Harrison Lubricator, Patent Model
date: label: date made
content: 1880
label: patent date
content: 1880-03-02
name: label: inventor
content: Harrison, Andrew L.
notes: label: Description
content: This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to A. L. Harrison, of Bristol, Connecticut, March 2, 1880, no. 225124.
label: Description
content: The model represents a steam-engine lubricator in which the oil is contained in a reservoir fitted with a balanced diaphragm upon both sides of which the steam pressure in the main acts. The unbalanced pressure required to force oil into the steam is atmospheric pressure obtained by the use of a vacuum chamber when the engine is operating condensing, or the hydrostatic pressure of a water column when the engine is operating noncondensing.
label: Description
content: The lubricator consists of an oval chamber divided by a flexible diaphragm. The space above the diaphragm contains the oil and is connected through a glycerine-filled sign glass to the steam chest or cylinder of the engine. The space below the diaphragm is connected to the steam pipe from the boiler, so that steam pressure acts on both sides of the diaphragm. A rod attached to the center of the diaphragm passes through suitable stuffing boxes to a piston in a cylinder below the diaphragm chamber. The space above the piston is connected to the condenser of the engine so that atmospheric pressure will exert an unbalanced force upon the under side of the piston, and through it upon the diaphragm, sufficient to force the oil out of the lubricator into the engine. When used with a noncondensing engine a water column in the steam pipe connecting to the under side of the diaphragm provides an unbalanced hydrostatic pressure on the diaphragm.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut
label: associated place
content: United States: Connecticut, Bristol
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: See more items in
content: Bulletin 173
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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content: Work
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MC.308704
label: catalog number
content: 308704
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: patent number
content: 225,124
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lubricator, model
label: Object Name
content: patent model, lubricator, steam engine
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: nickel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 3/8 in x 5 1/2 in x 9 7/8 in; 39.0525 cm x 13.97 cm x 25.0825 cm
label: Measurements
content: nickel model-from catalog card: 7 in x 13 in; 17.78 cm x 33.02 cm