Overhead driveshaft auto-oiler glass ball

Overhead driveshaft auto-oiler glass ball.

This round, long-necked glass bottle was used to dispense oil onto specific sections of textile machinery.

In humid conditions like busy textile factories, metal machinery was susceptible to rust. Textile machines were run for up to 14 hours a day, meaning parts were also subjected to heavy wearing. To keep textile machines running smoothly, oil was used on their moving parts. Oil helps to reduce friction, heat and wear, and to prevent rust.

The bottle’s wooden stopper has a central wire to facilitate a slow release of the oil. Oil gradually dripped down and lubricated precise sections of machinery.

Oil bottles such as this would have been filled and placed above parts that needed regular oiling; in this example, it was the overhead driveshaft. It meant that the machinery did not need to be halted while workers oiled the machines, and it freed workers up to carry out other tasks, increasing productivity.