CATALOG OF THE MECHANICAL COLLECTIONS 95 



MISCELLANEOUS STEAM-ENGINE ACCESSORIES 

 HARRISON LUBRICATOR, 1880 



U. S. N. M. no. 308704 ; original patent model ; transferred from the United States 

 Patent Office ; not illustrated. 



This model was submitted with the application for the patent issued 

 to A. L. Harrison, of Bristol, Conn., March 2, 1880, no. 225124. 



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 the oil into the steam is atmospheric pres- 

 sure 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. 



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 sight glass to the steam chest 

 or cylinder of the engine. The space below the diaphragm is con- 

 nected 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 pres- 

 sure will exert an unbalanced force upon the under side of the piston, 

 ajid through it upon the diaphragm, sufficient to force the oil out of 

 the lubricator into the engine. When used with a noncondensing en- 

 gine a water column in the steam pipe connecting to the under side of 

 the diaphragm provides an unbalanced hydrostatic pressure on the 

 diaphragm. 



HAY GRAVITY-FEED OILER, 1888 



U.S.N.M. no. 309248 ; original patent model ; transferred from the United States 

 Patent Office ; not illustrated. 



This oiler was submitted with the application for the patent issued 

 to Peter D. Hay (assignor to the Michigan Lubricator Co.), of Detroit, 

 Mich., June 19, 1888, no. 384762. 



The model represents a sight-feed oiler in which the oil is contained 

 in a cylindrical glass reservoir and flows by gravity through a needle 

 valve to the bearing into which the oiler is screwed. The needle of 

 the needle valve when closed is held against its seat by a light spring. 

 It is opened by lifting the needle and giving it a short turn so that 

 a pin on the shaft rises out of a slot and rests on the top edge of a 

 brass thumb nut screwed into the central post of the oiler. This 

 nut may be run up or down on its threads and so determine the 

 amount by which the needle will be raised and held from its seat and 



