Automatic Oiler for the Chains of Bicyoles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1896-4ccepted, 28th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Oiler for the Chains of Bicyoles.
I, FRANK DELLA-TORRE, of 703 Equitable Building, in the City of Baltimore,
and State of Maryland, United States of America, Electrical 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:-
This invention relates to an automatic oiler for the chains of bicycles. One
object of the invention is to provide a lubricating device connected with one of
the sprocket wheels and to so contrive the said lubricator device that in its
operation each revolution of the sprocket wheel will result in applying the
lubricating material to one link of the chain so that each revolution will Inbricate
only one link unless the device is adjusted for two links or more, per revolution..
Another object is to provide a device for feeding the lubricant by capillary
attraction and which in operation will disconnect the capillary medium from the
supply of lubricant at each revolution of the sprocket wheel.
The desideratum, which my invention supplies, is a mechanical device which will
apply a minimum or minute quantity of lubricant to the links of the chain whenover
the bicycle is running, and which will avoid approach to excessive lubrication.
In order to make the invention more clearly understood I have shown in the
accompanying drawing certain means for carrying the same into practical effect,
without however intending to limit my invention to the particular construction
which, for the sake of illustration, I have shown.
Figure 1 is a side view of the sprocket wheels and chain of a bicycle showing
one form of my lubricator device.
Figure 2 shows a section of part of a sprocket wheel and the form of lubricator
seen in Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 show details of same.
Figure 6 shows an edge view of the bicycle sprocket wheel.
Figure 7 shows a broken portion of a sprocket wheel and a section of another
form of my lubricator device.
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the lubricator seen in Figure 7.
Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the small sprocket wheel.
The receptacle, A, for oil may have any preferred shape or form that will best
adapt it for application to the sprocket wheel at the particular location selected.
In Figures 1 to 5 the receptacle extends radially from the crank-shaft, b, to the rim
of the wheel, C, and said section is tubular or cylindrical in shape; one end has a
tight bottom, d, and the other end is open and has a screw-thread and is closed by
a screw-cap, e, which carries on its inner side a cork, f. The cap and cork have
a central hole, g, through which a small tube, 7, is inserted; in practice this tube
should fit tightly in the hole in the cork to prevent leakage of the oil. This tube
extends into the oil-receptacle to near its bottom and the end of the tube is open.
A thin plate, i, is attached to the outer end of the tube and projects laterally so as
to take over the rim, j, of the sprocket wheel, and an absorbent pad, k, of any
suitable material, such as a piece of cloth or thin felt, is on the underside of the
thin plate and between the plate and the cap, e, and projects and rests directly on
the rim of the wheel in position to be pressed by a link, l, of the chain during the
revolution of the wheel. That part of the thin plate, i, which projects laterally has

page_text: small perforations, n, and the part which covers the end of the cylindric oil-
receptacle is imperforate, the perforated portion is over that part of the pad, k,
which rests on the wheel-rim, and the imperforated portion over that part of the
pad which covers the cap, e. The thin plate protects the absorbent pad.
The small tube, h, contains a piece of yarn or cord, m, which serves as a feeder-
the oil passing up by the action of capillary attraction. One end of the yarn or
cord projects out laterally through a hole in the tubo adjoining the thin plate and
this end of the yarn connects with or laps onto the said absorbent pad; the other
end of the yarn or cord projects out of the open end of this tube into the oil-
receptacle, A, as shown.
The oil receptacle shown in the first figures, in the present. instance, has at its
bottom a clip consisting of two leaf springs, o-one being at the side opposite the
other and serving to grasp the crank-shaft, 6; another clip, p, holds the top end
confined against the side of the rim. The oil absorbent pad is on the rim of the
wheel, and whenever a link of the chain presses on this pad, said link thereby
receives lubrication.
The number of links in the chain should be prime to the number of teeth on the
sprocket wheel.
In the operation one link of the chain (or the adjoining ends of two links) receives
lubrication at each revolution of the sprocket wheel; a different link will press on
the oil-pad at each succeeding revolution and thus one link at a time is lubricated
until all have received lubrication, and the operation is repeated.
The oil receptacle is carried around by the wheel and consequently is inverted or
reversed at each revolution. When the receptacle is right side up, as in Figure 3,
the end of the feed yarn is in the oil but when the receptacle is inverted, as shown in
Figure 5, the end of the feed yarn is out of the oil, and thus the capillary medium is
disconnected from the supply of the lubricant at each revolution of the wheel.
It is immaterial what position the oil receptacle may happen to have when the
wheel is stored away and not in use, as no oil will waste or leak out whenever it is
right side up or inverted. Experience and use with this device has established
the fact that the most minute quantity of oil is applied to the chain link by the
compression method here employed. A bicycle travelling three hundred miles will not
consume more than a dram of oil, or sixty drops.
The construction shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrates another form of my
lubricator device. Here the oil-receptacle, A', approximates the shape of the
letter U, and sits astride of the crank-shaft, b, adjoining the sprocket wheel, C; a
small tube, ', extends into the oil-receptacle and down one arm thereof to a point
near the bottom; this end of the tube is open and the yarn or cord, m, projects
out. The rim of the wheel in this case has a straight cavity between two sprockets
with edges undercut, and an absorbent pad k', fits in said cavity. The small tube, h¹,
extends from the oil-receptacle, A', to the said pad, and the feed-yarn, m, in the tube
conveys the oil by capillary attraction from the receptacle to the pad. The operation
of this modification is substantially the same as that already described for the
construction shown in the other figures.
It should be stated that in the operation of the oiler when the bicycle is running
at high speed a centrifugal action is brought into play which assists in feeding the
lubricant more rapidly; in such case the centrifugal action affects only that oil in
the small tube, h, and does not affect that in the receptacle.
It is well-known to riders of bicycles that under some conditions on the road,
dirt will accumulate by the action of the chain links and becomes packed hard on
the flat circumference of the rim of the sprocket wheel; both the small and large
wheels are thus affected. Of course this dirt tightens the chain, but in addition to
this the dirt absorbed the lubricant from the chain. To remedy this 1 propose to
have the circumferential rim rounded or beveled a little on each side to approximately
a V-shape, as indicated in Figure 9, where the rounded rim-edge is designated by
the letter, q.
With this shape, instead of flat, the chain-links will not pack the dirt.

page_text: 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 a bicycle, the combination with the endless chain and sprocket wheel, of
a receptacle to contain fluid lubricant and carried by said wheel; an absorbent pad
on the said wheel-rim between the adjacent teeth thereon so as to apply lubricant
to one link of the chain by the pressure of the link on said pad; and a tube having
one end extending into said receptacle to near its bottom and the other end open
adjacent said pad.
2. The combination of a sprocket wheel and chain; an oil-receptacle connected
with or carried by the sprocket wheel and having an end adjacent the rim of the
wheel; a cap closing one end of the receptacle; a pad taking on the wheel-rim in
position to be pressed by a link of the chain; a plate connected with the receptacle
and protecting said pad; and means for conveying oil from the receptacle to said pad.
3. The combination of a sprocket wheel and chain; an oil-receptacle connected
with or carried by the sprocket wheel and having an end adjacent the rim of the
wheel; a cap closing said end; a pad extending laterally from the receptacle and
taking over the wheel-rim in position to be pressed by a 'link of the chain; a tube
in the oil-receptacle extending to near its bottom and connecting throngh the cap;
and a feed-yarn or cord extending through the said tube to the said pad.
4. The combination of a sprocket wheel; a lubricating receptacle connected with
or carried by the sprocket wheel; a pad on the rim of the wheel in position to be
pressed by a link of the chain; a tube extending into the receptacle to near its
bottom and connecting from the said receptacle to the pad; and a feed-yarn or
cord extending through the tube.
5. A lubricator for bicycles, having, in combination, an oil-receptacle to be carried
by the sprocket wheel; a cap closing the receptacle; a pad attached to the receptacle
and projecting laterally therefrom to take over-the rim of the sprocket wheel; and
a small tube in said receptacle one end of which opens to the exterior and adjacent
the pad and the other end extending to near the bottom and opening inside of the
receptacle and through which lubricant is fed to the pad.
6. In a bicycle, the combination with the endless chain and sprocket wheel, of
a lubricant receptacle carried. by the wheel and having one end located adjacent the
wheel-rim, a pad projecting laterally from said end and over the wheel-rim; a
laterally-extending plate protecting the pad and provided with perforations through
which oil may pass from the pad to the chain; and means for conveying the lubricant
from the receptacle to the said pad.
7. In a bicycle, the combination of an endless chain and sprocket wheel; a
lubricant receptacle carried by the said wheel; a screw-cap closing the outer end of
the receptacle and provided with packing, and an opening through both the cap and
packing; a tube passed through the said opening in the cap and packing and held
by friction and extending to near the bottom of the receptacle; a pad on the rim
of the wheel; a plate attached to the outer end of the tube and in contact with the
said pad; and a feed-yarn or cord extending through said tube and conveying.
lubricant to said pad.
T
1000