Self-cooling mechanical seal lubricator

Claim 1

Apparatus for lubricating a mechanical seal between a rotatable shaft and itS housing comprising an enclosed, fluidtight, lubricant reservoir including a peripheral sidewall and axially spaced upper and lower end walls; a tubular member disposed within the reservoir and secured in fluidtight relationship to the inside surface of the upper end wall to define therewithin a lubricant-cooling chamber, the tubular member extending downwardly and substantially parallel to the sidewall, the lower end portion of the tubular member being open and disposed sufficiently above the inside surface of the lower end wall to permit circulation of the lubricant between the reservoir and the cooling chamber; a lubricant return conduit disposed within the cooling chamber and extending downwardly through the lower reservoir end wall, the return conduit outlet being disposed sufficiently below the inside surface of the upper reservoir end wall to permit circulation of returned lubricant throughout the cooling chamber; means for cooling the returned lubricant as it circulates downwardly within the cooling chamber; and means for introducing a gas under pressure into the reservoir to raise the lubricant in the cooling chamber to a level sufficient to provide adequate heat transfer from the returned lubricant to the cooling means.