IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING BOTTLES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, WILLIAM COULTAS, Civil Servant and THOMAS ARTHUR COULTAS, Mineral
Water Manufacturer, both of "Lismore," Bennett Park, Blackheath, Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERING BOTTLES
to be as follows:-
A Screw-Stoppered Bottle with India Rubber outside Bottle neck, thereby
preserving the contents from injury by contact with India Rubber. The Stopper
is put in action by a screw inside Bottle neck, bringing outside India Rubber ring
flush with the metal by means of a bevelled groove, into which the ring is forced.
The form of the stopper, its action, and the exact position of the India rubber ring,
will be seen by the Drawings herewith.
Points songht to be natented ·

page_text: Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
We, WILLIAM COULTAS, Civil Servant and THOMAS ARTHUR COULTAS, Mineral
Water Manufacturer, both of Lismore, Bennett Park, Blackheath in the County
of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOPPERING BOTTLES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention is designed to provide a means whereby a liquid such as Beer
Wine Liqueur, Spirit, Aerated Water, medicinal preparation or the like may be
enclosed in a bottle, or similar vessel, without fear of being affected by climatic
changes, or by contamination with any material employed, the bottle and stopper
at the same time presenting a neater and more attractive appearance than those at
present in use-Our invention consists of
1. A Bottle the exterior surface of the neck of which has a shape somewhat
analogous to the frustrum of a cone with an annular groove or recess into which
is inserted a ring or band of India Rubber or other elastic material suitable for the
purpose as hereinafter mentioned; and
2. A cover, cap or stopper having an interior surface so inclined as to fit
snugly on to the neck of the bottle and compress the ring or band of India Rubber
or other elastic material thus making a liquid tight and air tight joint.
In order that our Invention may be better understood we have annexed hereto
drawings to illustrate the same in which
Fig. 1.-Is an elevation of the cover, cap or stopper.
Fig. 2. Is a vertical section of same.
Fig. 3. Is a vertical section of the neck of the bottle.
Fig. 4. Is an elevation of the neck of the bottle with the ring or band in
position.
..Fig. 5.Is a similar view but with the ring or band removed.
Fig. 6. Is a vertical section of the neck of a bottle with the cover cap or
stopper attached to same.
Fig. 7. 8. 9. Are modifications of our invention.
The same reference letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
In carrying our invention into effect we mould or shape the external surface of
the neck of a bottle a, to the form of the frustrum of a cone the surface of the
frustrum, b, being at an angle of 8° more or less with the axis, c. d. of the frustrum
as shewn in Fig. 6.-A rim or lip, e, may be formed at the base of the cone to give
the bottle a better appearance or for the cover, cap or stopper to abut upon, when
required In the surface of the frustrum at about midway between the top and
the bottom we form a groove or recess, f, of rectangular or other section into which
is placed a ring or band of India Rubber or other suitable elastic material g-The
external surface of the ring or band g should stand a little above the surface of the
neck of the bottle. We also form a screw thread, h, on the internal surface of
the neck of the bottle.

page_text: The cover cap or stopper for closing the bottle we make in the form shewn in
Fig. 1 and 2. with a central plug, i, having a screw thread to take into the thread
in the neck of the bottle, the angle of the interior surface, k, of the cover cap or
stopper, being the same or as near thereto as practicable, as the angle of the cone
to which the neck of the bottle is formed. The distance between the points
and m, should be the same as the distance between the points, n, and, o. It may.
however differ from the distance n, o, more or less; but if we make a difference
we prefer that it should be less.
To close the bottle the plug i is introduced into the neck and rotated so that the
thread upon the plug engages with the thread in the neck and the rotation is
continued until the cap can be moved no further. The inclined surface in the cap
being at the same or practically at the same angle as the inclined surface on the
bottle the two surfaces would come together when the cap is screwed home were it
not for the ring or band g, which, as before stated, stands a little distance above the
surface of the neck of the bottle. Therefore in the downward travel of the cap,
its inclined surface comes in contact with the ring or band g which, with the con-
tinued travel of the cap, becomes compressed and a secure fluid tight joint is
formed.
It is obvious as we have already pointed out that the parts should be so pro-
portioned as that when the cap is screwed home the inclined surfaces will be in
contact.
Our cover cap or stopper may be made of any suitable material, but we prefer to
make it of a material known as "Patent Ivory" on account of its durability, its
beat resisting properties, its being perfectly tasteless and inodorous its much greater
strength and its very much more finished appearance. This material is obtained of
the Patent Ivory Company No 115 London Wall in the City of London.
In order to give a firmer grip whilst closing or opening a bottle the periphery of
the cover cap or stopper may be grooved or fluted or it may be polygonal.
We do not confine ourselves to the exact position of the ring or band as herein-
before mentioned as it may be placed in an annular groove or recess in the insido
of the cover cap or stopper as shewn in section at p, in Fig. 8, or
may be in the
edge of the cap as at, q, in Fig. 9 or it may be in an annular groove upon the neck
of the bottle as shewn at, r, in Fig. 7.
The position of the screw may also be varied.-Instead of being inside the neck
of the bottle it may be on the outside and in that case the central plug i would be
dispensed with and a screw thread would be formed inside the cap. Instead of a
screw we may form a projection or projections upon the neck of the bottle and
also inside the cap cover or stopper so arranged that they may interlock when the
cap cover or stopper is placed over the mouth of the bottle for closing the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we
are aware that bottles and jars have been manufactured with internal and external
screw threads and such vessels have been closed with plugs or caps also having
screw threads and India Rubber has been employed for obtaining a fluid-tight
joint, and we make no claim thereto, but what we do claim is
1. In a bottle or other vessel the neck of which is in the form of the frustrum
of a cone, a ring or band of elastic material lying in an annular groove or recess as
hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2. In a cover cap or stopper for closing a bottle or other vessel the neck of
which is in the form of the frustrum of a cone and having a ring or band of elastic
material lying in an annular groove or recess as aforesaid, the inclined surface, as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated.
3. A bottle or other vessel the neck of which is in the form of the frustrum of
a cone and having a ring or band of elastic material lying in an annular groove or
recess as aforesaid closed by a cover cap or stopper having an inclined surface, as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated.

page_text: 4. The combination of a bottle or other vessel the neck of which is in the form
of a frustrum of a cone and having a ring or band of elastic material lying in an
annular groove or recess as aforesaid, closed by a cover cap or stopper having an
inclined internal surface with an internal or external screw as and for the purpose
herein before described and illustrated,