AN IMPROVED BOTTLE STOPPER
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED CHILDS of 39 Balham Grove, Balham, Surrey, Traveller do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED BOTTLE STOPPER" to
be as follows::
According to this invention the stopper is made of a fusible metal, being an
admixture of tin and lead which admixture possesses special properties as regards
the use of it in the manufacture of stoppers for certain liquids, particularly for beer
and mineral ærated waters, as they do not act prejudicially upon such combined
metals, or are affected by contact with it.
I make the stem or that part of the stoppar that enters neck of bottle, tubular
and open at end to form an air chamber, this arrangement enables a small quantity
of compressed air to be bottled with the beer or other liquid which in turn acts as
a chamber for generated gas and forms an air cushion or vacuum, between the
beer and stopper. I prefer to secure the stopper in bottle by screw thread on
outside of stem; the upper part of interior of neck of bottle being formed with a
female thread to correspond. The stopper is made hermetically tight by india
rubber washer in the usual way. The air chamber may be formed in casting the
stopper, as also the screw. thread; or the latter may be turned in a lathe. The
upper part of stopper is made with usual flange with milled edge to facilitate
unscrewing.
Dated this anth In of Aumunt 100%

page_text: I ALFRED CHILDS of 39 Balham Grove Balham, Surrey, Traveller, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to this invention the stopper is made of a fusible metal such as an
admixture of tin and lead or of tin alone. The latter I have found possesses
special properties as regards its use in the manufacture of stoppers for certain
liquids, particularly, for beer and mineral ærated waters as they do not act pre-
judicially upon such combined metals or upon tin alone or are effected with contact
therewith I make the stem or that part of the stopper that enters neck of bottle,
tubular and open at end to form an air chamber this arrangement enables a small
quantity of compressed air to be bottled with the beer or other liquid the said
air chamber in turn acts as a chamber for generated gas and forms an air cushion
or vacuum between the liquid and stopper.. One advantage of this vacuum being
that when the stopper is unscrewed the vent takes place into head of stopper
instead of venting between the inside of bottle and outside. of stopper. I prefer
to secure the stopper in bottle by coarse screw thread on outside of stem the upper
part of neck of bottle being formed with a female thread to correspond. The
stopper is made hermetically tight by india rubber washer on stem. The air
chamber may be formed in casting the stopper as also the screw thread, or the
latter may be turned in a lathe For lightness and economy of metal the air
chamber may be made upon a screw mandril or core to give equal sectional thick-
ness of metal throughout stem. The upper part of stopper is made with usual
flange with milled edge to facilitate unscrewing. To enable my invention to be
better understood reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 represents my improved stopper inserted in neck of bottle; figure 2 the
stopper loose, figure 3 sectional view of same and figure 4 plan of figure 2. A is
air chamber, B india-rubber washer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the, saine is to be performed I wish to observe
that I make no claim to the use of a screw thread to retain stopper nor to an
india rubber washer for making a stopper hermetically tight, but I declare that
what I claim is,
1. The improved construction of stopper as hereinbefore described.
2. In stoppers for bottles the air chamber A for the purposes described.
3. The use of tin or tin and lead combined in the construction of stoppers for
certain liquids as herein before described.