AN IMPROVED TALLOW CUP OR LUBRICATOR FOR THE CYLINDERS AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, STEAM HAMMERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Townsend, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TALLOW CUP OR
LUBRICATOR FOR THE CYLINDERS AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, STEAM
HAMMERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Townsend at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1864.
I, RICHARD TOWNSEND, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TALLOW
CUP OR LUBRICATOR FOR THE CYLINDERS AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, STEAM
HAMMERS, ADD OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The improved tallow cup or lubricator consists principally of a closed
vessel of a cylindrical or other shape, provided with a tap at the top, and also
a second tap at the bottom, so far it is like an ordinary double tap cup. Tho
upper tap is furnished with an open cup, in which is a perforated plate or
sieve for preventing any impurities in the tallow or oil from passing into the
vessel. This tap and cup are for charging the vessel with tallow or oil
without removing any screw plug; there is also a second small opening
drilled diagonally through the plug of this tap, which (when the tap is
opened) allows the air in the vessel to escape at the side as the tallow or oil
descends from the open cup. From the lower tap (which has only one

page_text: opening through the plug) a vertical tube projects upwards towards the top
of the vessel above the tallow or oil, and in this tube is placed a rod, which
acts as a double piston valve, the upper end of this rod serving as a valve to
close the opening of the upper tap, and the lower end of the same acting as
a valve to close the opening of the lower tap, and the length of the rod being
so arranged that the opening of one valve shall close the other, and vice
vers. The lower part of the tube is perforated, so as to admit the tallow or
oil to the inside of the tube, and hence to the lower tap. To chargo, the
vessel with oil or tallow the lower tap must be closed, and the upper tap
being opened the oil or tallow is poured into the open cup at the top, and
flows through the sieve and the upper tap into the vessel, the air at the same
time passing out through the small dingonal opening above named. The
upper tap must then be closed, and the lower one opened, and the result will
be that as soon as steam is admitted to the cylinder it opens the lower valve,
and steam passes into the vessel, and allows the oil or tallow to flow there-
from, but the instant the steam is shut off, and a partial vacuum is formed it
closes the lower valve, and prevents any more tallow or oil from passing off
until steam is again admitted. In some instances (especially for high-
pressure steam) I propose to provide the cup or lubricator with a glass tube
or gauge connected to the vessel at the top and bottom by short pipes
furnished with taps, so that the amount of oil or tallow in the cup, and also
the amount of the same supplied at each stroke of the piston can at any timo
be easily ascertained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Townsend in the Great Seal Patent Offico on the 25
15th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
TOWNSEND, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 30
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho'
said Richard Townsend, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Townsend,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Townsend, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any 38
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter'

page_text: 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 "AN IMPROVED TALLOW
CUP OR LUBRICATOR FOR THE CYLINDERS AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, STEAM
HAMMERS, AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Richard Townsend, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Townsend, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings (that is to say):-
-
The improved tallow cup or lubricator consists principally of a closed.
vessel of a cylindrical or other shape provided with a tap at the top, and also
a second tap at the bottom, so far it is like an ordinary double tap cup. Tho
upper tap is furnished with an open cup, in which is a perforated plate or
sieve for preventing any impurities in the tallow or oil from passing into the
vessel. This tap and cup are for charging the vessel with tallow or oil
without removing any screw plug; there is also a second small opening.
drilled diagonally or otherwise through the plug of this tap, which (when tho
tap is opened) allows the air in the vessel to escape at the side as the tallow
or oil descends from the open cup. From the lower tap (which has only one
opening through the plug) a vertical tube projects upwards towards the top of
the vessel above the tallow or oil, and in this tubo is placed a rod, which acts
as a double piston valve; the upper end of this rod serving as a valve to close.
the opening of the upper tap, and the lower end of the same acting as a valvo
to close the opening of the lower tap, and the length of the rod being so
arranged that the opening of one valve shall close the other, and vice versa..
The lower part of the tube is perforated, so as to admit the tallow or oil to
the inside of the tube, and hence to the lower tap. To charge the vessel with
oil or tallow the lower tap must be closed, and the upper tap being opened,
the oil or tallow is poured into the open cup at the top and flows through the
sieve and the upper tap into the vessel, the air at the same time passing out
through the small diagonal or other opening above named. The upper tap
must then be closed and the lower one opened, and the result will be that as,
'

page_text: soon as steam is admitted to the cylinder it opens the lower valve, and steam
passes into the vessel and allows the oil or tallow to flow therefrom, but tho
instant the steam is shut off, and a partial vacuum is formed it closes the
lower valve and prevents any more tallow or oil from passing off until steam
is again admitted. In some instances, especially for high-pressure steam, I
propose to provide the cup or lubricator with a glass tube or gauge con-
nected to the vessel at the top and bottom by short pipes furnished with taps,
so that the amount of oil or tallow in the cup, and also the amount of the
same supplied at each stroke of the piston can at any time be easily
ascertained.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Tallow Cup or Lubricator for the Cylinders and Valves of Steam Engines,
Steam Hammers, and other Purposes," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly understood,
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents an external view of the
improved lubricator, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same; Figure 3
is an external view of a lubricator to which a gauge is fitted.
a, a, is the vessel or grease cup (to contain the tallow or lubricating
material), provided with a tap b, b, at the top, and a second tap c, c, at the
bottom. The upper tap b, b, is furnished with an open cup d, d, containing a
perforated false bottom or sieve e, e, fitted in loosely. The plug of the tap b, b,
has ono opening f, f, through it, for the admission of the tallow to the interior
of the cup, and another smaller opening 9, 9, for the escape of the air there-
from while feeding the cup with oil. This opening may either be drilled at
right angles, as drawn in Figure 2, or diagonally, as shown in dotted lines, or
in any other manner, so as to communicato from the interior of the cup to
the external atmosphere. The plug of the lower tap c, c, has only one
opening h, h, through it, which serves both to admit steam to the interior of
the cup, and also to allow the tallow or grease to flow out of the same. By
having only one opening through the plug of this tap a great advantage is
gained, as it lengthens the bearing of the plug, and renders it much less
liable to leak than where two openings are used, as in the double tap cups
hitherto employed. From the lower tap c, c, a vertical tube i, i, rises inside
the cup above the tallow or oil, and inside this tubo is a rod k, k, the two ends
of which are ground conical, and act as a double piston valve, the upper end

page_text: serving to close the opening of the tap b, b, and the lower end serving to
close the opening of the tap c, c, the length being such that the opening of
one valve will close the other, and vice versa. At the bottom of the tube i, i,
are openings 1, 1, to allow the tallow or grease to flow through the tap c, c,
when the lower valve is opened. On the rod k, k, are two pistons *, *, which
fit the inside of the tube i, i, but are grooved, in order to let the steam pass
up the pipe above the oil or tallow when the lower valve is opened, so that
the oil or tallow being in equilibrio can descend through the openings 1, 1,
by its own gravity. Near the top of the rod k, k, is a cone m, m, to prevent
any sediment or other impurity which might pass through the sieve e, e, from
getting into the working parts of the valve.
In the Drawing the lubricator is represented as in working position, with
the upper tap closed and the lower one open. To feed the cup with tallow or
oil all that is requisite is to close the lower tap and open the upper one, and
then to pour in the tallow or oil through the sieve e, e, in the open cup d, d,
after which the upper tap is closed and the lower one opened, as shown in
the Drawing.
In Figure 3, n, n, is a glass gauge tube provided with two taps o, o, to put
it in communication with the top and bottom of the cup or vessel a, a, and a
tap p for emptying or cleaning the tube. This form or arrangement of
lubricator is most suitable for oil or other liquid lubricating material, as it
shows the height of the liquid and the gradual disappearance of the same.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "An
Improved Tallow Cup or Lubricator for the Cylinders and Valves of Steam
Engines, Steam Hammers, and other Purposes," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the improved
tallow cup or lubricator above described and shown in the Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof, constructed and operating substantially in the
same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Townsend, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
RICHARD TOWNSEND. (L.s.)