IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE PLAYED THRDFIN DR
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Betts, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE PLAYED THRDFIN
DR
"
Sealed the 14th June 1859, and dated the 15th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1859.
I, WILLIAM BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Capsule Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO
BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Capsules, and in
the Apparatus to be Employed therein," is as follows:-The ordinary metallic
capsules are made of a flexible metal, namely, lead coated with tin, and when
placed on the top of a bottle, they can be pressed by a cord into the unevenesses
of the neck of the bottle, and cannot readily be removed without destruction.

page_text: My improved capsules I make of the same material, but considerably
stouter than ordinary capsules, say, of twice the substance of the thickest
capsules usually manufactured, and they are raised by stamping in the ordinary
manner. I then take the mould, having on it a male screw of the same size as
a screw formed on the neck of a bottle to which it is intended to apply the
improved capsule; the capsule being placed in the screw mould, the mould
and capsule are then by suitable means caused to rotate, and at the same time
by the action of the screw moved in a lateral direction. A small disc is then
pressed against the capsule, which forces it into the indentations of the screw
mould, and at the same time embosses the raised portions of the screw, and a
stiff screw capsule is then formed which can be applied to the mouth of the bottle,
having a screw on its neck, and removed from such bottle by unscrewing the
same without destroying it. In some cases, when it is desired to make a perfectly
air-tight joint, I line the top of the capsule with cork or other suitable material.
The machinery or apparatus which I find most suitable for the carrying out
my Invention consists of a metal frame, which carries two bearings furnished
with brasses; through these bearings a metal axis passes, and it is capable of
rotating and also of sliding longitudinally for a short distance in them. It has
at one end a crank handle, and at the other end there is a screw thread cut
corresponding to that which it is desired to form on the capsule. An arm or
handle turns on a centre carried by the frame; this arm or handle has fixed
to it by a binding screw the tool which supports at its end a pin, upon which
pin is a disc capable of revolving. This disc is made in two parts, which can
turn independently the one of the other; a bar, which can revolve partially on a
centre in the framing carries a slide, and which is pressed forward by a spiral
spring.
The apparatus is worked in the following manner :-The bar is turned on
one side, and the capsule to have a screw formed in it is placed over the end
of the axis; the slide on the bar is then drawn back, and the bar is brought to
its position, so that the end of the slide (when it is released) presses the
capsule firmly against the axis.
.
The bar is kept in its place during the operation by a retaining spring by
means of the handle or arm; the tool is brought against the capsule which is
thus indented, that portion of the disc which is of the larger diameter entering
the indentations of the screw, whilst the other part, which is milled on its
surface, rests on the top of the thread. By turning the crank handle, every
portion of the periphery of the capsule is then brought under the action of the
tool, the axis being caused to traverse longitudinally at the same time by a

page_text: wooden block, having a portion of a screw thread cut in it in which the screw
on the axis works. When the capsule is completely formed, the handle or
arm is released, and the slide is turned out of the way; the workman then
takes hold of the capsule, and turns the cranked handle in a reverse direction;
thus unscrewing the capsule off the end of the axis. A stop is employed,
which, by coming in contact with a projection on the axis, stops it, and prevents
injury to the wooden block.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Capsule
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto.
me, the said William Betts, Her special license that I, the said William
Betts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Betts, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Betts, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe 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..
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Betts, 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

page_text: statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the production of screw capsules, and to a
peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for manu-
facturing the same. The ordinary metallic capsules are made of a flexible
compound metal, namely, lead coated with tin,' and when placed over the top
of a bottle, they can be pressed by a cord into the unevenesses of the neck of
the bottle, and cannot readily be removed without destruction.
manner.
My improved capsules I make of the same material, but considerably stouter
or thicker than ordinary capsules, perhaps of twice the substance of the thickest
capsules usually manufactured, and they are raised by stamping in the ordinary
I then take a mandril having on it an external screw of the same
size as a screw formed on the neck of a bottle to which, it is intended to apply
the improved capsule, and the capsule being placed on the screw mandril, the
mandril and capsule are then caused to rotate by suitable means, and at the
same time by the action of the screw they are moved in a lateral direction.
A small disc is then pressed against the capsule, which forces it into the
indentations of the screw mandril, and at the same time embosses the raised
portions of the screw, and a stiff screw capsule is then formed. This improved
stiff capsule can be applied to the mouth of the bottle having a screw on its
neck, and removed from such bottle by unscrewing the same without
destroying it. In some
cases, when it is desired to make a perfectly
air-tight joint, I line the top of the capsule with cork or other suitable
material.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall. now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal elevation of the
apparatus which I employ in the manufacture of capsules according to my
improved process; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is
a transverse section of the apparatus; and Figure 4 is an end view.
A is a metal frame resembling a lathe headstock, which carries two bearings
B, furnished with brasses C. These bearings carry a horizontal mandril D,
capable of rotating and also of sliding longitudinally for a short distance
within them. At one end of this mandril is fitted the crank handle E, and at
the other end is formed a screw thread F cut to correspond to that which it is

page_text: desired to form on the capsule. An arm or horizontal handle working on
a centre at H has fixed to it by a binding screw I the tool J, which carries at
its end by a pin the revolving disc K. This disc is made in two parts, which
can turn independently the one of the other. A-bar L, capable of revolving
partially round the centre M, carries a slide N, which is pressed forward by a
spiral spring O. The apparatus is worked in the following manner-The
bar L is turned to one side, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 2, and the
capsule to be screwed is placed over the end of the mandril D; the slide N
on the bar L is then drawn back, and the bar returned to its proper position
again, so that the end of the slide N (when released) presses the capsule
firmly against the end of the mandril. The bar L is kept in its place during
the operation by the retaining spring P. By means of the handle G the tool
J is brought against the capsule which is thus indented, that portion of the disc
which is of the larger diameter entering the indentations of the screw, whilst
the other part, which is milled on its surface, rests on the top of the thread.
By turning the crank handle E, every portion of the periphery of the capsule
is then brought under the action of the tool, the mandril being caused to
traverse longitudinally at the same time by a wooden block Q, having a
portion of a screw thread cut in it, in which the screw on the mandril works.
When the capsule is completely formed, the handle G is released, and assumes
the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 3, and the slide N is turned out
of the way. The workman then takes hold of the capsule, and turns the
handle G in a reverse direction, thereby unscrewing the capsule off the end of
the mandril. A stop R is employed which, by coming in contact with a
projection on the mandril, stops its further movement, and prevents injury
to the wooden block Q...
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for manufacturing screwed capsules, as herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar construction of soft metal screwed capsules, as herein-
before described.
Third, the manufacture of soft metal screwed capsules by placing a plain
capsule upon the end of a screw-threaded revolving mandril, and forcing the
metal of the capsule by a suitable tool into the indentations or grooves on the
mandril, as herein-before described.

page_text: Fourth, the combination of a pressing slide and screwed mandril for the
manufacture of screwed capsules, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
said William Betts in the pre-
sence of
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields.
W. BETTS. (L.S.)