Im. PROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING BOTTLES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Russell, of No. 40, Arundel Gardens,
Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "Im.
PROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING BOTTLES.”
Sealed the 2nd May 1878, and dated the 3rd March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Russell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1873.
I, SAMUEL RUSSELL, of No. 40, Arundel Gardens, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING BOTTLES," to be as follows :—
My Invention consists of an improved method of hermetically
stoppering bottles or other receptacles containing liquids which are
"still" or non-aerated, and is peculiarly applicable to liquids which
become aerated by being kept in bottles, as bottled beer. I do this by
compressing the air in the space usually left in the bottle between the
cork and the liquid after its being filled, which air being compressed

page_text: within the bottle presses a stopper contained within the bottle against
the aperture and hermetically closes it. I compress the air within the
bottle by covering the aperture with a hollow india-rubber ball, which
when compressed forces air into the bottle or by a cylinder, and
piston fitted to the aperture, or by hydraulic pressure by means of a 5
tank at the requisite height above the place where the bottle is to be
stoppered.
In the Specification of my former Patent dated the 16 May 1872,
No. 1485, I described as one method of stoppering bottles containing
aerated and other, liquids forcing a ball of india-rubber or other elastic 1
material into a bottle, the mouth of which is of smaller diameter than
the ball, by which means the ball acts as a plug or valve on the inside of
the mouth by the pressure of the gas, the ball being weighted if
necessary and the bottle being opened by external pressure on this ball.
I propose
to carry out my Invention by using a similar bottle and 1
ball to that described in my said Specification and as above, but I do not
confine myself to bottles stoppered in that manner, for I say that my
Invention can be applied to all bottles which aro stoppered by internal
pressure.
The following are various modes of compressing the air within the 2
bottle: I have an india-rubber bag into which the neck of the bottle to
be stoppered is inserted. The bottle is then turned mouth downwards
and the bag compressed. To apply the pressure to the india-rubber bag
I have an arm or lever turning vertically on a horizontal pin placed at a
convenient point in its length, the lever being weighted on one side of 2
the pin drives the opposite end against the india-rubber bag and so forces
air into the bottle. The weight is moveable along the lever so as to
give any desired amount of pressure. The weight and lever are raised
and allowed to fall by means of a treadle or arm lever; by this means
every
bottle is stoppered with an equal amount of pressure. To prevent
the liquid when the bottle is inverted passing into the india-rubber bag,
the latter has a diaphragm at a convenient point in its neck against which
the mouth of the bottle is pressed, the diaphragm being pierced with
small holes which allow the air to pass into the bottle, but will not
allow the liquid to pass out, or the diaphragm may have a valve opening a
outwards. An air pump may be used instead of an india-rubber bag.
The air in the bottle may be compressed also by hydraulic means, a
"

page_text: simple contrivance for which would be by means of a tank containing
some of the liquid to be bottled placed at a height varying according to
the pressure required, and a pipe descending from it terminating with a
tap which being opened into each bottle when filled compresses the air.
The mouth of the bottle must fit air-tight against the tap.
Another means would be to have air, or, when desirable, any other gas
compressed in a reservoir, and a small portion allowed by means of a tap
or valve to enter each bottle when filled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 2nd September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
RUSSELL, of No. 40, Arundel Gardens, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Samuel Russell, Her special licence that
I, the said Samuel Russell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Samuel Russell, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING
BOTTLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel
Russell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describo and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Russell, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say :—
My Invention consists of an improved method of hermetically stopper-
ing bottles or other receptacles containing liquids which are "still," or
non-aerated, and is peculiarly applicable to liquids which become aerated
by being kept in bottles, as bottled beer. I do this by compressing the
air in the space usually left in the bottle between the cork and the :
liquid after its being filled, which air being compressed within the bottle
presses a stopper contained within the bottle against the aperture, and
hermetically closes it. I compress the air within the bottle by covering
tho aperture with a hollow india-rubber ball, which when compressed
forces air into the bottle, or by a cylinder and piston fitted to the aperture:
or hydraulic pressure by means of a tank at the requisite height above
the place where the bottle is to be stoppered.
In the Specification of my former Patent, dated Sixteenth May,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, No. 1485, I described
as one method of stoppering bottles containing aerated or other
liquids forcing a ball of india-rubber or other elastic material into a
bottle, the mouth of which is of smaller diameter than the ball, by
which means the ball acts as a plug or valve in the inside of the mouth
by the pressure of the gas, the ball being weighted, if necessary, and the
bottle being opened by external pressure on this ball.
I
propose to carry out my Invention by using a similar bottle and ball
to that described in my said Specification, and as abovo, but I do not
confine myself to bottles stoppered in that manner, for I say that my
Invention can be applied to all bottles which are stoppered by internal
pressure.
The following are various modes of compressing the air within the
bottle: I have an india-rubber bag, into which the neck of the bottle
to be stoppered is inserted. The bottle is then turned mouth downwards,
and the bag compressed. To apply the pressure to the india-rubber bag
I have an arm or lever turning vertically on a horizontal pin placed at a
convenient point in its length. The lever, being weighted on one side
of the pin, drives the opposite end against the india-rubber bag, and so
forces air into the bottle. The weight is moveable along the lever, so as

page_text: to give any desired amount of pressure. The weight and lever are raised
and allowed to fall by means of a treadle or arm lever. By this means
every bottle is stoppered with an equal amount of pressure. To prevent
the liquid, when the bottle is inverted passing into the india-rubber bag,
the latter has a diaphragm at a convenient point in its neck, against
which the mouth of the bottle is pressed, the diaphragm being pierced
with small holes, which allow the air to pass into the bottle, but will
not allow the liquid to pass out. Or the diaphragm may have a valve
opening outwards. An air pump may be used instead of an india-rubber
bag. The air in the bottle may be compressed also by hydraulic means,
a simple contrivance for which would be by means of a tank containing
some of the liquid to be bottled placed at a height varying according to
the pressure required, and a pipo descending from it, terminating with a
tap, which being opened into each bottle when filled compresses the air.
The mouth of the bottle must fit air tight against the tap.
Another means would be to have air or when desirable any other gas
compressed in a resorvoir, and a small portion allowed by means of a tap
or valvo to enter cach bottle when filled. In all cases the bottles must
be inverted at the time of removing the pressure.
Figure 1 in the Drawing accompanying this Specification is a side
clevation; Figure 2 an end elevation.
a is a piece of wood about two inches thick held edgewise at about six
inches from the ground by the framing 6 at one end, and the support c
at the other end. A seat d is fixed to and supported by the framing b
and the piece a. Two uprights e, e, are bolted to the piece a, one on
either side, and opposite to each other. One of these pieces in Figure 1
is represented partly removed. Between these two uprights is a square
shaft, capable of moving freely up and down in grooves or guides.
Through the lower end of this shaft a horizontal lever 9 passes, turning
on a pin 7 fixed in the shaft, and having a ball h fixed on the upper edge
at the end nearest the seat, and an adjustable weight k at the other end.
At the point where the lever turns on the pin it is formed with a hook-
like piece m, rising upwards, then forwards in the direction of the ball,
and finally turning downwards, forming a rounded point at n, which
when bearing on the piece of metal o fixed to the uprights e, e, forms a
fulcrum for the lever, which if then worked will raise and lower the
shaft f. On the upper portion of the shaft f is a block p, projecting

page_text: horizontally from it in a direction to be perpendicularly over the ball h,
and extending about two inches beyond it. This block may be shifted
and fixed at any desired height on the shaft, for which purpose it is
furnished with a tonguo a sliding in a slot r in Figure 2, cut through
the shaft f, against which it may be fixed by the thumbscrew a passing
through the slot and fixed in the block. t, t, are two treadles, one on
either side of the piece a and at right angles with it. They are connected
by a bar passing under the piece a. They are also connected by
rods v, v, v, v, with a segment of a wheel or pulley w, the treadles and
pulley turning as one piece on an axle x, x, working in bearings y, y,
fixed to the uprights e, e, A strap passes round the pulley, and
attaches to the ball end of the lever. A is a small horizontal slab fixed
à little above the metal bearing o to the uprights e, e, on the side
opposito the scat d. B is an india-rubber bag; O is a holder for the
bag, and is in form like an inverted cup with a smaller one placed on it,
a small hole fitted with a valve passing through the junction of the two
cups, and communicating with the bag which is fixed in the larger cup.
The smaller one is fitted with an india-rubber cushion at the bottom, and
receives the neck of the bottle to be stoppered. The bag has also a small
hole at D. The larger cup is provided with a projecting flange E near
the rim, and the slab A has a semi-circular piece cut from it, as shewn
at Figure 3, so that the rim of the cup containing the bag may be slid
in, and the flange have a firm bearing on the slab. The dotted line
represents the flange of the cup.
To stopper a bottle the open cup end of the bag holder is placed over
the neck of the bottle and the bottle and holder inverted. It is then
slid into its place on the slab, as shewn at Figure 1, the treadles at the
time being held forward or away from the operator by extending the
legs. When the treadles are in this position the various parts will take
the positions shewn in Figure 1. Upon drawing the logs back towards
the seat the weighted end of the lever drops, and turning on the point n
draws down the shaft until the block prests on the inverted bottle,
the block and shaft thus being prevented from descending further, and
the weight continuing to fall causes the levor to turn on the pin l, lifting
the point n from the bearing o, the weight, lever, shaft, and block being
entirely supported by the bottle, and whilst its mouth is thus held air-
tight against the india-rubber cushion in the cup of the bag holder the
weight continues to fall and forces the ball upwards against the bag,

page_text: stops the hole D, and drives the air into the bottle. To release the
bottle the treadles are again driven forward.
The amount of air pressure may be regulated by the position of the
weight / on the lever. The treadles may be made to work nearer to or
further from the seat to suit any length of leg by altering the length of
the strap z. I have before said that the block p may be shifted on the
shaft to suit the length of the bottle. It is also desirable that the
bottle should be quite perpendicular when in its inverted position in the
machine to ensure its neck fitting air-tight against the india-rubber
cushion. For this purpose, and to suit bottles of different diameters, I
have a piece F, Figures 1 and 4, capable of sliding backwards and
forwards in a groove on the under side of the block p, and which piece
can be fixed by means of a thumbscrew G attached to the piece F, and
passing through a slot in the block p; the piece has also on its under
side and at the end next the uprights e, e, a stop H, with two faces
forming an inside angle, shewn at Figure 4, so that a bottle of any
diameter being pressed against it immediately takes a central position.
If considered preferable the cup holding the bag may be fixed in its
position on the slab, and the smaller cup to receive the neck of the bottle
detached, and made to revolve in a forked handle on two opposite pins
in its sides, as shewn at Figure 5, the bottom of the cup being pierced
and fitted with a valve. When the cup is placed over the neck of the
bottle and the bottle inverted the cup turns with it between the fork
of the handle. The fixed cup holding the air bag is in this case made
with a shallow socket to receive the bottom of the small cup.
An air pump may be employed in place of the india-rubber bag if
considered nraforable