IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Collyford Banks, of Clapham, in the
County of Surrey, Brass Founder and Finisher, for the Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
Sealed the 12th December 1858, and dated the 24th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Collyford
Banks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th August 1858.
I, CHARLES COLLYFORD BANKS, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LUBRICATORS " to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improved construction of lubricator
adapted for introducing the lubricating matter into the cylinder of a
steam engine or any other chamber in which there exists internal
pressure.
The oil or grease cocks usually employed for this purpose consist of
a cup to receive the oil, and a tap with a large hollow plug having one
S

page_text: aperture, which is turned upwards when the plug is filled, and when
reversed the oil escapes at the lower side into the cylinder. A grease
cock or lubricator of this kind must necessarily be large in proportion
to the quantity of oil it will contain.
According to my improvements I form the plug of the tap simply
with two central passages, one passing out at either end. For con-
venience I fix the plug vertically in the cylinder cover, or in other
convenient position. A. chamber to contain the oil is fitted on the
plug so as to rotate thercon as an ordinary tap, but with this differ-
ence, that the plug remains stationary, and the vessel moves round. A
small cup is fitted to the upper end of the plug conducting the oil
through the upper passage of the plug, which, with the oil chamber in
proper position, allows the oil to flow in and fill that vessel.
The oil chamber is now caused to rotate to a certain other position,
the effect of which is to stop the upper passage through which the oil
was introduced, and open that through the lower end of the plug
which admits the oil to the cylinder.
The plug or centre on which the oil chamber rotates may be placed
in any suitable position so long as the oil chamber constitutes the
outer casing, and the plug may be made to rotate while the chamber is
fixed, such plug merely having passages & without enlarged cavity to
contain oil.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Collyford Banks in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
CHARLES COLLYFORD BANKS, of Claphamn, in the County of Surrey,
Brass Founder and Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the

page_text: seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Collyford Banks, Her
special licence that I, the said Charles Collyford Banks, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Collyford Banks, my 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Collyford Banks, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Charles Collyford Banks, 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 Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
My Invention of improvements in lubricators consists of a lubri
cator adapted for introducing the lubricating matter into the cylinder of
a steam engine, or any other chamber in which there exists an internal
pressure.
The oil or grease cocks usually employed for this purpose consist
of a cup to receive the oil, and a tap with a large hollow plug having
one aperture, which is turned upwards when the plug is filled, and
when reversed the oil escapes at the lower side into the cylinder.
According to my improvements I form the plug of the tap simply
with two central passages, one passing out at either end. I fix the plug
vertically in the cylinder cover, or other convenient position on the
chamber it is desired to lubricate; it is surrounded by the cup or

page_text: -chamber of the lubricator, in which the oil or lubricating matter is
introduced previous to passing into the cylinder, as exemplified by the
Figures in the Drawing annexed.
Fig. 1, represents an elevation of the lubricator complete. Fig. 2,
a vertical section through the centre; and Fig 3, a plan of the same. 5
Fig. 4, represents the containing chamber of the lubricator seperate.
Fig. 5, a seperate view of the plug.
The lubricator consists of two principal parts, the plug A, and the
cup or chamber B.
By preference I place the plug in the chamber to be lubricated, and 1
cause the cup B, to rotate, to fulfil the requirements of. the lubricator,
the plug being sustained by a screw a. The hexagon b, is simply for
the purpose of turning the plug in fixing or removing the lubricator
from its position.
The cup B, has two sockets c, d, to receive the plug A, which has t
two corresponding parts e, f, fitted thereto like an ordinary tap so-as to
permit the rotation of the cup, and thereby open or suspend the several
communications of the lubricator. C, is a handle fixed on top of the
cup, and D, an index to show when the passages are shut or open,
.which is indicated by the letters S, and 0. The index is fixed on the 2
top of the plug by the hexagon seen in Fig. 6, and remains stationary
with it. E, is a small cup for the introduction of the lubricating
matter. This is screwed into the end. of the plug, and by its shoulder
keeps the index and handle in their proper position, and the cup B,
down upon its bearings, and at the same time permits the rotation :2
required.
The plug A, has two main passages g, h, the one g, in communica-
tion with the cup E, and the other with the interior of the chamber to
be lubricated.
It will be observed that the openings of these passages to the cup B, 3
are through the side of plug, but the one being at right angles to the
other, while the corresponding openings i, k, are in the same plane, both
of them cannot be open at the same time; there is consequently no direct
passage through the lubricator. In addition to the main passage g, in

page_text: the upper part of the plug, there is another external communication
consisting of a small air passage-m, best seen in Figs. 6, .and.7... This
passage is cut in the plug opposite.to the side opening of g: The
socket d, is provided with an opening n, opposite to i, so that when the
communication between g, and i, is established a like coincidence of
m, and n, takes place, forming simultaneously two external communi-
cations. , is a stop pin to limit the extent of rotatory motion of the
cup B.
The object of the smaller opening m, is to permit the free escape of
air or steam from the cup B, while the oil or lubricating matter is
being poured in at E.
The action of the lubricator is this: the cup B, is turned to open, as
represented at Fig. 2, when the lubricating matter is poured in at E,
which passes through g, and i, into B, the air at the same time passing
out at m, n, until the cup B, becomes quite full; it is now turned
to shut, this establishes the communication between h, and k, and
allows the lubricating matter to pass down through p, into the chamber
to be lubricated. Thus, it is a matter of indifference as to what pres-
sure may exist in the chamber to be lubricated, as steam or air con-
tained therein will find its way up through passage p, and k, and
establishes an equilibrium between it and B; the oil is therefore always
free to descend.
It is not strictly essential that the plug A, should be vertical, as it
may be inclined in any direction, taking care to keep it sufficiently
upright to ensure the proper flow of the fluid. Instead of the plug
being made a fixture, with the cup B, rotating thereon, it may be
arranged with a fixed cup or chamber B, and the plug caused to rotate
therein, and at the same time he attended with similar effect. In
lubricators constructed thus with the containing chamber B, as the
exterior, the whole is much smaller and requires much less weight
of metal than ordinary lubricators of like capacity applied to similar
purposes.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be understood

page_text: that I claim lubricators having parts A, B, with their several passages
arranged and constructed as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Collyford Banks, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
CHARLES COLLYFORD BANKS. (L.S.)
Witness, W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lanc,
London.