IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND LUBRICATION OF UPRIGHT SHAFTING, AND THE STEPS OR LOWER BEARINGS THEREOF
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Reynolds and John Barrington, of the
Linfield Flax Mills, Belfast, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION AND LUBRICATION OF UPRIGHT SHAFTING, AND THE STEPS OR
LOWER BEARINGS THEREOF."
Sealed the 5th July 1864, and dated the 15th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Reynolds and
John Barrington at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th January 1864.
We, CHARLES REYNOLDS and JOHN BARRINGTON, of the Linfield Flax
5 Mills, Belfast, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND LUBRICATION OF UPRIGHT SHAPTING,
AND THE STEPS OR LOWER BEARINGS THEREOF," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction and
lubrication of upright shafting and the steps or lower bearings thereof. With
upright shafting of large size and great weight difficulty is experienced in
lubricating efficiently the steps or bearings, and in avoiding excessive friction.
therein. For the purpose of overcoming these difficulties we secure to the
lower end of the shaft a disc of hardended steel, chilled cast iron, or other
hard material, and this has a ring of wrought iron or other tough metal
shrunk upon it to prevent it cracking, ás from its hardness it would otherwise
be liable to do. The hard disc is convex on its under side, and is of smaller
diameter than the lower end of the shaft, but the ring shrunk upon it brings

page_text: it up to the same size. Up the centre of the shaft, and through this disc an oil
passage is formed, it passes some distance up the shaft to an aperture, and
oil is regularly supplied to this opening in sufficient quantity by a lubricator.
On the under side of the disc the oil passage is enlarged to a bell mouth, and
grooves or passages are formed on this surface to conduct the oil outwards to
the circumference of the shaft, and as the shaft revolves the centrifugal force
tends to cause the oil to flow along these passages. The foot of the shaft is
received into a cylindrical brass casting or step which fits it. Into the bottom
of this step is fitted and fixed a disc of hard brass, also having a ring shrunk
on it to prevent it cracking. The face of this disc is concave to correspond
with the convex face of the disc on the shaft which bears upon it. The
wrought-iron or other ring shrunk on the lower disc and a portion of the edge
of the disc is chamfered off, so that the rings may not come in contact. The
cylindrical step is kept filled with oil for a depth of some inches, and there is
a small hole or passage through the centre of the disc fitted into the step in
which any grit or metallic particles worn from the bearing parts may accu-
mulate, and at the end of this passage is a stop-cock, which is occasionally
opened to allow the accumulation to escape and to change the oil. To lubri-
cate the sides of the cylindrical step a vertical passage is formed in the
side of the cylinder or in the lower end of the shaft, and this is kept filled
with oil.
The arrangement above described ensures efficient lubrication, and much
reduces the friction; it also permits the wearing parts to be renewed when
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed s
by the said Charles Reynolds and John Barrington in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 6th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
REYNOLDS and JOHN BARRINGTON, of the Linfield Flax Mills, Belfast, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Charles Reynolds and John Barrington, Her special licence
that we, the said Charles Reynolds and John Barrington, our executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Reynolds
and John Barrington, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND LUBRICATION OF UPRIGHT SHAFTING AND THE STEPS OR
LOWER BEARINGS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Charles Reynolds and John Barrington, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, or them, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Reynolds, on behalf of myself
and the said John Barrington, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction and
lubrication of upright shafting, and the steps or lower bearings thereof.
With upright shafting of large size and great weight difficulty is experienced
in lubricating efficiently the steps or bearings, and in avoiding excessive
friction therein. For the purpose of overcoming these difficulties we secure
to the lower end of the shaft a disc of hardened steel, chilled cast iron, or
other hard material, and this has a ring of wrought iron or other tough metal
shrunk upon it to prevent it cracking, as from its hardness it would otherwise
be liable to do. The hard disc is convex on its under side, and is of smaller
diameter than the lower end of the shaft, but the ring shrunk upon it brings
it up to the same size. Up the centre of the shaft and through this disc an
oil passage is formed, it passes some distance up the shaft to an aperture, and
oil is regularly supplied to this opening in sufficient quantity by a lubricator
on the under side of the disc; the oil passage is enlarged to a bell mouth, and
grooves or passages are formed on this surface to conduct the oil outwards to
the circumference of the shaft, and as the shaft revolves the centrifugal force
tends to cause the oil to flow along these passages. The foot of the shaft is
received into a cylindrical brass casting or step which fits it. Into the bottom
of this step is fitted and fixed a disc of hard brass also having a ring shrunk,

page_text: on it to prevent it cracking. The face of this disc is concave to correspond:
with the convex face of the disc on the shaft which bears upon it. The
wrought iron or other ring shrunk on the lower disc and a portion of the
edge of the disc is chamfered off, so that the rings may not come in contact.
The cylindrical step is kept filled with oil for a depth of some inches, and
there is a small hole or passage through the centre of the disc fitted into the
step, in which any grit or metallic particles worn from the bearing parts may
accumulate, and at the end of this passage is a stop-cock which is occasionally.
opened to allow this accumulation to escape and to change the oil. To
lubricate the sides of the cylindrical step a vertical passage is formed in the
side of the cylinder or in the lower end of the shaft, and this is kept filled
with oil.
The arrangement above described ensures efficient lubrication and much
reduces the friction; it also permits the wearing parts to be renewed when
required at a small cost.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the lower end of an upright shaft with its
step or lower bearing constructed according to our Invention.
a is the upright shaft, and b is a disc of hardened steel secured to it at its
lower end by pins c, c, passing upwards through the disc and into the end of
the shaft; d is a wrought-iron ring shrunk on to the steel disc to prevent it.
splitting. A plan of the disc b with the parts connected therewith is shewn
separately at Figure 2. ¹ is a hole through the centre of the disc b, it is bell-
mouthed at its lower end, and communicates with grooves 62 for distributing
the oil which descends through the central hole to which it is supplied by the
passage a¹ bored up the centre of the shaft, and communicating with a hole in
the side of the shaft at a²; to this hole a small pipe is adapted, and this is
connected with the oil trough e clamped on to the shaft; a wick is introduced
into the upper end of the pipe to prevent the oil passing down it too rapidly,
or the oil may be supplied down this pipe in regulated quantity by a mechanical
lubricator of any convenient construction, as is well understood; f is a cylin-
drical brass casting which receives the lower end of the shaft, and it is
accurately bored to fit it; the cylinder f is closed at its lower end, and has
fitted into it the disc 9 made of hard brass and bound with a wrought-iron
hoop; a key prevents this disc revolving within the cylinder. The disc g is

page_text: shewn in plan at Figure 3, the wrought-iron ring around it is chamfered off at
the edge, so that it may not come in contact with the ring around the discb; i is
a cast-iron bearer or standard supporting the step or bearing, it has guides i¹
upon it in which a strong plate k slides horizontally, on this the cylinder f
rests; a hole is formed through the disc g and the slide plate k for drawing off
the oil and grit or metallic particles which accumulate from time to time; this
passage is furnished with a screw plug 1; a³ is a groove on the outside of the
shaft a within the step to lubricate the sides of the cylinder f; the slide plate k
is made moveable for the purpose of removing the cylinder f when worn, for
this purpose two strong screws 1, ', are provided, they screw into lugs ³, 1,
on the bearer i; and when it is required to change the cylinder f these screws
are turned up so as to take the weight of the shaft off the disc g, the slide k is
then drawn out and the cylinder f drops through and is removed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Reynolds, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CHARLES REYNOLDS. (L.S.)