Improvements in or relating to Lubricators.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1894-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
Improvements in or relating to Lubricators.
I, WALTER GRIMES of Silverlands, St. Margaret's Twickenham, in the County
of Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to lubricators, oil cups and the like, preferably of the sight-
feed description, although the invention could be adopted without the sight-feed if
desired.
Hitherto sight-feed lubricators have been worked by condensing the steam and
allowing the water thus formed to enter the oil chamber which by its less specific
gravity floats on top of the water and is thus discharged into a pipe which takes it
to the sight-feed glass whence it passes out of the apparatus.
In this improved invention I do not depend upon the water of condensation for
causing the discharge of the oil although condensed water collects in the oil vessel
and the sight-feed tube.
In carrying out this invention I use any suitable form of oil container or cistern
preferably provided with filling and discharge openings which can be closed by
screwed valves and the like and having a sight-feed tube arranged more or less in
the usual manner. To the interior of the oil cup I supply steam through a suitable
pipe or opening at or near the bottom of the cup, this steam condenses forming
water upon which the oil floats in the usual manner. Near the top of the cup
inside is a pipe or orifice through which the oil is drawn off to the sight-feed tube
preferably to the bottom thereof, the oil floating up in drops through the water in
the usual manner.
The top of the sight-feed tube is connected by suitable passages
with the discharge orifice. I prefer to insert in the entrance and discharge canals
the plug of a cock bored with a simple through-way for the entrance canal and
partly through for the discharge canal, this part boring or port being preferably
connected with an axial hole formed in the end of the plug and communicating with
the discharge orifice. From the inlet port to the outlet port I form a preferably
diagonal port which conveys steam to the discharge orifice. In operation steam passes
through the cock to the discharge orifice and acting like an ejector sucks the oil
from the oil cup and through the sight-feed tube if this be used, forcing it along the
discharge orifice as will be well understood. By this means I am able to use not
merely the ordinary fluid oils which are employed with other sight-feed lubricators,
but I can use solid fats, tallow, yellow grease and the like which can not be done
with the ordinary arrangements.
Although I prefer to employ the previously described cock plug it will be.
understood that this may be dispensed with and the parts or connections between
the various passages may be formed in the solid metal if desired, or separate tubes
or passages may be employed for this purpose, simple cocks serving to turn the
steam on or off, and control the passages. An entirely separate steam supply may
be used for ejecting the oil.
Another advantage of this cup is that when all the oil has been drawn out of it
I can if desired draw out the water as well, and thus wash out the sight-feed glass,
the suction of the steam being sufficient to accomplish this.
Although I have so far described this invention as appertaining to a single
lubricator I can apply it to two or more either with a single oil cup or with more
than one oil cup and with any desired number of sight-tubes the necessary channels

page_text: may
instead of
being provided for the purpose. In another arrangement I
introducing the steam to the cock at the side and discharging it through the end
reverse this arrangement and introduce the steam in the axial line of the plug and
discharge it by one or more passages through the side or wall of the cock.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1894.
1, WALTER GRIMES of Silverlands, St. Margaret's Twickenham in the County
of Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, 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:—
This invention relates to lubricators, oil-cups and the like, preferably of the
sight-feed description, although the invention could be adopted without the sight-
feed if desired.
Hitherto sight-feed lubricators have been worked by condensing the steam and
allowing the water thus formed to enter the oil chamber which by its less specific
gravity floats on top of the water and is thus discharged into a pipe which takes it
to the sight-feed glass whence it passes out of the apparatus.
In this improved invention I do not depend upon the water of condensation for
causing the discharge of the oil although condensed water collects in the oil vessel
and the sight-feed tube.
In carrying out this invention I use any suitable form of oil container or cistern
preferably provided with filling and discharge openings which can be closed by
screwed valves and the like and having a sight-feed tube arranged more or less in
the usual manner. To the interior of the oil cup 1 supply steam through
a suitable pipe or opening at or near the bottom of the cup, this steam condenses
forming water upon which the oil floats in the usual manner. Near the top of
the cup inside is a pipe or orifice through which the oil is drawn off to the
sight-feed tube preferably to the bottom thereof, the oil floating up in drops
through the water in the usual manner. The top of the sight-feed tube is
connected by suitable passages with the discharge orifice. I prefer to insert in the
entrance and discharge canals the plug of a cock bored with a simple through-way
for the entrance canal and partly through for the discharge canal, this part
boring or port being preferably connected with an axial hole formed in the end
of the plug and communicating with the discharge orifice.
From the inlet port
to the outlet port 1 form a preferably diagonal port which conveys steam to the
discharge orifice. In operation steam passes through the cock to the discharge
orifice and acting like an injector sucks the oil from the oil cup and through the
sight-feed tube if this be used, forcing it along the discharge orifice as will be
well understood. By this means I am able to use not merely the ordinary fluid
oils which are employed with other sight-feed lubricators, but I can lise
solid fats, tallow, yellow grease and the like which cannot be done with the
ordinary arrangements.
Another advantage of this cup is that when all the oil has been drawn out of it
I can if desired draw out the water as well, and thus wash out the sight-feed
glass, the suction of the steam being sufficient to accomplish this.
Although I have so far described this invention as appertaining to a single
lubricator can apply it to two or more either with a single oil-cup or with
more than one oil-cup and with any desired number of sight-tubes the necessary
channels being provided for the purpose. In another arrangement
may instead

page_text: of introducing the steam to the cock at the side and discharging it through the end
reverse this arrangement and introduce the steam in the axial line of the plug and
discharge it by one or more passages through the side or wall of the cock.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of a sight-feed lubricator constructed
according to this invention, taken respectively on lines 1-1 and 2-2 of Figure 3
which latter figure is a horizontal section taken on the crooked line 3-3 of
Figure 2.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the oil container or reservoir provided with a cup A¹ and removable plug B
at its upper end to enable it to be filled with lubricant, with a valve C to admit of
the reservoir being emptied, and with a flange A' whereby the lubricator may be
secured to a suitable support, all of these parts being of any of the usual
constructions.
In connection with the upper part of the reservoir A I provide the cock body D
in which the cock-plug E may be turned for bringing the lubricator into or out of
operation. The cock-plug E is provided with one main port E¹ which, when the
lubricator is to be rendered operative is brought into coincidence with the divided
passage D' of the cock body D so as, through the pipe F to place the steam inlet G
in direct communication with the lower part of the reservoir A.
His a pipe whose mouth or open end is located at the upper part of the reservoir A
and which at the lower part of the latter is secured to the sight-feed device I.
This device may comprise a spindle-valve I', oil-delivering nozzle 1 and sight-
feed glass I and be otherwise of the usual construction. At its upper part the
sight-feed device I through the discharging end or nozzle l' thereof communicates
with a passage A³ in the wall of the reservoir A. This passage A³ communicates
with a port D2 in the cock-body D, this port, when the cock-plug E is in the last-
named position, communicating through ports E2 E3 in said plug E. with the
lubricator outlet J which, in any convenient manner, connected to the part at
which the lubricant is to be delivered. E' is an inclined port in the cock-plug E,
leading from the main port E¹ to the ports E' E' preferably joining the latter at
their point of junction E.
The operation of the before described apparatus is as follows;-
When the cock-plug E is turned into its "closed" position that is, say 45 degrees
or less from the position in which it is shown in the drawings, the plug B may be
removed from the upper end of the reservoir A and the latter filled with the
necessary lubricant, after which the plug B is again replaced and screwed tightly
home. The cock-plug E is then turned on so that steam is admitted and condenses
in the reservoir A the result being that the lubricant floating on the water flows
down the tube H and past the previously-opened valve to the sight-feed
device I, the glass tube 13 of which is also filled with water as in the ordinary
working of such devices. The valve II is opened only sufficiently to admit of the
oil passing through slowly, say at the 'rate of from one to three drops per minute.
The oil then flows in drops, upward through the water in 1³, successively
through the passages and ports 1 As D2 E2 and E³, to the outlet J the steam
flowing through the port E meeting the oil at the point E' and driving it onwards
and accompanying it to its ultimate destination.
The steam in passing through the port E not only serves to drive the lubricant
out through the outlet J but, by being delivered at au angle, in relation to the
port E, serves to draw or suck the lubricant out of the reservoir A, which
constitutes a provision admitting of the use of solid fats, tallow, yellow grease and
the like as well as fluid oils such as can only be used in sight-feed lubricators as
ordinarily constructed.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of the invention for example although I prefer to employ the previously
described cock plug E this may be dispensed with and the parts or connections
between the various passages or ports may he formed in solid metal if desired, or

page_text: separate tubes or passages may be employed for this purpose, simple cocks serving
to turn the steam on or off, and control the passages. An entirely separate steam
supply and ejector may be used for sucking out the lubricant from the reservoir A
and delivering it to the part to be lubricated.
The before described ejecting device may be applied to other than sight-feed
lubricators.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. The combination with a lubricator of a steam jet so arranged as to suck the
lubricant out therefrom and urge it onwards to the point of delivery substantially as
described.
2. The combination with a lubricator to which steam under pressure is admitted
and in which the lubricant is floated on the water resulting from the condensation
of this steam of a steam jet so arranged as to suck the lubricant out from the
lubricator reservoir and urge it onwards to the point of delivery substantially as
described.
3. The employment in a lubricator such as claimed in the last preceding claim of
a cock or valve for simultaneously turning on or off the supply of steam to the
lubricator reservoir and jet substantially as described.
4. The combination with a lubricator such as claimed in the second claim of a
cock the body of which is provided with ports or passages such as D¹ D' J and
the plug with ports or passages such as E¹ E' E' E' substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
lubricator constructed and operating substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of December 1894.
WALTER GRIMES.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.