IMPROVED MEANS OF CLOSING OR STOPPERING BOTTLES, JARS, OR OTHER RECEPTACLES.
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Heber Mardon, of the City of Bristol, for an Invention
of "IMPROVED MEANS OF CLOSING OR STOPPERING BOTTLES, JARS, OR OTHER
RECEPTACLES.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Heber Mardon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th September 1880.
HEBER MARDON, of the City of Bristol. "IMPROVED MEANS OF CLOSING OR
STOPPERING BOTTLES, JARS, OR OTHER RECEPTACLES."
My Invention has reference to the closing or stoppering of bottles, jars, or other
receptacles, and it consists in casting, moulding, or otherwise forming one or more
protuberances or excrescences on the inside of the neck or mouth of the bottle, jar,
or other receptacle, and in forming in the side of the plug or stem of the stopper,
which fits into the said neck or mouth, one or more grooves which start from the
bottom or lower edge of the plug, and after extending a certain distance vertically,
diverge in an oblique or upwardly inclined direction. When the stopper is placed
in the neck or mouth the protuberances enter and travel up the grooves until they.
reach the top of the vertical parts; then, by turning the stopper or the bottle partly
round, the protuberances enter the oblique or inclined parts of the grooves which,
acting like a wedge, bring a flange of the stopper forcibly down upon the top of the
neck or mouth. Between this flange and the top of the neck or mouth a washer of
india rubber or other elastic material is interposed so as to form an air tight joint;
the washer may either be loose or be fixed or fitted to either the neck or the
stopper, but is by preference a rubber ring let into a recess in the lower face of the
flange.
Sometimes I reverse the construction of the parts, that is to say, I form the
grooves in the neck or mouth of the bottle or other receptacle, and the protuberances
on the plug or stem of the stopper.
In either case holes may be made in the top of the stoppers to receive a fork, so
that they can be used with any ordinary bottling machine, the stopper being held
by the fork while the bottle is turned round or tightened. The top of the stopper
may also have a knob or button to enable it to be attached to the bottle by a
string or otherwise so that it may not be lost.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Heber Mardon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March
1881.
HEBER MARDON, of the City of Bristol. "IMPROVED MEANS OF CLOSING OR
STOPPERING BOTTLES, JARS, OR OTHER RECEPTACLES.”
My Invention has reference to the closing or stoppering of bottles, jars, or other
receptacles, and it consists in casting, moulding, or otherwise forming one or more
protuberances or excrescences on the inside of the neck or mouth of the bottle, jar,
or other receptacle, and in forming in the side of the plug or stem of the stopper,
which fits into the said neck or mouth, one or more grooves which start from the
bottom or lower edge of the plug, and after extending a certain distance vertically,
diverge in an oblique or upwardly inclined direction. When the stopper is placed
in the neck or mouth, the protuberances enter and travel up the grooves until they
reach the top of the vertical parts; then, by turning the stopper or the bottle partly
round, the protuberances enter the oblique or inclined parts of the grooves which,
acting like a wedge, bring a flange of the stopper forcibly down upon the top of
the neck or mouth. Between this flange and the top of the neck or mouth a
washer of india rubber or other suitable yielding material is interposed so as to
form an air tight joint; the washer may either be loose or be fixed or fitted to
either the neck or the stopper, or it may be let into a recess in the lower face of the
flange.
Sometimes I reverse the construction of the parts, that is to say, I form the
grooves in the neck or mouth of the bottle or other receptacle, and the protuberances
on the plug or stem of the stopper, and in this case the inclined part for bringing
the parts forcibly together may be on the protuberances.
In either case holes may be made in the top of the stoppers to receive a fork, sO
that they can be used with any ordinary bottling machine, the stopper being held
by the fork while the bottle is turned round or tightened, or the periphery of the
stopper may be oval or square, or of other suitable figure, so that it may be readily
taken hold of by a key or spanner or other like device, or it may have a square or
other shaped recess in its head to receive a correspondingly shaped key or device
for turning it. The top of the stopper may also have a knob or button to enable
it to be attached to the bottle by a string or otherwise so that it may not be lost.
The accompanying Drawings represent several modifications of my Invention.
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a jar formed with two protuberances a, a,
in its neck or mouth, and provided with a corresponding stopper, the plug or stem
of which is formed with two grooves b, b, which start from the lower edge of the
plug, and after extending a certain distance vertically, diverge in an oblique or
upwardly inclined direction, as shown at b', Figure 2, which is a section taken at
right angles to Figure 1. c is a flange on the stopper, and d is a washer of india
rubber or other suitable yielding material placed on the plug below the flange. It
will readily be understood that by placing the stopper in the neck or mouth of the
jar, allowing the protuberances to travel up the grooves b, b, until they reach the
top of the vertical parts, and by then turning the stopper partly round, the pro-
tuberances will enter the inclined parts 6' of the grooves, which will therefore
bring the flange c forcibly towards the top of the neck so that the washer d will
be compressed and form an air tight joint. I find it advantageous to make a small
notch b³ in the inclined grooves b so as to prevent any chance of the protuberances a
working back.
Figures 3 and 4 represent a modification in which the protuberances a, a, are on
the plug of the stopper, and the grooves b, b, are in the neck of the bottle. The
upper surface of the protuberances a, a, is inclined, as shown, and the neck of the

page_text: bottle below the grooves b, b, is formed with a horizontal rib or flange e, so that
when the stopper has been pushed into the bottle until the protuberances a, a, have
reached the bottom of the grooves b, b, as in Figure 3, the turning of the stopper or
of the bottle will cause the inclines of a, a, to take under the rib e, as seen in
Figure 4, and thus forcibly draw the flange c with its washer & down upon the
neck of the bottle. Figure 5 is a side view, and Figure 6 a top view of the stopper,
and Figure 7 a top view of the bottle. If preferred, the upper surface of the
protuberances a, a, may be horizontal, the inclines being in that case made on the
under side of the rib e, as shown at 6' in Figure 8. The bottle may have nicks or
indications f, and the stopper may have corresponding indications g to show the
point at which the protuberances a, a, are clear to be moved out of or into the
grooves b, b. h is a knob or button on the stopper to enable it to be attached to
the bottle by a string so that it may not be lost. The periphery of the stopper is
shown oval to allow of its being grasped by a corresponding key to enable it to
be turned round or tightened; or the periphery may be square, or otherwise shaped,
to enable it to be grasped by a spanner or other tool, or a square or other recess or
recesses may be inade in the head for a like purpose, as already mentioned.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The means substantially as heroinbefore described and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings of closing or stoppering bottles, jars, or other receptacles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Heber Mardon, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourth day of March, One thousand eight bundred and eighty one.
TIDAD