Improvements in or relating to Lubricators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1899--Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Lubricators.
A communication from WILHELM MICHALK, Factory Manager, of Deuben, near
Dresden, Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in lubricators, in which one or more
pressure pistons are actuated by a screw-spindle, and if several pressure pistons
be employed, they are worked jointly by the said screw spindle.
The object of these improvements is to increase the duration of such lubricators
and to improve the reliability of their action.
In Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings a lubricator furnished with
the improvements, is represented.
By arranging the bearing and counterbearing c, for the working screw spindle b.
in the cylindrical body or casing a (as shown in Figure 1) a low construction of
lubricator is obtained, so as to admit of its being used in places where it has
not, so far, been possible, owing to want of space; moreover by the arrangement
of the counter-bearings and provided on the faces of the working screw
spindle (see Figures 1 and 2) the friction surfaces are limited to the smallest
possible amount, in order to obtain an easy rotation of the working screw spindle b.
The wear and tear of the working screw spindle, which is unavoidable in the
operation of lubricators and which cause a reduction in its length, has an
injurious effect upon the horizontal mechanism, namely the worm wheel e since
the latter then no longer fits the worm f horizontally so that jamming is caused
between the worm and the worm wheel a resulting in the fracture of the teeth
of the worm wheel. This drawback is avoided in the improved device (see
Figures 1 and 2) by arranging in an adjustable manner the bearings c, d, and d
at the ends of the working screw spindle, whereby, at any time, even during work-
ing, the screw spindle can be so adjusted that the worm wheel e will correctly engage
with the worm f in a horizontal direction. In order to employ a counter-bear-
ing at the upper end of the spindle b, Figure 2, a working mechanism is
applied, below the bearing and below the upper end 61, of the working screw
spindle b, with the object of turning the spindle b to admit of the pressure piston
being moved. In order that in this improved device the cylinders can be filled,
a toothed disc or wheel is mounted on the screw spindle b, which wheel or
disc gears with a wheel z; the latter being firmly mounted on a shaft ¹ passing
through the head, and upon this shaft a crank is secured by means of which
the up and down movement of the pressure pistons is effected by hand.
Instead of using single spherical ratchet wheels which are liable to cause
irregularities in the working of lubricators, owing to teeth breaking off
occasionally, thus rendering the wheels unfit for use in the improved device
spherical ratchet wheels are used which consist of several such wheels g

page_text: and g (Figures 3 and 4) so connected as to form one, acting jointly upon one
shaft, the object being to ensure a reliable action, even if a tooth should break
or a ball te ruptured; and the object of the partitions h provided between the
teeth is to prevent any fragments that may have collected in one chamber or
division, from entering another chamber; the wheel thus works in a most reliable
manner seeing that the function of the other chambers or compartments is not
interfered with.
In order to obtain in lubricators the required power for rotating the working
screw spindle and to prevent unintentional stopping, a bolt-coupling (Figures 2
and 3) is provided. By this arrangement the transmission of motion from the
worm wheel to the screw spindle 6 is ensured in such a way that the bolt i¹
during working is pressed against the inner edge of the worm wheel e. For
further security, the bolt is provided with a nose whereby the bolt is prevented
during working, from being thrown out of engagement with the projection
on the inner surface of the worm wheel.
In order that, for filling the cylinder, the bolt may be uncoupled, the screw
spindle is slightly turned in the opposite direction, whereby the nose (2 is
thrown out of engagement with the projection 1, whereupon then the bolt can be
moved back by turning the pawl or catch & side-ways.
In order to prevent the pressure piston or pistons m from exceeding a given
lowest point or level and from moving right down to the bottom of their cylinders,
which would result in the destruction of or damage to the working mechanism,
a clutch-coupling (Figures 2 and 3) is arranged upon the worm shaft n; one
part o of this coupling being firmly connected with the shaft n, whilst the other
part p is loosely mounted on the shaft, so as to be movable in the axial direction.
The latter part is so connected with the spherical ratchet gear as to take up and
transmit to the worm shaft the abrupt rotary motion communicated by the said
ratchet gear this transmission taking place when the coupling is closed. For
opening and closing the coupling a two-armed lever 2 (Figures 2, 3 and 5) is
provided, the fork-shaped lever-arm of which engages with the movable portion ?
of the clutch. The other lever-arm q extends with its inclined or bevelled end
into the path of movement of a projection which is arranged on the pressure
piston or on its support or cross-head connecting the same with the working
screw spindle.
When the piston has reached the lowest admissible point the projection acts
upon the bevelled end of the lever arm 7', so that the lever is thereby rotated
in the direction necessary to open the clutch coupling. When the coupling is
opened, the worm shaft n and like-wise the mechanism for working the lubricators
are brought to a stand-still.
In order to prevent the lubricant-conduit a¹ (Figures 1 and 2) from being
obstructed whereby the machinery to be lubricated, would be prevented from
receiving its lubricant, and its operation be endangered or the lubricator be
subject to breaking, a safety valve t, as represented in Figure 6, is provided. The
valve cone t rises as soon as an excess pressure is produced, and the lubricant is
then forced out through the holes a, whereby the attendant is warned. In order
to obtain a permanent, and reliable tight joint, the valve t is filled with "an
elastic packing r. In order to protect the pressure cylinder and the pressure
conduits from any lubricant being sucked out, in case a vacuum is produced in,
say, the steam engine, a valve (Figure 6) is provided, which, upon a vacuum
occurring in the engine cylinder or slide valve, is caused to rise, and as its face is
of a larger diameter than the passage a', the latter is closed. In order that
notwithstanding the closing, a sufficient quantity of lubricating material may
be introduced into the required place, the lubricant is forced in the form of a
jet through a corresponding narrow bore or passage a² or a³, whereby the lubricat-
ing conduit a, closed by the valve, is still partly in communication so that even
during the period of vacuum the requisite amount of lubricating material is
supplied.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A lubricator with bearings and counter-bearings arranged at the ends of the
working screw spindle, means for adjusting the bearings so as to compensate for
wear of the working screw spindle in the longitudinal direction, and for the wear
of the bearings themselves, and working mechanism below the upper end of the
working screw spindle for moving the pressure piston or pistons and for charging
the cylinders substantially as described.
2. In lubricators of the kind described a spherical ratchet wheel consisting of
several ratchet wheels connected and co-operating together upon one shaft, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In lubricators of the kind described a bolt-coupling for transmitting power
from the worm wheel to the working screw spindle; and a nose on the bolt for
effecting the engagement of and for further securing the bolt with the worm
wheel, substantially as described.
4. In lubricators of the kind described means for throwing the lubricating
press out of action when the pressure piston (or pistons) has reached a certain
point, comprising a clutch coupling arranged upon the worm shaft for trans-
mitting the movement from the ratchet wheel to the worm shaft, a lever or
shaft connected to the movable part of said coupling and a projection on the
piston or on its support adapted to engage a projection on said lever to move it
and effect the uncoupling of the clutch, substantially as described.
5. In a lubricator of the kind described a safety valve such as t, provided with
passages for the escape of lubricant should an excess pressure take place in the
lubricant conduit, substantially as described.
6. In a lubricator, means for preventing lubricating material from being
sucked out of the cylinder and pressure conduit, comprising a valve such as ',
the face of which serves for closing the lubricant conduit said conduit being
provided with a small lateral passage such as a² or a³, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
7. The complete lubricator substantially as described or illustrated in Figures 1
to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of August 1899