Method and apparatus for blending lubricating oil stocks

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUSLY BLENDING A LUBRICATING OIL STOCK WITH AN ADDITIVE, IN COMBINATION, A SOURCE OF OIL STOCK A, A SOURCE OF OIL STOCK B, A STORAGE VESSEL CONTAINING AN ADDITIVE A, A STORAGE VESSEL CONTAINING AN ADDITIVE B WHICH HAS AN INFRARED ABSORPTION BAND WITHIN THE 5.5 TO 6.1 MICRON REGION, MEANS DEFINING A MIXING ZONE, VALVED CONDUITS CONNECTING SAID SOURCES AND THE STORAGE VESSEL FOR ADDITIVE A, RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID MIXING ZONE, RATE OF FLOW CONTROLLERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE RESPECTIVE VALVES TO MAINTAIN PRESET RATES OF FLOW THROUGH THE CONDUITS CONTROLLED THEREBY, A LINE CONNECTING SAID STORAGE VESSEL FOR ADDITIVE B TO SAID MIXING ZONE, A VALVE IN SAID LINE, A RATE OF FLOW CONTROLLER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE TO MAINTAIN A PRESET RATE OF FLOW OF ADDITIVE B TO SAID MIXING ZONE, SAID CONTROLLER HAVING A SETTABLE ELEMENT ARRANGED TO VARY THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID ADDITIVE B, SAID MIXING ZONE INCORPORATING A HOMOGENIZER TO SECURE AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF SAID OIL STOCKS AND SAID ADDITIVES, AN INFRARED ANALYZER HAVING A SAMPLE CELL, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A SAMPLE OF MATERIAL FROM SAID MIXING ZONE THROUGH SAID CELL, MEANS FOR PASSING A TWIN BEAM OF INFRARED RADIATION THROUGH SAID CELL AND THE MATERIAL INCLUDED THEREIN, A FILTER IN ONE BEAM TO ATTENUATE RADIATION WITHIN THE 5.5 TO 6.1 MICRON REGION, RADIATION DETECTOR MEANS, AND A SHAFT ROTATABLE BY SAID DETECTOR MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIVE B PRESENT IN THE SAMPLE MATERIAL, A CONTACT MEMBER DRIVEN BY SAID SHAFT, A PAIR OF FIXED CONTACTS SPACED FROM SAID CONTACT MEMBER WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT IN ONE DIRECTION CLOSES A CIRCUIT BETWEEN ONE FIXED CONTACT AND SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER WHILE ROTATION OF THE SHAFT A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION CLOSES A CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER AND THE OTHER FIXED CONTACT, AN ADJUSTING MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID SETTABLE ELEMENT, A SOLENOID ARRANGED TO EFFECT STEPWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER IN ONE DIRECTION, A SECOND SOLENOID ARRANGED TO EFFECT STEPWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID ADJUSTING MEMBER IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, SAID SOLENOIDS BEING CONNECTED TO CIRCUIT, RESPECTIVELY, WITH SAID FIXED CONTACTS, A CURRENT SOURCE, A TIME DELAY RELAY HAVING AN OPERATING WINDING AND A SET OF NORMALLY CLOSED CONTACTS, AND MEANS FOR COMPLETING BOTH SOLENOID CIRCUITS THROUGH SAID MOVABLE CONTACT MEMBER THE OPERATING WINDING AND CONTACTS OF SAID RELAY, AND SAID CURRENT SOURCE.