4,262,776
1 2
in excess of that which is strictly necessary for the par
CONVEYOR LUBRICATING SYSTEM ticular conveyor application. Since these other ingredients can be quite costly, the increase in concentration of
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION those ingredients where an increase is not strictly neces
1. Field of the Invention 5 sary is an economic waste. Similarly, not all areas of the This invention relates generally to lubrication sys- country require that a water conditioner be added in the
tems. More particularly, this invention relates to a lubri- composition (e.g., areas where the water supply has a cation system which embodies a method and apparatus iow mjneral content.) However, it is standard practice for applying a multi-ingredient lubricating composition ^ t0 include a water conditioner in the composition conto a conveyor. centrate so that the same concentrate can be used in all
2. Description of the Prior Art „„„„ „e tu
xr ■ / e *-r J „uu .4.1- areas of the country.
Various types of conveyors are utilized m the bottling T . ... ' , . .. ,. ..
. , . , J v , .., , c ... It is apparent that the prior practice of formulating a
industry for moving bottles and cans from one point in , f
a production line to another. These conveyors include standard concentrate for creating the lubricating cornvarious types of side flexing chain conveyors and the 15 position with the concentrate having pre-determmed like. It is usually necessary that the conveyors be ade- ratios of a11 the possibly needed ingredients is an ecoquately lubricated. In this regard, a thin watery lubri- nomically wasteful practice. In an attempt to alleviate eating composition is customarily pumped or sprayed this waste, the prior art has provided a plurality of down onto the top flight of the conveyor. This lubricat- separate pre-formulated concentrates having varying ing composition drips down through the conveyor to 20 ratios of the ingredients therein. The theory is to select also lubricate the return flight. the single concentrate from the group of concentrates
The lubricating compositions previously used in most which is most ideally suited to the conditions appearing
lubricating systems accomplish more than simply lubri- at the particular conveying line. However, it is both
eating the conveyor For example, in the beer brewing ^ sive t0 pre.formulate and provide a
industry, the growth of bacteria on the conveyor is a" * n * * * T
^.^ , . J . range of totally separate concentrates. In addition, even
problem which plagues the art. It has been customary in . f . / . , . . * . * • ,
the past that the lubricating composition sprayed onto TMth a "umber of Pfe-formulated concentrates to pick
the conveyor also include a bactericide for inhibiting from> the Pnor art lubricating system lacks flexibility,
bacteria growth. Similarly, the water supply in certain For example, the conditions existing on any conveying
parts of the country (e.g., the Midwestern states) has a 30 line can change quite rapidly. For example, bacteria
relatively high mineral content. When such a water growth may all of a sudden increase to a point which
supply is used in the lubricating composition, it tends to requires that the lubricating composition have an in
rust or otherwise degrade the conveying apparatus. creased level of bactericide. None of the present sys
Thus, the lubricating composition also desirably con- tems allows the operator much flexibility in adjusting
tains a water conditioner and/or rust inhibitor. Conse- 35 the bactericide. Other than increasing the ratio of con
quently, the lubricating composition which is conven- centrate in the composition which increase applies
tionally sprayed onto the conveyors actually comprises equally to the water conditioner or to the lubricant
a multi-ingredient composition. thereby wasting these ingredients, all that the operator
One prior art conveyor lubricating system is known can dQ fa switch from the rticular concentrate he is
as the Monarch Crown Lube System which is used by 40 . . , . c ,,
.. , . rTT _ _ „ _ J using to another concentrate having a more favorable
the Monarch Chemicals Division of H. B. Fuller Com- x. ° . , . ,. x _.. , ° .
„„„„ tv „ . „ nf t, ;„ „„ti„ i„ tu;. „.,„ ratio of the ingredients. This however is very time-con
pany, the assignee ot the present invention. In this sys- . ° .
tem, a pump is provided for pumping a concentrate of suming.
the composition to a holding tank. This concentrate is SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION then diluted with water to form the lubricating compo- 45
sition. The lubricating composition contained in the One aspect of this invention is to provide a conveyor
holding tank is then suitably applied to the conveyor. lubrication system which obviates the above-noted dis
Operation of the pump for pumping the composition to advantages by allowing the ingredients which comprise
the holding tank may be controlled by a conductivity the lubricating composition to be supplied separately
sensor in the holding tank. 50 when formulating the composition.
One problem with prior art conveyor lubricating More particularly, this invention comprises an im
systems such as those described above is that the lubri- proved lubricating system for use in applying a lubricat
cating composition concentrate has predetermined ra- jng composition to a conveyor. The system includes
tios of the ingredients therein. A single formulation of means for supplying a concentrate of the composition to
the concentrate is seldom effective for all conveyor 55 a holding tank. The holding tank includes means for
plant operations For example, a particular conveying adding water or anQther diluent theret0 t0 dilute the
application may have a serious bacteria growth prob- concentrate to form the lubricating composition. A
lem This might require that the composition being used the ... tank then ^ lubficati
in this application have a very high level of bactericide ■i- v Li ■ r
therein. This adjustment is made by increasing the 60 composition to any suitable means for spraying or ap
amount of concentrate in the lubricating composition. P1^ the composition to the conveyor The present
However, because the ratio of the bactericide in any invention includes individual supply tanks m which a
given concentrate is always fixed relative to the levels concentrate of each of the needed ingredients is held,
of the lubricant and/or the water conditioner, increas- Separate pumps are provided for separately conducting
ing the amount of the bactericide in the composition 65 each of the ingredient concentrates to the holding tank,
also increases the amount of lubricant being used and Thus, the level of any given ingredient in the final lubri
also the amount of water conditioner. Thus, the amount eating composition can be easily changed by varying
of lubricant being used may be increased to a point far the pumping ratios of the ingredient concentrate pumps.
