Improvements in Oil Cans.
Year: 1890

page_text: e of Application, 18th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 19th Apr., 1890
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 from abroad by The Rau Novelty Company, a manufacturing
Corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, with its principal
office at Chicago, in the County of Cook, and State of Illinois, aforesaid, one of the
United States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The following is a full clear and exact description of the invention, reference being
had to the accompanying drawing which forins a part of this specification and of
which
Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinal section of the improved can with the valve
seated.
Figure 2. is a horizontal section thereof on the line 2-2 figure 1.
Figure 3. is a vertical longitudinal section of the improved can under a slight modi-
fication and with the valve unseated.
In this figure the can is shown on a somewhat larger scale than in the preceding
figures, and a portion of the spout is omitted.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing in detail the valve and its operating
mechanism of modified form.
The present invention relates to oil cans in general and is especially valuable as
applied to that class of cans known as "feeders," and cans for containing benzine
and similar volatile oils, its object being to make the can air-tight, so that oil cannot
possibly escape therefrom either by evaporation or otherwise, unless certain operations
are performed.
Many bearings are so situated that they can be approached only from above, and to
lubricate them the feeder must be presented to them and withdrawn from them with
its nozzle downward.
With a feeder as ordinarily constructed, oil drips from the nozzle while it is being
withdrawn, and until it is returned to an upright position. A feeder with the present
invention applied may be held with its nozzle downward and manipulated so that it
will or will not drop oil, as may be desired. Thus it may be presented to a bearing
nozzle-end downward without letting any oil escape; then when the nozzle has reached
the bearing the oil may be allowed to escape, and when the desired quantity has
escaped, the flow may be immediately and completely stopped so that none will drip
from the feeder as it is being removed.
The invention consists of certain features of novelty that are particularly pointed
out in the claims herein after, a can embodying said invention under two modifications
being first fully described with reference to the drawings, in all figures of which
similar parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
A represents the body of the can having the customary handle B, nozzle C, and
filling orifice D, provided with a screw cap d. Within the body of the can, opposite
the inner end of the nozzle, is an inclined diaphragm E, which is soldered air-tight to
the bottom and end of the can. This diaphragm is provided with a hole through
which and through a hole in the end of the can, a short section of pipe passes,
being soldered air-tight both to the diaphragm and body. The outer end of this pipe
projects slightly beyond the end of the can, and enters the nozzle, the two being
securely soldered together.
F
The inner portion is curved upward so as to form an elbow. It projects slightly
beyond the diaphragm, and its extremity is planed off at right angles to its axis so as
to form a circular inclined valve-seat G. His a valve pivotted to the extremity of a

page_text: valve stem which consists of a lever I terminating at one end above the valve seat,
fulcrumed at an intermediate point, and at its other end engaged by the bifurcated
lower extremity of a push rod K which passes upward through the top of the can
and is provided with a push-button or bead L.
To pivot the valve to the stem it is provided with a pair of perforated lugs or cars h
upon its top side, situated a sufficient distance apart to admit between them the
flattened end of the valve-stem, which latter is provided with a perforation i. A
pin p passed through these several perforations, pivotally connects the valve to its
stem.
The perforation is made larger than the cross-section of the pin p in order that
the valve may seat itself perfectly before any pressure is exerted upon it, and in order
that the rounded under side of the valve stem may come in contact with the top of
the valve. By this means the pressure for holding the valve to the seat is exerted
directly upon the valve itself and not upon its pivot pin, the vertical plane of which
latter may be considerably outside of the centre of the valve seat.
The loose connection between the valve and its stem, to which this action is due,
need not be made precisely as shown in the drawing, as other means for accomplishing
the same result are within the range of the present invention.
The drawings show two methods of fulcrumming the valve stem: In figures 1
and 2 a bar M rests upon the bottom of the can, and to the top side of this bar is
secured a saddle N, having a pair of short standards or cars a which are a sufficient
distance apart to admit between them a flattened portion of the valve stem, said cars
and stem being perforated for the passage of a pin ¹. The saddle N, consists
preferably of a single casting of approximately U-shape, with its under sido hollowed
out so as to fit snugly the top side of the wooden bar M to which it is secured by a
single screw or nail.
is a wire spring of approximately V shape, at its angle-end or apex it crosses and
bears upon the top of the valve stem, which latter is notched at for its reception.
From that point its two arms or branches extend downwards (crossing the stem) and
rearward to the underside of the bar M, around which they are coiled several times
and extend thence rearward, their extremities being firmly soldered to the body of
the can. The portions m of the bar which are surrounded by the coiled portions of
the spring are reduced in diameter, so that the coils sink below the surface of the bar.
This enables the bar to rest upon the bottom of the can while the coils are kept out
of contact with said bottom. If allowed to have contact their motion and pressure
incident to the operation of the device would soon wear holes. These reduced portions
are also useful, in that the shoulders formed thereby have contact with the coils of
the spring and the bar is thus held against longitudinal displacement.
The push rod passes through a sleeve P, and the latter passes through the top of
the can and is there secured by soldering so that its upper end forms a projection Q
rising above the top of the can.
The bore or perforation of this projection is just large enough to fit the push-rod
snugly, while the bore of the lower portion is large enough to contain a coiled
spring R which surrounds the push-rod and tends to hold it normally in elevated
position by exerting its pressure upwards against the underside of a flange S on said
rod and downward against a perforated cap secured over the lower end of the
sleeve.
This projection Q forms one member of a stuffing-box the other member of which
consists of an inverted cup-shaped follower T having upon its interior screw-threads,
adapted to engage corresponding threads on the exterior of the projection Q. Between
these two members a wad of packing material V is placed. By screwing the follower T
on to the projection Q, the packing is forced against the push rod K and thus the
can is made air-tight at this point.
In order to provide a vent which shall be opened to admit air to the upper part of
the can only when the valve H is unseated, the upper end of the push-rod is provided
with an internal longitudinal bore V, and two lateral bores or perforations W and X
which communicate therewith.

page_text: These perforations are so situated that when the valve is seated (as shown
in figure 1) neither of them will be below the stuffing box, but when the valve is unseated
by depressing the push-rod one of said perforations (X) will be below, and the other (W)
above the stuffing box, so that the air may pass through the upper perforation into the
bore V and thence through the lower perforations into the interior of the can.
In the modified form of the invention shown in figures 3 and 4, the valve stem I
and the fulcrum bar M are both east together, the arms of the casting being substan-
tially shaped in cross section so as to avoid weight and insure strength. In this
form of course, the bar M oscillates about its own axis, as the valve stem is oscillated,
the coiled portions of the spring O constituting the bearings in which the reduced
portions m of the bar turn.
The spring O supports the bar slightly above the bottom of the cam so as to prevent
the latter from being worn through, which would soon result if the oscillating bar
rested upon it.
In order to bring the fulcrum bar close to the bottom of the can and at the same
time have the ends of the valve-stem far enough above the bottom to permit the
necessary movement, the arms of said stom are formed at an angle to each other, as
shown more clearly in Figure 3.
The invention may be further modified by omitting the separate spring R for
elevating the push-rod in which case the one spring O seats the valve and elevates the
push-rod.
We are aware that an oil-can has been provided with a valve for controlling the
discharge of oil, a spring for holding said valve normally seated, and a push-rod for
lifting said valve from its seat.
Also that it has been proposed to provide the push-rod of an oil-can with an internal
longitudinal bore and two lateral bores or perforations communicating therewith, and
to surround said stem with packing material confined in a box having no means of
adjustment.
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:
1: In an oil can the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve seat, of a valve stem consisting of a lever fulcrummed at an intermediate point
and terminating at one end above the valve-seat, an outward seating valve situated
within the can and pivotally connected directly to the above mentioned end of the
valve stem, a spring operating to force said valve upon its seat, and a push-rod
engaging the other end of the valve-stem, substantially as set forth.
2: In an oil-can, the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve seat presented inward and inclined substantially as shown, of a valve-stem con-
sisting of a lever fulcrummed at an intermediate point and terminating at one end
above the valve-seat, an outward seating valva situated within the can and pivotally
connected directly to the above mentioned end of the valve stem, a spring operating
to force said valve upon its seat, and a push-rod engaging the valve-stem substantially
as set forth.
3: In an oil-can, the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve-seat, of a lever fulcrummed at an intermediate point and having the perforation i
a valve having perforated ears h, a pivot-pin passing through said perforations and
fitting loosely the perforation i so as to permit a slight lost motion between the valve
and stem, a spring for forcing said valve upon its seat, and a push-rod for engaging
the valve-stem, substantially as set forth.
4: In an oil can the coinbination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve-seat, of a valve stem consisting of a lover fulcrummed at an intermediate point
and having at one end a perforation and the rounded portion i¹ a valve having per-
forated ears, a pin passing through said perforations and fitting perforation i loosely,
a spring bearing upon said valve-stem, and a push-rod engaging said stem substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 5 In an oil can the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve-seat, of the valve H, the valve-stem I to one end of which said valve is connected,
the fulcrum bar M having the reduced portions m, the spring O bearing at one end
upon the valve-stem coiled at an intermediate point around the reduced portions m of
the fulcrum bar and at its other end secured to the can, and the push-rod K engaging
said stem, substantially as set forth.
6: In an oil-can the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the perforated
valve-seat, of the valve H, the valve stem I, consisting of a lever fulcrummed at an inter-
mediate point, the push-rod engaging said stem, the fulcrum bar M resting upon the
bottom of the can and having the reduced portions m and the spring O bearing at one
end upon said stem coiled at an intermediate point around the reduced portions m of
the fulcrum bar, and at its other end secured to the can, substantially as set forth.
7: In an oil-can, the combination with the body, the nozzle and the perforated
valve seat, of the valve H, the valve-stem I, the push rod K, the fulcrum bar M,
resting upon the bottom of the can, the saddle N secured to said bar and to which the
valve-stem is fulcrummed so as to be capable of oscillating independently and a spring
for forcing the valve upon its seat, substantially as set forth.
8: In an oil-can the combination with the body, the nozzle, the valve and means
for operating it, of the diaphragm E and the tube F having valve seat G formed
thereon, substantially as set forth.
9: In an oil-can, the combination with the body, and nozzle of a valve for con-
trolling the discharge of oil, a push rod for operating said valve, having an internal
bore and two lateral bores or perforations communicating therewith, and a stuffing
box surrounding the push rod and baving an adjustable follower, said perforations
being so situated that when the valve is seated neither of them will be below the
stuffing-box, and when the valve is unseated by depressing the push-rod one of said
perforations will be above and the other below the stuffing box, substantially as set
forth.
10 In an oil-can, the combination with the body, the nozzle, and the valve, of the
push rod having the internal bore V, and two lateral bores W and X, the externally
screw threaded projection secured to the can and having an opening through which
the push-rod passes snugly, the inverted cup shaped follower T having internal
screw-threads engaging the external threads of the projection Q and the packing
material V between the projection and follower, substantially as set forth.
Dated March 18th 1890.
Dated Maren Lot 1890.
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents,