CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR LUBRICATING THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES OR OTHER SIMILAR FRICTIONAL SURFACES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Neville Beard and John Maiden, both of Hollin-
wood, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR LUBRICATING
THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES OR OTHER SIMILAR FRICTIONAL SURFACES."
Sealed the 27th February 1866, and dated the 8th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Neville Beard and
John Maiden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th November 1865.
We, NEVILLE BEARD and JOHN MAIDEN, both of Hollinwood, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED
FOR LUBRICATING THE CYLINDERS OF STEAM ENGINES OR OTHER SIMILAR FRICTIONAL
SUBPACES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is designed for the purpose of lubricating interior
surfaces or frictional parts of the cylinders of steam or other motive-power
engines by self-acting mechanism, in such a manner that the lubricant can
be supplied to or injected against any portion of the internal frictional
surface at regular intervals or at any time desired by the engineer.
The improvements consist in the employment and use of a pressure
chamber or receptacle in which the lubricant is contained, and also in the

page_text: :
apparatus for discharging the same at regular or required intervals, the whole
being attached and secured-to the cylinder lid or cover. The lubricant is
contained in an open cup placed above the pressure chamber or receptacle,
the communication between the two being made by a valve or tap, which is
also supplied with an air passage, allowing the lubricant in the cup, when
the valve is open, to flow freely into the pressure chamber below, where it
is retained until forced therefrom through a passage or thoroughfare into
the ducts or channels conveying it to the frictional surfaces of the cylinder.
The force by which the lubricant is injected into the cylinder when the
Hower valve is open is obtained by the pressure of steam, which is conveyed
to the lubricant chamber or receiver by a pipe communicating with the
'is
steam chest of the cylinder or other suitable place where the pressure
greater than that actuating the piston in the cylinder. The lower passage
or slide-valve communicating with the interior of the cylinder is actuated
by a grooved cam in the following manner :-A projecting spindle or rod
connected with the said slide valve is provided with a bowl which fits into
the groove of the said cam; this cam as it revolves gives a quick sliding
motion to the valve, which causes it to open and close the passage for oil,
the superior pressure in the lubricant chamber at this time forces sufficient
oil therefrom to lubricate the interior surfaces required. The revolution
of the cam employed for opening and closing the valve in the manner
aforesaid is actuated by an arrangement of pawls attached to one lever
(which receives its motion from the eccentric rod or other convenient
place). These pawls act upon ratchet wheels, one being supplied with a
number of fine teeth, and the other with one or more, as desired. The
pawl on the lever nearest the fulcrum gives a constant revolution to the
wheels, until one of the projections on the second wheel comes into
contact with the second pawl, which being a "drag pawl," and on the
opposite side of the wheel-from the other, and further from the fulcrum of
the lever, has a more extended action, which gives the ratchets and cam a
greater movement during its operation, which rapidly opens and closes the
valve, and thereby causes an instantaneous injection of oil into the cylinder;
when this is effected the first pawl continues the revolution as before. By
raising or lowering this pawl out of contact with the ratchet the cylinder
may be lubricated when desired, and the internal ducts or channels may be
so arranged that the lubricant can be injected on to any frictional portion
requiring it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Neville Beard and John Maiden. in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NEVILLE
BEARD and JOHN MAIDEN, both of Hollinwood; in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,.
the said Neville Beard and John Maiden, Her special license that we, the
Neville Beard and John Maiden, our executors, administrators; and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Neville Beard and John Maiden, our
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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR LUBRICATING THE CYLINDERS CF.
STEAM ENGINES OR OTHER SIMILAR FRICTIONAL SURFACES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Neville Beard and John Maiden, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one
of our; 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
sume was to be performed, 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 Neville Beard; do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the-
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The Invention is designed for the purpose of lubricating the interior
surfaces or frictional parts of the cylinders of steam or other motive-power
engines by self-acting mechanism, in such a manner that the lubricant can
be supplied to or injected against any portion of the internal frictional
surface at regular intervals or at any time desired by the engineer.
The improvements consist in the employment and use of a pressure

page_text: The
chamber or receptacle in which the lubricant is contained, and also in the
apparatus for discharging the same at regular or required intervals, the
whole being attached and secured to the cylinder lid or cover.
lubricant is first poured into an open cup placed above the pressure
chamber, the communication between the two being made by a valve or
tap which is opened or closed by means of a screw; the lubricant, when
this valve is open, freely flows into the pressure chamber below, where it is
retained until forced therefrom through a passage or thoroughfare into the
ducts or channels conveying it to the frictional surfaces of the cylinders.
The force by which the lubricant is injected into the cylinder when the
lower valve is opened is obtained by the pressure of steam, which is con-
veyed to the lubricant pressure chamber or receiver by a pipe communi-
cating with the steam chest of the cylinder or other suitable place where
the pressure is greater than that actuating the piston in the cylinder.
The lower passage or slide valve communicating with the interior of the
cylinder, and through which the oil is injected at regular intervals, is
actuated by a grooved cam in the following manner :-A projecting spindle
or rod connected with the said slide valve is provided with a bowl which
fits into the groove of the said cam; this cam is so constructed that when
revolving (which is effected in the manner herein-after described) the stud
or bowl is allowed to remain stationary until a point is reached in the
groove, at which time the peculiar formation of such groove actuates the
bowl and valve in such a manner that the passage or thoroughfare between
the pressure chamber and cylinder becomes quickly opened and closed
again, thereby allowing a sufficient quantity of the lubricant in the pressure
chamber to be forced therefrom through the aforesaid ducts on to the
surfaces required. The apparatus giving the required revolution to the
eam for opening and closing the valve in the manner aforesaid is effected by
an arrangement of pawls attached to a lever which receives its motion from
the cylinder steam valve spindles or other convenient place; these pawls are
arranged to act one upon a fine ratchet wheel and the other upon a wheel
having but one or two teeth or recesses therein; these wheels and cam are
secured and revolve together, the first pawl giving a slow and regular
motion to the fine ratchet wheel is secured near the fulcrum of the lever
actuated by the cylinder valve spindle; this constant revolution to the two
wheels and cam goes on until one of the teeth in the second wheel is
brought into contact with the second pawl which is placed on the lever at
the opposite side of the wheel furthest from the fulcrum has a more

page_text: extended action, which gives to the ratchets and cam a greater movement,.
during which the peculiar formation of the cam causes the lower valve of.
the lubricator to rapidly open and close, thereby causing an instantaneous
injection of oil into the cylinder; when this is effected the first paw)
nearest the fulcrum of the lever continues the revolution as before. By
raising or lowering this pawl out of contact with the ratchet the cylinder
may be lubricated by hand when desired. The internal ducts or channels
may be so arranged that the lubricant can be injected on to any frictional
portion requiring it, and the valve can also be adjusted so as only partially
to expose the thoroughfare communicating with the cylinder.
In order that the Invention may be more clearly understood and ex-
plained in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about
full size for a ten horse-power engine.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the lubricator as adapted to the
cover of a steam cylinder; this view also illustrates the novel and peculiar
arrangement of self-acting mechanism for giving at regular intervals a
supply of oil to the cylinder; Fig. 2 represents a side view of the lubrica
tor for a twenty-five horse-power engine.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, is the cylinder cover, and 6 the cover of the steam
chest. To the top of the cylinder cover a, and secured thereto, is our lubri-
cator, which is constructed and may be described as follows:-c is a cup or
vessel supplied with the valve or plug d; this plug is capable of being raised
from or lowered into its seating e by means of the screw f, which has the effect
of opening or closing the thoroughfare or passage communicating with the
internal chamber or receptacle g; this internal chamber is connected by the
pipe with the steam chest b, in order that when the tapi is open there
will be a pressure in such chamber equal to the pressure in the steam chest
b; the thoroughfare or opening of this internal chamber communicating
with the interior of the cylinder is provided with the slide valve I, the.
spindle m of this valve can be actuated by hand so as to open and close the
thoroughfare k as desired, or it may be actuated so as to open and close at
required intervals of time by self-acting means as herein-after described.
When the lubricant is first poured into the upper receptacle or cup c, and
before its admission into the chamber g, the taps i in the pipe h must be
closed so as to destroy the pressure within the same, when this is done the
plug or valve d is raised from its seating, which allows the oil freely to flow
and pass into the chamber or receptacle g; the valve d must now be forced
down by the screw fon to the seating e, at which time the tap i is opened

page_text: in order that the pressure within the chamber g, containing the lubricant
being transmitted from the steam chest b, may be superior to the pressure
of steam actuating the piston of the cylinder, this extra pressure within
the chamber g, when the slide vale is withdrawn so as to expose the
opening or thoroughfare k, forces the lubricant through such passages into
the ducts o, from whence it is injected on to the surface requiring lubrica-
tion. The self-acting mechanism employed for opening and closing the
slide valve at regular intervals of time may be thus described; the valve
spindle m is provided with the slot p, in which is adjusted and secured the
bowlg; this bowl fits into and is actuated by the groove of the cam r when
revolving, which is effected by the ratchet wheels s, s, through the
medium of the pawls t, t, and lever u; the fulcrum of this lever u, and also
the cam and wheels, are all secured and held in position by the bracket v
attached and bolted to the cylinder cover; the opposite end of this lever u
from its fulcrum is provided with a slot, by which it is secured through the
connecting rod x with the ordinary slide valve spindle w; the throw or lift of
the lever u can be regulated and adjusted through its connection with the
connecting rod by such connection being brought nearer to or further
from its fulcrum; the pawl t is secured on the lever u near to its fulcrum,
and is arranged so as to act upon and give a regular action to the fine
ratchet wheel s; this regular revolving action goes on until the recess or
tooth in the second wheel s¹ comes into contact with the pawl ', which
being placed on the lever u at the opposite side of the wheel and further
from the fulcrum has a more extended movement, consequently during
its action upon the ratchet the cam is caused, through the peculiar forma-
tion of its grooves, to give a rapidly opening and closing action to the
lubricator slide valve l, allowing, during the time such valve is open, of a
small portion of lubricant to be forced down the passage and ducts, which
is injected therefrom on to the surface requiring lubrication.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I claim,―
First, the novel and peculiar arrangement of mechanism described for
injecting under pressure lubricant into the interior of steam or other motive-
power cylinders upon the frictional surfaces at any time desired by the
engineer.
And, secondly, I claim the novel and peculiar adaptation to such. lubri
cator of the self-acting mechanism connected therewith, or any other equi-

page_text: valent whereby the lubricant is caused to be injected into and upon the
frictional surfaces of such cylinders at regular intervals or at the extension
of any given mumber of strokes made by the piston of such cylinders,
as herein-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Neville Beard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
NEVILLE BEARD. (L.S.)