Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of Lubricators or Oil Cups.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1892-4ccepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of Lubricators
or Oil Cups.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON & ROBERT THOMPSON 155 Fenchurch Street
London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the improvement of lubricators or oil cups
whereby the heat generated by friction of the bearing surfaces is utilized to auto-
matically regulate the flow of the oil to such surfaces increasing or diminishing
the supply as may be required by the increasing or diminishing temperature of the
said surfaces and thereby avoiding the risk of overheating from insufficient supply
at the same time economizing the lubricant also sounding alarm in the event of
omission to keep the oil cup charged.
In carrying our invention into practice we employ a suitably formed sealed tube
charged with mercury, spirit, or other medium quickly affected by heat, one end of
the said tube being connected to the lower end or that part of the oil cup set
nearest the bearing surfaces where it may be readily affected by the temperature
of such surfaces the tube is extended upward in the form of a crescent outside and
over the top of the oil cup in such manner as to admit of its connection with a rod
formed with a plug (hereinafter called the plug) which is arranged over the outlet
passage so that the action of lifting or lowering the said plug to and from the
mouth of the outlet will open or close it so as to regulate the exit of the oil, the
plug is held in proper relation to the outlet passage by passing through and
working in a bearing formed in the cover of the oil cup and it is connected with
the spring tube by means of rods or links in such a manner as to admit of the free
radiation of the tube also it is provided with a screw and nut for the purpose of
setting it for work at any desired distance from the mouth of the outlet.
The operation is as follows the oil cup being in working position and charged
with oil and the plug adjusted so as to admit of the passage of the amount of oil
that may be found necessary at starting after which on the work causing a rise in
the temperature of the bearing surfaces the heat so generated expanding the
mercury contained in the spring tube the pressure of such expansion reflecting or
rising the tube with a movement which lifts the plug and allows an increased
quantity of oil to pass through the outlet to the bearing surfaces, as these surfaces
cool down the mercury affected in a contrary manner and the spring tube and
plug return to their normal position checking the exit of the oil accordingly, as
a provision against the chance of the bearing surfaces working without lubrication
by omission to keep the oil cups properly charged the spring tube as it rises by the
effect of the heat generated may be made to sound an alarm by operating an
electric bell by pressing a button or other suitable arrangement for forming a
contact with the bell wire.
The formation and application of the spring tube may vary according to the
design of the oil cup it may be of spiral form and made to open the outlet by
turning a valve instead of lifting, or it may be arranged inside the oil cup so as
to act directly on the mouth of the outlet or bent strips of metal quickly affected
by heat may be employed in place of the spring tube when found convenient for the
purpose.
1001
W. H. THOMPSON.
ROBT.
THOMPSON.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement and Construction of Lubricators
or Oil Cups.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON and ROBERT THOMPSON, Engineers 155 Fen-
church Street, London, 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 :-
Our invention has for its object the improvement of lubricators or oil cups,
whereby the heat generated by friction of the bearing surfaces is utilized to auto-
matically regulate the flow of the oil to such surfaces increasing or diminishing
the supply as may be required by the increasing or diminishing temperature of the
said surfaces and thereby avoiding the risk of overheating from insufficient supply
at the same time economizing the lubricant also sounding alarm in the event of
omission to keep the oil cup charged.
In carrying our invention into practice we employ a suitably formed sealed tube
charged with mercury, spirit or other medium, quickly affected by heat, one end
of the said tube being connected to the lower end, or that part of the oil cup or
lubricator set nearest the bearing surfaces where it may be readily effected by the
temperature of such surfaces, the tube is extended upward in the form of a crescent
outside, and over the top of the oil cup or lubricator, in such manner as to admit
of its connection with a rod formed with a plug (hereinafter called the regulating
plug) which is arranged over the outlet passage so that the action of lifting or
lowering the said plug to and from the mouth of the outlet will open or close it
so as to regulate the exit of the oil the plug is held in proper relation to the
outlet passage by passing through and working in a bearing formed in the cover
or sealing plug of the lubricator and it is connected with the spring tube by means
of rods or links in such a manner as to admit of the free radiation of the tube,
also it is provided with a screw and nut for the purpose of setting it for work at any
desired distance from the mouth of the outlet.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is elevation, Figure 2. section of lubricator or oil cup: A is a spring
tube, charged with mercury (as shewn by the black line M) and connected at its
lower end with the stem of the lubricator at B, from which it extends to the top
of the lubricator where it is arranged with a forked extension slotted to receive
the pins a. a, projecting from the nut C. which is screwed to receive the rod D,
and forms an adjustable connection with the regulating plug D' that it may be
operated by the action of the spring tube A: the passage through the cover, or
sealing plug E, forming a guide for the rod D, the turning of which by the wheel b,
screws it up and down in the nut, so as to admit of the adjustment of the plug D¹,
so that it may be set to allow the required quantity of lubricant to pass through
the outlet channel c, when the bearing is at its normal temperature and the spring
tube at rest F is a lock nut for setting the screw when the aforesaid adjustment is
made I is a plug for covering the aperture through which H, is charged.
-The operation is as follows: The lubricator being set in working-position-and
charged with oil, and the regulating plug D' adjusted so as to admit of the passage
of the amount of oil that may be found necessary at starting after which on the
work causing a rise in the temperature of the bearing surfaces, the heat so
generated expanding the mercury M, contained in the spring tube A, the pressure
of such expansion reflecting or rising the tube with a movement which lifts the
regulating plug and allows an increased quantity of oil to pass through the outlet c,
to the bearing surfaces, as these surfaces cool down the mercury is effected in a
contrary manner and the spring tube, and plug, return to their normal position,
1

page_text: checking the exit of the oil accordingly. As a provision against the chance of the
bearing surfaces working without lubrication and becoming overheated by omission
to keep the oil cups properly charged, the spring tube as it rises or reflects by the
effect of the heat generated may be made to sound an alarm, by arranging the
press button or contact of an electric bell in close proximity to the top end of
the rod D at b, so that the rising or reflection of the spring tube A causes it to
press on the contact, and set the bell in operation when the bearing surfaces become
80 overheated.
The formation and application of the spring tube may vary according to the
design of the oil cup, it may be of spiral form and made to open the outlet by
turning a valve instead of lifting, or it may be arranged inside the oil cup so as
to act directly on the mouth of the outlet, or bent strips of metal quickly affected
by heat may be employed in place of the spring tube when found convenient for the
purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The employment of a spring tube or spring combined with or containing
mercury, spirit or any fluid or substance readily sensitive to change of tem-
perature and such tube reflecting or working in combination with an adjustable
regulating plug, valve or outlet, so as to automatically regulate the flow of oil
or lubricant to the bearing surfaces increasing or diminishing the feed as may be
required by the increasing and diminishing temperature of the said surfaces:
And we also claim the utilization of the rising or reflection of the spring tube
or spring, for sounding an alarm by an electric bell in the event of the omission
to charge the lubricator and the bearings thereby becoming overheated as herein
described.
W. H. THOMPSON.
ROBT. THOMPSON.