AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SYPHON LUBRICATOR
Year: 1884

page_text: WC, JOHN HARBOTTLE of 43 Sandhill in the City and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Oil Merchant, and BENJAMIN EDGAR of 31 Exeter Street, Gateshead in
the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SYPHON LUBRICATOR" to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the syphon oil cup ordinarily in use on
locomotives and other engines and machinery for the more effective and economical
application of the oil to parts requiring lubrication and especially applicable to
locomotive engines. Our automatic syphon lubricator consists of a combination of
a syphon with an automatic rolling ball-valve, which intermittently opens, when
the engine or machine is working, to admit the lubricant (supplied by the action
of the syphon) to the channel leading to the surface to be lubricated, but closes
when the engine or machine is at rest.
The oil or lubricant is contained in a cup open at top, which may have a looBo
cover. Within this cup preferably in the centre of it, is a vertical cylinder the top
end of which is closed by a screwed cap with a small air hole in it. The closed
bottom of this cylinder, which is preferably slightly concave, forms the seat for a
rolling ball-valve which, when at rest, seats itself over a small aperture in centre of
bottom leading to a vertical tube or channel, close at bottom but open at top,
which stands above the surface of the oil in cup. This tube receives one end of
the syphon wick the other end of which is immersed in the oil which is conveyed
by the syphon action to the aperture, closed by the ball-valve when the engine or
machine is at rest, but when the engine or machine is in motion the ball-valve rolls
about on bottom of cylinder to an extent sufficient to intermittently open the
aperture and allow the oil underneath to flow upward into the cylinder whence it
finds its way through a channel, at one side through bottom of cylinder, to the
surface to be lubricated and this action goes on until the engine or machine comes
to rest when the ball-valve seats itself over and closes the aperture thus stopping
the supply from the syphon. In some cases instead of the cotton wick syphon the
oil may be contained in a vessel formed on or attached to top of lubricator closed
air tight from which a tube projecting downward leads the oil to underside of the
ball-valve in drops, the oil as it flows out of an air tight vessel being replaced by

page_text: globules of air which rise up the tube to fill the void space, but we prefer the wick
form of syphon.
The great advantages of this automatic lubricator are the economical adminis-
tration of the oil to the surfaces to be lubricated instead of, as in ordinary syphon
lubricators filling the whole of the cup with oil and syphoning it direct down a
tube continuously, whether the engine or machine is working or not. The oil by.
one lubricator is syphoned into the tube by which it is delivered underneath the
ball valve which by its rolling action allows the oil to flow gently upward into
the cylinder and thence to the surface to be lubricated only when the engine or
machine is working.
The use of the syphon wick gives a supply of only clear oil, any dirt or sediment
depositing at bottom of the cup, and the screwed cap of the cylinder prevents any
dust or dirt tending to choke the inlet and outlet to and from the internal
cylinder.
The ball-valve rolls on its seat freely, being only slightly immersed in a thin filin
of the oil as it flows up the aperture from the syphon, and clear of any liability to
fouling or setting fast.

page_text: We JOHN HARBOTTLE of 43 Sandhill in the City and County of Newcastle upon
Tyne, Oil Merchant, and BENJAMIN EDGAR of 31 Exeter Street Gateshead in the
County of Durham Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SYPHON LUBRICATOR to be particularly described and:
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
Our invention relates to an improvement in the syphon oil Cup ordinarily in
use in Locomotives and other engines and machinery for the more effective and
economical application of the oil to parts requiring lubrication and specially
applicable to locomotive Engines.
Our automatic syphon lubricator consists of a combination of a syphon with an,
automatic loose ball valve in an internal cylinder or valve case, intermittently
opening an inlet channel when the engine or machine is working to admit the
lubricant supplied by the action of the syphon to an outlet channel and thence to
the surface intended for lubrication but closes the inlet channel when the engine or
machine is at rest.
The oil or lubricant is contained in a cup open at top which may have a loose
cover. Within this cup-preferably in the centre of it is a vertical cylinder or
valve case the top end of which is closed by a screwed cap with a small air hole in
it. The closed bottom of the cylinder is preferably slightly concave and forms the
seat for a loose ball valve which, when at rest, seats itself over an inlet channel in
centre of bottom leading to a vertical tube, closed at bottom but open at top, which
stands above the surface of the oil in cup. This tube receives one end of the
syphon wick the other end of which is immersed in the oil, which is conveyed by
the syphon action to the inlet channel, closed by the ball valve when the engine or
machine is at rest, but when the engine or machine is in motion the ball valve
which from its position above the oil moves freely, intermittently opens the inlet
and allows the oil to flow upwards over the valve seat whence it passes
immediately down a channel at one side through bottom of cylinder or valve case
to the surface to be lubricated and this action goes on until the engine or machine
comes to rest when the ball valve seats itself over and closes the inlet thus stopping
the supply of oil from the syphon.
In some cases instead of the Cotton Wick syphon the oil may be contained in a
vessel formed on or attached to top of lubricator closed in airtight from which a
tube projecting downwards leads the oil to the underside of the ball in drops these
being replaced by globules of air which rise up the tube to fill the void space, but
we prefer the wick form of syphon.
The great advantages of this automatic lubricator are the economical adminis-
tration of the oil to the surfaces to be lubricated, instead of as in an ordinary
syphon lubricator filling the whole of the syphon cup with oil and syphoning
it direct down a tube continuously whether the engine or machine is working or
not; the oil by our lubricator is syphoned into the tube by which it is delivered

page_text: underneath the Ball valve which from its position being placed in a separate valve
case and apart from the oil is consequently free to work on the slightest oscillation
and permits the oil to flow gently upward passing over the valve seat down the
outlet channel to the surface to be lubricated only when the Engine or machine is
working.
The use of the syphon wick gives a supply of only clear oil, any dirt or sediment
depositing itself at the bottom of the Cup and the screwed cap of the cylinder
prevents any dirt or dust tending to choke the inlet and outlet to and from the
internal cylinder or valve case.
The ball valve works freely only coming in contact with a thin film of oil as it
flows up the inlet channel from the syphon and clear of any liability to foul or
Betting fast.
ine accompanying drawing illustrates the form in which we propose to apply
our lubricators but modifications may be made to suit special cases without
affecting the principles of operation.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lubricator suitable for use on the motion bars
of a locomotive Engine and Figure 2 a plan in section through line X X of Figure 1
shewn full size.
A is the Cup or reservoir containing the oil which is fitted with a lid or cover to
exclude dust or dirt.
C is a vertical cylinder or valve case the top of which stands above the oil in the
cup, the lower end has formed in it or preferably as shewn attached to the valve
piece D which is screwed into the bottom of cup the top of which forms a slightly
concave seat for the Ball B and has in it two separate channels, one of which
E conveys the oil upward from the syphon tube T to the underside of the Ball
which closes it when at rest and opens it intermittently when engine is running.
The oil passing over the valve seat under the ball and down the separate outlet
channel F to the surface to be lubricated. A tube T is formed on or attached to
the side of vertical cylinder C open at top and at bottom in communication with
the inlet channel E and this tube receives one end of wick W of Cotton or other
porous substance, the other end of which lies in the oil in cup A.
The vertical cylinder C is closed at top end by a cap in which is a small air bole
to prevent a vacuum forming.
The operation of the lubricator is as follows:-
The Cup A being filled with oil to required level the syphon action of the
wick W at once commences to deliver oil into the tube T whence it flows through
inlet channel E upwards till it comes into contact with the Ball B which resting
on its seat closes the mouth of channel E, no oil being allowed to pass upward into
the cylinder or valve case, the engine now standing, but as soon as the engine
inoves, the motion causes the ball (being free to move in its position) to open and
close intermittently the mouth of the channel E and allows the oil to flow over the
seat and directly down the channel F to the motion bar till the Engine stops when
the Ball B returning to its seat prevents further lubrication.
"It will be seen that the oil is delivered pure to the ball B any sediment dust or
dirt being left in the bottom of the cup A that when it passes into the cylinder C
by the action of the Ball it cannot be affected by dust or dirt which are excluded
by the cap on top.
That the ball B moves with perfect freedom on its seat being placed in a separate
vessel and never immersed in and impeded by the oil which is delivered underneath
it and that from the arrangement of the channels the oil must of necessity pass
upward to the Ball valve and then downward by a separate channel independent
of the control of the ball and always open to atmospheric pressure providing always
a free passage for the oil to the point of application.

page_text: Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we are
acquainted with the specification of Richard Jaines Threlfall N° 6760-24 April
1884 and we would have it understood that we do not claim the use for the
purpose of automatic lubrication of a ball rolling in a concave seat intermittently
opening and closing a supply channel escape as combined with the other part or
parts of the automatic lubricators in the manner above described. What we claim
as our invention is
1st An automatic syphon lubricator in which the oil or lubricant in a reservoir A
is syphoned into a tube T leading to an inlet channel E the upper end of which is
opened and closed intermittently as lubrication may or may not be required by a
ball valve which in its position above the oil and not immersed in it moves freely
on its concave seat with inlet and outlet channels in it A chamber C isolated from
the oil Cup The oil after passing the ball valve B flowing down a separate
channel (which is always open to atmospheric pressure) to the point of application
substantially as described and illustrated.
2 In automatic lubricators-with or without syphon-acting by means of a ball
valve, constructing the scat for such ball valve, with an inlet channel controlled by
the ball valve to convey the lubricant upwards into a chamber isolated from the
oil cup and an outlet from such chamber independent of the control of the ball
valve to convey the lubricant to the point of application substantially as shewn
and described.