Improvements in Closing or Stoppering Bottles, Jars, and other' Receptacles
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Closing or Stoppering Bottles, Jars, and other'
Receptacles.
"
"
I CHARLES AUGUSTUS BARNETT of Tetworth Greenhill Road Willesden in the
County of Middlesex Wine and Spirit. Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
1'
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and cheap but highly efficient
appliance for closing or stoppering bottles jars and other receptacles such for example
as casks drums and the like whether for liquids or solids that can very easily be
tightly secured in position and as easily be released therefrom.
To carry out this object I make a sleeve of india rubber or other suitable material
that is capable of the desired amount of expansion which sleeve is of any required
length and diameter and one end thereof can conveniently be closed and can carry a
wad or a washer of cork or other appropriate material and the material of which this
sleeve is made can if desired be treated in any manner and with any substance that
may be necessary or convenient for enabling it to perform its function with efficiency.
A cylindrical block is made of metal or other rigid material which can be placed in
this sleeve and longitudinally and centrally through this block is made an hole of the
desired diameter while the block itself is longitudinally and radially divided into two
or preferably three or more parts or segments. To keep these parts together two
disc shaped ends are provided wherein are fitted rings of india rubber or other
compressible material and a projecting lug or collar is formed on each end of the block
round the central hole which can enter into and be held by the compressible ring. A
plug is made of metal or other rigid material which can be passed through one of the
ends and into the central hole in the block which plug is preferably tapered and on
the larger end thereof is provided a milled or other head or handle while the smaller
end thereof can be connected to the other the closed end of the block in such wise
that it cannot be entirely withdrawn from the hole.
Therefore when this tapered plug is forced into and along the hole it obviously
causes the parts of the block to separate and expand and the surrounding sleeve is
tightly pressed against the wall of the neck or mouth or aperture wherein this
appliance is placed whereby the bottle or jar or cask or drum or other receptacle is
tightly closed or stoppered.
To enable and allow this tapered plug to be very easily so forced into and along the
hole in the block it is very convenient to form on the plug a male screw thread and in
the hole a corresponding female screw thread. It may also sometimes he expedient
to make the central hole in the block with a taper whether complementary or
otherwise and occasionally even to taper the outer surface of the block whether in the
same or in the reverse direction as may be preferred. Again only a part of the plug
may be tapered the other part being of the same diameter throughout and either or both
of these parts may have the male screw thread if any. Again the whole of the plug
may be of the same diameter throughout in which case collars or rings or other usual
devices whether tapered or otherwise could be mounted thereon to expand the block.

page_text: The outer surface of the block may also when desired be annularly recessed so that
only the top and bottom thereof or the top or the hottom or any other part thereof
may expand the sleeve and press it against the wall of the neck or mouth or aperture
in which case also this block could be divided transversely into two or more parts.
To lock and secure this appliance in position the milled head or handle is made
separate from the plug and on one side of this head is fitted a short stud with it may
be a right hand male screw thread while on the other side thereof is another short
stud with it may be a left hand inale screw thread and a central recess which may
have a corresponding female screw thread is made in the end of the large plug.
Therefore this large plug can be duly forced or screwed down until the whole
appliance is tightly and firmly fixed when this milled head can be removed and then
the other short stud can be inserted in the recess in the end of the plug and the head
being rotated it may be in the opposite direction this plug is released.. The stud on
the head may also be of a square or triangular or other suchlike section the recess
being correspondingly formed in plan and then screw threads may not be needed.
Any other ordinary devices may similarly be used to cause the head to engage and
revolve the plug and to allow the same easily and quickly to be disconnected
therefrom.
Hated this 6th day of October 1896
HART & Co.,
168 Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.
Improvements in Closing or Stoppering Bottles, Jars, and other
Receptacles.
I CHARLES AUGUSTUS BARNETT of Tetworth Greenhill Road Willesden in the
County of Middlesex Wine and Spirit Merchant dó 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:-
The object of this my invention is to provide a very simple and cheap but highly
efficient and convenient appliance for closing or stoppering bottles jars and other
receptacles such for example as casks drums and the like whether for liquids or solids
that can very easily and quickly be tightly secured in position and as easily and
quickly be released therefrom.
In order the more clearly to explain this my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is an
elevation of a most simple but highly efficient and convenient form and style of
construction of this appliance with the outer covering thereof partly removed
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same Figure 3 is a transverse section of the
same taken at a b in Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a similar transverse section but in an
expanded condition.
A sleeve A is made of india rubber or other suitable material that is capable of the
desired amount of expansion which sleeve A is of any required length and diameter
and one end thereof can very conveniently be closed as is shewn at A¹ and can if
desired carry a wad or a washer of cork or other appropriate material. This sleeve A
can if necessary or convenient be treated in any usual manner and with any ordinary
appropriate substance that may or will enable it properly to perform its function with
efficiency and without damage to the liquid or other contents of the bottle or jar or
other receptacle.
A block B is made of metal or other suitable rigid material preferably perhaps of a

page_text: cylindrical shape and of proper dimensions to be placed in the sleeve A on which
block B a flange C is very conveniently formed to project beyond and ontside of the
outer surface of the sleeve A at its open and outer end. Longitudinally and centrally
through the block B is made an hole D of a proper and preferably tapered diameter
the larger part of which tapered hole D is at that end of the block B on which is the
flange and this block B is longitudinally and radially divided into two or three or
で
more parts or segments perhaps preferably into four parts B', B', B, and B'.
A plug E is made of metal or other suitable rigid material and of proper
dimensions to be passed into the hole D and also preferably of a tapered diameter.
On the larger end of this tapered plug E is provided and fitted a milled or other head
or handle and the plug E may very conveniently be so fitted in any usual manner
and be so connected by any ordinary means and devices with the block B that it
cannot be entirely withdrawn from the hole D.
To ensure and enhance quickness and easiness in using this appliance herein before
described and efficiency in the same when used it is preferable to form on the plug E
a male screw thread of the desired pitch and in the hole D a complementary female
screw thread as is shewn in the drawing.
Therefore when this appliance is placed in the neck or mouth or aperture of the
bottle or jar or other receptacle and the plug E is screwed down into and along the
hole D this tapered plug E will obviously cause the parts of the block B to expand or
separate outwardly from each other whereby the sleeve A is correspondingly expanded
and pressed against the walls of such neck or mouth or aperture wherein this appliance
is placed and thus the bottle or jar or other receptacle is tightly closed or stoppered
as is desired.
Again when the plug E is screwed up out of and along the hole D the expansible
and therefore contractible sleeve A will compel the parts of the block B to close in
towards their common centre whereby this appliance is released and can be removed
as also is desired.
To lock and secure this appliance in position and to ensure that it cannot
surreptitiously or fraudulently be removed therefrom the head or handle F can be
made separate from the plug E and can be detachably connected therewith by any
ordinary and appropriate devices. I shew in Figure 2 one very convenient
arrangement wherein a stud C of a square section on the underside of the head F can
be entered into a complementary recess in the end of the plug E whereby this plug E
must revolve with the head F but this head F can be easily and immediately detached
and removed from the plug E.
Although this forin and style of construction hereinbefore described and shewn in
the accompanying drawing is as is hereinbefore stated a most and perhaps even the
most simple but highly efficient and convenient form and style of construction yet I
would have it clearly understood that I do in no wise limit myself exactly and precisely
thereto for many and various alterations in the details of such construction may when
desired be made therein.
For example the male and female screw threads may be dispensed with and the
plug E may be forced by hand or otherwise directly and longitudinally along the
hole D producing the saine desired results as are herein before mentioned.
Again the plug E and the hole D need not necessarily be tapered throughout
their whole lengths but certain parts thereof only may be tapered certain other parts
thereof being not tapered or either the plug E or the hole D may be not tapered
throughout its whole length while the complementary hole D or the complementary
plug E is tapered either partially or throughout its whole length.
Again the block B need not necessarily be cylindrical but may be tapered in either
direction. The surface of the block B may also be annularly recessed at or about the
middle of its length so that the top and bottom thereof would more greatly expand
the sleeve A than would the recessed central part thereof. This arrangement would
more particularly be applicable with casks and drums and other like receptacles as the
top and bottom parts of the block B would when expanded pass outside of and inside
of the outer and inner surfaces of the receptacle round the aperture therein and would

page_text: clasp the same with the complementary parts of the sleeve A while the central
recessed part of the block B would press its complementary part of the sleeve A
against the edges of such aperture. In the same manner and for corresponding
purposes the annular recess or recesses may also be made in other desired position or
positions on the block B as may; be convenient and suitable in each particular case.
Again the longitudinal and radial divisions of the block 13 need not necessarily.be
straight and plane but may be .waved or be otherwise not straight and plane
especially longitudinally. This arrangement,can be produced in any ordinary and
appropriate manner the only governing conditions obviously being that the several
parts of the block B shall be able to expand and, separate themselves and shall be able
to close in again towards their common centre. These divisions also need not
necessarily be longitudinally in line with the axis of the block B but may be inclined
to such axis under the same governing conditions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In an appliance for closing or stoppering bottles jars and other receptacles the
combination with an expansible sleeve A a longitudinally and radially divided rigid
block B in the sleeve A and a longitudinal hole D in the block B of a rigid plug E
which can be passed along the hole D and can thus cause the block B to expand
substantially as herein before described and set forth.
2. An expansible sleeve A a rigid block B longitudinally and radially divided into
two or more parts in such sleeve A and a tapered hole D provided with a female screw
thread longitudinally and centrally made in such block B in combination with a rigid
plug E provided with a male screw thread complementarily tapered to enter such
hole D and an operating head or handle F for such plug E substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and declared.
3. The improvements in closing or stoppering bottles jars and other receptacles
substantially as herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 5th day of July 1897.
HART & Co.,
168 Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agents.