IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dewrance and George Henry Wall, both of 176,
Great Dover Street, Borough, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
Sealed the 15th March 1878, and dated the 24th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dewrance and George
Henry Wall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October
1877.
JOHN DEWRANCE and GEORGE HENRY WALL, both of 176, Great Dover Street,
Borough, in the County of Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
"
The object of this Invention is improvements in lubricators, by which a continuous
and regular supply of oil or grease is admitted to the cylinders, valves, pipes, or
other parts of steam or other engines working under pressure or vacuum.
For these
purposes we employ an oil vessel having a stem adapted to be screwed into a socket
prepared to receive it on the steam engine cylinder or other part. The oil vessel has
an opening at the top which receives a hollow screw plug, and a small tube fitted
inside, forming a prolongation of the same plug, passes down through the stem of
the oil vessel. There is a stuffing box charged with asbestos or other packing at
the upper end or mouth of the oil vessel, which makes a steam-tight.joint around the
neck of the plug, which is cylindrical. There is also a packing of asbestos introduced
into the stem of the oil vessel; it may be inserted either into apertures at the sides,
and secured and compressed by screwed glands or otherwise. The packing thus
forms a steam-tight joint around the tubular prolongation when the screw plug is
screwed up for filling; but when the plug is in its place for working, steam is able
to enter by holes in the tube at a point just below the packing, and it ascends
through this tube until it reaches the top, where it issues through a small hole into
the oil vessel above the level of the oil or grease.
The outlet for the oil is through the stem of the oil vessel and between it and the
tubular prolongation of the plug, which is made to fit it as far down as the bottom
of the lower packing, but may also have a flat filed on one side, extending from the

page_text: bottom of the plug to a hole formed in the side of the tube, just above the lower
packing, which admits the oil to the interior; it then runs down within the tube
until it has passed the lower packing, when it issues by the same holes which admit
steam to the tube.
When the oil vessel requires to be filled, the plug is raised by screwing it out a
few turns, which by the use of packed joints of this form, in place of metal to metal
joints, enables the operation of opening and closing the two joints of the lubricator
to be effected by one spindle. This spindle first closes the steam inlet holes by
bringing them up level with the lower packing, and afterwards it opens the oil
vessel by bringing other holes formed in the plug, just below the cylindrical neck,
above the upper packing, and then oil or melted grease can be poured in through
these holes.
The gland nut which secures the upper packing serves as a funnel to direct the
oil or grease to the holes in the plug, and so it passes into the oil vessel. On again
screwing down the plug the cylindrical neck of the plug first enters the upper
packing, thus making a steam-tight joint, and upon further screwing down the plug
the bottom holes in the tube pass below the lower packing, thus admitting steam to
the top of the oil vessel; the lubricator is then at work. This lubricator presents
several advantages; it is very regular it its action, no accumulation of heated water
can take place in the oil vessel, it has but one moveable part, which can be removed
whenever necessary, and the joints also being made by packing, they can always be
made good without removing the lubricator from its fixed position.
A modification of the arrangement, presenting some of the advantages before
named, is obtained by separating the tube from the plug, and in its place fitting a
coned valve in the stem of the lubricator, such valve having a tubular prolongation
extending to the upper part of the oil vessel. When the lubricator is at work the
screw plug keeps the cone valve off its seat, but whenever the plug is raised a spring
brings the valve up to its seat, thus closing the passage of steam to the oil vessel
before the further motion of the plug exposes the filling apertures to the atmosphere.
Upon screwing the plug home to its place the neck of the plug enters the packing,
thus making a steam-tight joint, before the plug, coming in contact with the top of
the tube, again forces the coned valve from its seat, thus allowing a regular discharge
of oil to flow past the spindle of the valve.
It is obvious that the arrangement of the upper packing, and method of filling
and closing, may be associated with lubricators having other arrangements for the
delivery of the oil or grease. .

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Dewrance and George Henry Wall in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th April 1878.
JOHN DEWRANCE and GEORGE HENRY WALL, both of 176, Great Dover Street,
Borough, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS."
The object of this Invention is improvements in lubricators, by which a continuous
and regular supply of oil or grease is admitted to the cylinders, valves, pipes, or
other parts of steam or other engines working under pressure or vacuum.
For these
purposes we employ an oil vessel having a stem adapted to be screwed into a socket
prepared to receive it on the steam engine cylinder or other part. The oil vessel has
an opening at the top which receives a hollow screw plug, and a small tube fitted
inside, forming a prolongation of the same plug, passes down through the stem of
the oil vessel. There is a stuffing box charged with asbestos or other packing at
the upper end or mouth of the oil vessel which makes a steam-tight joint around the
neck of the plug, which-is cylindrical.. There is also a packing of asbestos introduced
into the stem of the oil vessel; it may be inserted either into apertures at the sides,
and secured and compressed by screwed glands or otherwise. The packing thus
forms a steam-tight joint around the tubular prolongation when the screw plug is
screwed up for filling, but when the plug is in its place for working, steam is able
to enter by holes in the tube at a point just. below the packing, and it ascends
through this tube until it reaches the top, where it issues through a small hole into
the oil vessel above the level of the oil or grease.
The outlet for the oil, when the top of the lubricator is closed, is through the stem
of the oil vessel and between it and the tubular prolongation of the plug. A hole
formed in the side of the tube, just above the lower packing, admits the oil to the
interior; it then runs down within the tube until it has passed the lower packing,
when it issues by the same holes which admit steam to the tube.
In order to control the flow of oil, we so form the plug that as it is screwed home
it closes against the bottom of the oil vessel, and so shuts the exit passage partially.
or entirely.
When the oil vessel requires to be filled the plug is raised by screwing it out a
few turns, which first closes the steam inlet holes by bringing them up level with
the lower packing, and afterwards opens the oil vessel by bringing other holes formed
in the plug (just below the cylindrical neck) above the upper packing, and then oil
or melted grease can be poured in through these holes.
The gland nut which secures the upper packing serves as a funnel to direct the
oil or grease to the holes in the plug, and so it passes into the oil vessel.
In order that our said Invention may be most. fully understood and readily carried
into effect,, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lubricator constructed according to our
Invention.
a is an oil vessel; it has a stem a¹ adapted to be fixed into a socket on a steam
engine cylinder or other part working under pressure or vacuum; b is a hollow plug
having a cylindrical neck at 61; it screws into the mouth of the vessel a, and closes
it; c is a small tube forming a prolongation of the plug b, and passing down through
the stem a¹ of the oil vessel. The tube c is perforated at c¹, c², and c³. There are also
openings in the hollow plug b at 62, 63, and 6. d is a handle by which the plug b
is turned, when desired; for convenience, this handle is jointed to the plug; e is a
packing to form a tight joint around the neck of the plug when it is screwed down
into position for working, as it is shown in Figure 1.
We prefer to use an asbestos packing, such as has been used in the packing of
steam-cocks, and in putting in this packing it is well to insert with it discs of wire

page_text: gauze, which (separating the packing into layers) serve to keep it in its place and
prevent it fraying out under the friction of the plug; f is the gland nut for com-
pressing the packing. There is also an asbestos packing at g, serving to form a
steam-tight joint around the tube c.
In Figure 1, the packing g is put in by two side openings, and is compressed by
screws. In Figure 2, a similar lubricator is shown, in which this packing is some-
what differently applied, as the Drawing indicates.
When the lubricator is at work, the parts being in the positions in which they are
represented in Figure 1, the steam ascends the tube c, entering by the hole c'; it
passes up until above the level of the oil, and issues by the hole c³ into the interior
of the plug b, whence, by the hole 63, it reaches the upper part of the oil
vessel a.
We prefer to insert a regulating screw plug into the hole c³, as the entrance of the
steam into the vessel a should not, it is found in practice, be too free. When the
steam thus enters the lubricator, the oil flows out down the stem a¹ around the tube
c, which has a flat filed on one side, or is made a loose fit, so that the oil is able to
descend as far as the hole c², which hole it enters, and it travels down within the
tube påst the packing at g, and issues by the same hole c¹ which serves for the
entrance of the steam.
The plug is so formed at its lower end, at 60, that when screwed tightly down
it prevents the flow of the oil from the vessel a down the stem a', so that by
turning the plug the delivery of oil can at any time be arrested; or by easing it
slightly, a limited flow may be permitted.
Figure 2 represents the lubricator with the parts in the position for filling, the
plug being unscrewed; and it will be observed that as the plug is drawn up, the
hole c' in the tube c first passes into the packing g, and so closes the steam passage
into the lubricator; then, as the plug is further unscrewed, its neck rises out of
the packing e, and the hole 62 becomes exposed, affording a free passage to the
interior of the oil vessel a.
The oil to fill the apparatus is poured in at the top, the gland nut f serving as a
funnel, and passing by the holes 62 and 64 it flows into the vessel a. After filling by
the act of screwing down the plug the vessel a is first closed at the top, and then the
connection with the cylinder or part to be lubricated is reopened.
Figure 3 is an elevation; Figure 4, a vertical section; and Figure 5, an horizontal
section of a lubricator, differing in some respects from those previously described;
the oil vessel is provided with a glass, through which its contents are visible, and a
valve accessible from the exterior is provided, by means of which the passage at c³
is placed under control. h is the glass; it is inserted into a recess in the side of the
oil vessel, and rendered tight by a packing of asbestos rammed into the vessel all
around the edges of the glass. At the end of the recess the filling piece i is laid in
on the packing, and the packing is confined and compressed by screwing up the
nut ; is a cone valve working with a screw through the upper part of the plug b.
The stem of the valve passes through a stuffing box, and by turning the stem the
valve may be withdrawn to any desired extent from the end of the tube c, so
regulating the passage; or the passage may be closed altogether, which sometimes
necessary when it is desired to prevent the escape of oil; for even when the plug b
is secured tightly down it sometimes happens that oil will still pass out of the oil
vessel, water resulting from the condensation of steam accumulating in the oil vessel
until the level of the oil is raised so far as to cause it to flow over at c³.
lubricator presents several advantages; it is very regular in its action, no accumu
lation of heated water can take place in the oil vessel, it has but one moveable part,
which can be removed 'whenever necessary, and the joints also being made by
packing, they can always be made good without removing the lubricator from its
fixed position.
This
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim,―
First. The construction of a lubricator with a plug b, which by its motion endwise.

page_text: through suitable glands, serves to open and close in due order the passages into and
from the oil vessel, substantially as described.
Second. The construction of a lubricator with a tube c, which serves both to
deliver the steam (or fluid) into the hollow vessel above the level of the oil, and also
to convey the oil to the point where it is required to be delivered, substantially as
described.
Third. The construction of lubricators, substantially as described, and represented
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dewrance, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight..
JOHN DEWRANCE. (L.S.)