Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: te of Application, 26th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by HENRY O'CONNELL, Engineer, and STEPHEN AMBROSE
CAHILL, Superintendent of the Manistee Water Company, both residents of
Manistee, in the County of Manistee, in the State of Michigan, United States
of America.]
Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus.
I, JOHN LIDDLE of 154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide mechanism whereby grease or other
thick lubricants can be constantly supplied to the working parts of an engine without
necessitating the stoppage of the latter. To this end I employ a grease cup which is
supported fixedly on any part, such as the frame of the engine which is stationary.
The cup has a follower capable of operation by the hand of the engineer or otherwise,
so as to force down and out of the cup the lubricant contained in the latter. The
grease cup has connected to it a pipe supported by a bracket on the engine frame,
and jointed to a second pipe or swing connected to the cross head of the engine.
Other pipes lead from this cross-head connection to the main crank pin and to the
cross-head pin. The pipe connecting together the pipe which is fixed to the engine
frame and that which is connected to the cross head, is itself formed in two parts
joined together, and is herein called the "swing."
The several joints of the pipe have common characteristics, that is to say, all have
one member formed with a flange or head which seats a collar which is either formed
upon a fixed bracket, or connected by the second screw collar with the other member
of the pipe. In this manner the two pipe members are held from longitudinal, but
allowed free rotary movement relative to each other. A gland and fibrous or other
packing is provided to insure a tight joint between the two relatively rotating parts.
In the two cases where the collar is formed in one with the fixture for attachment to
the stationary frame of the engine or to the cross-head a plug, having a duct or
passage for the grease, retains the flanged pipe in said collar.
Suitable stop cocks regulate the supply of grease to the crank pin and cross-head
pin respectively. The pipe leading to the crank pin is preferably larger than that
leading to the cross-head pin, and preferably the connections are so arranged that the
flow of grease to the crank pin will be assisted by gravity, a much more abundant
supply of grease being necessary for the crank pin than for the cross head pin. With
this arrangement, a thick lubricant can be perfectly supplied to the moving parts of
the engine while the latter is in operation, the supply being at all times under the
control of the engineer.
The device is capable of application either to a vertical marine engine or a horizontal
stationary engine or in fact an engine of any description.
E
1
CA
*1 1000
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lubricating Apparatus.
0 I, JOHN LIDDLE of 154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent 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 obiect of this Invention is to provide mechanism whoroby grease or other

page_text: thick lubricant can be constantly supplied to the working parts of an engine without
necessitating the stoppage of the latter. To this end I employ a grease cup which
is supported fixedly on any part, such as the frame of the engine which is stationary.
The cup has a follower capable of operation by the hand of the engineer or other-
wise, so as to force down and out of the cup the lubricant contained in the latter. The
grease cup has connected to it a pipe supported by a bracket on the engine frame,
and jointed to a second pipe or swing connected to the cross head of the engine.
Other pipes lead from this cross-head connection to the main crank pin and to the cross-
head pin. The pipe connecting together the pipe which is fixed to the engine frame
and that which is connected to the crosshead is itself formed in two parts joined
together, and is herein called "swing."
The several joints of the pipe have common characteristics; that is to say all have
one member formed with a flange or head which seats a collar which is either formed
upon a fixed bracket, or connected by the second screw collar with the other member
of the pipe. In this manner the two pipe members are held from longitudinal, but
allowed free rotary movement relative to each other. A gland and fibrous or other
packing are provided to insure a tight joint between the two relatively rotating parts.
In the two cases where the collar is formed in one with the fixture for attachment to
the stationary frame of the engine or to the cross head a plug, having a duct or passage
for the grease, retains the flanged pipe in said collar.
Suitable stop cocks regulate the supply of grease to the crank pin and cross head pin,
respectively. The pipe leading to the crank pin is preferably larger than that leading
to the cross head pin, and preferably the connections are so arranged that the flow
of grease to the crank pin will be assisted by gravity, a much more abundant
supply of grease being necessary for the crank pin than for the cross head pin.
With this arrangement, a thick lubricant can be perfectly supplied to the moving
parts of the engine while the latter is in operation, the supply being at all times
under the control of the engineer.
The device is capable of application either to a vertical marine engine or al
horizontal stationary engine, or in fact an engine of any description.
In order that this Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describo the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, is an end view of a marine engine to which this Invention is applied.
Figure 2, is a similar view of a stationary horizontal engine to which this
Invention is applied.
Figure 3, is a vertical sectional view of a grease cup which may be used with this
Invention.
Figure 4, is a sectional view of a stationary joint and a portion of the lubricating pipes.
Figure 5, is a similar view in a plane at right angles to that of Figure 4.
Figure 6, is a section of swing joint.
Referring now to Figure 1, which may represent any form of upright or marine
engine, I is a grease cup for feeding grease or other thick lubricant and having
back pressure plunger or follower 2 and handle 3 (figure 3) which can be turned
when needed by the engineer or attendant to force down the lubricant. 4 is an
externally closed tube or pipe leading from the bottom of cup I, supported by
bracket 5 on the frame of the engine and serving for the support of cup 1.
By the expression 'externally closed' as applied to pipe 4, or in fact to the whole
of this apparatus, is meant that the pipe or apparatus is not affected in its employ-
ment by the outer air.
The lower end of pipe 4 as shewn in Figure 5, is screwed through a plug 6 in
the joint 7 which forms a bearing for the hollow spindle 8 held therein longitudinally
by its flange 9.
In figure 4, it will be seen that pipe 4 is made in two sections connected by an
elbow coupling.
A continuous passage is thus obtained, a tight joint being insured by the packing
nut 10 and packing 101. This joint is supported and rendered stationary by solid
screw threaded stud II which is secured to frame work at a convenient point 12.

page_text: A coupling or union 13 connects the spindle 8 with pipe 14 which at its other end
is coupled to the spindle 8 of swinging joint 15 shewn in Figure 6, to the hollow
stud II, of which the pipe 16 is connected.
A solid plug 61 with slotted inner end 611 serves to retain the spindle in position and
at the same time afford a passage for the lubricating compound. Pipe 16 extends to
the joint 71 upon the pin-strap 16' of the cross head 17 and from thence pipe 18 to
the crank pin. A smaller pipe 19 leads from the pipe 18 at 20 to the cross-head pin.
It will be seen that the mechanism will always swing and adjust itself through the
rotary movement of the spindle in the joints to the motion of the engine or machine
affording a chain of pipe through which the lubricant is easily forced."
The object of the arrangement shewn is to give the principal supply of lubricant to
the crank pin leaving the cross head pin which does not need so much lubricant to be
supplied by a superabundance of pressure wbich may exist.
It will be seen that by this means the grease cup I is constantly in connection with
both the crank pin and the cross-head pin and the attendant can without stopping the
engine lubricate both of these parts by depressing the plunger in the grease cup.
The lubrication of both parts is always and directly under his control.
In figure 2 a similar arrangement is shewn applied to a stationary horizontal
engine. Similar parts are lettered the same as in figure 1, and the operation being
analogous no extended description need be given of this form.
A plug valve 21 in the pipe 19 may be employed to regulate as desired the supply
of lubricant to the cross head pin.
It will be observed that thero is practically a continuous pipe extending from the
grease cup I to the moving parts of the engine which are to be lubricated, this pipe
being flexible between the points of attachment to the stationary frame and to the
moving member. So constructed there is no change in the length of the pipe due to
the movement of the cross head. The apparatus is thus especially adapted for feeding
solid lubricants which have to be forced down by pressure applied to the material in
the grease cup. With such lubricants the extensible pipes which have before been
suggested for feeding oil to journals will not work. The thick lubricant does not
flow freely enough to adapt itself to the constantly changing length of a pipe in such
apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for feeding thick lubricants to the moving parts of an engine
consisting of the combination of an externally closed stationary grease cup provided
with a back pressure plunger, an externally closed pipe which communicates with said
cup and which has at opposite ends means of support on the stationary frame and on a
moving part of the engine and flexible between such points of support and a pipe or
duct which communicates with the moving part to be lubricated and which is
connected to said flexible pipe at its point of support on the moving part of the
engine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an apparatus for feeding thick lubricants to the moving member of an
engine; the combination of a stationary externally closed grease cup having a
pressure-plunger and externally closed pipe 4, 14, 16 connected by hollow hinged
joints with each other and with the grease cup and moving member respectively,
substantially as set forth.
3. In an apparatus for feeding thick lubricants to the moving member of an
engine; the combination of the following elements, to wit: a stationary externally
closed grease cup I having a pressure-plunger or follower 2, a hollow jointed pipe 4
leading therefrom, a pipe 14 connected with said pipe 4 by a hollow hinge adapted to
allow the passage of the lubricant without atmospheric contact, and a pipe 16 hinged
at one end to the free end of the pipe 14 by hollow joint and adapted to be connected
at its other end to the moving member to be lubricated, the said joint having, on one
side, a stud to fasten it to one of said pipes, a spindle 8 having a flange 9 occupying

page_text: said joint and a plug for holding the said spindle within said joint; substantially as
set forth.
4. In an apparatus for feeding thick lubricants to moving members of the engine;
the combination of an externally closed stationary grease cup having means of
optional back pressure, the pipe 4 connected with said cup by the hollow stationary
joint 7 to which said pipe is connected, the pipe 14 hinged to said joint and having
connection therethrough with said pipe 4, the pipe 16 connected to said pipe 14 by
hollow hinged joint at one end and having its other end communicatively connected
to the pipe 18 by a hinged joint adapted to be mounted on and communicate with the
engine cross-head pin-strap and lubricate the pin as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for feeding thick lubricants to the moving members of an
engine; the combination of the externally closed stationary grease cup I, having a
pressure follower or plunger 2, hollow jointed pipes 14, 16 connected thereto and
supported on the engine cross head pin strap, the pipe of duct 18 connected both with
the crank pin and the said pipes 16 and also supported on said cross head pin-strap
and a branch pipe or duct 19 conducting to the cross-head pin, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination of the grease cup I, the pipe 4, the stationary joint 7
connecting said pipe 4, with pipe 14 and supporting same, the swing or vibrating
joint 15, the connecting pipes 14 and 16, the stationary joint 7 adapted to be fixed to
the engine cross-head pin-strap connecting and supporting pipes 16, 18 and the
branch-pipe or duct 20 from pipe 18 all arranged and adapted to operate, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
7. The combination of grease cup I, jointed pipes 14 and 16 connected thereto
and supported on cross-head 17, pipe 18 connected with the crank-pin and the
pipe 16, and also supported on said cross-head pin-strap and a branch pipe 19
connected with the cross-head pin, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of grease cup I, pipe 4, stationary joint 7 connecting said
pipe 4 with pipe 14 and supporting same, swing joint 15 connecting pipes 14 and 16,
stationary joint 7' adapted to be fixed to cross-head pin-strap 17 and connecting and
supporting pipes 16 and 18.
9. The combination of a stationary grease cup I, having pipe 4 connected there-
with, a stationary hollow joint 7 to which said pipe is connected, the pipe 14 hinged
to said joint and having connection therethrough with pipe 4, the pipe 16 connected
to pipe 14 by a hollow hinged joint at one end, and having at its other end connection
with a pipe 18 by a hinged joint adapted to be mounted on the cross-head pin-strap of
said engine, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of June 1990.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.