AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF LUBRICATING COMPOUND
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hiram Hyde, of Truro, Nova Scotia, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF LUBRICATING COMPOUND."—
A communication.
Sealed the 22nd January 1856, and dated the 27th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hiram Hyde at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
November 1855.
I, HIRAM HYDE, of Truro, Nova Scotia, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF LUBRICATING
COMPOUND, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel combination of materials to produce an
efficient lubricator under varying temperatures.
To this end the following compound is prepared:-To every hundred gallons
of coup oil, whether mixed with other oils or not so mixed, in the state in
which it is found in the market, seven pounds of elastic bitumen, Para or East
India caoutchouc, or African rubber is added, the same being enclosed in a
sieve cloth bag and suspended in the oil at any temperature from 80 to 150° F.
By means of agitation and the application of pressure, all the pure part of
the hydrocarbon added is extracted from the sieve cloth. The bag is then
removed, and the mixture is passed by means of a pump through a fine wire
gauze sieve into another vessel, where it is permitted to rest until it becomes
perfectly brilliant, and it is then fit for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hiram Hyde in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the 27th
May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HIRAM
HYDE, of Truro, Nova Scotia, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Hiram Hyde, Her special licence that I, the said Hiram Hyde, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hiram
Hyde, 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 "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE
OF LUBRICATING COMPOUND," being a communication from abroad, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Hiram Hyde, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Hiram Hyde, 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 by the following statement
(that is to say):-
>
To express clearly the nature of the present improvement, it is necessary
that I should describe some discoveries maile in the course of extended experi-
ments on coup oil used as a lubricator. It has been found that this oil, and the
Jubricating oils made from the products of the distillation of cannel coals, bitu-
mens, bituminous shales, and petroleums or: naphthas, at temperatures abovo
six hundred degrees Fahrenheit; when used on rapid running machinery, have
a certain moderate degree of durability, and those distilled at a lower tempera-
ture still less, and that the resistance to wear is increased by mixing with these
oils other kinds of oil, such as castor, sperm, lard, rape, or whale oil. When
such mixtures are exposed in small quantities to high heat (say, over two
hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit,) or to the sun's rays several days a

page_text: change is observable, commencing at the surface of each in a shorter or longer
time; and this influence of high heat or the sun's rays in changing any oil,
from whatever source, is a very useful indicator of the durability and lubri-
cating power of the oil. As the oils considered the best lubricators known are
those prepared from the hydrocarbons of coals, bitumens, and naphthas having
high boiling points (often as high as eight hundred degrees Fahrenheit), pre-
pared by the process for which I have obtained Her Majesty's Royal Letters
Patent; the inventors of that process have been led to make use of solid bydro-
carbons in improving them. After learning by trials the specific action of
common oils, stearine of fats, spermaceti, and wax, an oil was easily manufac-
tured from the coup oil by mixing it with lard and other common oils, which
is quite as valuable as a lubricator as sperm oil. But further experiments
having induced the rejection of the scaly and brilliant hydrocarbons as addi-.
tions, it was demonstrated, by trials of several months' duration, that the
addition of even a very minute; portion of the solid hydrocarbons, such as
elastic bitumen, caoutchouc of Para and India, and the mixtures of caoutchouc:
called African rubber, to purified coup oil (known in the American market as
Messieurs Atwood's coup, oil), and other hydrocarbon oils, exerts. a most:
remarkable action in giving permanence to them, either alone or when mixed
with other oils, and at the same time improves the lubricating or truly oily,
character of the oil, and the changes under the influence of high heats or the
sun's rays are in like manner retarded or prevented for a longer time, so as to:
give a degreo of permanency and lubrication, such as no other known oil or
mixture possesses when tested by lubrication indicators. This action of the
elastic hydrocarbons is referable to the power which a minute quantity added.
has in modifying the qualities of a body recognized in other cases, such as in,
alloys, where arsenic or phosphorus injure metals. In strict accordance with
this view, it is found that when the elastic hydrocarbon exceeds two per cent.
of the weight of the coup oil the valuable qualities are in every case impaired,
and that even less than one per cent. is usually all that need be combined by
chemical solution with the coup oil or other hydrocarbon oils. In practice, it
will suffice to use froin one-fourth of one per cent. to five-eighths of one per
cent. of the elastic hydrocarbons for the coup oil made by. the Messieurs:
Atwood's process, and it is found that one-half of one per per cent. will give
durability and lubrication much beyond that of sperm oil.
To enable those skilled in the art to manufacture the improved lubricating
compound, I will now describe the process for preparing it to resist wear on
heavy as well as light and rapid machines. To every hundred gallons of coup
oil, whether mixed with other oils or not so mixed, in the state in which it is

page_text: found in the market, seven pounds of elastic bitumen, Para or East India
caoutchouc, or African rubber are added, the same being first inclosed in a
sieve cloth bag, and then suspended in the oil, which may be at any tempera-
ture. varying from eighty to one hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. By
agitating the whole from time to time, and applying pressure to the:siove cloth,
all the pure part of the added hydrocarbon is dissolved and combined with the
oil. The bag is then removed and the mixture is passed by means of a pump
through a fine wire gauze. sieve into another vessel, whero it is permitted to
rest until it becomes perfectly brilliant, and it is then fit for use.
I do not confine myself strictly to the proportions above stated, but for deli-
cate bearings I propose to use less of the hydrocarbon, one-tenth of one per
cent. producing a markedly good effect when tested by the dynameter. I am
aware that caoutchouc, as expanded by-spirits of turpentine, has been used in
mixture with carbonate of soda, glue, and common animal and vegetable oils
for lubricating. When such a mixture is used, tho, turpentine evaporates
readily and leaves the caoutchouc in filaments on the surface, as it has not been
dissolved, nor is any solvent of it present.. I, however, reject all such mixtures,
and limit myself to the use of that small amount of the elastic bitumens which
coup oil will dissolve perfectly, not exceeding four per cent., and using the fixed
coup oil as a direct solvent.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Manu-
facture of Lubricating Compound," as communicated to me by my. foreign
correspondent, and described the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish.it.to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim, the addition of elastic bydrocarbons, such as mineral and vegetable
caoutchouc, to coup oil, or other pyrogenic bydrocarbon oil, either alone or
mixed with other oils, for the purpose above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hiram Hyde, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.