AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomas Smith, of Northampton, in the
County of Northampton, and Joel Watts, of Battersea, in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR."
Sealed the 26th September 1856, and dated the 31st March 1856,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomas Smith
and Joel Watts at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 31st March 1856.
We, GEORGE THOMAS SMITH, of Northampton, in the County of North-
ampton, and JOEL WATTS, of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare tho nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain novel mechanical arrangements con-
stituting improved lubricating apparatus to be employed for introducing oil
into the cylinders of steam and other engines, and to the working parts of
machinery generally, in a more efficient manner than heretofore.
The principle of construction of this improved lubricator is as follows:
I form a hollow dome-shaped vessel or reservoir, the bottom of which has a
hollow screw formed thereon or attached thereto, for connecting the lubricator
to the mechanism to be lubricated. A short piece of metal tube is securely
fixed to the reservoir, said tube having one or more rows of holes formed

page_text: around the upper and open end thereof. Into this tube a solid plunger is
inserted, the upper end of said plunger fitting in a hole in the dome top of the
reservoir. The aforesaid plunger, is employed for three purposes; first, for
excluding dust and dirt from. the oil. in the reservoir; secondly, for protecting
the oil from pressure of the steam or other pressure in the cylinder of an engine
during the filling of the tube of the lubricator with oil, such said combined
operations being effected by a valve, connected to the plunger by a rod or wire,
and a helical spring in the tube, the elastic force of which said spring holds
the valve in contact with its respective seat and keeps the bottom of the
plunger above the holes in the tube; thirdly, for injecting oil into the cylinder,
notwithstanding the pressure of the steam or other pressure therein. The
injecting operation is effected by striking a sharp blow on the top of the plunger,
by which the plunger will cover the holes in the tube, open the valve, and
force out the oil simultaneously and instantaneously, the valve closing upon
the external pressure being removed from the plunger. The reservoir is
charged with oil at the hole at top of the reservoir in which the plunger
fits, it being only necessary to press down the plunger sufficiently to admit the
spout of an oil can.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Thomas Smith and Joel Watts in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
THOMAS SMITH, of Northampton, in the County of Northampton, and JOEL
WATTS, of Battersea, in the County of Surrey, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs' and 'successors, give and grant unto us, the said
George Thomas Smith and Joel Watts, Her special licence that we," the
said George Thomas Smith and Joel Watts, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we; the said George Thomas Smith and Joel
Watts, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED LUBRICATOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Thonias Smith and
Joel Watts, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 George Thomas Smith and Joel
Watts, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in certain novel mechanical arrangements con-
stituting improved lubricating apparatus to be employed for introducing oil
into the cylinders of steam. and other engines, and to the working parts of
machinery generally, in a more efficient manner than heretofore.
The principle of construction of our improved lubricator is as follows:-We
form a hollow dome-shaped vessel or reservoir, the bottom of which has a
hollow screw formed therein or attached thereto for connecting the lubricator
to the mechanism to be lubricated. A short piece of metal tube is securely
fixed to the reservoir, said. tube having one or more rows of holes formed
around the upper and open end thereof. Into this tube a solid plunger is
inserted, the upper end of said plunger fitting in a hole in the dome-shaped top
of the reservoir. The aforesaid plunger is employed for three purposes; first,
for excluding dust and dirt from the oil in the reservoir; secondly, for protect-
ing the oil from pressure of the steam or other pressure in the cylinder of an
engine during the filling of the tube of the lubricator with oil, such said com-
bined operations being effected by a valve, connected to the plunger by a rod
or wire, and a helical spring in the tube, the elastic force of which said spring
holds the valve in contact with its respective seat, and keeps the bottom of the
plunger-above. the holes in the tube; thirdly, for injecting oil into the cylinder,
notwithstanding the pressure of the steam or other pressure therein. The
injecting operation is effected by striking a sharp blow on the top of the
plunger, by which the plunger will cover the holes in the tube, open the valve,
and force out the oil simultaneously and instantaneously, the valve closing
upon the external pressure being removed from the plunger. The reservoir is
charged. with oil at the hole at top of the reservoir in which the plunger fits,
it being only necessary.. to press down the plunger sufficiently to admit the
spout of an oil can.

page_text: proceed to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing
annexed to these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one of our improved lubricators adapted for
general purposes; Figure 2, a transverse and vertical section of the same,
taken through about the middle thereof; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of
another form of lubricator constructed according to our said improvements,
and adapted for locomotives. At each of the foregoing Figures we employ
similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts
appear, or can be seen at each of the said Figures respectively. A is a dome-
shaped metal vessel or reservoir, at the bottom whereof a screw a is formed for
connecting the lubricator to the mechanism to be lubricated; B, a screwed cover
for excluding dirt and dust from the oil in the reservoir. The reservoir A has
a short tube C fixed to or formed thereon, in which are formed openings c.
D is a hollow plunger, fitting the tube C in which it slides (if necessary) air-
tight, which may be effected by packing it, as at E, Figure 3; G is a rod, the
upper end of which has a screw formed thereon, and the lower end g is formed
conical, and serves the purpose of a valve, which fits into a corresponding seat
formed in the lower part of the vessel A, as at Figure 2; H is a nut for
connecting the rod G to the plunger D; I is a helical spring for keeping the
valye in forced contact with its seat. The mode of operating with the above
apparatus is as follows:-Supposing the reservoir A to be charged with oil, and
the several parts in the position exhibited at Figure 2, it will appear evident that
the part C of the tube C will also be filled with oil through the openings c
and when it is required to discharge oil from the lubricator, the same may be
effected by striking the head of the nut H a sharp blow, the effect of which is
to cause the plunger D to descend, thereby covering the holes c and shutting
off the communication with the reservoir A, at the same time opening the
valve and forcing the oil out of the tube into the part to be lubricated
notwithstanding there may be considerable pressure of steam or other pressure
therein, that is, supposing the lubricator to be applied to the cylinder of an
engine worked by steam or other power. Figure 3 exhibits an arrangement
of levers for enabling the engine driver or stoker to actuate the plunger by
nicans of said levers indirectly instead of directly, as before described and
We propose, if necessary, to employ a
represented at Figures 1 and 2.
9

page_text: additional valve to the top of the lubricator to counteract the pressure below
the same.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention of an improved
lubricator, together with the best means we are acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, we would remark, in conclusion, that what we
claim as our Invention, intended to be secured to us by the above in part
recited Letters Patent, is, the constructing of lubricators in the manner above
particularly described, set forth, and represented in the illustrative Drawing
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Thomas Smith and Joel Watts,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of Sep-
tember, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six..
5
Witness,
GEORGE THOMAS SMITH. (L.S.)
JOEL WATTS.
ALEX. PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.
(L.S.)