IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OU FEEDERS FOR LUBRICATING MACHINERY
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Burdess, of 763, Old Station, Rugby, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF OU FEEDERS FOR LUBRICATING MACHINERY
Sealed the 12th October 1855, and dated the 17th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Burdess at, the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
July 1855.
I, ADAM BURDESS, of 763, Old Station, Rugby, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OIL FEEDERS FOR LUBRICATING MACHINERY" to be
as follows:-
My improvements in oil feeders relates to the construction of those articles
whereby a considerable saving of oil is effected, and lubrifaction rendered more
cleanly and more easily conducted. It consists in the use and arrangement of
valves in connection with the orifice of emission for the oil, and the inlet
aperture of air to the feeder; and also in the application of a strainer in the
aperture whereby the feeder is filled, to exclude dirt and extraneous matter
when oil is poured therein. This oil feeder I have found particularly applicable
for locomotive purposes, which must necessarily have a long spout, in order to
reach the syphons in which the oil is poured, or parts to be lubricated. Near
the orifice in the spout I place a valve seat, which forms the passage for the
oil. The valve by which this is closed is mounted on a long stem passing into

page_text: the body of the feeder, where, it is attached to one arm of a "bell crank,"
mounted on a fixed fulcrum inside the can or-feeder. To the other arm of the
bell crank an upright stem is attached, which passes through a valve seat in
the top of the feeder, and has a button head, which is depressed by the thumb
when required, the button head being in such position that the thumb of the
hand holding the feeder may, be readily applied thereto. The upright stem is
fitted with a valve opening inwards, to close the valve seat or opening. Both
valves are faced with leather, and kept closed by a spring acting constantly on
the bell crank, which keep them pressed up to their seats, and-both valves open
simultaneously on depressing the button head; the one in the spout, to allow
the escape of oil, and the other at the top. of the feeder, to permit air to.enter
at the same time. The valve or valve seat in the top is made adjustable, so
that they may be easily rendered simultaneous in their action, and to regulate
this from time to time to allow for wear.
When the pressure is removed from the button, head the valves close 'imme-
diately. By this means the oil can be allowed to escape, or the escape stopped
with great nicety without raising the spout of the feeder; and thus the proper
quantity of oil may be applied for lubricating, and all dropping or excess in
its application prevented.
To prevent dirt or extraneous matters obstructing the valves, I place a fine
strainer under the opening through which the feeder is filled, through which
the oil must pass; this orifice I.close by a screw cap, with leather washer, so
as to render the feeder as: near air-tight as possible.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Adam Burdess in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADAM
BURDESS, of 763,-Old Station, Rugby, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
send greeting:
our
: WHEREAS. Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Lord
Patent. bearing date, the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five; in the nineteenth year of Her.
reign, did, for. Herself, Her; heirs and successors; give and grant unto me,
the said Adam Burdess, Her special licence. that I, the said Adam Burdess,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or: such others as I, the said Adam
Burdess, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time: and at all times thereafter during the

page_text: 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
OF OIL FEEDERS FOR LUBRICATING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I; the said Adam Burdess, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 Adam Burdess, do hereby declare the
nature of the sáid Invention, and, in: what manner the same is to be' per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and .by the following
statement; reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
t
My improvements in oil feeders relate to the construction of those articles
whereby a considerable saving of oil is effected, and lubrifaction rendered more
cleanly and more easily conducted: It consists in the use and arrangement of
valves in connection with 'the orifice of emission for the oil, and the inlet
apperture of air to the feeder; and also in the application of a strainer in the
apperture, whereby the feeder is fitted to exclude dirt or extraneous matter
when oil is poured into it. This oil feeder I have found particularly applicable
for locomotive purposes, which has necessarily a long spout, in order to reach
the syphons in which the oil is poured, or parts to be lubricated. Near the
orifice in the spout I place a valve seat, which forms the passage for the oil.
The valve by which this is closed is mounted on a long stem or spindle passing
up into the body of the feeder, where it is attached to one arm of a "bell
crank," mounted on a fixed fulcrum inside the can or feeder. To the other
arm of the "bell crank" an upright stem-is attached, which passes through a
valve seat in the top of the feeder, and has a button head, which is depressed
by the thumb when required, the button head being in such position that the
thumb of the hand holding the feeder may be readily applied thereto. . The
upright stem is fitted with a valve (opening inwards) to close the valve seat or
opening. Both valves are faced with leather or cork, and kept closed, by a
spring acting constantly on, the bell crank, which keeps them pressed up to
their seats.
Both valves open simultaneously on depressing the button head;
the one in the spout, to allow the escape of oil, and the other in the top of the
feeder, to permit air to enter at the same time. The valve or valve seat in the
top is made adjustable, so that the two valves may be easily rendered simul
taneous in their action; and to regulate this from time to time to allow for

page_text: wear.
When the pressure is removed from the button head, the valves close
immediately. By this means the oil may be allowed to escape, or the escape
stopped with great nicety, without raising the spout of the feeder, and thus the
proper quantity of oil may be applied for lubricating, and all dropping or excess
in its application prevented. To prevent the presence of dirt or extraneous
matters obstructing the valves, I place a fine strainer under the opening.
through which the feeder is filled, through which the oil must pass; this orifice
I close by a screw cap with leather washer, so as to render the feeder as near
air-tight as possible.
Figure 1 represents an external side view of my improved oil feeder; Fig. 2,
a plan, with the upper part removed; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section; and Fig. 4,
a plan of the top. It may be formed of copper, tin plate, or other metal or
material suitable for the purpose. The Drawing in general appearance repre-
sents a feeder, such as usually employed for lubricating locomotive engines; it
may; however, be differently arranged, according to the purposes for which it is
required. a is the valve in the spout, for permitting or suspending the flow of
oil at the spout 6; this valve is faced with leather or cork, and is mounted on
a long stem c, connected with a bell crank d, which crank is mounted on a
fixed fulcrum at e, sustained by brackets f, f, soldered on or otherwise secured
to the body of the feeder. The spring g, which is fixed at h, and connected
with the bell crank at i, is always in a state of tension, keeping the valve a
up to its seat k, unless a counteracting force is employed. is another valve
mounted on the rod m; this is adjusted to open simultaneously with the
valve a, and for this purpose the seat n for valve l is fitted to screw through
the top of the feeder in order to raise or lower its position. The valve is
separately represented in section at Fig. 5. The leather or cork facing 1 of
the valve is held by a cup piece 2, fixed to rod m, into which cup a ferrule 3.
screws, and holds the cork or leather down. The lower end of seat n passes
into the ferrule 3, and abutts against the cork or leather 1. In order to get
at the valve a for the purpose of cleaning if required; I form a screw joint in
the spout at 2, which is separately represented in cross section at Fig. 6. The
valve seat forms part of the joint fixed to the moveable spout b, the other
part p being soldered or otherwise fixed to the main part of spout r. The
stem c is continued through the valve at s; this part of the stem works in a
bridge piece t, which sustains the valve a in its proper position. A leather
washer is placed between the pieces k and p to render the joint oil-tight when
screwed up. In using this oil feeder, the thumb of the hand holding it is
placed on the top of rod m, which is to be depressed while holding the feeder
to the part to be oiled. Depressing the rod m has the effect of opening the

page_text: valves a and simultaneously, the oil being allowed to pass through valve a and
out at the spout b; the external atmosphere at the same time finds free ingress
through the valve l, n, thereby insuring the free egress of the oil. Immediately
the thumb is raised from the rod m the valves will close, by reason of the
action of the spring g, and all further passage of the oil will be suspended.
The dotted lines in Fig. 3 represent the position of the bell crank and valves
when open. The piece n should be nicely fitted to its screw socket u, to
prevent as much as possible the passage of air otherwise than through the
valve l, n, the air entering around the rod m, the passage for rod m in n
being large enough for that purpose. In this arrangement of oil feeder the
oil is not permitted to escape till the exact moment when wanted, and its flow
is suddenly arrested at the required moment; any waste or excess is thereby
entirely prevented; consequently a great saving of oil is effected, and more
cleanliness in its application observed. v is the screw cap by which the oil is
introduced into the feeder. Below this cap is placed a strainer w of perforated
zinc, or of other suitable material, which rests on a flange or lip, and can be
taken out to be cleaned when required by the little bail or handle . The oil
introduced into the feeder must pass through this strainer; any grit or other
matters liable to interrupt the action of the valves is thereby intercepted, and
their proper action at all times rendered certain. The cap v is rendered tight
by a leather washer y. An oil feeder thus fitted may be inverted without any
of the oil escaping from it, and at the same time is always certain in supplying
the exact amount of oil required for lubrication, if properly used.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim as
my Invention is, an oil feeder constructed with valves arranged and fitted as
herein-before described, and also the application of a strainer at the filling
orifice of the feeder, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Burdess, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
ADAM BURDESS. (L.B.)