AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Roscoe, of Bell Lane, Leicester, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 31st October 1862, and dated the 5th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Roscoc at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th May
1862.
I, JAMES ROSCOE, of Bell Lane, Leicester, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM ENGINES,'
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so constructing a lubricator as to enable tallow
to be employed as the lubricant; and further, in adapting thereto an air pipe
or vessel for the purpose of forcing out the lubricating matter, as presently
described, thereby rendering the lubricator specially adapted for locomotive
engines when going down inclines.
-
The following is the construction of the above-mentioned improved lubri-
cator form a small hollow vessel with spherical ends, and cast thereon
two studs or screws, one hollow and the other solid, respectively situate at
the side of said vessel for the purpose of connecting same, for example, to the
front plate of the fire-box of a locomotive engine; the aforesaid vessel is fixed
vertically, and has an outlet formed through the top thereof; another opening
through the hollow stud aforesaid, which is placed near the top of said vesse',
and another opening through the bottom of said vessel fitted with a cock. The

page_text: uppermost opening aforesaid is surmounted by a metal cup, the top of which is
formed open for filling the vessel with tallow; there is a piece of metal fixed
across the top of said cup, in the centre of which a screwed hole is formed,
through which is passed a screw plug or stopper, the point of which is formed
conical, and fits in a steam-tight seat of corresponding shape; a hollow tube
of metal is fixed into the end of the aforesaid screw plug, said tube reaching
to within two inches, or thereabout, of the bottom of the hollow vessel
aforesaid. The hollow stud aforesaid is connected to a steam pipe leading
from the boiler to the cylinders of the engine. The operations of this improved
lubricator are as follows:-Supposing it to be charged with tallow, the steam
coming into contact therewith will mix with the tallow, and pass through the
hollow stud aforesaid at each stroke of the engine into the cylinders thereof,
and thus lubricate same; and suppose the engine to be going down an incline,
and the steam to be shut off, as is the common practise, the air contained in
the tube before mentioned being rarefied by the heat will expand, and force
out a portion of the tallow into the cylinders of the engines, and thus
lubricate same; and this constitutes a most important feature in this Inven-
tion when applied to locomotives. The cock at bottom of the hollow vessel
aforesaid is for drawing off the condensed steam from said vessel. It will
appear obvious that by a very simple modification the above described
lubricator may be adapted to any kind of steam engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Roscoe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
Roscoe, of Bell Lane, Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
dil, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto him, the said
James Roscoe, Her special licence, that he, the said James Roscoe, bis
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he, the said James
Roscoe, his 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED LUBRI--
CATOR FOR STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that he, the
said James Roscoe, his executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under his, or their, or one of their 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 James Roscoe, 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:
This Invention consists in so constructing a lubricator as to enable tallow to
be employed as the lubricant; and further, in adapting thereto an air pipe or
vessel for the purpose of forcing out the lubricating matter, as presently
described, thereby rendering the lubricator especially adapted for locomotive
engines when going down inclines.
The following is the construction of the above-mentioned improved lubri-
cator form a small hollow vessel with spherical ends, and cast thereon
two studs or screws, one hollow and the other solid, respectively situate at the
side of said vessel for the purpose of connecting same, for example, to the
front plate of the fire-box of a locomotive engine; the aforesaid vessel is fixed
vertically, and has an outlet formed through the top thereof, another opening
through the hollow stud aforesaid, which is placed near the top of said vessel,
and another opening through the bottom of said vessel fitted with a cock.
The uppermost opening aforesaid is surmounted by a metal cup, the top of
which is formed open for filling the vessel with tallow; there is a piece of
metal fixed across the top of said cup, in the centre of which a screwed holo
is formed, through which is passed a screw plug or stopper, the point of which
is formed conical, and fits in a steam-tight scat of corresponding shape; a
hollow tube of metal is fixed into the end of the aforesaid screw plug, said
tube reaching to within two inches, or thereabouts, of the bottom of the
hollow vessel aforesaid. The hollow stud aforesaid is connected to a steam
pipe leading from the boiler to the cylinders of the engine. The operations
of this improved lubricator are as follows:-Supposing it to be charged with
tallow, the steam coming into contact therewith will mix with the tallow, and
pass through the hollow stud aforesaid at each stroke of the engine into the
cylinders thereof, and thus lubricate same; and suppose the engine to be going
down an incline, and the steam to be shut off, as is the common practice, the

page_text: air contained in the tube before mentioned, being rarefied by the heat, will
expand and force out a portion of the tallow into the cylinders of the engines
and thus lubricate same; and this constitutes a most important feature in
this Invention when applied to locomotives. The cock at bottom of the
hollow vessel aforesaid is for drawing off the condensed steam from said vessel.
It will appear obvious that by a very simple modification the above described
lubricator may be adapted to any kind of steam engine.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of refer-
ence marked thereon respectively, as follows, reference being had to the
illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures
and letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:—
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved lubricator, drawn to a scale of
half full size; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the lubricator, shewing the
internal construction thereof; Figure 3 a detached portion thereof; Figures 4,
5, G respectively exhibit sectional and outside elevation of modifications of
my improved lubricator at Figures 1, 2, 3.
A is a vessel made of brass or other suitable material; B is a hollow stud;
and C, a solid stud, screwed and fitted each with a nut D for connecting the
lubricator to the front plate E of the smoke box of a locomotive engine; G
is a cup, into which the tallow is poured or put for filling the vessel A up to
the line a, a; H is a screw plug, fitting in a screwed hole formed in the
piece b, fixed across the cup G; the point of the plug H is formed conical,
and, fits steam-tight in a corresponding recess or seat at c; I is a metal pipe,
fixed by one end to the plug H; K is a copper pipe, communicating with the
steam chest and the cylinders of the engine; L is a cock for drawing off any
water that may accumulate in the vessel A. The operations of this improved
lubricator are as follows:-Suppose the vessel A to be charged with tallow,
the plug H with its air pipe I is afterwards inserted, the cock L being closed.
Steam is then admitted by the pipe K into the vessel A, and exerting pressure
on the surface of the tallow melts the same, and causes it to mix with the
steam and pass into the cylinders of the engine at each stroke of the piston,
and thus lubricates same. And suppose the engine to be going down an
incline, and the steam to be shut off, as is the common practice, the air con-
tained in the pipe 1 being compressed will expand when the pressure of the

page_text: steam is removed, and force out a portion of the tallow from the vessel A
along the pipe K into the cylinders of the engine, and thus lubricate same;
and this mode of lubricating the cylinders of locomotives when going down
inclines constitutes an important feature in this Invention, as it prevents
cutting of the faces of the slides. The pipe I being made of copper will
prevent the tallow freezing in very cold seasons.
I now proceed to describe the modifications represented by the Drawings at
Figures 4, 5, 6, as follows:-At Figures 4 and 5, A is the vessel intended to
contain tallow, oil, or other lubricating matter; B, a portion of the smoke-
box of a locomotive engine, showing the lubricator affixed thereto by the
nut C and screw D; E' is an opening or channel communicating with the
steam pipe or chest of a boiler by the union F and pipe G¹; E' is a cover to
the vessel A, communicating by a groove cut through its upper surface, with a
hole or slot at I formed through the part K, which carries the screw valve L,
worked by the wheel M, said valve fitting into a valve seat at N; O is a
screw regulator valve, working in a stuffing box P, and fitting in a valve seat
at Q; R, an air tube or pipe, fixed in the waste cock S; said tube communi-
cates by a pipe T with another screw valve U, which fits in a valve seat at V ;
W, a tube for establishing, when desired, a communication between the
atmosphere and the inside of the vessel A by a hole formed in the pipe R, as
exhibited. To set this lubricator in action the regulator valve O should be
shut, and the valve U opened to allow the waste water to escape from A by
the tube W, the valve U is then closed, and the cover I turned round until
the hole therein comes opposite to the hole I. The valve N is then opened,
and the lubricating matter poured through the hole I into the vessel A, the
valve N is then closed, and the valve O opened, which allows a portion of
steam to enter the vessel A, where it is immediately condensed by coming
into contact with the lubricating matter, and by its gravity descends and dis-
places a minute portion of the lubricating matter, which passes through the
tube E and pipe G into the steam pipe or chest, and thence into the cylinders
of the engine, thus lubricating same, as also the slide valves, valve spindles,
piston rods, and other frictional parts, with which the steam comes into
contact. I would remark that when the steam is first let into the vessel A
it compresses the air in the tube R, and the continual alternate expansion
and contraction of the air by the action of the steam thereon keeps up
constant agitation of the lubricating matter, and when an engine is going
down inclines, and the steam is shut off, the expansion of the compressed air
in the pipe R forces out a portion of the lubricating matter from the vessel A
into the steam chest, thus keeping the cylinders and other parts thereof

page_text: effectually lubricated until the steam is again let into the vessel A, as before
stated. In all cases it is desirable where practicable to fix the lubricator to
the steam pipe or chest in the full current of steam, and the principle upon
which the lubricator is constructed prevents the possibility of the water in the
apparatus freezing even in the coldest climates.
I now proceed to describe the construction of the modified lubricator,
exhibited at Figure 6, as follows, observing that the only difference between
this lubricator and that before described with reference to Figures 4 and 5,
consists in forming a separate channel E in the vessel a, for the purpose of
allowing the lubricating matter to pass by the pipes F and I into the stea:n
chest. I would here remark that the modified forms of construction of
lubricator above described I have found preferable in practice to that
described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "An Improved Lubricator for Steam Engines," together with
the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim the general
combination and arrangement of the several parts above described, with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, and especially I claim the air pipe
marked I, R, S, on the said Drawings for the purposes set forth, as consti-
tuting an improved lubricator for steam engines.
In witness whercof, I, the said James Roscoe, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES ROSCOE. (L.S.)