IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL CANS EMPLOYED IN LUBRICATING MACHINERY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL CANS EMPLOYED IN LUBRICATING
MACHINERY." A communication from Joseph François Bérendorf, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, Mechanician.
Sealed the 11th November 1856, and dated the 3rd June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd June 1856.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OIL CANS EMPLOYED IN
LUBRICATING MACHINERY," a communication from Joseph Francois Bérendorf,
of Paris, in the Empire of France, Mechanician, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of oil
cans employed in lubricating machinery, whereby a thicker oil may be used,
and the operation of lubricating, where intricato mechanism is to be got at,
greatly facilitated.
The improvements consist in the application of a cylinder fitted with a piston
to the inside of the oil can, the bottom of the cylinder being open and pro-

page_text: A space
jecting inside to within a short distance from the bottom of the can.
is left all round between the outer surface of the cylinder and the inside of the
can, in which space the oil is supplied to the can by a suitable mouth-piece,
capable of being closed tightly by a screwed cap, or other suitable arrange-
ment. The ordinary pouring spout or tube is connected to the can in the
usual manner. In using this oil can, it is simply necessary to press down the
piston by placing the thumb on a button on the end of the piston rod, where-
upon the descent of the piston will force out the oil from the can without the
necessity for inclining it, which, in many cases whero intricate machinery is
to be lubricated, it is impossible to effect. A helical spring underneath the
button on the piston rod forces up the piston again after the pressure of the
thumb is removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Ilerself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Johnson, Her special licence that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OIL CANS EMPLOYED FOR LUBRICATING MACHINERY," being a communica-
tion from Joseph François Bérendorf, of l'aris, in the Empire of France,
Mechanician, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great

page_text: Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately. after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention consists in an arrangement of oil cans employed in lubri-
cating machinery, by which the oil in every position of the can may be
projected on the parts to be lubricated, and even when by cold or any other
cause the oil might have lost some of its original limpidity, the oil being forced
out of the gullet of the can by the pressure of a piston, as will be described.
In the annexed Drawing, Fig. 1 represents an elevation, and Fig 2 a top
view of my improved oil can; the Figs. 3 and 4 show vertical sections, and
the Figs. 5, 6, and 7 detached parts of the same. In all these Figures corre-
sponding parts are indicated by the same letters of reference.
A is the body of the can, the gullet B of which is firmly held by a strip C;
the can has also a moveable lid D, fitting in the mouth of the can by a rim D²;
a rod E passes through a hole in the center of the lid D, the upper end of
which rod E has a button E¹, whereas its under end carries a piston L (see
Fig. 5), provided with an annular packing or ring M, of india-rubber, or any
other suitable elastic material, fixed to the piston L by a plate N and rivet N'.
By means of the packing or elastic ring M, the piston is made to fit exactly
in a cylindrical part J, introduced in a concentric manner in the interior of
the body A of the can, to the upper rim of which the same is solidly fixed;
whereas an opening is left between the lower end of the cylinder J and the
bottom of the can, in order always to keep a communication between the oil
in the can and that in the cylindrical part J. I must at once observe here that
the can and the part J, instead of a circular, may have any other suitable form.
A helical or other spring K tends to rise the piston after the same has been
lowered in the part J; this spring may be situated in the interior of the part
J, as represented in the Drawing, or be adapted at the outer side of the can,
under the knob or button E¹ of the piston rod. A tube G, the nozzle of
which has a screw, on which a cap F may be screwed, so as to fit air-tight,
serves for introducing the oil into the can, which latter bas a handle D'. It
will be evident, that whenever, by pressing on the button E' of the rod E, the
piston L is forced down in the part J, a pressure will ensue on the oil in the
can, which will consequently be driven out by the gullet B, whereas, as soon
as the pressure on the button E' ceases, the spring K will rise the piston L to
its former position, when any further egress or spilling of oil will be prevented,

page_text: till, by pressing again on the button E¹, the oil is again forced out of the
gullet B.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same acts, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to
restrain myself to the exact forms shown in the Drawings, as long as the
principle of my Invention is maintained; but that what I claim as my Inven-
tion consists in the application to oil cans for lubricating machinery of a
piston, adapted in such manner in the interior of the can, that by the action of
this piston suitable portions of the oil contained in the can may either be
forced out by the gullet of the can, or the further egress of oil prevented.
"In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this
day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEO. WHITE.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.B.).