An oil can is a can

Tin can

A tin can, tin , steel can, or a can, is a sealed container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc."Tin" cans are made...

 that holds oil (usually motor oil

Motor oil

Motor oil or engine oil is an oil used for lubrication of various internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate moving parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.Motor oils are derived from...

) for lubricating

Lubrication

Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each another, by interposing a substance called lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load between the opposing surfaces. The interposed...

 machines. An oil can can also be used to fill oil-based lanterns. An occupation, referred to as an oiler

Oiler (occupation)

An oiler is a worker whose main job is to oil machinery. In previous eras there were oiler positions in various industries, including maritime work , railroading, steelmaking, and mining...

, can use an oil can (among other tools) to lubricate machinery.

Oil cans were made by companies like Noera Manufacturing Company and Perfection in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Around this time, oil cans frequently leaked and contributed to fires. In 1957, aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

 oil cans were introduced, produced by companies like the American Can Company

American Can Company

The American Can Company was a manufacturer of tin cans. It was a member of the Tin Can Trust, that controlled a "large percentage of business in the United States in tin cans, containers, and packages of tin." It was formerly a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1959–1991, though...

.

Rocanville, Saskatchewan

Rocanville, Saskatchewan

-External links:* website* Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan...

, Canada is home to a large-scale oil can because of the Symons Oiler factory which produced oil cans during World War II.

Design

Oil cans come in a variety of designs, from a simple cylindrical disposable can opened with a churchkey (or with a spout), to a hemisphere

Hemisphere

Hemisphere may refer to:*Half of a sphereAs half of the Earth:*Any half of the Earth, see Hemispheres of the Earth, see:...

 base and tapered straight spout to more intricate designs with handles

Handle (grip)

A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that can be moved or used by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tradition...

 and push-buttons, to the modern plastic bottle

Plastic bottle

A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed of plastic, with a neck that is narrower than its real body and an opening at the top. The mouth of the bottle is normally sealed with a plastic bottle cap. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking...

. In 2000, the 3-In-One Oil

3-In-One Oil

3-in-One Oil is a general-purpose lubricating oil sold in small cans and squeezable containers for household and do-it-yourself use. It was originally formulated in 1894. Its name, given by the inventor George W. Cole of New Jersey, derives from the product's triple ability to "clean, lubricate and...

 can was redesigned to look like the early 20th century design (hemisphere base with tapered straight spout).

See also

• Oil-can delay method, an echo system
• Oil-canning, a metalforming drawing process

External links

• The Sutcliffe Midget Oilcan, miniature oil cans made by Sutcliffe Pressings for toy/miniature steam engines, stationarysteamengines.co.uk, retrieved 19 July 2010