Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted. 22nd Mar.. 1887.
I JOHN GARRETT TONGUE of 34 Southampton Buildings London W.C. Fellow of
the Institute of Patent Agents 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 that class of lubricators which are designed more
particularly for use on locomotives and in which the oil-reservoir is combined with a
condensing chamber in which steam is condensed and from which the resulting water
of condensation is caused to pass gradually to the oil-reservoir for the purpose of
effecting the gradual and visible feed of the lubricant through so called sight-feed
tubes to the valve chest of the cylinders, so that the engineer can readily observe the
rising oil drops and control thereby the irregular working of the cylinder lubrication.
The lubricator is intended to be a double one, that is to say, one in which the same oil
chamber serves to lubricate both cylinders of a locomotive or other engine, though it
works equally effective as a single lubricator, or one which feeds only a single
cylinder or other part.
::
The accompanying drawings represent a lubricator which embodies in an
advantageous form the several features of this invention; and to these drawings I
shall now refer in order to explain more clearly the nature of the invention and the
manner in which the same is carried into effect :-
-
Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of the lubricator on line 1-1, Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is a like section on the line 2-2, Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3--3, Fig. 1 omitting the sight-feed tubes and
their connections, and the oil gauge.
Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 1, of one of the upper sight-feed tube
connections, omitting the hand-oiler.
Fig. 5 is a section of the same sight-feed-tube connection, together with the hand-
oiler on line 5-5, Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the complete lubricator, together with its boiler
connections.

page_text: I is the oil-reservoir. E is the condenser surmounting said reservoir, and com-
municating with the same by the passages V, and tube Vi, through which the water
of condensation (as permitted by the valve D) passes from the condenser to the lower
part of the oil-reservoir. S is a steam pipe leading from the boiler (see Fig. 6) to the
top of the condenser, where it connects with the neck of the same. B is the valve
for the sicam-pipe S.
:
are
Within the condenser are two independent pipes L L, which extend up nearly to
the top of the condenser, and are provided at their upper ends with openings for the
entrance of steam from the condenser. Each pipe screws into the bottoin of the
condenser E, which bottom forms also the top of the oil reservoir, and there commu-
nicates with passages in the top of said reservoir. The passages
entirely distinct and separate from each other and have no communication with each
other one passage I leads to the upper sight-feed connection N at one side of the
reservoir I, and the other to the upper sight-feed connection N at the other side of the
same. Each of these connections is like the other, so that a description of one will
answer for both, and is shown in vertical section in Fig. 1, and in horizontal section
in Fig. 4. Each connection N is provided with a horizontal passage L², which
connects with the passage 1, and leads to the oil exit opening T. From the upper
connection N and its oil exit hole T, leads a pipe H, that is connected by a coupling U,
with the connection N to the valve-chest of the steam cylinder of the locomotive.
Each connection N is provided with a screw-valve F, which controls the opening
through which the ascending oil passes from the sight-feed tube K on its way to the
exit opening T. This valve is simply a shut-off valve, its only and exclusive function
being to prevent the escape of steam from the passage I, and through the sight-feed
glass or tube in case the latter should break. In other words it is a mere safely
appliance, which does not influence the normal working of the lubricator. And
whether open (as represented in Fig. 1) or closed (as represented in Fig. 5) or in fact
in any position, it does not interfere with free communication between the two
passages 12 and the oil-exit opening T, this being due to the fact that the valve-plug
which stops the upper opening of the sight-feed tube, is made of small height, so as
not to close the passage between L² and T.
The upper connection N is also provided with a lateral curved pipe O2, Fig. 5, which
is designed to receive a common stationary hand-oiler of well known construction,
and provided with an oil-cup 0, and a regulating screw-plug O'. The pipe 0² com-
municates by an independent passage 0³ with the oil-exit opening T, as shown clearly
in Fig. 4.
With each upper sight-feed connection N is combined a lower sight-feed connec-
tion N, having the usual feed nozzle f, and regulating valve C. K is the sight-feed
tube that connects the upper and lower connections Nand N¹. In the bottom of the
oil-reservoir is arranged a transverse channel J, which connects the two lower sight-
feed connections; and into this channel enters the lower end of the oil feed pipe P,
which extends from the bottom to the upper part of the oil-chamber I.
A is the filling plug; W is the drain-cock, and G is the oil-gange of the oil-reservoir,
the gauge indicating the amount of oil in the oil-reservoir.
The operation of the lubricator is as follows:-
On opening the valve 13, of the steam-pipe S, steam from the boiler enters the
condenser, and the water of condensation resulting therefrom is led by passage V
and tube to the bottom of the oil-reservor.
The oil being lighter than the water, is raised and passed into the pipe l'at its upper
end, and thus conducted to the transverse channel J, whence it is distributed to both of
the lower sight-feed connections. The oil passes then to the nozzles, and ascends
drop by drop through the water in the visible feed-tubes K. and passes finally through
the exit openings T into the pipes H, which connect the lubricator with the steam-
chests to be lubricated. Before the valve D is opened so that the water of condensation
can pass from the condenser to the oil reservoir, the steam is permitted to pass through
the tubes, and passages L L to the sight-feed tubes, where it condenses so as to
fill the sight-feed tubes with water.

page_text: At the same time that the oil is fed as above described, jets of steam pass from the
condenser through the tubes L, passage L L and exit openings T into the discharge
pipes, exerting a balancing pressure directly on top of the oil in the sight-feed glasses,
so that the oil is forced through the passages by the hydrostatic pressure of the water-
column in the condenser and the connecting tube V¹.
As before described, the steam-conduits or passages L' L' are separate and distinct
from each other, and do not communicate with each other except by way of the
tubes L L of the condenser. By this arrangement the two sides of the lubricator can
act independently of each other, which would not be the case were such passages
arranged to directly communicate with each other.
It will also be seen that, by reason of the transverse channels J, only one oil pipe
for the distribution of oil to the opposite sides of the lubricator is required, which
greatly simplifies the construction.
In the normal operation of the lubricator, the valves F are of course wide open,
as shown in Fig. 1. But if one of the sight feed glasses should break, then the
valve Fappertaining to the broken glass should be closed as shown in Fig. 5, whereby
the communication between the glass and the conduit L', and the glass and the exit
opening is interrupted, while the communication between the channel L' and the
exit-opening T remains intact.
Under these conditions (the sight-feed being disabled) the hand-oiler can be used for
lubricating purposes, as follows-it being of course understood that it can only be
used when steam is shut off from the cylinders, as for instance when the engine is
going down grade.
The cup O is filled with oil, and then upon opening the plug 01, it will flow through
the curved pipe O2 and bye-passage 03 to the supply-pipe H. The plug O¹ is then
closed and the steam-valve B opened for a moment, which will send a jet of steam
through the condenser E, tube L, passage L, and opening T, into the pipe H, carrying
the oil from the hand-oiler along with it. In this way, it is feasible to use a steam-
jet in connection with the hand-oiler, which is a valuable feature, as it is applicable to
either a
"double or a single" lubricator.
33
In case the oil-gauge should break, the lubricator has to be shut out by closing the
steam-valve B. The auxiliary oil-cups are then filled and their valves O¹ opened, so
that the oil can pass through the channels 02 03 into the upper connection N and into
the pipe H, whence it is drawn into the cylinder by the suction of the piston. As
the valve Festablishes the communication between the condenser and the oil-pipe H,
whether it is raised or lowered, a steam-jet may be passed through the condenser and
the steam circuit, by quickly opening and closing the valve B, so that the oil from the
auxiliary cup O is forced into the cylinder in the same manner as this is accomplished
with the steam jet oil cocks in general use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed and showing an advantageous way of
carrying the same into effect, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of an oil-reservoir, a condenser above the same, two sight-feed
tubes and their connections, two oil exit openings, and auxiliary conduits leading from
the condenser to the upper sight-feed connections for discharging steam into the oil-
exit directly over the upper ends of the visible feed tubes, the paris being so arranged
that the upper ends of the sight-feed tubes are between the oil exit-openings and the
discharge ends of the auxiliary conduits, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
2. The combination, of an oil-reservoir, a condenser above the same, two sight-feed-
tubes and their connections, two oil exit openings and two separate and independent
auxiliary steam-conduits, having no communication with each other, and discharging
steam from the condenser each to its appropriate oil exit-pipe, substantially as and for
the purposes herein before set forth.
3. The combination of an oil reservoir, a condenser above the same, two sight-feed
tubes and their connections, two separate and independent auxiliary steam-conduits,

page_text: connected each with its appropriate upper sight-feed connection, an oil pipe L in the
reservoir, and a single transverse channel by which oil is supplied to both the lower
sight-feed connections, substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
4. The upper sight-feed connection formed with a passage for connecting the
auxiliary steam-conduit and the oil-exit-opening, in combination with the sight-feed
tube and the screw-valve, movable towards and away from the sight-feed tube and
constructed and arranged to open and close the upper end of said tube without closing
said passage, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
5. The combination, of an oil-reservoir, a condenser above the same, a sight-feed
tube and its lower connection, provided with two independent oil outlet-passages, the
one for oil from the reservoir, the other for oil from a hand-oiler, and an auxiliary
steam-conduit leading from the condenser to said upper sight-feed connection, and the
auxiliary hand-oiler, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
6. The combination, of the condenser E, and the upper sight-feed connection N,
provided with passage L2, bye-passage 03, curved pipe O2, cup O and plug O¹, with
the sight-feed tube K, and its lower connection N¹, and the auxiliary steam-
conduit L L L T, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and represented in
the drawings annexed.
7. The improved arrangement and construction of lubricators substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and represented in the drawings
annexed.
1887.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.