Patent ID: 8910751

Claim:
A machine system, comprising: a rotatable shaft; a housing having an opening therein, said housing defining a lubricating fluid sump therein; a bearing positioned within the opening in said housing, said bearing being sized to receive said rotatable shaft, lubricating fluid from said bearing draining into the lubricating fluid sump defined by said housing; a pump having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of said pump being fluidically connected to the lubricating fluid sump defined by said housing, the outlet of said pump being operatively associated with said bearing so that lubricating fluid from said pump is provided to said bearing; a pump control system operatively connected to said pump, said pump control system operating said pump in response to a lubrication signal to provide a controlled amount of lubricating fluid to said bearing; and a machine control system operatively associated with said shaft and said pump control system, said machine control system controlling rotation of said shaft in said bearing, said machine control system producing the lubrication signal for said pump control system during a start-up sequence and operating said pump in response to the lubrication signal to provide the controlled amount of lubricating fluid to said bearing before said machine control system initiates rotation of said shaft in said bearing.