IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson of Brooklyn in the County of Kings
and State of New York in the United States of America but at present of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex for an invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1882.
NATHAN THOMPSON of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of New
York in the United States of America, but at present of 23 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND
OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.
Heretofore it has been proposed to connect to a stopper a pivotted bale or handle
for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the stopper from the article to which
it is applied. It has also been proposed to prolong the ends of the bale or handle
beyond the pivots so as to form levers to act upon the end or upper side of a flange
formed on the neck of the article to which the stopper is applied and thereby
enable the stopper to be slightly raised by leverage after which the bale or handle
is used for the complete removal of the stopper by a direct pull thereon. It has
also been proposed to employ in combination with a stopper or cap or cover a
pivotted lever the ends of which have been formed as cams to act upon the under-
side of a flange on the bottle neck and thereby force the stopper cap or cover to
its seat, but in such arrangement the lever could not be employed as a bale or
handle for the removal of the stopper from the article to which it is applied. I do
not therefore claim any of the arrangements above described.
According to my present Invention I combine with the stopper a pivotted bale
or handle which in addition to serving as a handle to facilitate the removal of the
stopper acts as a locking arrangement to prevent the stopper being accidentally
removed from the bottle by internal pressure or otherwise. For this purpose I
attach to the stopper a head piece or cap to which a bale or handle is pivotted in
such manner that the pivotted ends thereof are capable of opening out slightly to

page_text: permit of the ready raising and lowering of the bale or handle when required and
I form the latter at its ends to fit the curve of the head or cap of the stopper and
I find it advantageous to pivot it at one corner of each end thereof whilst such
bale or handle is also formed with a set off at each side to come under a flange on
the bottle neck when in the locking position.
The pivots are on the centre line of the head or cap of the stopper near the top
thereof and being placed at one corner of each end of the bale or handle the latter
is caused to pass somewhat beyond the centre line of the stopper and being formed
to lie closely against the head or cap of the stopper and against the neck of the
article to which it is applied the ends of the bale or handle on the latter being
raised are caused, by the lower corners thereof acting on the bottle neck, to open
out and thereby unlock the stopper; the above described form and method of
mounting the ends of the bale or handle also permit of the latter being readily
moved upwards on its pivots when removed from the article to which it is applied
and at the same time facilitate packing.
By these means I provide the stopper with a locking lever which on being raised
readily opens outwards at its ends to free it from the flange on the bottle neck
and can afterwards be used as a bale or handle for the removal of the stopper
from the bottle.
In some cases I rigidly connect the head or cap to the stopper; in others I
connect such parts together by a rivet or otherwise so as to permit of the rotation
of the head or cap independently of the body of the stopper by which means I
prevent the accidental breaking away of the parts from each other by any twist
put thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1882.
NATHAN THOMPSON of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of New
York in the United States of America but at present of 23 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS
AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES
"
<
Heretofore it has been proposed to connect to a stopper a pivotted bale or
handle for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the stopper from the article to
which it is applied.
It has also been proposed to prolong the ends of the bale or handle beyond the
pivots so as to form levers to act upon the end or upper side of a flange formed on
the neck of the article to which the stopper is applied and thereby enable the
stopper to be slightly raised by leverage after which the bale or handle is used for
the complete removal of the stopper by a direct pull thereon. It has also been
proposed to employ in combination with a stopper or cap or cover a pivotted lever

page_text: the ends of which have been formed as cams to act upon the underside of a flange
on the bottle neck and thereby force the stopper cap or cover to its seat, but in
such arrangement the lever could not be employed as a bale or handle for the
removal of the stopper from the article to which it is applied. I do not therefore
claim any of the arrangements above described.
According to my present Invention, I combine with the stopper a pivotted balė
or handle which in addition to serving as a handle to facilitate the removal of the
stopper acts as a locking arrangement to prevent the stopper being accidentally
removed from the bottle by internal pressure or otherwise. For this purpose I
attach to the stopper a head piece or cap to which a bale or handle is pivotted in
such a manner that the pivotted ends thereof are capable of opening out slightly
to permit of the ready raising and lowering of the bale or handle when required
and I form the latter at its ends to fit the curve of the head or cap of the stopper
and I find it advantageous to pivot it at one corner of each end thereof whilst such
bale or handle is also formed with a set off at each side to come under a flange on
the bottle neck when in the locking position.
The pivots are on the centre line of the head or cap of the stopper near the top
thereof and being placed at one corner of each end of the bale or handle the latter
is caused to pass somewhat beyond the centre line of the stopper and being formed
to lie closely against the head or, cap of the stopper and against the neck of the
article to which it is applied the ends of the bale or handle on the latter being
raised are caused by the lower corners thereof acting on the bottle neck, to open
out and thereby unlock the stopper, the above described form and method of
mounting the ends of the bale or handle also permit of the latter being readily
moved upwards on its pivots when removed from the article to which it is applied
and at the same time facilitate packing.
.
By these means I provide the stopper with a locking lever which on being
raised readily opens outwards at its ends to free it from the flange on the bottle
neck and can afterwards be used as a bale or handle for the removal of the stopper
from the bottle.
In some cases I rigidly connect the head or cap to the stopper, in others I
connect such parts together by a rivet or otherwise so as to permit of the rotation
of the head or cap independently of the body of the stopper by which means I
prevent the accidental breaking away of the parts from each other by any twist
put thereon.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying Drawings
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figures 1 and 2 are two elevations drawn at right angles to each other and
Figure 3 is a vertical section of part of a jar with one of my improved stoppers
applied thereto and shewing the bale or handle in the locking position. Figures 4
and 5 are respectively an elevation and a plan of the same shewing the bale or
handle raised in position preparatory to moving the stopper from the jar and
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and a vertical section of a portion of
a bottle with one of my improved stoppers applied thereto.
The stopper represented at Figures 1 to 5 is formed of a body a of wood or
other suitable material provided with a ring b of cork to form a tight joint between
the stopper and the neck of the jar or bottle whilst the stopper shewn at Figures 6
and 7 has the cork around the side and across the bottom of the body a of the
stopper.
·
I attach to the stopper a head piece or cap c. to which a bale or handle dis
pivotted by means of elongated studs c¹ in such manner that the pivotted ends d¹
thereof are capable of opening out slightly to permit of the ready raising and
lowering of the bale or handle d. when required, I also form the latter at its

page_text: ends d¹ to fit the curve of the head or cap c. of the stopper and I find it advan-
tageous to pivot it at one corner of each end thereof as shewn whilst such bale or
handle d. is also formed with a set off d at each side to come under a flange et on
the neck of the bottle or jar e, when in the locking position.
The pivots c¹ are on the centre line of the head or cap c. of the stopper near the
top thereof and being placed at one corner of each end of the bale or handle d the
latter is caused to pass somewhat beyond the centre live of the stopper and being
formed so as to lie closely against the head or cap d. of the stopper and against
the neck of the article to which it is applied the ends d¹. of the bale or handle d
on the latter being raised are caused by the lower corners d³. thereof riding on
the bottle neck and by the set off d². riding on the flange e¹ to open out and
thereby unlock the stopper, the above described form and method of mounting the
ends d' of the bale or handle d also permit of the latter being readily moved
upwards on its pivots when removed from the article to which it is applied and at
the same time facilitate packing.
By these means I provide the stopper with a locking lever which on being raised
readily opens outwards at its ends to free it from the flange on the bottle neck and
can afterwards be used as a bale or handle for the removal of the stopper from the
bottle.
In some causes I rigidly connect the head or cap c to the body a of the stopper
in others I connect such parts together by a rivet a¹ as shewn or otherwise so as
to permit of the rotation of the head or cap c. independently of the body a of the
stopper by which means I prevent the accidental breaking away of the parts from
each other by any twist put thereon.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the mode in
which I carry the same into effect I would have it understood that I do not claim
the mere combination of a bale or handle with a stopper when such is used only
for facilitating the removal of the stopper from the bottle But what I do claim is
the combination of a bale or handle with a stopper in such manner as to act as a
locking means to such stopper and at the same time as a means for facilitating
the removal thereof from the bottle or jar substantially as herein shewn and
described.
In witness whereof I the said Nathan Thompson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty fourth day of November in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
NATHAN THOMPSON (L.S.)