Oskar Zerkowitz emigrated to the United States and changed his name to “Oscar Ulysses Zerk”. He was also known as “Oscar V. Zerk”. He became a world-famous inventor and one of his most prominent creations was a grease fitting known as “the zerk”.
Why is it called a grease ZERK?
The Zerk design, named after Oscar Zerk , used a fitting much smaller than the Alemite pin-type and did not lock the hose coupler or hand gun and fitting together. Instead, the seal between them was maintained by the pressure of a pushing action when the operator applied the coupler to the fitting.
Who invented the grease ZERK?
Zerks were invented by an eccentric engineer/inventor named Oscar Zerk . Oscar lived in Kenosha and was associated with Nash Motors. He died several years ago after living a long life. He made lots of money from his invention.
When was the Zerk fitting invented?
You can thank Oscar Zerk and his 1923 patent for a special fitting for that. The process for maintaining such lubrication had advanced somewhat, but it was Zerk that created a design that made truly meaningful improvement.
Is it Grease Zerk or ZERT?
Both are correct, but two different parts. A zerk is a grease fitting . A zert is a nut zert. it is a threaded insert that is usually installed like a rivet into a frame rail or any place that you can not get a nut on the back side.
Are all grease nipples the same size?
The most common standard grease fitting size is 1/4′′‐28 SAE‐LT and is often used in automotive applications. They can also be found in agricultural environments as well as other various standard duty applications. For heavy duty applications, larger 1/8′′‐27 PTF zerk fittings can be found.
What thread are grease nipples?
Grease fittings come in many different styles. There are two grease fittings that are very common. These are the 1/4′′-28 thread and the 1/8′′ NPT thread. However, there are other less common grease fitting threads in use.
Who is Oscar ZERK?
Engineer and inventor , the son of Flora and Bernard Zerk, a textile merchant in the former Austro-Hungarian empire. Zerk’s surname is permanently attached to the check-valve lubrication fitting known worldwide as the “Zerk fitting”.
What does ZERK mean?
zerk in American English
(zɜrk ) noun. a small metal fitting through which grease can be inserted into a mechanical joint that requires periodic lubrication.
Are there different types of grease fittings?
There are three major thread types for grease fittings: metric, taper or parallel, and unified . M5, M6, M7, M8, and M10 are common metric threads. British standard pipe (BSP), pipe thread fine (PTF), and national pipe thread fine (NPTF) fittings use tapered or parallel threads.
Are there different size grease guns?
There is effectively just one size . There are some other weird ones out there, the common being button head I believe, but if it looks like a standard grease zerk it is going to be the standard size. 11/1/17 3:22 p.m. Grease guns are the devil.
When did cars stop having grease fittings?
The job of greasing the suspension system on your car had all but disappeared in recent years. Now, greasing is making a comeback. In the 1980s , many auto makers eliminated greasing points because they believed that the quality of grease had so improved it would last the life of the car.
Do new cars have grease fittings?
RAY: On modern cars, things like ball joints are all permanently sealed at the factory now . ... TOM: There are lots of trucks that still have grease fittings on ball joints and tie rods, but we hardly ever see cars that take grease anymore.
How do you know when a grease fitting is full?
If this is the case, the best tactic is to “feel” the grease into the bearing cavity until slight resistance or back pressure is felt against the trigger , or lever, signaling the bearing cavity is now full.
