IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OILING TEE AXLES OF TRUCKS OR WAGONS USED IN COLLIERIES, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lindley, of Clifton, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR OILING TEE
AXLES OF TRUCKS OR WAGONS USED IN COLLIERIES, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 10th December 1869, and dated the 15th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lindley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th June 1869.
I, JOHN LINDLEY, of Clifton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
OILING THE AXLES OF TRUCKS OF WAGONS USED IN COLLIERIES, AND FOR OTHER
SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of oiling the axles of any
number of trucks or wagons on the tramway of a colliery or other mine
when the trucks or wagons are in motion without the necessity for

page_text: Stopping the said trucks or wagons whilst the oiling or the axies is being
performed.
I provide an oil tank or vessel placed between the rails of the
tramway, and I place therein a small cylinder or tube closed at the
bottom and capable of oscillating on pivots or bearings at or near the
bottom thereof. In this cylinder I place a plunger or piston, and I per-
forate the sides of the cylinder below the position of the said plunger or
piston when at its highest point, which is the normal position of the
same. Leading from the lower part of this cylinder are two pipes or
tubes which extend upwards and project through the lid of the tank to
nearly the height of the axles, and connecting these two pipes together
is a plate through which the rod of the plunger or piston passes, so that
when the cylinder oscillates the tubes, plate, and plunger or piston rod
oscillate therewith. At the upper end of the plunger or piston rod is
hinged a weighted lever which projects above the same in such a
manner that as the axle of a truck or wagon passes over it comes in
contact therewith, forcing the piston or plunger downwards in the
cylinder, and at the same time carrying the pipes or tubes with it
for a certain distance, so that as the jet of oil is forced out they follow
the axle, and oil both ends of the same. As soon as the first axle of the
wagon or truck has gone a certain distance the weighted lever escapes
from the front axle, and the cylinder rod and tubes are caused to
oscillate back into their original position by means of a spring in time
to catch the second axle and repeat the same process, and so on with any
given number of trucks or wagons. Each time the cylinder returns into its
original position the plunger or piston rises and a fresh supply of oil runs
into the cylinder beneath the plunger or piston through the perforations
before named. The return of the cylinder as well as the movement of
the plunger or piston in the cylinder is effected by means of a link
jointed to the bottom of the tank and to the top of the plunger or piston
rod, so that as the cylinder oscillates in one direction by the action of
the axle the rod is caused to descend, and a spring being attached to the
link, as soon as the axle is passed the spring draws the cylinder back
into its original position, and at the same time raises the plunger or
piston and admits a fresh supply of oil to the cylinder.

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lindley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LINDLEY, of Clifton, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Lindley, Her special license that
I, the said John Lindley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Lindley, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
OILING THE AXLES OF TRUCKS OR WAGONS USED IN COLLIERIES, AND FOR OTHER
SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Lindley, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lindley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention is designed for the purpose of oiling the axles of any
number of trucks or wagons on the tramway of a colliery or other mine
when the trucks or wagons are in motion without the necessity for
stopping the said trucks or wagons whilst the oiling of the axles is being
performed.
I provide an oil tank or vessel placed between the rails of the
tramway, and I place thercin a small cylinder or tube closed at the

page_text: bottom and capable of oscillating on pivots or bearings at or near the
bottom thereof. In this cylinder I place a plunger or piston, and I per-
forate the sides of the cylinder below the position of the said plunger or
piston at its highest point, which is the normal position of the same.
Leading from the lower part of this cylinder are two pipes or tubes
which extend upwards and project through beneath the edge of the lid
of the tank, which is nearly the height of the axles, and connected to
the cylinder lid is a long boss through which the rod of the plunger or
piston passes, so that when the cylinder oscillates the tubes and plunger
or piston rod oscillate therewith. At the upper end of the plunger or
piston rod is hinged a tumbling lever or trigger which projects above
the same, and to the bolt which connects the lever or trigger to the top
of the piston rod is hinged a link, the other end of which is connected
to the bottom of the vessel in such a manner that as the axle of the truck
or wagon in passing over comes into contact with the trigger, causing
the cylinder to oscillate, and at the same time carrying the pipes or
tubes with and for a certain distance, the said link forces down the
piston into the cylinder, so that a jet of oil is forced out of each tube as
they follow the axle and oil both ends of the same. As soon as the first
axle of the wagon or truck has gone a certain distance the trigger or
lever escapes from the front axle, and the cylinder, rod, and tubes are
caused to oscillate back into their original position by means of a spring
or weighted lever in time to catch the second axle and repeat the same
process, and so on with any given number of trucks or wagons.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for " Improved
Apparatus for Oiling the Axles of Trucks or Waggons used in Collieries,
and for other similar Purposes," I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed and
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly
understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof (that is
to say) :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawings represents a side view, shown partly
in section, of my improved apparatus; and Fig. 2 a front elevation (also
partly in section) of the same.
.
a, a, is the oil tank or vessel, and b, b, the cylinder capable of oscil-
lating on pivots or bearings c, c, at or near the bottom of the same.

page_text: This cylinder is closed at the bottom, and is provided with holes d, d,
for the admission of the oil into its interior, and has a long boss or
gland e, e, at the top through which the piston rod f,f, passés. The
piston is made of a disc of metal having holes perforated through it,
which as the piston ascends allow the oil to pass downwards through it,
but are closed as the piston descends by means of a leather washer
beneath the disc attached thereto by a nut and washer in the centre.
9, 9, is the tumbling lever or trigger attached to the top of the piston
rod ff, by means of a bolt, which also serves to connect it to the
link h, h, the lower end of which is hinged to the bottom of the tank,
and is provided with a weighted lever i, i, (or with a spring) for the
purpose of bringing the apparatus back into its original position after
each axle of a wagon or truck has passed over. The branch pipes k, k, are
fixed to the lower part of the cylinder b, b. It will be observed that
these pipes are formed of double tubes, the space between which is open
at the bottom and closed at the top.
The action of this arrangement is as follows:--When the axle of a
wagon going in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 comes against the
trigger g, g, it causes the cylinder and branch pipes, together with the
piston rod, to oscillate on the pivots c, c, causing the tubes to follow the
motion of the axle, as shown by the dotted lines, whilst the action of
the link h, h, will draw down the piston and force a jet of oil out through
each tube on to the axle. The descent of the piston will compress the
air which is in the space between the double tubes, and on the return
of the piston as the apparatus oscillates in the reverse direction the
re-expansion of this compressed air will act upon the oil in the tubes
and prevent the suction of the piston from exhausting the oil therefrom,
and thus the branch tubes are kept always full of oil without the
necessity for valves of any description. When the wagons pass over the
apparatus in the reverse direction the tumbling lever or trigger 9, 9,
merely oscillates on its own centre without having any effect whatever
on the other parts of the apparatus.
It will be seen on referring to Fig. 2 that the whole apparatus is
placed somewhat out of the centre, and the object of this arrangement is
to keep the ropes or chains by which the wagons are drawn along clear
of the oiling apparatus.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-

page_text: formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the peculiar novel arrangement of self-acting
Oscillating apparatus for oiling the axles of such wagons whilst in
motion, as herein before particularly described and represented on the
annexed Drawings.
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention the peculiar novel arrangement of self-acting
Oscillating apparatus for oiling the axles of such wagons whilst in
motion, as herein before particularly described and represented on the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lindley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lindley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.