IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING LIQUIDS" AERATED OR GASEOUS PROVISIONAL SPATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leon Vallet of the City of Liverpool in the County
of Lancaster for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING
LIQUIDS"
AERATED OR GASEOUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leon Vallet at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1883.
LEON VALLET, of the City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING
AERATED, OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS"
My Invention has for its object to provide a means whereby what are known as
interal stoppers for bottles can be withdrawn from the bottle when required for
renewal, cleaning and other purposes. My Invention also embodies a new form of
internal stopper for bottles.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me N° 490 AD 1875 I describe an
internal stopper for bottles, which stopper has a head of greater specific gravity
than the base of the stopper. This construction of stopper ensures the stopper
falling head foremost in the bottle mouth for stoppering, the stopper itself being
of greater specific gravity than water. The stem of the stopper is provided with
an elastic washer which effects an hermetic closing of the bottle by the pressure of
gas within the bottle, as is well known. Stoppers of the type above described are
well known in the mineral water trade.
I have found in practice that when stoppers such as above described, have been
in use for some time some of the stoppers require to be extracted from the bottles
to replace the india rubber washers in position as the washers are liable to be
displaced in opening the bottle and sometimes when inserting the stopper into the
bottle, and from other causes. The ordinary method of extracting the stopper
from the bottle is by the use of a pair of pliers, which are used to grasp the washer
and remove it from the stem of the stopper while in the bottle. This mode of
extraction very often spoils the rubber washers, which are costly to replace.

page_text: My present Invention provides a means for withdrawing the stopper from the
bottle without removing the washer and consists in providing the base of the
stopper with a small knob, or button, which will permit of the stopper being
grasped by such knob, or button with a pair of pliers, or tongs, which are so shaped
that they will readily pass through the mouth of the bottle and grasp the stopper
by the said knob, or button, and when so grasped the stopper can be withdrawn
from the bottle with the washer on, base first, because the washer will fold into
the neck, or turned down portion of the stopper provided for that purpose and so
acting when the stopper is first inserted into the bottle. By my Invention the
stopper can be withdrawn from the bottle without injury to the washer, or the
stopper, and is withdrawn as easily as it is inserted into the bottle.
When stoppers are made of wood, it sometimes happens that they swell and
increase in size, so that the stem of the stopper has become a little larger than the
internal diameter of the bottle mouth so that the stopper cannot be withdrawn.
When such is the case I place the bottle in a warm dry place for a time, so as to
gradually dry the stopper and shrink it to its original diameter. It then can be
easily extracted as above stated. Care should be taken not to put the bottle in
too hot a place, as it tends to crack the stopper when drying and also to spoil the
india rubber washer. By putting a little water in the bottle at the time of
extracting the stopper, such extraction is greatly facilitated.
There are in the mineral and aerated water trade several kinds of bottles in use
which have an india rubber ring fitted in a groove within the bottle mouth, which
ring forms an elastic seat upon which an internal stopper bears when closing the
bottle. The stoppers in use with this type of bottle are chiefly spherical stoppers,
for example, a ball of glass, or other material having no elasticity. India rubber
ball stoppers are also used which close the bottle by their own elasticity and the
pressure within the bottle. Both these types of stoppers require special bottles
made with indentures, or projections in the neck to prevent the stoppers rolling
back into the bottle mouth and re-stoppering the bottle when emptying its contents.
Bottles so constructed are difficult to clean because dirt accumulates in the
indentures, or side cavities.
According to my Invention I make the bottles as before described with a groove
in the mouth and I provide such groove with an india rubber, or other suitable
packing ring. I make the stopper of any suitable material of more specific gravity
than water, for example, of glass, or porcelain and I form the washer in the shape
of a cup.
When inserted in the bottle filled with gaseous liquid this stopper by
its peculiar construction (the bottle being reversed in the usual way in the process
of bottling) will fall on the india rubber ring, or seat with its spherical end
foremost and close the bottle by pressure from within, as will be understood.
When the bottle has been opened by pushing in the stopper the peculiar shape
of the stopper will prevent the stopper from rolling back into the mouth of the
bottle when emptying the contents of the bottle. When the stopper is made of
material capable of resisting great heat it may be made a little larger than the
bottle mouth and inserted into the bottle during the manufacture of the bottle
and before the mouth is finished. In this case a much smaller india rubber ring
will be required to form the joint.

page_text: My present Invention provides a means for withdrawing the stopper from the
bottle without removing the washer and consists in providing the base of the
stopper with a small knob, button, or recess a as shown at Figures 1. 2 and 3,
which permits of the stopper being grasped by such knob, button, or recess a by a
pair of pliers, or tongs, which are so shaped that they will readily pass through
the mouth of the bottle and grasp the stopper by the said knob, or button, or by
the recess a and when so grasped the stopper can be withdrawn from the bottle
with the washer on, base first because the washer 6 will fold into the neck, or
turned down portion of the stopper, provided for that purpose and so acting when
the stopper is first inserted into the bottle. By constructing a stopper according
to my Invention with a knob, button, or recess on, or in its base, the stopper can be
withdrawn from the bottle without injury to the washer b, or to the stopper and
is withdrawn as easily as it is inserted into the bottle, without the knob, button, or
recess a it would be impossible to withdraw the stopper from the bottle without
first removing the washer b, and after stoppers have been sometime in use, the
washer b is apt to break in being removed from the stopper. The use of the knob,
or recess a by enabling the stopper to be withdrawn from the bottle without
necessitating the removal of the washer from the stopper effects a very great
saving in washers.
When stoppers are made of wood, it some times happens that they swell and
increase in size so that the stem of the stopper has become a little larger than
the internal diameter of the bottle mouth, so that the stopper cannot be withdrawn.
When such is the case, I place the bottle in a warm dry place for a time, so as to
gradually dry the stopper and shrink it to its original diameter. It then can be
easily extracted as above stated. Care should be taken not to put the bottle in
too hot a place, as it tends to crack the stopper when drying and also to spoil the
india rubber washer. By putting a little water in the bottle at the time of
extracting the stopper, such extraction is greatly facilitated.
There are in the Mineral and Aerated water trade several kinds of bottles in
use, which have an india rubber ring fitted in a groove within the bottle mouth,
which ring forms an elastic seat upon which an internal stopper bears when closing
the bottle. The stoppers in use with this type of bottle are chiefly spherical
stoppers, for example a ball of glass or other material having no elasticity. India
rubber ball stoppers are also used which close the bottle by their own elasticity
and the pressure within the bottle. Both these types of stoppers require special
bottles some being made with indentures, or projections in the neck to prevent the
stopper rolling back into the bottle mouth and re stoppering the bottle, when
emptying its contents Bottles so constructed are difficult to clean because dirt
accumulates in the indentures, or side cavities.
According to my Invention, I make the bottles as before described and as
shown at Figures 8 and 9 with a groove in the mouth but without the indentures,
or side cavities and I provide such groove with an india rubber, or other suitable
packing ring. I make the stopper of any suitable material of more specific gravity
than water, for example of glass, or porcelain and I form the stopper in the shape
of a cup as shown at Figure 4, or at Figure 6, the head being made heavier than
the base, thus forming a superweighted stopper. When inserted in the bottle filled
with gaseous liquid, this stopper being super weighted by its peculiar formation
(the bottle being reversed in the usual way in the process of bottling) will fall on
the india rubber ring, or seat with its spherical end foremost and close the bottle
by pressure from within, as will be understood. When the bottle has been opened
by pushing in the stopper, the peculiar shape of the stopper will prevent the
stopper from rolling back into the mouth of the bottle when emptying the contents
of the bottle, the stopper being in the position such as shown at Figure 9.
the stopper is made of material capable of resisting great heat, it may be made a
little larger than the bottle mouth and inserted into the bottle during the
manufacture of the bottle and before the mouth is finished. In this case a much
smaller india rubber ring will be required to form the joint, .
When

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what I claim is
First In internal stoppers for bottles of the type herein described and such as
shown at Figures 1.2 and 3 forming a knob, or button, or recess on, or in the base
thereof, whereby the stopper can be grasped by a plier, or like acting tool and
extracted from the bottle without removing the washer substantially as herein
set forth.
Second In bottles which are provided with elastic seats as herein described, the
use of a superweighted stopper formed as herein described and as shown at
Figures 4 and 6 whereby the stopper is prevented from rolling back into the mouth
of the bottle when emptying as shown at Figure 9.
In Witness whereof, I, the said Léon Vallet have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
LEON (L.S.) VALLET