Supersonic lubricator

Claim 2

An airline lubricator comprising a housing having an air passage therethrough and a source of lubricant, means within said air passage for receiving a portion only of air passing through said air passage and creating sound waves, and passage means for delivering lubricant from said source across said air passage and to said sound creating means for dividing the lubricant into small particles by the sound waves and delivering the small particles to the downstream side of the air passage.

Claim 3

An airline lubricator comprising a housing having an air passage therethrough and a source of lubricant, means within said air passage for receiving a portion only of air passing through said air passage and creating sound waves, and passage means for delivering lubricant from said source across said air passage and to said sound creating means for dividing the lubricant into small particles by the sound waves and delivering the small particles to the downstream side of the air passage.

Claim 4

An airline lubricator comprising a housing having an air passage therethrough and a source of lubricant, means within said air passage for receiving a portion only of air passing through said air passage and creating sound waves, and passage means for delivering lubricant from said source across said air passage and to said sound creating means for dividing the lubricant into small particles by the sound waves and delivering the small particles to the downstream side of the air passage.

Claim 5

The lubricator of claim 1 in which said means for creating sound waves is in the form of a whistle tube having an opening in its side.

Claim 6

The lubricator of claim 2 in which said passage means for delivering lubricant to the whistle tube includes a conduit communicating with the interior of the whistle tube between said side opening and an open end of the tube upstream of the side opening.

Claim 7

The lubricator of claim 1 in which the sound waves have a frequency of over 10,000 cycles per second.

Claim 8

The lubricator of claim 3 in which said whistle tube includes a venturi section and said conduit projects into the interior of the whistle tube and has a sloping end facing toward said side opening.

Claim 9

The lubricator of claim 3 in which said whistle tube is suspended in said air passage by said conduit.

Claim 10

The lubricator of claim 2 in which said air passage includes a venturi section and said whistle tube is positioned in said air passage with said side opening within the venturi section.

Claim 11

The lubricator of claim 2 in which there is a means for varying the size of the side opening.

Claim 12

The lubricator of claim 2 in which the whistle tube has an open end facing the upstream side of the air passage and a closed end and said side opening is between said ends.

Claim 13

The lubricator of claim 9 in which there is a means for varying the distance between the side opening and said closed end.

Claim 14

The lubricator of claim 2 in which there is a means for varying the position of the side opening along the length of the tube.

Claim 15

The lubricator of claim 1 in which there is a means for varying the frequency of said sound waves.

Claim 16

An airline lubricator comprising a housing having a passage for air under pressure and having a reservoir containing lubricant, a tube in said air passage extending axially therealong and having a first opening therein facing upstream of the air passage to receive air therefrom and having a second opening downstream of the first opening and communicating with the air passage, means for creating sound waves in the tube when air passes from the first opening to the second, means connecting the upstream end of the air passage to the reservoir to create a pressure upon the lubricant therein, a conduit connecting the reservoir to the interior of the tube, means creating a lower pressure at the connection of the conduit to the tube than in said reservoir whereby lubricant flows to the tube and is divided into small particle size by said sound waves, said particles being carried by the air passing from said first opening to the second opening and delivered to the downstream side of the air passage.

Claim 17

An airline lubricator comprising a housing having a passage for air under pressure and having a reservoir containing lubricant, a tube in said air passage extending axially therealong and having a first opening therein facing upstream of the air passage to receive air therefrom and having a second opening downstream of the first opening and communicating with the air passage, means for creating sound waves in the tube when air passes from the first opening to the second, means connecting the upstream end of the air passage to the reservoir to create a pressure upon the lubricant therein, a conduit connecting the reservoir to the interior of the tube, means creating a lower pressure at the connection of the conduit to the tube than in said reservoir whereby lubricant flows to the tube and is divided into small particle size by said sound waves, said particles being carried by the air passing from said first opening to the second opening and delivered to the downstream side of the air passage.

Claim 18

The lubricator of claim 13 in which there is a means for varying the frequency of the sound waves.

Claim 19

The lubricator of claim 13 in which the second opening is in the side of the tube the connection of the conduit to the tube is radially opposite said side opening.

Claim 20

The lubricator of claim 13 in which said sound waves have a frequency of more than 15,000 cycles per second.