A NOVEL DEVICE FOR LOCKING CORKS OR STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "A NOVEL DEVICE FOR LOCKING CORKS OR
STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS."-A communication
from abroad by Lewis Mortimer Ballard, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 26th October 1869, and dated the 31st May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st May 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NOVEL DEVICE FOR LOCKING CORKS OR
STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide the mouths of bottles and
other necked vessels with a cap or exterior device capable of being
locked without the aid of a key in a secure manner over the neck of the
bottle or vessel, so as to render impossible the extraction of the cork or

page_text: stopper, until such cap be unlocked and removed from the neck of the
bottle or vessel. This device will thereby serve to prevent surreptitious
extraction of the contents of the latter. To this end the Invention
comprises a locking cap constructed upon the principle of what is known
as a letter or combination lock, and composed in part of a series of
internally flanged and notched movable rings operating in combination
with a series of fixed lugs upon the neck of the vessel or upon a collar
attached thereto, so that by turning the rings after the cap has been
placed upon the neck (over the cork or stopper), the relative position of
the notches with that of the fixed lugs will be so changed as to effect
the locking of the cap upon the neck, and thereby prevent its removal
until the relative position of the parts has been again established, when
it may be lifted off or displaced so as to allow of the extraction of the
cork or stopper.
And the Invention further consists in constructing the rings with two
or more sets of notches in their internally projecting flanges and suitable
recesses, sɔ as to allow of certain of the notches being plugged or
stopped by means of removable plates or fillings for the purpose of
securing a permutation character to the locking cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, tho said William Edward Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "A NOVEL DEVICE FOR LOCKING CORKS OR STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND OTHER
NECKED VESSELS," being a communication to me from abroad by Lewis
Mortimer Ballard, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under iny, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
licreunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
The object of this Invention is to provide the mouths of bottles and
other necked vessels with a cap or exterior device capable of being
locked without the aid of a key in a secure manner over the neck of the
bottle or vessel, so as to render impossible the extraction of the cork or
stopper until such cap be unlocked and removed from the neck of the
bottle or vessel. This device will thereby serve to prevent surreptitious
extraction of the contents of the latter. To this end the Invention.
comprises a locking cap constructed upon the principle of what is known
as a letter or combination lock, and is composed in part of a series of
internally flanged and notched movable rings operating in combination
with a series of fixed lugs upon the neck of the vessel, or upon a collar
attached thereto, so that by turning the rings after the cap has been
placed upon the neck (over the cork or stopper) the relative position of
the notches with that of the fixed lugs will be so changed as to effect
the locking of the cap upon the neck, and thereby prevent its removal
until the relative position of the parts has been again established, when
it may be lifted off or displaced so as to allow of the extraction of the
cork or stopper.
And the Invention further consists in constructing the rings with two
or-more sets of notches in their internally projecting flanges and suitable

page_text: recesses, so as to allow of certain of the notches being plugged or
stopped by means of removable plates or fillings for the purpose of
imparting a permutation character to the locking cap.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a
bottle with the locking cap or device applied to the neck thereof to
secure the cork or stopper from being removed; Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation of such locking cap or device applied as described shewing the
rings of the cap in an unlocked position; and Fig. 3 is a mainly similar
view, shewing the rings as turned to lock the cap on or to the neck of
the bottle; Figures 4 and 5 are transverso sections, taken as indicated
by the line x, x, in Fig. 2, of the locking cap, with its rings turned or
adjusted to occupy locking and unlocking positions on or over the
neck of the bottle; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a modified con-
struction of such locking cap or device to give to it a permutation
character; Fig. 7 is a transverse section thereof, taken as indicated by
the line y, y, in Fig. 6.
Referring in the first instance to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the
Drawing, A represents a bottle, upon the neck of which is firmly secured
a cylindrical sleeve or collar B of metal or other suitablo material. This
collar is provided with a series of fixed lugs b, b, arranged one above
another at regular distances apart or nearly so, and preferably in a
perpendicular line. Fitting over this collar B and its lugs b is a cylin-
drical cap C made of metal or other material, having its upper and
lower parts d and e connected to each other by means of bolts c, c, or
otherwise. The lower part e forms what may be termed the bottom ring
of the device, and when connected as described turns in common with
the top part d. Between these upper and lower parts d and e are
arranged any suitable number of independent rings of metal or other
material fitted to each other and to the upper and lower parts d and e, as
shewn, and provided, as is also the lower part or bottom ring e, with
inwardly projecting flanges g, which fit easily around the collar B. The
flanges have each formed in them a notch large enough to pass over
the lugs so as (by the passage of the notches over the lugs) to allow of
the cap being passed over the cork or stopper D and collar B on the neck
of the bottle. When the cap C has been thus placed upon the collar it
may be locked thereto, much in the same manner as certain combination
or permutation locks are closed, that is, by so turning the rings e and
as to cause the removal of the notches h from under the lugs b, thereby
g

page_text: bringing the solid portions of the flanges g under the lugs. The bottom
of the collar B is formed with a flange s, which answers the double
purpose of a stop to the cap C when seated to its place, and as a shield
to conceal the position of the notch in the lower ring e, exposure of
which would do away with the security of the locking cap by allowing
through sight applied to notch of the adjustment of the several rings, so
that their notches come in line with the lugs b. To unlock the cap or
for rearranging the notches under their respective lugs the rings e
and fare turned to the positions in which they were first arranged.
For this secret signs may be used, such as the combination of certain
letters on the outside forming by the proper arrangement of the rings
some mystical word or words, as in letter or combination padlocks of
previous well known character or action. Thus in order to open the cap
it may be necessary to turn the several rings till the letters PORT
come in vertical line, which they will not do until the notches are in
line to clear the lugs. Any number and variety of letters or other
characters on or around the rings may be used in connection with the
opening combination of letters or sigus to puzzle and deceive the
uninitiated.
To impart to the locking cap a permutation character by which the
opening combination of letters or signs may be varied the rings e and f
may be constructed as represented in Figures 6 and 7, that is, with two.
or more sets of notches h, ', and plates i may be slid into the rings so
as to plug or close certain of such notches, or by inserting a pointed
instrument or device into holes n the plates be drawn out of such
notches and be inserted into others, thus producing a great variety of
changes as regards the combination of letters or signs necessary to be
brought in line for the opening notches of the several rings to clear their
respective studs b, and so allow of the removal of the cap C before the
cork or stopper D can be extracted. The lugs and flanges may if
desired be formed on the neck of the bottle itself, thereby dispensing
with the necessity of using a collar B.
Having now described the Invention, which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent,―
First. The locking cap C composed in part of or provided with a series
of notched internally flanged rings for operation in connection with lugs

page_text: or projections.b on the neck of a bottle or other vessel, or upon a collar
attached thereto, as hercin set forth..
Second. The internally flanged rings of the locking cap C constructed
or provided with two or more sets of notches h, ', in combination with
the removable and changeable plugs or plates i to the notches, as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
ninc.