CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE PISTON RODS, VALVE RODS, PISTONS, AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER RODS OR SHAFTS TO WHICH A TO-AND-FRO MOTION IS GIVEN
Year: 1861

page_text: Place, Manager, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE PISTON RODS, VALVE RODS, PISTONS, AND VALVES
OF STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER RODS OR SHAFTS TO WHICH A TO-AND-FRO
MOTION IS GIVEN."
Sealed the 15th August 1861, and dated the 2nd March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ellis, John Stringer,
and John Bradock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd March 1861.
We, JOHN ELLIS and JOHN STRINGER, both of Droylsden, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineers, and JOHN. BRADOCK, of the same Place, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN. APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE PISTON RODS, VALVE RODS, PISTONS, AND
VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND OTHER RODS OR SHAFTS TO WHICH A TO-AND-FRO
MOTION IS GIVEN," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in making the stuffing box of the piston rod with a
receptacle to contain the lubricating material, which passes through apertures
in the inner part of the stuffing box to the piston rod, around which is a

page_text: groove for the lubricating material to enter into. When the piston rod is at
work a portion of the lubricating material is conveyed at each stroke into the
cylinder with the steam, thereby lubricating the piston.
A similar apparatus is also applicable for lubricating the valve rod and
valves of steam engines, and for other purposes where a shaft or rod works
with a to-and-fro motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John Bradock in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 31st August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ELLIS and JOHN STRINGER, both of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, and JOHN BRADOCK, of the same Place, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John Bradock, Her special licence
that we, the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John Bradock, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Ellis, John
Stringer, and John Bradock, 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 "CER-
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE PISTON RODS, VALVE
RODS, PISTONS, AND VALVES OF STEAM ENGINES, AND OTHER RODS OR SHAFTS TO
WHICH A TO-AND-FRO MOTION IS GIVEN," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John Bradock, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John
Bradock, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
Our Invention consists in making the stuffing box of the piston rod with a
receptacle to contain the lubricating material, which passes through apertures
in the inner part of the stuffing box to the piston rod, which is either plain or
furnished with a groove for the lubricating material to enter into. When
the piston rod is at work, a portion of the lubricating material is conveyed
at each stroke into the cylinder with the steam, thereby lubricating the
piston.
.
A similar apparatus is also applicable for lubricating the valve rod and
valves of steam engines, and for other purposes where a shaft or rod works
with a to-and-fro motion.
The manner in which our said Invention is to be performed or carried into
practice will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing,
in which a represents part of the cylinder of a steam engine of the ordinary
construction; b, the piston working up and down or to and fro in the cylinder;
c, the piston rod, which passes through the cylinder lid d; e is the outer part.
of the stuffing box, and f, a bush, forming the inner part thereof. The parts e
and are either fixed or cast together, and the receptacle i, containing the oil
or other lubricating material, is formed in the stuffing box. Near the lower
end of the receptacle i are the holes or apertures marked g, through which
the lubricating material passes to the piston rod c, which is either plain or
furnished with a groove h. The groove h may encircle the piston rod, or only
extend partly round it, and it may be either straight or diagonal. It is also
evident that in some cases the groove may be entirely dispensed with. The
mode of operation is as follows:-When the piston is at the end of its stroke,
as shewn in the Drawing, the groove h comes opposite the apertures g, a
portion of the lubricating material from the receptacle i enters the groove h,
and when the piston descends into the cylinder, this portion of the lubricating
material is carried down and conveyed into the cylinder with the steam,
thereby simultaneously lubricating the piston, piston rod, and cylinder. When
no groove is made in the piston rod, a portion of the lubricating material
adheres to and is carried into the cylinder with it.
A similar apparatus can be applied to the valve rod of a steam engine
for lubricating it and the valve, and to any other engine or machine in which
rods or shafts having a to-and-fro motion are employed.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we declare that we claim the application of a receptacle
containing lubricating material to stuffing boxes for the piston rods and valve

page_text: rods of steam engines, and for other. rods or shafts to which a to-and-fro
motion is given, as shewn and described, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Ellis, John Stringer, and John
Bradock, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.
JOHN ELLIS.:
(L.S.).
JOHN STRINGER.. (L.S.);
JOHN BRADOCK. (L.S.)