An Improved Manufacture of a Lubricating Compound
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
An Improved Manufacture of a Lubricating Compound
A communication from TноMAS JEFFERSON LOVETT, Manufacturer, of
4001 Drexel Boulevard, Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois, United
States of America.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what mannet 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 provide a particularly durable and effective
lubricating compound for shafting, machinery bearings and vehicles axles generally.
The principal ingredients of this improved lubricant are mica, preferably of the
common form known as muscovite, and lubricating oil. As provided for use,
lubricating compounds of the class to which this invention belongs are in a plastic
state and known to the trade as axle grease. The requirements of an axle grensc
are that the ingredients shall be closely intermixed and stable in the sense of being
combined in such a manner that under climatic changes the plastic condition will
not valy, and none of the ingredients will precipitate or other wise separate them-
selves from the mass Mica and oil alone will not blend or become so closely and
permanently intermixed as to produce axle grease which will remain of the piopei
consistency throughout, because the mica being of greater specific gravity than the
oil will separate from the oil and settle to the bottom.
This invention consists in combining with oil, and with mica (in a more or less
pulverulent state) slacked lime and resin oil in a manner and in proportions, which
without detracting from the lubricating qualities of the oil and mica, will fix the
oil and mica in a closely intermixed plastic state which will not be affected by
climatic changes.
In carrying out the invention the ingredients named in proportions substantially
as follows for each one hundred pounds of axle gicase, are provided
25 pounds of mica,
8 gallons of oil,
10 pounds of lime, and
10 pounds of lesin oil.
The mica is first flaked and freed of every particle of grit, after which it is pul-
verized. The oil employed is preferably unrefined petroleum, because it is
comparatively inexpensive, and being a mineral product, the affinity between it and
the mica is gi cater than is the case with animal or vegetable oils The lime is diy-
slacked so as to be comparatively free from moisture, and is finely pulverized and
thoroughly screened to free it from all gritty substance. To carry out the method
of compounding the lubricant, the mica, lime and petroleum are placed in a vessel
and raised to a temperature exceeding in degree any climatic changes (say 130° F.),
and stirred constantly until thoroughly mixed after which the resin oil is added and
stirred into the mixture. The lime 18 a basis ou moidant and when acted upon by
the resin oil the mixture becomes set or fixed so that as the mass is permitted to
cool it assumes a plastic state of the consistency of ordinary axle grease and will
remain in that condition under all climatic changes.
Foi lubricating machinery bearings and other purposes where a high class lubri-
cant is necessary, the mica is reduced to, or approximately to, an impalpable
1

page_text: fissures on their surfaces, an axle grease made with a coarser quality of mica may
be employed, the laminiferous properties of the latter cansing it to fill up fissures
or other defects in the bearing surfaces and smoothing them over.
The laige proportion of mica which is employed renders the lubricant com-
paratively incombustible and overcomes the danger of fire from hot journal boxes.
The mica also renders the axle grense practically everlasting, and when dust-proof
housings or journal boxes aro employed, to prevent access of gutty substances to the
axlo grease, the latter may remain indefinitely without renewal While the best
results have been obtained by employing the ingredients named in substantially
the relative proportions above set forth, those proportions may be varied and
still afford a desirable and effective lubricant.
While resin oil is not devoid of lubricating properties, it is not classed among
the lubricating oils, which, with the mica, would form the basis or body of this
improved lubricating compound.
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign corespondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
:-
The method of forming a lubricating compound which consists in intimately
mixing together granular or pulverulent mica, lubricating oil and lime, raising the
temperature of the mixture to a degice in excess of climatic changes, and then
adding resin-oil, substantially as described.
Dated the 22nd day of October 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.