Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 6th Apr., 1889
I, GEORGE DOWNING, of 8 Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be
as follows:
The object of my Invention is to manufacture improved lubricators for steam
engine cylinders.
My Invention consists of a reservoir of any convenient form, the lower end of
which is fitted with a valve box and double seated valve. The valve works in a
small vertical cylinder, having a valve seat at each end. The valve consists of a
spindle having an annular valve at each end. The distance between the faces of the
valve is somewhat greater than the length of the cylinder and the distance between
the two seats, so that only one face of the valve can rest upon its seat at one and the
same time.
The upper end of the valve box is fitted with a tube, (open at the top) which
reaches nearly to the top of the reservoir. The lower end of the valve box
communicates with the cylinder by means of a pipe. The reservior is fitted with a
gauge glass to shew the height of the condensed water and oil, or oil only, in the
reservoir. A receptacle for condensed water; a blow-off and communicating cock
and a pipe leading to the upper end of the condensed water chamber are also
fitted.
The spindle of the valve is formed with longitudinal grooves, which receive small
quantities of lubricant from above, and convey such quantities downwards to the
steam engine cylinder.
The operation of the lubricator is as follows:-When the valve has been raised by
the pressure of steam on one side of the steam piston, it lifts the valve; the oil or
other lubricant then enters the grooves in the spindle of the valve, and remains there
while the valve is held up. A small quantity of steam finds its way to the condenser
of the lubricator, and acts upon the condensed water therein, forcing some of the
water back into the reservoir, wherein it exerts some pressure and lifts the oil
;

page_text: When the end of the steam engine cylinder is exhausting its steam, the valve falls
and the lubricant leaves the grooves and descends to the cylinder.
The oil floats upon the condensed water in the reservoir and is raised thereby
above the level of the overflow pipe, which pipe carries the oil down to the
valve.
The grooves in the valve spindle are formed proportionally to the quantity of oil or
other lubricant required to he supplied to the cylinder at each stroke of the piston,
and according to the fluidity of the lubricant.
The above described arrangement admits only constant regulated quantities of the
lubricant. But in order to provide means for lifting the valve and admitting a
constant supply, when necessary, or for supplying the slide valve, I fit a horizontal
spindle below the valve of the lubricator, one end of which passes through a stuffing
box, and is fitted with a milled head. An internal collar is also fitted to prevent
the spindle being blown out. The inner end of this spindle is made eccentric, or
partly cut away, or otherwise formed, so that, on its being turned round the inner
end raises the valve, as required, when a constant unintermittent flow of the lubricant
takes place.
My Invention may be adapted to either high or low pressure steam engine
cylinders and valves.

page_text: Improvements in Steam Engine Lubricators.
I GEORGE DOWNING, of 8 Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to manufacture improved lubricators for steam engine
cylinders and slide valves.
My invention consists of a reservoir of any convenient form, the lower end of
which is fitted with a valve box and double scated valve. The valve works in a
small vertical cylinder, having a valve seat at each end.
The action of the valve, and the consequent supply of the lubricating material,
is rendered automatic and intermittent by the variations of pressure in the steam
engine cylinder, arising from the conditions of admission and exhaust.
I also provide for a constant supply of lubricant, when necessary, such constant
supply being governed by hand, as desired.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, showing the arrangement of the apparatus, when
fitted to high pressure non-condensing engines; and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation,
showing its form, when fitted to condensing engines.
a is the valve cylinder, which is smoothly bored from end to end. c is the valve
spindle. b is an annular face secured to the spindle by the nut d. is another annular
face which may be formed in one with the spindle.
The spindle c has grooves e e formed in various parts of its cylindrical portion,
to receive small quantities of oil or other lubricant. In fig. 3 these grooves are
shown in section.
g is the stem of the lubricator, to which the valve cylinder a is screwed. h is
the upper portion of the stem, similarly united to the valve cylinder a.
Referring to Fig. 1 the stem g is placed in communication with one end of the
cylinder, and the tube E is placed in communication with the other end of the
cylinder.
k is a collar screwed to the stem h, and sustaining the receiver A. B is a chamber
for condensed water formed by the condensation of the steam. C is a tube which
carries the lubricant to the valve c. D is a gauge glass to show the level of the
F is a communicating
m is a screw plug for the insertion of the lubricant.
water.
and blow off cock.
When the valve c has been raised by the steam, pressing upon the end 6', the
lubricant is admitted into the slots ee of the valve spindle c which valve remains
lifted until the reversal of the engine. When this has taken place the valve 61 falls
from its sent; the pressure of the steam from the other end of the cylinder is then

page_text: communicated to the surface of the water in B, and, through the passage n to the
water in A. The oil or other lubricant floats upon the water in A, which rises with
the pressure, and carries the lubricant to the openings o at the top of the tube C,
consisting of small holes to admit the lubricant into the tube C. The small quantity
of lubricant contained in the grooves e e of the valve spindle c at the same time is
carried down through the stem g to the cylinder. When the pressure is withdrawn
from B, the same cycle of operations is repeated, the valve alternately receiving and
delivering lubricant as above described.
It will be observed that I make the pipe C reach nearly to the top of the receiver A,
in order that the water, which is heavier than the lubricating material may
be kept away from the valve c, while the oil or other lubricant is raised to the top of
the tube, by the water.
Referring to Fig. 2, A is the receiver for the lubricant, which is left open to the
atmosphere. In this form of the apparatus the pressure of the steam upon the valve b¹
raises the same; whereupon the grooves e e become filled with lubricant. On the
reversal of the engine, the pressure is removed from 6 and the atmospheric pressure
above causes the valve 6' to fall away from its seat and closes the valve b. The
lubricant then descends to the cylinder.
When it is desirable to increase the flow of the lubricant from any cause or to
make it constant, the valve may be partially lifted by the rod A¹ (Fig. 2). This rod
may be fitted with an eccentric cam, or it may be cut away (as shown) so as to
lift the valves when turned round, and leave both seats free. The rod A' is fitted
with a shoulder B₁ and a milled head D¹. C' is the packing, which bears against
the shoulder B¹. By these means a constant flow of lubricant may be secured.
Both forms of the apparatus shown may be thus fitted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The manufacture and use of lubricators for steam engine cylinders and slide
valves, fitted with double seated valves 61 united by a spindle c provided with
grooves for receiving and passing the lubricant, the valves being actuated by the
variations in the pressure of steam, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
2. In the construction of lubricators as aforesaid, the combination therewith of
the receiver A containing the lubricating material, connected near its lower end,
by the passage n, with the chamber B, and fitted with a central tube C provided
with openings o at its upper end, whereby the lubricating material, by means of the
condensed water is raised and caused to enter the tube C and thereby to reach the
valves band ; the chamber B communicating, by means of the tube E, with one
end of the steam cylinder so that the pressure of steam from that end of the steam
cylinder, may be communicated through E B A and C, to the valve b, and the steam
pressure from the other end of the cylinder to the valve b¹, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of the several and
respective parts, together forming my improvements in steam engine lubricators,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 15th February 1889