IMPROVE- MENTS IN LUBRICATORS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Liverpool and London Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LUBRICATORS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It is the object of this invention to cheapen and simplify the construction of an
automatic oiler or lubricator, to render the same neat, compact, light and durable
in its structure, and to accessably inclose the operative parts of the oiler within the
casing or oil reservoir so that the joints and bearings shall be protected from dust
and also be constantly lubricated in order that under all circumstances the valve
operating mechanism shall work readily and easily.
A further object is to provide certain improved features of construction and
combination whereby certainty of action on the part of the valve operating
mechanism at each impulse of the connecting rod eccentric or other operating
member of the engine by which the lubricator is carried shall be ensured.
Also to provide simple and efficient means for regulating the extent to which the
valve can be opened so as to regulate the quantity of oil discharged from the oil
reservoir at each time the valve is opened.
These objects are attained by arranging and inclosing the valve and valve
operating mechanism entirely within the oil reservoir and also by providing means
for limiting the play of the valve all in the manner herein-after described and
illustrated in the annexed drawing, in which
Fig. 1. represents a section taken on a vertical central plane through the
lubricator with the valve and its operating mechanism shown in elevation.
Fig. 2. is a similar view with a slight variation in the means for operating the
valve, the tic-rods or bolts for the caps of the reservoir passing in this instance
through the interior of the latter instead of outside of the same as in the preceding
figure.
•
Fig. 3. is also a like view with a slight change in the arrangement of the means
for regulating the valve.
Referring by letter to the several figures of the drawing in which like letters
denote like parts, A indicates the oil reservoir which is preferably constructed with
a cylindrical glass body a to each end of which is fitted a flanged metal cap.

page_text: These caps are held securely upon the said body and drawn tightly against any
suitable packing on the end of the body by means of the rods or bolts B, which can
either be arranged outside of the reservoir as in Fig. 2. or within the latter as in
Fig. 1, as may be preferred.
.
In the former instance the caps will each be provided with radial lugs or with
a peripheral flange in order to provide bearings for the bolts or the bolts can
be passed through the body of each cap as in Fig. 1, in which case the peripheral
flanges can be dispensed with and the lubricator thereby reduced in bulk, while
at the same time the bolts are enclosed by the reservoir and hence a neater
appearance given to the lubricator.
The cap Cat the bottom of the reservoir is provided with a passage D for the
out-flow of oil and a suitable valve E is arranged within the reservoir for opening
and closing the said passage D in order to establish and cut off the out-flow of oil.
The valve stem E¹ of this valve is shown arranged vertically. and centrally
within the reservoir and is prolonged below the valve in order to admit of its
being extended into the oil passage so as to steady and centre both the valve
and upper portion of the stein and to ensure the valve being properly seated
when the latter drops to close the passage.
This prologation e of the stem is made triangular or of other polygonal shape in
cross section so that when the valve is lifted from its seat, oil from the reservoir
can pass between the walls of the passage and that portion of the stem that is
fitted to work within the latter.
The weighted vibratory lever G for operating the valve is fulcrumed upon any
suitable bearing within the oil reservoir and is entirely enclosed by the latter, the
bearing employed for said lever being conveniently formed with or secured upon
the cap which constitutes the bottom of the reservoir.
This vibratory lever is provided with a pair of arms one of which rises within
the reservoir and carries a weight H secured to or formed with the lever while the
remaining arm engages the valve stem so that a vibratory movement on the part of
the lever shall reciprocate the valve stem and thereby cause the valve to alternately
open and close the oil passage leading from the reservoir.
It will be manifest that various modes of establishing a connection between the
vibratory lever and the valve or valve stem can be adopted without departing from
the spirit of the invention.
In Fig. 2, is shown the stem formed with a substantially U shaped bend at a
point above the valve and the lever having one of its arms extending into the bend
of the valve stem while the remaining upper and longer arm is weighted at its
upper end. Under such arrangement when the valve is closed the weighted arm of
the lever normally stands in an upright position, from which it will be thrown by
such vibratory motion on the part of the entire structure as the motion of the
operating member of the machine to which the lubricator is attached will give
to it.
It will be seen that after the weighted arm has swung away from the stem and
assumes an inclined position that the weight of the stem and valve will tend to
swing the lever back to its normal position and seat the valve and that the valve
and stem will therefore operate as a counterbalance to the weighted arm.
In Figs. 1 and 3 however the lower arm of the lever engaging the valve stem is
made somewhat longer than in Fig. 2, and passes through an eye or opening G
formed in the stem which can be enlarged at such point in order to admit of an
opening of suitable size for the lever arm being made.
This elongation of the said arm of the lever and the mode of engaging it with
the stem enables the adjusting screw for regulating the extent to which the valve
can open to be arranged in a different
which said figure the upper end of the
axially through a filling plug H' that is
to the top cap of the reservoir.
position from that shown in Fig. 2, in
valve stem extends into a bore formed
screwed or otherwise removably secured

page_text: The wall of the bore h in this knob is made screw-threaded for all or a portion
of its length, and the adjusting screw I is fitted to turn in said bore of the knob
so that by adjusting the screw it will constitute a stop for limiting the upward
movement of the valve stem and hence regulate the extent to which the latter can:
be lifted!
To prevent the adjusting screw from becoming accidentally turned, a nut K is
fitted upon the screw and by tightening this nut down on the plug the adjusting
screw will be held securely in place and prevented from working down. In Fig. 3
however the plug is shown provided with a smooth bore h¹ in its lower portion
only, and while the valve stem works in said bore and is thereby guided and
steadied though it might work through some other form of guides.
The adjusting screw passes through the cap and is provided on its screw-threaded
portion above the cap with a nut K³ that screws down on the cap so as to prevent
the screw from accidentally working out of its proper adjustinent while the lower
end of the screw stands in the path of the lower arm of the vibrating lever.
It will be seen under this arrangement that when the valve is open, the weighted
arm of the vibratory lever stands in an inclined position while its remaining arm
bears against the adjusting, screw which acts as a stop to limit the extent of the
vibration of the lever one way, and hence to limit the height to which the valve
can be lifted.
Suitable provision of course will be made for admitting air to the reservoir, as
for example the adjusting screw can be provided with an axial passage as in Fig. 1,
or a pin hole made in the top cap or case.
The bottom cap has a neck C¹ depending therefrom made screw-threaded
externally whereby it can be conveniently fitted on an eccentric connecting rod,
cross head, or other member of the engine or machine having a vibratory
reciprocatory or oscillatory movement.
In order to loosen the valve should it become stuck by reason of gummy
substances in the oil or to operate the valves at any time or for any reason when
the engine is not in motion, a wire is secured to the end of the valve stem and
projected through the air passage a sufficient distance to enable it to be readily
taken hold of said wire being of a small enough diameter not to prevent a ready
flow of the air through the air passage into the lubricator.
Having thus described the invention as communicated to me, I declare that what
I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:―
1st. In a lubricator, the valve provided with a stem having an elongated opening
in combination with the right angle lever having a fixed pivot bearing in its angle
its perpendicular arm weighted at the upper end, and its other arm working loose
in the elongated opening in the valve stem, substantially as described.
2nd. The reservoir and the valve provided with a stem having a bearing at each
extremity of the reservoir, in combination with an angular lever connected with
said stem and having a fixed pivot bearing in its angle and its perpendicular arm
weighted, substantially as described.
3rd. The reservoir, the valve seated in the bottom thereof, the valve stem
extending the length of the reservoir, and an angular lever pivoted in its angle for
automatically actuating said valve, in combination with a filling plug provided with
an axial bore receiving said stem and an adjusting screw working in said plug,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 25th day of February 1884