IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC LUBRICATORS, SUCH IMPROVED LUBRICATORS BEING PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO COLLIERY CORVES, MINE WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hadfield, of Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC LUBRICATORS, SUCH IMPROVED
LUBRICATORS BEING PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO COLLIERY CORVES, MINE
WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hadfield at the Office
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
PARTICULARLY
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1876.
ROBERT HADFIELD, of Southampton Buildings, London.
AUTOMATIC LUBRICATORS, SUCH IMPROVED LUBRICATORS BEING
APPLICABLE TO COLLIERY CORVES, MINE WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in automatic lubricators, such
mine waggons,
improved lubricators being particularly applicable to colliery corves,
and other similar vehicles.
In describing the nature of my Invention I shall first treat of its application to
the construction of an improved self-oiling colliery pedestal, by the use of which an
immense economy is effected in the cost of oiling or greasing the wheels of colliery
corves, mine waggons, contractors' waggons, and other similar vehicles.
Hitherto it has been the practice in order to oil the wheels or pedestals of corves
to pass them over a revolving wheel having a brush fastened thereto which roughly
oils the axle, but which frequently fails in doing so, and there is great waste and
loss of oil or grease. There are also other rough methods practised, all of which
however involve great loss and waste of oil.
Now to obviate these various disadvantages I have invented a self-oiling pedestal
suitable for use for corves and such like vehicles, which I construct in the following
nanner: I cast either in steel, malleable iron, or any other suitable metal a hollow
axle bearing or pedestal, the internal cavity of which serves as an oil reservoir, the
recess formed in such axle bearing or pedestal for the reception of the axle itself
being shaped like a bridge, at the top of which bridge I provide an oil hole. In
order to prevent the oil contained in the reservoir escaping too freely or wasting
away, I place round the sides of such oil hole a suitable packing of worsted, cotton,
sponge, asbestos, or any other porous material, and I secure such packing by means
of a pointed plug, which I screw into the top of such hole and into the aforesaid

page_text: porous material, and by which the packing is held in proper position around the
sides thereof. The oil itself is placed below the escape or level of the bridge, thus
preventing all possibility of its running away to waste when the waggon or corve
is not working.
In order to unload such corves or waggons they are usually turned on their ends
completely upside down, in which position they remain for some time. By so doing
the oil contained in the reservoir runs out upon or over the bridge, and percolating
through the sponge or other porous packing inserted round the sides of the oil hole,
thoroughly saturates it, while the plug compresses the sponge or other porous
packing which rests upon the axle or revolving shaft, thereby expressing the oil
which has been absorbed therein, and thus lubricating the axle or revolving shaft
itself, which leads the oil out as required.
Upon righting the corve or waggon the oil at once ceases to flow, but when next
unloaded the packing again becomes saturated, and so the self-oiling of the pedestal
is renewed from time to time without expenditure of either time or labour.
The recess for the reception of the axle is made of a corresponding depth to the
diameter of the axle itself, so that by putting a straight or other suitably shaped
cap on the under side, secured by two bolts which pass through the waggon frame,
both the pedestal and cap are securely held in their proper position.
For the purpose of charging the lubricator with oil an orifice is formed in any
suitable position on the said pedestal, and I close such orifice by means of a sinall
screw plug.
In adapting my improved automatic lubricator for use for ordinary machinery I
proceed as follows:-I make it of any convenient shape, say, somewhat resembling
an ordinary syringe, but I do not confine myself to this form, as other shapes may
be found equally suitable. In the body of such syringe is contained the oil, and I
provide the lower and sinaller end or tube thereof with a screw thread on its
external surface, so as to enable me to screw it into the cap or gland just above the
revolving shaft. On the top of such syringe I place a suitable cap, through the
centre of which passes a small rod, such rod being provided at its top with a screw
thread, and at its other end with a small piston fitting into the small end of the tube
or lower extremity of the syringe in a manner sufficiently loose to allow of the oil
contained in the body of the syringe passing into a packing of sponge or any other
suitable porous material with which the small end or tube of the syringe is pro-
vided. By raising or lowering the screw formed on the rod centre, the outflow of
the oil is regulated at pleasure, and accordingly the porous material becomes more
or less saturated.
I provide a small hole at the top of the cap for the purpose of charging the lubri-
cator with oil.
These lubricators may be made either of brass, iron, tin, or any other suitable
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Hadfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st September
1876.
ROBERT HADFIELD, of Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC LUBRICATORS, SUCH IMPROVED LUBRICATORS BEING PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE TO COLLIERY CORVES, MINE WAGGONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES.",
My Invention consists of a self-oiling pedestal suitable for corves, mine waggons,
and other similar vehicles, which I will now with the aid of the accompanying
Drawings describe, similar letters of reference thereon indicating corresponding
parts.
Figure 1 of such Drawings is a sectional elevation of such self-oiling pedestal,
shewing the arrangement of porous packing hereafter described; Figure 2 is a
1

page_text: sectional elevation shewing the arrangement of the loose movable pin, hereafter
described; and Figure 3 shews an external elevation of such self-oiling pedestal.
I cast either in steel, malleable iron, or other suitable metal a hollow axle bearing
or pedestal, the internal cavity wherein a, a, serves as an oil chamber. The
recess b, b, formed in such axle bearing to receive the axle is shaped like a bridge,
and at its top is an oil hole c, made either square, round, or of other suitable form,
around the sides of which, to prevent the oil either escaping too freely or wasting
away, I place a suitable packing, indicated at d, Figure 1, of worsted, cotton, sponge,
asbestos, or other porous material by pressing the same therein; but such packing
if preferred may be dispensod with, and in lieu thereof a loose movable ping,
Figure 2, may be inserted in such oil bole, which pin resting on the top of the axle
bearing regulates the outflow of the oil, while the plug e placed above serves to
keep either the packing d or ping in position. The projections f, f, formed above
the bridge are to permit of the oil chamber a, a, being quite filled with oil, and at
the same time to prevent its running to waste when the waggon or corve is not
working, the oil being all stored below the outlet.
When unloading corves or waggons they are usually turned upside down, and so
remain for some time. By so doing when my improved pedestal is used the oil con-
tained in the oil chamber a, a, percolates through the packing d, Figure 1, thoroughly
saturating it, and the revolving of the axle & leading out the oil as required thus
lubricates the bearing without any expenditure of either time or labour, while upon
righting the corve or waggon the oil at once ceases to flow, and finds its proper
position below the outlet.
When next unloaded the packing again becomes saturated, and so the self-oiling
of the pedestal is renewed from time to time.
When in lieu of packing, the loose movable pin g, Figure 2, is employed, such pin
being made rather smaller than the oil hole c allows the oil to escape round the
axle bearing, upon which bearing such pin rests, and being agitated by the revolving
of the axle allows the oil to flow down as required between the space left all round
the pin.
For the purpose of filling the oil chamber with oil I form a suitable charging
orifice in any convenient part of the pedestal, by preference at the end, as shewn in
Drawings, and I close such charging orifice by means of a small screw plug h.
The bridge-like recess for the reception of the axle k is made of a corresponding
depth to the diameter of the axle itself, so that by putting a straight or other
suitably shaped cap i on the under side, secured by two bolts j, j, which pass through
the waggon frame, both the pedestal and cap are securely held in position.
Figure 4 represents a view in section of a very simple form of my improved
automatic lubricator adapted for application to ordinary machinery. The large part
of the tube 1, l, serves as a reservoir to contain the oil, the small end m being
furnished on its exterior with a screw thread to allow of its screwing into the cap
or gland above the revolving shaft; n is a cap screwed on the top, through the
centre of which passes a rod o, provided at its top with a screw thread, and at its
other end with a piston p fitting into the small end of the tube m, and yet
sufficiently loose to allow of the oil passing into the worsted, cotton, sponge, or
other porous packing with which the small end m is filled. By the automatic
raising or lowering of the rod o the outflow of the oil is regulated at pleasure, and
accordingly such porous packing becomes more or less saturated with oil.
I provide a small hole n' at the top of the cap for the purpose of charging the
lubricator with oil.
These lubricators may be made either of brass, iron, tin, or any other suitable
metal.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I claim as my Invention the various improvements in automatic lubricators,
such improved lubricators being particularly applicable to colliery corves, mine

page_text: waggons, and other similar vehicles, respectively herein-before set forth and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hadfield, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
ROBERT HADFIELD. (L.S.)