Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 11th Nov,, 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
J, HENRY BAMFORD of 16 White Lion Street Pentonville, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to automatically maintain the supply of oil at one
uniform level, in the cisterns of lubricators, used for gas engines and other purposes.
My invention consists of a vessel (preferably of glass) which I call the reservoir.
From the lowest part of this reservoir, a pipe communicates with the cistern of the
lubricator. Tracing the course of this pipe from the cistern, it must rise at all points,
and the reservoir must be entirely above its upper end.
The orifice at the lowest end of this pipe, must be in such a position, that the oil in
the cistern covers it when it is at the desired level, and thus prevents the air from
returning up the pipe until the surface of the oil is lowered.
The reservoir must be so constructed, that no air can enter it except through the
pipe before mentioned, when it is in operation.
For the convenience of filling, the upper part of the reservoir is perforated with an
opening. This opening is made air tight by a valve, which closes it from the inside
of the reservoir. This valve is pressed upwards into its seating, by a spiral spring or
other suitable means. This valve is attached to a spindle which projects downwards,
and carries another valve, which opens and closes the orifice in the upper end of the
pipe communicating with the cistern of the lubricator.
This spindle is also carried through the opening in the upper side of the reservoir,
and terminates in a button which can be pressed down by the hand.
The position of these valves on the spindle is such, that when the upper valve is
opened for filling (by pressing down the button) the lower valve closes the orifice in
the upper end of the pipe, and prevents the oil escaping into the cistern of the
lubricator. When the pressure on the button is removed, the upper valve is returned
to its seating by the spiral spring, which at the same time lifts the lower valve, and
opens the communication with the cistern of the lubricator.
Dated this 12th day of February 1887

page_text: I, HENRY BAMFORD of 16 White Lion Street, Pentonville in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer 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 :-
The object of this Invention is to automatically maintain the supply of oil at one
uniform level in the cisterns of Lubricators used for gas engines and other purposes.
My invention consists of a vessel (preferably of glass) which I call the reservoir.
From the lowest part of this reservoir, a pipe communicates with the cistern of the
Lubricator. Tracing the course of this pipe from the cistern it must rise at all points
and the reservoir must be entirely above its upper end.
The orifice at the lowest end of this pipe must be in such a position that the oil in
the cistern covers it when it is at the desired level and thus prevents the air from
returning up the pipe until the surface of the oil is lowered.
The reservoir must be so constructed that no air can enter it except through the
pipe before mentioned when it is in operation.
For the convenience of filling, the upper part of the reservoir is perforated with an
opening. This opening is made air-tight by a valve which closes it from the inside of
the reservoir. This valve is pressed upwards into its seating by a spiral spring or
other suitable means. This valve is attached to a spindle which projects downwards
and carries another valve which opens and closes the orifice in the upper end of the
pipe communicating with the cistern of the Lubricator.
This spindle is also carried through the opening in the upper side of the reservoir
and terminates in a button which can be pressed down by the hand.
The position of these valves on the spindle is such that when the upper valve is
opened for filling (by pressing down the button) the lower valve closes the orifice in
the upper end of the pipe and prevents the oil escaping into the cistern of the
Lubricator.
When the pressure on the button is removed the upper valve is returned to its
seating by the spiral spring which at the same time lifts the lower valve and opens the
communication with the cistern of the Lubricator.
An alternative arrangement may be made by flat rotating valves in the place of
those previously described.

page_text: Having stated the nature of my Invention 1 proceed to describe it more minutely
by the aid of the accompanying Drawings.
Sheet 1 represents the arrangement with press button.
Sheet 2 refers to the alternative method with flat rotating valves.
In Sheet 1 A. A. represents a vessel preferably of glass which I term the reservoir.
The ends of this vessel are closed by the metal caps B & C which are hermetically
attached to it by cement or other suitable means. D represents the pipe communicating
with the cistern of lubricator or other receptacle in which it is desired to maintain oil
or other fluid at a given level. For the convenience of filling the reservoir A. A. the
top cap B is furnished with a central tube which is opened or closed by means of a
valve which is pressed upwards against its seating by a spiral spring H. The upper
part of the tube D is also fitted with a valve F which is attached by means of the
spindle G to the valve E aforementioned, the spiral spring H keeping the valve F off
its seat until the valve E is pressed down. The valve E has a cylindrical fitting L
which practically keeps the tube 0.0 closed until the said valve E is pressed down a
given distance. The valve F has likewise a cylindrical fitting M which practically
closes the upper part of the tube D before the valve is pressed down to its seating.
The relative positions of the valves on the spindle G must be such that the cylindrical
fitting M closes the upper part of the tube D before the cylindrical fitting L opens the
tube 0.0.
The action is as follows: Upon the button N being pressed down the upper part of
the tube D will be closed and the tube O. O will be opened, oil or other fluid can then
be poured in through the tube 0.0 and upon releasing the button N the tube 0.0.
will be closed and the upper part of the tube D be opened by means of the spiral
spring H which will return the valves to their original position. When the valves are
in the position shown in Drawing Sheet 1, no oil or other fluid can escape from the
reservoir A until air is admitted through the tube D in consequence of the level of
the oil or other fluid in cistern falling below the upper part of the orifice P.
In Sheet 2, A. A. represents the glass reservoir which is furnished as in the other
arrangement with metal caps B & C. The cap C has two ports or openings I & K and
its upper surface is faced true to receive the disc valve F which when rotated opens
and closes the ports 1 & K.
The stem R of this valve has at its upper extremity a handle P by means of which
it may be rotated.
Below the valve F the stem R passes through the centre of the
cover or cap Cand is furnished with a spiral spring L one end of which is secured to
the stud M which is attached to the cap C, the other end of the spiral spring L being
fixed to the stem or spindle R of the valve F. The stem or spindle R has also an
arm which is pressed against the stop N by the spiral spring L. The lower
extremity of the stem R is square and fits in a corresponding socket in the top of the
crutch or fork S.
The upper part of the cap B is also faced true for the valve E which is rotated on
a central stud Q upon the cap B by means of the fork S. The valve E and the valve F
have suitable springs G & G which keep them tightly pressed upon their faces. The
valve E has a port H which when at rest is immediately over the open end of the
tube D which communicates with the cistern of the Lubricator, or other receptacle.
When the stop O is pressed against the stud N by means of the spiral spring L the
ports I & K are closed by the valve F and at the same time the tube D is opened at
its upper extremity in consequence of port H being exactly over it.
The relative positions of ports in valve F and cap C is shown in Fig. 2 when at
rest it follows that if the valve E is rotated a quarter-turn by means of the handle P
the ports in cap C will be opened thus allowing the reservoir to be filled: the object
of the two openings is to permit of the escape of the air during the operation of filling
the reservoir. For convenience in use the studs M & N are so placed that when at
rest the stop O is pressed against the stud N and whilst the reservoir is being filled
the stop O is in contact with stud M. When the valve F is in position for filling the
reservoir the upper part of the tube D will be closed by valve E which has rotated one

page_text: quarter-turn simultaneously with valve F. Upon the handle P being released, the
spiral spring L will return both valves to their original position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :
The arrangement of two valves by means of which a reservoir upon the fountain
principle may be filled without the possibility of the oil or other fluid escaping
substantially as herein before described and shown.
HENRY BAMFORD.