IMPROVE- MENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hughes, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
Sealed the 31st March 1876, and dated the 23rd October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd October 1875.
I, HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that class of apparatus known as suet
lubricators used for supplying lubricating material to the cylinders of
steam engines and to other like surfaces in an automatic or partially
automatic manner, and it has for its object simplifying such apparatus
without impairing their efficiency, whilst rendering them more certain
in their action and preventing waste of the lubricant. In one class of

page_text: lubricators of this description as ordinarily constructed and applied to
steam engines the suet is introduced into a chamber having a passage
which is in communication with the steam cylinder or steam pipe, and
when the steam is turned on the suet is converted into tallow which is
gradually supplied to the cylinder. The supply of the tallow is regulated
by means of a screw valve under the control of the driver or other
attendant, and which is caused to cover the mouth of the passage to a
greater or less extent so as to contract or enlarge the outlet as required.
Now according to my Invention I dispense with the regulating valve
and employ a communicating passage or passages of a minimum
diameter, or a passage terminating in an orifice or orifices of a minimum
diameter so as to admit of the egress of only sufficient tallow to maintain
in the cylinder the required degree of lubrication. By this means the
cost of the apparatus is greatly reduced, and the uncertainty in its
action due to its regulation being dependent upon the attendant and the
waste from leakage to which the ordinary apparatus is liable are entirely
obviated, whilst if it be required to remove the cover for the renewal of
the supply of suet to the chamber during the time that the engine is
running no inconvenience will be experienced from the escape of the
steam by reason of the reduced size of the aperture through which it
must necessarily pass.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Hughes, Her special
license that I, the said Henry Hughes, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Hughes, my executors,

page_text: administrators, or 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
LUBRICATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Hughes, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
My said Invention relates to that class of apparatus known as suet
lubricators used for supplying lubricating material to the cylinders of
steam engines and to other like surfaces in an automatic or partially
automatic manner, and it has for its object simplifying such apparatus
without impairing their efficiency whilst rendering them more certain in
their action and preventing waste of the lubricant.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood I have
shewn on the annexed Sheet of Drawings an example of one class of
suet lubricators of the ordinary construction, and also an example of a
lubricator constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the ordinary lubricator ;
Figure 2 represents a similar view of my improved lubricator; and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same.
In one class of suet lubricators as ordinarily constructed and applied
to steam engines the suet is introduced into a chamber A, Figure 1,
having passages B, B', which are in communication with the steam
cylinder or steam pipe below, and when the steam is turned on the suet
under the action of the steam which ascends the passage B' and flows
through the passage B is converted into tallow which is gradually

page_text: supplied to the cylinder. The supply of the tallow is regulated by
means of a screw valve C under the control of the driver or other
attendant, and which is caused to close or cover the mouths of the
passages B, B', to a greater or less extent so as to contract or enlarge
the outlet for the tallow as required.
Now according to my Invention I dispense with the regulating
valve C and employ a communicating passage or passages of a minimum
diameter, or a passage terminating in an orifice or orifices of a minimum
diameter, so as to admit of the egress of only sufficient tallow to maintain
in the cylinder the required degree of lubrication.
Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings illustrate one mode of carrying out
my Invention, on reference to which Figures it will be seen that the
bottom of the chamber A has formed in it a minute passage or orifice a
communicating with the main passage B', and thence with the cylinder
or steam pipe. The area of the passage or orifice a should vary from
about 0002 in. to about 003 in. according to the extent of the surface
to be lubricated, the exact minimum area required being readily
determined by experience. It is obvious that the minute passage or
orifice a may be arranged at the extremity 6 of the lubricator in lieu of
at the upper end of the passage B', as shewn; or it may be continued
the same size throughout from the bottom of the chamber A to the
extremity of the lubricator; or two or more minute passages or a
main passage with two or more minute orifices may be employed as
required. The cover C may be attached by means of a screw D screwed
into the cross bar E, or otherwise. By means of this Invention the cost
of the apparatus is greatly reduced, and the uncertainty in its action
due to its regulation being dependent upon the attendant and the waste
from leakage to which the ordinary apparatus is liable are entirely
obviated, whilst if it be required to remove the cover O for the renewal
of the supply of suet to the chamber A during the time that the engine
is running no inconvenience will be experienced from the escape of
the steam by reason of the reduced size of the aperture a through which
it must necessarily pass.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured

page_text: to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
structing lubricators of the description before mentioned with one or
more minute passages or orifices of a permanently restricted area in
cross section for the purpose of limiting the discharge of the lubricant
without the employment of regulating valves or cocks, substantially as
herein-before described.
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
structing lubricators of the description before mentioned with one or
more minute passages or orifices of a permanently restricted area in
cross section for the purpose of limiting the discharge of the lubricant
without the employment of regulating valves or cocks, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hughes, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
HENRY HUGHES. (L.S.)