IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 15th June, 1888
L, GILMAN WELD BROWN, of West Newbury, in the County of Essos, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide a lubricator for bearings of shafting, etc.,
in which the flow of oil shall be regulated by the temperature of the bearing, so that
a given increase in the temperature of the bearing will cause an increased flow of oil
from the lubricator, while a corresponding decrease in the temperature will check or
decrease the flow.
To this end the invention consists in a lubricator having a discharge orifice and a
thermostatic or compound bar controlling the flow of oil and arranged to be so
affected by the temperature of the bearing with which the lubricator is used, as to be
moved and permit an increased discharge of oil when the temperature of the bearing
is raised above a given point, and to be closed and check or decrease the flow of oil
when the temperature of the bearing is sufficiently reduced, as I will now proceed
to describe.
Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure i
represents a vertical section of a lubricator embodying my invention. Fig. 2
represents a side elevation of the shank of an oil cup similar to that shown in
Fig. 1, but provided with stop devices. Fig. 3 represents a section on line z z,
Fig. 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
In the drawings, a represents an oil cup or receptacle, and 6 represents a bearing
with which said cup may be connected in any suitable way, as, for example, by a
shank a formed on the cup and screwed into a threaded aperture in the bearing, as
shown in Fig. 1; said shank having a conduit through which oil passes from the cup
to the bearing. The body of the cup is preferably made of glass and provided with
a threaded stem, which is screwed into a socket in the shank, a packing c of córk

page_text: or other suitable material being placed between the stem and the bottom of the
socket.
In carrying out my invention I provide at any suitable point between the oil
reservoir and the bearing, a thermostatic bar composed of layers or laminae of
different metals, each layer having a different rate of expansion and contraction from
that of the other; said har being constructed and arranged to open the conduit and
permit the flow of oil to the bearing when the temperature of the bearing is increased
by friction beyond a given degree, and to close the conduit when the temperature is
reduced by lubrication.
The arrangement of said bar may be variously modified; in Figures 1 and 2, I
have shown it composed of two metals of different expansibility, as steel and brass;
said metals being formed in strips secured together to constitute the bar. One end
of said arm is rigidly secured to any suitable support in close proximity to the
bearing, as the shank a', while the free end is secured to a valve d. Or, if preferred,
the free end of the bar may constitute the valve.
The valve hears on the delivering end of the oil conduit, and is separated from said
delivering end by the flexure of the thermostatic arm whenever the temperature of
the bearing is sufficiently increased to expand the metals of said arm.
The delivering end of the oil conduit is here shown as a tubular screw inserted
in a threaded socket in the shank a¹ and passing through the portion of the conduit
which is formed in said shank. The screw has lateral openings through which the
oil passes into the bore of the screw. The screw may be adjusted to compensate
for any variations in the normal position of the thermostatic arm d², and ensure
proper contact of the valve with its seat when said arm is not bent from its
norinal position.
I prefer to form a transverse slot or sight aperture i in the shank a', said slot
being of sufficient size to expose the valve d and the delivering end of the screw f
so that the feed of oil will be visible.
In practice it is desirable to have a constant opening through the valve to
maintain at all times a normal feed of oil, the operation of the thermo-dynamic
devices being intended mainly to ensure an increased flow of oil when from any
cause the normal feed is not sufficient to prevent heating.
When the shaft is not running the screw may be turned so as to cause the
valve to entirely stop the flow of oil. To enable the screw to be moved either to its
valve opening or closing position without the necessity of careful adjustment by the
attendant, I provide it with two arms and attach to the shank a¹ a stop pin
located between said arms, so that when the screw is turned in one direction the
arm will strike said stop and arrest the motion of the screw, when the latter
is in its valve opening position, and when the screw is turned in the opposite
direction the arms u will strike said stop and arrest the screw in its valve closing
position. The operator is therefore relieved of all care in adjusting the screw as will
be readily seen.
I prefer to make the arms u¹ adjustable on the screw so that the positions
of the screw when it is arrested may be adjusted. To this end I make said arms
in independent pieces which are clamped by a screw w against a shoulder & on
the screw By loosening said clamping screw the arms may be adjusted to any
desired position.
I do not limit myself to the use of the improvement last described in con-
nection with a thermo-dynamic valve, but may use the same with any suitably
constructed valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
for Lubricators, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare
that what 1 claim is:
1. An oil cup or receptacle having a thermostatic or compound arm
or bar
regulating the discharge of oil therefrom, and adapted to be operated by variations
of temperature of the bearing to which the oil cup is applied, as set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination of a bearing, an oil cup or receptacle adapted to supply oil
thereto, and a thermostatic or compound arm or bar regulating the flow of oil from
the cup, and arranged to be operated by variations of temperature of the bearing, as
set forth.
3. An oil cup or receptacle having a neck or shank provided with an oil conduit,
combined with a valve and a thermostatic arm or bar supporting said valve and
arranged to be bent to displace the valve by an increase in the temperature of the
bearing.
4. An oil cup or receptacle having a neck or shank provided with an oil conduit
and a sight aperture, combined with a valve in said aperture and a thermostatic arm
or bar supporting said valve, as set forth.
5. An oil cup or receptacle having a neck or shank provided with an oil conduit
composed in part of an adjustable tubular screw, and a sight aperture into which
said screw projects, combined with the valve arranged to act on the delivering end of
said conduit, and the thermostatic bar supporting said valve, as set forth.
6. An oil cup or receptacle provided with an oil conduit composed in part of an
adjustable screw, combined with a valve at the delivering end of the screw, and stop
devices substantially as described whereby the rotation of the screw may be arrested
both in the valve opening and valve closing positions of said screw, as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of April A.D. 1888.
GILMAN W. BROWN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.