Improvements in Cans.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cans.
I, LUTHER Dow SANBORN of 164 Clinton Street, Grand Rapids in the
County of Kent and State of Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer,
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:-
This invention relates to cans or vessels designed to contain liquids.
Its object is to provide such vessel with a siphon-discharge and means for
charging and discharging the siphon.
It consists, essentially, of a well in the bottom of the vessel, an open-end
cylinder of less diameter than the well, with one closed end suspended in the well,
a siphon connnecting with the upper closed end portion of the cylinder, and
rising within the vessel above the liquid-line, and having a discharge-opening
below the bottom of the vessel, a piston within the cylinder capable of a free
end wise movement therein, and a slotted piston-rod connecting the piston and
extending through the head of the cylinder, rising through a stuffing box in the
top of the can, to be operated by an attendant, all of which, as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, will be hereinafter more fully described.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view showing all the parts.
The vessel, A represented in the figures is one of the usual forms, cylindrical in
section, with conical top B, having a screw-cap inlet-opening, C, and a handle, D,
spanning its apex. The bottom proper of this can (represented at E) is placed
within the can some distance above its foot-rim, and a well, F, preferably cylindrical
in form, is fixed in the bottom E, depending therefrom. A vessel, H, preferably
cylindrical in form, of less diameter than the well, closed at one end by a head, I,
is placed in the well, open end down, and extends nearly to the bottom of the well,
in which position it is supported by soldering or otherwise. A tube, K, is joined to
the upper end portion of the open-end vessel, communicating internally therewith,
and from its connection with the open-end vessel it rises within the can above the
liquid-line therein and returns, opening through the side thereof at a point near or
below the bottom, to deliver the contents of the can preferably on a level with or
below the bottom of the well. In this instance the return-branch of the tube K,
forming the discharge-branch of the siphon, descends through the bottom of the
can to about the level of the bottom of the well, at which point it is curved; as at c,
and in its passage to the point d, at which it is passed through the side wall of the
foot portion of the can, is slightly inclined above the plane of its lower curved
portion, forming a trap to contain the liquid adhering to the inner surface of the
return-branch of the tube in discharging the siphon. The projecting end of the
siphon is provided with a detachable discharge-nozzle, L, fitted to slip into or onto
the outlet end of the siphon, and its outer discharge end is curved downward to
discharge the contents of the can, preferably on a lower plane than the bottom of
the well. The discharge-nozzle L is made detachable to permit its removal in
handling the can.
A stopper L' is attached by a chain to the can, near the discharge opening, the
said stopper being adapted to be inserted in the opening to close it up when the
nozzle is removed.
In use, when the siphon is discharged, its discharge-outlet may be turned up, to
conduct the drippings to the trap. The open-end vessel is provided with a piston, e,
capable of a free reciprocating movement end wise therein, and a piston-rod, h, is

page_text: fixed to the centre of its upper surface and rises freely through a centre opening
in the head I of the vessel and through the conical top of the can.
A stuffing box, i, is placed in the top of the can through which the piston-rod, h,
passes which stuffing-box may be packed with wicking or other suitable material
making the can air tight until the rod is lifted. The can is vented by a slot j made
in the piston-rod, h, which slot is half outside and half inside the can when the
piston rod is raised to full height forming a perfect vent. The upper end of the
piston-rod is fitted at r in ring, loop, or other convenient form, to receive the hand
of an attendant to operate the piston. When required, a second bottom may be
fixed in the can, to protect the parts below the bottom E of the can.
provided with a jacket for protection the second bottom may be a portion of the
jacket.
In cans
To afford an inlet for the liquid to the vessel H, a small space is left around the
piston-rod in the head I. It is obvious, however, that other inlets may be
provided--for example, a series of holes (not shown) near the bottom edge of the
vessel H, so that when the piston-head e is below them the liquid will enter the
vessel. By this latter construction it is not necessary that the space or opening
surrounding the piston-rod in the head H should be provided.
In the use of my improved can, constructed as shown, a quick upward move-
ment of the piston will force the liquid contained in the open-end vessel into the
tube connected therewith, and will charge the siphon, and cause the liquid contained
in the can to flow through it and be discharged from the nozzle, and, if permitted,
will exhaust the liquid from the can to the bottom of the open-end vessel in the
well: The downward movement of the piston will discharge the siphon, causing
the liquid contained therein to flow back into the open-end vessel.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the upward movement of the piston or
plunger will charge the siphon and cause the liquid contents of the can to flow
through it, and the downward movement thereof will stop the flow, and this
operation can be repeated indefinitely until the liquid is exhausted from the can.
By this construction and arrangement of the parts I produce a siphon-faucet
capable of use in connection with a variety of vessels to extract or discharge the
liquids contained therein without leakage or waste, without the employment of
valves, spigots, stop or way cocks, screw-plugs, packings, or other of the many
devices known and used for like purposes.
In the foregoing I have shown my improvement in connection with a can of a
well-known variety employed in handling liquids of various kinds, especially such
as the many varieties produced from petroleum, but do not wish to confine myself
to such application.
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. The combination with a liquid-containing vessel having its bottom proper
located at a distance above the lower end of the vessel, a well fitted in said bottom
and extending below the same, and a siphon-tube located entirely within the vessel
and connected at its shorter side with a charging and discharging cylinder located
in said well, substantially as described, the discharging end leading to the exterior
of the vessel of a stuffing box in the top of the vessel and a piston-rod for
actuating the piston to charge and discharge the siphon the said piston-rod having
a slot near its upper end to admit air to the interior of the vessel, substantially as
described and illustrated.
2. The combination with the liquid-containing vessel having its bottom located
at a distance above the lower end of the vessel, a well fitted in said bottom and.
extending below the same, and a siphon-tube connected at its shorter side with a
charging and discharging cylinder located in said well, the longer side leading to
the exterior of the vessel and provided with a curved movable discharging-nozzle

page_text: of a plug or stopper attached by a chain to the vessel near the discharge opening
adopted to be inserted in said opening to close it when the spout is removed,
substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of November 1891
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.