IMPROVE- MENTS IN LUBRICATORS FOR LUBRICATING THR TADIONO DA M 11
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thatcher, of Brook Mills, Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LUBRICATORS FOR LUBRICATING THR TADIONO DA
M
11
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thatcher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the 20th
July 1861.
I, ROBERT THATCHER, of Brook Mills, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS FOR LUBRICATING THE VARIOUS PARTS OF
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the lubricating of revolving shafts
or other revolving parts of machinery of every description where oil is
requisite.
I propose employing a wrought-iron stud, having a longitudinal hole drilled
therein from end to end; one end being stopped up. the other being sup-
plied with a cup, into which the oil is poured to reach the other end of the
longitudinal hole. About the centre of this hole, is formed a slot or opening
about the same width as the diameter of the hole, said slot or opening being
packed with sponge or other suitable material, and on the stud where the
[Price Sd.]

page_text: sponge is packed runs a spur wheel, so that the wheel becomes well
moistened with oil every revolution it makes over the sponge.
The second part of my Invention relates to the lubricating of the top or sides
of steam cylinders by the application of a tallow cup, constructed in the fol-
lowing manner-I propose to employ a vertical plug fitting steam-tight into a
cylindrical tube of shorter length on the upper part of the plug, immediately
above the tube is a spherical cup which holds tallow or other suitable lubricating
grease. Three holes are made horizontally in the lower part of the plug at
about equal distances apart, the upper hole allowing the grease to travel through
the centre of the plug to another hole about midway, when it is forced into
another spherical cup beneath, and by means of a steam pipe from the valve
box coming opposite a slot in the plug between the two upper holes, the tallow
is forced downwards through a perforated semicircular tube in an upward.
direction on to the cylinder top; a piece of sponge is placed at the bottom of
the upper cup to filter the tallow before passing into the lower cup, which is
of smaller dimensions than the upper one.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Thatcher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
THATCHER, of Brook Mills, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me.
the said Robert Thatcher, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Thatcher,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other as I, the said Robert
Thatcher, 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 FOR LUBRICATING THE VARIOUS PARTS OF MACHINEBY," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Thatcher, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their

page_text: 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 I, the said Robert Thatcher, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists, first, in lubricating revolving shafts or other
revolving or sliding parts of machinery of every description where oil is
requisite by means of a sponge, which will absorb the oil or other lubricant,
and give it to the article requiring lubrication; or, instead of a sponge, by a
piece of flannel or other absorbent material applied in the manner stated.
Secondly, in lubricating the top or sides of steam cylinders by the appli-
cation of a tallow cup constructed as follows:-1 propose to employ a vertical
plug fitting steam-tight into a cylindrical tube of shorter length on the upper
part of the plug, and immediately above the tube is a spherical cup which
holds tallow or other suitable lubricating grease. Three holes are made
horizontally in the plug at about equal distances apart, the upper hole
allowing the grease to travel through the centre of the plug to another hole
about midway, when it is forced into another spherical cup beneath, and
by means of a steam pipe from the valve box coming opposite a slot in the
plug between the two upper holes the tallow is forced downwards through a
perforated semicircular tube in an upward direction on the cylinder top. A
piece of sponge is placed at the bottom of the upper cup to filter the tallow
before passing into the lower cup which is of smaller dimensions than the
upper one.
But in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I now proceed to
describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
effect, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings,
and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon respec-
tively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The first part of my invention is shown in Figures 1 to 10. Fig. 1
represents a stud, with the boss of a wheel or pulley, which revolves on it, with
the sponge or other absorbent material applied. a is the stud (shown partly
in section) which is fastened by means of the nut b to the framing c, which is
L
The first part of my invention is shown in Figures 1 to 10. Fig. 1
represents a stud, with the boss of a wheel or pulley, which revolves on it, with
the sponge or other absorbent material applied. a is the stud (shown partly
in section) which is fastened by means of the nut b to the framing c, which is
shown in section; d is the boss of the wheel or pulley which revolves on the

page_text: stud a; the stud a has a hole a' bored in it; e is an oil cup, which is screwed
into the end of the stud a; f is a piece of sponge or other absorbent material,
which is packed into a slot or opening which is cut through the top side of
the stud from the outside to the inside, so that if any oil is poured into the
cup e it will be conveyed inside the stud, when it will be absorbed by the
sponge, which will give it to the inside of the boss, so as to lubricate it as
required.
Fig. 2 represents a line shaft, with my improved oiling apparatus applied.
a is the shaft which revolves in the bearings b; c is an oil cup made of glass
or other suitable material; d is a pipe which is filled with sponge, one end of
this pipe goes into the oil cup and the other is fastened into the top of the
bearing b, so as nearly to touch the shaft a. The sponge absorbs the oil in
the cup and gives it to the shaft a, so as to lubricate it. More or less oil may
be given by raising or lowering the cup c.
Fig. 3 represents a swing pulley with my improved oiling apparatus applied
(shown partly in section). a is a stud on which revolves the pulley b. This
stud has a hole bored in it, which is packed with sponge c, and the end of the
hole plugged up, so as to keep the sponge in its place and the oil from running
out. d is a set screw, which is screwed into the stud a, and has a hole bored
through it, down this hole is poured the oil, which is absorbed by the sponge
inside the stud, and given off through the hole e to the inside of the boss of
the pulley b, so as to lubricate it as required.
Fig. 4 represents the top part of one of Mason's patent collars for sup-
porting roving spindles, with my improvements applied (shown in section).
a is the spindle, which revolves in the collar b; c is a piece of sponge wrapped
round the collar; d is a cap which goes over the sponge to keep it in its
place. The oil is poured in between the spindle and the top of the cap, and
it runs through holes which are made through the flange b' to the sponge c,
which absorbs and gives it to the spindle through the hole e as required.
Fig. 5 shows another way in which my improvement may be applied to
Mason's patent collar. a is the spindle, which is supported by the collar b;
c is a piece of sponge or other absorbent material, which is kept in its place by
means of the cap d.
Fig. 6 represents an ordinary roving collar, with my improvements applied
(shown in section). a is the spindle, which revolves in the collar b, to which
is fastened a cup c, which contains a piece of sponge d. The oil is poured in
at the top of the collar as usual, and runs down the spindle until it gets to the
sponge, which absorbs the excess of oil and gives it back again to the spindle
as required.

page_text: Fig. 7 represents a roving spindle with a revolving bolster, to which my
improvement in applied (shown in section). a is the spindle which revolves in
the bolster b, which revolves in the bracket c, to which is fastened the cup d,
which contains a piece of sponge e. The oil is poured in at the top of the
revolving bolster, and runs down the spindle until it gets to the sponge which
absorbs the excess of oil and gives it back again to the spindle as required.
Fig. 8 represents a throstle or doubler spindle, with my improvements
applied (shown in section). a is the spindle, which revolves on the bolster b,
to which is fastened the cup c which contains the sponge d. The oil is poured
in at the top of the collar, and runs down the spindle until it gets to the
sponge, which absorbs the surplus and gives it back to the spindle as required.
Fig. 9 represents a section of a bolster, with two mule or twiner spindles,
to which my improvement is applied. a, a, are the spindles, which revolve in
the bolster b, in which are bored the holes c, c, which are packed with sponge.
The oil is poured on the sponge, which absorbs it and gives it to the spindle
through the holes d.
Fig. 10 represents a horizontal shaft and bearing, with my improvements
applied. is the shaft, which is supported by the bearing b, in which a hole
is drilled, which is packed with sponge c, into the end of this hole is fixed an
oil cup d. The oil is poured into the cup, when it is conveyed to the sponge
or other absorbent material, which gives it to the shaft a through the hole e
as required.
Having described the application of my Invention to revolving motions,
and given the foregoing examples thereof, it is obviously unnecessary for me to
enter into a series of descriptions of the application of the Invention sliding
and other motions. It is simply necessary to apply the principle of lubrication
as herein specified, to the various configurations of parts which occur in general
machinery, whether sliding, reciprocating, rocking, or other motions requiring
lubrication.
The Invention is, therefore, clearly and readily applicable to horizontal
engines, planing machines, and all other machinery.
The second part of my Invention is shown by Figures 11 to 15. Fig. 11
represents a section of my inproved oil or tallow cup. a is a vertical plug,
which fits into a hole between the spherical cups b and c, and into a hole below
the cup c; this plug is kept in its place by means of the cap d, which is
screwed to the flange of the cup b; e is a handle, which is fastened to the
plug a; f is a cup, which is screwed on the top of the plug, and g is a plug
which is screwed into the hole h, which is bored in the plug a. Its mode of
operation is as follows: The plug 9. is unscrewed and oil or tallow is poured

page_text: into the cup f, when it runs down the hole h into the large cup b, which is
made so as to contain about ten times as much oil or tallow as the cup c.
When the large cup is filled the plug is screwed in again. If the handle e
is in the position shown, the oil or tallow will filter through the sponge i, and
run down the hole which communicates with the cup c; by this means the
cup c will be filled with oil or tallow, and by turning the handle e half a revo-
lution the communication between the cups b and c is cut off, and the
groove which is in the plug will be brought opposite the steam pipe I, which
comes from the valve box or from a pipe communicating with the boiler, and
the steam blows the oil or tallow that is in the cup c through the hole m into
the inside of the cylinder or valve box as required.
Figs. 12 and 13 represent a horizontal non-condensing engine cylinder,
with my improved oil or tallow cup attached. a is the cup; b is the steam
pipe that communicates with the valve box; c is a pipe that conveys the oil
or tallow to one end of the cylinder; c', the pipe that conveys it to the other
end, and d, the pipe that conveys it to the valve. Its mode of operation is
as follows: If one end of the cylinder is to be lubricated, the communication
between it and the cup is opened, and the communication between the cup
and the other end of the cylinder and valve is cut off the handle a' is then
turned so as to be on the same side of the cup as the steam pipe b; the
tap is then turned so as to open the communication between the valve box
and the cup, when the steam rushing out of the valve box sends the oil out of
the bottom cup along the pipe to the end of the cylinder that has to be lubri-
cated. At each end of the cylinder there is a half circle pipe c with small
holes in it, through which the oil or tallow is blown on to the top side of the
cylinder (see Fig. 13).
Figures 14 and 15 represent a vertical condensing-engine cylinder, with my
improved oil or tallow cup attached.
cylinder lid, and is connected to a circular pipe b, which has small holes drilled
in through which the oil or tallow is forced on to the sides of the cylinder;
c is a pipe which communicates with a steam boiler. To lubricate the inside
of this cylinder, the handle a is turned so as to be on the same side of the
cup as the pipe c; the tap c¹ is then turned so as to open the communication
between the boiler and the cup, when the steam will send the oil out of the
bottom part of the cup into the pipe b, and through the small holes on to the
sides of the cylinder.
a is the oil cup, which is screwed into the
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details herein set forth, as many variations may be made therein

page_text: without in any way departing from the principle of my Invention; but I claim
as my Invention,-
Firstly, the lubricating of revolving shafts or other revolving parts of
machinery, or sliding, reciprocating, rocking, or other parts of machinery
requiring lubrication, by means of a sponge, flannel, or other absorbent
material applied in the manner specified, which will absorb the oil or other
lubricant, and give it to the surfaces requiring lubrication.
Secondly, the use and employment of the improved oil or tallow cup con-
structed as above described and represented by the Drawing hereunto annexed,
for the purpose of lubricating the top and sides of steam cylinders and valves
of steam engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thatcher, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
THOMAS AMEY,
Brook Mills,
Honeywell Lane,
Oldhamn.
ROBERT THATCHER. (L.S.)