IMPROVE- MENTS IN OIL TESTERS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFICIENCY OF OIL, GREASE, AND EQUIVALENT MATTER WHEN USED LUBRICANTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ramsden Shaw, of Pendleton, in the
County of Lancaster, Mill Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OIL TESTERS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO ASCERTAIN THE
EFFICIENCY OF OIL, GREASE, AND EQUIVALENT MATTER WHEN USED
LUBRICANTS."
Scaled the 10th November 1868, and dated the 20th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th August 1868.
I, THOMAS RAMSDEN SHAW, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL TESTERS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO ASCERTAIN THE
EFFICIENCY OF OIL, GREASE, AND EQUIVALENT MATTER WHEN USED AS LUBRICANTS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus employed to effect a mechanical
testing of oil or other lubricating matter in order to ascertain its practical.
value as a lubricant.

page_text: In the most usual form of apparatus which has been previously used
for the above purpose the lubricating effect of the oil has been sought to
be ascertained by measuring the amount of frictional resistance to the
movement of one surface upon or in contact with another surface lubri-
cated with the said oil, and in another form of apparatus by measuring
the amount of heat produced by the said frictional resistance.
My Invention consists, in the first place, in combining the two methods
above mentioned and in improved arrangements for ascertaining the
amount of the frictional resistance, the said arrangements being as
follows:-On a vertical shaft fitted in suitable bearings is fixed or formed
a disc, usually of metal, on the upper surface of which rests a circular or
partly circular block of metal, the two surfaces in contact being pre-
ferably finished as true planes. The lower disc is caused to revolve
rapidly by suitable means, the continued rotation of the block of metal
being prevented by a cord, band, or chain, one end of which is attached
to the side of the block of metal or temporarily connected thereto, the
other end being attached to a "spring balance" or to a weighted and
graduated lever, or to an equivalent apparatus, in order that the force
necessary to prevent the continued rotation of the block, that is to say,
the frictional resistance, may be accurately estimated, the cord, band,
or chain winding around the circular block as the said block revolves.
until the resistance offered by the spring balance is sufficient to restrain
the further rotation of the block. The block is kept in position on the
revolving disc by means of screws, points, fingers, antifriction bowls, or
other equivalents, which are so applied as not to interfere with the
rotation of the said block. A thermometer is fixed in the centre or in
any other convenient portion of the block, or as is found most convenient
is fitted into a metal case the lower end of which can be readily inserted
in a perforation made in the said block. A small portion of the lubricant
to be tested is applied to the disc, and the metal block is placed in
position, and the lower disc is caused to revolve as long as may be
requisite, the frictional resistance being read off on the scale of the
spring balance, and the heat produced thereby on the scale of the
thermometer at intervals during the continuance of the experiment.
1.
A further portion of my improvements relates to the combining of two

page_text: driving shaft in order that two or more samples of lubricant may be
tested simultaneously and under the same conditions.
med by the said Inomas misden Dhaw THE CHOOSE FAC
Office on the 19th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RAMSDEN SHAW, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, Mill
Manager.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw, Hèr special.
license that I, the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said. Thomas Ramsden
Shaw, 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 OIL TESTERS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO ASCERTAIN THE
EFFICIENCY OF OIL, GREASE, AND EQUIVALENT MATTER WHEN USED AS LUBRICANTS,'
upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Thomas Ramsden
Shaw, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: My Invention relates to apparatus employed to effect a mechanical
testing of oil or other lubricating matter, in order to ascertain its
practical value as a lubricant, the arrangement of the said apparatus
being substantially as follows:- On a vertical shaft fitted in suitable
bearings is fixed or formed a disc, usually of metal, on the upper surface
of which rests a circular or partly circular block of metal, the two
*surfaces in contact being preferably finished as true planes. The lower
disc is caused to revolve rapidly by suitable means, the continued
rotation of the block of metal being prevented by a cord, band, or chain,
one end of which is attached to the side of the block of metal or tem-
porarily connected thereto, the other end being attached to a spring
balance or to a weighted and graduated lever, or to an equivalent
apparatus, in order that the force necessary to prevent the continued
rotation of the block, that is to say, the frictional resistance, may be
accurately estimated, the cord, band, or chain winding around the
circular block as the said block revolves until the resistance offered
by the spring balance is sufficient to restrain the further rotation of
:the block. The block is kept in position on the revolving disc by
means of screw points, fingers, antifriction bowls, or other equivalents
which are so applied as not to interfere with the rotation of the said
block. A thermometer is or may be fixed in the centre, or in any other
convenient portion of the block, or as is found most convenient is fitted
into a metal case the lower end of which can be readily inserted in a
perforation made in the said block. A small portion of the lubricant
to be tested is applied to the disc and the metal block is placed in
position and the lower disc is caused to revolve until a certain tem-
perature, which has been fixed upon as suitable for all seasons, as for
example seventy degrees Farenheit, is indicated by the thermometer,
when the test of the oil is commenced by noting the frictional resistance
indicated on the scale of the spring balance, readings being taken from
the said scale at intervals during the continuance of the experiment.
A further portion of my improvements relates to the combining of two
or more sets of oil testing apparatus together and actuating them by
one driving shaft in order that two or more samples of lubricant may
be tested simultaneously and under the same conditions.

page_text: In order that the said Invention may be more fully understood I
have supplied to accompany this present Specification a Sheet of
Drawings having letters of reference marked thereupon, similar letters
indicating corresponding parts in the various Figures.
Referring here to the said Drawings Fig. 1 represents a sectional
front elevation of one form of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front elevation,
and Fig. 3 a side clevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a plan of the appa-
ratus drawn as when looking on the top thereof; Fig. 5 is a section on
the line A, B, in Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a view to a smaller scale illus-
trating the afore-mentioned method of arranging two or more sets of oil
testers in one framing, all the said Figures with the exception of Fig. G
being drawn about one half of the full size.
In the various Figures a is the vertical spindle, 6 is the disc, c is
the circular weight, d is the spring balance, and e is the thermometer.
The shaft a is fitted into suitable steps or bearings f, f, affixed to the
framing of the machine and is fitted with a bevil pinion g which gears
into the bevil wheel h, the said bevil wheel being mounted on the
shaft which revolves in bearings formed in the framing k and in the
bracket cast thereon. On the said shaft are mounted a pair of fast
and loose pullies m, m, to either of which a revolving motion is com-
municated by means of a strap, the said strap being moved either on
to the fast pulley or the loose pulley as may be desired by moving the
strap guide in the required direction, the effect being that when the
strap is on the fast pulley a rapid rotatory motion is communicated to
the disc formed on the upper end of the shaft a. The upper surface
of the said disc as well as the lower surface of the circular weight c
are both formed by careful manipulation to perfectly or nearly perfectly
true planes, so that when properly finished if a few drops of oil be placed
between the two surfaces the said oil will prevent the actual contact
of the two metallic surfaces in any part. The weight c is retained in
a position concentric with the shaft a, by means of the adjustable screws
or bolts o, o, in Fig. 4, the drag on the cord p causing the weight to
bear against the heads of the said bolts or against antifriction rollers
carried by the said bolts. The cord p is attached by one end to the
sliding bar of the spring balance d, and after passing partly around the
small pulley q a loop formed on the other end of the said cord is passed
over the small knob or stud r which is fixed to the side of the weight c

page_text: so that any tendency of the weight to revolve is resisted by the spring
balance to the extent of its power, and the measure of the force required
to prevent the revolution of the said weight is indicated in pounds and
ounces or otherwise as may be desired by the index on the dial of the
spring balance.
Other arrangements may be employed in lieu of the spring balance,
as for example the cord may act on a weighted lever to raise the same
from a vertical position into or towards a horizontal position, the
resistance being indicated on a quadrant-shaped scale. It will be seen
that the framing of the machine answers also as a guard or enclosure
and prevents the oil from being thrown out of the machine, but in order
to obtain access to the bearings a portion of the framing is hinged to
the remainder and may be moved down into the position as shewn in
Fig. 2, thus exposing the interior of the machine. Ears or lugs 8, 8,
are formed on the weight c in order that it may be more readily removed
from the disc.
In Fig. 6 two sets of apparatus are shewn as combined in one
framing, being driven by one horizontal shaft by means of "skew bevil
gearing.
It will readily be understood that the number of sets of apparatus
may be increased to any suitable extent and that the method of
actuating them may be greatly varied. The operation of the apparatus
is as follows:-The weight c is removed and a small portion of the oil
to be tested is poured upon the disc and the weight is replaced in
position and the cord looped on the stud r, the pressure of the weight
causing any excess of oil to exhude from between the two surfaces of
the disc and the weight, any oil which may flow into the small recess
formed in the centre of the disc discharging itself through the orifice t
in Fig. 1.
It will be found that. the portion of oil retained between the two
surfaces when the machine is in motion will be a constant or nearly
constant quantity, and therefore that no measurement of the oil to be
tested is required. The strap is then moved on to the fast pulley, thus
causing the rapid rotation of the disc, and as the weight is resting upon
the disc with the intervention only of a film of oil the amount of strain
on the cord p caused by the tendency of the weight to revolve with
the disc will be the measure of the friction between the two surfaces

page_text: or thereabouts, and will be indicated on the scale. It is preferred to
insert the thermometer e in the orifice formed in the weight for a time
at the commencement of the experiment, and to note the position of
the index for the first time on a certain temperature, being indicated,
as has been herein-before mentioned, for the reason that various samples
of oil will differ in fluidity at a low temperature, and that the same
sample of oil will vary in fluidity in different seasons of the year.
When a very exact test is required the quantity of oil which has been
employed when raising the temperature of the machine to the standard
is wiped off the surfaces of the disc and the weight and a fresh sample
is applied thereto, the test being in such case commenced when the
machine is re-started.
The apparatus may be allowed to continue in action until the lubri
cant is entirely exhausted, the amount of friction registered being noted
at intervals, the said amount of friction and the duration of the test
mainly determining the quality of the oil. If any gummy or viscid.
matter, as for example gelatine, be contained in the oil its presence will
be clearly indicated before the conclusion of the test by the irregular
motion of the index of the spring balance.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with-
means for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details as illustrated in the attached Drawings, nor do I lay any claim
to the employment of a thermometer in the testing of oil or other
lubricant notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in my
Provisional Specification, but that I claim,-
First. The construction and employment of oil testers having a
revolving disc without a flanch or raised edge and a cylindrical weight
suitably prepared to rest on the plane surface of the said disc, sub-
stantially in manner as herein-before described, and as illustrated in
the attached Drawings.
Secondly. The method of mounting the said cylindrical weight in
order that the tendency of the weight to revolve may be indicated as
herein-before described and as illustrated in the attached Drawings or
any other suitable method, the same being a mere modification of
that so described and illustrated.

page_text: Thirdly. Combining two or more sets of oil testing apparatus into
one complete compound apparatus and so arranging the driving appa-
ratus as that the whole of the said sets may be actuated simultaneously
for the purposes as herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw, have i
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
nine.
THOMAS RAMSDEN SHAW. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said
Thomas Ramsden Shaw, in
the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Petitioner,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.