Improvements Connected with the Stopping or Closing of Bottles, . Jars, and other Vessels.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with the Stopping or Closing of Bottles,
. Jars, and other Vessels.
I, LEON VALLET of 49 Everton Road, Liverpool in the County of Lancester, Patent
Bottle Stopper and Glass Bottle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows:-
"
My invention consists of certain improvements hereinafter particularly set forth in
stoppering or closing bottles used for containing either still or gaseous liquids, such as
still or sparkling wines mineral waters and other gaseous liquids or ale, porter or
other malt liquids
or spirits, also bottles, jars, casks and other vessels for containing
liquids and substances generally and which require to be hermetically closed.
Bottles for containing liquids are usually constructed with a slightly tapered neck
and mouth bevelled and wider at the entrance for facilitating the insertion and
entrance of the cork or stopper when entering the bottle mouth or being inserted by
the corking machine. In the case of bottles containing gaseous liquids or liquids
which become gaseous after being bottled, the cork in such bottle requires to be
secured by 'wire, string or other fastener to prevent it being blown out by the
internal pressure in the bottle.
According to my invention I construct the mouth or throat of a bottle, jar or other
vessel, or the bung hole of a cask with a parallel bore to about of an inch below
the top or entrance of said mouth, and below this parallel aperture or mouth I form
inside a slight contraction or shoulder for the stopper to bear upon, this regulates the
distance for the insertion of the stopper. I form in the parallel part of the mouth of
the bottle a small annular groove preferably of concave form or the mouth may be
slightly contracted at the top; this form is obtained when finishing the bottle in the
manufacture by a suitably shaped tool as known to bottle makers. The stopper is
formed of a base having a central spindle of wood, metal ebonite, china, glass or
other suitable material. The central spindle or stem is screwed at its end and
provided with a screw nut and a rubber washer, and over this rubber washer there
is a washer of wood or other suitable hard material, to prevent friction of the screw
nut on the india rubber washer when screwing it down.
The base of the spindle of the stopper is made of suitable diameter so as to enter
freely into the bottle neck at the lower contraction to enable the india rubber washer
or the base to hear upon the contraction or shoulder inside the neck, and to keep the
stopper fair in position. By slightly pressing upon the stopper with the hand the
india rubber or the base has a sufficient grip upon the shoulder to prevent the stopper
from revolving when screwing down the nut and by screwing down the said nut it
makes the india rubber washer expand into the concave part of the bottle mouth and
makes an air tight joint which cannot be blown out by the internal pressure of the
gas within the bottle or vessel.
When bottling sparkling and high class wines and to prevent the liquid coming in
contact with the rubber washer, the base of the stopper may he covered with a layer
of cork or other material that fits the bottle neck and prevents the liquid coming in
contact with the rubber washer and the body of the stopper.
When my invention is applied to the bungs of barrels or lids of jars I form the
bung hole or mouth of the jar with a recess as above described for bottles, and I also
form the bung or lid in the same manner as above described for stoppers.

page_text: The stopper may be used over and over again, and may be secured by a chain or
cord or like attachment to the bottle or vessel, and if required may be provided with
a key to unscrew the stopper.
Dated this 16th day of Novemba 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with the Stopping or Closing of Bottles,
Jars, and other Vessels.
I, LEON VALLET, of 49, Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Patent Bottle Stopper and Glass Bottle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My invention consists of certain improvements hereinafter particularly set forth in
stopping or closing bottles used either for containing still or gaseous liquids, such as
still or sparkling wines, mineral waters and other gaseous liquids or ale, porter or
other malt liquid or spirits, also bottles, jars casks, and cther vessels, for containing
liquids and substances generally and which require to be hermetically sealed.
Bottles for containing liquids are usually constructed with a slightly tapered neck
and mouth bevelled and wider at the entrance for facilitating the insertion and
entrance of the cork or stopper when entering the bottle mouth or being inserted by
the corking machine. In the case of bottles containing gaseous liquids, or liquids
which become gaseous after being bottled, the cork in such bottle requires to be
secured by wire, string, or other fastener, to prevent it being blown out by the internal
pressure in the bottle.
According to my invention I construct the mouth or throat of a bottle, jar or other
vessel, or the bunghole of a cask, with a parallel bore to about of an inch below
the top or entrance of said mouth, and below this parallel aperture or mouth, I
form a slight contraction or shoulder for the stopper to bear upon, this regulates the
distance for the insertion of the stopper. 1 form in the parallel part of the mouth of
the bottle a small annular groove preferably of concave form, or the mouth may be
slightly contracted at the top; this form is obtained when finishing the bottle in the
manufacture, by a suitable shaped tool, as known to bottle makers. The stopper is
formed of a base having a central spindle of wood, metal, ebonite, china, glass, or
other suitable material. The central spindle or stem is screwed at its end and provided
with a screw out and a rubber washer, and over this rubber washer there is a washer
of wood or other suitable hard material to prevent friction of the screw nut on the
india rubber washer when screwing it down.
The base of the spindle of the stopper is made of suitable diameter to enable
the india rubber washer or the base to bear upon the contraction or shoulder inside
the neck, and to keep the stopper fair in position. By slightly pressing upon the
stopper with the hand the india rubber or the base has a sufficient grip upon the
shoulder to prevent the stopper from revolving when screwing down the nut and
by screwing down the said nut it makes the india rubber washer expand into the
concave part of the bottle mouth and makes an air tight joint which cannot be blown
out by the internal pressure of the gas within the bottle or vessel.
When bottling sparkling and high class wines and to prevent the liquid coming in
contact with the rubber washer, the base of the stopper may be covered with a layer
of cork or other material that fits the bottle neck and prevents the liquid coming in
contact with the rubber washer and the body of the stopper.

page_text: When my invention is applied to the bungs of barrels or lids of jars, I form the
bunghole or mouth of the jar with a recess as above described for bottles, and I also
form the bung or lid in the same manner as above described for stoppers.
The stopper may be used over and over again and may be secured by a chain or
cord or like attachment to the bottle or vessel, and if required may be provided with
a key to unscrew the stopper.
The nature of my invention will be more fully understood on reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings, (making a part of this Specification) which' is marked.
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation, like letters and figures being used to denote the same, or corresponding..
parts throughout the Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a bottle with the mouth or throat
formed according to my invention, and provided with a stopper constructed according..
to my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of and showing the stopper removed from the
bottle.
L
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing a slightly modified form of bottle mouth
or throat and stopper.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of and showing the stopper, illustrated in Figure 3,
removed from the bottle..
According to my invention I construct the mouth or throat a of a bottle, jar, or
other vessel, or the bung hole of a cask, with a slight contraction or shoulder 6 for the
stopper to rest upon. I form the mouth or throat a of the bottle with a concave
bore as shown at Figure 1 or with a parallel bore c and a concave bore a as shown at
Figure 3. The shoulder b regulates the distance for the insertion of the stopper, and
the concave bore a forms the bed for the stopper.
The stopper is formed of a base e of suitable material, a central spindle & attached
to the base e and screwed at its upper end f which screwed part is provided with a
nut h. The central spindle d is provided with an elastic washer i, such as india
rubber and with a washer of wood or other hard material k, the elastic washer i,
being placed between the base e and the washer k. The base e of the stopper is
made of suitable diameter so as to enter freely into the mouth a of the bottle and
to just enter or to bear upon the ledge or contracted part b. The india rubber or
elastic washer bearing upon the sides of the concave bore a when the nut h is
screwed up and the washer expanded as shown in Figures 1 and 3, thus making an air
tight joint and preventing the stopper from being blown out by internal pressure of
gas or air within the bottle.
When the stopper is used for bottling sparkling wines and high class liquids, I cover
the base with a layer of cork or other suitable material (see Figure 4) this
covering prevents the liquid from coming in contact with the washer i.
In operation, the stopper is inserted into the bottle until the base e or the lower
portion of the washer i bears upon the ledge b in the bottle throat, then the nut h is
screwed up causing the washer k to be forced down and the india rubber washer i to
be expanded into the concave bore a and thus hermetically stoppers the bottle.
Although I have illustrated my invention only in its application to bottles, it will be
evident that it is also applicable to jars casks and other vessels for containing liquids
and substances generally and which require to be hermetically sealed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described improvements connected with the stopping or closing of
bottles, jars, and other vessels, consisting in providing the mouth or throat of the
bottle, jar, or other vessel, with a stopper having a "washer" of rubber adapted to be

page_text: expanded laterally by the action of a screw and nut or equivalent device, and said
mouth or throat being formed of concave form or provided with a groove and
having a shoulder, or contracted portion, below said concave formation for the
purposes set forth.
2. The improvements connected with the stopping of bottles, jars, and other vessels
as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
3. The stopper constructed and adapted to operate as herein described and illustrated
in Figure 2 of the drawings.
4. The improvements connected with the stopping of bottles or other vessels as
herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings.
5. The stopper constructed and adapted to operate as herein described and illustrated
in Figure 4 of the drawings.
6. The construction or formation of the mouth or throat of bottles, jars, or other
like vessels, substantially as herein described, consisting of such mouth or throat being
provided with a concave groove or annular recess, and a shoulder or contracted
portion, below said recess or groove, and adapted to receive a stopper of the-type
herein before referred to, for the purposes set forth.
Dated LOIS 14th day of August LOON
Dared LD18 14LD OBY DI AUPUSE LOOM.
LEON VALLET.
By Cheesebrough & Royston,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents.