Improvements in Bottles to Prevent Them from being Fraudulently Refilled.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent Them from being Fraudulently
Refilled.
I, CHARLES ALVIN STEWART, of 413, North Fifty-third Street, Philadelphia,
in the County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a
part of this specification:-
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in non-refillable
bottles, and has for its object to 50 construct a bottle of this description as to
absolutely prevent the withdrawal of its contents without first destroying a
secondary part of the bottle, which will form an easy means of detection by the
most casual observer that the bottle has once been opened after originally being
filled; a further object of my invention is to provide means for facilitating the
breaking away of the secondary or safety portion of the bottle; and a still
further object of my invention is to so construct the bottle as to permit the use
of an ordinary cork for the closing of the mouth thereof after the secondary or
safety portion has been broken away, so that the bottle may be thereafter used
as an ordinary bottle for retaining the contents until used."
With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction
and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated
by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may
understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will
now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings forming
a part of this specification, in which
Fig. 1, is a section of the upper portion of a bottle made in accordance with
my improvement;
Fig. 2, a perspective of the neck of the bottle, the lower portion being broken.
away;
Fig. 3, a similar view of the upper portion of the bottle after the secondary
neck has been broken away;
.
Fig. 4, a perspective of the keeper and breaker;
Tig. 5, a section at the line of Figure 1.
Fig. 6, a slightly modified form of my improvement in which the keeper is
dispensed with, and the secondary neck by being closed at the top seals the bottle;
and
Fig. 7, a section at the line y-y of Figure.6.
In carrying out my invention as here embodied A represents the upper por-
tion of a bottle, which may be of any size, shape or design, as this forms no.
part of my invention, and B the neck thereof. Around the base of this neck is
formed the screw-threads C for the reception of the ring D, and in practice when
this ring screwed into place a proper cement is applied to the threads, so that,
they will be set and cannot be removed without breaking the ring of the bottle.
-

page_text: As shown in Figure 1, the secondary neck or casing D¹ which is adapted to sur-
round the primary neck B, is formed with the ring D, and has a series of open-
ings formed therein at or near this point of juncture with the.ring, so as to pro-
duce a fragile line upon which the casing may be broken away in opening the
bottle, as hereinafter set forth.
E represents the keeper, which is formed of glass or other suitable material,
and is adapted to fit within the mouth of the casing or secondary neck, as clearly
shown in Figure 1, and has a hole formed diametrically therethrough for the
reception of the latch-pins G which are inserted therein after the spring H has
first been placed within this hole, so that both of the pins will be given a ten-
dency to move outward. By this arrangement the keeper, when placed within
the mouth of the casing or secondary neck, will be held against retraction by
the pins shooting outward into the annular groove I formed in the interior of
said casing, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.
An opener J is formed with the keeper, having an offset J at its lower end
adapted to fit within the slot D formed in the secondary neck, and in order that
this opener may not interfere with the insertion of the keeper, the primary
neck B is cut away at K sufficiently to permit the offset to pass within the spaco
formed between the necks.
In practice the bottle is first filled in the ordinary manner, a stopper L is
placed within the mouth of the primary neck so as to close the same, after which
the keeper is inserted within the mouth of the secondary neck, the opener hav-
ing previously been passed into the space between the two necks, and its offset
brought into register with the slot ; and when this keeper is properly sealed,
the latch-pins G will spring outward into the groove I, and as access cannot
thereafter be had to these pins it is obvious that the keeper can not be removed,
yet the annular groove I will permit the keeper to be turned upon its axis, and
to facilitate such turning a thumb-knob M is formed with the keeper for that
purpose.
When the bottle is to be opened to gain access to its contents, the thumb-
knob M is grasped and sufficient force exerted thereon to turn the keeper upon
its axis, during which process the opener J will break away the small bars
between the slots 1, and thus sever the secondary neck from the bottle, which
may then be removed from over the primary neck, thus giving free access to
the stopper L which may be drawn and the contents of the bottle used as desired.
The ring D, as clearly shown, forms a channel or cup-shaped recess, which
entirely or partially incloses the bars connecting the secondary neck to this ring,
so that when these bars are broken away, the shattered glass will fall within this
recess and be retained against scattering. A further means of preventing the
scattering of the broken glass is the form of the offset. J' which is curved inward
upon its inner surface, and thereby draws the broken glass toward the primary
neck when scvered.
If desired, an annular groove may be formed around tlie base of the bars
still further weakening them at this point, so as to facilitate the breaking away
thereof.
As shown in Figure 6, the ring a may be formed with the neck of the bottle
so as to produce a groove b therebetween, as well as the annular cup-shaped
recess, and into this groove the lower end of the casing d may be inserted,
and be there retained by the snap-springs e located in the groove and adapted
to spring outward into the corresponding groove g formed in the interior of this
casing. The bars and the spaces are arranged in the same manner in the cas-
ing d as in the secondary neck or casing D', and therefore permits the breaking
away of this casing when it is desired to gain access to the primary neck and
cork.
This latter arrangement does not require a keeper, as the top of the casing is
closed and may be of such shape as to form a hand-hold h whereby it may be
grasped firmly enough to effect the breaking away of the bars.

page_text: Of course the bars in this casing d may extend to the bottom thereof so as to
pass within the groove and be latched in place by the snap-springs e, the
result being the same.
Any suitable opener in the form of a wrench or the like may be utilized, if
found necessary, to break away the bars in this last described construction, if it
is not found convenient to do so by hand.
Of course I do not wish to limit myself to any particular design of bottle,
neck or secondary casing or keeper, as these may be varied to a considerable
extent without departing from the spirit of my invention, the gist of which
rests in the broad idea of providing a secondary neck or casing for surrounding
the primary neck and sealing the cork therein, by which means access can not
be had to the cork for the withdrawal thereof until this secondary casing has
been broken away, and when once broken away, this secondary neck or casing
can not be replaced without easy detection by purchasers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is —
1. A bottle provided with a secondary neck as specified and for the purpose
described:
2. A secondary neck made with openings to provide means for detachment.
3. A keeper that revolves on its axis, and by a projection affords an instru-
ment for detaching the parts of glass to be broken off.
4. A ridge of glass around the neck of the bottle to act as set forth and for
the purpose described.
5. A bottle cap, that is to say a secondary part made as a secondary neck but
without the revolving keeper, same to be detached by being twisted off, or broken
off by a suitable instrument for the purpose.
6. In combination with a bottle having a primary neck, of a secondary neck
or casing surrounding the first named and adapted to be closed by a keeper, as
specified.
7. In combination with a bottle having a primary neck, a secondary neck
surrounding the first named; a keeper adapted to fit within the mouth of the
secondary neck, said keeper having an opener adapted to fit within a suitable slot
formed in the secondary neck, by means of which the latter may be broken
away, as specified.
8. The herein described combination of a bottle, a primary neck formed
therewith, a secondary neck surrounding the primary neck, a keeper adapted to
fit within the mouth of the secondary neck, latch-pius carried by the keeper
adapted to spring in an annular groove formed in the secondary neck whereby
the keeper is held against retraction but permitted to turn upon its axis, and an
opener formed with the keeper having an offset adapted to project within one
of a series of grooves whereby the turning of the keeper upon its axis would
break away the bars between the grooves and thus sever the secondary neck from
the bottle, as and for the purpose set forth.
004
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicant.
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