Improvements in or relating to the Lubrication of Bearings and Joints in Machinery, and to Means therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to the Lubrication of Bearings and
Joints in Machinery, and to Means therefor.
We, THOMAS UNDERWOOD GRAY, Physician & Surgeon, of 340, Essex Road,
and FREDERICK BASS, Ophthalmic Surgeon, of 9, Upper Wimpole Street, both in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the lubrication of bearings and joints in machinery
and to means therefor.
As heretofore usually carried out the lubricant is supplied to the bearing, or
to the stationary part of the joint and is transferred therefrom to the shaft, or
to the moving part of the joint, usually by capillary attraction and gravitation,
as in ordinary plummer blocks for instance.
In other cases where there is no stationary portion, as for instance on the
connecting rod ends of heavy engines, the lubricant is supplied to the part
having the least motion.
Such modes of lubrication are open to the objection that the oil does not
transfer itself readily to rapidly moving parts under the conditions in which it
is generally supplied, since the centrifugal action tends obviously to throw it
away from such rapidly moving portion.
Now according to our invention we overcome this objection by supplying the
oil direct to the shaft or rapidly moving portion of the joint and causing it to
transfer itself therefrom to the adjacent. surface of the bearing or of the
stationary part of the joint.
It will be readily seen that in this way instead of working against the natural
tendency of the centrifugal force, we work with such tendency and utilise the
same to effect the required transference of the lubricant.
In applying our invention we form an axial perforation or duct in the spindle
or rapidly revolving part, and connect such perforation with a reservoir or recep-
tacle for the lubricant. In the shaft or revolving part we also form branch ducts
or passages extending radially or otherwise from the said axial perforation or
duct to the surface of the shaft.
The reservoir or receptacle for the lubricant may be placed at a higher level
than the bearing or joint, or other suitable means may be provided for impart-
ing pressure to the lubricant and causing it to flow into and through the per-
forations or ducts.
As the shaft or revolving part rotates, the centrifugal force causes the lubri-
cant in the branch ducts or passages to flow outward with a force approximately

page_text: proportional to the speed and so ensures the bearing or joint being kept pro-
perly lubricated.
In case the joint to be lubricated be one which is subjected to steam pressure,
as for example the joint between the revolving portion and the stationary portion
of a rotary engine, it is sometimes advantageous to admit such pressure also into
the oil reservoir or receptacle so as to balance that in the said joint. By so
doing our object is to cause the continuous, formation of such ta film of lubricant
between the surfaces, even under very high pressures, as to create an efficient
steam-tight packing with perfect lubrication..
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in or relating to the Lubrication of Bearings and
Joints in Machinery, and to Means therefor.
་་
We, THOMAS UNDERWOOD GRAY, Physician & Surgeon, of 340, Essex Road,
and FREDERICK BASS, Ophthalmic Surgeon, of 9, Upper Wimpole Street, both in
the County of London, 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 the lubrication of bearings and joints in machinery
and to means therefor.
.:
As heretofore usually carried out the lubricant is supplied to the bearings, or
to the stationary part of the joint and is transferred therefrom to the shaft, or
to the moving part of the joint, usually by capillary attraction and gravitation,
as in ordinary plummer blocks for instance.
In other cases where there is no stationary portion, as for instance on the
connecting rod ends of heavy engines, the lubricant is supplied to the part
having the least motion.
Such modes of lubrication are open to the objection that the oil does not
transfer itself readily to rapidly moving parts under the conditions in which it
is generally supplied, since the centrifugal action tends obviously to throw it
away from such rapidly moving portion.
Now according to our invention we overcome this objection by supplying the
oil direct to the shaft or rapidly moving portion of the joint and causing it to
transfer itself therefrom to the adjacent surface of the bearing or of the
stationary part of the joint.
It will be readily seen that in this way, instead of working against the natural
tendency of the centrifugal force, we work with such tendency and utilise the
same to effect the required transference of the lubricant.
In applying our invention we form an axial perforation or duct in the spindle
or rapidly revolving part, and connect such perforation with a reservoir or recep-
tacle for the lubricant. In the shaft or revolving part we also form branch ducts
or passages extending radially or otherwise from the said axial perforation or
duct to the surface of the shaft.
The reservoir or receptacle for the lubricant may be placed at a higher level
than the bearing or joint, or other suitable means may be provided for impart-

page_text: ing pressure to the lubricant and causing it to flow into and through the per-
forations or ducts.
'As the shaft or revolving part rotates, the centrifugal force causes the lubri-
cant in the branch ducts or passages to flow outward with a force approximately
proportional to the speed and so ensures the bearing or joint being kept pro-
perly lubricated.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a part of an engine shaft and its bearing
fitted with a lubricating apparatus according to our invention, and,
Figure 2 is a cross section on line - Figure 1.
C is one end of a rotary shaft carried in suitable bearings in a boss A. N is
a central longitudinal duct or passage formed in the shaft C and provided with
branch passages such as n leading to the shaft bearings or other required part
of the engine. To the boss A is attached the lubricant chamber B which
encloses and communicates with the end of the rotary shaft C and is connected
by means of a passage b with an upper lubricating chamber B₁ the top of which
is provided with an oil inlet b¹ having a tap or valve 62. At the bottom of the
chamber B is an outlet 63 controlled by a tap or cock br. If required we may
fix in the chamber B, so as to face the end of the shaft C, a plate m in which
is a central perforation or opening m¹ which permits lubricant to pass from the
chamber B into the duct N, and also a series of smaller perforations m² to allow
waste or excess lubricant to pass back from the bearing into the chamber B;
or we may omit such plate m. The lubricant should preferably be maintained up
to the point indicated in the chamber B¹.
As the shaft C rotates the centrifugal force causes the lubricant to flow out-
wardly through the branch passages n into the bearing with a force approxi-
mately proportional to the speed and so ensures the bearing or joint being kept
properly lubricated.
In case the joint to be lubricated be one which is subjected to steam pressure,
as for example the joint between the revolving portion and the stationary portion
of a rotary engine, it is sometimes advantageous to admit such pressure also into
the oil reservoir so as to balance that in the said joint. By so doing our
object is to cause the continuous formation of such a film of lubricant between
the surfaces of the joint, even under very high pressures,
as to create an
efficient steam tight packing with perfect lubrication.
When it is required to admit such steam pressure to the oil reservoir we
furnish the chamber B¹ with a steam inlet 65 controlled by a valve 66, so that
when the said valve is opened steam is admitted to the chamber B¹ and exerts
sufficient pressure on the surface of the lubricant to force the latter to the
required parts.
If the valve 66 and the tap 64 be opened together and the lubricant inlet at the
same time closed, the bearing may be thoroughly cleansed by blowing steam
therethrough.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In lubricating apparatus for machinery, means for supplying lubricant
directly to the rapidly moving part of a joint, for the purpose specified.
2. In lubricating apparatus for machinery means for supplying lubricant under
pressure directly to the rapidly moving part of a joint subject to steam pressure,
for the purpose specified.
3. A rotary shaft provided with a longitudinal axial duct from which branch
ducts lead to the surface of the shaft, for the purpose specified.

page_text: 4. Lubricating apparatus for machinery constructed, arranged and operating,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings, and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 10th day of September 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.