Improvements in the Lubrication of Slide Valves and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Lubrication of Slide Valves and the like.
(A communication by JEAN PIERRE SERVE, of 17, Quai de Cuire, Lyons (Rhône),:
in the Republic of France, Engineer).
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to a method of lubricating slide valves and the slides of
admission valves in use in steam engines, in which the lubrication of the surfaces
in contact is effected in an imperfect manner by means of oil introduced into the
valve boxes, which oil is rapidly drawn by the steam either into the cylinders or
into the feed pipes.
It has for its object to furnish simple and practical means for forcing the
lubricating oil to penetrate between the surfaces or the side face and the port
faces on which it rests, with the object of ensuring an effective and perfect
lubrication of these parts, thus reducing in great measure the work expended in
operating the slide valve and the wear and tear of the parts in contact with one
another.
The invention consists essentially in providing in the port face of the valve,
grooves surrounding the admission and exhaust ports, which grooves communicate.
by means of a pipe with a lubricator which can be fixed in any well known and
suitable manner in order that the oil which it contains may penetrate into the
valve box containing the movable slide valve, and which receives the steam
under pressure which acts upon the piston of the cylinder.
It is to be understood that the mode of action of this principle of effective
lubrication may be carried out in various ways.
In order to emphasize these facts, one of the ways which can be applied with
advantage to this end will be pointed out.
In one arrangement, the port face is provided with grooves of sufficient depth
to be capable of being covered by strips made to fit and shaped to exactly corres-
pond to the upper part of the grooves of which the walls may be straight or
inclined. In every case, these strips must leave the bottom of the grooves free
to form passages for the oil issuing from the exterior lubricator and they are
maintained in the grooves by means of screws fitted to their ends which prevent
them from projecting above the face of the slide.
In order to permit of the oil being distributed over the valve faces and to
bubricate the frictional parts, the strips which cover the grooves are provided with
light transverse notches formed in their sides, or if preferred with small holes
placed at a suitable distance apart. In this way the oil is able to penetrate into
all the parts where the friction of the valve prevails and in any desired quantity

page_text: in order to attain the end in view, the rate of feed depending upon the dimensions
given to the distributing holes or to the transverse notches.
It will be readily understood that the friction exercised by the valve upon the
port face, which is the result of the considerable pressure exerted upon this
valve by the steam contained in the valve box, will be found to be considerably
diminished, and that there will result a corresponding reduction of the work re-
quired for operating the slide valve and of the wear and tear of the parts in
contact with one another.
This simple arrangement of lubricating grooves presents the important ad-
vantage that it is applicable, not only in the case where the slide valve is hori-
zontal, but also where this valve is placed in a vertical or inclined position; it
will in fact be understood that the holes or passages bored in the closing strips
of these grooves can be reduced or enlarged at certain points of the port face
according as the slide valve occupies a position more or less approaching the
vertical, in order that the oil proceeding from the lubricator may be distributed
in an almost regular manner over all the surface of this face whatever the
inclination may be.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the arrangement or
to the mode of forming the lubricating grooves hereinbefore described,, thus for
example, the grooves can be replaced by longitudinal and transverse conduits
arranged in the thickness of the port face and pierced uniformly with small holes,
which permit the oil to enter between the friction surfaces or faces of the slide
valve. Likewise also any kind of lubricator acting automatically or otherwise
may be employed in order to feed the grooves or the conduits above referred to,
and this lubricator may be fed with oil or any other suitable liquid lubricant.
Finally, it is to be understood that in place of the lubricating oil entering
through the port face, it can be caused to enter through the valve face.
In this arrangement the valve spindle is penetrated by a central conduit which
receives oil from an exterior lubricator which is fixed to the valve spindle or if
preferred can be coupled to this shaft by a flexible tube.
As already mentioned at the beginning of this specification this system of lubri-
cation which has just been described is applicable with similar advantages to
sliding valves employed to regulate the admission of steam to motors and especially
to the regulators of locomotives. The arrangements which it is best to employ
in this case in order to ensure the entrance of the lubricating oil into the re-
gulators are the same as those indicated above; in certain cases, however, cover-
ing the grooves with strips can be dispensed with, the oil carried away by the
current of steam serving at the same time for lubricating the cylinders of the
motor.
Date T Ja of T..1 1007
Improvements in the Lubrication of Slide Valves and the like.
(A communication by JEAN PIERRE SERVE, of 17, Quai de Cuire, Lyons (Rhône),
in the Republic of France, Engineer).
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, & 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, & 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,

page_text: do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to a method of lubricating slide valves and the slides of
admission valves in use in steam engines, in which the lubrication of the surfaces
in contact is effected in an imperfect manner by means of oil introduced into the
valve boxes, which oil is rapidly drawn by the steam either into the cylinders or
into the feed pipes.
It has, for its object to furnish simple and practical means for forcing the
lubricating oil to penetrate between the valve proper or slide face and the seat
or port faces on which it rests, with the object of ensuring an effective and
perfect lubrication of these parts, thus reducing in great measure the work ex-
pended in operating the slide valve and the wear and tear of the parts in contact
with one another.
The practical arrangements by which the object of this invention is realised will
now be shown by various examples reference being made to the accompanying
drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a slide valve with lubricating passage in the
thickness of the seat or port face of the valve.
Figure 2 a plan view of the port face of the valve showing the position of the
lubricating passages.
Figure 3 a section on an enlarged scale of a lubricating arrangement.
Figure 4 a view in perspective with parts in section of the seat of a slide valve
improved as regards the lubrication.
Figure 5 a vertical section of said seat.
Figure 6 a section of a portion of the seat of a supposed vertical slide valve
showing a special arrangement for ensuring the circulation of the oil.
Figure 7 a section of a slide valve in which the lubricating oil comes into the
valve proper.
Figure 8 a transverse section of a slide valve showing a method of distributing
the oil by means of passages and channels formed in the valve proper.
Figure 9 a plan view of the valve proper, assuming the cover of the steam chest
or valve box to be removed.
Figure 10 a view in section of an arrangement for lubricating a vertical slide
valve with passages and channels formed in the valve proper.
Figure 11 a front view of the valve proper, assuming the cover of the steam
chest or valve box to be removed.
Figure 12 a transverse section of a slide valve showing a means of lubrication
by horizontal and vertical passages formed in the thickness of the port face or
seat of the slide valve.
Figure 13 a plan view of a slide valve, assuming the cover of the steam chest
or valve box and the valve proper to be removed also showing a projecting flange
or edge on the seat.
Figures 14 and 15 are transverse section and plan view respectively of a slide
valve seat having an inserted frame and serving to show a special means of
lubrication.
Figure 16 a section on the line Z Z of Figure 15 showing a means of lubrication
employed when the slide valve is vertical or inclined.
The invention consists essentially as shown in Figures 1 and 2 in providing in
the seat or port face A of the valve, grooves a surrounding the admission ports L
and exhaust ports L', which grooves communicate by means of a pipe b with a
lubricator B which can be fixed in any well known and suitable manner in order
that the oil which it contains may penetrate into the valve box C containing the
movable slide valve D, and which receives the steam under pressure which acts
upon the piston of the cylinder.
It is to be understood that the mode of action of this principle of effective
lubrication may be carried out in various ways.

page_text: In the arrangement shown on a larger scale in Figure 3 the port face A is
provided with grooves of sufficient depth to be capable of being covered by strips d
made to fit and shaped to exactly correspond to the upper part of the grooves of
which the walls may be straight or inclined. In every case, these strips d must
leave the bottom of the grooves free to form passages e for the oil issuing from the
exterior lubricator B and they are maintained in the grooves by means of screws f
fitted to their ends which prevent them from projecting above the face of the
slide.
In order to permit of the oil being distributed over the port face A and to
lubricate the frictional parts, the strips d which cover the grooves are provided
with light transverse notches g Figures 2 and 3 formed in their sides, or if pre-
ferred with small holes placed at a suitable distance apart. In this way the oil
is able to penetrate into all the parts where the friction of the valve D prevails
and in any desired quantity in order to attain the end in view, the rate of feed
depending upon the dimensions given to the distributing holes or to the transverse
notches g.
Instead of employing notches and strips, they may be replaced by longitudinal
and transverse passages a formed in the seat or port face of the slide valve and
communicating by small holes suitably distributed over the surface of the port
face. Such passages a are shown in Figures 1 and 3.
It will be. readily understood that the friction exercised by the valve D upon
the seat or port face A, which is the result of the considerable pressure exerted
upon this valve by the steam contained in the chest or valve box C, will be found
to be considerably diminished, and that there will result a corresponding reduction
of the work required for operating the slide valve and of the wear and tear of the
parts in contact with one another.
Figures 4 and 5 show another arrangement of lubrication obtained as follows:-
The periphery of the port face or seat A of the slide valve has a groove a of
rectangular section in which a metallic frame d is fitted with precision and the
upper face of which exactly reaches the level (Figure 5) of the seat A
smoothed on its upper surface to form the slide surface for the valve. This
frame d is fixed and held solidly in place by means of screws f with counter-
sunk heads, and is bevelled off at its lower part, as shown in Figure 4, so as to
form with the wall of the groove a triangular passage m in which the lubricating
oil arrives by a little passage 6 formed in the thickness of the seat of the slide
valve. Finally the frame d is fixed by means of screws f in such a way as to form
a joint at the bottom of the groove a, a slight clearance only being allowed
between the inner lateral face and the corresponding side of the said groove in
order to enable the oil arriving by the passage m to pass through the narrow slot n
thus formed and to spread over the surface of the seat in order to ensure the
perfect lubrication of the valve proper.
It will also be seen in Figure 4 that no lubricating passage is formed in the
transverse partitions which separate the admission and exhaust ports L and L
which prevents any considerable part of the oil being carried away through the
said exhaust port by the steam discharged from the cylinders.
It is evident that the groovo a instead of having a triangular section, may
assume various forms, thus in the left hand part of Figures and 5 the inner
vertical side of said groove is shown bevelled off obliquely towards the bottom
which has for its effect to increase the section of the passage m giving passage
to the lubricating oil, but of course any other equivalent arrangement may be
employed.
When the valve is placed in an inclined or vertical position, it may be of
advantage to employ certain means intended to ensure the equal distribution of
the oil which would otherwise tend to flow in excess over the lowest part of the
seat of the slide valve.
Figure 6 shows an arrangement for attaining this result, in which metallic

page_text: strips or fillings k having the same section as the oil circulation channels m are
placed in the said channels and the faces of said fillings are provided with
sufficiently deep longitudinal grooves; in this manner these passages are divided
into several separate channels the respective adjacent ends of which may be easily
caused to communicate so that each of them supplies one of the slots n of the
rectangular seat of the valve. The same result might also be obtained but in a
less perfect manner by inserting in the passages m groups of metallic threads or
the like which divide them equally into several narrow passages capable of retain-
ing the oil and preventing it falling immediately into the lower part of the
passages m.
In case the system is to be applied to an expansion gear slide valve comprising
the use of two superposed movable valves and each actuated by separate eccentrics
it will be sufficient, in order to ensure the lubrication of the upper valve or the
expansion valve, to form in the lower distributing valve the effective lubrication
of which is ensured in the manner hereinbefore indicated, vertical holes of very
small diameter in which the oil arriving by the slots n will be raised by capillary
attraction and thus will penetrate into the interstice or interval between the two
superposed valves.
Instead of forming the lubricating channels in the port face or seat of the slide
valve they may in certain cases if preferred be formed in the valve proper, and
some examples of these arrangements will now be described.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 7, it is seen that the rod h which actuates
the valve proper D of the slide valve has a central passage i which receives the
oil from an external lubricator B which is mounted on the rod h or which may be
connected to this rod by means of a flexible pipe if preferred. The oil penetrates
into a passage or channel q formed in the thickness of the periphery of the valve
proper and lubricates the friction surfaces by means of a series of suitably spaced
holes o.
Figure 8 is a vertical section and Figure 9 a plan view of another mode of
carrying out the invention. The oil is supplied by a lubricator B mounted on
the centre of the slide valve cover or steam chest, and the said oil falls drop by
drop on the upper face of the valve proper D which is formed with a concave
surface at the lowest part of which there is a hole t. From this hole there diverge
several channels such as p formed in the upper wall of the valve D and continued
in its side walls in order to connect with a passage q formed in the flange of the
valve. Small holes o sufficiently close together to ensure a good lubrication of
the slide surface of the slide valve bring the oil for their lubrication. It is evident
that by this arrangement all the parts of the slide surface of the valve will be
lubricated and also the parts of the flanges as well as the parts lying transversely
between the steam admission and exhaust ports.
This arrangement is no longer applicable when the valve is vertical instead
of horizontal, but in such case another arrangement is made use of as shown in
Figure 10 in vertical section and Figure 11 in elevation.
In order to ensure a better lubrication two lubricators B are employed screwed
into the thick parts of the flanges of the cover or chest and which supply oil
to the steam distributing chamber by means of small passages or channels formed
in the wall of the cover or chest. As may be seen in Figures 10 and 11, this
oil is collected on the hollow surfaces of the flange of the valve proper D and flows
by means of two holes t into a channel q formed along all the periphery of the
surface of the valve D in contact with the seat of the valve. It is evident that
the oil will be first distributed in the horizontal channel formed in the highest
face of the valve D and that it will descend. in the channels in the side walls
All
in order to pass into the horizontal channel in the lowest face of the valve.
parts of the seat of the slide valve are thus lubricated, the horizontal as well as
the vertical ones.
In the method of lubrication shown in Figures 12 and 13 the oil is conveyed

page_text: between the friction surfaces of the valve seat and the valve proper by a series
of small suitably spaced openings such as o. It is shown on the right hand of
Figures 12 and 13 that these small openings are interconnected by a channel a
formed in the surface of the valve seat. The object of this channel is to allow
the oil to spread more freely over the whole periphery of the surface of the seat
and thus to ensure a better lubrication. It should be noted that the orifices for
admitting the oil are merely distributed over the whole periphery of the surface
of the seat and that there are none on the surface of the partitions separating
the admission and exhaust ports. They are omitted from the partitions in order
to prevent the oil being carried away and wasted by the discharged steam.
It will be seen in the sectional view Figure 12 that the orifices o are the points
where the small vertical passages 62 formed in the wall of the seat, terminate, the
said vertical passages being continued by other horizontal passages b' which open
to the outside of the slide valve.
In order to supply oil to these various passages a pipe V is arranged outside
the slide valves, running all round them and which is more or less approached
thereto according as the arrangements of each particular case allow. This pipe V
is placed in communication with each of the little passages 61 by a series of
adjutages 6 and as may be seen in Figure 13 there is a special adjutage for each
passage b¹. If desired the pipe V may be replaced by a channel or passage bored'
in the solid metal.
Whatever may be its position the pipe or passage V is fed with oil from a
lubricator such as B, and if deemed desirable a second lubricator may be arranged
on the opposite side of the slide valve. Instead of using a single lubricating
pipe V communicating by adjutages with the small passages 6', in certain
particular cases each passage 61 may be fed by a separate pipe and lubricator.
The means of lubrication indicated on the left hand side of Figures 14 and 15
is applicable to slide valves where there is a frame arranged in the seat or port
face. In this arrangement it is seen that the internal passage which brings the
oil into the whole periphery of the valve seat is dispensed with, it being sufficient
to convey the oil by one or more passages such as b¹ up to the slot n resulting
from the slight interval which exists between the vertical surfaces of the frame
and the groove in which it is fitted. The oil in consequence of its fluidity when
it is warm will penetrate into the joint and be distributed over the whole of the
valve seat in order to lubricate the surfaces in friction.
In the case of worn slide valves which require to have the seat or slide plate
entirely replaced, it is evident that in order to apply this system of lubrication
the slide plate must be made in two parts as is shown in the right hand half of
Figures 14 and 15 so as to have a joint by which the oil may arrive on the surfaces
of the slide plate of the valve.
Of course the inserted slide plate may be in one piece but then the oil arrives
by a passage formed under the said plate and penetrates between the friction
surfaces by means of little vertical or inclined passages.
When the slide valves are inclined or vertical, grooves 9 may be employed on
the internal surfaces of the part n as shown in Figure 16 which is a section of
the valve seat on the line of Figure 15. This arrangement has the advantage
of distributing the oil at different points of the seat of the valve and of preventing
any oil accumulating in the lower part of the vertical or inclined slide valve.
It is evident that the arrangements hereinbefore described for lubricating the
slide valves of steam engines may be also applied with equal advantage to re-
gulators for taking steam from the boilers of locomotives, as well as to all kinds
of sliding valves for admitting steam.
It is of course understood that the various lubricating arrangements herein-
before described are given as examples of means for carrying out the invention
but of course modifications may be introduced by combining differently the
Brrangements shown.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-.
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The improved system of lubricating the slide valves or the like of steam
engines, which consists essentially in forming either in the seat of the valve or
in the valve proper, passages suitably arranged for bringing the oil or other
suitable lubricant between the friction surfaces substantially as herein before set
forth.
2. In a system of lubrication such as described for slide valves or the like, form-
ing in the periphery of the seat of the slide valve grooves provided with strips or
fillings, or passages communicating with an external lubricator and communi-
cating by means of slots, narrow passages, or holes with the various points travelled
over by the valve proper in order to lubricate the friction surfaces, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3. In a system of lubrication such as described for slide valves or the like, the
arrangement of a metallic frame such as d, Figure 4, lodged in a groove formed
in the periphery of the valve seat and suitably bevelled off in its lower part,.
said metallic frame forming a passage for distributing the lubricating oil over
the whole surface of the valve and only allowing oil to penetrate between the
friction surfaces by a fine slot n, any intermediate transverse passages between
the ports being in this case dispensed with in order to avoid any carrying away
of the lubricating oil by the exhaust steam, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The application of the herein described system of lubrication to vertical or
inclined slide valves, comprising the combination with a metallic frame such as d;
Figure 6, lodged in a groove formed in the periphery of the valve seat in the
thickness of the metal and suitably bevelled off or cut away in its lower part, of an
arrangement in the oil distributing passages of strips or fillings having longi-
tudinal grooves, or of groups or strings of metallic threads or the like, with the
object of dividing the said passages into smaller passages supplying the various
sides of the slide valve and of retaining the oil in the upper part of the passages,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In expansion slide valves comprising the use of superposed valves actuated
independently, the application of the herein described system of lubrication by
forming on the periphery of the lower movable valve proper, slots or small holes
allowing the oil to come in contact with the upper movable valve proper, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In a system of lubrication such as described for slide valves or the like,
feeding the oil by means of a passage formed in the rod of the slide valve, into
a passage formed in the whole periphery of the projecting flange of the valve
proper whence it is distributed over the surface of the seat of the slide valve by
small suitably spaced holes, substantially as described with reference to Figure 7
of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a system of lubrication such as described for horizontal slide valves,
feeding the oil onto a hollow surface in the upper part of the valve proper, and
causing the said oil to flow by means of a series of passages formed in the side
walls of the valve into a passage formed in the whole periphery of its projecting
flange from whence it is distributed over the surface of the seat of the slide
valve by means of small suitably spaced holes, substantially as described with
reference to Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
8. In the lubrication of a vertical or inclined slide valve by the herein des-
cribed system of lubrication the means for collecting the oil in a recess formed
on the upper horizontal wall of the valve proper and the distribution of this oil
by means of two or more passages in a groove formed along the whole periphery
of the valve face which rubs on the seat of the slide valve substantially as des-
cribed with reference to Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
9. In a system of lubrication such as described for slide valves or the like,
boring in the seat of the slide valve a series of suitably spaced vertical passages

page_text: intended to bring the oil for lubricating the friction surfaces, the said vertical
passages connecting with horizontal passages opening to the outside of the slide
valve, and the oil being conveyed into the horizontal passages by an external
pipe which runs all round the slide valve and which communicates with the
said horizontal passages by a series of nozzles or adjutages, substantially as des-
cribed with reference to Figures 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
10. In the lubrication of slide valves with an inserted frame by the herein
described system of lubrication, the utilization of the slit which exists between
the surface of the frame and dat of the groove in which it is lodged, for
bringing the oil onto the seat, and the conducting of the oil to this groove or slit
by means of one or more passages such as ', grooves being made if desired in
the surfaces of the joint in order to have a more regular lubrication, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
11. In the lubrication of slide valves having a raised seat in one piece, means
for causing the oil to penetrate between the friction surfaces consisting in bring-
ing it into a hollow channel or groove either in the under surface of the seat or
even in the table on which it rests, and in causing the said oil to come onto the
face of the said seat by means of small vertical or inclined passages formed in
its thickness, the channel for bringing the oil having either a uniform or an
increasing section, substantially as hereinbefore described.
12. The application of the system of lubrication herein before described to the
regulators of locomotives and generally to all kinds of sliding valves serving for
the admission of steam in motors or other apparatus fed by steam, substantially
as herein before set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1907
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.