Apparatus for measuring friction and contact between sliding lubricated surfaces

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS USEFUL FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURING FRICTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LUBRICANTS IN PREVENTING DIRECT METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT BETWEEN SLIDING METALLIC SURFACES WHICH COMPRISES: A SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BASE, A VERTICAL UPRIGHT SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE, AND A HORIZONTAL ARM PIVOTED ON SAID UPRIGHT; A VERTICAL ARM HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID ENDS ON SAID HORIZONTAL ARM; A METAL BALL FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID VERTICAL ARM; A LUBRICANT RESERVOIR MOUNTED ON SAID HORIZONTAL BASE; A ROTATABLE METAL CYLINDER HAVING ITS LOWER PORTION WITHIN SAID RESERVOIR AND ITS UPPER PORTION IN BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID METAL BALL, WHEREBY A LUBRICANT FILM IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AND SAID METAL BALL WHEN SAID CYLINDER IS ROTATED AND WHEN SAID RESERVOIR CONTAINS LUBRICANT; MEANS FOR APPLYING A LOAD TO SAID VERTICAL ARM WHEREBY SAID BALL IS URGED INTO PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AND WHEREBY AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IS FORMED BY SAID VERTICAL ARM, SAID BALL AND SAID CYLINDER; A FIRST MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE AVERAGE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE BETWEEN SAID BALL AND SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AS A FUNCTION OF TIME UPON PASSING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH SAID CIRCUIT; AND A SECOND MEASURING MEANS FOR LSIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF DEFLECTION OF SAID VERTICAL ARM CAUSED BY DRAG EXERTED UPON SAID BALL BY SAID CYLINDER WHEN SAID CYLINDER IS ROTATED IN LUBRICATED BEARING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST SAID BALL, SAID SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER FIXED TO SAID HORIZONTAL ARM, AND AN IRON CORE HAVING ENDS AND FIXED PROXIMATE THE UPPER END OF SAID PIVOTEDLY MOUNTED VERTICAL ARM, SAID IRON CORE HAVING ONE END EXTENDING INTO SAID DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER WHEREBY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VERTICAL ARM VARIES THE POSITION OF SAID CORES WITHIN SAID TRANSFORMER TO THEREBY CAUSE VARIATION IN THE ELECTRICAL OUTPUT OF SAID TRANSFORMER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS USEFUL FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURING FRICTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LUBRICANTS IN PREVENTING DIRECT METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT BETWEEN SLIDING METALLIC SURFACES WHICH COMPRISES: A SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BASE, A VERTICAL UPRIGHT SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE, AND A HORIZONTAL ARM PIVOTED ON SAID UPRIGHT; A VERTICAL ARM HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID ENDS ON SAID HORIZONTAL ARM; A METAL BALL FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID VERTICAL ARM; A LUBRICANT RESERVOIR MOUNTED ON SAID HORIZONTAL BASE; A ROTATABLE METAL CYLINDER HAVING ITS LOWER PORTION WITHIN SAID RESERVOIR AND ITS UPPER PORTION IN BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID METAL BALL, WHEREBY A LUBRICANT FILM IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AND SAID METAL BALL WHEN SAID CYLINDER IS ROTATED AND WHEN SAID RESERVOIR CONTAINS LUBRICANT; MEANS FOR APPLYING A LOAD TO SAID VERTICAL ARM WHEREBY SAID BALL IS URGED INTO PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AND WHEREBY AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IS FORMED BY SAID VERTICAL ARM, SAID BALL AND SAID CYLINDER; A FIRST MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE AVERAGE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE BETWEEN SAID BALL AND SAID ROTATABLE CYLINDER AS A FUNCTION OF TIME UPON PASSING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH SAID CIRCUIT; AND A SECOND MEASURING MEANS FOR LSIMULTANEOUSLY MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF DEFLECTION OF SAID VERTICAL ARM CAUSED BY DRAG EXERTED UPON SAID BALL BY SAID CYLINDER WHEN SAID CYLINDER IS ROTATED IN LUBRICATED BEARING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST SAID BALL, SAID SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER FIXED TO SAID HORIZONTAL ARM, AND AN IRON CORE HAVING ENDS AND FIXED PROXIMATE THE UPPER END OF SAID PIVOTEDLY MOUNTED VERTICAL ARM, SAID IRON CORE HAVING ONE END EXTENDING INTO SAID DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER WHEREBY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID VERTICAL ARM VARIES THE POSITION OF SAID CORES WITHIN SAID TRANSFORMER TO THEREBY CAUSE VARIATION IN THE ELECTRICAL OUTPUT OF SAID TRANSFORMER.