A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OIL CAN FOR APPLYING OIL FOR THE LUBRICATION OF MACHINERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gabriel Cornut Mechanical Draughtsman and Andró
Castelin, Engineer (Conducteur du Contrôle de l'Etat Chemin de fer du Nord)
Din the Ronublic of France for an Invention of "A NEW OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gabriel Cornut and
André Custelin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
24th June 1882.
GABRIEL CORNUT, Mechanical Draughtsman, and ANDRÉ CASTELIN, Engineer
(Conducteur du Contrôle de l'Etat Chemin de fer du Nord) both of Paris, in
the Republic of France "A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF OIL CAN FOR
APPLYING OIL FOR THE LUBRICATION OF MACHINERY
"
This Invention relates to a new or improved construction of oil can for applying
oil for the lubrication of machinery and apparatus, the object being to eject the
oil from the can without necessarily turning the can over and also to supply the oil
in easily regulated quantities and to provide against accidentally spilling the oil
in case of the oil can being overturned
The oil can body is of block tin and is provided with a neck piece or collar
soldered into the can having a cup like opening for the filling in of the oil and for
the reception of the specially constructed cap or cover which is screwed into the
opening and operates by compression and sliding together of the parts to eject the
oil through the spout tube.
The cap or cover is composed of a cylinder serving at the top as a guide for a
bell cover, and having a plate in the lower end of the cylinder to which is attached
by soldering the plate which serves as the screw for application of the cover.
A bell with an air hole provided therein and furnished with a piston, cup leather
is placed in the cylinder, said bell having a projecting ring all around the lower
edge.
The leather packed piston portion is fixed to the bell by a screw piece which is
pierced with two air holes and is soldered to the bell. A spiral spring is placed

page_text: within the said parts the upper end pressing upon the leather packed piston piece
and the lower upon the bottom of the main cylinder and acts always to hold the
bell cover in an outward projecting position but yielding to pressure and sliding
in the tube when such pressure is applied.
The closing plate at the bottom of the main cylinder is pierced centrally, through
which piercing is passed a stem or rod which at its upper end is affixed to the bell
cover the lower end of the rod being furnished with a leather valve disc so that
when the bell cover is at its highest position the valve disc will press against and
close the hole.
The oil spout tube for the purpose of employing the compression of the air by
means of this spring pistion cover must be of slight diameter and consequently
weak this tube is to be supported by a sleeve tube made somewhat conical the
outer portion approximately fitting and is soldered to the conduit tube and the
other end to the oil can body. This is again supported by a further strengthening
tube or plate soldered to the supporting sleeve and to the body of the oil can.
The light conduit tube is carried to the bottom of the can and the air above the oil
will be compressed when the bell cover is depressed and more or less according to
such depression and compression of the air will ensue a flow of oil the regulating
of which will immediately follow the eye and touch of any ordinary workman.

page_text: communication with the oil. The plate m, p. r which is of the same shape as the
section of the body A to which it is soldered, and has two small openings m which
allow the same level of the oil being kept in the two compartments Q and Q¹ of
the can.
The shaped cap or plunger D is, at the top, of cup-like shape and is pierced with
a hole d and at its bottom part is provided with a flange which in combination
with the flange of the piston H which is soldered to the lower inner part of the
cap or plunger D grips and holds the leather packing G of the piston. The piston H
has pierced in its surface two holes for the passage of air and in its centre a third
hole for the reception of the valve rod I which is soldered therein the said valve
rod I sliding freely in the hole in the bottom of the cylinder C this cylinder
has a circular cavity in its base into which the male screw c is soldered, the top
or cover E being attached in the manner as before described for the body A and
cover B.
The spiral spring K rests at its lower end in the groove in the base of the
cylinder C the upper end pressing against the piston H, keeping the cap or
plunger D in an outward projecting position but yielding to pressure and sliding
in the cylinder C when such pressure is applied.
This improved oil can is kept perfectly air tight by means of the leather
packing G of the piston H which leather is not destroyed by the action of
the oil.
The operation of the can is as follows:-The body of the can is held firmly in
the hand the thumb upon the cup-like surface of the cap or plunger D completely
closing the hole d and the thumb is to be kept in this position during the pressing
down of the piston so as to keep the can air-tight. Upon pressing down the cap
or plunger D the parts G, H, D are pushed down into the cylinder C the air
contained in the cylinder diminishes in volume and presses the leather packing
of the piston tightly against the cylinder C the valve L is at same time pushed
down and puts the compressed air contained in the cylinder in communication
with the air in the can the oil being thus pressed down is forced through the
opening o¹ of the tube and through the spout R
When the flow of oil is to be
stopped the thumb must be raised sufficiently to allow air to pass but at same
time keeping the piston down the compressed air then rushes out through the
holes and d. The hole d must then be closed again by the thumb, letting the
piston rise by the action of the spring K and keeping the hole a closed the
result will be a diminution of pressure inside the can and the oil in the spout R
will be drawn back under the pressure of the outer air into the can.
The size of the cylinder and piston have been so calculated that the slightest
pressing down of the cap D produces inside the can a sufficient pressure to cause
the liquid to run up into the spout and be ejected therefrom. The flow of the oil
may thus be obtained in drops or in a continuous jet.
This can may be used in a vertical position with the spout R upward and will
be operated as previously described the flow of the oil will be certain and regular
as the pressure inside is several times greater than necessary for the ejection of
the oil. In any case the oil must be above the level of the opening o¹ of the
tube but the tube opening may be carried down by bending or shaping over
the metal at that part. The can may also be used with the spout R turned
downwards a part of the oil being retained by the partition 2, m, in the com-
partment and owing to the apertures m being very much smaller than the
opening o of the tube n the oil will run almost entirely through the said tube 2
and through spout R. The quantity of oil contained in the compartment Q is
more than sufficient for any ordinary lubrication in this position.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, we
claim:-
The improved oil-can working by the pressure of air upon the oil surface through

page_text: the packed telescoping spring cap or cover to eject the oil in large or small regu-
lated quantities the same being constructed and operating as and for the purpose
herein set forth and shown by the drawings.
In Witness whereof I the said André Castelin have on behalf of myself
and the said Gabriel Cornut set, my hand and seal this twentieth day
of December in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty two.
A CASTELIN (LS)