IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Moore, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."-A communication from abroad
by Joseph Moore, residing at San Francisco, California.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Moore at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1871.
I, RALPH MOORE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS,” (which Invention has been
communicated to me from abroad by Joseph Moore, residing at San
Francisco, California), to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to lubricators of the kind in which the lubricant
is displaced from a closed receptacle by water due to the condensation
of steam, and which is principally applicable for supplying a lubricant

page_text: to enclosed spaces occupied by steam; and the Invention has principally
for its object to render such lubricators more regular and uniform in
action, and generally more efficient and controlable.
In carrying out the Invention the receptacle, which may be of glass
so as always to show the quantity of lubricant in it, is arranged so that
the steam never has access to it, the pipe or passage for leading the
lubricant from the top to the part to be lubricated being formed with
a siphon bend which always contains some lubricant, whilst there is in
communication with the bottom of the receptacle a pipe or passage for
the ingress of the water to displace the lubricant. The ingress pipe or
passage is made to descend towards its communication with the recep-
tacle from a point which is, by preference, higher than the top of the
receptacle, and at such point it receives the steam from the boiler
through any convenient branch pipe. The steam condenses in the
ingress pipe, and the water collecting from it being of greater specific
gravity than the lubricant enters under the latter, and causes it to flow
off from the top of the receptacle.
In some cases the ingress pipe or passage is enlarged so as to present
increased surface for condensation when required.
Stop valves are fitted on the various pipes the receptacle being
provided with an inlet for supplying fresh lubricant, and an outlet for
withdrawing water, in addition to the communications already heroin-
before referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ralph Moore in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 4th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RALPII
MOORE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Ralph Moore, Her special licence that
I, the said Ralph Moore, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 3

page_text: or such others as I, the said Ralph Moore, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS" (a
communication to me from abroad by Joseph Moore, residing at San
Francisco, California), upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the
said Ralph Moore, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, 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 tho
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 I, the said Ralph Moore, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to lubricators of the kind in which the
lubricant is displaced from a closed receptacle by water due to the
condensation of steam, and which is principally applicable for supplying
a lubricant to enclosed spaces occupied by steam; and the Invention
has principally for its object to render such lubricators more regular, and
uniform in action, and generally more efficient and controllable.
..And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing a
lubricator as constructed with the improvements.
. Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the lubricator.
In this example the vessel for containing the lubricant consists of á
vertical glass cylinder 1 fixed between upper and lower metal caps 2, 3,
by means of rods and screw nuts 4. This construction admits of the
quantity of lubricant in the vessel being at any time ascertained by
mere inspection; the vessel may, however, be made entirely of metal if
preferred. The upper cap 2 has fitted to it a pipe 5 with a stop-cock 6
and cap 7 for filling in the lubricant by. It has also fitted to it a pipe 8

page_text: for leading the lubricant from the top of the vessel 1 to the part to be
lubricated, this pipe being fitted with a stop-cock 9, and being formed
with a siphon bend 10 which always contains some lubricant, and
The lower
prevents the access of steam to the top of the vessel 1.
cap 3 has fitted to it a discharge pipe 11 with a stop-cock 12 for letting t
out water from the vessel before filling in the lubricant. It is also
fitted with a pipe 13 for admitting water, this pipe being provided with
a screw stop valve 14, by which the rate of flow can be nicely regulated.
The pipe 13 communicates with the bottom of a vessel or enlarged
pipe 15, made by preference of thin metal to act as a condenser, and 1
connected at its upper end by a pipe 16 to a boiler, steam pipe, or steam
chest. Or in some cases the pipe 13 may be continued without any
enlargement (15), provided sufficient condensation of the steam takes
place in the pipe 13 to displace the required quantity of lubricant from
the vessel 1, and provided that it descends towards its communication 1
with the vessel 1 from a point which is by preference higher than the
top of the vessel 1, so that the water formed in it by condensation may
run to its lowest part. The water condensed from the steam and
collecting in the pipe 13 or enlargement 15 being of greater specific
gravity than the lubricant enters into the vessel 1 under the latter, and 2
causes it to flow off by the pipe 8.
In this improved lubricator the introduction of the water by a
separate inlet 13 at the bottom of the vessel 1, as described, avoids the
irregularity which occurs with lubricators having the steam admitted.
to the upper surface of the lubricant from portions of the water of con- 2
densation occasionally passing over with the lubricant.
The improved arrangement also admits of glass being used for this
class of lubricator, which is not the case with those admitting steam to
the vessel containing the lubricant.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself
to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be new and claim as the Invention secured to me by the
hercin-before in part recited Letters is,—
1. The constructing of a steam displacement lubricator so that the
water of condensation enters the bottom of the vessel containing the
lubricant, substantially as hercin-beforo described.

page_text: 2. The applying of an enlarged condensing chamber 15 in connection
with the pipe 13 leading to the vessel containing the lubricant, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ralph Moore, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
RALPH MOORE. (L.s.)