Improvements in and relating to Oil Cans and other Containers for Holding and Delivering Liquids.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVIDIONAL DI POLTT
Improvements in and relating to Oil Cans and other Containers for
Holding and Delivering Liquids.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of Ġ. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Wilhelm Elsner-Bourgeois, of Rolle, in the Republic of Switzerland,
Manufacturer,) to be as follows:-
the
This invention relates chiefly to improvements in lubricating cans,
improvements being also applicable to other containers for holding and delivering
liquids, and has for object to provide means whereby a predetermined quantity of
liquid is delivered at each operation.
In carrying out the invention a vessel of suitable shape and size is employed
provided with an apparatus which only permits a predetermined quantity of the
contents to be discharged at each operation. Further if the vessel is overturned
the contents do not completely escape as only the predetermined quantity for a
particular operation can run off.
The apparatus is more particularly applicable to oil cans by means of which the
exact quantity of the lubricant required for a particular operation can be delivered
whereby waste is prevented.
In carrying out the invention as applied to a vertical can the container or can
proper, which can be of any suitable size and shape, is provided with a tube or
spout which is screwed thereto.
The improved apparatus is adapted to the upper part from which the spout
Issues. It comprises a cup, the flanges of which are screwed tightly against the
opening of the container by a nut which fixes the discharge spout. The cup at a
certain distance from its bottom is provided with a hole or with a series of holes.
The spout reaches almost to the bottom of the cup and has a large opening at its
end. At a suitable height, determined by the quantity of liquid to be discharged
at each operation of the oil can, the spout is provided with an opening and the said
spout is also provided with an air tube.
The operation of the improved can is as follows :-
When it is required to deliver the predetermined quantity of oil the can is
reversed in order to fill the cup to the extent allowed by the air-pipe; the can is
then again turned when the discharge of the oil can be effected.
From this construction it will be seen that at each operation the apparatus will
uniformly and surely deliver the same quantity of oil whereby waste is obviated.
The quantity of oil to be delivered at each operation can be varied either by
changing the cup or by varying the height of the opening in the spout.
In some cases the holes in the cup can be placed a little higher and the spout
can enter further into the cup, the passage of the oil being facilitated by means of
openings or notches formed in the end of the spout.
For railway oil-cans and the like the cup is provided with lateral openings; the
spout is open at its inner end and partly cut away, and the air pipe is arranged in
the spout as above described.
When the oil-can is in a horizontal position, or nearly so,
the cup is always at the height of the openings in the cup.
the small quantity of oil contained in the spout runs off, but
the level of the oil in
If the oil-can be tilted
no more oil can pass,

page_text: because the level always remains fixed and the oil cannot rise in the cup in
consequence of the air contained therein.
Dated this 7th day of October 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Oil Cans and other Containers for
Holding and Delivering Liquids.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to
me by Wilhelm Elsner-Bourgeois, of Rolle, in the Republic of Switzerland,
Manufacturer,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates chiefly to improvements in lubricating cans, the improve-
ments being also applicable to other containers for holding and delivering liquids,
and has for object to provide means whereby a predetermined quantity of liquid is
delivered at each operation.
In carrying out the invention a vessel of suitable shape and size is employed
provided with an apparatus which only permits a predetermined quantity of the
contents to be discharged at each operation. Further if the vessel is overturned
the contents do not completely escape as only the predetermined quantity for a
particular operation can run off.
The apparatus is-more particularly applicable to oil cans by means of which the
exact quantity of the lubricant required for a particular operation can be delivered
whereby waste is prevented.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a vertical oil can provided with the improved
appliance :
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a vertical section and plan of the measuring cup
of the improved appliance:
Figure 4 is a section of part of the can (with my improved appliance) in position
for discharging a measured portion of its contents:
Figure 5 is a section of the same in an upright position ready for pouring out the
said measured portion:
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of an oil can such as is used on railways
provided with the improved appliance:
Figure 7 is a section on line 1-2 of Figure 6; and,
Figure 8 is a plan of part of the appliance.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
The container a or can proper, which can be of any suitable size and shape, is
provided with a tube or spout 6 which is screwed thereto.
In the case of the vertical can illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 the apparatus is
adapted to the upper part from which the spout b issues. It comprises a cup c, the
flanges of which are secured tightly against the opening of the container by a nut b¹
which fixes the discharge spout in position. The cup at a certain distance from its
bottom is provided with a hole or with a series of holes d. The spout reaches
almost to the bottom of the cup and has a large opening at its lower end . At
a suitable height, according to the quantity of liquid to be discharged at each
inversion of the oil can, the spout 6 is provided with an opening fand the said spout
is also provided with an air tube g.

page_text: The operation of the improved can is as follows:-
:-
When it is required to deliver a predetermined quantity of oil the can is first
inverted, as shewn in Figure 4, in order to charge the cup c preparatory to the use
of the can, which is then placed upright. The can is then inverted a second time
to discharge the oil.
Now when the can is turned into the position shewn in Figure 4 for example, the
oil begins to enter the cup c through the holes d which are then at the lower part.
The flow of oil from the can into the cup c continues until the oil has reached the
level indicated at n, n, Figure 4, that is to say, until all the holes d are submerged
and this level has consequently passed the uppermost hole d, because air can then
no longer enter the can.
If, now, the can be placed in an upright position, the oil in the cup c will fall to
the bottom, as shewn in Figure 5, and will pass through the opening 62 and rise in
the tube b until its level is just above the hole. As the outer air can no longer
enter the cup and can d, the level in the tube will always stop at f whatever
may be the quantity of oil contained in the cup c.
In Figure 5 the difference is clearly shewn which exists between the level in the
tube and in the cup c. The oil contained in b is the quantity of lubricant which
will be poured out at each operation. The can is therefore again charged for use
every time a quantity is discharged.
If now, the can be again inverted, it is obvious that the quantity of oil contained
in the bottom of the tube b will flow through the opening in the latter, but at the
same time the cup c will be re-filled so that the two above described operations
will take place simultaneously when once the cup has been charged; the filling
of the cup c is effected whilst the previously measured oil is flowing out through b.
The quantity can be varied by changing the cup c or by altering the height of
the hole f.
I would observe that the holes d can be placed rather higher than they are shewn
in the drawing and the tube b can extend rather lower, the passage of the oil being
facilitated by the notches 63 made in the end of the tube.
A quantity of oil which flows will be exactly that which reached the level of the
hole; the apparatus will surely and uniformly deliver the same quantity of oil
and all waste is therefore absolutely prevented.
The application of the apparatus to railway oil cans illustrated in Figure 6 is
practically the same as that hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5
and its operation is similar.
The oil fills the cup c and the base of the tube b. When the can is tilted the oil
contained in the tube b will flow out and on replacing the can in its horizontal
position a like quantity will flow in. Upon again tilting the can the oil contained
in the can cannot flow through the holes d because the level is limited as in the
vertical can and by reason of a want of air-supply, that is to say, the air remaining
in the cup c prevents the oil from rising higher; without that it could flow through
the tube b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improved arrangement of apparatus applicable to oil cans and other
containers and adapted to deliver a predetermined quantity of liquid at each
successive operation, such apparatus consisting essentially of a cup placed in the
can or other container and having the delivery spout extending into the same, the
said cup being provided at a given distance from its bottom with a certain number
of holes and the discharge spout provided with an air-inlet tube, and a hole being
provided at a suitable distance from the bottom of the spout, the whole being
arranged and combined with the air inlet tube in such a manner that a like quantity
of liquid is uniformly provided in the cup at each pouring operation and the

page_text: contents are prevented from completely escaping in case the vessel is overturned
substantially as hereinbefore described."
2. In a vertical oil can the measuring and waste preventing apparatus comprising
a cup fixed to and jointed over the mouth of the can, the said cup being provided
at its upper part with one or more holes; an extension of the delivery spout into
the said cup, the end of the extension being provided with an opening and the
extension itself having a measuring opening; and an air tube forming communi-
cation between the interior of the delivery spout extension and the atmosphere,
the whole being constructed and combined for the purpose set forth and substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying
drawing.
3. In an oil can such as is used on railways the measuring and waste preventing
apparatus comprising a cup fixed to and jointed over the mouth of the can and
provided with one or more holes near its front end; an extension of the delivery
spout into the said cup, the end of the said extension being provided with a hole;
and an air tube forming communication between the interior of the delivery spout
extension and the atmosphere, the whole being constructed and combined for the
purpose set forth and substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawing.
4. The use of the herein described apparatus for measuring and delivering liquid
lubricants and other liquids.
5. The improved oil cans or containers for holding and delivering liquids
herein before described and illustrated respectively in Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 6
to 8 of the accompanying drawing.
172 J
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
9
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.