IMPROVE- MENTS IN LUBRICATING BEARINGS OF MACHINERY AND SURFACES IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Hilton Smith and Henry
Bernoulli Barlow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th
February 1880.
GEORGE HILTON SMITH, Machine Maker, and HENRY BERNOULLI BARLOW, the
younger, Engineer, both of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LUBRICATING BEARINGS OF MACHINERY AND SURFACES IN FRICTIONAL
CONTACT."
This Invention consists of an improved means to be used for lubricating the
bearings of mule and other spindles; also for all bearings of machinery, and for
loose pulleys and wheels; also to sliding and revolving surfaces generally.
One mode of applying this method of lubricating to the step of mule or other
spindles is by drilling a small hole through the step parallel with and close to
the bearing of the spindle, such hole to be opened out for the whole or part of
its length into the hole of bearing.
In place of drilling such hole a slot may be made by slotting or in any other
manner.
A piece of cotton wick or other fibrous material is passed round the spindle on
top of and lying on the step, and one or both the ends of such wick or fibrous
material is drawn through the small hole in the step and lies against the spindle.
In lubricating the bolster or foot step of spindles, a hole or slot is made by any
convenient means parallel with and opened into the spindle bearing; such opening
is filled with cotton or other fibrous material, and preferably passed round the
spindle.
This mode of lubricating prevents the oil being scattered and lost by centrifugal
force.
In applying our Invention to lubricating loose pulleys and stud wheels, we drill
one or more holes through the boss of such pulleys or wheels parallel with the
bearing and opened into it, such holes to be filled with fibrous material.
In place of drilling holes for the wick slots may be cut in any manner.
The bearings of shafting whether made with split or solid boxes may be oiled
by the same means.
The various parts of machinery may bo lubricated both for sliding and revolving
surfaces by this means.

page_text: One feature of this plan is, that the whole surfaces of bearings can be lubricated
Oil is applied to the wick or spindles and into the ordinary oil holes in pulleys
and machinery in the usual manner, the wick forming a reservoir to hold the oil
and give it off as required by the journal.
To lubricate bowls and tappets a roller of fibrous material saturated with oil may
be hung by wire, or otherwise, to lay on the tappets which take oil as they come in
contact with the fibrous roller.
By means of an arrangement of oil chambers or reservoirs with fibrous wick
a bearing to be lubricated can only draw by capillary attraction the quantity of
oil to lubricate it, and not run oil to waste as usual, therefore dispensing with
drip tins.
A spring or springs of any kind may be used to hold the wick in contact with
the shaft to be lubricated.
Another arrangement for lubricating mule or other spindles is to employ one
or more tin or other troughs laying alongside of the steps or bolsters; we make
small holes or slots through the steps or bolstors, as before-mentioned, and lubricate
the spindles by means of wicks which dip into the trough, the trough being
supplied with oil.
We propose to make these troughs in any convenient lengths, and any number of
spindles may be lubricated by one length of wick in the following manner:-By
placing a wire along the trough and passing a fibrous wick round the wire, next
looping it round the spindle or not, then down the hole or slot through the step,
and return it the same way and again under the wire in the trough to the next
spindle, and so on.
The holes or slots in the bolsters may be drilled through or partially through the
metal as preferred.
For oiling cranks, loose pulleys, and other bearings a cup reservoir may be inade
with a tube in the centre through which the wick passes; one end of this wick is
passed through the bearing to be oiled, the other end passes through the tube and
over the top into the cup.
This cup or reservoir is supplied with oil at a point below the centre; the top of
the tube must not stand above the centre of the cup, thus preventing contrifugal
force carrying oil down the tube to the bearing.