An Improved Oil-can.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL
An Improved Oil-can.
I, JOHN WILLIAM NIBLETT of Walkley Wood, in the Parish of Nailsworth,
in the County of Gloucester, Working Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The improvement applies primarily to an ordinary class of oil-cans which may be
described as syringes operating in their outflow by means of internal displacement,
which displacement is usually effected by external manual compression upon the
flexible part of a containing metalic vessel, the actual outflow being by way of a
metalic tube or nipple attached to the container at its upper part, when considered
in the normal position of non-use.
When in use the syringe is sufficiently inverted and the flexible part compressed,
when some of the out-flowing oil or other lubricant is applied for lubrication or
other useful purpose; but another part temporarily adheres around the exterior of
the orifice at the extremity of the nipple.
When the syringe is returned to the normal position, as referred to in the pre-
ceding, this surplus oil trickles down the outside of the nipple, together with other
oil which may be drawn through the orifice with the escape of compressed air from
within the container.
The invention is an efficient and novel means for the purpose of returning this
redundant oil or other liquid to the interior of the containing vessel; such a purpose
being effected by the following means or its mechanical equivalent.
As in the ordinary arrangement, the top of the container is furnished with a neck
screwed internally to receive vertically or nearly so the externally screwed bottom
end of an upreaching tube or nipple. At the top of the screwed neck, and around
its exterior, or otherwise around the near exterior of the attaching tube, is provided
a suitable circular receiver such as a cup for the temporary collection of the
redundant oil trickling down from the orifice.
Through the entire length of the screwed junction at the neck, extending directly
downwards, and crosswise with the thread are constructed one or more minute
passages as capillary tubes for the conveyance of the surplus oil from the cupped
receiver to the upper inside of the container; or otherwise conveying it to a
specially provided interior conductor reaching directly down to the oil in the
container either method affords a continuous "duct" for the down-flowing surplus
oil.
Such passages are preferably constructed by a narrow vertical interior grooving
either of the screwed neck, or else an exterior grooving of the corresponding screwed
end of the inserted tube.
The grooving of the screwed neck is adopted with the use of the cupped receiver
when constructed upon the neck; the grooving of the screwed end of the tube is
adopted with the use of the cupped receiver attached to the tube. In both methods
the grooving extends from above the receiver to as low as, the bottom end of the
tube, where it communicates directly with the conductor.
That the "duct" may be as direct as possible the bore of the tube at its screwed
extremity is tapered out as much as possible and the bore of the tube throughout
made as large as convenient, but tapering smaller upwards, allowing free egress of
any compressed air within the container.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1892.

page_text: An Improved Oil-can.
I, JOHN WILLIAM NIBLETT late of Walkley Wood, now of Newmarket
Nailsworth, in the County of Gloucester, Working Engineer, 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 improvement relates to a means whereby the oil overflowing upon the
exterior of the feed tube of an oil-can is slowly returned to the interior of the
containing vessel; and is more particularly applicable to such oil-cans as have each
a detachable feed-tube.
Such oil-cans when not in use commonly have the orifice of the feed-tube turned
in an upward direction, which direction is reversed to a downward one when the
oil-can is actually in use.
The position of non-use is that referred to in the description of the improvement
which follows, and also that which is shewn by the accompanying drawings.
The period of non-use of oil-cans usually very much exceeds their period of
actual use. This condition admits of a method of a very slow returning inflow of
the oil which is to be returned from the exterior of the feed-tube to the containing
vessel.
The slow return of oil is effected by means of one or more minute downward
channels, one being usually sufficient, and only herein necessary to describe.
Each such channel is constructed through the part connecting the feed-tube with
the container, and each communicates directly with a sufficiently vertical part of
the inner surface of the containing vessel, the said surface operating as a downward
conductor of oil from the minute channels.
For the purpose of collecting the oil dispersed upon the exterior of the feed-tube
in using the oil-can, a receiver is provided which surrounds the exterior of the feed-
tube about its connection with the container; the minute channels being open at
their upper ends to this receiver.
Proceeding now to describe in detail the means employed by which the invention
is brought into effect, and for this purpose referring to the accompanying drawings
of the improvement, in which the same letters of reference in each figure refer to
the same parts in each ;-
a. Figure 1, is the exterior surface of the feed-tube of an oil-can, upon which
is commonly dispersed a quantity of oil from the orifice (b) immediately after using
the oil-can. c is cup or receiver of suitable shape and material into which the
surplus oil descends. It surrounds the base of the feed-tube immediately above the
level where the feed-tube enters the neck (d) of the container (e).
The receiver is affixed upon the upper part of the screw () at the bottom end
of the feed-tube; and the lower part of the same screw () affixes the feed-tube
with its receiver to the neck (d) of the container which is internally screwed to
receive it.
The entire length of the screwed part of the feed-tube is grooved in a sufficiently
vertical direction, and to a depth a very little in excess of the depth of the thread
of the screw in the manner as shewn at g in order to provide the minute downward
channel for conveying the surplus oil to the down-reaching inner surface (h) of the
container.
The groove (9) at its lower end meets the down-reaching inner surface at k, the
down-reaching surface operating as a further downward conductor of the oil which
emerges from the lower end of the minute downward channel.
The bore of the feed-tube is widened out at its junction with the container at i as
an upper continuation of the inner surface of the container, in order to prevent the
undue massing at this junction of such oil as descends from within the feed-tube;

page_text: and also that this oil in its descent may meet with, and, by the ensuing confluent
action, aid the descent of the oil flowing from the minute channel at k.
Also the bore of the feed-tube throughout its length must be large enough to
avoid the undue inassing of oil which should descend within it, and also to provide
for the exit of air from within the container displaced by the inflowing oil through
the minute channel.
C
The shape of the receiver is shewn at c and is designed to restrain the spilling of
oil from within it. For this end the upper edge of c is turned over both to the
inside and downwards as shewn at j, and may be described as an internal cope by
means of which is entrapped or restrained from spilling such a quantity of oil as
may be awaiting discharge to the container.
In the mode of construction of the receiver upon the feed-tube rather than upon
the container, the exterior of the receiver furnishes the needful finger-hold for
screwing and unscrewing the feed-tube.
The exterior of the receiver at its bottom is reduced in diameter, the reduced
part (m) receiving the usual leather washer for a packing.
Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a horizontal section through the line R, R' Fig. 1, and
shews the V shape of the groove g¹ and its manner of construction through the
screw (1) connecting the feed-tube (a¹) with the receiver (c¹).
The same figure also shews the groove reaching inwards and slightly beyond
the depth of the thread of the screw as at gl, this minutely extending part being
the part of the groove which operates as the minute channel, the larger remaining
part of the groove being inoperative as a channel by reason of its being covered by
the threads of the internal screws of the neck and receiver. Fig. 2 also shewś
the usually circular shapes of the feed-tube (61) with its bore, and also of the base
of the receiver (c¹).
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 :-
"The provision and employment in oil-cans of one or more minute down-reaching
channels constructed through the screw, or other similarly disposed part for attach-
ment of the feed-tube to the containing vessel, for the purpose of conducting
downwards to the inside of the containing vessel the surplus oil collected from the
exterior of the feed-tube; each such channel at its lower extremity meeting, and
operating in conjunction with, the down reaching part of the interior surface of the
containing vessel for the purpose of further conducting downwards the oil emerging
from the minute channels.'
Dated this Sixth day of July 1893.
644
JOHN WILLIAM NIBLET
LETT.