Improvements in Apparatus for Containing a Supply of Oil or other Liquid, and for Automatically Discharging Small Quantities thereof amongst Fluids Under Pressure or Elsewhere for Lubricating and other Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1997
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Containing a Supply of Oil or other
Liquid, and for Automatically Discharging Small Quantities
thereof amongst Fluids Under Pressure or Elsewhere for
Lubricating and other Purposes.
I, LEONARD CHAPMAN of 14, Flodden Road, Camberwell, London, S.E.
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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide means for automatic continuous and
compulsory lubrication of the internal working parts of engines pumps and the like
stuffing boxes and guides bearings which are difficult of access and for other
purposes.
This I effect by means of an apparatus hereinafter called a lubricator, consisting
broadly of a pump worked by the engine to which it is fitted and sucking from a
reservoir containing the lubricant or other liquid which can be refilled without
stopping the action of the pump.
When employed for delivering oil or other liquid amongst fluids under pressure
the lubricant or other liquid is best delivered through a non-return valve and in
lubricating internal parts preferably to the steam or supply pipe of the engine or
pump whence it is carried in a state of fine sub-division into the valve chest and
cylinder.
The lubricator may be provided at its outlet with a sight feed fitted with a
by-pass cock which allows of the lubricant being delivered either through the
sight-feed or direct to its destination at will.
In carrying out my invention i employ a vase-like receptacle of glass or other
material of say one pint capacity provided with lid and strainer resting on and
partly surrounding the upper part of a small vertical pump which may be either
single or double acting or have single acting suction and double acting delivery
and be driven from the engine it is fitted to by means of ratchet and wheel actuated
by link work or cord or by gut and pulley or their equivalents.
The quantity of liquid delivered by the pump will vary as the number of strokes
it makes and this can be regulated within limits by shifting the point of attachment
of the link or cord to the lever nearer to or further from the ratchet wheel the
number of oscillations per minute of the lever remaining the same.
I prefer however to keep the ratio of revolutions of engine and lubricator
constant and to regulate the quantity of lubricant delivered by varying the stroke
of the pump and this I effect by altering the throw of an eccentric employed to
give motion to plunger or piston by means of a wedge motion adjustable by a wheel
from the outside.
The axis of the spindle upon which is mounted the ratchet wheel or pulley is
horizontal and intersects that of the pump which is vertical in a closed chamber
hereafter called the crank chamber into which the lower end of the pump barrel
opens.
One end of the spindle projects into this chamber and carries and drives the
eccentric which by means of a strap and forked joint imparts motion to the plunger
or piston

page_text: Where the spindle passes into the crank chamber it fits and runs in a bearing
partly or wholly conical the large diameter of the cone being nearest the chamber.
The other end of the spindle carries the ratchet wheel or pulley and passes
through a stuffing box the gland of which forms a long bearing.
Between the bearings a spring coiled around the spindle presses against a collar
screwed thereon and re-acting against the end of the spring chamber keeps the
cone up to its bearing or seating.
The end of the spindle which projects into the crank chamber is drilled up and
holes radiating from the axial one lead to and form the ends of a groove extending
nearly half round the conical part of the spindle which acts as a rotary valve and
controls the opening and closing of the suction and delivery passages which are
opposite each other in a horizontal plane.
This one half round groove suffices for both types of pump with single acting
suction but in the case of the pump being made double acting both as regards
suction and delivery two such grooves are provided in the same vertical plane but
on opposite sides of the spindle one communicating as above described by the
hollow spindle with the crank chamber below the piston the other with a groove
running completely round the cone and communicating by a passage with the upper
side of the piston.
Instead of so fashioning the driving spindle as to cause it to effect in revolving
the proper opening and closing of the passages I may employ a separate rotary
valve of similar construction driven by or driving the spindle which rotates the
eccentric or crank.
The single acting pump has a plunger working through a stuffing box and sucks
from the vase into the crank chamber during the up stroke and delivers during the
down stroke.
'
The pump with single acting suction and double acting delivery has a piston
working in a barrel the lower end of which opens into the crank chamber. The
piston is provided with a tail rod of half its own circular area passing through a
stuffing box at the upper end of the barrel which communicates by a passage with
the delivery outlet. The piston rings are of flexible vulcanised fibre or other
suitable material and may be expanded whilst the pump is working by tightening
up the tail rod. This type of pump delivers the contents of the annular space
above the piston to their destination and sucks from the vase into the crank
chamber during the up stroke and delivers from the crank chamber equally
to the annular space above the piston and to the delivery pipe during the down
stroke.
The double acting pump has a pistou working in a barrel the lower end of which
opens into the crank chamber whilst the upper end is closed but communicates by
a passage with the circular groove turned on the spindle fitted to this type of pump
as above described. During the up stroke it sucks from the vase into the crank
chamber and delivers from above the piston, during the down stroke it draws from
the vase to the upper side of the piston and delivers from the crank chamber.
Fig. A Sheet 1 is a complete vertical longitudinal section and Fig. B Sheet 2 an
incomplete vertical cross section on the line K L in Fig. A of my mechanical
lubricator with single acting suction and double acting delivery.
The lever 1 oscillates upon the spindle 2 and by means of the pawl 3 ratchet
wheel 4 and spring 5 converts the reciprocating motion it receives from the engine
into rotary motion in one direction which is imparted to the spindle.
The end of the spindle which carries the ratchet wheel and lever protrudes from
the body of the lubricator 6 passing through a stuffing box and gland 7 which
serves as a bearing. The inner end of the spindle projects into the crank chamber 8
which is closed by the screw plug 9 but iso pen to the pump barrel 10 which is
fitted with a liner 11.
That part of the spindle which projects into the crank chamber has parallel
fiats 12 ormed on each side of it and thereon is mounted an eccentric 13 in which
1s an elongated hole 14 having two parallel flat sides between which the flats on the

page_text: spindle end fit and cause the eccentric to revolve therewith whilst allowing of its
being moved in a radial direction.
This end of the spindle is drilled up and a slot 15 cut therein allows of a peg 16
which forms part of the eccentric projecting into the drilled up hole 17 and
bearing on the wedge shaped end of a steel spindle 18 which enters into it.
The screw plug 9 which closes the crank chamber is bored through and has
an internally threaded chamber 19 in which works the screwed head of a spindle 20
the tail end of which passes out through a stuffing-box and gland 21 and carries
a hand wheel 22.
The screwed head of this spindle is recessed and receives the end of the wedge
spindle 18. When screwed in the hand wheel spindle forces the wedge spindle into
the central hole 17 and the eccentric outwards from the centre with the result that
the stroke of the piston and consequently the amount of lubricant pumped is
increased. When the band wheel spindle is screwed out the load on the eccentric
causes the wedge spindle to follow it and the stroke of the pump and the amount
of lubricant delivered by it is decreased.
The eccentric works within a strap 23 provided with a forked gudgeon fitted
with a pin 24 by which it is jointed to the piston 25.
The piston is provided with a tail rod 26 of half its own circular area which
screws on to an extension of the piston 27 and is squared or slotted at its upper end
to allow of its being screwed up so as to expand the flexible packing rings threaded
on the extension of the piston 27 between the body thereof and the tail rod collar.
The tail rod passes out through a stuffing box and gland 28 which close the upper
end of the pump barrel..
Close up to the crank chamber the driving spindle fits and runs in a bearing 29
partly or wholly conical and between this bearing and the gland 7 it passes through
a chamber and a spiral spring 30 which pressing against the collar 31 screwed on
to the spindle and re-acting against the end of the chamber keeps the conical neck
of the spindle up to its bearing.
Upon the conical part of the spindle is a groove 32 extending between and joining
two boles 33 and 34 which radiate from the central hole 17 and enclose between
them an angle preferably of one hundred and twenty degrees.
The ports of the suction and delivery passages 35 and 36 have a common axis
and are opposite each other in a horizontal plane. When the eccentric is on either
the top or bottom centre both these passages are closed but during nearly half
a revolution of the spindle the crank chamber is in communication with the vase
by way of the central hole 17 radial holes 33 and 34 groove 32 and passage 35 and
during nearly the other half of the revolution the crank chamber communicates
with the delivery pipe 37 and the passage 38 leading to the annular space above the
piston by the passage 36 groove 32 radial holes 33 and 34 and the central hole 17.
The lubricant is delivered to its destination through a small copper pipe 37
which is connected to the body of the lubricator by the nipple 38 and union 39.
A supply of lubricant is contained in a vase or reservoir formed preferably by
a strong glass cylinder 40 held firmly down on to a joint ring of flexible vulcanised
fibre or other suitable material let into an annular groove in the body of the
lubricator by screws 41 the heads of which are recessed into and distribute the
pressure through an ornamental ring 42 and a flexible joint ring to the glass
cylinder.
This ring is fitted with a strainer 43 and provided with a lid 44 and may
be extended downwards and formed into a protecting cage around the glass
cylinder.
Fig. C Sheet 3 is an incomplete vertical longitudinal section and Fig. D Sheet 3
an incomplete vertical cross section on the line M N Fig. C of my mechanical
lubricator with single acting suction and single acting delivery. This type differs
in the following details from that illustrated by Fig. A Sheet 1 and Fig. B
Sheet 2.
The eccentric strap is coupled to a plunger 45 working in a bush 46 and passing

page_text: out of the crank chamber through a stuffing box and gland 47. During the up
stroke the plunger is being expelled from the crank chamber which at this period
of the revolution communicates by the central hole 17 in the spindle 2 radial
holes 33 and 34 groove 32 and passage 35 with the vase 40. During the down
stroke the plunger is drawn into the crank chamber which now communicates with
the delivery pipe 37 by way of the central hole 17 radial holes 33 and 34 groove 32
and passage 36.
Fig. E Sheet 4 is an incomplete vertical longitudinal section and Fig. F Sheet 4
an incomplete vertical cross section on the line OP Fig. E of my mechanical
lubricator with double acting suction and double acting delivery.
This type differs in the following details from that illustrated by Fig. A Sheet 1
and Fig. B Sheet 2.
The eccentric strap is coupled to a piston 48 working in the pump barrel liner 49.
The upper end of the pump barrel is closed by a screw plug 50 but communicates
by a passage 51 with a groove 52 extending completely round the conical part of
the spindle.
Parallel with this groove and also on the conical part of the spindle
but on opposite sides thereof and in the same vertical plane are two quadrant
shaped grooves one of which 53 communicates by passage 54 with the circular
groove 52 the other 55 by the radial holes 33 and 34 and the central hole 17 with
the crank chamber.
During the up stroke the crank chamber communicates with the vase by way of
passage 35 groove 55 radial holes 33 and 34 and central hole 17 whilst the upper
side of the piston communicates with the delivery pipe 37 by passage 51 circular
groove 52 passage 54 quadrant groove 53 and delivery passage 36.
During the down stroke the upper side of the piston communicates with the
vase via passages 51 circular groove 52: passage 54 quadrant groove 53 and
passages 35 and the crank chamber with the delivery pipe 37 via the central
hole 17 radial holes 33 and 34 quadrant groove 55 and delivery passage 36.
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 pumping apparatus for the purposes described a spindle acting as, or
geared with, a rotary valve, and rotating directly, or indirectly, an eccentric, or its
equivalent, in the liquid being pumped, the said eccentric or its equivalent operating
the piston or plunger substantially as herein before explained.
2. In pumping apparatus for the purposes described a spindle acting as, or
geared with, a rotary valve, and rotating directly, or indirectly, an eccentric, or its
equivalent, in the liquid being pumped, the said eccentric or its equivalent operating
the piston or plunger and having its throw adjustable from without by a wedge
motion substantially as hereinbefore explained.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the apparatus for the
purposes above referred to, and illustrated in Figures A and B of the accompanying
drawings.
'
4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the apparatus for the
purposes above referred to, and illustrated in Figures C and D of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the apparatus for the
purposes above referred to, and illustrated in Figures E and F of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this First day of January 1807
LEONARD CHAPMAN.