IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF- ACTING LUBRICATORS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith Hare and William Barton, both
of Kingston-upon-Hull, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-
ACTING LUBRICATORS,”
Sealed the 6th October 1875, and dated the 16th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith Hare
and William Barton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patonts,
with their Petition, on the 16th April 1875.
We, GEORGE SMITH HARE and WILLIAM BARTON, both of Kingston-
upon-Hull, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING LUBRICATORS," to be as follows:
Our Invention relates to self-acting lubricators employed in connection
with the working cylinders of steam and other engines actuated by the
pressure of air, gases, or vapours, and has for object the prevention
of waste and admixture of condensed steam or other impurities with
the lubricant. It consists in certain self-acting means of forcing the
tallow or other lubricant into such cylinder against the pressure of the
steam or other fluid contained therein.

page_text: The lubricator consists of an oil or tallow cup provided with a
cylinder, hollow piston rod, and hollow piston.
The oil or tallow cup is provided with perforations leading into the
hollow piston rod, through which and the piston (which is also provided
with suitable perforations) the lubricant from the oil or tallow cup is
conveyed into the engine cylinder.
An arrangement of foot valve is provided for admitting steam from
the engine cylinder into the cylinder of the lubricator. There is also a
head valve for closing the oil or tallow cup, and a blow-through valve
for clearing the cylinder of the lubricator of steam when required,
When it is desired to force the lubricant into the engine cylinder the
head valve of the lubricator is closed, and the foot valve opened,
admitting steam into the lubricator cylinder. The piston is thereby
raised therein, and the steam forces the lubricant through the hollow
piston rod and piston into the cylinder.
In order to refill the oil or tallow cup the foot valvo must first be
closed, the blow-through valve opened to clear the lubricator cylinder of
steam, the head valve is then to be opened, and the cup refilled. Tho
head and blow-through valves must then be closed, and the lubricator is
ready for use again when required. By these means the supply of
lubricant to the engine cylinder can be regulated at will.
The rising of the piston to the top of the cylinder indicates that the
supply of lubricant is exhausted, and an arrangement of self-acting
indicating valves shews by inspection the amount of lubricant at any
timo remaining in the cup.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Smith Hare and William Barton,
Her special license, that we, the said George Smith Hare and William
Barton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said George Smith Hare and William Barton, our exccutors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 SELF-ACTING
LUBRICATORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Smith Hare and William Barton, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
our or their hands and seals, 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Smith Hare and William
Barton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
made to the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters of reference
marked thereon, that is to say :—
Our Invention relates to self-acting lubricators employed in connection
with the working cylinders of steam and other engines actuated by the
pressure of air, gases, or vapours, and has for object the prevention
of waste and admixture of condensed steam or other impurities with the
lubricant. It consists in certain self-acting means of forcing the tallow
or other lubricant into such cylinder against the pressure of the steam
or other fluid contained therein.
The lubricator consists of an oil or tallow cup provided with a
cylinder, hollow piston rod, and hollow piston.
The oil or tallow cup is provided with perforations leading into the
hollow piston rod, through which and the piston (which is also provided
with suitable perforations) the lubricant from the oil or tallow cup is
conveyed into the engine cylinder.

page_text: An arrangement of steam valve is provided for admitting steam from
the engine cylinder, valve chest, or steam pipe into the cylinder of the
lubricator. There is also a head valve for closing the oil or tallow cup,
and a blow-through valve for clearing the cylinder of the lubricator of
steam when required.
In the Drawing A is the cylinder; B, the piston; C, the hollow
piston rod working through a stuffing box in the cover of the cylinder;
D, the oil or tallow cup fixed to or forming part of the upper end of the
hollow piston rod C; E is the head valve screwed into the upper end of
the hollow piston rod, and closing against a scating, as shewn below,
the perforations F, F, leading from the oil or tallow cup D into the
hollow piston rod. G, G, are perforations or ports leading from the
hollow piston rod into the space above the piston. The lower end of
the hollow piston rod is closed by a valve H opening into the space
below the piston. This valve is kept closed by the spring as shewn, so
as to prevent the lubricant from flowing into the space below the
piston B when not under pressure. The lubricator is screwed into the
cylinder, valve chest, supply pipe, or other convenient part of the engine
by the nozzle I, from which a passage J leads into the bottom of the
lubricator cylinder for the admission of steam thereinto. This passage
may be closed or opened at will by means of the screwed steam valve
or plug K operated by the hand wheel L or other suitable handle. A
passage M also leads from the lubricator cylinder to the outer atmo-
sphere for the purpose of blowing off the steam from below the piston B
when required. It is opened and closed by means of the scrowed blow-
through valve or plug N operated by the hand wheel O or other suitable
handle.
The action of the lubricator is as follows:-Assuming the space in
the cylinder above the piston to be filled with lubricant, and that it is
desired to force the latter into the working cylinder or other part of the
engine, the head valve E and the blow-through valve N are closed, and
the steam valve K is opened, admitting steam from the engine cylinder,
valve chest, or supply pipe into the lubricator cylinder, the piston B is
thereby raised, and the lubricant above the piston is forced through the
perforations or ports G, G, and through the valve H into the space
below the piston, whence it flows by the passage J into the required
part of the engine. When the piston B arrives at the top of the
cylinder the elevated position of the hollow piston rod with its cup D

page_text: indicates that the supply of lubricant is run out, or by means of a scale
marked on the piston rod the quantity of lubricant remaining in the
lubricator at any time can be ascertained.
In order to refill the lubricator the steam valve K must first be closed
to shut off steam from the lubricator cylinder, and the blow-through
valve N opened, causing the steam to rush out of the lubricator cylinder,
so as to form a partial vacuum therein, the piston B then falls to the
bottom of the cylinder, the head valve E is then opened, and the
lubricant being poured into the cup D flows through the perforations F, F,
hollow piston rod C, and perforations G, G, into the space above the
piston. The head valve and blow-through valve must then be closed,
and the lubricator can be set in action again by opening the steam
valve K to admit steam as before described.
The hand wheel L of the steam valve K is by preference divided on
its periphery into a scale, by means of which and the finger P fixed to
the body of the lubricator the admission of steam to the lubricator
cylinder can be adjusted with accuracy to any required degree; by
this means the supply of lubricant can be regulated according to
requirement to the greatest nicety, and the position of the piston rod
indicates with accuracy the amount of lubricant at any time remaining
in the lubricator.
Instead of the oil or tallow cup with its head valve E being placed
on the piston rod, it may be adapted to the upper part or cover of the
cylinder A, the upper end of the piston rod being in that case closed.
In the above description reference has been made to the lubricator
as applied to a steam engine, but it is equally applicable to the
lubricator as applied to engines actuated by pressure of air, gas, or
vapours.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to or may be performed, we would have
it understood that what we claim as our Invention is,-
First. The general arrangement and construction of self-acting
lubricators, whereby the pressure of the steam, air, gas, or vapour is
caused to force the lubricant into the working cylinder, valve chest,
supply pipe, or other suitable part of the engine, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the Drawing.

page_text: Second. The arrangement and combination of parts for enabling the
lubricator to be refilled with lubricant, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the Drawing.
Third. The use of the piston rod for indicating the quantity of
lubricant in the lubricator, as herein-before described and illustrated in 5
the Drawing.
Fourth. The use of the valve in the piston for the purpose of
preventing the flow of the lubricant through the piston when not
subjected to pressure, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Smith Hare and William 1
Barton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five.
GEORGE SMITH HARE. (L.S.)
WILLIAM BARTON.
(L.S.)
1
Patentees.