Anoil can (oilcanoroiler)[1] is a can that holds oil (usually motor oil) for lubricating machines. An oil can can also be used to fill oil-based lanterns. An occupation, referred to as an oiler, 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.[1] Around this time, oil cans frequently leaked and contributed to fires.[2] In 1957, aluminium oil cans were introduced, produced by companies like the American Can Company.[3]
Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada is home to a large-scale oil can industry because of the Symons Oiler factory which produced oil cans during World War II.
Oil cans come in a variety of designs, from a simple cylindrical disposable can opened with a churchkey (or with a combined spout-opener), to a hemisphere base and tapered straight spout to more intricate designs with handles and push-buttons, to the modern plastic bottle. In 2000, the 3-In-One Oil can was redesigned to look like the early 20th century design (hemisphere base with tapered straight spout).[4][5]
