Drain hose connector with breather valve

Abstract

A drain connector attaches a hose to a port from which oil is drained from the chock of an oil film bearing. The drain connector comprises an elbow-shaped conduit having a horizontal leg adapted to be connected to the chock in communication with the port, and an angled leg adapted to be connected to the hose. A breather valve in the conduit is adapted to admit ambient air into the conduit when oil is flowing through the conduit from the port to and through the hose, and is adapted to automatically close in the event that the conduit is filled with oil occasioned by a reduction in the flow of oil through the hose.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drain connector for attaching a hose to a port from which oil is drained from the chock of an oil film bearing, said connector comprising:
 an elbow-shaped conduit having a horizontal leg adapted to be connected to said chock in communication with said port, and an angled leg adapted to be connected to said hose; and   a breather valve in said conduit, said breather valve being adapted to admit ambient air into said conduit when oil is flowing through said conduit from said port to and through said hose, and being adapted to automatically close in the event that said conduit is filled with oil occasioned by a reduction in the flow of oil through said hose,   
     
     
         2 . The drain connector of  claim 1  wherein closure of said breather valve is float actuated 
     
     
         3 . The drain connector of  claim 2  wherein said breather valve comprises a tubular neck communicating with and projecting vertically from said conduit; a cap cooperating with said neck to define an internal air flow path leading from the exterior of said breather valve to the interior of said conduit, said cap and said neck being internally configured to respectively define a valve seat in said flow path spaced above a slotted support ledge; and, a float ball gravitationally urged into an open position on said support ledge, said float ball being buoyantly moveable from said support ledge into a closed position in contact with said valve seat. 
     
     
         4 . The drain connector of  claim 1  wherein said breather valve is located at a juncture of said horizontal and angled legs. 
     
     
         5 . The drain connector of  claim 3  wherein an interior surface of said neck is grooved to provide vertical channels extending from beneath said valve seat to said slotted support ledge. 
     
     
         6 . The drain connector of  claim 5  wherein the bottoms of said channels are spaced radially outwardly from the maximum diameter of said float ball to thereby define a portion of said internal air flow path. 
     
     
         7 . The drain connector of  claim 3  wherein said cap comprises a collar threaded onto said neck, said valve seat being defined by said collar, and a cover supported on and enclosing said collar, said cover and collar being internally configured to define a portion of said internal air flow path leading from the exterior of said breather valve to said valve seat. 
     
     
         8 . The drain connector of  claim 3  further comprising a flow defector defining a recess in said conduit beneath said slotted support ledge, said flow deflector being configured to deflect oil flowing through said conduit around said recess. 
     
     
         9 . A drain connector for attaching a hose to a port from which oil is drained from the chock of an oil film bearing, said connector comprising:
 an elbow-shaped conduit having a horizontal leg adapted to be connected to said chock in communication with said port, and an angled leg adapted to be connected to said hose; and   a breather valve in said conduit at a juncture of said horizontal and angled legs, said breather valve comprising a tubular neck communicating with and projecting vertically from said conduit; a cap cooperating with said neck to define an internal air flow path leading from the exterior of said breather valve to the interior of said conduit, said cap and said neck being internally configured to respectively define a valve seat in said flow path spaced above a slotted support ledge; and, a float ball gravitationally urged into an open position on said support ledge, said float ball being buoyantly moveable from said support ledge into a closed position in contact with said valve seat.