Combined Portable Fluid Reservoir and Pumping Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: te of Application, 20th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Portable Fluid Reservoir and Pumping Apparatus.
I, EDWIN WEBSTER LUCE, of No. 778 Park Avenue, in the City of Meadville,
in the County of Crawford, in the State of Pennsylvania, one of the 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 :-.
My invention relates to a portable oil can provided with a pumping device
designed to facilitate the filling of lamps, or other small vessels from the can, or
drawing the oil back from such vessel into the can; and at the same time to lessen
the risk of accidents by fire in the handling of oils, or other inflammable fluids, or by
the over filling of the lamps.
An oil can embodying my invention consists essentially of the oil reservoir, pump,
pipes, valves, etc., named and described in the present Specification, in which
reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention ;
and in which,―
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the oil can complete.
Figure 2, is a top view of the same, and Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on
line X X.
The can or vessel A, which holds the oil or other fluid, may be made in a
variety of shapes, without departing from the spirit of my invention, but, for
several reasons, is made preferably, as a plain upright cylinder, closed at the top,
and is so shown in the drawings.
A cylindrical force pump B, is secured to the top side of the can, extending
downward into it a suitable distance, and is of a size and length suited to the size
of the can.
A suction pipe C leads from near the bottom of the can, up to the
lower end of the pump cylinder, and is provided with a valve D. The piston
head E is an ordinary solid head of the simplest construction. The piston rod F
works through a stuffing box G, which prevents the escape of air, or fluid outward
in the working of the pump. The pump is operated by a band lever H, which is
pivotted to a fulcrum I on the top of the can. This lever is steadied sideways by
a staple J which bestrides it and is secured to the can. An ejection pipe K
provides for communication between the bottom of the pump cylinder, and the
standard L which is soldered, or otherwise closely secured to the top of the can.
Through this standard there are two open passages, both opening outward through
the plane vertical face M. The passage N, at its lower end connects with the
ejection pipe K, and the passage O, with a return pipe P, which leads into the
upper part of the pump cylinder. The pipe K has a valve Q opening outward,
(from the pump) and the pipe P, a valve R, opening inward.
4
A valve S in a short pipe leading from the upper part of the pump, opens
outward, so as to allow any fluid or air in the top part of the pump, to be forced
out, into the reservoir but prevent its return.
A swinging branch, composed of two pipes T and U, which are secured together
and have a common head V, upon which is worked a plane face to fit against the
face M of the standard, above mentioned, and to which it is pivotted and held by
the bolt W, reaches from the standard over the side of the can to the vessel that is
to be filled, or emptied. When this swinging branch is lowered to fill a vessel, the
pipe openings in the plane side of its head are in conjunction with those in the
plane face of the standard. The branch pipe T then connects with the standard
passage N and ejection pipe K, and the branch pipe U, with the standard passage O,
and the return nine P.

page_text: The reservoir is filled through an ordinary opening in the top, which is stopped
by the screw plug Y.
Although intended mainly for filling lamps, this pumping device is equally
serviceable for emptying them, which is sometimes desirable. The downward
movement of the piston, while pressing the oil out below it, must draw into the
pump above the cylinder-either air. or liquid, and it is evident, that if the end
of the swinging branch is in the oil of a lamp, the suction above the piston, will
draw back the oil from the lamp, with the pump, and the upward stroke of the
piston will throw it through the valve S into the reservoir, just as fast as the pressure
below the piston will force it into the lamp, as the construction of the pump will
allow a stream of oil or other liquid to run both ways at the same time, by means
of its inflow and outflow pipes, the overflowing of a lamp or other vessel is thereby
rendered perfectly impossible.
To provide for the free working of the pump when emptying a lamp, a small vent
pipe A leads out from the bottom of the pump cylinder, and turns upward, as
shown in Figure 3. Its end is stopped by a plug on the end of the screwed rod B¹
which passes up through a removable piece. C, and terminates in a handle loop, by
which the rod may be turned and the plug drawn up. By making this opening to
the bottom of the pump cylinder the working of the pump will not be clogged by
oil in the lower part of the cylinder.
Although in the present description I have referred only to oil cans, it will
readily be understood that my invention is likewise also applicable to any other
vessels containing liquids, which can be emptied by the use of a pump, and I
therefore do not limit myself solely to oil cans in the application of my,
invention.
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 1
claim is ;
1st. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a pump for discharging the
contents thereof into a receiving vessel, said pump comprising a cylinder, a suction
pipe extending down into the reservoir, a discharge pipe leading to the receiving
vessel, an inlet pipe leading from the receiving vessel back to the pump cylinder.
and an outlet between the cylinder and the interior of the reservoir, substantially as
described.
2nd. The combination with the fluid reservoir, of a pump for discharging the
contents thereof into a receiving vessel, said pump comprising a cylinder, a solid
piston, a suction pipe connected with the cylinder and extending down into the
reservoir, a discharging pipe leading from the cylinder on one side of the piston
to the receiving vessel, an air inlet pipe leading back from the receiving vessel to
the cylinder on the other side of the piston, and an air outlet from the cylinder
to the reservoir on the same side of the piston as the air inlet, substantially as
described.
3rd. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a pump cylinder enclosed within
the reservoir, a solid piston working in said cylinder, an inlet pipe leading from
outside the reservoir into the pump cylinder, said pipe containing a valve opening
inwardly toward the cylinder, and an outlet pipe leading from the cylinder to the
interior of the reservoir, said outlet pipe containing a valve opening outwardly from
the cylinder, substantially as described.
4th. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a pump cylinder, a suction pipe
extending from the cylinder down into the reservoir, a discharge pipe leading
from the cylinder outside of the reservoir, an inlet pipe leading from outside the
reservoir into the cylinder, an outlet between the cylinder and the interior of the
reservoir, a separate pipe forming communication between the cylinder and
the interior of the reservoir, and a valve operatable from the outside of the reservoir
for controlling a communication between the cylinder and the reservoir through said
pipe, substantially as described.

page_text: 5th. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a pump cylinder enclosed within
the reservoir, communication between the cylinder and reservoir controlled by a
valve opening into the cylinder, a discharge pipe leading outside the reservoir and
containing a valve opening outwardly from the cylinder, an air inlet pipe leading
from outside the reservoir back to the cylinder and containing a valve opening
inwardly toward the latter, and an outlet from the cylinder to the reservoir, said
outlet being controlled by a valve opening outwardly from the cylinder, substantially
as described.
6th. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a pump cylinder enclosed within
the same, a solid piston working in the cylinder, a communication between the
cylinder and the reservoir controlled by a normally closed valve opening into the
cylinder, a discharge pipe leading from the cylinder on one side of the piston to
the outside of the reservoir and controlled by a normally closed valve opening
away from the cylinder, an inlet pipe leading outside the reservoir back to the
cylinder on the other side of the piston and controlled by a normally closed valve
opening toward the latter, and an outlet from the cylinder on the same side of the
piston as the inlet from outside the reservoir, said outlet being controlled by a
normally closed valve opening outwardly from the cylinder; substantially as
described.
7th. The combination with a fluid reservoir, of a force pump provided with
suction and discharge pipes, with their respective inwardly and outwardly opening
valves, and a vent pipe from the foot of the pump cylinder, provided with a plug
stopper controlled by a screw threaded rod extending through the top of the
reservoir, substantially as described.
Signed at Meadville, Crawford County, State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., this.
16th day of January. A.D. 1894.