IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JAMES SCOPE DAVISON, of Monkwearmouth Bottle-works, Fulwell Road,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Bottle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS "and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
It has been found that scrow or equivalent stoppers (as for instance stoppers with
projections or recesses that engage with threads or projections on or in the bottle
necks) are much more convenient than corks for closing bottles (specially constructed
to receive such stoppers) containing wine, ale, stout mineral waters et cetera, and
it is well known that very large quantities of bottles made to be closed with corks
and representing a large amount of capital are now lying idle owing to the
preference given by the public to bottles provided with stoppers that can be readily
removed and replaced and which when replaced will effect an air tight closure of
the bottle so as to preserve its contents.
Now my invention has for object to enable bottles of ordinary kinds such as
above mentioned to be utilized advantageously by the application thereto of stoppers
such as can be readily removed and replaced as desired. In carrying out my
invention in order that screw stoppers may be readily applied in lieu of corks to
close bottles of forms not originally made to receive screw stoppers I provide a shell
casing lining or annular cap having a thread or threads to receive a corresponding.
thread or threads in or on a stopper, the lining, casing or annular cap being so
formed that it can bo readily secured to the neck or upper part of a bottle as
hereinafter more particularly explained.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:-
Fig 1 shews in side elevation part of a bottle neck of ordinary form to which my
invention can with advantage be applied.
Fig 2 is a similar view of the bottle neck, and shews also in section a stopper
applied in accordance with my invention as above set forth. Fig 3 shews in
elevation the bottle neck and stopper; Fig 4 shews in elevation the shell or casing
as it appears before being placed upon and secured to the bottle neck; and Fig 5
shews in vertical section the cap-like stopper with internal screw thread.
a is the bottle neck; 6 the shell or easing provided with a screw thread c and
formed of metal or other suitable material (such as vulcanite) of any desired
thickness; d flexible projections or clamps pressed into the grooves 61, 6ª, anḍ

page_text: round the projection 6ª of the bottle neck by any convenient means, and retained
therein or thereon by any convenient means such as by a band or bands or one or
more wires e. The ends of these wires may be united by twisting them together
as shown, a portion of these ends being left slightly projecting as shown at e¹ also
the wire is bent upon itself or formed into a loop or projection as shown at e'. By
means of these projections c¹ e the shell or case may be rigidly held by the hand
to prevent its turning when screwing on or screwing off the cap like stopper ƒ
or studs or projections e* as shown in Fig 10 may be employed for a similar
purpose.
The cup like stopper is provided on its interior surface with a screw thread g.
7 is a ring or disc of cork or other suitable packing material such as india rubber
resting on or within the top of the bottle neck or mouth and forming a gas tight
joint therewith. The projections or clamps d which resemble those common in
some forms of lamp glass spring holders, may be conveniently formed by moulding
or stamping out sheet metal into the form indicated in Figs 3, 4 and 10. The cap
like stopper may be provided with rims or projections as shown in Figs 2. 3
and 5 which together with its outer surface f¹ may be milled or serrated to afford
a better grip when screwing or unscrewing it.
The cap like stopper f may be provided with a hole or opening i through its top
portion formed to receive and constitute a seat for a ball valve j for closing the
same as represented in vertical section in Fig 6, where k is a seat of packing
material with which the ball valvej forms a gas tight closure. In lieu of using
packing material to form the scat for the valve the edge of the hole or opening.
may be suitably faced to form a tight joint with the said valve or the valve itself.
may be of a soft or yielding nature such for example as india rubber hard wood
(loaded if necessary) or the like for the same purpose. 7 is a cage or frame formed
conveniently of bent wires as shewn united at their lower ends and connected at
their upper ends to the cap like stopper f by soldering or otherwise. If desired the
cage or framo may be so formed that when the ball or valve is pressed from its sent
it may be prevented by a depression or projection or projections in the said cage or
frame from closing the hole or opening i when the bottle is tilted more or less
horizontally to pour out its contents, his cork or other packing as before, to form
a gas tight closure with the top of the bottle neck. For convenience of renewal
without the necessity of removing the cage or frame 1, the packing material h and k
is formed in two separate portions as shewn in Fig 6 which is an underside view
of the cap like stopper In Fig 7 the hole or opening i is shewn provided with a
flap or disc valve * pivotted at m to a piece n secured to the top of the cap like.
stopper In Fig 8 the disc valve j* is provided with extensions j arranged to
slide on spindles o and with a spindle working through a guide piece o' whereby
the said valve is guided and kept in the right position for properly closing the hole
or opening . In charging or filling bottles provided with the screw stopper
arrangement and a valve as just described with reference to Figs 6, 7 and 8, the
cap like stopper / may be first screwed over the shell or case b to effect a gas tight
closure with the top of the bottle neck, and then the bottle be filled with gaseous
or aerated liquid through the opening i by inverting the bottle in the usual manner,
the valve being kept in place so as to close the opening i by the pressure of gas
within the bottle after billing as will be readily understood. To empty a bottle the
valve may be pressed away from its seat by any well known means and the
contained liquid bo poured out through tho opening i; or the cap like stopper f may
bo itself removed together with the attached valve from the bottle neck if so desired
and the liquid be poured out of the bottle neck or mouth in the usual manner..
According to a modification illustrated in Fig 9 partly in vertical section and partly
in elevation the upper end portion 6 of the shell or case b is bent over so as to be
within the mouth of the bottle and is provided with a screw thread or equivalent c
as before. * is a stopper or plug provided with a screw thread or equivalent g*
which as shown may be of the kind described illustrated and shown in the
specification of former Letters Patent granted to me dated the 25th day of April

page_text: 1884 N° 6835, but other forms of screw stoppers or plugs designed to screw into
he mouth of a bottle may be employed, p is a ring or annulus of packing
material to prevent leakage of gas or liquid between the bottle mouth and the
shell or case b, and h is a ring of packing material on the stopper or plug f* to
form the gas tight joint between it and the top inner portion of the mouth of the
shell or case b. The screw threads can be formed of metallic wire secured to the
shell tube or case 6 and to the cap or stopper f in any convenient mannor as for
If
instance by soldering, the section of the wire being of any desired form.
preferred however the screw threads or equivalents may be formed in one with the
material of which the shell or cass b and the cap or stopper fare respectively
formed, either by pressure, moulding or otherwise. It will be evident that screw
threads or surfaces for the purpose of my invention may be made to only partly
surround the shell or case or the cap or stopper or to extend more than once around
either or both of them. Also that more than one such thread or surface may be
used on or in either. Again instead of employing a screw thread or surface on b
and in one of these screw threads or surfaces may be replaced by one or more pins
or projections taking into the other or remaining screw thread or surface. The shell
tube or case b as well as the cap or stopper finstond of being wholly of metal, may
bo of other suitable material such as wood, earthenware, glass, ivorine, vulcanite or
celluloid according to the particular application of the stopper. It will also be
evident that stoppers according to my invention may be secured in placo by
bayonet joints. Cement may be interposed, if desired, between the bottle neck or
mouth and the shell or case b to assist in holding the latter in place but the
projecting portions c¹ e' of the holding band loop or wire e will usually be found
sufficient for this purpose.
In some cases the shell casing or annular cap may be held in place on the bottle
neck without wire or its equivalent by causing a part or parts of the shell casing
or annular cap (by pressure) to fit into a groove or smaller part or parts of the
bottle neck as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The application to bottles constructed to be closed by corks, of means such as
hereinabove described and illustrated whereby such bottles are adapted to be closed
by screw or equivalent stoppers as above set forth.
2. In connection with a shell, casing, lining, or annular cap such as bereinabove
described secured to a bottle neck by wire and adapted to receive and hold a screw
stopper to close the bottle, the use of projections whereby turning of the said shell
casing, lining or annular cap may be prevented whilst the stopper is being turned
to close or unclose the bottle as above explained.
Dad thin 10th day of November 1884