IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FEED CUPS FOR LUBRICANTS
Year: 1882

page_text: ;
LETTERS PATENT to Robert Baird of 134 St Vincent St Glasgow in the
County of Lanark, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO FEED CUPS FOR LUBRICANTS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Baird at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th September 1882.
ROBERT BAIRD of 134 St Vincent St Glasgow in the County of Lanark.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FEED CUPS FOR LUBRICANTS
"
This invention is designed more especially for use with the well known "Baird's
Light Feed Oil Cup" and serves to prevent waste of the lubricant and also avoids
the back pressure from the cup which occurs with the old form
In the cup already mentioned the lubricant in the cup was expelled therefrom
by the weight of a column of water formed by the condensation of the steam from
the steam pipe through a glass tube (where the amount passing can be seen and
may be regulated by suitable valves) to the steam pipe; but so long as the steam
was kept on, the oil continued flowing whether the engine was working or not,
and it is to save this waste that the present improvements have principally been
designed.
In a suitable branch from the cup is a valve resting upon a seat at the end
of a small tube in such manner that when the valve is closed the supply of water
to the cup is stopped. Over the valve may be placed a rubber, or other elastic
diaphragm, and a spindle forcing this in presses the valve upon its seat or may
regulate the lift of the valve when released. The spindle passes through a nut
with a projecting flange which screws on outside the well or chamber in which.
the valve works making a tight joint with the diaphragm. A loose collar fits
round the nut (being retained by the flange) and is provided with lugs to carry
a lever which may be connected in any appropriate manner with any suitable
portion of the starting or other gear which is operated when the engine is started
or stopped. By this arrangement the valve is opened when the engine is
started and the water flows and forces out the oil so long as the engine
continues to work; but the valve is closed and the supply stopped as soon as
the engine stops.
.
Back pressure from the cup of course closes the valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Baird in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th March
1883.
ROBERT BAIRD of 134 St Vincent Street Glasgow, in the County of Lanark.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FEED CUPS FOR LUBRICANTS."
"
In the accompanying drawing Fig 1 is an elevation of an ordinary Baird's
Light Feed" gravity lubricator shewing the valve attachment in position. Fig 2
is an elevation partly in section of the valve attachment and Fig 3 is a plan to
show how the attachment clears the pipe.
Before describing the attachment I will briefly describe the action of the
lubricator which however forms no part of my present invention—so that the
object and action of the attachment may be better understood.
.
The pipes A and B Fig 1 both connect with the main steam supply pipe from
the engine which is to be lubricated so that an equal pressure exists all through
the lubricator: Water however is formed in the pipe A and condenser A' which
falls by its greater specific gravity and through the pipes A² and A³ enters the
body of lubricator near the bottom displacing some of the lubricant which
overflows down the central tube (shown in dotted lines in Fig 1) and passes by
the pipe B into the glass tube B3 which is full of water the oil rising through the
water in drops or a constant stream according as the flow is regulated by the
valves C and D. Said valves C and D are usually so adjusted as to pass the
proper amount of oil for the exact requirements of the engine to which it may be
connected and it is not desirable to alter these whenever the engine is stopped
and consequently the oil goes on flowing to waste after the engine has ceased to
work. The object and advantages of the valve attachment will now readily be
understood when it has been described.
Referring to Fig 2 it will be seen that the boss or projection E upon pipe A²
has a recess or well F having a vertically projecting tube or portion G the top of
which forms a seating for the back pressure valve H; the hollow interior Ġ' of
tube G communicates by tube A* with the condenser A' Fig 1. Tube A³ connects
with well F outside tube G¹ so that valve H. separates the two. An elastic
diaphragm I closes the top of the well and is firmly fixed by the nut or cover K
which screws upon the outside of E as clearly shown in Fig 2. A spindle L having
a head L' passes through and is free to move longitudinally in a hole through the
nut K. The upper portion of nut K projects all round at K¹ and serves to retain
in position a collar M which is free to revolve around the lower portion of K.
Lugs or projections N and N¹ upon collar M serve to carry the lever O-N¹ serving
as a hinge and N having a thumb screw P for fixing the lever in any particular
position when required. The free end 0¹ of lever O is connected in any convenient
manner with any suitable lever or other portion of the machinery which is moved
at starting and stopping the engine. The action of the valve is as follows;
The water condensed in the tube A and condenser A¹ passes by tube A³ up the
interior G¹ of tube G lifts valve H (lever O being raised clear) and passes into
the well and so by tube A³ to the cup where its subsequent action has been
already explained.
Now the lever 0 being connected with some portion of the engine which is
moved at starting and stopping, when the engine is stopped the free end O' of O
is depressed forcing in spindle L which stretches the elastic diaphragm I till it
rests upon valve H and prevents it from rising and therefore cuts off the supply
of water to the cup and thus stops any oil from passing until lever O is released-
i.e, until the engine is started again.
°

page_text: The collar M is arranged to turn round so as to allow the end of lever O to be
turned to the most convenient point for attachment to the machinery as shown
in Fig 3
When required the lever O may be so set by means of the thumb screw P
as to regulate the supply of water by not allowing the valve to open beyond
a certain limit
Great saving is effected by the use of this valve and especially in the case of
colliery winding engines, river steamers and the like which are constantly starting
and stopping. The back pressure valve also tends to regulate the flow of oil by
neutralizing the shocks and uneven flow of steam should the cup be fixed too near
the cylinder of the engine
I am aware that it has been proposed to place a valve in the portion of the
cup or attachment which is filled with the lubricant but a valve so placed gets
clogged up. The valve above described is so situated in the water column that
the lubricant in ordinary working never touches it.
Reasonable modifications can of course be made without departing from the
spirit of this invention; for instance the elastic diaphragm I could be dispensed
with if suitable means such as a stuffing box were provided to prevent the fluid
from escaping between the spindle L and nut K.
Having now described my invention and the method of performing the same
I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect under the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is ;-
First In a gravity lubricator the employment of the valve H situate in the
water column or section of said lubricator substantially as specified.
Second-In a gravity lubricator the employment of the lever O connected with
a portion of the machinery which is moved in starting and stopping the engine
to which said lubricator is applied substantially as and for the purposes shown
and described
Third The combination of the lever O lugs N N¹ collar M and nut K whereby
said lever may be adjusted to the situation in which it is placed substantially as
described and illustrated
Fourth-The combination in a gravity lubricator of the lever O spindle L and
valve H as a means of controlling or cutting off the supply of water and thereby
regulating or stopping the action of the lubricator substantially as specified
"
Fifth The nut K which serves the several purposes of fixing the elastic
diaphragm I supporting the spindle L and supporting and securing the collar M
substantially as described and shown
Sixth The employment in a gravity lubricator of the well F tube G and
valve H in combination with tubes A2 and A3 in the water column or section
substantially as and for the purpose specified and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Robert Baird have hereunto set my hand
and seal this sixteenth day of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
ROBERT BAIRD (L.S.)