IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATING' APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE JOURNALS AND BEARINGS OF SHAFTS AND' CRUED ROOTIONAL SURRAGES OR MACHINERY
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Swan, of Hammersmith, in the County of
Middlesex, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATING'
APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE JOURNALS AND BEARINGS OF SHAFTS AND'
CRUED ROOTIONAL SURRAGES OR MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Swan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1861.
I, HENRY SWAN, of. Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said; Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE JOURNALS AND BEARINGS OF SHAFTS
AND OTHER FRICTIONAL SURFACES OF MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
My improvements in lubricating apparatus relates to apparatus for lubricating
the journals & bearings of shafts & other surfaces subject to friction & requiring
the application of oil thereto, & consists in so arranging parts that a regular
supply of oil will be applied to the bearing according to the rate of its motion
which supply can be regulated at will to the exact requirements of the bearing,
& which will continue the same whether the supply reservoir is filled to its
highest level, or is nearly empty, so long as there is enough for the purpose.
To effect this I mount on the bearing or part to be lubricated a box or reser-
voir of oil or other fluid lubricating matter, which is filled to a certain level;
a little above this level is disposed the funnel inouth of the tube to convey

page_text: the oil to the bearing, and above it again is asmall spindle carrying the cap for
raising the oil to be emptied at each revolution into the funnel mouth; this
spindle receives motion from the shaft, being lubricated by a
eccentric thereon, effecting contact with a lever the opposite end of which
carries a pawl or other driver; this driver takes into a ratchet wheel fixed
on the feeding cup spindle, & drives it one or more teeth at each revolu-
tion of the lever before mentioned; by varying the leverage, or the position
of the driving pawl in connection with the lever, the extent of motion
mparted to the ratchet wheel & feeding cup spindle can be regulated at
pleasure. This feeding cup is fixed on a hollow arm extending from the
spindle, the hollow or duct of which is continued through the spindle & extends
a little diametrically opposite where it delivers the contents of the cup into
the funnel. The line of the cup arm and delivery orifice is inclined to the
spindle so as to permit of the free revolution of the cup beyond the range
of the funnel while the delivery orifice is immediately over it. The feeding
cup has through its bottom a screwed or sliding tube, forming a passage
of escape for the oil when it contains too much. By this means the cup
can be regulated to take up the exact quantity of oil required by adjusting
the escape tube to project up more or less from the bottom & within
the cup & whereby any excess taken up by the cup escapes before the cup
is raised to the position for emptying itself.
Instead of giving motion to this regulating feeding cup by ratchet &
lever gear, other means or equivalents may be adopted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Swan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the g
8th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SWAN, of Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry. Swan, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Swan,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said s
Henry Swan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LUBRICATING APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING THE JOURNALS AND BEARINGS
OF SHAFTS AND OTHER FRICTIONAL SURFACES OF MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Swan, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of 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 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 Henry Swan, do hereby declare the
nature of my said 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 Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and-figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in lubricating apparatus relates to apparatus for lubri-
cating the journals and bearings of shafts and other surfaces subject to
friction and requiring the application of oil thereto and consists in so arranging
parts that a regular supply of oil will be applied to the bearing according to
the rate of its motion, which supply can be regulated at will to the exact
requirement of the bearing, and which will continue the same whether the
supply reservoir is filled to its highest level or is nearly empty, so long
as there is enough for the purpose. To effect this I mount on the bearing
or part to be lubricated a box or reservoir of oil or other fluid lubricating
matter, which is filled to a certain level, a little above this level is disposed
the funnel mouth of the tube to convey the oil to the bearing, and above it
again is a small spindle carrying the cup for raising the oil to be emptied
at each revolution into the funnel mouth; this spindle receives motion
from the shaft, being lubricated by a cam or eccentric thereon effecting eon-
tact with a lever, the opposite end of which carries a pawl or other driver, this
driver takes into a ratchet wheel fixed on the feeding cup spindle, and drives
it one or more teeth at each oscillation of the lever before mentioned; by
varying the leverage or the position of the diving pawl in connection with the
lever the extent of motion imparted to the ratchet wheel and feeding cup
spindle can be regulated at pleasure. This feeding cup is fixed on a hollow arm
extending from the spindle, the hollow or duct of which is continued through

page_text: the spindle. and extends a little diametrically opposite where it delivers the
contents of the cup into the funnel. The line of the cup arm & delivery orifice
is inclined to the spindle so as to permit of the free revolution of the cup
.beyond the range of the funnel while the delivery orifice is immediately
over it. The feeding cup has through its bottom a screwed or sliding tube
forming a passage of escape for the oil when it contains too much. By this
means the cup can be regulated to take up the exact quantity of oil required
by adjusting the escape. tube to project more or less up from the bottom and
within the cup and whereby any excess taken up by the cup escapes before it
is raised to the position for emptying itself.
.. Instead of giving motion to this regulating feed cup by ratchet and lever
gear, other means or equivalents may be adopted.
DESCRIPTION OF. DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a lubricating apparatus, having the
improvements according to my Invention, and showing the lubricator mounted.
on the bearing of a shaft A, which it is intended to lubricate, the shaft A
appearing in cross section; Fig. 2 is also a vertical section, but at right
angles to the preceding. a, a, is the box or receptacle to contain the oil- of
suitable capacity according to the requirements of the bearing or the length
of time the supply is to last before being replenished; it is properly covered
to exclude dust. b, b, is a ratchet wheel mounted on a spindle c, dropped into
and turning in suitable bearings d, d; e is a pawl, taking into the teeth of the
wheel 6; it is jointed to an arm f fixed on spindle g, the one end of which
projects beyond the oil box. On the end of this spindle is fixed a lever m;
this receives an oscillating motion from the shaft A by reason of a small cam
fixed thereto, and comming in contact with the lover m once in each revolution
of the shaft. h is the duct to convey the oil; it is funnel-mouthed at i,
where it receives the regulated supply to be delivered to the bearing; & is the
cup which lifts & delivers the oil in the box a; this cup is mounted on a
hollow arm from the axis c, which arm opens at one end into the side of the
cup, & at the other into a short delivery spout n, by which any oil passing
down the channel in is delivered, and drops into the funnel-mouth i, before
mentioned; is a small cam screwed into or otherwise fixed on the shaft A,
which, as the shaft revolves, lifts the lever m, and causes the pawl e to recede
and slip back over a tooth of the ratchet wheel b. When the cam leaves
contact with lever m, it drops by its own weight, and causes pawl e to push
ratchet wheel b round the distance of one tooth, or it may be more according to
the size of the cam. A constant repetition of these motions carries the cup k

page_text: round, causing it to dip into the oil contained in box a, and carry up a certain
quantity, which oil, as the cup rises towards the upper part of its course, runs
through duct hin', passing by delivery spout n into funnel i, & thence to the
bearing; is a slight spring, bearing on the; teeth of the ratchet wheel or
other suitable surface to create a certain amount of friction, and so prevent
any jar or other influence, giving the cup a tendency to move except by the
action of the ratchet and pawl. Instead of the pawl driving the ratchet
wheel by the weight of the lever, that lever may be disposed on the other.
side of the shaft A, and so that the action of the cam on the lever produces
the thrust of the pawl on the ratchet tooth, while the falling back of the lever.
simply causes it to recede over the next tooth preparatory for a repetition of:
the action.
: I
. In order that the lubricator may be regulated to deliver the proper quantity
of oil, according to the requirements of a bearing which constitutes the dis:
tinguishing features of my Invention, I dispose in the bottom of the cup ka
small tube r, screwed in so that it can at any time be turned and so adjusted
that a greater or lesser length projects up within the cup; thus the capacity,
will be varied, as any oil contained above the level of the tube will escape.
from the cup, although the cup may be filled by entire immersion at.each
revolution, thus only a certain definite quantity of oil will be carried up at each
revolution whether the box a be filled to its highest level or nearly empty, so:
long as there is enough to afford sufficient dip for the cup; x is the highest
level for the oil. Instead of the cup k being mounted on a hollow arm 1,
through which, it delivers its contents, the arm may be solid, and the cup
empty itself immediately into the funnel mouth of the duct h, or the cup mayi
be fixed on the side of the ratchet wheel. This arrangement is represented
in Figs. 3.& 4, being vertical sections at right angles to each other through
the lubricators. In this case the funnel-mouth is carried up above the axis c,.
& the cup k is fixed on a stud to, an arm of the ratchet wheel 6; the other
arrangements are precisely the same as in the lubricator before described, and
need not be repeated.
Fig. 5 represents an arrangement of lubricator adapted for connecting
rods, or anything in which the lubricator would be in bodily motion while in
operation; s shows the end of a connecting rod; t, the crank pin ; & u, tho
crank on the shaft v. The lubricator a, a, is mounted on the strap of the
connecting rod, as seen; it is the same as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, and of which
Fig. 6 is a section, except that it is differently actuated. In this case the
ratchet wheel is driven by the motions of a pendulum which is caused to
oscillate by reason of the circular motion of the crank pin and connecting rod

page_text: head to which it is attached. wis a short heavy pendulum mounted on an
axis x, which axis carries an arm y; from the extremity of this arm a pawl z
is pendant, which pawl engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel b. The
pawl so suspended performs an up-and-down motion by reason of the oscil-
lating motion of the pendulum and arm y, and thus forcing the ratchet wheel b
round the extent of one or more teeth at each revolution of the crank pin,
which produces two oscillations of the pendulum; in the retrograde or upward
motion it slips over the teeth in readiness for the repetition of the operation:
In this lubricator I have added a counterbalance to the wheel 6 to equi-
librate the weight of the cup k on the axis c, the actuating power being more
sensitive in the. case of the pendulum; 0, 0, are stops in box a to limit the
motions of the pendulum.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I desire it to be understood that I do not claim any
arrangements of parts of a lubricator otherwise than for the purposes of my
Invention herein-after determined; nor do I confine myself to the mechanical
details represented in carrying out my Invention, as such may be varied
according to the position in which the lubricator is applied, or for other reasons;
and what I claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is, the use and application of lubricators having
measuring delivery cups in which the capacity of the cup can be regulated
and adjusted to the requirements of the bearing or part to be lubricated, as
berein-before described. I also claim the arrangement by which the oil passes
from a measuring and delivering cup through its hollow supporting arm, and
is delivered as herein-before described and represented in Figs. 1 & 2 of the
Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Swan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
HENRY SWAN. (L.B.)