An Improved Stopper for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other Vessels.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stopper for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other Vessels.
We EDWARD ALEXANDER MATTHIAS of 15 Stanley Street, Liverpool, and
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, of 84 Corporation Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, Commercial Travellers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be. as follows:-
The object of this invention is so to construct an improved stopper for closing
the mouth or other orifice of a jar, bottle, can, or other similar vessel, that the
stopper automatically fastens itself firmly and airtight in the mouth or orifice of
the said vessel when inserted, but admits of being easily introduced and removed
without the aid of any instrument when the attempt is made in the proper but
simple manner hereinafter described.
The improved stopper may be made of earthenware, glass, metal or other suitable
substance, provision being made (in the case of its being formed of metal or other
corrodible material) to enable it to resist the corrosive action of any substances
that may be contained in the vessel.
The improved stopper is cylindrical or slightly conical, and made in two parts
horizontally divided, a circumferential groove or neck being made at the point of
junction.
Round this groove or neck is placed a ring of india rubber (or other suitable
elastic substance or composition) so formed that when the two parts of the stopper
are closed together, the said ring bulges out all round beyond the circumference
of the stopper, and so fills up the mouth or orifice of the jar or vessel in a perfectly
air tight manner; and when the two portions of the stopper are slightly separated
from each other, the bulge is flattened by the contraction of the india rubber and
the stopper becomes a slack fit.
In its normal position the two parts of the stopper are held or caused to spring
together by rubber pieces or springs passing vertically through both parts and
secured at the top of one and at the bottom of the other, the india rubber band
being consequently in its bulged state.
A bole or holes is, or are, made in the upper portion of the stopper through
which the finger may be inserted either to press down the lower portion, or to raise
the upper portion as may be desired.
To insert the stopper into the mouth or orifice of the bottle, the finger must be
inserted through the bolt and pressed downwards, which will separate the two parts
and take the bulge out of the india rubber ring. When the stopper has been
inserted the pressure is relieved, and the rubber springs will draw the two parts
together and cause the rubber ring to bulge and fasten the stopper air tight in its
place. To remove the stopper it is sufficient to insert the finger and raise the top
part, which will draw the two parts asunder and take out the bulge.
Or if preferred the top part of the stopper may be made with a projecting rim,
and with a central hole through which passes out a stud projecting from the top of
the bottom position.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Stopper for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other Vessels.
We EDWARD ALEXANDER MATTHIAS, of 15 Stanley Street, Liverpool, and
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, of 84 Corporation Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, Commercial Travellers, 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 :-
The object of this invention is so to construct an improved stopper for closing
the mouth or other orifice of a jar, bottle, or other similar vessel that the stopper
automatically fastens itself firmly and air-tight in the mouth or orifice of the said
vessel when inserted, but admits of being easily introduced and removed by the
simple action of the thumb or finger without the aid of any screw, lever, key or
any other similar instrument when the attempt is made in the proper but simple
manner hereinafter described.
Our improved stopper is preferably made of earthenware glass, or other similar
incorrodible substance but it may sometimes be of metal provision being made in
such case to enable it to resist the corrosive action of any substances or liquids
which may be contained in the vessel.
The construction and operation of our improved stopper will be readily under-
stood on reference to the sheet of illustrative drawings hereunto annexed and the
following explanation thereof.
Figs. 1 and 2 on the drawings are vertical sections, and Fig. 3 a plan view of
one modification of our invention, the sections being taken through the dotted
line A-B in Fig. 3.
Fig. 4 detached views of a portion of the same hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
The improved stopper is cylindrical or slightly conical and is made in two parts a
and b horizontally divided and capable of sliding the one within the other, the
upper part a having a projecting flange all round the top edge, a circumferential
groove or neck being made at the point of junction.
Round this groove or neck is placed a ring c (of india rubber or other suitable
elastic substance or composition) which is cylindrical in form, such as a short
section from an india rubber tube for example as seen at Fig. 2, but when
the two parts a and b of the stopper are closed together the said ring c
bulges out all round beyond the circumference of the stopper (as shewn at Fig. 1)
and so fills up the mouth or orifice of the jar or vessel in a perfectly air-tight
manner, and when the two portions a and b of the stopper are slightly separated
from each other by the insertion of the finger through the hole d in the top of the
part a the bulge is flattened by the contraction of the india rubber into its original
tubular form, and the stopper becomes a slack fit.
In its normal position the two parts a and b of the stopper are held or caused to
spring together by rubber pieces or springs e passing vertically through both parts
and secured to the top of one and to the bottom of the other, the rubber band c
being therefore normally in its bulged state as shewn at Fig. 1.
The hole d is made in the upper part a of the stopper for the insertion of the
finger (see dotted lines on Fig. 2) either to press down the lower portion 6 or to
raise the upper portion a as may be desired.
To insert the stopper into the mouth or orifice of the bottle er vessel the finger
must be inserted in the hole d and pressed downwards, which will separate the two
parts (as shown at Fig. 2) and take the bulge out of the india rubber ring c.
When the stopper has been inserted the pressure is relieved by withdrawing the
finger and the rubber springs e will contract and draw the two parts a and b

page_text: together and cause the rubber ring c to bulge out again (see Fig. 1) and
automatically fasten the stopper air-tight in its place. To remove the stopper it is
sufficient to insert the finger and raise the top part a which will draw the two parts
asunder.
The springs e may be made in a variety of ways. One way is shown on Figs. 1, 2
and 3 and in detail at Fig. 4. A narrow piece e of india rubber is formed with a
foot or enlargement et at each end. This is doubled together (as shewn at the top
view of Fig. 4) and the loop passed upwards through one of the small holes in the
bottom part b of the stopper. The loop is then drawn up by means of a wire or
string through the corresponding hole in the upper part a of the stopper and a short
pin passed through and the rubber being then allowed to collapse will draw the
ends of the pin f down into small recesses made in the top of the part a for that
purpose and the springs are held firm. Three of these springs are shown in this
modification.
In the modification shewn at Figs. 5, 6, and 7 a single broader piece of rubber e
is employed in the same manner, two finger holes d being made in the upper part,
and in the modification shewn at Figs. 9, 10, and 11 no hole is made in the bottom
piece band the spring e is made of a short section of india rubber tubing.
This is first secured in the bottom part 6 by passing a long ping through the
same and is then drawn up through the hole in the top part a and fixed by passing
through it the shorter pin h.
Or, if preferred the top part a of the stopper may be made with a projecting
rim land with a small central hole merely through which passes out a stud k forming
part of the bottom portion b of the stopper. In this case it is not necessary to
insert the finger into the stopper to separate the two parts, but merely to press on
the stud k or to pull the rim upwards as the case may be.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
An improved stopper for jars, bottles, cans, or other vessels consisting of two
cylindrical or slightly conical parts horizontally divided and capable of sliding one
within the other, and formed with a neck or groove at the point of junction round
which is placed an india rubber or other elastic ring, the two parts being normally
held together by means of a spring or springs which when in action automatically
draw the two parts together so as to cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all
round; and being so arranged that they can be pushed or drawn asunder by the
simple action of the hand in pushing in or pulling out the stopper substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.