IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE LUBRICITY OF OILS AND OTHER LUBRICANTS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ingram, Merchant, and Heinrich Stapfer,
Dentist, both of the City of Manchester, and County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE LUBRICITY OF
OILS AND OTHER LUBRICANTS."
Sealed the 10th May 1867, and dated the 12th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ingram and Heinrich
Stapfer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 12th November 1866.
We, JAMES INGRAM, Merchant, and HEINRICH STAPFER, Dentist, both of
the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE
LUBRICITY OF OILS AND OTHER LUBRICANTS," to be as follows:-
The principle upon which our: Invention is based is. that of submitting a
given quantity of the lubricant to be tested to frictional action between
cylindrical, convex, and concave surfaces under a fixed pressure, and then
measuring the quantity of motion required to use up the given lubricant,
determining the time when this. is accomplished by the temperature of the
frictional surfaces, which will become heated when the lubricant is exhausted.
Our Invention consists of a shaft. mounted in centres, so as to rotate freely,

page_text: upon which shaft a cylindrical, convex, or drum surface is fixed, so as to
rotate with the shaft, and a corresponding cylindrical concave surface is fitted
to the drum or convex surface in two halves, each half having ends, so that
the lubricating matter between the surfaces cannot escape. These two half
concave surfaces are arranged so as not to revolve with the shaft, and they are
pressed against the drum surface by levers and weights, or by springs, or by
screws and springs, or other suitable means. The lubricant to be tested is
placed in a cup communicating with the frictional surfaces, and attached to
the upper half of the concave surface, then the shaft is rotated by any con-
venient means, the driving power being arranged so that it can be put out of
gear if required by self-acting means when the temperature has arrived at a
point fixed upon, showing that the lubricant is exhausted. This may be
accomplished by making the driving pulley loose upon the shaft, and con-
necting it with the drum surface: by a metal pin which will fuse at the given
temperature, or by throwing a clutch out of gear by the expansion of mercury
contained in the hollow of the drum, or by expansion of air, or by a
thermometer in contact with the frictional surfaces arranged in connection
with an electro-magnet, so that the rise of the mercury in the stem of the
"thermometer will cause a current of electricity to act upon the electro-magnet
"and release a catch, so as to throw the driving pulley out of gear; or these
means may be employed to give notice by a signal when the temperature fixed
upon is attained, so that the apparatus may be stopped: The number of
revolutions made by the apparatus while acting upon the lubricant may be
registered by any ordinary counting apparatus geared with the drum shaft,
the best lubricant registering the greatest number of revolutions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th May 1867.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME,. we, JAMES
INGRAM, Merchant, and HEINRICH STAPFER, Dentist, both of the City of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth November, in: the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of: Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and. grant unto us, the said
James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer, Her special license; that we; the said

page_text: James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer, our
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 APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE
LUBRICITY OF OILS AND OTHER LUBRICANTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals (or under the hand and seal
of one of us), 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 we, the said James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer,
do hereby declare the nature of our said. Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
.. The principle upon which our Invention is based is that of submitting à
given quantity of the lubricant to be tested to frictional action between
cylindrical convex and concave surfaces under a fixed pressure, and then
measuring the quantity of motion required to use up the given lubricant,
determining the time when this is accomplished by the temperature of the
frictional surfaces which will become heated when the lubricant is exhausted..
Our Invention consists of a shaft mounted in suitable bearings or centres so
as to rotate freely, and upon this shaft a cylindrical convex or drum surface
is fixed so as to rotate with the shaft, and a corresponding cylindrical concave
surface is fitted to the drum or convex surface in two halves, each half having
ends, so that the lubricating matter between the surfaces cannot escape there-
from. These two half concave surfaces are arranged so as not to revolve with
the shaft, and they are pressed against the drum surface by levers and' weights,
or by springs, or by screws and springs, or other suitable means. The
lubricant to be tested may be placed in a cup communicating with the fric-
tional surfaces and-attached to the upper half of the concave surface; or it
may be poured in at a spout formed upon the lower half of the concave surface
or placed within the lower half of the concave surface. When the lubricant
to be tested is placed between the frictional surfaces the shaft is rotated by
any convenient means, the driving power being arranged so that it can be put
out of gear if required by self-acting means when the temperature has arrived

page_text: at a point fixed upon showing, that the lubricant is practically exhausted to
the extent fixed upon. This may be accomplished by making the 'driving
pulley loose. upon the shaft and connecting it with the, drum surface by: a
metal pin which will fuse at the given temperature, or by throwing a clutch
out of gear by the expansion of mercury contained in the hollow of the drum,
or by the expansion of air; but we prefer to use for this purpose a ther
mometer in contact with the frictional surfaces, and arranged in connection
with an electro-magnet, so that the rise of the mercury in the stem of the
thermometer will complete the circuit and will cause a current of electricity
to, pass through the electro-magnet and release a catch so as to throw the
driving pulley out of gear; or the means above described may be employed
to give notice by actuating a signal when the temperature: fixed upon is
attained, so that the apparatus may be stopped, or to give the signal and
throw the counting apparatus out of gear. The number of revolutions made
by the apparatus while acting upon the lubricant being tested may be reġis-
tered by any ordinary counting apparatus, such as that used in gas and other
meters, geared with the drum-shaft, the best lubricant registering the greatest
number of revolutions before arriving at the temperature fixed. upon.. '.In
performing tests by the apparatus, above described the same velocity and
external temperature should be maintained as near as practicable...
:
We will now describe the Drawings, which explains more fully the nature
of our Invention and the manner of carrying it into effect.
Fig. 1 is a front sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a cross sectional elevation
on the line A, B, Fig. 1, looking towards that side where the counting appa
ratus is placed.
a is a base plate to which is secured two stands (6) which form the bearings
for the shaft (c) upon which the cylindrical convex or drum surface (d) is
placed; eis the upper and e¹ the lower half of the cylindrical concave surfaces
which fit to the convex or drum, surface (d). The edges of these .concave
surfaces (e and e³) are chamfered and have ends, as shown, to prevent. the
escape of the lubricating matter; the lower half (e') is pressed upwards
against the drum (d) by a weight (e³) adjustable: upon a lever (6³) having its
fulcrum (e).on a bracket secured to the base (a), as shown, and the upper
half (6) is pressed down upon the drum (d) by a similar weight (e) and
lever (e) having its fulcrum (6) upon a pillar (e) secured to the base (a).
The upper lever (6) can be turned back, and the lower lever (¹) can be
readily removed to allow the concave surfaces (e and ¹) to be cleaned when
required. The lower half (e¹) has two spouts (e) into either of which the
lubricant to be tested may be poured. The counting apparatus (f) (shown

page_text: in outline in peculiar dotted line) is of ordinary construction, and is fixed by
two screws (f¹ and ƒ³) to one of the stands (6), a slot being formed for the
lower screw, so. that when this screw is "slack" the first or worm wheel (if³)
of the counting mechanism may be readily put into or: 'out of gear with the
screw or worm (c): upon the shaft (c); when in. gear. the lower screw.is
tightened::. The counting mechanism is put out of gear with the worm; (c)
upon the shaft (c). when its index fingers are to be brought to zero, if required.
The shaft (c) is driven by a pulley (c) loose and working. between collars
upon the shaft, as shown. The boss of the pulley (c) has one half of a clutch
upon it, the other half. sliding upon a fixed key and being connected with:a
clutch fork lever (9), as shown, this lever having its fulcrum (9) upon a
bracket (9) from the stand (b). The lower end of the clutch fork lever (9)
is acted upon by a flat spring (9) secured to a stud in the base plate (a), which
tends constantly to force the clutch out of gear, the outward movement of the
lever being limited by a pin (9). The fulcrum of a bell-crank. lever (h) is
jointed upon the stand (6), and one end of this lever is made with a hook, so
as to latch or catch upon a side projection from the end of the clutch lever (9)
so as to hold the clutch in gear until the bell crank is lifted; this is done;
when the apparatus is made self-acting, by an electro-magnet (¹) secured to
the base (a) upon wood insulating blocks (72), as shown. The armature (h³)
of the electro-magnet is connected by a rod (h) with the bell-crank lever (h).
When the clutch is in gear, and the current is not passing through the electro-
magnet, the armature (³) is not in contact, but when the current passes
through the electro-magnet it is drawn into contact, and this movement
actuates the bell crank and allows the spring to throw the clutch out of gear.
The current of electricity from a voltaic battery is arranged to form a circuit
:in connection with the electro-magnet by having one wire attached to the
lower part of a thermometer (k) which is secured in-the upper half of the
concave: surface (e); as shown. The mercury is placed in an iron cistern to
which a glass stem (4) is fitted, at the upper end of which a wire (k³) is
inserted and sealed, and when the other. wire is attached to this the electric
circuit. will be completed, and the electro-magnet will be actuated, when the
mercury rises in the glass: stem (¹) until it comes in contact with the wire
in the upper part of its bore. When self-acting means of stopping the
machine are not required the electro-magnet (h³) battery and thermometer (k)
are dispensed with, and a common thermometer (1) is used inserted in an iron
tube (1) partly. filled with mercury, as shown, so that the machine may be
stopped when the temperature fixed upon has been arrived at.
We have now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same may be carried into effect, and claim as our
Invention,
Firstly, the system or mode of testing the lubricity of oils and other lubri-
cants between.cylindrical, concave, and convex surfaces by ascertaining the
amount of frictional motion which will be required to produce a given
temperature, substantially, as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
:
Secondly, the system or mode of stopping the rotation of the apparatus by
self-acting means when the given temperature has been attained by a thermo-
meter and an electro-magnet and connected mechanism, arranged substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
1
In witness whereof we, the said James Ingram and Heinrich Stapfer,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES INGRAM.
(L.B.)