An Improved Sight-feed Lubricator.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Sight-feed Lubricator.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, both of the Firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., of Huddersfield in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to sight-feed lubricators and has for its object to construct
a lubricator which shall have a positive and certain feed, shall be simple in
construction and reliable in operation, and not liable to get out of order, and which
can be regulated with great exactitude. The attendant can see the amount of
lubricant passing through the apparatus and can regulate or adjust the supply to
suit requirements.
An important feature of our invention is that we dispense with a gland around
the piston rod of the force pump employed for propelling the lubricant.
A further feature of our said invention relates to an improved construction of
the drip tap attached to the reservoir containing the lubricant.
Another important feature of our invection relates to the provision of means
whereby the lubricant can be delivered either drop by drop or in flushes at
intervals.
Our said invention also comprises other improvements as will be hereinafter
explained.
In carrying our said invention into practice according to a preferred form of
construction, we provide a casting which is accurately bored to form the cylinder
of the force pump and is fitted with a long piston the rod of which is not supported
by a gland as is usual but passes out through an opening which fits the said rod.
The cylinder is preferably fixed horizontally. The delivery end of the said
cylinder is fitted with a non-return valve and is provided with fittings adapted to
connect it to the pipe along which the lubricant is to be conveyed. Parallel with
the pump chamber or cylinder and preferably in the same casting therewith and
beneath the cylinder is formed a second chamber which communicates with the
cylinder at a point about midway of its length by a suitable thoroughfare or port
and which also communicates with an enlarged chamber at the end of the cylinder
in front of the piston by another similar port or thoroughfare. The said chamber
moreover communicates by another passage with an annular space around the
piston rod formed in an extension of the cylinder. Through the last named
passage air is free to enter the chamber beneath the cylinder.
The lubricant which drops from the drip-tap falls either through the open air
or through a glass tube into a cup that leads into the aforesaid enlarged chamber
at the end of the cylinder and thence flows into the second chamber below the
cylinder.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, assuming the cylinder and second
chamber are supplied with lubricant, then when a return or backward stroke of the
piston is made, a partial vacuum is caused within the cylinder. As soon however
as the piston has moved sufficiently to uncover the port leading thereinto from the
second or supply chamber, the lubricant in the latter chamber immediately flows
into the cylinder being impelled by the pressure of the atmosphere acting on the
The atmosphere enters through the annular space around the piston rod in
the cylinder extension above referred to. During the next forward stroke of the
piston a portion of the lubricant is delivered past the non-return valve. The
operation is then repeated. Any lubricant which tends to cling to the piston rod
same.

page_text: :
is wiped off by the metal of the cylinder which as aforesaid encircles said rod, and
any lubricant which might otherwise escape through the annular space around the
piston rod is caught in an enlargement of said space which communicates with the
second chamber before referred to, and it will thus be seen that all the lubricant
supplied to the lubricator must pass therethrough and be delivered past the non-
return valve. The action of the lubricator is therefore certain.
The piston of the pump is driven by a lever or arm from any suitable
reciprocating part of the engine. The fulcrum stud of the said driving lever is
carried by a bracket secured to the pump cylinder. Said bracket can be turned
round and secured in any desired position.
In
The drip-tap of the reservoir is formed with an ordinary through passage.
the axis of the tap is mounted a small regulating screw having a pointed end and
which can be screwed in or out to adjust the extent of opening of the passage
through the tap. The main tap is set full bore when delivering lubricant and the
regulation of the amount of delivery is effected by the aforesaid adjusting screw.
When it is desired to stop the supply, all that it is necessary to do is to turn the
main tap through a quarter of a revolution. It is thus obvious that the supply can
be stopped and started as often as desired by simply turning the main tap without
interfering with the adjustment of the regulating screw. This feature is of great
utility. Moreover should the thoroughfare of the drip-tap become partially choked
by the accumulation therein of small particles of dirt, the partial stoppage of the
supply can be easily rectified by simply turning the main tap through half a
revolution, whereupon the flow of lubricant takes place in the opposite direction
through the main tap, and the dirt which partially choked the bore is soon washed
away, leaving a clean bore, thus restoring the proper rate of feed.
The reservoir for the lubricant is susperded in a ring so as to be easily
removable.
In cases where we desire to supply comparatively larges quantities of lubricant
at determined intervals instead of feeding the same drop by drop, we do so by
providing a syphou device in connection with the pump cylinder, and so arranging
that the lubricant as it drops from the reservoir shall enter said syphon device
whence it cannot flow until the depth of the lubricant has risen to the level of the
bend of the syphon. It will then discharge itself completely into the chamber
connected with the pump cylinder and will be passed at once through the pump.
After each such discharge, the supply will cease until the syphon is once more
refilled, whereupon a further flush will take place. We may construct the syphon
of any desired capacity.
A convenient form of syphon for our purpose is
pipe surmounted by an inverted bell-shaped vessel.
syphon may however be used.
Dated this 8th day of June 1893
formed by a vertical delivery
Any other suitable form of
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
. An Improved Sight-feed Lubricator.
We, JOHN ADDY HOPKINSON and JOSEPH HOPKINSON, both of the Firm of
J. Hopkinson & Co., Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers, 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:—
.
Our invention relates to sight-feed lubricators, and has for its object to construct
a piston or plunger lubricator which shall have a positive feed, shall be simple in

page_text: construction, and certain in operation, and not liable to get out of order, and which
can be regulated with great exactitude. The amount of lubricant passing through
the apparatus can be seen at a glance, and can be easily regulated or adjusted to
suit requirements.
An important feature of our invention is the construction whereby we avoid
the necessity for a gland around the piston rod of the force pump employed for
propelling the lubricant.
A further feature of our said invention relates to an improved construction of the
drip-tap attached to the reservoir containing the lubricant.
Another important feature of our invention relates to the provision of means
whereby the lubricant can be delivered either drop by drop or in flushes at suitable
intervals.
Our said invention also comprises other improvements as will be hereinafter
explained.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a central section of a preferred form of lubricator constructed
according to our invention.
Figures 2 and 3 show modifications in detail hereinafter described.
A is a casting which is accurately bored to form the cylinder B of the force
pump and is fitted with a long piston or plunger C the rod C¹ of which is not
supported by a gland but passes out through an opening A' in the cylinder casting.
The rod can slide freely through said opening A. The casting A is preferably so
fixed that the cylinder is horizontal. The delivery end of the said cylinder is
fitted with a non-return valve D and is provided with fittings of the usual type
adapted to connect it to the pipe E along which the lubricant is to be conveyed.
Parallel with the pump chamber or cylinder and beneath the same and preferably
in the same casting therewith is formed or provided a chamber or collecting
channel F which communicates with the cylinder at a point about midway of its
length by a suitable thoroughfare or port F¹, and which also communicates with a
chamber B at the end of the cylinder in rear of the piston or plunger by another
similar port or thoroughfare F. The said chamber or collecting channel F
moreover communicates by a passage F³ with an enlargement or chamber A³
formed in an extension A³ of the cylinder. An annular space A is left around
the piston rod between said rod and the extension A³ of the cylinder. Air is
free to enter the collecting channel F through the said annular space A* and
passage F.
The lubricant which is supplied in drops from a drip-tap falls either through the
open air, or through an open topped glass tube into a cup G that communicates by
a channel G with the aforesaid chamber B' and is thereby conducted into the
collecting channel F below the cylinder.
The cup G may or may not be provided with a syphon. Figure 1 shows a cup
with a syphon of the ordinary bell type. The bell H is serrated or notched along
its lower periphery, which rests on the bottom of the cup, to admit of the oil
entering freely to the central down-pipe of the syphon.
In Figures 2 and 3 the cup G is formed separately from the casting A and is
screwed into said casting. Figure 2 shows such cup furnished with a bell syphon ;
and Figure 3 shows an ordinary U-shaped syphon Ho.
J is the reservoir for oil shown supported in a ring J¹ mounted on a standard J².
K is the drip-tap which is immediately above the cup G.
The pump piston or plunger is driven by a lever or arm L from any suitable
reciprocating part of the engine. The fulcrum link L' of the said driving lever is
carried by a bracket M mounted on the cylinder casting A. Said bracket can be
turned round and secured in any desired position by the nut M.
The drip-tap K is formed with an ordinary through passage K¹. In the axis of
the plug is mounted a small regulating screw N having a pointed end and which
can be screwed in or out to adjust the extent of opening of the passage K'. The
tap K is set fully open or "full bore" when delivering lubricant, and the regulation

page_text: of the amount of delivery is effected by the aforesaid adjusting screw N. When it
is desired to stop the supply, all that it is necessary to do is to turn the plug
through a quarter of a revolution. It is thus obvious that the supply can be
stopped and started as often as desired by simply turning the plug without inter-
fering with the adjustment of the regulating screw N. This feature is of great
utility. Moreover should the thoroughfare of the drip-tap become partially choked
by the accumulation therein of small particles of dirt, the partial stoppage of the
supply can be easily rectified by simply turning the plug through half a revolution
whereupon the flow of lubricant through the plug is reversed, and the dirt which
partially choked the bore is soon washed away, leaving a clean bore, and thus
restoring the proper rate of feed.
The
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, assuming the collecting channel F
to be supplied with lubricant, then when a return or backward stroke of the piston
or plunger is made, a partial vacuum is caused within the cylinder. As soon
however as the piston has moved sufficiently to uncover the port F', the lubricant
in the chamber F immediately flows into the cylinder, being impelled by the
pressure of the atmosphere acting on the same. During the next forward stroke
of the piston a portion of the lubricant is delivered past the non-return valve D.
The operation is then repeated. Any lubricant which clings to the piston rod is
wiped off by the metal around the opening A', but should any escape it would be
caught in the space A² which communicates with the channel F, so that all the
lubricant supplied to the lubricator must inevitably pass completely therethrough
and be delivered to the pipe E without causing back pressure on the ingress side of
the piston or plunger. The action of the lubricator is therefore certain.
suction of air through the annular space A* around the piston rod tends to keep
said rod dry and acts as a substitute for a gland. When the syphon is not used, a
small quantity of oil is passed through to the delivery pipe E at each stroke of the
pump, but when the syphon is used the oil is accumulated or impounded until the
syphon is charged and then a flush of oil through the syphon is obtained. Such
flush is obtained at regular intervals, and empties the cup G down to the level of the
inlet to the syphon. The slight vacuum produced in the cylinder at each stroke.is
sufficient to start the syphon when the latter becomes fully charged and thereby
ensures the flush. The amount of oil delivered at each flush may be varied at will,
for example, by varying the length of the syphon tube, or by using bell covers H
of different sizes so as to give more or less displacement in the cup G, or by using
covers, the serrations or notches in the peripheries of which are of different depths.
After each discharge of the syphon the delivery of oil to the pipe E ceases until
the syphon becomes re-charged whereupon the action is repeated.
The change in the mode of action from a drop feed lubricator to one in which
the oil is "impounded" for a time and then delivered in a flush of more or less
magnitude can be instantly effected in the forms illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 by
simply placing the bell H of the syphon in position, and can be changed back as
readily by removing the said bell.
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. A lubricator having a collecting chamber for the oil which chamber is
separate from the oil reservoir and is open to the atmosphere by the orifice
through which the piston rod of the lubricator piston works, for the purpose
specified.
2. A lubricator which feeds through a syphon whose action is dependent upon
the formation of a vacuum produced by the piston or plunger of the lubricator,
for the purpose specified.
3. A lubricator so constructed that all the oil fed thereto will be delivered to
the discharge pipe without causing back pressure on the ingress side of the piston
or plunger of the lubricator, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a lubricator, the combination of the pump cylinder B, the collecting
channel F communicating with the said cylinder, and the feed cup G or syphon,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
5. The collecting channel F communicating with the cylinder B, with the feed
cup G, and with the annular space A* around the piston rod, substantially as, and
for purpose, specified.
6. A lubricator having a syphon in the feed cup, for the purpose, specified.
7. The drip-tap K provided with the adjusting screw N, substantially as described,
for the purpose specified.
8. A lubricator constructed substantially as described with reference to the
drawings, and operating as specified.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.