Improvements in Screw Stoppers for Bottles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Stoppers for Bottles.
I CHRISTIAN HAMILTON GRAY of Silvertown in the County of Essex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of screwed stoppers which has a central
iulet for facilitating the charging with gaseous liquid, bottles fitted with such
stoppers.
It has been found that the bottle necks vary in shape and diameter greatly,
thereby necessitating the frequent use of considerable force in securing a tight
joint between the stopper and the bottle.
To provide against these irregularities, the diameter of the washer has been
increased by crowding it between the stopper and the bottle neck.
To facilitate the application of the stoppers, and to effect an economy in their
manufacture, I form them with a shoulder immediately below the head, and I
spring upon the stopper a washer which will fit snugly under the shoulder.
As the neck of the bottle tapers outwards, the insertion of the screw stopper
will cause the lower edge of the washer, as it comes in contact with the bottle neck,
to form an air-tight joint.
For closing the central opening in the stopper, I provide a conical valve of
peculiar construction to fit loosely in a conical enlargement of the inner end of the
central opening.
This valve, which may be termed a thimble valve, is made of flexible rubber,
and the closed or solid end is set upwards in the stopper.
To retain the valve in place, a bar is set across the bottom of the stopper.
When the bottle fitted with the stopper is to be filled, the liquid will be forced
past the valve, and when the supply is cut off, the internal pressure of the liquid
will force the thimble valve into its seat.
A special advantage claimed for this construction of stopper, beyond that of its
fitting irregularly shaped necks of varying diameters, and of its being economical
in construction, is that the inlet valve will close under slight pressure; the stopper
may therefore be used in cases where, from time to time, portions only of the
contents of the bottle are required to be withdrawn.
Dated this 12th day of July 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screw Stoppers for Bottles.
I CHRISTIAN HAMILTON GRAY of Silvertown in the County of Essex,
Engineer, 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 mainly to improvements in the construction of screwed
bottle stoppers which have a central inlet for facilitating the charging of the
bottles with gaseous liquids.

page_text: It has been found that the bottle necks vary in shape and diameter greatly,
thereby necessitating the frequent use of considerable force in securing a tight
joint between the stopper and the bottle.
To facilitate the application of the stoppers, and to effect an economy in their
manufacture, I form them with a shoulder immediately below the head, and I
spring upon the stopper a narrow washer, which will fit snugly under the shoulder.
For closing the central opening in the stopper, I provide a conical valve of
peculiar construction, to fit loosely in a conical enlargement of the inner end of
the central opening.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation my improved screw stopper.
Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same; and
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the stopper, arranged for closing bottles intended
to receive aërated liquids.
The stopper I mould in vulcanite or other composition commonly employed in
the manufacture of like articles, and in the case of the hollow stopper, I form a
passage through the centre of the same, providing a conical chamber a in the lower
half of the stopper, to receive a conical valve b, which is made hollow for lightness,
and while free to move in its chamber in response to downward or upward pressure,
will retain its place in the stopper, by reason of a transverse wire c, which passes
across the lower part of the chamber.
d is a shoulder formed on the periphery of the screw stopper immediately below
the head thereof, and e is a square-cut washer which lies snugly below the shoulder,
and is retained in place by its being sprung into a shallow groove formed
immediately below the shoulder.
This washer is designed, like other elastic washers already applied to screw
stoppers, to form a close joint with the bottle neck, but its action differs materially,
in certain respects, from those hitherto used for the like purpose.
The difficulty hitherto presented in the use of screwed stoppers, to the bottles
of aerated and other liquids, arises mainly from the irregular shape and size of the
bottle necks, and this it has been attempted to avoid by presenting the washer in
a conical shape to the bottle neck.
As the neck of the bottle tapers outwards, as indicated at Figs. 1 and 3, the
insertion of the screw stopper will cause the lower edge of the washer, as it comes
in contact with the bottle neck, to form readily an air-tight joint.
This will be clearly understood on comparing Fig. 1 with Fig. 3. In the former
figure, the screwed stopper is only so far inserted into the bottle neck, that the
washer e still retains its original shape, and its lower edge stands out square beyond
the adjacent surface of the stopper. In Fig. 3, however, the stopper is shown as
further depressed in the bottle neck, the lower edge of the washer being compressed
or crowded in, to fit the neck of the bottle, while the body of the washer swelling
by this compression, is retained in place by the shoulder d. A perfect air-tight
joint is thus secured, with the expenditure of a minimum amount of force in
inserting the stopper, there being comparatively little friction between the
washer and the bottle neck, as compared with the conically shaped washers hitherto
used.
Referring now to the inlet valve b, which may be termed a thimble valve, and to
its construction and action, I may remark that it is made of flexible rubber, and
the closed or solid end is set upwards in the stopper, so as to close the narrow
portion of the central opening therein.
When the filled bottle, fitted with the stopper, is to be charged with gas, the
gas will be forced past the valve into the bottle, and when the supply is cut off,
the internal pressure of the gaseous liquid will force the thimble valve into
its seat.
A special advantage claimed for this construction of stopper, beyond that of its
fitting irregularly shaped necks of varying diameters, and of its being economical
in construction, is, that the inlet valve will close under slight pressure; the stopper

page_text: may therefore be used in cases where, from time to time, portions only of the
contents of the bottle are required to be withdrawn.
I may remark that the means above described for securing an air-tight connection
between the stopper and the bottle, is equally applicable to solid as to hollow
screw stoppers, and that Fig. 1 equally illustrates both applications.
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 :-
1. The manufacture of screw stoppers for bottles as described with reference
to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.