Improvements in Lubricators.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
COMPT T
SPARICIATION
Improvements in Lubricators.
We, EDWIN ALDERSLEY, Book-keeper, JOHN COMER, Engineer, ROBERT BERGER,
School Teacher, all of Anderson, Shasta County State of California, United States of
America, and FREDERICK HOLROYD DEAKIN of Redding, Shasta County, aforesaid,
Banker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention has relation to that class of devices designed to lubricate the
bearings of shafts and axles, and it has for its object first, to construct a device of
this character in which the liability of the feeding of the impurities of the oil to the
bearings will be prevented; Second, to construct a device for the purpose set forth,
which will be capable of feeding the oil to the shaft in increased or decreased
quantities as needed; and third, to construct a lubricator which will not be liable to
become inoperative by the filling of the wick with the impurities of the oil.
The object generally of the present invention is to construct a device of the
character set forth which will be most simple and durable in its construction,
perfect in its operation, and the cost of manufacture of which will be reduced to
the minimum.
To these various ends our invention consists in certain peculiarities in the con-
struction arrangement and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter set
forth, and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claim.
The accompanying figure of drawing illustrates a lubricator constructed after
the plan to be herein set forth, and shows the same applied to a horizontal shaft ;
the said shaft, a portion of the journal box, and the extremity of the lubricating
tube being shown in section.
The letter A, represents a shaft, and the letter B a journal box receiving the
bearing of the said shaft and serving to support the same. To one side of the
shaft A is placed the lubricating cup or reservoir C, which is preferably formed
of glass in order that its contents will be exposed to view. Within this reservoir (
one extremity of a tube D is placed, which tube is bent to form a siphon tube
and has its opposite extremity situated within a recess formed in the journal box B.
This siphon tube D, is adapted to receive the wick E, which will obviously be of
sufficient length to extend from the oil in the reservoir to the bearing to be
lubricated. A flange or projection d is formed on the siphon tube to prevent its
extending too far within the journal box.
P designates a vertical screw-threaded pin, the lower extremity of which is
secured in any suitable manner near the shaft bearing, and Q designates a support
comprising the vertical portion 9, and the horizontal arms q', q', which latter
extend from the said vertical portion in opposite directions as shown. The upper
of these horizontal arms is formed in a suitable manner to engage the reservoir,
and the lower of these arms is formed with a perforation, adapting it to receive
the pin P. Beneath this lower arm q and working vertically upon the P is a nut R.
It will thus be seen that the reservoir may be raised or lowered simply by raising
or lowering the nut R. To this construction of means for raising or lowering
the reservoir I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself as the same is
simply shown for the purpose of illustrating one mode by which the object may be
accomplished.
Heretofore it was found in the employment of lubricators which depended upon
capillary attraction for their operation and in which the reservoir was situated
beneath the bearing to be lubricated, that the wick was liable to absorb the
impurities of the oil and feed the same to the bearing. These impurities would

page_text: also have a tendency to clog and contaminate the wick and by lessening the
capillary attraction thereof would cause the action of the device to become unreliable.
It was further found with lubricators heretofore constructed that it was impossible
to cause the amount. of. flow of. the oil to be regulated by the speed at which the
shaft was running; thus if the shaft was, at a certain time, running at a high
velocity it would receive the same amount of oil as it would at another time when
running at a low rate of speed
speed and furthermore it required considerable experience
and calculation to place the reservoir at the proper height to feed the oil in proper
quantities to the bearing to be lubricated. "These disadvantages were due to the
fact that the reservoir was heretofore immovably located upon some portion of the
machinery.
It will be quite obvious, that with a device constructed after the plan herein set
forth, the above disadvantages will not be experienced, owing to the fact that both
siphonic action and capillary attraction are obtained and that the reservoir is distinct
from the journal, box-or any portion of the machine and is placed movably in
connection therewith. It will thus be quite obvious that the amount of, flow of the
oil can be so regulated (by raising or lowering the reservoir) as to meet, the various
requirements occasioned by the running of the shaft at different rates of. speed. That
is to say, if it is desired to lubricate a shaft running a number of velocities per
minute, the reservoir is raised to a height sufficient to give siphonic action, governed
by, full atmospheric pressure, and, the capillary attraction ceasing, the wick becomes
an absorbent, plug and, in order, to lubricate, shafts, running at a low rate of. speed
the said reservoir is lowered to a corresponding degree, and, the action.of.the.siphon
lessening, capillary attraction takes its place. In regulating the flow of the oil, care
must be taken, that the reservoir be not. placed, so, high as to make the device a
perfect, siphon in which event it would feed too fast, nor, so low, as to be compelled to
contend against full atmospheric pressure, in which event it would feed too slow, and
would become unreliable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in 'what manner the same is to be performed we declare, that what we
claim is:
.4
A lubricator having both, siphonic action and capillary attraction for the purpose
set forth, and comprising a reservoir adjustably mounted in juxtaposition to the
bearing to be lubricated, a siphon tube extending from the reservoir to point near
said bearing, and a wick within said. siphon tube and extending from the oil in the
reservoir to said, bearing.
Dated this Twenty ninth day of Julv 1889.
CRUIKSHANK. & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint, Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
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