Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them being Refilled.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them being Refilled.
I, ALEXANDRE LEMIEUX, of 349 Saint Denis Street, Montreal, in the Province of
Quebec and Dominion of Canada, Book-keeper, 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 :-
This invention relates to bottles, and it has for its object to provide simple, cheap
and efficient means whereby, in order to remove the contents of the original package,
the neck or a portion of the bottle must necessarily be fractured, thus rendering the
bottle unfit for further use.
The invention consists in an improved bottle and stopper therefor, embodying
certain novel features and details of construction as hereinafter fully described,
illustrated in the drawing and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a bottle constructed in accordance
with this invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view taken through the neck of the bottle prior to the
application of the cork or stopper.
Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the stopper.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring-actuated catches, showing also
the interposed actuating spring.
Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawing.
The improvement contemplated herein may be utilized in connection with a bottle
of any form or size, the principal features of the invention residing in the formation
of the neck of the bottle and the stopper to be placed therein.
1 designates the body of the bottle and 2 the neck thereof which, at or near its
point of junction with the body of the bottle, is reduced or contracted in size, as
indicated at 3, thus weakening the bottle at such point and increasing the liability
of the neck to fracture and become detached from the main body of the bottle.
The neck 2 is substantially cylindrical and has a cylindrical bore 4 interrupted
intermediate its ends by means of an inwardly projecting annular flange or thickened
portion 5 forming spaced annular shoulders 6 and 7, the shoulder 6 forming a seat
for the enlarged head 8 of the stopper and the shoulder 7 serving to prevent the
extraction of the broken stopper in the event of the same being driven downward
into the lower portion of the neck. The stopper indicated at 9 is cylindrical in
form and fits snugly into the neck of the bottle within the flanged or thickened
portion 5. This stopper is provided with a substantially rectangular aperture 10
extending through it from side to side, and within said aperture are arranged two
opposing catches 11 which are also substantially rectangular in cross section.
Between said catches is interposed an expansive spring 12 for forcing said catches
apart and causing them to project from the stopper at opposite sides, as shown in
Figure 1. Within the neck of the bottle, the latter is provided with grooves or
recesses 13 to receive the projecting ends of the catches 11. If desired, the grooves 13
may be made continuous or in the form of an annular groove extending entirely
around the inner surface of the flange 5 within the neck of the bottle.
After the bottle has been filled, the catches 11 are forced into the stopper and the
stopper is then inserted in the neck of the bottle and depressed. When the catches 11

page_text: reach the plane of the groove or grooves 13, said catches are thrust in opposite
directions by means of the spring 12 and caused to enter the groove or grooves 13,
thereby locking the stopper securely in-place and defeating any subsequent attempt
to remove the same. In any forcible attempt to remove the stopper 9, the neck of
the bottle will become fractured at the contracted part 3 thereof, thus rendering the
bottle unfit for further use and making it clearly apparent that the original contents
of the bottle have been removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
-claim is
1. An anti-refilling bottle provided as to its neck with an internally arranged
-groove, in combination with a stopper provided with an aperture leading therethrough
from side to side, opposing catches slidingly arranged in said aperture, and an
expansive spring interposed between said catches for forcing them normally apart
and into engagement with said groove, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a bottle provided as to its neck with an internal groove
or notch, of a stopper fitting in said neck and provided with a spring-actuated catch
adapted to project beyond the surface of the stopper and to enter said notch,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
3. A bottle provided with a neck and reduced or contracted in size at the
junction of the neck with the main body of the bottle, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
4. A bottle provided as to its neck with an internal flange or thickened portion
forming spaced annular shoulders, in combination with a stopper adapted to fit within
the flanged portion of the neck and provided with an enlarged head adapted to seat
itself against one of said shoulders, said stopper being provided with a through aperture
of substantially rectangular cross sectional shape, opposing catches of corresponding
shape slidingly fitted in said aperture, and a spring interposed between said catches
and adapted to force the same outward into engagement with the neck of the bottle,
substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of Tony 1007
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.