Improvements in Automatic Lubricators for Engines and Machines generally.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1900-Accepted, 28th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Lubricators for Engines and Machines
generally.
HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, Major Royal Artillery, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
Kent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved means of automatically
supplying lubricating oil to the various parts of an engine or other machine with
certainty and in the proper quantity when the machine is working, the supply
ceasing automatically when the machine stops.
In my invention I arrange in or over the oil reservoir and above the level
of the oil a horizontal arbor which is revolved at a suitable speed by the machine
itself; this arbor passes through a cylinder, barrel or equivalent device which
revolves with it, over the cylinder passes an endless chain, band, or similar device
for raising the oil, the lower portion of which dips into the oil;-under the chain
or band is a deep groove cut round the cylinder.
In this groove but not rotating with the cylinder lies a piece of wire one end
of which dips into a trough beneath the cylinder, which trough is connected by
a supply pipe to the bearing requiring lubrication. The action of the lubricator
is as follows: the oil is first raised by the chain or other device to the top of the
cylinder or barrel; it then runs down into the groove, and from there is conducted
by the wire down to the trough whence it flows through the pipe to the bearing.
By multiplying the number of chains, grooves, wires, troughs and pipes any
number of bearings can be supplied, or several bearings can be supplied from
one trough.
Regulation of the supply can be obtained by varying the speed of rotation of the
barrel, or by the size of the supply pipes or by regulating devices on the pipes
themselves, as any surplus oil which cannot find its way through the pipes over-
flows the trough into the reservoir again.
The supply of oil ceases when the machine stops, no more being raised to the
top of the cylinder.
Dated this Twenty-fifth day of September 1899.
Improvements in Automatic Lubricators for Engines and Machines
generally.
HENRY CAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, Major Royal Artillery, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
D 971

page_text: .
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved means of automatically
supplying lubricating oil to the various parts of an engine or other machine with
certainty and in the proper quantity when the machine is working, the supply
ceasing automatically when the machine stops..
In my invention I arrange in or over the oil reservoir and above the level of
the oil, a horizontal arbor which is revolved at a suitable speed by the machine
itself this arbor passes through a cylinder barrel or equivalent device which
revolves with it; over the cylinder passes an endless chain, band or similar device
for raising the oil, the lower portion of which dips into the oil. Under the chain
or band is a deep groove cut round the cylinder. In this groove but not rotating
with the cylinder lies a piece of wire, one end of which dips into a trough or
pipe beneath the said cylinder which trough or pipe is connected by a supply pipe
to the bearing or other part requiring to be lubricated: The action of the lubri-
.cator is as follows; the oil is first raised from the reservoir by the chain or other
device to the top of the cylinder or barrel, it then runs into the groove around
the cylinder and from there is conducted by the wire down to the trough or
tube whence it flows through the pipe to the point where the lubrication is
required.
By multiplying the number of chains, grooves wires, troughs, and supply pipes
any number of bearings or points can be supplied from one reservoir or several
bearings can be supplied from one trough and supply pipe.
Regulation of the supply can be obtained by varying the speed of rotation of
the barrel or by the size of the supply pipes or by regulating devices on the pipes
themselves as any surplus oil which cannot find its way through the supply pipe
overflows the trough into the reservoir again.
The supply ceases when the machine stops, no more oil being raised to the top
of the cylinder.
In order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with the aid of
the accompanying drawings in the two figs. of which similar reference figures
represent similar parts.
Fig. 1, shows a single lubricator according to my invention, the detail of the
groove in cylinder and the wire being also shown in a separate drawing so as to
render the explanation clearer; Fig. 2 shows a lubricator capable of supplying
oil to four points simultaneously.
Referring to the figs. A is the vessel or reservoir containing the oil D which
it is desired to distribute to the engine or machine, which vessel or reservoir is
placed above the parts it is intended to lubricate. B is an arbor which is supported
in the vessel and which is capable of being rotated by a toothed wheel, pulley
or other mechanical.device from some part of the machine which it is required to
lubricate. The arbor B carries on it a barrel or cylinder E which revolves with the
arbor over the cylinder or barrel E passes an endless chain, band or similar
means F for raising the oil; under the chain where it passes over the cylinder a
deep groove G is cut round the same cylinder, in this groove G lies a piece of
wire H, which is bent round the cylinder in the groove, and the end of which dips
into the trough or tube I lying beneath the cylinder and connected with the sup
ply pipe leading to the bearing or other portion of the machinery it is required
to supply oil to.
The action of the lubricator is as follows: The oil is first raised from the reser-
voir A by the endless chain F, passing through the oil D, put in motion by the
rotation of the arbor B by means of the wheel C to the top of the barrel or cylin-
der E, here it leaves the chain F and runs into the groove G on to the wire. H
along which it runs being held thereto by capillary attraction until it leaves
the end of the wire in the trough or tube I, whence it finds its way by gravity

page_text: into the supply pipe J and thence to the bearing or other part connected to the
pipe. Obviously by multiplying the number of chains, grooves, troughs, pipes
and other parts any required number of bearings can be supplied from the same
reservoir or several bearings can be supplied from one tube or trough.
Regulation of the supply may be obtained by varying the speed of rotation of
the barrel and thus governing the amount of oil lifted in a given time, or by
controlling the flow of oil in the supply pipe by a throttling device such as the
screw K Fig. 1, which can be adjusted to choke more or less the opening in the
pipe H leading to the supply pipe J, the surplus oil overflowing the trough or
tube going back into the reservoir A.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In an automatic lubricator the combined arrangement of reservoir, cylinder
or barrel with means for rotating the same, lifting chain or band, wire, trough
or tube either singly or in such numbers as may be required, substantially as
described and for the purposes set forth in my specification.
2. The automatic lubricator substantially as described.
Doted th: 92.1 1. f T
1000