Improved Sight-feed Lubricator for Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application. 5th Mar.. 1890
Complete Specification Left, st Dec., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sight-feed Lubricator for Steam Engines.
I, WILLIAM ANTON GOTTLIEB SCHÖNHEYDER, of 4 Roseberry Road, Clapham Park,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My-invention relates to that description of sight-feed lubricators in which the water
resulting from the condensation of steam is made to force oil out of a closed receptacle
drop by drop into the steam cylinder, in such manner that the oil is made to ascend in
globules through a column of water before passing into a passage leading to the
cylinder. My invention has mainly for its object to simplify the construction of such
apparatus.
For this purpose I construct such apparatus as follows:
A closed vessel which is charged with the lubricating oil has at its lower end a
screwed nozzle which is screwed into a hole in the steam cylinder or other part to be
lubricated; a passage leads through the nozzle to the interior of the cylinder, which
can be closed by a tap or screwed valve. Into the end of this passage which would
otherwise open into the oil vessel is screwed a tube which passes up through the vessel
and through a tubular extension thereof into a condensing chamber which is attached
to the upper end of the tubular extension, between which and the tube is a small
annular space.
To the inner end of the tubular extension is attached a second tube surrounding the
inner tube and extending down to near the bottom of the oil vessel, and forming a
continuation of the annular passage in the tubular extension.
By this arrangement when the above mentioned tap or valve is opened, steam can
pass from the cylinder up the central tube and into the condensing chamber, where it
condenses, owing to the surfaces thereof being exposed to the atmosphere, the
condensing action being if necessary increased by forming on the condensing chamber
a receptacle charged with water to be evaporated. The water of condensation will
flow from this chamber down the annular passage to the bottom of the oil vessel.
From the top of the oil vessel a side passage leads down to a nozzle situated within
a glass tube filled with water, the communication between the passage and the nozzle
From the cap
being regulated by a screw plug worked by an external haud wheel.
on the upper end of the glass tube another passage leads down to the before mentioned
The action of the
passage in the bottom screwed nozzle.leading into the cylinder.
apparatus will be as follows. Assuming the vessel to be filled with oil through a
stoppered aperture, and the steam to be admitted to the condensing chamber, the
resulting water of condensation will run down the annular passage in the tubular
extension, more or less filling this, and consequently putting a slight pressure upon
the oil due to the head of water in the annular passage of tubular extension, thereby
forcing the oil to flow from the top of the vessel down the side passage to the nozzle
in the glass tube, the rate of such flow being governed by the extent to which the
screw plug is opened. It will be seen that although, in addition to the above
mentioned slight head of water tending to produce the flow, there is also the full
pressure of steam exerted in the condensing chamber, tending to increase the flow,
yet, this pressure is completely balanced by the same pressure of steam exerted in the
contrary direction through the passage leading from the upper end of the glass tube.
The screw plug is so regulated that the oil can only arrive in very small quantities to
the nozzle in the glass tube, whence it will rise in the form of globules, through the
water, and will then pass from the top of the tube down the passage leading into the
cylinder. By the adjustment of the screw plug the globules of oil may be made to

page_text: follow each other at any desired rate of succession, or it may become a continuous
stream, and being visible through the glass tube the lubrication of the cylinder can be
accurately controlled.
As the oil flows off from the upper end of the vessel, the water of condensation flows
to a corresponding extent down the annular passage to the bottom of the oil vessel, in
which it will gradually rise until all the oil has been expelled. This condition will be
at once perceived by the cessation of the rising globules, whereupon the connection of
the oil vessel with the steam cylinder is closed and a screw plug at the bottom of the
oil vessel is opened for discharging the water therefrom, preparatory to filling it with
oil again.
In order to prevent the necessity of entirely removing the screw plug that closes the
charging of the oil vessel, the plug is provided on its inner end with a stem, the lower
end of which has a relief screw thread that is screwed through a threaded eye on the
interior of the vessel, facing the charging hole, so that the said screw of the stem has
to be screwed right through the eye, to allow of the other part of the stem sliding
down through it, for screwing in the plug. Thus on unscrewing the latter for filling,
it is prevented from being entirely removed by the screwed end of the stem, and it
may be held in a raised position during the filling by partly screwing the stem up into
the eye.
Dated this 5th day of March 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Sight-feed Lubricator for Steam Engines.
1, WILLIAM ANTON GOTTLIEB SCHÖNHEYDER, of 4 Roseberry Road, Clapham Park,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to that description of sight-feed lubricators in which the water
resulting from the condensation of steam is made to force oil out of a closed receptacle
drop by drop into the steam cylinder, in such manner that the oil is made to ascend
in globules through a column of water before passing into a passage leading to the
cylinder.
My invention has mainly for its object to simplify the construction of such
apparatus.
For this purpose I construct such apparatus as I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 shews a vertical section on line a a Fig. 4, Fig. 2 shews a vertical section on
line bb Fig. 5, Fig. 3 shews a vertical section on line cc Fig. 2 Figs. 4 and 5 shew
cross sections taken respectively on lines d d and ee Figs. 1 and 2.
A closed vessel A which is charged with the lubricating oil has at its lower end a
screwed nozzle B which is screwed into a hole in the steam cylinder or other part to
he lubricated; a passage leads through the nozzle to the interior of the cylinder,
which can be closed by a tap or screwed valve D. Into the end of this passage
which would otherwise open into the oil vessel A is screwed a tube E which passes
up through the vessel and through a tubular extension F thereof into a condensing
chamber G which is attached to the upper end of the tubular extension F between
which and the tube is a small annular space H.
To the inner end of the tubular extension F is attached a second tube I surrounding
the inner tube and extending down to near the bottom of the oil vessel A and
forming a continuation of the annular passage H in the tubular extension.
By this arrangement when the above mentioned tap or valve D is opened, steam
can pass from the cylinder up the central tube E and into the condensing chamber G
where it condenses owing to the surfaces thereof being exposed to the atmosphere;

page_text: the condensing action being if necessary increased by forming on the condensing
chamber a receptacle G¹ charged with water to be evaporated. The water of con-
densation will flow from this chamber down the annular passage H to the bottom
of the oil vessel A.
From the top of the oil vessel a side passage J leads down to a nozzle K situated
within a glass tube K¹ filled with water, the communication between the passage and
the nozzle being regulated by a screw plug L worked by an external hand wheel L'.
From the cap M on the upper end of the glass tube another passage N leads down
to the before mentioned passage C in the bottom screwed nozzle B leading into the
cylinder.
The action of the apparatus will be as follows.
Assuming the vessel to be filled with oil through a stoppered aperture O, and the
steam to be admitted to the condensing chamber G, the resulting water of condensa-
tion will run down the annular passage H in the tubular extension, more or less
filling this, and consequently putting a slight pressure upon the oil due to the head
of, water in the annular passage of the tubular extension, thereby forcing the oil to
flow from the top of the vessel down the side passage J to the nozzle K in the glass
tube, the rate of such flow being governed by the extent to which the screw plug L
is opened. It will be seen that although, in addition to the above mentioned slight
head of water tending to produce the flow, there is also the full pressure of steam
exerted in the condensing chamber G tending to increase the flow, yet, this pressure is
completely balanced by the same pressure of steam exerted in the contrary direction
through the passage N leading from the upper end of the glass tube K'. The screw
plug is so regulated that the oil can only arrive in very small quantities to the
nozzle in the glass tube, whence it will rise in the form of globules through the
water, and will then pass from the top of the tube down the passage N leading into
the cylinder. By the adjustment of the screw plug L the globules of oil may be
made to follow each other at any desired rate of succession, or it may become a con-
tinuous stream, and being visible through the glass tube the lubrication of the
cylinder can be accurately controlled.
As the oil flows off from the upper end of the vessel A the water of condensation
flows to a corresponding extent down the annular passage H to the bottom of the
oil vessel, in which it will gradually rise until all the oil has been expelled. This
condition will be at once perceived by the cessation of the rising globules, whereupon
the connection of the oil vessel with the steam cylinder is closed and a screw plug P
at the bottom of the oil vessel is opened for discharging the water therefrom,
preparatory to filling it with oil again.
Instead of causing the oil supply passing down the channel N to flow into the
steam passage C as described, a separate discharge passage may be provided for it in
the nozzle B, as shewn in the modified arrangement at Figs. 6 to 9.
Fig. 6 shews a section corresponding to Fig. 1, Fig. 7 corresponds to Fig. 2 and
Figs. 8 and 9 correspond to Figs. 4 and 5.
Here a passage Q is formed in the nozzle B leading to a space R with which
communicates the discharge passage N leading down from the upper end of the
glass tube, so that the oil will flow from N into R and thence through Q into the
cylinder. The passage is provided with a screw plug S by means of which
the communication with the steam cylinder can be closed when the plug D is also
made to close the passage ('.
In order to prevent the necessity of entirely removing the screw plug T that
closes the charging hole of the oil vessel, the plug is provided on its inner end with
a stem T the lower end of which has a relief screw thread T2 that is screwed
through a threaded eye U on the interior of the vessel, facing the charging hole, so
that the said screw T of the stem has to be screwed right through the eye, to allow
of the other part of the stem sliding down through it, for screwing in the plug. Thus
on unscrewing the latter for filling, it is prevented from being entirely removed by
the screwed end of the stem, and it may be held in a raised position during the filling
by partly screwing the stem up into the eye U.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
In a sight-feed lubricator, the combination with the oil chamber A nozzle K glass
tube K¹ passage C, valve D and tube E, of passages J and N formed in the body of
the chamber A, of which J establishes a communication between the chamber A and
the nozzle K while N establishes a communication between the top of the glass
tube K' and a passage leading to the part to be lubricated, a condensing chamber G
carried by an extension F above the oil chamber A, into which the steam tube E
passes, and an annular passage H surrounding the tube E leading from the bottom of
the condensing chamber G to near the bottom of the oil chamber A, substantially as
described.
Dated this 29th day of November 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.