AN IMPROVED PISTON AND TALLOW OR GREASE CUP
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bates, Edward Brookes, and Edmund
William Brookes, all of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PISTON AND TALLOW OR GREASE CUP."
Sealed the 26th June 1866, and dated the 28th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bates, 'Edward
Brookes, and Edmund William Brookes, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 28th December
1865.
We, JOHN BATES, EDWARD BROOKES, and EDMUND WILLIAM BROOKES,
all of Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare, the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PISTON AND TALLOW OR GREASE CUP,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
The first part of our Invention relates to metallic pistons, and the
second part to the means of lubricating the same and pistons generally.
The improvement in the piston is effected in part by the form and mode of
applying or fitting the four packing rings, and in part by the introduction
and combination therewith of a fifth flat steel ring placed within or under-
neath the said packing rings. The object of the inner steel spring ring is
to maintain the required elasticity of the outer rings when their expansive
force becomes weakened and their diameter reduced from wear. The
four packing rings are made wedge shape in transverse section; two of them,

page_text: which we designate the outer rings, are placed with their square angles
and thin edges outwards next to the cylinder, and the other two or inner
rings are placed with their square angles and thin edges inwards next to
the spring ring. The inner rings are formed with a step or overlap at the
top and bottom, and these overlaps are the same diameter as the outer
rings, and together therewith make up the thickness of the packing.
Between the upper and lower inner packing rings a space is left, so that
when necessary they can be pressed close together by tightening the piston
cover, the inner rings will then expand the outer rings, and the whole be
pressed outwards and kept in position by the steel spring ring before
mentioned. In order to allow the piston cover to be tightened the piston
block instead of being made solid has its thickness made up by two or
more thin discs or washers of brass or other metal, which can be removed
as the packing rings wear.
The improvement in the grease cup has for its object the doing away
with all taps and valves, so that the tallow or oil is thereby self-applied.
The cup or holder may be made of a globular or other form, and is a
close vessel having a screw plugged opening through which the lubricating
matter is introduced at the top, and is formed with a small hollow two-
way plug at the bottom. The openings in the plug can be regulated to
the greatest nicety by turning it a little more or less by me of a stem
attached thereto, which stem or rod passes through a stuffing box at the
top of the cup. The steam is admitted into the cup above the oil or
tallow through a small pipe leading from one of the apertures in the plug,
while the oil is admitted a drop at a time through the other, and the cup
is thus rendered self-acting. A gauge or index at the side shews the rate
of consumption and when the oil cup requires replenishing. The cup is
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Bates, Edward Brookes, and Edmund William 3
Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th June 1866.
OT ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BATES, EDWARD BROOKES, and EDMUND WILLIAM BROOKES, all of
Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Bates, Edward Brookes, and Edmund William
Brookes, Her special licence that we, the said John Bates, Edward
Brookes, and Edmund William Brookes, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Bates, Edward
Brookes, and Edmund William Brookes, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PISTON AND TALLOW
OR GREASE CUP," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Bates, Edward Brookes, and Edmund William Brookes, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Bates, Edward Brookes,
and Edmund William Brookes, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The first part of our said Invention relates to metallic pistons, and the
second part to the means of lubricating the same and pistons generally.
The improvement in the piston is effected in part by the form and mode
of applying or fitting the four packing rings, and in part by the introduc-
tion and combination therewith of a fifth flat steel ring placed within or
underneath the said packing rings. The object of the inner steel spring
ring is to maintain the required elasticity of the outer rings when the
expansive force becomes weakened and their diameter reduced from wear.
The four packing rings are made wedge shape in transverse section; two
of them, which are designated the outer rings, are placed with their square
angles and their edges outwards next to the cylinder, and the other two or
inner rings are placed with their square angles and their edges inwards
next to the spring ring. The inner rings are formed with a step or
overlap at the top and bottom; these overlaps are of the same diameter
as the outer rings, and together therewith make up the thickness of the

page_text: packing. Between the upper and lower inner packing rings a space is
left, so that when necessary they can be pressed close together by
tightening the piston cover, the inner rings will then expand the outer
rings, and the whole be pressed outwards and kept in position by the steel
spring ring before mentioned. In order to allow the piston cover to be
tightened the piston block instead of being made solid has its thickness
made up by two or more thin discs or washers of brass or other metal,
which can be removed as the packing rings wear.
The improvement in the grease cup has for its object the doing away
with all taps and valves, so that the tallow or oil is thereby self-supplied.
The cup or holder may be made of a globular or other form, and is a
close vessel having a screw plugged opening through which the lubricating
matter is introduced at the top, and is formed with a small hollow two-
way plug at the bottom. The openings in the plug can be regulated to the
greatest nicety by turning it a little more or less by means of a stem
attached thereto, which stem or rod passes through a stuffing box at the
top of the cup which is indexed. On the top of this stem is a pointer
fixed, which regulates the supply of the tallow or oil in connection with
the index. The steam is admitted into the cup above the oil or tallow
through a small pipe leading from one of the apertures in the plug, while
the oil is admitted a drop at a time through the other, and the cup is thus
rendered self-acting. The cup is fixed in the usual way.
The accompanying Drawing is intended to illustrate the mode of
carrying our said improvements into effect in practice.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 is an elevation or external view of one of our improved pistons
in its complete form; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse
section through the line A, B, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is another plan view of the
piston with the cover removed; the same parts of the piston are lettered
with similar letters in each Fig. respectively. a is the piston block; b, the
piston rod; c, the piston cover, which is bolted to the block by the screw
bolts c; the packing rings are four in number; d is the upper inner ring;
e, the lower inner ring; e³, an opening or space between them; f, the upper
outer ring; g, the lower outer ring; /, the steel spring ring which presses
constantly against the back of the inner rings, and thus forces the whole
of the packing outwards and maintains the steam-tight condition. As the
outer surface of the inner packing rings and the peripheries of the outer
packing rings, both of which respectively are kept in steam-tight contact

page_text: with the inner surface of the cylinder as they wear away, and the expansive
force of the steel spring ring becomes less it can be increased from time
to time by tightening the screw bolts c³, by which means the inner packing
rings are brought closer together, the outer packing rings are thereby
pressed outwards, and the steel spring ring also thereby relieved, so
that it will then exert a greater force upon the whole of the packing;
i is the space left between the block and inner surface of the packing for
the play of the steel spring; this ring is made somewhat less in depth than
the aggregate thickness of the packing rings to allow the cover to be
screwed closer home upon the block when necessary; k are horizontal
packing rings or washers of thin metal inserted between the cover and the
block to make up the required thickness of the latter, one or more of which
rings or washers may be removed from time to time as the packing rings
wear away at their peripheries and render it necessary to screw the cover
closer down upon the block as before described; are brass nuts let into
the block as shewn at Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the steel spring ring; Fig. 6, a plan view of
one of the metal plates or piston washers; Fig. 7, elevation of set
screw and brass inlaid nut detached; Fig. 8, plan view of said nut;
Fig. 9 is a section shewing the improved grease cup for lubricating
the piston herein described, and which may also be fitted to cylinders
with other pistons, or used as a lubricating cup for general purposes. a is
a hollow globe which forms the oil holder; b, a screw plug, closing the
aperture through which the oil is supplied; c is a solid screw neck having
a small vertical channel c through the lower portion and a coned tap hole
or seat at the top; d is a spindle, the bottom of which is formed into a plug
having a small vertical hole a bored in its axis and a similar small hole
dbored therein transversely; e is a similar hole bored transversely partly
through the neck c; f is a small pipe screwed vertically into a hole in
the neck of the cup holder c, communicating with transverse hole e.
The spindle & passes through a stuffing box at the top of the holder,
and is fitted with a handle d' for turning it; d³ is a collar cast on
the spindle for keeping the plug down; d, index on top of stuffing box;
d', a pointer in connection with index; g is the interior of the cylinder,
and the cylinder cover. When the cup (which may be made of any
other suitable shape) is filled with oil the plug is to be turned until the
hole d³ comes opposite to e, when a communication will be opened between
the cylinder g, in which the improved piston works, and the interior of the
oil vessel; the oil will now descend and the steam ascend through the
d

page_text: pipe, and make good the space above the oil as it is diminished; the
quantity passing into the cylinder can be regulated to the greatest nicety
by turning the tap more or less as shewn by the pointer and index. Fig. 10
shews the lubricator adapted for locomotive engine cylinders; in this case
the internal form is the same as that above described, but instead of the
plug b, Fig. 9, being fitted, a funnel-mouthed screw tap i is substituted
therefor, and the bottom of the solid neck of the holder is fitted with a
union screw joint and connecting pipe leading into the cylinder. For
lubricating the journals of large shafts and other like purposes the form of
the cup is similar to that shewn in section at Fig. 9.
We claim the piston and cup as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Bates, Edward Brookes, and
Edmund William Brookes, have bereunto set our hands and seals,
this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.