IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LUBRICATING BEARINGS FOR AXLES OR SHAFTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LUBRICATING BEARINGS FOR AXLES OR SHAFTS."
A communication from abroad by Paul Decauville, of Paris, France..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lakė at
the Office of the. Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF LUBRICATING BEARINGS
FOR AXLES OR SHAFTS." [A communication from abroad by Paul Decauville, of
Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to bearings for shafting for the axles of wheeled vehicles
and for similar purposes, which bearings are provided with novel means whereby
the shafting or the like is automatically lubricated. According to the said
Invention I provide small pieces of cane or reed which dip continually into a
reservoir of oil. The great porousness of the cane is specially advantageous in
two respects for the purposes of my said Invention, that is to say, the oil is caused
to rise by capillary attraction and by the suction caused by a vaccum.
In the case of revolving shafts of a very low speed the lubrication is effected by
capillary attraction, but in the case of shafts which revolvo at an excessive speed,
such, for example, as those used for ventilators, the lubrication is effected by a rush
of oil resulting from the vacuum caused by the great speed of rotation.
In the accompanying Drawings,—
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of a lubricating plummer-block
constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the cap and the upper brass removed; and
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
The interior of the body of the block A serves as a reservoir for the oil, and
there are two ribs B to support the lower brass, these ribs divide the reservoir

page_text: into three parts, and the oil passes from one to another by means of apertures O
made in each rib. The oil is poured into the reservoir through a cup D cast at the
side of one of the extensions made for the passage of the bolts, a small cover E
with a stem closes this cup. Both brasses C and C' are fitted between the ribs B;
the lower one is provided with a number of holes which receive one end of the
pieces of cane or reed F, whose other ends dip into the oil, the ends in the brass are
Hush with the internal surface thereof. The cap G covers the body of the
plummer-block without exercising a direct pressure on the brasses; it is fixed by
means of bolts H. A screw I is placed in the centre of the cap to regulate the
pressure of the brasses on the shaft by bearing on a flat surface provided for this
purpose on the upper part of the upper brass; a nut J prevents all loosening of the
screw I.
Figure 4 represents in-transverse section an axle box illustrating a modification
of my Invention, in which the oil is caused to reach the shaft at its upper part.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
This arrangement is especially designed for use in wheeled vehicles.
The upper part A of the axle box which receives the brass C is fixed by any
suitable means to the frame of the vehicle; this part is cast with ears or
extensions a, by means of which it is united to the lower part B, which serves as
an oil reservoir,
Three or more holes are provided in the brass, and in these holes are fixed
the pieces of cane F which dip in the oil' and fit into the holes flush with the
interior periphery of the brass which is in contact with the journal of the axlo.
'
The oil filtered by its passage though the pores of the pieces of cane is
distributed over the journal at the points x, y, (Fig. 4), where the pieces of cane
come in contact with the said journal. The lower extremities of the pieces of cane
can be united by a wire at 2.
The oil is poured in through a small opening b, and the reservoir B can be readily
emptied by unscrewing a plug c.
In the case of vertical shafts I prefer to employ the arrangement represented in
Fig. 6, which shows the application of my improved lubricating bearing to the
upper part of a turbine shaft.
In this Figure, A is the shaft of the turbine; B, B, represent the brasses which
may be arranged in any suitable manner, and which receive one end of the pieces
of cane C, C, the other ends dipping into the oil within a cup D, which may be
fixed in any suitable manner.
As above explained the oil is raised by capillary attraction and by the suction
caused by the creation of a vacuum.
In this application of my lubricating bearing I make use of an arrangement
which prevents all waste of oil. I obtain this by placing on the shaft at any
suitable point a collar or ring E made of a suitable metal, and in the form of a
truncated cone. The oil which has lubricated the shaft drops, and is conducted
to the cup D which prevents it from falling to the ground or amongst the
machinery. The ring E may be made of any suitable shape and in one or several
pieces, and may be fixed 'to the shaft in any desired manner so as to suit any
particular case.
In this Figure F represents the frame of the turbine, and G the driving cone.
The dimensions and the details of arrangement of these lubricating bearings may

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th May 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-LUBRICATING BEARINGS
FOR AXLES OR SHAFTS." A communication from abroad by Paul Decauville, of
Paris, France.
This Invention relates to bearings for shafting for the axles of wheeled vehicles
and for similar purposes, which bearings are provided with novel means whereby
the shafting or the like is automatically lubricated.
According to the said Invention I provide small pieces of cane or reed which dip
continually into a reservoir of oil. The great porosity of the cane is specially
advantageous in two respects for the purposes of the said Invention, that is to say,
the oil is caused to rise by capillary attraction, and by the suction caused by the
formation of a vacuum.
In the case of shafts revolving at a very slow speed the lubrication is effected by
capillary attaction, but in the case of shafts which revolve at an excessive speed,
such for example as those used for ventilators, the lubrication is effected by a flow
of oil resulting from the vacuum caused by the great speed of rotation.
In the accompanying Drawing,—
Figure 1 represents a transverse section of a lubricating plummer-block
constructed according to the said Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the cap and the upper brass removed; and
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
The interior of the body of the plummer-block A serves as a reservoir for the
oil, and there are two ribs B for supporting the lower brass; these ribs divide the
reservoir into three parts, and the oil passes from one to another by means of
apertures made in each rib. The oil is poured into the reservoir through a
cup D cast at the side of one of the extensions made for the passage of the bolts;
a small cover E with a stem closes this cup. Both brasses C and C' are fitted
between the ribs B, the lower one is provided with a number of holes which receive
one end of the pieces of cane or reed F, whose other ends dip into the oil. The
ends in the brass are flush with the internal surface thereof. The cap G covers
the body of the plummer-block without exercising a direct pressure on the brasses;
it is fixed by means of bolts and nuts H. A set-screw I is placed in the centre of
the cap to regulate the pressure of the brasses on the shaft by bearing on a flat
surface provided for this purpose on the top of the upper brass, and a jam nut J
prevents any loosening of the set-screw I.
Figure 4 represents in transverse section an axle-box illustrating a modification
of the said Invention, in which the oil is caused to reach the shaft at its upper
part.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
This arrangement is especially designed for use in wheeled vehicles. The upper
part A of the axle-box which receives the brass C is fixed by any suitable means
to the frame of the vehicle; this part is cast with lugs or extensions a, by means of
which it is united to the lower part B which serves as an oil-reservoir.
Three or more holes are provided in the brass, and in these holes are inserted
the pieces of cane F which dip in the oil and fit into the holes flush with the
interior surface of the brass which is in contact with the journal of the axle.
The oil filtered by its passage through the pores of the pieces of cane is dis-
tributed over the journal at the points x, y, (Figure 4), where the pieces of cane
'

page_text: come in contact with the said journal. The lower extremities of the pieces of cane
may be united by a wire at 2.
The oil is poured in through a small opening b, and the reservoir B can be
readily emptied by unscrewing a plug c.
In the case of vertical shafts I prefer to employ the arrangement represented in
Figure 6, which shows the application of my improved lubricating bearing to the
upper part of a turbine-shaft. In this Figure, A is the shaft of the turbine;
B, B, represent the brasses which may be arranged in any suitable manner, and
which receive one end of the pieces of cane C, C, the other ends dipping into the
oil within a cup D which may be fixed in any suitable manner.
As above explained the oil is raised by capillary attraction, and by the suction
caused by the formation of a vacuum.
In this application of my lubricating bearing I make use of an arrangement
which prevents all waste of oil; I obtain this by placing on the shaft at any
suitable point a collar or ring E made of suitable material, and in the form of a
truncated cone. The oil which has lubricated the shafts drops, and is conducted to
the
cup D which prevents it from falling to the ground or amongst the machinery.
The ring E may be made of any suitable shape, and in one or several pieces,
and may be fixed to the shaft in any desired manner so as to suit any particular
case.
In the Figure, F represents the frame of the turbine; and G, the driving cone.
The dimensions and the details of arrangement of these lubricating bearings may
be varied according to the different uses to which they are to be applied.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. A self lubricating bearing in which the lubrication is effected by capillary
attraction and by suction caused by a vacuum through pieces of cane or reed
dipping into oil placed below the axle or shaft to be lubricated, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Second. In a self-lubricating bearing, the combination of the plummer-block,
serving also as an oil-reservoir, the brasses, and the ribs provided with apertures,
with the cup for receiving the oil, and the pieces of cane or reed, the lower, ends of
which dip into the oil while their upper ends are flush with the lower surface of
the shaft to be lubricated, substantially as described with reference to Figures
1, 2, 3, and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In a self-lubricating bearing chiefly designed for wheeled vehicles, the
upper part of the axle-box bolted to the frame of the vehicle and receiving the
lower part serving as an oil reservoir in combination with the upper brass, and the
pieces of cane or reed in contact with the journal, the whole arranged and operating
as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. In a self-lubricating bearing for a vertical shaft, the combination with
the brasses, the pieces of cane, and the oil-cup, of a collar or ring having the form
of a truncated cone and fixed on the shaft as described, with reference to Figure 6,
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, havo horeunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.