Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Oil Cups for Lubricating the Working Parts of Locomotive and other Engines.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Construction of Oil Cups for
Lubricating the Working Parts of Locomotive and other Engines.
I, EDWIN DUNBAR BANGS, residing at Number 1522, Cedar Street, in the City of
Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, in the United States
of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its object the lubrication of the working parts of Locomotive
and other engines, while such parts are in motion only, thereby effecting a great
saving of oil, all as hereinafter set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section through the preferred form of my device on
the line 1-1 of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, with the cap removed, and parts broken
away.
A represents the cylinder of the cup, the upper part of which is externally screw-
threaded, as shown at a, for the reception of the correspondingly screw-threaded
depending circular flange b of the cap B, which latter has an upward extending
central neck C, having interior screw-threads, for the reception of a correspondingly
screw-threaded plug D, having a central vertical perforation d, for the admission of
air into the cup, above the oil, and below this neck, the cap B is formed into a
central feed hopper I, having a feed opening i, to one side of which is a vent c,
preferably diagonal, communicating with the interior of the cylinder A.
E represents a vertical column, integral with the inside of the cylinder, provided
with a vertical channel e, which also extends through the nipple E' which is externally
screw-threaded for attachment to the rods or pitmans or other moving part of the
engine. The bottom A' of the cylinder is tight, and from the same, on the inner
side directly opposite the described column, there rises the curved guide F, for a
purpose hereinafter described. G is an arc-shaped sliding plate, on top of the
column E (and adjustably secured thereto by means of slot or slots g in said plate
and set-screw or screws j, passing through said slot or slots into the top of said
column) while the other end of said plate G is formed with an opening H, guarded
by inwardly tapering walls h, to form a funnel, the opening H being more or less
in register with the top of the vertical channel e according to the adjustment of the
said plate G whose edge adjacent to the inside of the cylinder A conforms in curve
thereto.
My oil-cups may be provided, if desired, with windows K K secured to the
cylinder A by suitable frames kk, and rivets, as shown.
The operation of my device is as follows:
To determine the requisite flow of the oil through the channel e (which naturally
varies according to the quality of the oil, and the temperature of the air) the cap B
is removed, and the cylinder of the oil-cup is filled even full with oil, and the
plate G adjusted to cover more or less of the channel e, and when the opening H in
said plate is in such position with reference to the channel e that the requisite
number of drops per minute of the oil will pass through said channel e, then the
set-screw j is tightened to place, and the plate G thus secured in this preferred
adjustment. The oil is allowed to drain off till the space above said plate G is
free, and then the cap B is screwed to place, and the oil-cup is attached, by its
nipple E, to the part of the engine to be lubricated thereby. The cap B is not

page_text: removed to fill the cup, except in the first instance of testing the flow, and
adjusting the plate G, as just described, but the plug D is removed, and the cup
replenished through the neck C, and when oil shows above the opening i of the
feed hopper I, the cup is sufficiently filled, and then the plug D is screwed down
to place, the space inside the neck C below the bottom of the plug D and in the
hopper I, forming, with the space in the cylinder above the oil, an air-cushion, which
materially aids the flow of the oil through the channel e.
It will be understood that the part of the engine to which my oil-cup is attached,
has a reciprocating motion, and with each forward or upward motion of said part,
the oil inside the cup, directed by the curved guide F, is injected up over and into
the opening between the walls h of the plate G, and thence finds its way, through
the opening H into the channel e and thence to the journal, slides, or other part
to be lubricated, and this action will continue just so long as there is a single drop
of oil in the cup.
My device is not only extremely efficient, but is very economical, as well, as it will
only feed while the engine is in motion, and for this reason, and because, by its
use, the actual amount of oil needed can be quickly and accurately ascertained,
the result is a great saving of oil, absolutely nono being wasted with my device.
Another advantage lies in the fact that by reason of the straight channel e, the
same can be instantly and easily cleaned, by thrusting a wire therethrough, should it
over become clogged.
By reason of the described vent c, the cup can be readily filled, as described,
through the neck C and feed hopper I, as the air in the cylinder will escape through
said vent as fast as the oil from the hopper takes its place, and if any oil is forced
through this vent c in the motion of the cup when in use, it will fall into the feed
hopper I and thus directly feed back into the cylinder. The opening in the bottom
of the feed hopper I is below the walls of the entrance to the channel e, and
hence, in the described operation of my device, when the same has been filled to
the point of said opening, the oil in the cup can only get into the channel e by
the described motion of the cup, and will be directed by the curved guide F directly
to the funnel entrance to said channel, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1,
the pressure of the air above the oil being increased by the described motion of the
oil-cup, and serving to drive the oil down through the channel e, and thereby make
a sure and continuous feed, so long as the cup is in motion.
In case it is found more convenient to have the nipple E¹ or part which screws
onto the moving part of the engine in any other location than that shown, it will
only be necessary to make a suitable connection between the channel e in the
column E and the channel in said nipple, but this is so obvious that I have not
deemed it necessary to illustrate the same in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: .
1. In an oil-cup, the combination of the cylinder with a vertical column having a
channel therethrough adjacent to the wall of said cylinder, and a curved guide for
directing the course of the oil to said channel..
2. In an oil-cup, the combination of the cylinder with a vertical column having a
channel therethrough, adjacent to the wall of said cylinder, the top of said column
being below the top of said cylinder, and a cap having a feed hopper projecting
down into said cylinder below the entrance to the said channel, whereby the said
channel can only receive oil when the oil is forced above said channel-entrance, as by
the motion of said cup.
3. In an oil-cup, the combination of the cylinder with a vertical column having a
channel therethrough, adjacent to the wall of said cylinder, the top of said column
being below the top of aid cylinder, and a cap having a passage leading to said
cylinder, closed by a perforated plug, whereby there is always an air-cushion above
the oil in the cup.

page_text: 4. In an oil-cup, the combination of the cylinder with a vertical column having a
channel therethrough, adjacent to the wall of said cylinder, an adjustable plate having
an opening registering with said channel and surrounded by walls forming a funnel
around said opening, said plate being adapted, by change of position to more or less
close said channel, and a curved guide for directing the course of the oil into said
funnel.
5. In an oil-cup, the combination of the cylinder with a vertical column having a
channel therethrough, adjacent to the wall of said cylinder, and a curved guide for
directing the course of the oil, with a cap having a central feed hopper, and a central
neck, rising above said feed hopper and communicating therewith, and a vent or
passage between said neck and the cylinder below, and a perforated plug filling the
upper part of said neck.
DJ 1000
EDWIN DUNBAR BANGS.
Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.