IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR GLASS. OR OTHER BOTTLES OR VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AERATED WATER OR OTHER BEVERAGES, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE STOPPERS TO SUCH BOTTLES OR VENTET " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Joseph West, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR GLASS. OR OTHER
BOTTLES OR VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AERATED WATER OR OTHER BEVERAGES,
AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE STOPPERS TO SUCH BOTTLES OR
VENTET "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Joseph West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1880.
HENRY JOSEPH WEST, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STOPPERS FOR GLASS OR OTHER BOTTLES OR VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AËRATED
WATER OR OTHER BEVERAGES, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE STOPPERS
TO SUCH BOTTLES OR VESSELS."
My Invention relates especially to bottles or vessels of glass or other material
used to contain water aërated under pressure, sparkling wines, or other beverages,
and it consists of improved methods of constructing the stoppers for such bottles
or vessels, and the parts of the bottles to which the stoppers are fitted, and of
retaining the stoppers securely in their places, so that the contents can be readily
drawn off partially or entirely as required.
I take a bottle or vessel, preferably of glass or earthenware, and having a hollow
neck through which the bottle is filled with aërated water or other beverage. I
make the neck conical inside, its wider part being outward, and I fit into it with
the intervention of a ring of india rubber or other sufficiently soft material, the
lower conical end of a stopper corresponding in shape. This stopper is formed of
metal, earthenware, glass, vulcanite, or other suitable material, and it has a cylin-
drical passage through it, the lower end of which is preferably conical and forms
the seat for a valve which is pressed against it, preferably with the intervention of
a ring of india rubber or other soft material by the pressure of the gas in the
bottle. The valve described may be of any suitable material, but preferably metal,
and is provided with a spindle, which after passing up through the hollow stopper
has screwed or otherwise attached to its upper end a hollow cylindrical cap which
fits freely upon and round the upper corresponding cylindrical end of the stopper,

page_text: and a spring of metal or other elastic material is fitted into the hollow stopper,
and tends by its elasticity to force up the hollow cap and valve spindle end to
draw the valve up into its seat.
Above the valve a lateral opening is made through the side of the stopper and
is provided with a short discharge pipe or nozzle, preferably oval or more or less
rectangular in cross section, through which the contents of the bottle can be
discharged as and when desired by pressing down the upper cap and valve
spindle.
Inside the cap and round the valve spindle I fit a ring of india rubber or other
soft material, which when the cap is forced down as described is pressed against
the upper edge of the cylinder round which the cap fits, and so forms a joint which
prevents the escape of the liquid except through the discharge nozzle. In order
to retain the stopper, constructed and arranged as described, securely in its place
in the neck of the bottle I form a band or flange round the stopper corresponding
with a similar band or flange round the neck of the bottle, and I make notches or
recesses in each of the flanges of such shape that they receive two corresponding
tie pieces, each formed of a bar of metal having a T-head or crosspiece at each end,
the distance between these heads being such that when the stopper is forcibly
pressed into its place so as to make an air-tight joint against the india rubber in
the neck of the bottle, the tio picces being then inserted into the notches in the
bands or flanges, hold the latter firmly and permanently together by means of the
crossheads.
Instead of the arrangement described the bands may have projecting lugs of
such shape and so arranged that metal loops or links are forced over them and
hold them together; or the tiepieces may be provided with a head at one end and
with a screwed nut at the other end, or with nuts at both ends, by which the
bands or flanges through which they pass can be forcibly drawn together; or
instead of notches or lugs the bands or flanges may have holes through them for
the ties; or sometimes I make a groove round the flange or band upon the stopper,
and I fit into this groove a flexible wiro by which the stopper is wired down and
attached to the band upon the neck of the bottle in the ordinary well known way.
The neck of the bottle may be provided with a flat flange instead of a hollow
conical neck, the stopper boing provided with a corresponding flange, and the two
being drawn together in the method above described with the intervention of a
flat ring of india rubber or other soft material.
Or instead of the arrangement first described, the outside of the neck of the
bottle may be made conical, the lower end of the stopper being made with a hollow
cone to fit outside it with the intervention of a ring of india rubber, and the two
being provided with bands or flanges by which they are held together, as already
described.
Stoppers constructed according to my Invention are very simple, cheap, and
easily made and used, and any quantity of the contents of the bottle or other vessel
can be drawn off as desired without difficulty.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Joseph West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
April 1881.
"
HENRY JOSEPH WEST, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STOPPERS FOR GLASS OR OTHER BOTTLES OR VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AERATED
WATER OR OTHER BEVERAGES, AND IN THE METHOD OF ATTACHING THE STOPPERS
TO SUCH BOTTLES OR VESSELS."
My Invention relates especially to bottles or vessels of glass or other material
used to contain water aërated under pressure, sparkling wines, or other beverages,
and it consists of improved methods of constructing the stoppers for such bottles
or vessels and the parts of the bottles to which the stoppers are fitted, and of
retaining the stoppers securely in their places, so that the contents can be readily
drawn off partially or entirely as required.
I take a bottle or vessel, preferably of glass or earthenware, and having a hollow
neck, through which the bottle is filled with aërated water or other beverage. I
make the neck conical inside, its wider part being outward, and I fit into it with
the intervention of a ring of india rubber or other sufficiently soft material, the
lower conical end of a stopper corresponding in shape.
This stopper is formed of metal, earthenware, glass, vulcanite, or other suitable
material, and it has a passage through it, the lower end of which is preferably
conical, and forms the seat for a valve, which is pressed against it, preferably with
the intervention of a ring of india rubber or other soft material, by the pressure
of the gas in the bottle. The valve described may be of any suitable material,
preferably metal, and is provided with a spindle, which after passing up through
the hollow stopper has screwed or otherwise attached to its upper end a hollow
cylindrical cap, which fits freely upon and round the upper corresponding cylindrical
end of the stopper; and a spring of metal, india rubber, or other elastic material
not liable to be affected by the liquid used is fitted into the hollow stopper, and
tends by its elasticity to force up the hollow cap and valve spindle, and to draw
the valve up into its seat. Above the valve a lateral opening is made through the
side of the stopper, and is provided with a short discharge pipe or nozzle, through
which the contents of the bottle can be discharged as and when desired by pressing
down the valve spindle by means of the upper cap, which may be made of any
convenient shape. Inside the cap and round the valve spindle I prefer to fit a
ring of india rubber or other soft material, which when the cap is forced down as
described is pressed against the upper edge of the cylinder, round which the cap
fits, and so forms a joint, which prevents the escape of the liquid except through
the discharge nozzle. In order to retain the stopper constructed and arranged as
described securely in its place in the neck of the bottle I form a band or Hange
round the stopper corresponding with a similar band or flange round the neck of
the bottle, and I make notches or recesses in each of the flanges of such shape that
they receive corresponding tie pieces, each formed of a bar of metal having
aT head or cross piece at each end, the distance between these heads being such
that when the stopper is forcibly pressed into its place so as to make an air tight
joint against the india rubber in the neck of the bottle, the tie pieces being then
inserted into the notches in the bands or flanges, hold the latter firmly and
permanently together by means of the crossheads.
In the accompanying Drawing, which is in illustration of my Invention,
Figures 1, 2, and 3 shew the method of arrangement just described, Figure 1
being a vertical section, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan of the stopper
with the neck of the bottle to which it is attached. a is the neck of the bottle,
conical inside, as shewn; b is the corresponding conical stopper fitted into it with

page_text: the intervention of an india rubber ring c. The lower end of the stopper b forma
a seat for the valve d provided with an india rubber ring e, which is pressed up
against its seat by the gas in the bottle.
The valve d has a spindle f, the upper end of which is screwed into the hollow
cap g, which fits upon the corresponding upper end h of the stopper, and is pressed
up by the belical spring i. The lateral discharge pipe or nozzle is shewn at k.
A ring of india rubber, cork, or other soft material may be fitted into the cap g,
as shewn at l, to form a joint against the top of the stopper h when it is pressed
down. m is a flange round the stopper, and n is a corresponding flange round the
neck of the bottle, and in both flanges notches are formed, as shewn, into which
fit the tie pieces o, o¹, each having a T head at each end. Figure 4 shews a
modified form of the stopper, in which the stopper has a smaller flange m provided
with projecting lugs containing notches, into which the tie pieces fit.
Instead of the arrangement described the bands may have projecting lugs of
such shape and so arranged that metal loops or links are forced over them and
hold them together. In Figures 5, 6, and 7 this method of construction is shewn,
Figures 5 and 6 being side views, and Figure 7 a plan. a is the neck of the
bottle, having the flange n provided with projecting lugs P, p', corresponding with
similar lugs r,, upon the flange m of the stopper. Tie pieces o, o', consisting of
links or loops are passed over the lugs, and hold the stopper and the neck of the
bottle firmly together. Or the tie pieces may be provided with a head at one end
and with a screwed nut at the other end, or with nuts at both ends, by which the
bauds or flanges through which they pass can be drawn forcibly together. Or
instead of notches or lugs the bands or flanges may have holes through them for
the ties. Or sometimes I make a groove round the flange or band upon the
stopper, and I fit into this groove a flexible wire or band, by which the stopper is
wired down and attached to the band upon the neck of the bottle in the ordinary
well known way.
Figure 8, shewn in section, shows a modified method of arrangement in which
an india rubber ringe is fitted into a recess in the bottom of the stopper b, and
serves as a seat for the conical valve d. The cap is shewn provided with an
india rubber ring which serves as a joint to prevent the escape of liquid when the
cap is pressed down. The helical spring is shewn supported upon a flange in the
neck h of the bottle, the discharge nozzle being arranged below this flange.
The neck of the bottle may be provided with a flat flange instead of a hollow
conical neck, the stopper being provided with a corresponding flange, and the two
⚫ being drawn together in the method above described, with the intervention of a
flat ring of india rubber or other soft material.
Or instead of the arrangement first described, the outside of the neck of the
bottle may be made conical, the lower end of the stopper being made with a hollow
cone to fit outside it with the intervention of a ring of india rubber, and the two
being provided with lugs or flanges by which they are held together, as already
described. Stoppers constructed according to my Invention are very simple,
cheap, and easily made and used, and can be readily removed when desired, and
any quantity of the contents of the bottle or other vessel can be drawn off as
desired without difficulty.
The improved stopper may be attached to the neck of the bottle by the methods
described or by other convenient means.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I claim,—
For attaching stoppers to bottles, the combination of the bands or flanges upon
the bottle and the stopper, the notches in the bands or flanges, the tie pieces fitting
into the notches, and the flexible ring for making an air tight joint, substantially
as herein described and shewn. Also in substitution for the notches and tie
pieces, the lugs upon the bands or flanges, and the loops or ties fitting upon the i
lugs, substantially as described and shewn. Also in substitution for the notches
and tie pieces, the screws and nuts fitting into holes in the bands or flanges,

page_text: substantially as described. Also the combination of the valve and spindle, the
cylindrical cap and helical spring, and the lining to the cylindrical cap, substantially
as described and shewn. Also the soft ring fitted into a recess in the stopper in
combination with the conical valve, cylindrical moveable cap, and helical spring,
substantially as described and shewn. Also the combination of the cylindrical
moveable cap fitting upon the cylindrical neck of the bottle, and the india rubber
ring fitting into a recess in the said cylindrical cap and preventing the escape of
liquid when the cap is depressed to open the valve, substantially as described and
shewn. Also the general arrangement of apparatus, substantially as and for the
purposes described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Joseph West, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 28th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1881.
HENRY JOSEPH WEST. (L.S.)