AN IMPROVED. . LUBRICATING APPARATUS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED.
. LUBRICATING APPARATUS."-A communication from abroad by Gardner
Waters and David Waters, both of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of
America.
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 30th November 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla
ration; on the 30th November 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS. I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
LUBRICATING APPARATUS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to
me from abroad by Gardner Waters and David Waters, both of Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby.
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,

page_text: fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of this
Specification.
The said Invention consists in the novel construction of a lubricator having
a transparent reservoir from which the oil is fed or flows automatically
upon the journal or other bearing when in motion, as herein-after explained.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Each of the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 illustrates a different method of
constructing my improved apparatus, the principle of action being the same
in all cases.
In constructing my improved lubricator I first provide a glass reservoir, as
represented by A in the Drawings. This reservoir may be made of any desired
size and shape, though I prefer the spherical form as being the strongest and
easiest to make. It is provided with a neck a which is made tubular for the
oil to flow through, and which forms the means for securing the reservoir to a
metal socket B. After preparing the reservoir A I form the metal cup or
socket B usually of brass or similar metal, and secure the neck a of the
reservoir therein by either of the following methods:-First, by inserting
within the socket B a cork e.or any other suitable elastic body with a hole
passing vertically through its centre, into which hole the neck a of the reservoir
is forced, as represented in Figure 1; or the cork may be cemented to the socket
B and also to the glass neck a by means of shellac or other suitable material.
This plan is more especially adapted to those cases in which the stem C and
the socket B. are made in separate pieces, as represented in Figure 6. Or the
reservoir may
be attached to the socket B by first heating the glass and also
the socket and then pouring molten metal, such as lead or pewter, into the
space. within the socket and surrounding the neck a, as represented in
Figure 4, e in that case representing the molten metal poured in through a
hole n left in the socket B for that purpose. Or I heat the glass reservoir A
as before; and then place the neck a in a suitably prepared mould somewhat
larger than the neck. The molten metal is cast therein, and thus forms the
socket B of soft metal cast directly on the neck a, as indicated in Figure 5.
I-sometimes form a metal socket E and attach it firmly to the neck a by either
of the foregoing plans, and then fit it into another metal socket B, as represented
in Figure 3. The socket. E may be united to B by having the joint between either
ground or simply set loosely therein. In all cases I provide the lubricator
with a metal stem or tube C, with a screw thread cut on its exterior, and

page_text: which is screwed into a suitable hole in the box or cap.. It is desirable, though:
not absolutely essential, that the lower end of this stem C should extend,
entirely through the box or cap.and slightly touch or come in close proximity
to the journal or other moving part, as represented in Figure 1. This stem C:
may be formed in one piece with, the socket B, as represented in Figures 1**
and 2, or it may be made of a separate piece and secured thereto by a screw,
joint, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, or by a ground joint, as represented in
Figure 5. Where the stem C is not required to be very long it may be made.
solid with the socket, but where the stem C is required to be of considerable;
length in order to reach through to the journal, in which case it would require
time and labour to remove and replace it, I prefer to make the stem and
socket in separate pieces. In all cases I form the hole in the stem C'through
which the oil flows from the reservoir to the bearing or journal of about..
one-eighth of an inch or more in diameter, except near its upper end, where.
it is contracted to about one thirty-second of an inch in diameter, this con-
traction being represented at o in the various Figures. In Figure 3 I have;
shown the reservoir with a separate tube t attached thereto with its upper.
end extending slightly up into the reservoir, where it may be secured by plaster
of Paris, its body fitting loosely within the tubular stem C, the oil in this case
flowing down through the tube t to the journal. This is useful when the oil;
contains any impurities, which would thus settle around the projecting end of
the stem and be retained within the reservoir while the clear oil would be. fed,
to the journal. In many cases I prefer to form the reservoir with no other
opening than that, through the neck a, as represented in Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6,
but where it is inconvenient to detach the reservoir to be refilled it may be.
provided with an opening on the top for that purpose, the said opening being
then closed by a cork I, ground stopper, or screw plug, or cap, a suitable
metallic socket being cemented to the reservoir in the last-mentioned case to
receive the plug or cap. In steam chests and pistons the stem C may be
provided with a stop-cock D by which the flow of oil may be regulated.or
stopped entirely, as represented in Figure 4. It has been found by experiment
that with a lubricator thus constructed the oil will pass gradually and regularly
from the reservoir to the journal so long as the latter continues to move, and
will cease to flow as soon as the journal ceases its motion. It is obvious that
while the reservoir is kept closed air-tight the oil will not escape through the
small orifice o under ordinary circumstances, but when the journal is set in
motion the oil in the stem C adheres to the surface of the journal and is drawn
out therefrom, a small quantity of air passing up the orifice in the stem Cat.
intervals to supply the place of the escaping oil, the tendency to form a vacuum.
.

page_text: in the reservoir by the escape of the oil producing this result. As soon as
the motion of the journal ceases the oil is no longer drawn out, and consequently
the lubricator ceases to operate. The reservoir being transparent enables the
attendant at all times to see when the oil is exhausted or needs replenishing.
The advantages of a lubricator of this kind will be apparent to all experienced
engineers or machinists.
Having thus fully described 'the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
ail vantageously carried into practice, I claim,
First: A lubricator having a glass reservoir and otherwise constructed
substantially as herein described.
Second. Providing the lubricator with a tube for conveying the oil from the
reservoir to the journal or bearing, the said tube having its orifice contracted
at or near its upper end, substantially as set forth.
Third. A lubricator having a glass reservoir A secured to a metallic socket B
by means of a cork or other elastic packing e, whether the same be cemented
thereto or not.
Fourth. A lubricator having a glass reservoir A secured to a metallic
socket B by means of molten metal cast around the stem within the socket,, as
herein described.
Fifth. A lubricator having a glass reservoir A secured to the socket B by
casting the socket B thereon as described.
Sixth. A lubricator constructed in any of the forms herein described and
having its stem C extended to or nearly to the journal or other moving part
to be lubricated, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
year of
Witness,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
THO". N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs.-Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.