IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Count Wilhelm von Schlieffen of Schlieffenberg near
Güstrow German Empire for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Count Wilhelm von
Schlieffen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March
1882.
Count WILHELM VON SCHLIEFFEN of Schlieffenberg near Güstrow, German
Empire, "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR CLOSING DEVICES FOR BOTTLES OR
OTHER RECEPTACLES
"
This invention consists in a shell preferably of hardened India-Rubber, though
other materials such as horn wood or even metal may be used, closed at its outer
end and having a projecting rim or collar when necessary to prevent it from
slipping into the bottle, jar, cask, &c to which it is applied At the inner end of
this shell is a flexible bag or bladder of some suitable material such as India rubber
animal bladder, gold beaters skin, though for most purposes India-rubber is the
best. To the outer or closed end of the shell a tap is attached and if desired a
flexible or other pipe may extend from the tap again.
For use the stopper as above described is inserted into the bottle or other
receptacle and the bottle having been previously filled with liquid, even so full
that the stopper displaces some of it and thus drives out all the air; air is blown,
by the mouth or by mechanical means, through the tap into the bladder, thus
hermetically sealing the bottle and the tap is then turned off. With this stopper
the bottle is less liable to break with expansion of the contents or shaking, on
account of the elasticity of the stopper.
Where samples have to be taken, as out of casks of wine the stopper or bung
may be filled with air compressed to considerably above the atmospheric pressure,

page_text: and the bag or bladder will expand as the contents are withdrawn without the
admission of air. When the excess pressure is exhausted, it may be blown out
again and there is no reason why the bladder should not be made large enough to
fill the whole cask and thus enable the contents to be drawn off entirely without
the admission of air.
In cases where a non elastic stopper is required water or the like may be forced
into the bladder instead of air.
This stopper may be advantageously used for closing milk-cans, if the milk be
previously heated, so that no air remains to cause fermentation by microscopic
spores contained therein.
This stopper is of course applicable for use with solids as well as with liquids.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Count Wilhelm von Schlieffen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1882.
Count WILHELM VON SCHLIEFFEN of Schlieffenberg near Güstrow German
Empire " IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR CLOSING DEVICES FOR BOTTLES OR
OTHER RECEPTACLES
The bottle stoppering device, which forms the object of my invention and is
represented in the accompanying drawings, can also be used for vessels of other.
kinds where it is desired to preserve substances and so prevent access of air thereto
as for instance in the shops of chemists, perfumers etc. It also admits of removing
liquid from the closed vessel without requiring the admission of air, and can there-
fore advantageously be used for bunging wine casks for instance from which samples
are to be taken from time to time.
The stoppering or closing device consists of a shell a of hardened india-rubber or
other suitable material such as wood, horn and so forth, (the use of metal not being
excluded) at one (closed) end whereof there is a tap or equivalent b, whilst the
other end is closed by a bladder c of india rubber. The shell a is slightly narrower
than the neck of the bottle; a projecting rim d of the shell bears against the edge
of the bottle neck. The stopper thus produced is inserted in the bottle whilst the
india rubber bladder c at its lower end is not yet filled with air. The bottle may
be filled with liquid up to the neck, and the stopper may be caused to displace
some of the liquid so that when the former has been inserted, there is no more air
in the bottle it having been diven out by the liquid rising between the stopper
and the bottle neck.
When this is done air is blown into the hollow stopper by the mouth or if the
vessel is large, as shewn in Figure 2, by a bellows or other suitable means and
through a connecting pipe e; the air blows out the bladder in the interior of the
bottle as will be seen in the drawing and as the bladder lies close against the sides
of the bottle, it hermetically closes the latter, and the closing is maintained perma-
nent by shutting off the tap b. This closing device can be instantaneously opened
by turning on the tap 6 thus allowing the compressed air to escape; By this
pneumatic closing device it is rendered possible completely to close bottles without
leaving any air in the same, whilst expansion of the contents or shaking during
transport will not cause the bottles to crack as the stopper with its bladder forms
an elastic cushion.
Moreover it is rendered possible to take out samples of liquids from closed vessels
as shewn by way of illustration in Figure 3. The pneumatic bung of a cask is
filled with air compressed to considerably more than the pressure of the atmosphere.
It is thus possible by making a hole in the cask or by tapping it to draw liquid,
for samples, without having to give access to the atmosphere, as in such case the
india-rubber bladder will expand as long as it contains any excess pressure. If its
action is exhausted it may be blown out again at will, and there is no reason why
the bladder should not be made of such size as to be capable of being expanded to
the full size of the cask by compressed air, and thus the contents of the cask can
be drawn to the last drop without access of air and this in many cases would be
of advantage as for instance in manipulating wine.
If such liquids or solids are to be preserved as attack india rubber when brought
into contact therewith, or are injuriously affected by the substances used in the
vulcanization thereof, the bladder can be made of animal bladders or of gold beaters
skin or the like, in most cases however, India rubber being the cheapest will be the
most applicable.

page_text: In cases where a non elastic closing device is desirable, the pneumatic closing
device can be transformed into a hydraulic one by pressing water or the like into
the hollow stopper.
Figure 4 represents a form of bottle neck which is particularly applicable for the
use of a pneumatic stopper.
For closing milk cans this closing device may be very advantageously applied if
the milk, previously heated to say 80° is so enclosed that no air remains in the
same to cause fermentation by microscopic spores contained therein.
Having thus described my invention and the manner of performing the same, I
wish it understood that what I claim, and desire to protect under the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is;
First-The method of closing bottles and other receptacles for liquids and solids
by stoppers, which when inserted into the aperture to be closed are expanded by
forcing in air, water, or other liquid and lie close against the walls of the vessel
and form a welt within the same which prevents the stopper becoming loose
substantially as set forth and shown.
Second-The shutting in of the pneumatic or hydraulic filling of the stopper by
means of a tap or equivalent device substantially as set forth
Third A pneumatic or hydraulic closing device for receptacles of liquids or
solids consisting of a shell a with an elastic bladder c attached thereto and a tap
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings for carrying into practice
the method referred to substantially as set forth.
In witness, whereof I the said Count Wilhelm von Schlieffen have hereunto
set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of September in the year of Our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
COUNT WILHELM VON SCHLIEFFEN. (L.S.)