger  602 , the pin  566 , and the pin  569 . 
     While a particular latching mechanism for a dipper  465  is illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , various other types of dippers and dipper latching mechanisms also benefit from lubrication, including various standard industry dipper latch doors and latch-free doors. Components in industry dipper latch doors and latch-free doors that benefit from lubrication include, but are not limited to, ends of rotatable cross shafts, crank pins, actuators, lug pins, pivot pins, lever arms, links, and apertures for receiving such components. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an automatic lubrication system  700  according to one construction of the invention, for use with the shovel and dippers described above, or with other industrial machines. The lubrication system  700  includes a reservoir  702 , a plunger  705  disposed in the reservoir  702  and coupled to a spring  707 . A mechanism  715  (a lever in the illustrated construction) is coupled to the reservoir  702 , and pistons  710  coupled to the mechanism  715 . The mechanism  715  includes a weight  720  coupled to a distal end. Four lubricant lines  725  are fluidly connected to the reservoir  702 . The mechanism  715  is configured to exact a volume of lubricant  701  (e.g. oil, grease, or other lubricant) from the reservoir  702  based solely on movement of an industrial machine component. 
     In some constructions, the lubrication system  700  also includes a damping mechanism (not shown) that provides smooth motion of the mechanism  715  by limiting the bouncing effect of a machine component (e.g., the dipper body as the dipper digs through a bank of material). 
     In the illustrated construction, the reservoir  702  has a cylindrical shape. In other constructions the reservoir  700  has different forms and shapes. In some constructions, the reservoir  702  has a diameter of approximately eight inches and a length of approximately ten feet. In the illustrated construction, and with reference to  FIG. 1 , the lubrication system  700  is positioned in an area A on the dipper body  70 . Generally, the hollow portion A is surrounded by walls of the dipper body  70 , such that the hollow portion A is protected from rocks during the operation of the shovel  10 . In the illustrated construction, the reservoir  702  is coupled to the walls of dipper body  70  by mechanical fasteners  711  and is filled with the lubricant  701  (e.g., 200 pounds). In other constructions, other mechanisms are used to couple the automatic lubrication system  700  to a mechanical component of the shovel  10 , or other industrial machine. 
     The reservoir  702  includes a first end  730  and a second end  733  having an end cap  735 . The first end  730  of the reservoir  700  defines an outer wall  737  and an inner wall  739 . One end of the spring  707  is coupled to the inner wall  739  and the other end of the spring is coupled to the plunger  705 . The spring  707  constantly applies pressure on the plunger  705 , which presses the lubricant  701  inside the reservoir  702  to ensure that the lubricant is concentrated at the second end  733  of the reservoir. The end cap  735  includes four pistons  710 , each of which is coupled to a corresponding lubricant line  725  extending from the second end  733  of the reservoir  702 . In other constructions, the lubrication system  700  includes fewer or more pistons  710  or lubricant lines  725 . 
     The lubrication system  700  utilizes movement of a mechanical component (e.g. the dipper body  70  as the dipper passes through a dig cycle) to capture the energy of the movement and convert that energy into energy used to transfer lubricant from the reservoir  702  to a structural element or elements. For example, in the illustrated construction in  FIG. 8 , when the boom handle  85  and the dipper body  70  are not moving, the mechanism  715  is positioned at approximately forty five degrees relative to the body of the reservoir  702 . As the dipper body  70  begins to move and initiate a start of the dig cycle, the weight  720  moves downward due to gravity. Then, as the dipper body  70  moves through the dig cycle, the orientation of the weight  720  changes accordingly. The weight  720  pulls the mechanism  715  down, and the mechanism  715  presses the pistons  710 , whereby the pistons  710  inject the lubricant  701  from the reservoir  702  into the lubricant lines  725 . The lubricant lines  725  are coupled to the structural elements of the shovel  10  (e.g., the dipper door pins  110 , the bail pins  105 , etc.) and deliver the lubricant  701  to these structural elements during every dig cycle of the shovel  10 . When the dipper body  70  is unloaded and the boom handle is ready for a new dig cycle, the plunger  705  presses the lubricant toward the second end  733  of the reservoir  702 . That way, the lubrication system  700  is always “recharged” and there is a sufficient amount of lubricant to be pumped into the lubricant lines  725 . 
     Continuous lubrication of the structural elements increases the allowable design stresses of the structural elements, thereby allowing for smaller structural elements. Further, the addition of reliable automatic lubrication allows use of bearings (e.g., in a dipper bail), which can drastically increase structural element life. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an automatic lubrication system  800  according to another construction of the invention, for use with the shovel and dippers described above, or with other industrial machines. The lubrication system  800  includes a reservoir  802 , a plunger  805  disposed in the reservoir  802  and coupled to a threaded rod  807  (e.g., a screw in the illustrated construction) and a non-threaded rod  808 . The lubrication system  800  also includes a gear reduction  810  (e.g., a pinion and a gear in the illustrated construction) coupled to a mechanism  815  (e.g., a ratchet mechanism in the illustrated construction) having a weight  820  coupled to the mechanism  815 . The mechanism  815  is coupled to the reservoir  802 , and a single lubricant line  825  is coupled to the reservoir  802 , though other numbers of lubricant lines are also possible. The mechanism  815  is configured to exact a volume of lubricant  801  (e.g. oil, grease, or other lubricant) from the reservoir  802  based solely on movement of an industrial machine component. In the illustrated construction, the lubrication system  800  is positioned at the back area A of the dipper body  70  ( FIG. 1 ), and the reservoir  802  is filled with the lubricant  801  (e.g., 200 pounds). 
     The reservoir  802  includes a first end  830  having a first end cap  832  and a second end  833  having a second end cap  835 . The first end  830  defines an outer wall  837  and an inner wall  839 . The gear reduction  810  is coupled to the outer wall  837  of the first end cap  832 . The mechanism  815  is mechanically coupled to the gear reduction  810 . One end of each of the rods  807  and  808  is coupled to the inner wall  839  of the first end cap  832  and the other ends of the rods  807  and  808  are coupled to an inner wall  841  of the second end cap  835 . The rods  807  and  808  engage the plunger  805 . 
     As the shovel  10  enters a dig cycle, gravity created during that movement moves the weight  821  at the end of the mechanism  815 . As the dipper body  70  rises through the bank of material, the mechanism  815  moves downward and rotates the gear reduction  810 . The gear reduction  810  turns and moves the threaded rod  807  inside the reservoir  802 . The non-threaded rod  808  prevents the plunger  805  from turning, which results in linear motion of the plunger  805 . As the rod  807  turns, the rod moves the plunger  805  inside the reservoir  802  forward in small incremental distances. The plunger  805  compresses the lubricant and forces it from the reservoir  802  into the lubricant line  825 . The lubricant line  825  delivers lubricant to the structural elements of the shovel  10 . The use of a mechanism  815  in the form of a ratchet in this construction helps to minimize the amount of grease distributed to the structural elements by limiting the effect of the bouncing impact of the dipper body as it digs. As the dipper body returns to the start of the dig cycle, the mechanism  815  returns to its starting position and the lubrication system  800  begins the lubrication process again. 
       FIG. 10  schematically illustrates an automatic lubrication system  900  according to yet another construction of the invention, for use with the shovel and dippers described above, or with other industrial machines. The lubrication system  900  operates to lubricate one or more structural elements based on relative motion of mechanical components. For example, the illustrated lubrication system  900  in  FIG. 10  provides lubrication when the shovel  10  unloads material from the dipper body. Specifically, the lubrication system  900  uses the energy created during the closing of the dipper door to operate various mechanical linkages and/or pneumatic systems in the lubrication system  900 . 
     The lubrication system  900  includes a reservoir  902 , a piston  905  coupled to the reservoir  902  and also coupled to a spring  907 , a mechanism  910  (e.g., a plunger in the illustrated construction) coupled to the dipper body  70  and the piston  905 , and a single lubricant line  925 , though additional lubricant lines  925  are also possible. In the illustrated construction, the lubrication system  900  is positioned along a back area of the dipper body  70 , such as area A described above. The reservoir  902  is filled with lubricant  901  (e.g. oil, grease, or other lubricant) and the lubricant line  925  is coupled to one or more structural elements of the shovel  10 . The mechanism  910  is configured to exact an amount of lubricant  901  from the reservoir  902  based solely on relative movement between two industrial machine components. 
     In the illustrated construction, one end of the plunger  910  is directly coupled to the dipper body and another end of the mechanism  910  is coupled to the piston  905 . In some constructions, the reservoir  902  of the system  900  is similar to the reservoir illustrated in  FIG. 8 , where the piston  905  and the spring  907  are positioned inside the reservoir  902 . The reservoir  902  includes a first end  930  and a second end  933 . The first end  930  includes a high pressure check valve  935  and the second end  933  includes a low pressure check valve  937 . 
     The lubrication system  900  utilizes movement of the dipper door as the dipper body unloads material. When the dipper door closes, the door presses the plunger  910  and the resultant energy is transferred to the plunger  910 . The plunger  910  then presses the piston  905  of the lubrication system  900 . The piston  905  injects lubricant  901  from the reservoir  902  into the lubricant line  925  through the low pressure check valve  937 . The lubricant line  925  is coupled to structural elements of the shovel, such as the dipper door pins and the bail pins, and delivers the lubricant to these structural elements when the shovel  10  unloads material from the dipper body. The spring  907  returns the piston  905  out past the dipper body when the dipper door opens. The high pressure check valve  935  releases air from the reservoir  902  and relieves pressure if the lubricant line  925  is blocked. 
     In one construction, and with reference to  FIG. 2 , the snubber  274  is used as the mechanism  910  to suppress the excess force created by the dipper door  272 . In this construction, the snubber  274  is directly coupled to the piston  905  of the lubrication system  900 . The snubber  274  transfers the energy created by the dipper door  272  to operate the lubrication system  900  and to lubricate the structural elements of the shovel. 
     In another construction, the lubrication system  920  is coupled to a controller (not shown) of the shovel  10 , or other industrial machine. The controller monitors the lubrication of the structural elements of the industrial machine by using an automatic lubrication module (not shown). For example, in some constructions the lubrication system  920  includes a sensor (not shown) positioned at the dipper door. The sensor detects the force created by closing of the dipper door (e.g. before or after the force is suppressed by the snubber  274  in the case of dipper  265 ) and sends information about this force to the controller. In this manner, the controller monitors the operation of the snubber  274  to ensure that energy created by the door  272  is not too excessive. Further, in some constructions the lubrication system  920  includes a sensor (not shown) positioned in the reservoir  902 . This sensor monitors the level of lubricant  901  in the reservoir  902  and notifies the operator when the level is below a predetermined threshold and lubricant  901  needs to be added in the reservoir  902 . In other constructions, the lubrication system  900  includes other electro-mechanical components that permit the controller to control the automatic lubrication of a structural element. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 10 , an alternative actuating spring pump  939  is also shown. The spring pump  939  is actuated by the dipper door  72  (or, for example, by a snubber), so that as the door  72  opens/closes, a pumping motion is created that pressurizes the reservoir  902  and causes delivery of the lubricant  901  through lubricant line  925 . 
       FIG. 11  illustrates schematically how the lubrication systems  700 ,  800 , and  900  are configured to be coupled to one of a variety of industrial machine components  1000  on an industrial machine, and are configured to provide lubrication to a variety of structural elements  1100  found on an industrial machine. The lubrication systems  700 ,  800 ,  900  are designed to automatically provide lubrication to a structural element (e.g., a pin) based solely on movement of one or more industrial machine components (e.g., a dipper, a dipper door, a boom, a boom handle, etc.). 
     Specifically, and with reference to  FIGS. 1-7  and  11 , the lubrication systems  700 ,  800 , and/or  900  are configured to be coupled to machine components  1000  that include, but are not limited to, the dipper body  70 , the dipper door  72 , the boom  35 , the dipper handle  85 , the dipper body  270 , the dipper door  272 , the dipper body  470 , the dipper door  472 , and various dipper latching components 
     The lubrication systems  700 ,  800 , and/or  900  are configured to provide lubrication to structural elements  1100  that include but are not limited to the bail pins  105 , the dipper door pin  110 , the snubber pin  284 , the dipper door pin  310 , the dipper door pin  510 , the dipper striker bar  492 , the plunger  602 , the pin  566 , and the pin  569 . 
     The lubrication systems  700 ,  800  are specifically designed to be coupled to industrial machine components and to capture the motion of the machine components themselves, whereas the lubrication system  900  is specifically designed to be coupled to two industrial machine components to capture the relative motion of the two industrial machine components. In either case, the lubrication systems  700 ,  800 ,  900  advantageously use only the motion and energy of an industrial machine component(s) to initiate lubrication. Regular lubrication of the structural elements of an industrial machine decreases the wear on these elements and on a drive for the industrial machine, and increases the structural life and provides energy for the structural elements of the industrial machine. 
     Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred constructions, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.