Methods and apparatus for dispensing dynamoelectric machine lubricant material

摘要

This application discloses methods and apparatus particularly useful for repetitively charging consistently accurate quantity charges of a lubricant retaining and wicking material to bearing lubricant reservoirs of dynamoelectric machines. A metering head is movably supported on a base for motion toward and away from a bearing and its support while both are held in alignment with the metering head. The metering head includes chamber means in the form of one or more dispensing chambers which may be sealingly coupled to the bearing support structure. The chamber means receives lubricant retaining material through a given port from a source with excess material returning to the source. A valving arrangement interrupts the supply of material without substantially changing either the volume or pressure of the material in the dispensing chamber. An evacuation passage material flow path from the same given port of the chamber to the bearing support structure or other workpiece is established and the material is extruded from the chamber through the same port. One preferred method includes supplying a compressible mixture of lubricant and wicking material to a chamber under consistent conditions, and moving the material into the chamber linearly, i.e., without substantially changing the flow path of the material after it passes the inlet port.