IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Varley, and Walter Gregory, both of Over Darwen
in the County of Lancaster. for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING STEAM ENGINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Varley and Walter
Gregory at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October
1882.
GEORGE VARLEY and WALTER GREGORY both of Over Darwen in the
County of Lancaster " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS
FOR LUBRICATING STEAM ENGINES
"
This invention relates to the construction of selfacting oil cups for lubricating
the pistons and valves of steam Engines, the object of the invention being to
construct a simple and inexpensive apparatus which shall deliver a certain definite
amount of oil and no more at each stroke of the engine
The invention consists principally in the addition to an oil cup of the ordinary
form (either open or closed, the latter by preference) of a syphon pipe provided
with a double acting ball valve.
Into the central opening at the lower side of the interior of the cup we screw
the longer leg of a syphon pipe which extends upwards towards the top of the
interior and is then bent downwards again until its lower end nearly reaches the
bottom its extreme end being provided with a small valve box in which works a
ball-valve acting between two seatings.
It will be evident that when the pressure of steam is in the engine cylinder or
valve box the ball valve will remain closed against the lower seating and no oil
will pass through but when the vacuum occurs, the ball will be drawn up to close
the upper seating, and a certain definite amount of oil will be sucked through the
valve whilst the ball is passing from one seating to the other; no steam however

page_text: will be able to pass, and the oil cup may be open at the top if required but it is
preferable to have it closed so as to prevent dirt or other extraneous matter from
falling therein.
The amount of oil which passes through at each stroke of the engine will depend
upon the size of the opening and the distance which the ball has to travel between
the two valve facings, and may be regulated at any time by screwing on a cap with
a larger or smaller central aperture.
We would here remark that other forms of double acting valves may be
substituted for the ball valve, but we prefer the latter as being less expensive
and at the same time more simple and efficient and not likely to get out of order
or become choked.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Varley and Walter Gregory in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th April 1883.
GEORGE VARLEY and WALTER GREGORY both of Over Darwen in the
County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS
FOR LUBRICATING STEAM ENGINES"
This invention relates to the construction of self acting oil cups for lubricating
the pistons and valves of steam engines, the object of the invention being to
construct a simple and inexpensive apparatus which shall deliver a certain definite
amount of oil and no more, at each stroke of the engine.
The invention consists principally in the addition to an oilcup of the ordinary
form (either open or closed, the latter by preference) of a syphon pipe provided
with a double acting ball or other valve.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention we will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be
clearly understood we have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative
thereof and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corre-
sponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. in the drawing is a section of our improved apparatus. Into the central
opening at the lower side of the interior of the cup we screw the longer leg of a
syphon pipe a, a which extends upwards towards the top of the interior and is
then bent downwards again until its lower end nearly reaches the bottom, its
extreme end being provided with a small valve box 6, 6 in which works a ball
valve c, c acting between two seatings d, d'.
It will be evident that when the pressure of steam is in the engine cylinder or
valve box the ball-valve c, o will remain closed against the lower seating d' as
shown at Fig. 1. and no oil will pass through but when the vacuum occurs the
ball c, c will be drawn up to close the upper seating d as shown at Fig. 2. and a
certain definite amount of oil will be sucked through the valve whilst the ball o, c
is passing from one seating d³ to the other d; no steam however will be able to pass,
and the oil cup may be open at the top if required, but it is preferable to have it
closed so as to prevent dirt or other extraneous matter from falling therein.
The amount of oil which passes through at each stroke of the engine will depend
upon the size of the opening and the distance which the ball o, c has to travel between
the two valve facings d and d' and may be regulated at any time by screwing on a
cape, e with a larger or smaller central aperture, or the cap e, e may be made with
a lateral opening or openings which will be more or less closed by turning or
unserewing the cap as shown at Fig. 3.
We would here remark that other forms of double acting valves may be
substituted for the ball valve, but we prefer the latter as being less expensive
and at the same time' more simple and efficient, and not likely to get out of order
or become choked.
Having now described the nature and object of our said invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect we wish it to be understood that we claim as our invention the

page_text: combination of a double acting ball or other valve and syphon pipe substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein before setforth and described, and
represented on the drawings annexed.
In witness whereof we the said George Varley and Walter Gregory have
hereunto set our hands and seals this eleventh day of April in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
GEORGE VARLEY.
(LS.)
WALTER GREGORY (L.B.)