IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OIL CANS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Lister, of Oldham, in the County of Lan-
caster, Foreman, and John Lees, of the same Place, Tin Plate Worker,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OIL CANS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Lister and John
Lees, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 9th March 1860.
We, JOSHUA LISTER, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Foreman, and
JOHN LEES, of the same Place, Tin Plate Worker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OIL
CANS," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to make oil cans so that no oil can escape
when they are overturned, also easy to clean and to deliver the oil more freely
than those now in use. An air chamber is made at the bottom of the oil can
into which air is admitted through a tube which is attached to the bottom
plate, above the air chamber is the oil chamber, and an air tube reaches from
the bottom of the oil chamber to near the lower end of the delivering tube
which is made with an oil cup to catch the oil that runs down; the two air

page_text: tubes and the delivering tube are all in a line, so that a wire can be passed
through them to remove any dirt or other impurity.
If any of the oil should escape from the oil chamber through the air tube
passing through it, it is collected in the air chamber, and makes its escape
when the oil can is again used.·
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joshua Lister and John Lees, in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, JOSHUA
LISTER, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Foreman, and JOHN LEES, of
the same Place, Tin Plate Worker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Joshua Lister and John Lees, Her special licence
that we, the said Joshua Lister and John Lees, executors, adminis-
rators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Joshua Lister and John
Lees, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF OIL CANS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Joshua Lister and John Lees, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals,
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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joshua Lister and John Lees, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):-
The object of our Invention is to make oil cans so that no oil can escape

page_text: when they are overturned; also easy to clean and to deliver the oil more
freely than those now in use, an air chamber is made at the bottom of the oil
can into which air is admitted through a tube which is attached to the bottom
plate; above the air chamber is the oil chamber, and an air tube reaches from
the bottom of the oil chamber to near the lower end of the delivering tube
which is made with an oil cup to catch any oil that runs down the delivering
tube. The two air tubes and the delivering tube are all in a line, so that a
wire can be passed through them to remove any dirt or other impurity.
If any of the oil should escape from the oil chamber, through the air
tube passing through it, it is collected in the air chamber and makes it escape
when the oil can is again used..
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood, and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings reference being had to the Figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an oil can constructed according to our
improvements. a is the outer casing of the oil can, and 6 the lid which is
removed for supplying the oil to the chamber c; d is the air chamber into
which the air enters through the tube c; the air chamber is separated from
the oil chamber by the conical partition in the centre of which is fixed the
air tube 9; the tubes e and 9 are in line with each other and with the
delivering tube h, to which is soldered or otherwise attached the cup i, the
object of which is to catch any oil that may run down the delivering tube.
This cup
i is made in the usual manner and to it is attached a piece' to guide
the oil on to the outside of the delivering tube. When this oil can is over-
turned no oil can escape through the delivering tube ; but, if any oil should
escape from the oil chamber through the air tube 9, it is collected in the air
chamber d and when the oil can is used it runs down the tube g to the
delivering tube h. When the tubes require cleaning a wire can casily be
passed through the three tubes d, g, and h, to remove the impurities. Another
great advantage is that the oil cans constructed according to our improvements
deliver their oil more freely than those now known and in use, thereby
effecting a considerable saving in time.
Fig. 2, is another of our improved oil cans similar to the one above
described, but furnished with a tube J the object of which is to convey the oil
that runs down the delivering tube h into the cap i from the said cup to the air
chamber d, the cover is to protect the cup i from dust or other impurities.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of our said improvements
in the construction of oil cans, we declare that we claim the improved arrange-

page_text: ment of parts forming an oil can as shewn and described and particularly the
placing of the air tubes and delivering tube in line with each other.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joshua Lister and John Lees
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of September
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
TICTED
A
(2.5.)
(L.S)
JOHN LEES.