US1664560A

US1664560A - Measuring can

Info

Publication number: US1664560A
Application number: US184502A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert D Hughes
Original assignee: Huffman Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Huffman Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1927-04-18
Filing date: 1927-04-18
Publication date: 1928-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 1945-04-03

Description

April 3, 1928.

R. D. HUGHES MEASURING CAN Filed April 18. 1927 /N VE/VTOI? }POBERTD.HU6//[S M ,4 TTOF? NEY.

Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,664,560 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. HUGHES, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HUFFMAN MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01' OHIO.

MEASURING CAN.

Application filed April 18, 1927. Serial No. 184,502.

This invention relates to measuring cans and more particularly to that type of can in which the oil or other liquid is discharged from the bottom through afiexible spout which delivers it to the crank case of an automobile engine or to some other more or less accessible point of delivery.

Measuring cans of this type are extensively employed at automobile fillin stam tions where the measuring can is fil ed at an oil tank within the station and then carried to the automobile outside the station. When the can is filled full there is a tendency of the oil to splash over the edge, or to lo spill if the can is slightly tilted.

One object of the present invention is to provide a measuring can of this type with a guard which will eiiectually prevent the spilling of the oil without in any way inter 2o faring with the free visibility of the measuring line at the top of the can, to which line the canvmust be filled.

A iurther object of the invention is to provide a simple eflicient operating mechase nism for the valve which controls the discharge of the liquid from the can; and to provide such a mechanism which will require the use of but a single supporting member within the can.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detaiii In the accompanying drawings Fig, 1 is a top plan view out a measuring can embodying my invention; Fig; 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the thumb piece, taken on the line 3-3 oi Fig. 2; Figs 4 is a sectional view of the guard, taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 2;

Fig, 5 is a plan view of the guide for the no valve stem, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig, 2; Fig; 8 is a detail view of the guide for the actuating rod; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the actuating rod,

lln these drawings 1 have i embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention:

As here shown, the measuring can comprises a body portion 1, the walls of which converge upwardly so that the body portion forms in efiect the frustum oi a cone,

as bottom plate 2 is mounted within the body llustrated one .be mounted as a unit on the side of the can portion of the can and is spaced some distance above the lower edge of the body portion, that part of the body portion beneath the bottom constituting a support for the can. The bottom 2 of the can has near its forward edge an outlet opening with which is connected a discharge spout 3, and the bottom is depressed so that the liquid will drain from all parts thereof toward the discharge spout. he discharge spout extends downwardly and forwardly from the outlet 1D the bottom of the can and projects through an opening in the lower portion or skirt of the body of the can. This spout is of a flexible character so that its outer or discharge end may be moved either into an elevated position, as shown in Fi 2, or into a osition below the level of he bottom 2 o the can so that the li aid will discharge through the same. This exibility may be secured 1n various ways but, in the present instance, I have formed the spout in part of flexible tubing, as shown at 4. A book she ed catch 5 secured to the upper portion 0 the can serves to retain the spout normally in its elevated position.

Thev discharge opening leading to the spout 3 is controlled by a valve 6 whichseats upon the upper surface of the bottom 2 about the opening Secured to the valve 6 is a valve stem Y which extends upwardly from the valve through a guide 8 secured to thewall of the can, and a sprin 9 confined between the valveand the i e holds the valve normally on its seat. cunt-ed in the can above the bottom thereof is a supporting structure or bracket 10 on which is pivot-ally mounted a lever 11, one end of which is pivotally connected with the valve stem 7 and the other end of which is pivotally connected with the lower end at an actuating rod 12 which extends to a point above the top of the can and is there provided with a thumb piece 13 so arranged that it may be engaged by the thumb of the hand which grasps the handle 14, by means of which the can 18 carried. The supportin structure or bracket 10 and the guide 8 For the valve stem are preferably of sucha character that they may As here shown, the bracket comprises an outer portion which fits against the forward wall of the can at a point some distance A. above the -,outlet to which it is rigidly secured by soldering or otherwise. Formed no inte ral with this outer portion of the brac at are two inwardly exti iding arms 15 which preferably converge inwardly and between the inner ends of which the lever 11 is mounted. In the present instance, the lever is secured in position between the two arms of the bracket by a pivot pin 16, here shown as a cotter pin, which also serves to connect the inner ends of the arms. The guide 8 for the valve stem is mounted in fixed relation to the arms 15 and .is preferably an integral part of the bracket. This guide is here shown as comprising an inwardly ex tending li tially horizontal position and having an opening 17 to receive the valve stem 7. The lateral edges of the guide plate 8 lie adjacent to or extend slightly beyond the corresponding arms 15, and the opening 17 in the guide plate is here shown as a slot opening through one edge thereof and consequently when the valve stem is in position within this slot the adjacent arm 15 will retain the same therein. In assembling the valve and its 0 erating mechanism the bracket 10, comprising the arms 15 and the guide plate 8, is rigidly secured to the wall of the can in the desired position with relation to the outlet. The valve, valve stem and lever 11, are assembled as a unit before being introduced into the can, and that arm 15 of the bracket which is adjacent to the open endof the slot 17 is bent outwardly so that the valve may be placed in position, the spring 9 compressed and the valve stem inserted in the slot, after which the arm 15 is returned to its normal position and the pivot pin is inserted through the two arms and the lever to connect the arms together and to pivotally support the lever. The connecting rod 12 is usually connected with the lever after the latter has been mounted in the can, this being done to enable the rod to be inserted through a guide 18 extending inwardly from the u per portion of the can. This guide prefera ly has a slot extending forwardly from the guide opening, as shown at 19, and the rod 12 has its sides recessed, as shown at 20, these recessed portions being so arranged that when the rod has been depressed to open the valve the recessed portion of the rod will slip forwardly into the slot 19 and thus lock the valve in its open position. I

The thumb piece 13 at the upper end of the rod may take various forms but, in the present instance, it comprises a rod or bar, referably an integral part of the rod 12, nt into substantially rectangular shape, as shown at 21, this rectangular portion extending rearwardly from the rod and being preferably arranged at a sli ht inclination to facilitate its engagement iy the thumb. A plate or cover strip 22, of metal or other suitable material, is then mounted on the or platearranged in a substanside members of the rectangular portion ofby bending the edges of the plate about the i respective side members, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper edge of the body portion 1 of the can constitutes a measuring 'line, as shown at 1", that is, the line to which the measure is filled. In the present device, the guide 18 also acts as a meauring line to indicate when the measure is full and to this end the guide 18 is so mounted on the body portion of the can that the lower surface thereof will be in the same plane with the upper edge of the body portion. This guide extending inwardly from the wall provides a very easily seen indication of the level of the liquid. Secured'to the upper edge of the body portion 1 is a guard or rim 23 which extends entirely about the can and is so shaped that it will prevent the oil from splashing or spilling over the up er edge of the can. Preferably this consists of a single annular rim of metal which is curved outwardly and upwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and the upper portion of which is turned inwardly as shown at 24. Th portion 24 extends inwardly only a sho t distance so that the diameter of the opening at the top of the guard'is materially greater than the diameter of the upper end of the can, and the reading linel, formed by the upper edge of the body portion, is at all times unobscured and easily seen by the.

operator. Thus the can can be filled and the location of the liquid with relation to the measuring line easily determined, and when the can is full it may be carried without danger of spilling the oil;

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a .person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a measuring can, a body portion having an open upper end .andhaving an outlet near its lower end, and a guard rim extending outwardly about the entire circumference of the upper edge of said body portion and having its outer portion turned upwardly and inwardly.

2. In a measuring can, an upright body portion having an outlet near its lower end and having its u per end open, the upper edge of said b y portion constituting a measuring line, and an annular ard rim secured to the upper end of said tion, extendin outwardly and upwardl therefrom and ving its upper end extend ing inwardly, the diameter of the opening at the top of said guard rim being materially dy porgreater than the diameter of the upper end of said body portion.

3. In a measuring can, a body portion hav'- ing a bottom provided with an outlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve to control the flow of liquid through said outlet, a stem for said valve, a bracket secured to the wall of said body portion at one side thereof and above said bottom, and having a part forming a uide for said valve stem, a lever pivotal y mounted on said bracket and connected with said valve stem, and an actuating member connected with said lever and having a part arranged above said body portion.

4. In a measuring can, a body portion having a bottom provided with an outlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve to control the flow of li uid through said outlet, .a stem for said va ve, a bracket secured to the wall of said body portion above said outlet and having an inwardly extending portion, a lever pivotally supported by the inwardly extending portion of said bracket, a guide for said valve stem carried by said bracket and arranged adjacent to the lower edge of said inwardly extending portion of said bracket, and an actuating member connected with said lever and havlng a part arranged above said body portion.

5. In a measuring can, a body portion having a bottom provided with an outlet, a discharge spout communicating with said outlet, a valve to control the flow of 1i uid through said outlet, astem for said va ve,

' a bracket rigidl secured to the wall of said body portion a ove said opening and comprising rearwardly convergm ortions and a horizontal portion arrange neath said rearwardly converging portions and having a slot opening through one edge thereof to receive said valve stem, means for connecting the rear ends of said converging portions of said bracket, one tothe other and for pivotally supporting a lever between the same, means for operatively connecting one end of said lever with said valve stem above said guide, and an actuating rod pivotally connected with the other end of said lever and extending above the top of said body portion.

6. In a measuring can, a bodyportion havingan outlet near its lower end and having its upper end open, a valve to control said outlet, a valve actuating device mounted within said body portion and connected with said lever, said valve actuating device comprising a rod extending beyond the upper end of said body portion, and a guide for vsaid rod comprising an apertured plate secured to the upper part of said body portion and having an opening to receive said rod, said plate being so arranged with relation to said body portion that one surface thereof constitutes a measuring line to indicate the quantity of liquid in said can.

7. In a measuring can, a body portion having an outlet near its lower end and havin .its upper end open, a valve to control 'sald outlet, a valve actuating device mounted within said body ortion and connected with said valve, sai valve actuating device comprising'a rod extending be ond the upper end of said body portion an having its u per and bent laterally and then upon itsel to form a laterally extending loop, and a plate extending between and secured to the side members of said loo In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

ROBERT D. HUGHES.