A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING AT A " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gordon junior of Dundee in the County of
Forfar North Britain for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR
DISCHARGING
AT
A
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gordon, Junior, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1882.
JOHN GORDON Junior of. Dundee in the County of Forfar North Britain
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING OIL ON AGITATED WATER
"
My invention relates to apparatus whereby I am enabled to discharge oil on
agitated water more or less distant for the purpose of stilling it. I provide a
cylindrical case which I charge with oil and fit with a cover strained by an internal
spring which tends to open it. Applying force to close the cover I secure it by a
wrapping of paper material which while it is dry is strong enough to resist the
spring but when it is weakened by moisture yields and permits the cover of the
case to open. I throw the charged case on to the agitated water, or when
the distance is considerable I fire it as a projectile to the desired place, and
thereupon the paper material becoming soaked with water gives way the cover
of the case opens and the oil spreading itself over the water renders it more or
less still.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Gordon, Junior, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th January 1883.
JOHN GORDON Junior of Dundee in the County of Forfar North Britain
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING OIL ON AGITATED WATER
"
My invention relates to apparatus whereby I am enabled to discharge oil on
agitated water more or less distant for the purpose of stilling it. I provide a
cylindrical case which I charge with oil and fit with a cover strained by an internal
spring which tends to open it. Applying force to close the cover, I secure it by a
wrapping of paper material which, while it is dry, is strong enough to resist the
spring, but when it is weakened by moisture yields and permits the cover of the
case to open. I throw the charged case on to the agitated water, or, when
the distance is considerable, I fire it as a projectile to the desired place, and
thereupon, the paper material becoming soaked with water, gives way, the cover
of the case opens and the oil spreading itself over the water renders it more or
less still.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section of one form of oil
vessel which I employ as above described. It is a cylindrical can A with cover B
made of tin plate or other suitable material; the upper lip of the can is made in
the form of a trough a into which enters the lower lip of the cover which is turned
a little inwards, so that, when the cover is put on, its outer surface is flush with
that of the can. A spring C is introduced between the bottom of the can and the
cover. The can being charged with oil, the cover is pressed down in opposition to
the spring, and the trough a has grease, soft wax, or some suitable yielding cement
melted into it to prevent the oil from leaking out. The joint is then covered by a
strip of paper D overlapping the joint and pasted or glued to both the can and the
cover. This paper, while it is dry, is strong enough to resist the strain of the
spring C but, when it is moistened by immersion in water, it becomes so far
weakened that it gives way and the spring causes the cover to open so that the oil
is discharged. Fig. 2 is a front view and Fig. 3 a vertical section of a modified
construction. In this case, the cover is held on by a strip of tin E which is soldered
to one side of the can and to the centre of the cover and has a hole which engages
on an upwardly inclined stud F. A paper strip D pasted or glued over the end of
the strip E keeps it engaged with the stud F, but when the paper is weakened by
moistening, the strip springs off the stud and the lid opens allowing the oil to
flow out.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim :-
For discharging oil on agitated water, the use of apparatus consisting of a vessel
kept closed in opposition to a spring by means of paper or similar material, which,
on being moistened, gives way allowing the vessel to open, discharging the oil,
substantially as herein described.
In Witness whereof I the said John Gordon Junior have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three.