US1996106A - Method of and means for filtering fluid lubricants - Google Patents

Description

A ril 2,1935. E. J. HALL 6,

METHOD OF AND MEANS FQR FILTERING FLUID LUBRICANTS Filed July so, 1952 l l qvEN'i' ol 6559672" HQZZ ATTORNEY I Patented Apr; a I

UNITED STATES (1,0 ,100 amnion or AND mums ron' m'mnma FLUID LUBRICANTS aim-taunt,

Application July so, 1932,- Serial No. 020,010

3' Claims. (01. 210-100) This'invention relates to filters for liquids and more particularly to a method of and means for separating carbon and metallic particlesirom oil used for lubricating the moving parts of internal combustion engines.

It is well known that it is highly desirable to I prevent passage or carbon in lubricating oils to the working parts of an internal combustion engine. It is also well known that as the result of the operation of the moving parts 01 ari in.-- ternal combustion engine the lubricating oil'con-' tains metallic particles such as brass, babbitt, aluminum, etc. and that it is desirable to prevent these metallic particles from being carried to the working parts of the engine.

The present invention contemplates a method ior positively preventing the passage of carbon and these metallic particles to the working parts of an internal combustion engine.

In one form of the present invention advantage is taken of the well known fact that a mag netic'field serves to attract and hold metal such as metal particles which invariablvoccur in lu- 1 a filter housing whereby the metal particles in the fluid lubricant passing therethrough are at-. tracted and held and thus prevented from passing to the parts of an engine to be lubricated.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from @the following description and the particular features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims. Thefigure is a broken, sectional view through ,a filter embodying the presentinvention.

To accomplish the above mentiond objects I use an oil filterwhich ismore or less conve tional and which comprises an outer shell, us of metal, with an inner relatively concentric filter element Orstrainer. In use, 'oil either passes be-' .tween the outer shell and the filter element,

thence through thefilter elementto the working parts of an engine-or the oil passes first through thefilter element to the space between the same and the outer shell and then to the parts tobe lubricated. The filter element or 'strainer of; a filter of more or less conventional type usually includes a-jcenter piece of metal, usually tubular, and provided with a plurality of openings througlr'which the.'fiuid lubricant passes; this center p'iece being surrounded by a metal gauze orstrainer which latter is surrounded by filter elements iorme'dof suitable fabric; the entire assembly just mentioned being assembled concentrically within an outer shell termed 0! metal.

bricating oils and the present invention co'ntem 25 plates the establishing of a magnetic field within Berkeley, Calif.

In carrying out the present invention I preferably-embed within the fabric; filter elementsa solenoid which surrounds the center piece and which is connected to the standard automobile generator circuit so as to be energized thereby during roperation of; the generator, thecenter piece Iunctioningin the assembly as a magnetic core. In cooperation with the solenoid and core 1 preferably embed within the fabric filter elements' a plurality of soit'iron washers which 10 surround the metal gauze and itis obvious that with such an assembly when the generator is in operation magnetic fields are established within the outer shell of the filter which, when the lubricant is being pumped through the filter, will 15 cause metallic particles therein tobe attracted and restrained from passing through the filter into the parts or an engine which are to be lubricated. I

No special design of filter is essential to a proper operation of this improved method of separating metallic substances or other impurities from the fluid lubricant andalmost any oil filter may be used. The drawing discloses a sectional view through a filter in which the present inven- 25 tion is embodied and the filter comprises a main filter casing 2 which'is removably attached in any suitable manner to a base 4 which is ,provided with a sump '5, the lower end oi! which latter is normally closed by a plug 5. For sealing the joint go between the filter casing and base a suitable gas-' ket 8 is employed. I

The filter base 4 comprises a casting having an outer portion l0 and a substantially centrally arrangedportion 12 provided with an opening I, the as central portion I! having an internally threaded recess I6 which receives the lower end portion of 'a stud bolt l8, centrally and longitudinally cored as at 20 to provide an oil passage, as will be more clearly described hereinaiter. Y

The upper end portion 01 the ,stud bolt is I squared as at 22 to fit within an internal boss .24, and the upper end portion oil -said bolt projects beyond the filter casing 2 and is threaded for the engagement of a securing nut 28. In the construction just described it is obvious that the filter casing 2 andbase 4 are.held in asseinbled relation'by means of the nut 28 and the stud bolt I 3 r F The stud bolt l8 provides the filter center piece I v and the same is provided with a plurality of. oil passages 28 which communicate with the central passage 20 and this center piece issurrounded Y by metallic" gauze or screening '30. Arranged around the center piece II and the gauze 30 are a plurality of discs 32 formed of felt or other suitable fabric and they are retained by top and bottom plates 34 and 36, respectively; plate'34 bearing against the boss 24 while the plate'36 rests 5 upon and is supported by the portion I2 of the base casting 4.

Also surrounding the center piece I8 is a solenoid 38 which is mounted on a fibre bobbin 40 and has connection with electric conductors 42 which are connected in the generator circuit of the vehicle. As clearly shown in the drawing, these conductors 42 extend through an insulator 44 arranged in a suitable opening in the filter casing 2.

Separating the fabric discs 32 is a plurality of spaced metallic washers 46 which are formed of suitable magnetic material such as soft iron or the like and they are arranged to surround the center piece I8 and the gauze.or strainer- 30.

In the instance shown in the drawing the filter casing 2 and the base 4 are preferably "made of non-magnetic material and it will be apparent that with the generator in operation the solenoid will be energized and the center piece I 8 functions as a core therefor and that magnetic fields will be established between the solenoid 38 and the several magnetic washers 46 thereby establishing within the filter casing 2 a plurality of magnetic fields which will serveto attract and hold metallic particles and carbon in the -oil as it passes .through the filter. In the instance shown the oil passes into the filter casing 2 between the filter element formed on the'center piece l8 and com.-

prising the fabric discs 32 and the casing 2, the oil passage being designated for purposes of convenience as 48. The oil will .pass through the discs 32 and through the strainer 36 into the' of residual magnetism in the washers 46 the magnetically-held metallic particles 1 will drop by gravity in the space 48 into the sump 5 and may 'be removedfrom the filter upon removal of the 'plug 6. V

This invention also may be modified in such a manner as to provide a magnetic coil which externally surrounds the filter housing and merely by way of example, a doughnut coil in circuit 'with the generator may encircle the outer shell of the filter'and when energized cause magnetic lines of force to be formed which are adapted to hold the metallic substances and other impurities in the oil to prevent their passage into the engine. A coil of any preferred or desired type may be made to accomplish this purpose and the doughnut coil is mentioned merely'by way of example; it being a part of this invention to provide a coil located either externally or internally of the shell of the filter which will establish, when energized, magnetic lines of force through the fluid lubricant in its passage through the filter. The magnetic field established by the coil will cause an accumulation of the floating metallic substances and other impurities in theoil at a point dependent upon the directionof the lines of magnetic force. In one instance the magnetic field established by the coil may cause an accumulation of the impurities in the vicinity of the outer shell while in another instance the magnetic lines of force may be of such a character as to force the impurities away from the coil as will be obvious; the direction or the lines of force being determined in accordance with the passage of the fluid lubricant through the filter, it being the objectof the invention to prevent the passage of these impurities to the parts to be lubricated. In all events, regardless of the direction of the magnetic lines of force the coil is adapted to be energized by the generator for the purpose of influencing travel of the impurities in the lubricant so as to prevent their passage to parts to be lubricated.

After breaking of the circuit and loss of residual magnetism, the accumulated particles and other impurities may fall by gravity to the bottom of the filter and may be removed in any desired manner.

In the construction described above it is to be understood, of course, that suitable insulation will be provided in order to'properly establish the magnetic fields; As an example of-a construction with which an internal coil is associated with the center piece, the outer shell of the filter will preferably be made of non-magnetic material. In the use of an external coil portions of the outer shell of the filter may be made of non-magnetic material such as'brass, for example, and the portions adapted for cooperation with the coil will be made of suitable magnetic material. 1

Obviously the invention disclosed herein is susceptible of many modifications and it is not to,be

understood that the invention is limited to thefilter including an outer non-magnetic shell and an interiorly arranged filter element having portions thereof formed of magnetic material and other portions formed of fabric or the like, the combination of a solenoid imbedded in said fabric and connected to a source of electric current and a plurality'of magnetic elements imbedded in said fabric in spaced relation with respect to said solenoid whereby upon energization of the solenoid magnetic fields are established within the filter adapted to influence the travel of metallic substances and other impurities in the fluid lubricant passing through said filter.

2. A combined 'filter and magnetic separator comprising a casing, a sump at the lower end of said casing, anupstanding hollow core mounted in said casing above said sump. a solenoid surrounding said core, a plurality of spaced disks of magnetic material surrounding said core, disks of filtering material mounted in the spaces between said magnetic disks, means for intermittently-energizing said solenoid whereby metallic particles caught by said disks will be precipitated to said sump when the solenoid is de-energized.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, a sump in the lower part of said casing, a core of magnetic material mounted in the upper part of said casing, said core having longitudinal and radial passages therein, a strainer gauze surrounding said-core, a solenoid surrounding said core,

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