| Title of Invention | AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR THE ESTIMATION OF LUBRICANT IN LUBRICATED FIBRE CORE OF STEEL WIRE ROPES.` |
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| Abstract | An improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fiber core of steel wire ropes, which comprises a tubular extraction vessel (1) having a narrower bottom with a stop cock (6) and a wider mouth being connected with a reflux condenser (2) having a tubular connection from the inner tube to an outside funnel (3),, characterized in that the said the said extraction vessel (1) being provided with fine mesh sieve (4) near its inside bottom and a thermal sensor (5) on its external surface placed near the said sieve, the said extraction vessel (1) being also provided with an external surface heating by means of two folding heater halves (12) connected to a regulator (13) and a timer (14), the said interconnected reflex condenser and tubular vessel with heating means such as described herein above and being held by clamps (16) to a vertical stand (15), the bottom of the said tubular vessel being connected to a blower (11) drier (10) through by means of a spring (9) loaded conventional glass joints (7,8) |
| Full Text | This invention relates to an improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fibre core of steel wire ropes. Steel wire ropes with fibre core are being extensively used for mining and in aerial ropeway for winding and haulage purposes. In such steel wire rope wire strands are stranded around a lubricant impregnated fibre core known as FMC (Fibre main core). In addition to provide flexibility to the rope the lubricated FMC acts as reservoir of lubricant, which lubricates the rope interior through out its service life. The internal lubrication prevents friction amongst strands in rope and wire in strands, ensures uniform loading in all wires and thereby overloading in certain wires/strands is prevented. In addition a degree of corrosion protection is achieved. Therefore the lubricant content retained in FMC of finished rope during service is an important criteria toward monitoring health of steel wire ropes. The lubricant content in lubricated FMC is determined basically by weight loss through solvent extraction of lubricant in extraction apparatus. The present status of instrumentation and methodology of determination of lubricant content in fibre main core of finished steel wire rope as presently done is described herein below. The present instrument for lubricant extraction from lubricated FMC is a glass apparatus, which consists of a flask (250/500 cc) with a reflux condenser fitted to its neck by standard joint and a heater below the flask. A suitable quantity of sample of lubricated FMC from finished steel wire rope is opened by untwisting and weighed. The sample is boiled in the flask with a suitable quantity of solvent (Toluene B.P. 110°c, Benzene B.P. 80°c, Hexane B.P. 65-70 °c, etc.) under reflux for lubricant extraction. The extracted lubricant solvent mixture is decanted off over a wire netting of fine mesh for filtering off the garbage (foreign materials like dirt, lumps, sand minute broken fibre etc.) in lubricant. Fresh quantity of solvent is introduced in to the flux, boiled and decanted off. The exercise is repeated number of times (four at least) till the fibre is free of lubricant as evident from appearance of fibre and cleanliness and transparency of boiled solvent in the flask. The fibre and garbage are dried in an oven at 105°C. The dry weight of fibre and garbage when subtracted from original weight of lubricated FMC gives weight of lubricant in lubricated FMC from which % retention of lubricant in lubricated FMC by weight can be calculated. Wt. of lubricated FMC - Wt. of (Dry FMC+ Dry garbage) % Retention of = x100 lubricant Wt. of lubricated FMC Drawbacks /limitations of present instrumentation and methodology 1) It requires dismantling of the instrument number of times (at least four) for fdecanitation^of lubricant solvent mixture extract & for introduction of fresh solvent, which is cumbersome and may lead to breakage of glass apparatus. 2) Heating at 105°C for long time for drying may lead to roasting of fibre resulting in loss of natural configuration of fibre core and thereby loss of its weight. 3) Filtering of garbage, its drying and weighing is an additional painful exercise. 4) Through narrow neck of flask it is difficult to put in and take out sample. Therefore, there is ample scope for the development of an improved apparatus for the above-mentioned purpose. The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fibre core of steel wire ropes. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the lubricant - solvent mixture extract resulting from solvent extraction of lubricant in lubricated fibre core can be drained off and fresh solvent can be introduced any number of times till the sample is free of lubricant without dismantling the apparatus assembly. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the lubricant free fibre core resulting from solvent extraction of lubricant from the lubricated fibre core can be dried within the same apparatus without dismantling its assembly. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the solvent extraction of lubricant from the lubricated fibre core and forced evaporation drying of the delubricated fibre core is made possible at low auto controlled temperature (below 70°C) instead of drying in oven at 105 °C as per the present practice to eliminate the possibility of roasting of fibre and there by eliminating loss of natural weight of the same. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which no separate experimental exercise is required for determination of garbage (dirt, lumps etc.) associated in lubricated fibre core. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device, which facilitates easy insertion of sample inside the device and its easy removal. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an economical and time saving device in which required different experimental operations towards determination of lubricant content in lubricated fibre core can be performed within a single apparatus without having to dismantle the apparatus for the three operations - (I) repeated solvent extraction to make the lubricated fibre core completely free of lubricant at low temperature (ii) forced evaporation drying of the lubricant free fibre at low temperature with a view to retain its normal configuration (iii) holding the lubricant free dry fibre along with garbage [ foreign material like dirt lump, sand etc. within the apparatus] and dismantling the apparatus assembly only at the end of all the experiments. The device of the present invention is illustrated in Figure -1 of the drawing accompanying this specification. The main components of the device of the present invention as schematically shown in Fig-1 are a tubular vessel (1) having a narrower bottom with a stop cock (6) and a wider mouth, a reflux condenser (2) (3), a sieve (4), thermal sensor (5), a two fold heater (12), a regulator (13), a timer (14), a blower (11), a drier (10) and a stand (15), (16). Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fiber core of steel wire ropes, which comprises a tubular extraction vessel (1) having a narrower bottom with a stop cock (6) and a wider mouth being connected with a reflux condenser (2) having a tubular connection from the inner tube to an outside funnel (3),, characterized in that the said the said extraction vessel (1) being provided with fine mesh sieve (4) near its inside bottom and a thermal sensor (5) on its external surface placed near the said sieve, the said extraction vessel (1) being also provided with an external surface heating by means of two folding heater halves (12) connected to a regulator (13) and a timer (14), the said interconnected reflex condenser and tubular vessel with heating means such as described herein above and being held by clamps (16) to a vertical stand (15), the bottom of the said tubular vessel being connected to a blower (11) drier (10) through by means of a spring (9) loaded conventional glass joints (7,8). In the known / prior art the operation of estimation of lubricant in lubricate fibre core steel core steel wire ropes requires multistep, multi instrument operations. The device of the present invention is novel as no single instrument is available for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fiber core of steel wire ropes. In the device of the present invention, innovative constructional features as described has resulted in the novel device of the present invention. Methodology of Experimental operation of the device of the present invention a) A sample quantity of lubricated fibre main core from finished wire rope is opened by untwisting and weighed (x). The sample is taken in the extraction vessel (1) in condition where bottom stop cock (6) is closed and standard glass female joint (8) together with its tube assembly leading to (10) and (11) removed. A suitable quantity of low boiling solvent (e.g. Hexane B.P. 65 - 70 °C) is poured into the extraction vessel (1) through the funnel (3) by opening the stop cock and then closing. b) The sample is boiled in the vessel (1) under reflux condensation by operating the heating halves (12) for lubricant extraction from the fibers for a reasonable time and heating stopped. The extracted lubricant and solvent mixture is drained off by opening the bottom stopcock (6) while the fibre along with carried over garbage during service, if any, is retained by the sieve (4) within the vessel. c) The bottom stop cock (6) is again closed and the operation of lubricant extraction by as in above paragraph (b) is repeated again and again number of times with fresh quantity of solvent every time till the fibre's and the associated foreign matters (if any) are completely free of lubricant as evident from clean appearance of fibre and cleanliness and transparency of the solvent in the vessel (1). d) After draining off the solvent after last above operation by opening the stop cock (6) the standard female glass joint (8) assembly leading from blower (11) and drier (10) is connected to standard male joint (7) and dry air from (11) and (10) is blown through the lubricant free fibre and garbage (if any) while heating by the heating halves (12) to maintain the air temperature inside vessel (1) at predetermined low temperature say 50 to 70 °C by auto control. The air is blown for reasonable time to make the fibres and garbage if any within the vessel completely dry without affecting the basic fibre structure. e) The vessel (1) is dismantled and separated from the assembly immediately. The dry fibre and the garbage if any are poured into a weighing dish with the help of a brush and the sample cooled to room temperature in a dessicater and the sample weighed (Y). % Retention of lubricant in lubricated fibre core of finished steel rope Wt. of lub. fibre core - ( Wt. of lub. free dry fibre & garbage if any) Wt. of lubricated fibre core Thus the purpose of the experiment to determine the lubricant content in fibre core of steel wire rope is being served by the present invention while fulfilling the objects as mentioned above. The following example is given to illustrate the actual use of the device of the present invention and therefore should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention. Example -1 1) Sample of lubricated fibre main core taken after untwisting (15.22g). 2) The above sample is introduced into a 250 c.c. flask and boiled with 100 c.c. solvent (Toluene / Benzene) under a reflux apparatus for lubricant extraction for 10 minutes. The flask removed from reflux apparatus and extracted lubricant solvent mixture is decanted off over a wire netting of fine mesh for filtering the garbage (foreign materials, dirt, lumps, broken fibre) in extracted solution. 3) To the fibre in the flask a fresh quantity (100c.c. approx.) of solvent (toluene/benzene) is introduced and boiled under reflux apparatus and decanted off as above. 4) The exercise (3) is repeated four times at the end of which the fibre is free of lubricant as evident from appearance of fibre and cleanliness and transparency of the boiled solvent in the flask. 5) The flask containing the lubricant free fibre is taken out from reflux apparatus.The fibre in the flask is taken out with the help of a wire scupper over a glass dish. 6) The glass dish containing the fibre introduced into an oven maintained at 110oC and heated for one hour for drying the fibre. 7) The dried fibre is removed from oven and kept in a desicator immediately for half an hour for cooling. 8) The weight of the cooled and dried fibre is taken and found to be 13.32g Advantages of the device of present invention: 1) Dismantling of instrument is required only once i.e. at the end of experiment. 2) Use of low boiling solvent e.g. Hexane (B.P - 65°C-70c) and blowing of 50°C to 70°C hot air for drying would eliminate possibility of roasting of fibre and loss of its natural weight. Solvent with lesser boiling point and blowing of lesser hot air also can be used if desired. 3) The fibre and garbage of lubricant is held by wire netting inside the instrument and dried by hot air together and weighed together. No separate exercise is required. 4) Since the neck of the extracting vessel is wide putting in and taking out of sample is easy. 5. It incorporates automatic control of air/solvent temperature within the boiling vessel. We Claim: 1) An improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fiber core of steel wire ropes, which comprises a tubular extraction vessel (1) having a narrower bottom with a stop cock (6) and a wider mouth being connected with a reflux condenser (2) having a tubular connection from the inner tube to an outside funnel (3), , characterized in that the said the said extraction vessel (1) being provided with fine mesh sieve (4) near its inside bottom and a thermal sensor (5) on its external surface placed near the said sieve, the said extraction vessel (1) being also provided with an external surface heating by means of two folding heater halves (12) connected to a regulator (13) and a timer (14), the said interconnected reflex condenser and tubular vessel with heating means such as described herein above and being held by clamps (16) to a vertical stand (15), the bottom of the said tubular vessel being connected to a blower (11) drier (10) through by means of a spring (9) loaded conventional glass joints (7,8). 2) An improved device for the estimation of lubricant in lubricated fiber core of steel wire ropes substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawing accompanying this specification and example. |
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304-del-2001-correspondence-others.pdf
304-del-2001-correspondence-po.pdf
304-del-2001-description (complete).pdf
| Patent Number | 217969 | |||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 304/DEL/2001 | |||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 24/2008 | |||||||||
| Publication Date | 13-Jun-2008 | |||||||||
| Grant Date | 31-Mar-2008 | |||||||||
| Date of Filing | 19-Mar-2001 | |||||||||
| Name of Patentee | COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH | |||||||||
| Applicant Address | RAFI MARG NEW DELHI -110 001, NEW DELHI | |||||||||
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| PCT International Classification Number | DO7 B | |||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||
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