Oil Cans.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Oil Cans.
I, ROBERT MC VICAR, Jr., a resident of Denver in the County of Arapahoe,
State of Colorado, United States of America, a Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in oil cans and more particularly to the
class of cans having long spouts and designed for use in oiling parts of machinery
that would be inaccessible to or difficult to reach with the ordinary short can, and
the object of my invention is to provide a can of the class stated which shall present
many and important advantages over cans of this class as hitherto constructed; a
can which shall be so constructed as to prevent any waste of the oil, the can being
provided with a means whereby the flow of oil is withheld until the spout is in
position, thereby preventing a waste of the oil and also enabling the person using
the same to prevent the oil from dripping or running over the surrounding parts of
the machinery. Another important feature of my improved can is a suitable vent
whereby as the oil runs out of the can, air may be allowed to enter the same
without interfering with the flow of oil, thereby allowing the oil to flow freely for
any desired time without interruption, since this vent allows the oil in the can to
be at all times under atmospheric pressure, so that the gravity of the oil is
uninterfered with.
In the accompanying drawing is illustrated an embodiment of my invention,
wherein,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved can, portions thereof being shown in
section. In this fig. the spout is shown broken off and placed to one side for the
lack of space.
Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2, z, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an end view of the spout.
Fig. 4 is a detail of construction.
Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines æ—x, and y—y, respectively, said sections
being on an enlarged scale.
Referring now to these views the reference numeral 1 designates the can proper
which is provided with the handle 2 and the spout 3. The upper portion of this
can, as are most cans of this class, is preferably conical in shape.
Extending across said conical portion of the can and to one side of the centre
thereof is a sleeve or sheath 4, said sleeve being rigidly secured to the walls of the
can and at one extremity projecting outside of the can for a suitable distance.
This sleeve is preferably so located that the extremity thereof which projects
outside of the can shall extend over the handle 2. The wall of the can is
hermetically sealed around the sleeve so that there can be no escape of oil there-
round.
This sleeve also passes through an internal air chamber 5 which is rigidly
nounted and secured in position by said sleeve, the walls of said internal chamber
being also hermetically sealed around the sleeve so that no oil can enter said
hamber thereat. Sleeve 4 is broken away for a suitable distance within chamber 5
or a purpose which will become apparent as this Specification proceeds.
The reference numeral 6 designates a suitable shaft located within sleeve 4, said
haft having a handle 7 rigidly mounted thereon, said handle being located at
he outer extremity thereof and adapted to extend over handle 2 of the can waere
may be easily manipulated with the same hand that holds the handle 2. Shift 6
as one side thereof cut away as shown in Fig. 6. By this means it will be seen
at an uninterrupted channel is left between said shaft and the wall of the slave 4

page_text: thereby placing the air within chamber 5 in communication with the outside air anu
so under atmospheric pressure. This is further effected by providing sleeve 4 with
notches 8, 8, so as to make the channel continuous and complete which would
otherwise be cut off by the shoulder of handle 7 and of a part located within
chamber 5, which part is yet to be described.
Rigidly mounted on shaft 6 at the interval within chamber 5 where sleeve 4 is
broken, as before stated, is an arm 9, said arm being secured to shaft 6 in any
approved manner. The manner deemed most preferable for accomplishing this is
illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein said arm is provided with an angular notch or recess
adapted to receive the shaft 6 which is made of a suitable shape at that point to
fit therein. Arm 9 is of such length and so located that its free extremity or the
extremity thereof most remote from shaft 6 lies directly beneath the spout of the
can. This extremity of said arm is preferably bifurcated as seen at 10, where it
is hinged by means of a pin 11 to the lower extremity of an upright valve stem 12,
the upper extremity of which extends through a suitable opening or collar formed
in the upper part of chamber 5. Valve stem 12 is provided with a valve 13
adapted to rest upon a valve seat 14, thereby normally closing the upper extremity
of chamber 5; this stem is also provided with a spring 15 rigidly secured
thereto at its lower extremity, its upper extremity resting against the upper
part of the chamber, so that normally said spring holds the valve in the position
shown in the Fig. 1 or in the closed position.
One side of the upper extremity of valve stem 12 is cut away as seen in
Figs. 1, 4 and 5 so that when salve 13 is raised an open channel is left from
Thus it will be seen
the interior of the chamber 5 to the interior of the can.
that a continuous air passage is open from the outer air to the interior of the can
via notch 8, sleeve 4, through chamber 5 and through the collar or valve seat 14.
By this means it will be seen that the can is so vented as to allow air to enter the
can and so keep the oil in the can under atmospheric pressure at all times, so that
a continuous uninterrupted stream of oil may be drawn from the can.
Referring now to the spout 3 which is adapted to be screwed into the upper
portion of the can as shown at 16, the reference numeral 17 desiguates a valve
stem extending through the spout. This stem is provided at its lower extremity
with guide arms 18 extending radially therefrom, said arms being adapted to engage
the walls of spout 3, thereby maintaining the stem 17 in the centre of the spout at
all times.
The lower extremity of stemn 17 rests on the upper extremity of valve 13 in
which position it is maintained by a spring 19, one extremity of which is rigidly
secured to stem 17 while the other extremity thereof rests against a suitable
stationary stop 20 located within the spout 3. The stem portions 12 and 17 may be
considered a divided stem extending from the interior of the air chamber upward
therethrough to the valve in the spout, since in opening the spout valve these parts
so engage as to perform the function of a continuous stem, being, however, so
divided that the spout portion is removable with the spout.
The upper extremity of valve stem 17 extends through a suitable valve seat 21
where it is provided with a valve 22 which is normally maintained in engagement
with said seat by spring 19.
By this construction it will be seen that normally spout 3 is closed by valve 22,
and that when it is desired to use the can the spout may be placed in position for
use and no oil allowed to escape therefrom until it is desired, when handle 7 is
pressed when the spout is opened and at the same time the vent opened so that the
oil may then run freely from the spout.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Ist-An oil can provided with an interior air chamber located preferably in the
upper portion thereof, an air passage from the outside of the can to said chamber
5

page_text: a stem having its lower extremity located in the can handle, this upper extremity
extending through an opening in the top of the chamber and being provided with.
a valve normally closing said opening, and means for operating said stem from the
outside of the can whereby air is allowed to pass from the air chamber to the
interior of the can simultaneously with the opening of the spout for use, substan--
tially as described.
2nd-The combination in an oil can of the interior air chamber normally
closed from the oil chamber, a valve located in the spout, and a divided stem, the
upper portion of said stem being located in the spout and connected with the valve,.
the lower portion of the stem being located within the air chamber, and suitable
means actuated from the outside of the can whereby the lower portion of the stem.
is forced against the upper portion and the valve in the spout opened, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd: An oil can provided with an interior air chamber normally closed from
the oil chamber, in combination with a removable spout provided with a valve
normally closing the exit passage, said valve having a stem extending downward to
the body of the can, in combination with a stem located and supported within the
air chamber, and means connected with the body stem and actuated from the outside
of the can whereby the body stem is forced against the spout stem and the valve
in the spout opened, substantially as described.
4th: An oil can provided with an interior air chamber and a divided stem, the
lower portion of the stem being located within the air chamber and provided with
a valve normally closing the air chamber from the oil chamber, the upper portion.
of the stem being located in the spout and connected with the valve therein, the
two portions of the stem being adapted to engage but not attached to each other,.
and means actuated from the outside of the can whereby the lower portion of the
stem is forced against the upper portion and the two valves simultaneously opened,.
substantially as described.
5th An oil can having a valve located in the spout and provided with an.
interior air chamber communicating with the outer air and a divided stem, the
upper portion of the stem being located in the spout and connected with the valve
therein, the lower portion of the stem being provided with a valve normally closing
the air chamber from the oil chamber, and means located partially within the air
chamber but actuated from the outside of the can whereby the air chamber and
the valve in the spout are simultaneously opened, the one permitting the escape of
air to the oil chamber and the other the escape of oil from the can through the
spout, substantially as described.
6th-An oil can provided with an interior air chamber in combination
with a removable spout having a valve normally closing the exit passage
therein, a divided stem, composed of two distinct and separate parts adapted
to engage but not otherwise attached to each other, one part being located
within the spout and the other within the air chamber, and means for actuating
said stem outside of the can whereby the valve in the spout is opened, substan-
tially as described.
7th: An oil can provided. with a valve located in the spout in combination
with a divided stem composed of two distinct and separate parts adapted to engage
but not otherwise attached to each other, the upper portion of said stem being
located in the spout and connected with the valve, a spring located in the spout
and normally holding the valve against its seat, the lower portion of the stem.
being located in the body of the can, and suitable means actuated from the
outside of the can whereby the lower portion of the stem is forced against
the upper portion and the valve in the spout opened, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
8th In an oil can an air chamber located within the oil chamber in combina-
tion with a stem located within the spout and the air chamber and provided with
two valves, one normally closing the exit passage of the spout and the other

page_text: normally closing the air chamber from the oil chamber and means located partially
within the air chamber but actuated from the outside of the can whereby the two
valves are simultaneously opened; substantially as described.
Dated' this 2nd day of February 1892.
ROBERT MY VICAR, JR.