Improvements in or in connection with Means for Automatically Closing or Opening Swivelled Lids and Covers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1898
Improvements in or in connection with Means for Automatically
Closing or Opening Swivelled Lids and Covers.
I, FRANK COWLEY, of 30 and 32, Ludgate Hill, E.C., in the City of London,
Accountant and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to vessels with covers or lids and has especial reference
to oil-cups for cycles and other uses where this combination of cover, swivel, and
spring may be employed.
For the purpose of this invention I take a rod or pin secured to the body of an
article or vessel at one end of the pin or rod and carrying a swivelled plate, cover
or lid at the other end of the pin or rod and which plate cover or lid is held close
to the body of the vessel by the pin and I dispose a spiral, helical, or coiled spring
apon the said pin or rod arranged to operate the cover or lid either to open it
or to close it and either to hold the cover open or to hold the cover closed until
pressure is applied to overcome the antion of the spring. I thus obtain self-open-
ing or self-closing vessels and I may place the combined swivelpin and spring
either wholly inside or wholly outside the vessel.
To form an entirely self-closing vessel or oilcup which may be cylindrical or
hexagonal or other shape at its mouth or open entrance I cover the aperture with
a plate swivelled upon a pin which pin is firmly secured to the vessel or oilcup
at a point more or less distant from the said plate forming the cover or lid.
Between the said pin and the side or wall of the vessel or oileup I leave a small
space. Upon the said pin I dispose a spring of one or more coils as may be
necessary leaving one end of this spring free and extended to press against the
wall or side of the vessel or oilcup and the other end of the said spring I may
insert in a hole suitably placed in the lid or cover or otherwise engage the end
of the spring to the cover so that the action of the spring will hold the cover closed.
Or I may use a banking pin to determine the closed position of the cover and allow
one end of the coiled spring to act in contact with the said banking pin. The
spring disposed as described has a tendency in all positions to close the lid or cover
and to hold it firmly closed. The cover may be pushed open against the spring
any required distance and is automatically closed on the withdrawal of the
pressure.
In a self-opening vessel I so dispose the spring as to exert its pressure in the
reverse direction to that described above.
In a modification I secure one end of the spiral, helical, or coiled spring to
the pin or rod upon which as above described it is disposed and the other end
of the said spring I arrange to operate the cover or lid to be automatically closed
or opened.
In another modification I may dispose the spring upon or attached to the
swivelpin or rod so that the said spring may be wholly or partly situated in a
hollow or cavity of the lid or cover.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1897.

page_text: Improvements in or in connection with Means for Automatically
Closing or Opening Swivelled Lids and Covers.
I, FRANK COWLEY, of 30 and 32, Ludgate Hill, E.C., in the City of London,
Accountant and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The reference letters hereinafter introduced refer to the accompanying drawings.
This invention relates to vessels with covers or lids and has especial reference
to oil-cups for cycles and other uses where this combination of cover, swivel and
spring may be employed.
For the purpose of this invention I take a rod or pin a secured to the body b
of an article or vessel at one end of the pin or rod a and carrying a swivelled plate,
cover, or lide at the other end of the pin or rod a and which plate cover or lid c
is held close to the body 6 of the vessel by the pin a and I dispose a spiral helical
or coiled spring s upon the said pin or rod a arranged to operate the cover or lid e
either to open it or to close it and either to hold the cover e open or to hold the
cover c closed until pressure is applied to overcome the action of the spring s.
I thus obtain self-opening or self-closing vessels and I may place the combined
swivel-pin and spring either wholly inside or wholly outside the vessel.
To form an entirely self closing vessel or oil cup which may be cylindrical or
hexagonal or other shape at its mouth or open entrance I cover the aperture with
a plate c swivelled upon a pin a which pin is firmly secured to the vessel 6 or
oilcup at a point more or less distant from the said plate forming the cover or
lid c. Between the said pin a and the side or wall of the vessel b I leave a small
space. Upon the said pin a I dispose a springs of one or more coils as may be
necessary leaving one end of this spring free and extended to press against the
wall or side of the vessel or oilcup band the other end of the said spring » I may
insert in a hole suitably placed in the lid or cover c or otherwise engage the end
of the springs to the cover e so that the action of the spring s will hold the
cover e closed. Or I may use a banking pin p to determine the closed position of
the cover and allow one end of the coiled springs to act in contact with the
said banking pin p. The springs disposed as described has a tendency in all
positions to close the lid or cover e and to hold it firmly closed. The cover c may
be pushed open against the springs any required distance and is automatically
closed on the withdrawal of the pressure.
In a self opening vessel I so dispose the springs as to exert its pressure in the
reverse direction to that described above.
In a modification I secure one end of the spiral, helical, or coiled springs to
the pin or rod a upon which as above described it is disposed and the other end
of the said spring's I arrange to operate the cover or lid c to be automatically
closed or opened.
In another modification I may dispose the spring upon or attached to the
swivel pin or rod a so that the said spring s may be wholly or partly situated in
a hollow or cavity of the lid or cover c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. I claim the combination of a spring s, a swivel pin a, and a cover e; wherein
the string is coiled upon the swivel pin a and operates the cover c to open it or

page_text: to close it substantially as shewn in the accompanying drawing and as described
herein.
2. I claim the improved means of automatically opening or closing the covers
of vessels by the action of a spring coiled upon the rod or pin upon which also the
cover revolves substantially as described in this specification and shewn in the
accompanying drawing.
3. I claim an oilcup suitable for cycles motors or other machinery having a
cover swivelled upon a rod or pin and which cover is operated automatically to
open or to close by the action of a spring coiled upon the rod or pin before
mentioned substantially as described in this specification and shewn on the
accompanying drawings.