Im- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING AXLES AND JOURNALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Knowles, of Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
Sealed the 18th July 1871, and dated the 9th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Knowles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1871.
I, WILLIAM KNOWLES, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING AXLES AND JOURNALS," to be as
follows:-
'
The nature of my Invention consists in constructing perfectly self-
acting lubricators by causing the oil or other lubricant placed in a vessel
to be displaced to any extent by a plunger. The quantity so displaced
either drops or is conveyed to the axle and journal to be lubricated.
In applying my Invention to a line of shafting I employ a light shaft
above it, and this light shaft is caused to revolve very slowly by means

page_text: of clockwork or worms and wheels. To the light shaft are suspended as
many plungers as there are journals to be lubricated; each plunger dips
in a vessel containing the lubricant, and the lubricant displaced by the
plunger is conveyed through a tube (which rises nearly to the top of
the vessel) to the journal. The descent of the plungers is governed by
the clockwork or other equivalent, and the quantity of lubricant displaced
is regulated by the size of the plunger. Previous to refilling the vessels.
the plungers are raised against a stop, the object of which is to prevent
the lower end of the plunger being raised above the level of the lubricant
when the vessel is full.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Knowles in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
KNOWLES, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Knowles, Her special licence
that I, the said William Knowles, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Knowles, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING AXLES AND JOURNALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Knowles, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Knowles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :—
The nature of my Invention consists in constructing perfectly self-
acting lubricators, by causing the oil or other lubricant placed in a
vessel to be displaced to any extent by a plunger. The quantity so dis-
placed either drops or is conveyed to the axle and journal to be
lubricated.
In applying my Invention to a line of shafting I employ a light shaft
above it, and this light shaft is caused to revolve very slowly by means
of clockwork or worms and wheels. To the light shaft are suspended
as many plungers as there are journals to be lubricated; each plunger
dips in a vessel containing the lubricant, and the lubricant displaced
by the plunger is conveyed through a tube (which rises nearly to the
top of the vessel) to the journal. The descent of the plungers is
governed by the clockwork or other equivalent, and the quantity of
lubricant displaced is regulated by the size of the plunger. Previous to
refilling the vessels the plungers are raised against a stop, the object of
which is to prevent the lower end of the plunger being raised above
the level of the lubricant when the vessel is full.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an end view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a section
of my improved apparatus for lubricating the journals of a line of
shafting.
a is the line shaft the journals of which are to be lubricated; and
is a light shaft revolving in bearings fixed to the hangers c of the line
shaft, or other suitable bearings. The shaft b performs generally only
one revolution in several weeks or even months according to the
quantity of oil that is required on the journals, and this slow speed is
obtained by the worms and wheels shewn or by clockwork or other
suitable means. At the end of the line shaft is fixed the worm a¹
gearing into the wheel d, which serves as a carrier to drive the wheel. e
fixed on the same shaft as the worm e¹, which gives motion to the
wheelf fixed on the same shaft as the worm ƒ gearing into the wheel g

page_text: fixed on the same shaft as the worm g¹, which gives motion to the
wheel 6 loose on the end of the light shaft b, but connected to it by
the catches 62, which take into the ratchet wheel 63 keyed on the shaft b.
To the shaft b are suspended as many plungers h as there are journals
to be lubricated, and each plunger dips into a vessel i containing the
lubricant; these vessels are each provided with a side tube, the orifice
between the vessel and the tube being near the top of the vessel, as
shewn in section in Fig. 4. As the plunger descends in the vessel i it
displaces the lubricant, which drops down the tube on to the journal.
It will be evident that the relative speed of the shaft to be lubricated
and that of the light shaft to which the plungers are suspended can
be varied by changing the number of teeth in any of the wheels d, e, f,
g, and b¹, or otherwise, and that the quantity of lubricant displaced and
supplied to the journal will also depend upon the size of the plunger,
which can also be regulated. The apparatus shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3
is suitable for the line shaft of a cotton mill, and the vessels i are of
sufficient size to contain the oil required for lubricating during about
six months, consequently the light shaft 6 performs only about one
revolution in six months. These details are given as an illustration,
and may be varied to any extent according to the speed of the line
shaft or other peculiarities of the case. When the plungers are down
near to the bottom of the vessels i it is necessary to raise them before
the vessels are refilled, and this is done by the attendant turning the
shaft 6 round in the contrary direction to that in which it is turned by
the clockwork or wheelwork, and when the shaft is so turned the straps
by which the plungers are suspended are wound on the shaft b. While
the shaft is being thus turned back the teeth of the ratchet wheel b³
pass under the catches b³, and in order to prevent the plungers being
drawn out of the vessels i the motion of the shaft is arrested by
the stop finger 6* coming against a stud projecting from one of the
hangers or other fixture, or by the plungers coming against stop
pieces.
Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6 a side view of a modification of
Tusantion onplinahla to
P

page_text: and the lubricant is conveyed from the vessel i to the journal by the
spout k.
My improved lubricating apparatus is capable of being considerably
modified, I therefore do not limit myself to any particular mode of
construction; but what I claim is, the use and application of a plunger
to displace the lubricant from a vessel and supplying the lubricant so
displaced to the journal to be lubricated.
I also claim the light shaft 6 for actuating the plungers or other
lubricating apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Knowles, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.