IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS A communication to him from
abroad by Allen Wood Swift, of Elmira, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th February 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LUBRICATORS," a communication to me from abroad by Allen Wood Swift, of
Elmira, United States of America,
This invention consists in a novel construction of a lubricator which automatically
supplies the lubricant to the parts to be lubricated and exposes to view the rate of
the flow of the lubricant and thus effectually guards against the neglect of applying
the necessary lubrication.
The invention also consists in certain novel means for conveying the lubricant
to the steam-cylinders and cylinder valves of locomotives.
The invention consists in providing a lubricator with a water-inlet having a
polished face in proximity to the transparent portion of the lubricator cup.
Also in the combination and arrangement, with the lubricant-reservoir, of a
water-trap situated inside of said reservoir at the top of the same.
Also in the combination, with the lubricant-cup, of a supporting arm connected
to the top of the cup and provided with a supplemental lubricant reservoir con-
nected with the cup and tapped by the lubricant eduction channel.
Also in the combination, with a lubricant-cup, of a supplemental lubricant
reservoir applied to and communicating with the top of the cup, and with an
eduction pipe or channel, a water inlet to the supplemental reservoir, and an
observation-port on said reservoir in proximity to the water-inlet.
Also in the combination with the lubricant reservoir, of a steam-condenser
arranged above the said reservoir, a water-trap situated inside of the reservoir and
communicating with the cor lenser, the discharge opening of the trap, arranged at
the extreme upper portion of the lubricant-reservoir, and an observation port in front
of the water discharge.

page_text: Also in the combination with a supporting arm, of a suspended lubricant-cup
and its base and cap formed in one piece.
Also in the combination of a cup having the screw threaded extension, provided
with an orifice, and annular ridge, a screw-threaded thimble provided with a
channel, and a packing-disk, having an extension of said channel.
Also in the combination with a steam-cylinder and its valve, of a steam-duct
communicating therewith and having a partly choked throat, and a lubricant cup
having its delivery connected with said duct at a point between the choked
throat and steam-receiving end thereof.
Also in the combination, with a steam cylinder and its valve, of a steam-duct
having a partly closed throat, a lubricator-cup having its discharge communicating
with the steam-duct back of the choked throat thereof and a steam-condenser
delivering the water of condensation to the interior of the lubricant-cup for
displacing the lubricant and forcing the same into the aforesaid steam duct.
Also in the combination with a lubricant duct having its extremities com-
municating respectively with the boiler and steamn-chest of the engine, and a
lubricant cup having its discharge connected with said duct, a disk arranged within
the said duct and having projections and a channel for the passage of the lubricant
through said disk.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LUBRICATORS," a communication to me from abroad by Allen Wood Swift, of
Elmira, United States of America
This invention consists in a novel construction of a lubricator which automatically
supplies the lubricant to the parts to be lubricated and exposes to view the rate of
the flow of the lubricant and thus effectually guards against the neglect of applying
the necessary lubrication.
The invention also consists in certain novel means for conveying the lubricant to
the steam cylinders and cylinder valves of locomotives all as hereinafter fully
described and set forth in the claims.
In the annexed drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved automatic
sight-feed lubricator, Figure 2 a vertical transverse section of the same, Figure 3 a
side elevation of a locomotive provided with the improvement, Figure 4 an enlarged
rear end view of the same, Figure 5 an enlarged detail view of the diaphragm or
partly choked throat which serves to equalize the flow of the lubricant, said figure
illustrating the adaptability of applying to the duct or pipe interchangeable
diaphragms having lubricant passages of different sizes according to the flow of the
lubricant required, and Figure 6 illustrates the means of guarding against the
clogging of the lubricant channel through the diaphragm. B denotes the boiler
of a locomotive L the cylinder and M the steam chest enclosing the valve of the
cylinder. F denotes the lubricant cup preferably of cylindrical form and cast of
metal in one piece with its base, e, and cup, f, and thus forming a strong and
tight cup.
Its base, e, is provided with a screw-threaded boss or extension, e¹, through which
is extended a channel or orifice, l, for the discharge of the surplus water which may
accumulate in the cup F, said orifice, 1, being closed by a screw threaded thimble T
fitted to the extension, e¹, and having through it a channel, n, the upper end of
which is out of range with the orifice, 1, aforesaid. Inside of the thimble is placed
a disk, w, of copper, lead or other soft metal to form a packing over the orifice 1.
The adjacent face of the boss, e¹, is provided around the orifice, l, with an
annular ridge, m, which in screwing up the thimble embeds itself in the disk, r,
and forms therein an annular groove effectually preventing leakage.
disk r.
When it is desired to draw some of the water out of the cup F it is only
necessary to partly unscrew or loosen the thimble. This will allow the water to
escape from the orifice, l, laterally to the channel, n, which is extended through the
The cap, f, of the cup is provided with a screw threaded orifice, g, by
which the cup F is screwed in a suspended position on to the nipple D on the
horizontal supporting-arm A by means of which arm the lubricator is attached to a
steam-pipe extended from the boiler to the steam-chest of the cylinder as herein-
after described. This supporting-arm is provided with a cavity, c, extended to the
free end of said arm and closed thereat by a glass or other transparent plate d.
A channel, a, extending from the cavity C to the opposite end of the arm A
allows the lubricant to flow from the cavity C to the steam pipe S to which the
lubricator is attached. The cavity C communicates directly with the interior of
the cup, F, thus forming an extension of the lubricant reservoir and adding to the
capacity of the lubricator, the lubricant being introduced into the reservoir by an
inlet on top of the supplemental reservoir, closed by a suitable stopper G.
Upon the top of the supplemental reservoir C is mounted a steam condensing
chamber E which receives steam by a pipe K extended from the top of the condenser
E to the steam pipe S.

page_text: The attachment of the condenser E with the arm A. I effect by a hollow
externally screw-threaded upward-projecting nipple N on top of said arm and
providing the base of the condenser with a screw threaded orifice fitted to the
nipple N.
The condenser E being separable from the arm A facilitates the construction and
repair of said parts. Directly underneath the condenser E the cavity, c, is provided
with a trap, b, formed on the upper portion of the interior thereof, thus placing
the trap inside of the lubricant reservoir at the extreme upper part thereof and
consequently subjecting the lubricant to the heating influence of said trap,
invariably to the same extent until the lubricant is exhausted from the reservoir.
The trap, b, consists of a small chamber cast on the interior of the arm A and
extended toward the glass or observation port, d, on the free end of the arm A.
Facing this port the trap is provided with a discharge opening, c, which I prefer
to form in a polished plate applied to the trap thereby more effectually exposing
by reflection of the light through the glass, d, the egress of water from the opening, c,
into the lubricant-cup and said influx indicating a corresponding displacement of
lubricant in said cup, the rate of the application of the lubricant to the parts to be
lubricated being thus readily observed. The trap, b, is open to the hollow nipple N
and provided directly under said nipple with a depression, h, into which extends a
tube or drip-pipe, i, pendent from a block or bushing, w, which is closely fitted and
retained in the upper end of the nipple N. The ingress of steam and egress of
lubricant are regulated by valves, v, and, u, applied respectively to the channels, i,
and a.
Aside from the advantages already cited it will be observed that by the
arrangement of the sight-feed of water at the extreme top of the lubricant reservoir
the operation of the lubricator can be distinctly observed until the last of the
lubricant is exhausted from the lubricator. The aforesaid arrangement admits of
filling the cup to the highest point, the operation of filling being observed through
the port, d, thereby guarding against overflowing and the usual glass tubes and
drip tubes inside the cup are dispensed with. The attachment of the cup F to
arm A. by the screw-threaded orifice, g, in the cap, f, screwing on to the nipple D of
the arm, dispenses with the extra coupling bolts or tube usually extended longitu-
dinally through the centre of the cup.
Furthermore the superstructed condenser E with the steam duct K terminating
at the upper end of the condenser effectually prevents the lubricant from entering
said parts. When the described automatic lubricator is to be used for lubricating
the cylinders and valves of a locomotive I prefer to extend the pipe, S, from the
front part of the boiler to the steam chest, m, and connect the lubricant-cup F to
said pipe in convenient position for observation by the engineer.
At a convenient point in the length of the pipe S, preferably at or near the
steam-chest I provide said pipe with a joint and coupling Hand between said joint
I introduce a diaphragm or disk 1 which has a small aperture 2 for the passage of
the lubricant.
The interposition of said disk in the steam-pipe S forms a contracted or choked
throat which intercepts, to a great extent, the pressure of steam through said pipe
and maintains said pressure nearly equal to that in the boiler.
This equalization of steam pressure allows the lubricant to flow by its own
gravity through the pipe S and to readily find its way through the aperture 2 of
the disk and thence to the interior of the steam-chest and cylinders. Even when
the engine is running under a full head of steam the constant pressure of steam
in the pipe S toward the steam-chest enables the lubricant to force its way through
the partly choked throat 2 of the disk 1. In case a vacuum is produced in the
cylinder by shutting off the steam or by reversing the engine while in motion the
disk arrests the rush of steam through the pipe S and maintains the steam at nearly
or quite a uniform pressure in said pipe, thus equalizing the flow of the lubricant
under all circumstances. By placing the disk 1 removably in the joint of the
pipe SI am enabled to use the interchangeable disks each having an aperture of
different size according to the size of pipe and flow of the lubricant desired.

page_text: In order to guard against clogging of the aperture 2 I provide the sides of the
disk 1 with attenuated projections 3 through which is extended a channel coinciding
with the aperture 2 as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing.
Having described the invention I claim :
1st. In a lubricator, a water-inlet having a polished face in proximity to the
transparent portion of the lubricator cup as set forth.
2nd In a lubricator, the combination and arrangement, with the lubricant-
reservoir, of a water-trap situated inside of said reservoir at the top of the same,
substantially as set forth.
3rd. The combination, with the lubricant-cup, of a supporting arm connected to
the top of the cup and provided with a supplemental lubricant reservoir connected
with the cup and tapped by the lubricant eduction channel, substantially as shown
and set forth.
4th. The combination, with a lubricant-cup, of a supplemental lubricant reservoir
applied to and communicating with the top of the cup, and with an eduction pipe
or channel, a water inlet to the supplemental reservoir, and an observation-port on
said reservoir in proximity to the water-inlet as set forth.
5th. In a lubricator, the combination with the lubricant reservoir, of a steam-
condenser arranged above the said reservoir, a water-trap situated inside of the
reservoir and communicating with the condenser, the discharge opening of the trap,
arranged at the extreme upper portion of the lubricant-reservoir, and an observation
port in front of the water discharge as set forth and shown.
6th. In a lubricator, the combination with the supporting arm A, of the suspended
lubricant-cup and its base and cap formed in one piece, substantially as shown and
described.
7th The combination of the cup F having the screw threaded extension e¹,
provided with the orifice, l, and annular ridge, m, the screw-threaded thimble T
provided with the channel, n, and the packing-disk, r, having an extension of said
channel substantially as set forth.
8th. The combination with a steam-cylinder and its valve, of a steam duct com-
municating therewith and having a partly choked throat, and a lubricant cup
having its delivery connected with said duct at a point between the choked throat
and steam-receiving end thereof substantially as shown.
9th. The combination, with a steam cylinder and its valve, of a steam-duct having
a partly closed throat, a lubricator-cup having its discharge communicating with
the steam-duct back of the choked throat thereof and a steam-condenser delivering
the water of condensation to the interior of the lubricant-cup for displacing the
lubricant and forcing the same into the aforesaid steam duct.
10th. In combination with the lubricant duct S having its extremities communi-
cating respectively with the boiler and steam-chest of the engine and the lubricant
cup having its discharge connected with said duct, the disk 1 arranged within the
duct S and having the projections 3 and the channel 2 for the passage of the
lubricant through said disk substantially as described and shown.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 4th day of August A.D. 1883.