Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1882
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
I, RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of No. 10 Charnwood Street, Derby, in
the County of Derbyshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to improvements in sight feed lubricators for
supplying the cylinders of steam engines with lubricating oil by means of water
displacement.
The lubricant is discharged into a current of steam either passing directly from
the boiler into the steam pipe or steam chest, or into a by-pass of the steam pipe.
The apparatus consists of a lower reservoir for the oil and water of condensation ;
a gauge glass, through the water in which the oil from the reservoir ascends in
drops; a valve and nipple, between the reservoir and gauge glass, for regulating
the supply of oil and directing it up the centre of the sight feed gauge; a tap
(through the plug of which the steam from the boiler passes to the cylinders of the
engine) furnished with two side ports, one communicating with the upper portion of
the sight feed gauge and the other with a water supply passage passing down,
through a pillar supporting the gauge glass, to the bottom of the reservoir; and a
by-pass connecting the bottom of the sight feed gauge with the water passage
leading to the oil and water reservoir.
The ports in the perforated steam plug are so arranged that in one position the
steam from the engine cylinders and boiler is shut off from the lubricator; the two
side ports are also closed. On moving the handle of the steam tap plug the ports
are opened in the following order and are finally all open together.
1st a communication is opened between the lubricator and engine cylinders,
2nd steam from the boiler or steam pipe is allowed to pass through the hollow plug
into the parts to be lubricated 3rd steam and water are allowed to enter the bottom
of the oil reservoir, 4th a communication is opened between the central passage in
the steam tap plug and the top of the gauge glass. By this arrangement of the
ports and passages the rate at which the oil is supplied is quite independent of the
steam pressure in the boiler or steam pipe, the hot water entering the reservoir to
displace the oil or air does not pass through the gauge glass and the passage for
supplying the water to displace the oil always insures the presence of clean water
in the gauge and maintains a constant head of water in the gauge and pillar to
displace the oil.
A screw plug or tap at the bottom of the reservoir serves to drain away the
water when required, and a plug is screwed into the upper portion for filling.
Dated this 13th day of April 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sight Feed Lubricators.
1, RICHARD MOUNTFORD DEELEY, of No. 10 Charnwood Street, Derby, in
the County of Derbyshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to improvements in sight feed lubricators for supplying
the cylinders of steam engines with lubricating oil by means of water displacement.
With these lubricators the lubricant is discharged into a current of steam either
Pein Ba

page_text: .
passing directly from the boiler into the steam pipe or steam chest or into a by-pass
of the steam pipe. Such lubricators have before been formed of a reservoir
containing oil, a water supply passage or chamber above the reservoir to which
steam is admitted, a passage from this chamber to the bottom of the oil reservoir so
that water condensing in the chamber may flow down into the bottom of the
reservoir, a passage from the top of the reservoir to a nipple which projects
upwards into the lower end of a gauge glass and a passage from the top of the gauge
glass to the steam pipe or chest. In these lubricators as heretofore constructed the
oil is forced out from the reservoir to the gauge glass by either one or more of the
following agencies:-the pressure of the steam, the weight of the water condensing
in the upper chamber and the buoyancy of the oil itself, and the oil as it passes
from the reservoir rises up in bubbles through the water in the gauge glass and
passes to the stream of steam which is passing to the cylinder of the engine.
I construct lubricators of this kind in such a way that the admission of steam or
water to the upper water chamber and the passage of oil from the top of the gauge
glass to the steam passages are controlled by a tap so formed that the admission of
steam or water to the chamber must necessarily precede the opening of the exit oil
passage so that on the opening of the tap the gauge glass may never have liquid
driven out from it. The passages are also so arranged that the lubricant for the
cylinders of locomotives is delivered into a current of steam passing through a pipe
from the boiler to the cylinders in such a way that the rate at which the oil is
delivered remains unaffected by the variations of steam pressure in the boilers or
steam chest.
I also construct lubricators of the above kind in such a way that the water in the
gauge glass is being constantly replaced by fresh water from the reservoir thus
keeping the gauge glass clear and preventing an undue accumulation of oil or
dirty water in it. The instrument is also very compact, and possesses few valves
or taps.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of apparatus constructed according to my
invention. Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections through a a and b b Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the tap showing how the tap may be formed
so as to serve as a means of controlling the steam passage from the boiler to
the steam main or valve box or cylinder as well as to control the passages
connecting the lubricator with the engine and boiler. Figure 6 shows how the
tap may be formed so as only to control the admission of steam to and the
passing away of the oil from the lubricator.
In this
In Figures 1 to 5 A is the oil reservoir B the upper water chamber an
enlargement of the water supply passage in which steam condenses on admitting
steam to the instrument. C a passage for water from the bottom of this chamber
to the bottom of the reservoir A. D a passage for oil opening into the top of the
reservoir A and leading to a valve E and from thence to a nipple F. The
nipple projects up into the lower part of the tubular gauge glass G.
design the reservoirs A and B serve as a pillar or support for the gauge glass.
His a passage for the delivery of the lubricant from the top of the gauge glass
to the tap I. J is a passage for water from the chamber B (which it enters
at the level J¹) to the bottom of the gange glass. All water passing into the
chamber B in excess of what is required for replacing the amount of oil which
is allowed to pass through the tap I to the nipple F will therefore pass away
through the gauge glass-the passage J acting as an overflow from the chamber B
The level at which the point of overflow J¹ is placed is such that the water
chamber when once it is full of water remains so and does not allow of the
entrance of steam. In one form the plug of the tap I is hollow and has three ports
or openings through its side.
The port I is the largest and is for allowing steam to pass from the boiler or
steam pipe (see Figure 1) to the passage L and from thence through the small
passage L' to the valve chest or steam supply main.
The passage L' (see Figure 5) instead of being always in direct connection

page_text: with the central passage of the plug may be placed at the side opposite a
rectangular port L in the side of the plug so arranged that this port will be
the first to open on moving the tap and will remain open when the port [* is
opened.
When the instrument is fixed in circuit with a pipe passing from the boiler
to the engine cylinders the large port 11 admits the full boiler pressure to
passage L and L and annular chamber L the smaller passage I' serving to allow
sufficient steam to pass through to carry away the lubrication and water of
condensation. The port I is the next in size and can he brought to coincide with
the end of a passage K leading to the water chamber B. The port I is still
smaller and is the one that can be brought opposite to the end of the oil exit
passage H which leads from the top of the gauge glass.
The passage L is reduced in diameter by means of a perforated plug (see Figure 1)
to keep it full of water and oil instead of steam. The upper portion of the central
perforation of the plug is fitted with a vertical pipe L³ which forms a condensing
chamber to supply water to the pipe [2 and keep the water chamber B full of cool
water. If the chamber B be allowed to contain steam as well as water it gets very
hot and on the release of the pressure the water boils and displaces the oil. Instead
of making the ports of different diameters they may be made to open in this order
by giving lead to those ports which are to open first, but I prefer to obtain the
necessary lead by making the ports of different diameters. It will thus be seen
that when the plug of the cock is being turned into a position to open all the
the passages the steam supply passage to the cylinders or steam chest first opens,
then the passage leading steam to the water chamber B opens and admits of the
flow of liquid to the bottom of the reservoir A and renders it certain that the
pressure of steam shall not enter the gauge glass first and drive back liquid out of
the gauge glass into the reservoir A and chamber B, and lastly the outlet passage
for oil from the top of the gauge glass is opened.
In this way I ensure that there need be no rush of steam through the gauge glass
and consequent overheating of it at the time when the tap is first opened, as there
otherwise might be if the reservoir A should be only partially filled with oil, and
breakage of the glass is thereby avoided. If the reservoir were from any cause to
become only partially filled with liquid the tendency would be first to force liquid
into the gauge glass never to force it out.
M is a cup or funnel in the top of a passage leading to the reservoir A.
valve which can be opened to admit oil from the cup to the reservoir.
M'a
N is a screw valve at the bottom of the reservoir, which can be opened to drain
away water from the reservoir whenever required.
In place of the tap being made to turn on steam to the steam engine main valve
chest or other part to which it is desired to convey lubricating oil as well as
admitting steam to the lubricator the admission of steam from the boiler to the
steam main might be constant or controlled by a separate tap or valve, and the
plug of the lubricator tap formed with two passages only through it, one to open
first and admit steam to the upper chamber of the lubricator, and the other to open
a communication from the top of the gauge glass to the steam passage. An apparatus
arranged in this manner is shewn at Figure 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performned I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A sight feed lubricator constructed as herein before described with a plug tap
having two passages through it so arranged as regards position or diameter that
when opening the tap steam pressure from the boiler or steam pipe is first admitted
to the passage leading to the bottom of the oil reservoir, and afterwards by further
moving the tap plug the oil exit passage leading from the upper portion of the sight
feed gauge glass is opened.
2. A sight feed lubricator constructed as hereinbefore described with a plug tap

page_text: having a central and side passage throngh which the steam passes from the boiler
or steam pipe to the engine and by means of which the communication between
the boiler and engine can be closed, and also two other side ports passing from the
central passage one communicating with the bottom of the oil reservoir and the
other with the top of the sight feed gauge glass, the ports being so arranged as
regards position or diameter that steam is first admitted to the lubricator and parts
to be lubricated, then to the water supply passage and oil reservoir and finally oil
is allowed to pass into the current of steam passing through the hollow plug.
3. A sight feed lubricator constructed as herein before described with a port
through which water can pass from the condenser passage or chamber to the lower
portion of the sight feed gauge glass, so that the water in the gauge glass is
constantly replaced by fresh water from the reservoir thus keeping the gauge glass
clean.
4. A sight feed lubricator constructed as herein before described with a tap having
two ports by which the lubricator can be shut off from the boiler and engine
cylinders, a passage for the condensation of steam, a pipe or passage to carry the
water of condensation to the bottom of an oil and water reservoir, a pipe or
passage leading from the upper portion of the oil reservoir to the sight feel gange
nozzle, a valve to regulate the flow of oil, through the gauge nozzle, and means for
emptying the lubricator of water and refilling it with oil.
5. A sight feel lubricator constructed as herein before described with a plug tap
having a central and side passage, through which steam passes from the boiler or
steam pipe to the engine and also other side ports passing from the central passage
to the water supply passage and to the top of the gauge glass; a pipe or passage to
carry the water of condensation to the bottom of an oil and water reservoir, a pipe
or passage leading from the upper portion of the oil reservoir to the sight feed gauge
nozzle, a valve to regulate the flow of oil through the gauge nozzle, and means for
emptying the lubricator of water and refilling it with oil.
6. A sight feed lubricator constructed as herein before described with a port
through which water can pass from the water supply passage or chamber to the
bottom of the gauge glass; a valve or valves for shutting off the water passage,
oil reservoir and gauge glass from the boiler and engine; a valve and nipple
for regulating the flow of oil through the passages leading from the upper portion
of the oil and water reservoir to the sight feed gauge glass, and means for emptying
the lubricator of water and refilling it with oil.
7. A sight feed lubricator constructed as described with a circuitous steam inlet
passage in the plug of the steam inlet tap to serve as a condenser and with two side
ports one passing from the condensing passage or chamber to the water supply
passage or water reservoir of the lubricator and the other to the port leading to the
top of the gauge glass.
A sight feed lubricator constructed substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings.