Improvements in and connected with Lubricators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Lubricators.
I, GEORGE ALBERT BURWELL, residing at Toledo, in the County of Lucas, and
State of Ohio, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to a forced-feed lubricator by which the oil is injected
or sprayed into the cylinder and onto the piston by the pressure of the gas, steam,
air, or other expansive medium employed to drive the engine,
It is specially designed for use on caloric or explosive air or gas engines but
it is also applicable to steam engines on which it works with much greater
efficiency and economy of the lubricant than the devices now in ordinary use
for this purpose.
The accompanying drawing show my invention in the best form now known
to me but certain changes in the details of construction and relative arrange-
ment of the parts might be made therein, within the skill of a good mechanic
and not requiring the exercise of invention, without departing from the spirit
of my invention as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a gas-engine cylinder partly in section with
my improved lubricator applied thereto and shown in full vertical section.
Figure 2, is a perspective section of a portion of the base of my lubricator,
Figure 3, is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the feed regu-
lator and the filling tube leading to the reservoir.
Figure 4, is a similar view of the screw nipple at the bottom of the reservoir.
Figure 5, is a similar view of the drip cup or nipple at the bottom of the sight
chamber.
Figure 6, is a cross section of the screwed stem of this cup on the line r, a
of Figure 5, and
Figure 7, is a bottom plan view of the drip cup.
In the drawings I have shown my lubricator as applied to the cylinder a, of
a gas engine surrounded by a water jacket b, and having a piston c, which is
shown at or near the end of its stroke and below the exhaust port d. The piston
is provided with the usual expansive spring packing rings e The cylinder bas
two openings f, and g, extending across the water space and through the outer
jacket. The upper one of these openings is preferably so located, relatively to
the exhaust port that the latter will be partially opened by the downward pas-
sage of the piston and contents of the cylinder partly exhausted and its pres-
sure being reduced to the desired extent before the opening f, is uncovered by
the piston and exposed to the reduced pressure of gas or steam in the cylinder
which projects the piston downwards. The lower opening g, is about opposite
the piston rings e, e, at the end, of the piston stroke.
My lubricator is formed with a base h, which is secured to the face of the
cylinder by screws and which is provided with a horizontal hored recess or

page_text: chamber i, in line with the opening f, and the channel j, leading from said
chamber to the opening g, in the side of the cylinder.
A rod k, is located in the chamber i, and carries two pistons which snugly fit
within the bore of the chamber. The outer one of these pistons is plain while
the other is provided with a series of notches or grooves extending across its
face to admit of the continuous passage of the oil to the space between the two
and into the channel j, when the pistons are in the positions shown in
Pigure 1, down the chance they are the boys are ing), located between the
rear face of the inner piston and the back end of the chamber. Preferably the
bore of the chamber is slightly larger than the diameter of the passage f, so
that the outer piston on the rod k, is stopped against the abutment m, when
thrust forward by the spring.
The oil reservoir n, and the sight chamber o, below it are preferably cast in
one piece and screwed into the projecting end of that portion of the base con-
taining the chamber or recess i. The sides of the sight chamber o, may be left
open, or glazed as shown p, if desired.
The upper end of the reservoir is open and tapped for the reception of the
screw threads 9, on the tubular portion r, of the feed-regulator stem. This
tubular portion is closed at its bottom and has a side openings, through which
oil poured into the upper end of the tube may flow out into the reservoir.
A stiff wire stem t, extends from the tubular portion of the regulator and
carries at its lower end a pointed bulb u, which projects into the opening v, lead-
ing from the reservoir. The upper end of the tubular portion of the regulator
is provided with a milled flange w, by means of which it may be turned and
screwed up or down to increase or decrease the size of the opening around the
bulb u.
A washer, surrounds the tube and rests against the flat top surface
of the reservoir and is held in close contact therewith by a spring y, also sur-
rounding the tube and bearing against the under side of the milled flange.
The opening from the bottom of the reservoir is formed in a nipple z, screwed
into place from the open sight chamber and provided with a tapering nozzle 1,
through which is a small hole to permit of the drop by drop feed of the oil.
A drip cup or nipple 2, is screwed into the aperture between the sight chamber
and the plunger chamber i, in the base. The central recess or opening 3, in
the top of this drip cup is located directly beneath the nozzle 1, and is rounded
or flaring so as to catch all the drops from the nozzle. The opening 3, extends
only about half way down the length of the cup where its communicates with
cross apertures 4, which extend through the walls of the cup and open into
vertical grooves 5, cut into the outer screw threaded surface of the neck of the
cup. These grooves are deeper than the screw threads so as to afford clear pas-
sages for the drops of oil passing through them, and they extend the entire
length of the neck of the cup and terminate in a circular space 6, under the top
of the cup. By this construction any oil forced back or up the grooves 5, by
pressure of steam or gas from the cylinder which might find its way past the
piston on the rod k, will be carried past the cross openings 4, and collected in
the space 6, under the head of the cup from whence it will flow down the grooves
when the gas or steam pressure ceases.
When the parts of the lubricator are in the positions shown in Figure 1, the
oil passes drop by drop into the back end of the chamber i, and finds its way
through the grooves in the inner piston to the channel in which it accumulates
in sufficient quantity.
When the piston again comes down after an explosion and uncovers the open-
ing f; the expanding gases or steam, rush into this opening driving the piston
back to the position shown in Figure 2, exposing the entrance to the channel j,
down which the gases rush and force out the accumulated lubricant against
the surfaces of the piston and its rings the rush of gases tending to spray the
oil.
It will thus be seen that all of the oil passing into the cylinder is projected

page_text: directly against the wearing surfaces where it is needed, and that this occurs
in gas engines after each explosion stroke of the piston so that sure and thorough
lubrication is affected with no waste of material.
In steam engines the use of my device will effect a great saving in lubricant
over the method now generally in use in which the oil is injected into the steam
pipe leading to the cylinder and commingles with the steam which is the agent
for the distribution of the oil to the wearing surfaces. As only a minute portion
of the oil-charged steam comes into contact with these surfaces and then rushes
off through the exhaust carrying away the balance of the oil still in suspension
it follows that of all the oil that enters a steam cylinder under this method of
lubrication only a very small fraction of one per cent. can be effectively lodged
upon the wearing surfaces, the balance going to waste out of the exhaust port.
By the use of my device all the oil is projected directly against the wearing
surfaces and an enormous saving effected over the old method.
In the construction of my device I use two pistons on the rod k, in the cham-
ber, but the second or inner one with its grooved periphery is merely a guide
and might be dispensed with and other suitable well known means for holding
the inner end of the rod k, in alignment be employed in its stead. The outer
piston however which reciprocates across the opening, of the channel is an
essential and indispensable feature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a lubricator the combination of a chamber with an inlet opening, an
outlet opening leading from the chamber, means for delivering a regulated supply
of oil to the chamber and movable means in the chamber reciprocating across
the mouth of the outlet channel alternately connecting said channel directly to
the inlet opening and to the oil supply, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a cylinder and its piston, of a lubricator provided
with a pressure channel communicating with said cylinder and alternately
covered and uncovered by said piston, and an outlet channel communicating with
said cylinder, means for delivering a regulated supply of oil to said outlet
channel, and means for closing said oil supply and establishing direct communi-
cation between said channels when the pressure channel is uncovered, so as to
exert pressure through said outlet channel, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a cylinder and its moving piston, two apertures through
the side of the cylinder. a lubricating device attached to the cylinder, a chamber
in said device opening into one of said apertures and a channel leading from
the chamber to the other aperture, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said chamber
and a spring to press the piston to a position between the channel mouth and
the aperture leading into the cylinder, with means for delivering a regulated
supply of oil into the chamber behind the piston.
4. The combination of a cylinder and its moving piston, an exhaust port near
the end of the cylinder, two apertures through the side of the cylinder the inner
one located at or near the plane of the outer edge of the exhaust port and the
other nearer to the end of the cylinder, a lubricating device attached to the
cylinder, a chamber in said device opening into the inner aperture of the cylinder
and a channel leading from the chamber to the other aperture of the cylinder,
a piston adapted to reciprocate in said chamber and a spring to press the piston
to a position between the mouth of the channel and the aperture leading into
the cylinder, with means for delivering a regulated supply of oil into the chamber
behind the piston.
5. In a lubricating device the combination of the chamber i, a piston rod
provided with a piston and a guide fitting the bore of the chamber, the said
guide having a series of grooves or notches across its periphery, a spring between
said guide and the end of the chamber and a channel communicating with the

page_text: chamber at a point between the piston and the guide when in their normal posi-
tion with means for delivering a regulated supply of oil into the chamber behind
the guide.
6. The combination of a cylinder with two apertures, a lubricating device
having a chamber, communicating with one of said apertures, a channel lead-
ing from the chamber to the other aperture, a spring pressed piston, adapted
to reciprocate in said chamber across the mouth of the channel with a drip cup
fitting in an aperture leading into the chamber and having a closed recess under
its head or top, vertical side grooves in the shank of the cup leading into said
recess, a central cavity in the upper end of the cup and horizontal passages lead-
ing from the bottom of this cavity to the side grooves substantially as set forth.
7. In a lubricator the combination of the chamber i, a channel leading there-
from, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said chamber, a drip cup screwed into
the top of said chamber behind the piston, the head or flange of the cup being
undercut and fitting at its edge against the surface of the part into which the
cup.is screwed forming a closed recess, vertical side grooves in the screwed shank
of the cup leading into said closed recess, a central cavity having a flaring mouth
at the top of the cup and horizontal passages leading from the bottom of the
cavity to the vertical side grooves substantially as set forth.
8. In a lubricator the combination of a reservoir and the sight chamber below
the reservoir with the feed passage connecting them, the drip cup with central
flaring cavity located below the feed passage and provided with transverse pas-
sages and vertical side grooves as described, with means for regulating the size
of the opening leading from the reservoir substantially as described.
Tind this th dow of October 1800
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.