IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOTTLES AND THEIR STOPPERS FOR CONTAINING AERATED LIQUIDS.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sutcliffe, of Barnsley, in the County of
York, and John Fewings, of Bridport, in the County of Dorset,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOTTLES
AND THEIR STOPPERS FOR CONTAINING AERATED LIQUIDS.
Scaled the 24th March 1876, and dated the 28th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sutcliffe and
John Fewings at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th October 1875.
We, THOMAS SUTCLIFFE, of Barnsley, in the County of York, and
JOHN FEWINGS, of Bridport, in the County of Dorset, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BOTTLES AND THEIR STOPPERS FOR CONTAINING AERATED LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-

page_text: orifice is closed by an internal stopper forced against the rim or con-
tracted portion of the neck by the pressure of the escaping gas; and,
secondly, to the novel construction of the internal stoppers.
The difficulty experienced in bottles designed for containing liquids
where internal self-closing stoppers are used consists in the tendency of
such stoppers to retard or prevent the free flow of the liquid at the time
of pouring the same from the bottle by reason of the stopper entering
and resting in the orifice.
To obviate this difficulty is one object of the first part of this Invention,
and is effected by providing the bottle with an indented annular ring or
recess at any portion of its external surface between its base and neck,
which annular indentation contracts the internal capacity of the bottle
at that part where it is formed, and constitutes a swell or ledge on or
against which the stopper is impeded and rests while liquid is being
poured from the bottle, thus preventing the stopper from travelling to
the neck and orifice; or in lieu of an annular external recess such
recess may be formed internally and the swell externally, in which case
an internal groove or channel would be formed, which in like manner
would arrest or contain the stopper.
These arrangements of annular, external, and internal indentations or
ridges may of course be made in a duplicate series for greater certainty
of arresting the motion of the stopper. A single indentation may be
made about half way between the base and neck; or where two are made
intervals of about a third the distance from the base to the neck will be
found suitable. Or in lieu of a channel or ledge made in the cylindrical
portion of the bottle, and merely intervening thereon, as described, we
propose to contract the bottle at the upper part of its cylindrical form,
and then continue the internal contraction by a conical part of the
bottle. In this case there would be an external channel, but a step or
shoulder would be formed from which conical part of bottle, and the
stopper would be arrested by the internal surface of the step.
The next improvement in the construction of the bottle applies to the
contracted portion of the neck immediately beneath the ring or mouth,
that is to say, to the contracted internal seating within and against
which the closing surface of the stopper bears, presses, and is forced by
the power of the gas contained within the bottle.
Now hitherto this part of the bottle and the ring or mouth have been

page_text: formed by special tools for the purpose. The interior contraction, the
external shape, and the ring have been made simultaneously in onc
with the bottle by tongs or tools; but by our Invention we form the
requisite contraction or seat for the stopper by moulding the same while
blowing the bottle, and altogether dispense with any tongs or tools, and
it is only after this portion of the bottle is so completed by blowing in
|the mould that the metal is cast on by the bottle maker to form the
mouth or ring of the neck. This novel method of forming the internal
ridge of the closing part of the neck constitutes an important feature of
the first part of our Invention, because it avoids all necessity for the
ordinary complicated tools which have been used, and saves a great
amount of labour and time, besides being a more perfect method of
effecting the work.
The second part of our Invention consists in a novel construction of
stopper with modifications thereof applicable as internal and self-closing
stoppers under pressure of gas contained within the bottle. Stoppers of
this nature have been constructed of various materials, and in various
forms, but with the exception of ball stoppers it has been necessary that
the stopper should fall to its seat in the neck in one particular position;
or, in other words, that one and the same end of the stopper should
always first enter the neck. Ball or spherical stoppers have been made
with grooves cut therein, and a washer of india-rubber has been shrunk
on the groove. These also may fall to the neck in two positions; but
our Invention consists of a bobbin or barrel-shaped stopper of glass or
other suitable material covered with a tube of vulcanized india-rubber,
and its form enables it to close the neck of the bottle by whichever end
it euters or falls. The bobbin-shaped portion forms the closing portion
of the stopper; its two ends are each connected by a flush or cylindrical
extension to a hemisphere, and the stopper is made by casting in a
mould. The diameter of the hemispheres and that of the largest part
of the barrel-formed portions is such as just to permit the insertion of
the stopper into the empty bottle, and then the short length of india-
rubber tube is inserted by means of a holder, and forced over and
beyond one end of the stopper, so as to cover the barrel part; the india-
rubber will then be held securely by its contraction between the edges
of the two hemispheres, and it will be obvious that whichever way or by
whichever end such a stopper enters the neck of a bottle when inverted
and filled with aërated liquid one or the other of the shoulders of the

page_text: barrel surface will effect a tight seating in the contracted orifice of the
mouth or ring.
This is the principal feature of this part of the Invention, viz., the
adaptability of a stopper of this construction and principle being double
ended.
It must be specially remarked that we make no use of projecting
india-rubber rings, washers, or valves, which have hitherto been used; but
we employ india-rubber tubing fitting tightly on and completely covering
the barrel stopper.
As a modification of this example we form the stopper of three
spheres of glass connected in one piece or length, and cover the middle
sphere with india-rubber. Again we form the glass of a hemisphere
just large enough to enter the bottle. We connect this by a solid
cylinder to a smaller hemisphere, and pass the india-rubber tube over the
smaller end or hemisphere on to the cylinder; we then insert the stopper
by the large end into the bottle. When the liquid is filled in the
stopper will be forced to its seating, and the india-rubber will close the
mouth.
We make another form of stopper on a different principle; we con-
struct the glass with two hemispheres, and an intervening cylinder and
cover, each hemisphere with an india-rubber cap with a flange thereto,
shrinking the internal surfaces of the cap and flange beneath the
edges of the hemispheres, and tightly around the ends of the cylinder.
Further, we form an external stopper for aërated or effervescing liquids
(where the liquid is only caused to evolve gas shortly after the bottle is
filled) by casting or moulding on the plug of the stopper on two opposite
sides thereof a small hub or projection. Corresponding slots or grooves
are formed in the ring or mouth of the bottle, so that the stopper may
be applied and inserted, after which the stopper is turned about a
quarter round so as to bring the projections against and under the
internal surface of the ring or mouth, and thus the stopper cannot be
forced out vertically, but must be further turned till the projections
come under the slots when it can be withdrawn. India-rubber or cork
may be applied in the ordinary manner under the top part of the
stopper to render the junction of the stopper and bottle air-tight.
The stopper may be moulded with a nick on the top for turning it

page_text: round. This stopper may also be provided with a hole through the top
and with an india-rubber valve at the bottom of the stopper.
Lastly, we form the internal ring of the bottle with a female screw,
and insert a stopper of glass or metal, or other suitable material, with a
male screw thereon. The stopper is formed with a hole through it, and
an india-rubber (or other material) clack valve at the base of the stopper
to close the hole against the action or pressure of the gas. A two-way
tap and pipe is provided for filling, so that when the bottle is half full
a little air can be let in, and then the filling can be completed. The
bottle can be opened by pushing a stem or pin through the hole to the
valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John Fewings in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
SUTCLIFFE, of Barnsley, in the County of York, and JoHN FEWINGS, of
Bridport, in the County of Dorset, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the 39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John
Fewings, Her special licenso that we, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and
Jolin Fewings, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John Fewings, our
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 CONSTRUCTION OF BOTTLES AND THEIR STOPPERS FOR
CONTAINING AERATED LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John Fewings, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands and

page_text: seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John
Fewings, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates to that class of bottles for containing aërated
liquids in which the outlet or orifice is closed by an internal stopper
maintained by the pressure of the gas contained in the liquid in contact
with an internal seat or shoulder provided in the neck of the bottle, and
it consists in forming such internal seat or shoulder by moulding the
same whilst blowing the bottle in lieu of producing it simultaneously
with the ring or mouth by the aid of special tools turned by the hand of
the operator after the bottle has been blown.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now procced more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, similar letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents an elevation of one-half of a
mould containing a section of a bottle when in the first stage of its
manufacture, videlicet, when simply blown and moulded; Figures 2
and 3 represent respectively sectional elevations of the bottle in further
successive stages of its manufacture; and Figure 4 represents a similar
view of the finished bottle with a stopper in its place as an example of
the application of the bottle.
In carrying out our Invention we first construct a mould A, Figure 1,
with an annular projection a in the part corresponding to the neck of
the bottle of a shape and size adapted to the peculiar conformation of
the internal seat or shoulder to be produced; we then proceed to manu-
facture the bottles with this mould in the following manner:—We

page_text: prepare a plastic lump of glass of sufficient size to make the required
bottle on the end of any ordinary tube employed for the purpose in
bottle making by dipping such tube into molten glass and working it in
any usual manner; we then introduce the plastic lump of glass carried
on the end of the tube into the mould A, and having closed the mould
blow through the tube, so as to expand the glass into the form of the
mould. The glass then assumes the shape of the bottle B, Figure 1, the
internal seat or shoulder 6 being thus produced by the operation of
blowing the bottle in the mould; we next remove the bottle from the
mould, and "wet" or crack off the glass tubular portion of the neck above
the red line c, Figure 1, when the bottle will assume the appearance
indicated in Figure 2. We then cast on the ring or mouth by adding
molten glass, as shewn at d, Figure 3, and work it by any ordinary tools.
until it assumes the finished shape indicated in Figure 4. The bottle
may be made of any required form.
In the example shewn in our Drawings we have represented the bottle
as constructed with an annular internal bulge or projection e, which is
found to be a convenient arrangement for restraining the stopper from
impeding the flow of liquid in the act of pouring out the contents of
the bottle, and also for checking the violent descent of the stopper,
which frequently occasions a fracture of the bottle.
We have also represented as applied to the finished bottle, Figure 4, a
convenient form of stopper f, which is made duplex, so that either end
will close the mouth of the bottle, but it is obvious that any suitable
arrangement of stopper may be employed.
By means of our Invention the special bottle neck tools of a compli-
cated construction ordinarily required are dispensed with, a considerable
economy is effected in the time and labour expended, whilst at the same
time the internal seat or shoulder obtained is superior in accuracy and
finish to that produced by the ordinary method of making bottles of this
description.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the system
or mode of forming the internal seat or shoulder for the stopper situate

page_text: in the neck of the bottle by blowing the same in a mould, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John
Fewings, have to this our Specification set our hands and scals,
the Twenty-first day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.