Improvements in Grease Cups.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grease Cups.
We, EDWIN HENDRY BENNERS, Manufacturer, and SILAS LEACH, Manufacturer,
both of 150, Orchard Street, Elizabeth, in the County of Union, and State of
New Jersey, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GREASE CUPS, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
Our invention relates to an improvement in grease cups, the object being to
provide means for the automatic and economical feed of grease to the moving parts
of machinery and with this end in view it consists in a cylindrical cup having a
plunger fitted therein in connection with a weighted vibrating disk adapted by the
motion of the parts to successively drop from and against the plunger to force the
latter against the grease contained therein whereby a continuous feed is kept up
varying according to the motion of the machinery, it being greater as the speed of
the parts increases and less as the speed diminishes. The invention further consists
in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be herein-
after described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of
cup. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section showing the weighted vibrating disk, and
Fig. 3 is a central vertical section showing a modification of the same.
A represents a cylindrical cup preferably having a removable cap 1 as shown in
Fig. 2, or a removable base 2 as in Fig. 3, by which to open and replenish the cup
when the grease is exhausted. The shape and size of this cylinder is of course
immaterial and in fact it is not absolutely necessary that the cup should be cylindrical
in shape. The removable cap and base may be milled or made angular as desired
and otherwise constructed to suit the demand.
A gravity plunger 3 is fitted inside of the cylinder where it is adapted to exert a
constant pressure upon the grease contained therein and cause it to feed out through
the opening 4 at the bottom of the cylinder. The plunger alone however is hardly
sufficient to produce the desired result and hence a weighted vibrating disk is loosely
mounted on its stem 5 in such a manner as to permit the disk to play back and forth
and by its sudden jars down upon the plunger to drive the latter against the grease
to force it out. It may here be stated that this cup is especially calculated to
be used upon the moving parts of machinery such for example as the parts of
locomotives which are constantly moving because the vibratory movement or
pulsations of the weight is dependent upon the movement of the cup and the faster
the parts move, the harder the stroke of the disk against the plunger and the
greater the quantity of grease fed. While the essential feature of the invention is
a weighted vibrating disk yet as there are some other features which help to
contribute to a successful operation of our grease cup, they will now be described.
In the first place the plunger is preferably dished out on its upper surface and
provided in the centre with a stem 5, the object of which construction is to assemble
the parts in the smallest space possible and give the disk ample distance to vibrate
in and yet make the stem as short as possible. A thin washer is usually placed
between the disk and plunger and one is placed over the disk to deaden or prevent
the clattering noise which would otherwise take place and the disk is preferably so
constructed that it just fills the dished out portion of the plunger and lies flush at
the top with the upper surface of the plunger.
The stem 6 is screw threaded at its upper end, and provided with a nut 7 which
is turned on or off to vary the distance of vibration of the disk and after being thus
adjusted it is held in place on the stem by means of a jamb nut or as shown in

page_text: Other
Fig. by a set screw in the side of the nut, or by still another way as shown
in Fig. 3 by splitting the end of the stem and spreading it by a screw S.
convenient means could also be adopted but these have been considered the simplest
and most feasible. The disk may also be dished out on top as shown in Fig. 2 and
the nut 7 made to conform in shape, or the disk may be flat on top and a nested
spiral spring 9 may be located between the disk and nut to assist in forcing the disk
against the plunger.
When the cup is to be opened from the top in order to replenish it some means
has to be provided for allowing air to enter the lower chamber of the. cylinder,
otherwise the suction would be so great that the plunger could not be removed and
while various plans could be employed for accomplishing this, we have adopted the
following as one convenient expedient, namely the stem 6 is provided with an air
duct 10 which is closed by a screw at the upper end and this screw has a groove in
one side which extends part way from its point to the head so that it is only
necessary to give the screw a few backward turns to open the duct and form an
air passage.
In the construction shown in Fig. 3 if found necessary one or more
air ducts 11 may be made in the plunger.
It may be added in conclusion that in our present device the parts are simplified
and reduced to a minimum and also they may be easily and cheaply made and the
entire device may be put on the market at a small cost.
Constructive changes may be made in the various details of the invention without
departing from the spirit and scope of our invention and hence we do not wish to be
limited to the exact construction herein set forth, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is--
1. In a grease cup, the combination with a shell or casing, and plunger fitted
therein, of a disk adapted to vibrate against the plunger, substantially as set forth.
2. In a grease cup, the combination with a shell or casing, and plunger fitted
therein, of a weighted disk adapted to vibrate against the plunger, and means for
varying the extent of vibration of the disk, substantially as set forth.
3. In a grease cup, the combination with a shell or casing, and plunger fitted
therein, of a weighted vibrating disk, a mut or equivalent means for varying the
extent of vibration of the disk, and means for securing said nut in place, substantially
as set forth.
4. In a grease cup, the combination with a shell or casing, and plunger fitted
therein, said plunger having a stem, of a weighted disk mounted on the stem and
adapted to vibrate against the plunger and means on the stem for limiting the
vibration of the disk, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21th law of Wahwu 1001
F. W. BARKER,
Applicants' Agent.