Improvements in and connected with Lubricating Bearings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 17th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lubricating Bearings.
I, JOSIAH SMITH, of 7, Conduit Street, in the City of Gloucester, Fitter, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to means applicable to bearings and adapted for automatically
ringing a bell or otherwise giving an alarm when the bearing becomes overheated ; as
also for effecting or augmenting the supply of the lubricant by the closing, either
automatically or otherwise, of an electric circuit.
In carrying out this invention, I prefer to combine the alarm mechanism with the
lubricator in such a manner as to form a single apparatus; the alarm being operated
and the lubricator opened simultaneously by the same agency.
. A device constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a covered cup or
reservoir for oil, having two outlets for supplying oil to the bearing. Through one of
the outlets oil flows to the bearing in the usual manner; whilst the other opening is
normally kept closed by an electrically-operated valve. Upon the bearing becoming
heated, the valve is automatically opened, a plentiful supply of oil admitted to the
bearing and serious injury prevented. The electrically-operated valve is closed by
gravity or by a spring, and is opened by an electro-magnet preferably situated within
the cup or reservoir. The valve-rod or -spindle is jointed to one end of a pivoted
lever, the other end of which carries an armature. The latter, when the circuit is
closed, is attracted by the electro-magnet so as to raise the valve from its seat through
the instrumentality of the lever. The electro-magnet may, however, act directly on
the valve-rod or -spindle instead of through the pivoted lever above mentioned.
An electric bell, which may be placed in any convenient position and at any distance
from the device, is in the same circuit as the electro-magnet, and is consequently
caused to ring whilst the circuit is closed and the valve open.
For automatically closing the electric circuit (which under normal conditions is
interrupted), 1 employ a volume of mercury situated in a metal vessel at the bottom
of the device. A tube, preferably of glass, projects vertically from the vessel or space
in which the mercury is enclosed. The tube is furnished with a metal top, cemented
thereto, in which is mounted a binding screw carrying a pointed wire projecting
downwards into the tube aforesaid. At ordinary temperatures, the pointed wire is not
in contact with the mercury. A flexible wire is led from one pole of a suitable battery
to the bottom of the device, or to any part of the machine with which the device is in
metallic contact. Two wires are led from the binding screw on the vertical tube, one
to the electro-magnet and the other to a binding screw on the top of the oil-cup
or reservoir. From the binding screw last referred to, a wire is led to the electric
bell; another wire being led from the electric bell to a second binding screw on the
top of the device. From the latter binding screw, a wire is led to the other pole of
the battery; and this binding screw is united by another wire with the electro-
magnet. So far as may be, to avoid complication, the different wires are twisted
together.
The action of the parts is as follows:-Whilst the bearing remains cool, the circuit
is broken, the oil is permitted to flow through one outlet only and the bell is silent.
When, however, the bearing becomes heated and communicates its heat to the device
and consequently to the mercury, the latter expands and rises in the tube until it
reaches the downwardly-projecting pointed wire; whereupon the circuit is closed, the
electro-magnet becomes magnetized and lifts the valve from its seat (thus permitting
an increased supply of oil to flow to the overheated bearing), and the bell is caused to

page_text: ring. The increased supply of oil continues to flow and the bell to ring until the
circuit is again broken, either automatically upon the mercury cooling or by the
current being interrupted.
A lubricator controlled by a valve operated by an electro-magnet as above set forth
may be employed for oiling parts of a machine which are difficult or dangerous to oil
by hand. A series of bearings provided with lubricators of the kind referred to and
comprised in one electric circuit may be simultaneously oiled by merely closing the
circuit ;
the supply of oil to each bearing being cut off when the circuit is broken.
Dated the 25th day of June 1889.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lubricating Bearings.
;
I, JOSIAH SMITH, of Conduit Street, in the City of Gloucester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to means applicable to bearings and adapted for automatically
ringing a bell or otherwise giving an alarm when the bearing becomes overheated, as
also for effecting or augmenting the supply of the lubricant by the closing, either
automatically or otherwise, of an electric circuit.
In the accompanying diagrams,
Fig. 1 represents in vertical section a lubricator constructed and fitted in accordance
with my invention;
Fig. 2 being a corresponding plan with the cover removed.
In carrying out this invention, I prefer to combine the alarm mechanism with the
lubricator in such a manner as to form a single apparatus; the alarm being operated
and the lubricator opened simultaneously by the same agency.
A device constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a covered oil-cup
or -reservoir a having two outlets a' and a² for supplying oil to the bearing. Through
the outlet a', oil flows to the bearing in the usual manner; whilst the other outlet a³
is normally kept closed by an electrically-operated valve b. Upon the bearing
becoming heated, the valve 6 is automatically opened and an additional supply of oil
consequently admitted to the bearing; serious injury being thus prevented. The
electrically-operated valve 6 is closed by the effect of gravity or by a spring and is
opened by an electro-magnet c preferably attached to a plate arranged within the
cup or reservoir, as shewn. The valve-rod or -spindle 6' is jointed to one end of a
pivoted lever e, the other end of which carries an armature f. The pivot-pin e¹ of the
lever e is supported in bearings e on the plate d. The arinature, when the circuit
is closed, is attracted by the electro-magnet c so as to raise the valve 6 from its seat b*
through the instrumentality of the lever e. The electro-magnet may, however,
act directly on the valve-rod or -spindle instead of through the pivoted lever e.
An electric bell, which may be placed in any convenient position and at any distance
from the device, is in the same circuit as the electro-magnet, and is consequently
caused to ring whilst the circuit is closed and the valve b open.
For automatically closing the electric circuit (which under normal conditions is
interrupted), I employ a vessel g containing mercury g'. A tube g³, preferably of
glass, projects vertically from the vessel g. To the tube g³ is cemented a metal top g
in which is mounted a binding screw 9 carrying a pointed wire 9 projecting down-
wards within the tube. At the highest ordinary temperature, the wire g is not in
contact with the mercury g¹. A wire is led from one pole of a suitable battery to
the bottom of the device, as indicated, or to any part of the machine with which the

page_text: :
device is in metallic contact. Two wires h¹ and h² are led from the binding screw
one (h) to the electro-magnet and the other (2) to a binding screw on the top a³
of the oil-cup or -reservoir. From the binding screw ka wire h³ is led to the electric
bell, another wire being led from the electric bell to a second binding screw k¹ on
the top of the device.. From the binding screw k¹ a wire his led to the other pole of
the battery, and this binding screw is united by another wire with the electro-
magnet c. So far as may be, to avoid complication, the different wires are twisted
together.
.
The action of the parts is as follows Whilst the bearing remains cool, the
circuit is broken, the oil is permitted to flow through the outlet a² only and the
bell is silent. When, however, the bearing becomes heated and communicates
its heat to the--oil-cup-or-reservoir-a--and--consequently to the-mercury g', the
latter expands and rises in the tube g³ until it reaches the downwardly-projecting
wire g, whereupon the circuit is closed, the electro-magnet becomes magnetized and
lifts the valve 6 from its seat b* (thus permitting an additional supply of oil to flow
to the overheated bearing through the outlet a²), and the bell is caused to ring. The
increased supply of oil continues to flow and the bell to ring until the circuit is again
broken, either automatically upon the mercury cooling or by the current being
interrupted.
In order to prevent the oil flowing to waste when the bearing becomes overheated,
the oil-reservoir a may be subdivided and the outlet a placed in communication with
the subdivision a*. Under such circumstances, oil flows into the subdivision a*
from the reservoir a by way of a passage a, which is controlled by the valve b. An
air-pipe a leads from the top of the subdivision a* to the atmosphere in order to
prevent air being confined in the subdivision. When the valve brises and opens the
passage a² it closes the passage a*, so that only sufficient oil (that is, the volume of oil
contained in the subdivision a*) can flow through the passage a² to cool the bearing.
When the valve & descends into its normal position, the passage at is again opened for
replenishing the volume of oil in the subdivision a*
A lubricator controlled by a valve operated by an electro-magnet as above set forth
may be employed for oiling parts of a machine which are difficult or dangerous to oil
by hand.
A series of bearings provided with lubricators of the kind referred to and
comprised in one electric circuit may be simultaneously oiled by merely closing the
circuit; the supply of oil to each bearing being cut off when the circuit is broken.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 claim :-
1. For automatically indicating when a bearing becomes overheated, the employ-
ment of an electric circuit which embraces the bearing in conjunction with means for
compieting the circuit and giving an alarm, the whole arranged or operating
substantially as herein described.
2. For automatically cooling an overheated bearing, the employment of an electric
circuit which embraces the bearing and which is normally broken in conjunction with
means arranged, under the influence of heat, to complete the circuit and to open a
valve controlling a supplementary oil-supply-passage, an increased quantity of
lubricant being thereby permitted to flow until the bearing becomes cooled.
3. For automatically indicating when a bearing becomes overheated, the employ-
ment of a normally-broken electric circuit, embracing an electric bell or equivalent
device, in conjunction with a body of mercury so arranged that, on becoming
expanded by abnormal heat, the electric circuit is completed and the electric bell or
other alarm operated.
4. For automatically cooling an overbeated hearing, the employment of a normally-
broken electric circuit, embracing an electro-magnet for operating a valve controlling
a supplementary oil-supply-passage, in conjunction with a body of mercury so
arranged that, on becoming expanded by abnormal heat, the electric circuit is com-

page_text: pleted and the valve opened, an increased quantity of lubricant being thereby
permitted to flow until the bearing becomes cooled.
5. The employment in a hearing of a valve operated by an electro-magnet and
controlling an oil-passage, a normally-broken electric circuit in which the electro-
-magnet is embraced, and a device for closing the electric circuit when it is desired to
lubricate the bearing.
Dated this 25th day of March 1890.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.