Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
I, WALTER LEES, of Prospect Hill, Sowerby Bridge, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a simple method of overcoming the difficulties of sight
feed lubricators for steam engine cylinders and other purposes and one object is to
dispense with the use of glass tubes and the passage of the oil drops through water
common to most sight feed apparatus. Another object is to secure a positive feed
to the cylinder against pressure without the necessity of any troublesome adjust-
ments.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct an oil vessel or cup to mount
upon the steam cylinder or other apparatus the interior of which is to be lubricated.
A passage connects between the oil cup and the cylinder but is controlled by a
small check valve which opens toward the cylinder but closes by excess of pressure
from it and also by a spring. The upper part of this passage or rather that part
which is nearest to the oil cup is bored to receive a small plunger which plunger
fits accurately and. is reciprocated by a rod connecting to a lever on a rocking
spindle or other convenient arrangement actuated by any moving part of the engine
by suitable and preferably adjustable linkage so that the plunger may reciprocate
in its cylinder and its length of stroke be adjusted if required. The side of this
small oil pump cylinder I perforate at a point which is uncovered by the movement
of the plunger and this aperture communicates with a funnel or cone by a con-
venient tube. In the lower part of the oil vessel 1 place a rotating or reciprocating
plug preferably rotated slowly by a ratchet wheel attached to it, driven by a recipro-
cating pawl moved from the oil pump lever. A recess or recesses in the plug
alternately opens or open to the oil vessel and a drop tube; and oil is so conveyed
to the drop tube in regulated quantity. From the drop tube oil drops fall freely
into the funnel or cone and thence to the aperture in the small oil pump cylinder.
When the pump plunger passes this aperture it takes the oil into its cylinder by the
partial vacuum formed on the up stroke and on its return stroke the oil is forced
past the check valve into the steam cylinder or other apparatus to be lubricated
even against high pressure. The oil drops formed in this sight feed apparatus are
readily visible falling freely through air and the feed may be regulated by a slot in
the lever moving the pawl.
Sometimes I protect the upper part of the oil pump plunger from the oil in the
oil vessel to prevent any oil leaking past the said plunger into the cylinder, by
enclosing it in a tube carried above the oil level and so I secure that no oil enters
the oil pump except that which drops past the light feed portion.
When I desire to make a simpler positive light feed lubricator suitable for some
oils I dispense with the rotating plug feed device and I substitute a screw pin
adjustment which closes on a seat fed from the cup and the feed is adjusted by
opening more or less. In this case the point of the pin is carried down below the
vessel to form the drop. A suitable point is also adapted to form the drops at the
end of the plug feed tube. The screw pin feed is made adjustable by reference to
a graduated index and a spiral spring holds it in any position. The cover of the
oil.cup may be formed in any convenient fashion.
Dated this 9th day of December 1890.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
I, WALTER LEES, of 25 Park Place, Parkinson Lane, Halifax, in the County
of York, Engineer, formerly of Prospect Hill, Sowerby Bridge in the County of
York, 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 a simple method of overcoming the difficulties of sight
feed lubricators for steam engine cylinders and other purposes, and one object is to
dispense with the use of glass tubes and the passage of the oil drops through water
common to most sight feed apparatus. Another object is to secure a positive feed
to the cylinder against pressure without the necessity of any troublesome adjust-
ments.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct an oil vessel or cup to mount
upon the steam cylinder or other apparatus the interior of which is to be lubricated
and referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings I have shown a sight feed
lubricator embodying my invention. Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 is
an external elevation. Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement. An oil vessel or
cup A is mounted upon the bored out stem B which stem is secured to the steam
cylinder or other apparatus by a screw C. A passage L, L' connects between the
oil cup and the cylinder but is controlled by the small check valves G, G' opening
towards the cylinder and closed by excess of pressure from it and also by springs.
I preferably adopt two check valves.but sometimes I may use only one.
The
passage L connects to the bored out hole or small cylinder D¹ in which there works
an accurately fitted plunger D and this small plunger is reciprocated by a rod con-
necting to a lever on a rocking spindle or other convenient arrangement actuated
by any moving part of the engine by suitable and preferably adjustable linkage so
that the plunger may reciprocate in its cylinder and its length of stroke be adjusted
if required. As illustrated at Figures 1 and 2 the plunger is moved or actuated
from a rod or link E connecting to a suitable moving part of the engine, E* con-
nects to the lever E2 upon the rocking spindle or shaft E³, and the spindle E³
carries the lever E which by the link E transmits its motion to the plunger D.
The holes shown in the end of the lever E serve to vary the point of connection of
the rod or link E and so adjust the lubricator pump plunger D to a constant
stroke, so that the pointer K moves between the two lines marked upon the surface
over which the pointer moves. This enables the lubricator to be actuated from
different lengths of travel.
The side of the oil pump cylinder D¹ is perforated at the passage B² which leads
to the oil funnel or receptacle B'. The passage B2 is uncovered by the end of the
plunger on its upward movement and as a partial vacuum is formed in the pump
cylinder any oil in the funnel B' enters under the plunger and is forced through the
valves G, G on the return stroke and into the steam cylinder. In the lower part
of the oil vessel A I sometimes place a rotating or reciprocating plug, preferably
rotated slowly by a ratchet wheel attached to it which wheel is driven by a recipro-
cating pawl moved from the oil pump lever. A recess or recesses in the plug alter-
nately opens or open to the oil vessel and a drop tube; and oil is so conveyed to
the drop tube in regulated quantity. From the drop tube, oil drops fall freely into
the funnel or cone, and thence to the aperture in the small oil pump cylinder.
When the pump plunger passes this aperture it takes the oil into its cylinder by the
partial vacuum formed on the upstroke as herein before stated and on its return
stroke the oil is forced past the check valve or valves into the steam cylinder or
other apparatus to be lubricated and the oil so forced is capable of overcoming very
high steam or air pressures.
The oil drops formed in this sight feed apparatus are readily visible falling freely

page_text: through air and the feed may be operated by a slot in the lever moving the pawl.
Figure 3 shows the pawl, ratchet wheel and lever connections arranged as I have
described, where the lever E' has a slot E' carrying the end of the pawl M in a
manner suitable for adjustment by sliding and fixing at different points in the slot.
The pawl M operates the ratchet wheel N and so rotates the plug to which it is
attached and causes oil to drop in regulated quantity into the funnel B'. Some-
times I entirely dispense with the rotating plug arrangement and adopt the simple
contrivance shown at Figures 1 and 2 where the oil drops are regulated by the
cock F or any other convenient and adjustable valve arrangement. The cock F is
simply adjusted to allow the oil to drop from the l cup A into the funnel B' at
desired rate up to the full capacity of the stroke of the pump plunger D.
Sometimes I protect the upper part of the oil pump plunger from the oil in the
oil vessel A to prevent any oil leaking past the said plunger into the cylinder with-
out passing by the cock F to the cup or funnel B' so as to be visible. This pro-
tection I provide by enclosing the upper part of the plunger and the link E in a
tube or enclosed recess carried above the oil level. By this means I secure that no
oil enters the oil pump except that which drops past the sight feed portion.
any
Instead of the cock F, a screw pin adjustment may be used which closes a seat fed
from the oil cup A and may be opened more or less. In this case the point of the
pin is carried down below the vessel to form the drop. The screw pin feed may be
made adjustable by reference to a graduate index and a spiral spring holds it in any
position at which it may be set.
H is the oil cup cover which may be formed as indicated or in any other con-
venient manner. The pointer K attached to or forming part of the end of the
lever E may be utilized to indicate the range of the plunger by means of a marked
or graduated scale.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) A sight feed lubricator in which a pump actuated from an engine or other
source of power is combined with an oil cup or vessel and a cock or adjustable
aperture, so that the oil drops freely through air in a visible manner and is fed to
the pump and forced into the engine cylinder or other part or apparatus to be
lubricated against steam or other pressure substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) In a sight feed lubricator comprising a pump and oil vessel the use of a
rotating plug rotated by ratchet wheel and pawl substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated reference being had to Figure 3 of
the drawings.
(3) In a sight feed lubricator comprising a pump and oil vessel, and free oil drop
arrangement the use of a pump cylinder with inlet aperture as B² to dispense with
a suction valve substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and
illustrated..
Dated this 16th day of June 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.