Improvements in Oil Cans.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Oil Cans.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
a communication to me by the Rau Manufacturing Company, a manufacturing
corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, domiciled at Chicago,
County of Cook, State of Illinois, and United States of America :-
The present invention relates to that class of oil cans known as feeders," and its
object is to provide a feeder of the variety commonly used on locomotives, with a
valve so constructed and arranged that after the desired quantity of oil has been
permitted to escape, communication between the body and spout can be cut off,
whereupon the discharge of oil will instantly cease, the oil that is in the spout at
the time the cut-off takes place being confined by atmospheric pressure.
To this end the invention consists in certain features of novelty that are par-
ticularly pointed out in the claims hereinafter, a feeder embodying it being first
fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of
this Specification, and of which;
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of said feeder, the can proper being shown in
section, and the valve mechanism in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a portion thereof on the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the can on the line 3-3, Figure 1, the valve
mechanism being shown in plan from the underside.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing in detail the manner of connecting the
valve with its stem.
A, represents the body of the can having a top portion a, of frusto-conical shape,
to the apex of which the spout B is secured. Within the bottom portion of the
spout is secured a short metallic tube C, which projects downward into the can, its
lower extremity being planed off to form a seat for a valve D. If desired the spout
itself may be continued downward into the can and have its lower extremity planed
off for forming the valve seat, but the construction shown is preferable because the
metal of which the spout is usually formed is too thin to afford an adequate seat,
while the tube C may be made of metal thick enough to fill all requirements.
Furthermore, this section of heavy tubing at this point materially strengthens the
joint between the body and the spout.
The valve D is situated opposite the valve seat, with its face presented upward,
and is secured to the valve stem E, loosely so as to be capable of a limited inde-
pendent movement. The valve-stem consists of a lever fulcrummed to the interior
of the can, and is normally held in its uppermost position, with the valve D, firmly
seated, by a spring H, the force of which must be overcome in unseating the valve.
This is accomplished by a push rod I, which is loosely connected at its inner end to
the free end of the valve stem, whence it passes upward through a sleeve J, extend-
ing through and secured to the top of the can, and is provided at its upper end with
a push-buttonj situated close to the handle K, so that the operator may easily reach
it with the finger or thumb of the hand that grasps the handle. The upper portion
of the push-rod is flattened on one side so as to permit air to enter the can through
the sleeve J, when said rod is depressed, but its lower portion is round and fits the
sleeve snugly so as to prevent the admission of air while it is in its upper or normal
position, and the valve seated.
The fulcrummed end of the valve-stem is of ▼ shape, the extremities of its cross-
head t, being journalled in sheet metal straps or housings L, secured to the inside of
he conical top a.
The spring H is of annroximately V shane and hears at its anex
+arainst the

page_text: underside of the valve-stem, whence its two branches extend upward across the
valve-stem, (one on each side of it), are coiled several times around the cross head t
and have their ends secured to the inside of the top a.
The valve-stem is fulcrummed diametrically opposite the handle K, whence it
extends across the can toward said 'handle; terminating at its free end beneath the 5
push-button j. For the sake of "convenience in manufacturing, it is desirable that
all of the valve mechanism be secured to the top of the can: To do so and meet-
all of the requirements, the valve-stem must be fulcrummed some distance below
the valve-seat, and in addition, its free end must be dropped considerably below its
fulcrum. Furthermore, the valve-seat being near the summit of the can, a portion
of the valve-stem must extend upward above said fulcrum and nearly to the valve-
seat, in order to enable the proper attachment of the valve. This portion is shown
in the drawing as consisting of a short arm or stud projecting laterally from the
main portion of the valve-stem, but it is obvious, that instead of this stiid the main
portion of the stem may be provided with an upward bend that would answer every 1
purpose. The valve is connected to the stem by means of a pair of perforated
ears d, that project downward and receive between them a flattened portion e, which
has its upper edge rounded off, as shown at e', and is provided with a perforation e",
through which, and the perforations of the ears d, passes a pivot-pin o.
The perforation el, is larger than the cross section of the pin o, so as to permit
sufficient play of the latter to enable the back of the valve to rest directly on the
rounded portion el of the stem, instead of being supported through 'the medium of
the pivot-pin. This permits the valve to have a motion about its pivot, and also a
rocking or rolling motion upon the valve-stem, during which latter there is a lost
motion between the pivot-pin and the valve-stem.
The curvature of the portion el is such that the portions e, constitute stops for
limiting the movement of the valve relatively to the stem.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a feeder the combination with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat
situated at the inner end of the spout, of a valve having its face presented upward,
a valve-stem to which said valve is pivotted, having stops for limiting the oscilla-
tion of said valve, and a spring and push-rod for operating the valve, substantially
as set forth.
..1
2. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and the valve-seat
presented downward, of the valve-stem, a valve resting loosely upon said "stem, and
having its face presented upward, a loose connection between 'the' valve and stem,
stops carried by the stem for limiting 'the oscillation of the valve, and a spring and
push-rod, substantially as set forth.
3. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and the valve-seat
presented downward, of the valve-stem having an upwardly projecting arm, a valve
resting loosely upon said arm and having its face presented upward, a loose joint™
between said arm and valve, said arm carrying stops for limiting the oscillation of
the valve, a spring for holding said valve seated and a push-rod for unseating" said
valve, substantially as set forth.
4. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and the valve-seat
presented downward, of the valve-stem, a valve having a rolling bearing thereon
and having its face présented upward, stops for limiting the independent
movement of the valve, and a spring and push-rod, substantially as set forth.
5. In a feeder the combination with the body, the spout and the valve seat
presented downward, of the valve-stem, a valve loosely pivotted thereto face
upward, and having a rolling bearing thereon, stops for limiting the independent
movement of said valve, and' means for seating and unseating it, substantially as
set forth.
6. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat

page_text: presented downward, of a valve stem, a valve loosely connected, face upward,
thereto so as to be capable of sliding longitudinally thereon, stops for limiting the
independent movement of the valve, and means for seating and unseating said valve,
substantially as set forth.
7. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and a valve-seat
presented downward into the body of the feeder, of the valve stem, an upwardly
presented valve connected with said stem and having vertical and longitudinal
movement independent thereof, stops for limiting the longitudinal movement of said
valve, said stops being independent of the can and spout and means substantially
as described for seating and unseating said valve, substantially as set forth.
8. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and the valve-seat
situated at the inner end of the spout and presented downward, of a valve situated
opposite said seat, with its face presented upward, a spring actuated valve-stem
having the curved portion e', bearing directly against the back of the valve, loose
connections between the valve and stem, the stops er for limiting the movement of
the former relatively to the latter, and a push-rod engaging the valve-stem, sub-
stantially as set forth.
9. In a feeder, the combination with the body, the spout and the valve seat
presented downward, of the valve-stem consisting of a lever having at one of its
ends a cross-head t, fulcrummed to the can, a valve situated opposite said seat and
connected to the valve-stem, so as to have a limited lost motion, and a spring and
push-rod for actuating said stem, substantially as set forth.
Dated January
B. J. B. MILLS.
i
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.