IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hutton, of Reading, in the County of Berks,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
Sealed the 28th April 1857, and dated the 31st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hutton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1856.
I, HENRY HUTTON, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Engineer, .do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LUBRICATORS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in lubricators relate to those lubricators which act and
supply the lubricating matter through the intervention of cotton, worsted, or
other material, which by capillary attraction forms a syphon, & carries over
the lubricating matter. These lubricators are used for lubricating the bearings
of machinery, & for other purposes where the supply of liquid lubricating
matter is to be slowly and continuously supplied, and usually consist of a cup
or vessel containing the oil or other lubricating material, in which a vertical
tube is placed in the centre, which tube rises above the level of the lubri-
cating liquid, & forms the duct for its passage to the bearings. Threads of
worsted, cotton, or other suitable material are placed in the lubricator, one
end of which threads are immersed in the oil while the other end is passed
down the tube.

page_text: Now, my improvements relate to the application of certain parts whereby
the cottons or threads may be more readily & effectually placed in position in
the lubricator or easily removed when required. For this purpose I form
a separate tube detached from the lubricator, which is inserted within the
lubricator tube, & into which separate tube the cottons or threads are inserted
previously to being placed in the lubricator. This separate tube is not
entire, having a slit or opening from end to end for the purpose of drawing
the conducting threads within it. This I effect by means of a pair of thin
steel pinchers or nippers, by which I take hold of one end of the threads.
The nippers are then passed down the slit in the tube with the points holding
the threads within the tube. The nippers being carried quite through, leave
the threads straight & clearly threaded through. The slit in the tube may
be quite close, and still spring open when the nippers are passed down; a
V entrance is made at the top so that they may be easily entered. From the
top of the separate tube an arm is bent down, which depends and is immersed
in the oil or lubricating matter when placed in a position. To the lower part
of this arm the cottons or threads or threads are loosely secured. By this
means the material for conducting the lubricating matter to the bearing or
part to be lubricated may be readily introduced or removed from the lubri-
cator, while it is also easily and properly introduced into the separate tube, as
described, which at all times ensures its proper action. Instead of forming
the tube with a pendant arm from the top, I sometimes bend the tube itself
in the form of a syphon, & thereby enclose the threads entirely within the
tube. The slot is continued throughout the entire length of the syphon-
formed tube for the purpose of introducing the threads; the slit also prevents
the tube itself acting as a syphon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Hutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HUTTON, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Henry Hutton, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Hutton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Hutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Hutton, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Hutton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in lubricators relate to those lubricators which act and
supply the lubricating matter through the intervention of cotton, worsted, or
other similar material, which by capilliary attraction forms a syphon, and
carries over the lubricating matter. These lubricators are used for lubricating
the bearings of machinery, and for other purposes, whereby the supply of
liquid lubricating matter is to be slowly and continuously supplied, and
usually consist of a cup or vessel containing the oil or other lubricating
material, in which a vertical tube in the centre rises above the level of the
lubricating liquid, and forms the duct for its passage to the bearing. Threads
of worsted, cotton, or other suitable material are placed in the lubricator, the
one ends of which threads are immersed in the oil while the other ends are
passed down the tube.
Now, my improvements relate to the application of certain parts, whereby
the threads of worsted, cotton, or other suitable material may be more readily
and effectually placed in position in the lubricator and easily removed when
required. For this purpose I form a separate tube detached from the lubri
cator, which is loosely inserted within the lubricator tube, and into which
separate tube the threads are inserted previously to being placed in the lubri-
cator. This separate tube is not entire, having a slit or opening from end to
end for the purpose of drawing the conducting threads within it. This I

page_text: effect by means of a pair of thin steel pinchers or nippers, by which I take
hold of one end of the threads. The nippers are then passed down the slit in
the tube with the points holding the threads within the tube; the nippers
being carried quite through, leave the threads straight and clearly threaded
through. The slit in the tube may be quite close, and still spring open when
the nippers are passed down; a V entrance is made at the top, so that they
may be easily entered. From the top of the separate tube an arm is bent
down, which depends and is immersed in the oil or lubricating matter when
placed in position. To the lower part of this arm the cottons or threads are
loosely secured. By this means the material for conducting the lubricating
matter to the bearing or part to be lubricated may be readily introduced or
removed from the lubricator, while it is also easily and properly introduced
into the separate tube, as described, which at all times ensures its proper action.
Instead of forming the tube with a pendant arm from the top, I sometimes
bend the tube itself in the form of a syphon, and thereby enclose the threads
entirely within the tube. The slit is continued throughout the entire length
of the syphon-formed tube for the purpose of introducing the threads; the
slit also prevents the tube itself acting as a syphon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents in vertical section an
oil cup furnished with my improvements as applied to lubricating a bearing.
a, a, is the cup or vessel containing the oil or lubricating matter, which is
the same as ordinary lubricators; it is furnished with a tube b, b, which rises
up above the level of the oil. In this tube b I place a tube c, c, in which the
conducting threads of wool or other material is placed.
Fig. 2 represents a side view of the tube c, c, detached; and Fig. 3, another
view of the same. The tube c I make of a piece of brass, and either attach
or form of a piece with it the part d. I leave a slit e, e, down one side of the
tube c for the purpose of drawing in the threads. The part d forms an arm,
to the lower end of which one end of the threads are attached, and also a
spring, which presses against the pipe 6, and sustains the pipe e at any
required height, for the purpose of immersing the threads more or less in the
oil of the cup or for withdrawing them entirely, and thereby regulating the
flow of the oil or suspending it altogether; a hoop f is carried by the arm d
to conduct and keep the threads in position. In threading the tube c, I
secure the double of the threads x at about the middle, and then take hold of
the ends with thin steel tweezers g, represented separately at Figure 4, and
again at Fig. 2, and pass them down the slit e, e, with the thread insido

page_text: the tube, the threads are then cut off, or they may be cut to length before
nserting them.
Fig. 5 represents a side view of a thread tube e according to my Invention,
and Fig. 6 a view at right angles to Fig. 5 of the same. In this the tube c
is carried over in the form of a syphon. It is furnished with the brass
spring d, as before, to which the threads are secured, a neck being formed
near the end of d for that purpose, or a hole may serve to pass the threads x
through, and by which the double end may be held.
The pipe c, Figs. 5 and 6, has a slit e throughout its length to facilitate the
introduction of the threads by means of the tweezers g, as before explained.
Fig. 7 and 8 represent a modification of the thread tube c.
In this case
there is no slit from end to end; it is furnished with the spring arm d, as
before. In this tube I introduce and draw in the cotton by means of a hook
Fig. 9, simply taking hold of the threads near the ends after securing
them to d.
'
In Fig. 1 it will be observed that the tube c is carried down a considerable
distance below the lower part of the lubricator pipe h, by which the lubri-
cator is fixed in the cover i of the bearing. By thus lengthening the pipe c
the lubricating matter is conducted into the brass k of the bearing, and is
prevented escaping between the cover and the brass, as is usually the case.
For this purpose it is preferable to use the close tube, Figs. 7 and 8. In
Fig. 1 the tube c and its arm d are shown dotted, as partly raised, for the
purpose of regulating the supply of the lubricating matter passing over, as
before mentioned.
Fig. 10 represents in section a lubricator furnished with a large tube
adapted for a connecting rod; Fig. 11 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 12 a
separate view of the tube c and its adjuncts. In this case the tube c is
broad and flat; it is fitted in the tube 6 of the lubricator, as before, and held
steady and in position more or less raised, if desired, by a spring arm d. In
this case, however, the threads x, x, are not held by arm d, but by a broad
shoe piece 7, in which the threads are distributed and kept spread. The
double of the threads are placed on a small bar y, jointed at one end for
convenience of threading on the double of the threads. A fixed cross bar m
carries a pinching screw p, which acts on a moveable bar n, so as to compress
or release the threads in the shoe l. By increasing or reducing the pressure
on the threads of the binding screw p, so will the flow of the lubricating
matter through the threads be regulated or stopped altogether. I prefer this
method of regulating the supply for lubricators for connecting rods, as in this
case the ends of the threads a¹ are stationary, and always in the same position,

page_text: and presented to the cup, that licks the ends of the threads a¹ at each revo-
lution of the crank, for the purpose of conveying the lubricating matter to the
crank pin.
Figs. 13 and 14 represent different views of a small instrument I use for
inserting the threads. It consists merely of a rod q, with a fixed cross bar t,
and a jointed arm u. This is pushed through the tube C, and the end of the
worsted or other threads inserted between the barst and u. The threads are
compressed by the bar u held in a retaining notch in the end of t, which is
bent at right angles for that purpose, and thus drawn into the tube C. The
threads in either case should be arranged and kept straight in the tube to
insure the proper flow of the oil, which by means of my tube C I am readily
enabled to do. I am also enabled to regulate with facility the flow of the
lubricating matter, or to remove the threads altogether from the cup, when
required, without the trouble of removing them and again threading them
into the tube.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my Invention
of improvements in lubricators is, the introduction of the separate tube C
and its parts containing and holding the threads, for the purposes and as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hutton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
H. HUTTON. (L.S.)