An Improved Device for Preventing the Unauthorized Withdrawal of the Corks or Stoppers of Bottles, Decanters, and other Receptacles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Preventing the Unauthorized Withdrawal
of the Corks or Stoppers of Bottles, Decanters, and other
Receptacles.
1, JAMES ESKDALE, of No. 16, Tyne Street, North Shields, in the County of
Northumberland, Shipping and Furnishing Ironmonger, 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 an improved device for preventing the withdrawal by
unauthorized persons of the corks or stoppers of bottles, decanters and other
receptacles for containing wine, spirits and other fluids or substances.
My improved device comprises a suitable cap or cover for the mouth or neck of,
the bottle, this cap or cover being adapted to be secured over or around the usual
cork, stopper, cap or other fastening of the receptacle, by means of claws or the like
gripping the neck of the said receptacle below the projecting rim, band or flange
usually formed around the mouths of bottles, decanters, jars and similar receptacles.
Or, if desired, the said claws may engage with the sides of a groove or channel
formed for this purpose around the neck of the receptacle.
The said claws are attached to or formed integrally with arms connected to a bar
or rod preferably passing through the outer cap or cover and engage on their outer
sides with suitable converging guides in the said cap, so that, as the arms are drawn
into or moved relatively to the said cap the claws will be drawn together and grip
the neck of the bottle, the said arms being then secured in position by means of a
lock or other fastening device applied to the bar or rod to which they are attached,
or if desired, to the arms themselves.
My improved device may, also be very advantageously employed by doctors,
dispensaries and others to secure the corks or stoppers of bottles containing
poisonous lotions or other preparations and thus the danger of such fluids being
mistaken for potable fluids obviated.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved device showing the same in its open
position ready to receive the neck of a bottle.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the said device in its closed position on the
neck of a bottle.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 2, x, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the device in the position shown in Figure 2,
the bottle being removed.
Figure 5 is a vertical section illustrating another form or modification of my
improved device.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the outer cap which is here shown of conical form so as to also serve as a
guide for the arms b, b. The said arms are provided with inwardly-extending
claws or gripping pieces c which are curved at their gripping edges or surfaces
to fit the neck of the bottle, the arms band claws c being preferably formed
from a single piece of steel or other suitable elastic material, as shown in
Figures 1 and 4. The strip of metal forming the arms is secured at its
upper end, by rivetting or otherwise, to a rod or bar d, so that the said arms
press outwards against the interior of the conical cap or cover a. The rod
or bar d extends through an aperture e in the cap a, and is provided with a

page_text: -
series of apertures which serve for the introduction of the link g of a padlock or
other suitable fastening device; the rod d is also provided at its upper end with a
knob h which forms a convenient means of grasping the rod d and also of retaining
it within the cap a when the device is open.
In use, the device, in the position shown in Figure 1, is passed over the neck j
of a bottle so that the claws c rest below the projecting rim.or band k thereon.
The arms are then moved relatively to the cover a so as to cause the claws to
approach one another and thus grip the neck of the bottle, after which the device
may be locked by inserting the link g of a padlock through the aperture in the
bar d nearest to the outside of the cover a, when the padlock may be locked and
the contents of the bottle efficiently protected. It will be seen that by virtue of
the converging guides, which in this case are formed by the conical internal wall
of the cover a as above described, any of my improved devices may be used for a
range of bottles varying considerably in size, the link g being inserted in different
apertures in the rod or bar d for this purpose.
In Figure 5 I have shown an arrangement in which the rod or bar d is provided
with ratchet-teeth adapted to engage with the bolt m of a spring-lock arranged in
the upper part of the cap a; this lock is preferably arranged to automatically lock
the bar d as it moves outwards from the cap a and to release the same by means of
a key, which may be inserted in a suitable key-hole in the exterior of the said cap.
In some cases I find it advantageous to provide my improved device with a
spring or elastic compressible device adapted to press against the cork or stopper
of the bottle, decanter or other receptacle when the device is in position so as to
prevent the abstraction of the contents of the same by shaking loose or otherwise
displacing the stopper thereof. Or, if desired, I may provide a suitable ring or
washer around the lower edge of the cap or cover a and engaging with the neck of
the bottle for this purpose.
It is obvious that, if desired, my improved device may be further modified, as
desired, for example I may make it with three or more arms and claws suitably
spaced around the neck of the bottle or other receptacle. Or, if desired, I may
pivot the arms b separately to the inner end of the bar d; or the cap a may be of
cylindrical or other convenient shape and provided internally with suitable con-
verging guides for the arms b. My improved device may, however, be still further
modified without departing from the nature of my said invention.
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 :-
First. A device for the purpose above specified, comprising a cap or cover
adapted to be secured over the cork or stopper of the receptacle by means of claws
which, by the movement of the cap or cover relatively thereto, are caused to move
towards or away from each other to engage with or release the neck of the said
receptacle, the removal of the said cap or cover being prevented by a suitable lock,
substantially as herein before described.
Second. The combination of a conical cap or cover, spring arms provided with
claws and attached to a perforated or toothed rod which extends through the said
cap or cover and is adapted to be secured in any desired position relatively thereto
by means of a padlock, spring-lock or other suitable fastening device, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Third. The improved device constructed substantially as described with reference
to Figures 1 to 4 or to Figure 5, and operating as, and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 13th day of December 1894.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.