Improvements in the Arrangement, Construction, and Application of Lubricators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1899 -Accepted, 16th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement, Construction, and Application
of Lubricators.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON and ROBERT THOMPSON, 155, Fenchurch Street,
London, E.C., Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in pressure lubricators and their applica-
tion-such improvement being applicable to those lubricators -described and
shown in Specification of British Patent, Number 179583 dated 20 October 1891
and granted to the parties hereto.
In carrying our invention into practice instead of operating the pinion (E)
rack (C) and piston (B) Figures 12 & 3 Sheet 1 of the aforesaid specification
by means of the ratchet motion operated by contact of the lever (G) with the
moving machinery in close proximity to it we employ a helical or clock main
spring (of suitable elasticity or power) arranged around a tube with its central
end connected with the said tube which tube carrying the spring is passed over the
spindle of the pinion (E) (hereinafter called the pinion spindle) and provided with
a pawl or click operating with a ratchet wheel in such a manner as to admit of the
spring being wound or regulated by operating or turning the tube and the pinion
spindle while the outer end of the said spring is attached to & case
in which the spring is contained or to any other convenient part
of the lubricator, or the central end of the said spring may be
connected direct with the pinion spindle and the spring wound up or regulated
by operating or turning the said spindle or the case to which the outer end of
the spring is connected such case and spring being held in position by a ratchet
wheel and pawl or other suitable catch set screw or device, while the central
end of the spring is controlled or held by the pinion on the pinion spindle gearing
into the aforesaid rack (C) and being arranged in such relation to the said rack as to
transmit the power of the spring to the piston, assuming the said spring to have
been wound up and regulated to the required strength to force the piston to the
distance it is intended to traverse the cylinder after being so regulated when the
piston has traversed the cylinder and expelled the lubricant it is run back by
turning a handle or key on the pinion spindle in the required direction which
operation not only returns the piston for the lubricator to be recharged but at
the same time rewinds the spring so that it may again expel the lubricant from
the cylinder with the same amount of force the operation being repeated as often
as required.
Instead of the spring operating the piston through the medium of the pinion
aforesaid it may operate it by direct application to the rack in which arrangement
its central end is attached to a spindle or arbor provided with a ratchet wheel held
in position by a pawl while its outer end is connected with the rack aforesaid at
any suitable distance from the piston, and by turning the aforesaid spindle or arbor
in the required direction the spring may be wound and regulated to the strength

page_text: to pull on the rack with the force necessary to traverse the piston and expel the
lubricant from the cylinder in which operation the spring expends a certain
amount of its force which is restored by running the piston back with a handle on
the pinion spindle carrying a pinion gearing into the rack as aforesaid, but the
pinion spindle not being directly connected with the spring which is rewound
by the pull on its outer end travelling with the rack when returning the piston-
the operation of which is repeated as aforesaid. In order to retain the piston
in position while the lubricator or cylinder is being recharged or at any part of its
stroke or traverse in the cylinder we provide a suitable stop catch or pawl so
arranged as to fall into the teeth of the rack, which may have a stop or stops or
teeth formed or arranged on any part of its suriace for such stop pawl or catch
to gear with or fall into; or the handle or key with any other suitable part or
parts of the lubricator may be so arranged for retaining the piston in position
against the force of the spring.
In order to provide the pressure lubricator (described and shown at
Figures 1 and 2 Sheet 2 of the aforesaid specification) with a suitable
arrangement for the automatic admission of air to its interior so as to facilitate
its cylinder (A) being lifted or drawn apart from its piston (B) we arrange either
of these parts with a suitable valve either kept closed by the pressure on the
lubricant contained in them or assisted in its operation by a suitably arranged
spring and to avoid objection under certain conditions of working to the lubricant
being charged into an inverted cylinder and at the same time retain the advantages
of the ring regulated constant pressure on the lubricant, we arrange a combination
of the aforesaid inverted cylinder (A) and its pressure regulating rings with the
cylinder (A) and piston (B) Figures 1, 2, 3 Sheet 1 of the aforesaid specification
substituting a suitably formed spindle piston rod or ram for the rack (C) and
the aforesaid inverted cylinder (A) with its regulating rings for the glass cover
ratchet motion, spindle and pinion the said inverted cylinder (A) and its regulating
rings resting on the aforesaid spindle piston rod or ram in such a manner as to
descend with and operate the piston and at the same time form a cover for it and
its cylinder (A) fitting it so as to form a provision for the exclusion of dirt or
external matter from the interior of the said cylinder and piston working in it,
and in order to provide for the admission of air for facilitating the withdrawal of
the piston from the aforesaid cylinder we arrange the aforesaid spindle piston rod
or ram with a suitable passage leading from the top of the spindle piston rod or ram
down through the piston to the lubricant, such aperture being closed by a suitable
valve or part formed in the interior of the cylinder or arranged in connection with any
other convenient part and if necessary the inverted cylinder (1) may also be
provided with a suitable aperture or valve.
Improvements in the Arrangement, Construction, and Application
of Lubricators.
WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON and ROBERT THOMPSON, 155, Fenchurch Street,
London, E.C., Engineers, 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 :--

page_text: tion-such improvements being applicable to those lubricators-described and
shown in Specification of British Patent, Number 17953 dated 20 October 1891
and granted to the parties hereto.
In carrying our invention into practice instead of operating the pinion (E)
rack (C) and piston (B) Figures 12 and 3 Sheet 1 of the aforesaid specification
by means of the ratchet motion operated by contact of the lever (G) with the
moving machinery in close proximity to it, we employ a helical or clock main
spring (of suitable clasticity or power) arranged around a tube with its central
end connected with the said tube which tube carrying the spindle is passed over the
spindle of the pinion (E) (hereinafter called the pinion spindle) and provided with
a pawl or click operating with a ratchet wheel in such a manner as to admit of the
spring being wound or regulated by operating or turning the tube and the pinion
spindle while the outer end of the said spring is attached to a case
in which the spring is contained or to any other convenient part
of the lubricator, or
the
central end of the said spring may be
connected direct with the pinion spindle and the spring wound up or regulated
by operating or turning the said spindle or the case to which the outer end of
the spring is connected, such case and spring being held in position by a ratchet
wheel and pawl or other suitable catch, set screw or device, while the central
end of the spring is controlled or held by the pinion on the pinion spindle gearing
into the aforesaid rack (C) and being arranged in such relation to the said rack as to
transmit the power of the spring to the piston, assuming the said spring to have
been wound up and regulated to the required strength to force the piston to the
distance it is intended to traverse the cylinder after being so regulated, when the
piston has traversed the cylinder and expelled the lubricant it is run back by
turning a handle or key on the pinion spindle in the required direction, which
operation not only returns the piston for the lubricator to be recharged but at
the same time rewinds the spring so that it may again expel the lubricant from.
the cylinder with the same amount of force; the operation being repeated as often
as required.
Instead of the spring operating the piston through the medium of the pinion
aforesaid, it may operate it by direct application to the rack, in which arrangement
its central end is attached to a spindle or arbor provided with a ratchet wheel held
in position by a pawl while its outer end is connected with the rack aforesaid at
any suitable distance from the piston, and by turning the aforesaid spindle or arbor
in the required direction the spring may be wound and regulated to the strength
to pull on the rack with the force necessary to traverse the piston and expel the
lubricant from the cylinder, in which operation the spring expends a certain
amount of its force which is restored by running the piston back with a handle on
the pinion spindle carrying a pinion gearing into the rack as aforesaid, but the
pinion spindle not being directly connected with the spring which is rewound
by the pull on its outer end travelling with the rack when returning the piston-
the operation of which is repeated as aforesaid. In order to retain the piston
in position while the lubricator or cylinder is being recharged or at any part of its
stroke or traverse in the cylinder, we provide a suitable stop catch or pawl so
arranged as to fall into the teeth of the rack which may have a stop or stops or
teeth formed or arranged on any part of its surface for such stop pawl or catch
to gear with or fall into; or the handle or key with any other suitable part or
parts of the lubricator may be so arranged for retaining the piston in position
against the force of the spring.
In order to provide the pressure lubricator (described and shown at Figures 1
and 2 Sheet 2 of the aforesaid Specification Number 17953 of 1891) with a suitable
arrangement for the automatic admission of air to its interior so as to facilitate
its cylinder (A) being lifted or drawn apart from its piston (B) we arrange either
of these parts with a suitable valve either kept closed by the pressure on the
lubricant contained in them or assisted in its operation by a suitably arranged
spring and to avoid objection under certain conditions of working to the lubricant

page_text: being charged into an inverted cylinder and at the same time retain the advantages
of the ring regulated constant pressure on the lubricant, we arrange a combination
of the aforesaid inverted cylinder (A) and its pressure regulating rings with the
cylinder (A) and piston (B) Figures 1, 2 and 3 Sheet 1 of the aforesaid specification
substituting a suitably formed spindle piston rod or ram for the rack (C) and
the aforesaid inverted cylinder (A) with its regulating rings for the glass cover,
ratchet motion, spindle and pinion the said inverted cylinder (A) and its regulating
rings resting on the aforesaid spindle piston rod or ram in such a manner as to
descend with and operate the piston and at the same time form a cover for it and
its cylinder (A) fitting it so as to form a provision for the exclusion of dirt or
external matter from the interior of the said cylinder and piston working in it;
and in order to provide for the admission of air for facilitating the withdrawal of
the piston from the aforesaid cylinder, we arrange the aforesaid spindle piston rod
or ram with a suitable passage leading from the top of the spindle piston rod or ram
down through the piston to the lubricant,such aperture being closed by a suitable
valve or part formed in the interior of the cylinder or arranged in connection with any
other convenient part, and if necessary the inverted cylinder (A) may also be
provided with a suitable aperture or valve.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show the lubricator (partly in section) arranged as described in
the first part of the specification. A is the cylinder, B the piston, C the rack,
D the pinion (or spur wheel) fixed on the spindle E which takes its bearing in
the case or cover F so as to project beyond it on one side to receive the wheel G
and projects from the other side so as to receive the ratchet wheel H on a square
formed on the spindle so that it revolves with the pinion D, the spindle extends
beyond the ratchet wheel a sufficient distance to receive a tube or bearing
formed with and carrying the case or cover I with which the pawl J is connected
so as to work over the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the spring K is being
wound up by turning the case I at its milled periphery L one end of the spring
being attached to the case I at M while the other end is attached to the spring
case N (formed on the case or cover F) at () when the hand pressure applied to the
periphery L (in the action of winding the spring) is removed the pawls contact
with the ratchet wheel so that the force of the spring is communicated to the
pinion D which gears into the rack C so as to transmit the said spring force to the
piston B.
The operation is as follows: -The lubricator is charged by turning the wheel G
in the direction necessary for running the piston back or out of the cylinder
against the pressure of the spring, until the catch ' talls into the interstices Gł
formed in the rack to receive it so as to hold the piston back against the force
of the spring while the ease on cover Fwith the piston operating mechanism cons
bined therewith is removed so as to uncover the cylinder and admit of its being
charged with lubricant when the ease or cover is replared and the catch P thrown
out of contact with the aforesaid interstices and the piston released so as to force
the lubricant from the cylinder into the bearing with which the lubricator is
connected until the contents of the cylinder is discharged when the operation is
repeated.
D is substituted for E in reference to the pinion in the first part of the
specification.
When pressure of the spring on the piston is found to be in excess of that
required to give the necessary feed from the lubricator the spring may be relaxed
or the pressure regulated by turning the milled periphery L slightly against the
force of the spring so as to relieve the pawl from its pressure when it may be lifted
clear of the ratchet wheel teeth by turning the head R so as to admit of the
spring uncoiling until it is sufficiently relaxed when the pawl is again returned
into contact with the ratchet teeth so that the spring acts on the piston with
consequent reduced pressure.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 show the modification (partly in section) in which the outer end
of the spring is attached to the end of the rack at S while it is wound and its force
regulated by its inner or central end being attached to the spindle V by which it is
wound by turning the wheel T in the required direction while it is prevented from
uncoiling by the ratchet wheel H attached to the spindle and held in position by
the fixed pawl J which pawl may be lifted clear of the ratchet wheel teeth by the
lever R and the spring relaxed by allowing the teeth of the ratchet wheel to pass
the pawl as it is being turned by the relaxing spring controlled by hand resistance
applied to wheel T when the spring is wound and regulated to the strength
necessary to pull on the rack and traverse the piston so as to expel the lubricant
from the cylinder in which operation the spring expends a certain amount of force
which is restored by running back the piston by turning the wheel G in the required
direction as in the operation of recharging the cylinder which operation is similar
to the manner of recharging Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 is a plan of Figs. 3 and 4.
Figure 6 is an elevation partly in section showing the arrangement of the
automatic valve in combination with the cylinder A (Figures 1 and 2 Sheet 2 of
Specification No. 17953-1891 aforesaid) in which the suction on the lubricant or
piston caused by the removal or withdrawal of cylinder A acts on valve b so as to
cause it to open and automatically admit air into the cylinder as it is being lifted
or drawn apart from its piston B thereby facilitating its withdrawal by preventing
the formation of a vacuum in the cylinder.
The opening of the valve b may be assisted by pressure applied to the button c
and its closing effected by the spring (d) when the cylinder is at rest or by the
additional pressure of the cylinder on the lubricant when the lubricator is in
action.
Figure 7 shows the arrangement of the herein before mentioned inverted
cylinder A and its pressure regulating rings c, c, c in combination with the
cylinder A and piston B of Figures 1, 2 and 3 Sheet 1 of Specification No. 17953—
1891 as aforesaid the inverted cylinder A being connected with the piston B
by means of the hollow piston rod, a, in order that the piston may act upon the
lubricant contained in the cylinder A with a pressure according to the weight of the
inverted cylinder and the number and weight of the regulating rings e carried by it.
In order to charge the cylinder A with the lubricant, the piston B and inverted
cylinder are withdrawn from it so as to leave it open for the admission of the
lubricant, its withdrawal being facilitated by the automatic admission of air into
the cylinder A so as to reduce the suction or prevent the formation of a vacuum
by the action of withdrawing the piston in which action the suction draws open
the valve (6) admits air into the cylinder through the hollow piston rod (a) the
spring (d) closing the valve when it is relieved from the suction action by the
piston being at rest-the opening of the valve may be assisted by pressure applied
to the button (c) and its closing effected by the spring (d) when the piston is at
rest or by the additional pressure of the inverted cylinder and its regulating rings
on the lubricant when the lubricator is in action."
When the cylinder A is charged with the lubricant and the piston and inverted
cylinder and pressure regulating rings returned to it the lubricator is in action
forcing the lubricant with the bearing with which it may be connected by the
hollow screwed stem.
The hereinbefore mentioned arrangement or combination of parts forming the
lubricator or lubricators as aforesaid may be adapted according to the various
conditions of working or arrangement of bearings for which they may be required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
Firstly. We claim the arrangement and combination of the cylinder A and
piston B and rack C and pinion D with the spring K and the mechanism and parts

page_text: by which it is wound and its spring power regulated and directed on the piston
so as to force the lubricant from the cylinder substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein described and shown by Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
Secondly. We claim the arrangement and combination of the cylinder A and
piston B and rack C and pinion D with the spring K and the mechanism and parts
by which it is wound and its spring power regulated and directed on the piston
so as to force the lubricant from the cylinder; substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein described and shown by Figures 34 and 5 of the
accompanying sheet of drawings.
Thirdly. We claim the employment of the catch P in combination with the
piston B and rack C and spring K and other mechanism and parts forming
the lubricator substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described
and shown by Figures 1 2 3 4 of the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fourthly. We claim the employment of the valve in combination with the
inverted cylinder A and the piston B and regulating rings (substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein described and shown in Figure 6 of the
accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fifthly. We claim the arrangement and combination of the cylinder A and
piston B with stem and valve and inverted cylinder A and regulating_rings C
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described and shown by
Figure 7 of the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Lastly. We claim the improved arrangement and combination of mechanism
and parts for containing and causing or controlling the flow or feed of the lubricant
from the lubricator, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein
described and shown by Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, of the accompanying sheet of
drawings.