Year: 1896

page_text: We THOMAS MARCUS HOUGHTON 139 Oxford Street London W. Quantity Surveyor
and THE GLOBE INVENTORS TRADING COMPANY LIMITED of No. 11 Lincolns Inn
Fields, W.C. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent the refilling of bottles without the
knowledge of the owners of the same or the manufacturers of the contents or the
consumers of the contents either one or all of them as the case may be and this is
effected in the following manner.
The bottle would be reduced in diameter and slightly lengthened at the point
where the neck joins with the body of the bottle at the rounded shoulder or if the
bottles should be preferred with sloping shoulders i.e. when the neck merges into
the body of the bottle without any appreciable break then a convenient point would
be selected for reducing as above described. This reduced aperture is for the purpose
of affording a firm fixture for a valve with its seating and a valve lever and its frame
which are constructed as follows.
A plug is inserted consisting of a piece of tube about "long with a cork ring
over all diameter about " to the top end of this tube a valve of rubber or cork or
other suitable material and shape (preferably hemisperical or thereabouts) is fitted
and and having a tail or guide within the tube or it inay be an accurately fitting plug
of slightly tapered form similar to some descriptions of water taps.
To actuate this valve so that it shall remain closed excepting when the bottle is
held at a given angle mouth downwards a lever-hereinafter termed the valve lever
-is formed as follows. It consists of a weight about " in its greater diameter at or
near its base and 14" long of any convenient form but preferably that of an acorn or
it may be round so that it will revolve or swing around freely within the enlarged
part of the neck hereafter described to the centre of its base a stem is fixed about
"long with a disc formed at its other end this disc would be hollow about "with
its concave face towards the weight for the purpose of hanging on or engaging with
the rim formed on the frame hereafter described. The disc may be perforated to
assist in the escape of the contents of the bottle when the valve is open. To the
top of the plug previously described an end-hereinafter terined the valve frame-is
formed of about the size of the outside diameter of the cork ring and about 3" high it
is reduced in size at its top leaving an aperture about " diameter with a rim to its
edge about "wide either square or at an angle and projecting towards the
valve.
The valve frame is perforated around its circumference for the purpose of allowing
of the escape of the liquid when the valve is open.
When the bottle is inverted mouth downwards the weight will hang plumb the
disc of same will close over and rest upon the rim and the valve will be open on

page_text: bringing the bottle back towards the horizontal the weight remains stationary and a
point in the edge of the disc rests on the rim and the point of the disc opposite same
will press against the valve until it is pressed home on its seating when the weight
of course moves with the bottle the point at which the weight has closed the valve
and therefore the point at which it. begins to move with the bottle may be at an angle
of about 45 degrees with the horizon but it may he more or less according to
requirements and depending on the size of the enlarged part of the neck and the
nature of the contents of the bottle. It will be obvious that the weight will continue
to press the valve home on its seating until its centre of gravity is perpendicular
beneath the point of contact of the disc with the angle rim of the frame previously
described thus with the valve pressed home and the weight resting at an angle
of 45° with the base the bottle must be inverted to an angle of about 45° before the
weight will begin to swing free. The bottle may be turned round in the hand but
the disc will revolve on the rim so that the weight will swing round and work freely
whatever the position the bottle may be in providing the mouth is not depressed
more than 45° from the horizontal and when it exceeds that it begins to release the
valve as before explained. Above the neck--reduced as previously described-the
bottle would be swelled out sufficiently large for the valve lever to work the mouth
of the bottle may be made in either one of the following manners.
Firstly. It may be a part of the bottle i.e. in one piece with same in which case
it would be reduced in size for the cork stopper but still be sufficiently large for the
valve lever-all as described-to be passed through into its place in the neck guards
of glass or other suitable material with a series of small holes or of plates overlapping
each other would be inserted and held in position by a pin passed through a hole
formed in the glass the pin would be held firmly by a cork and be sealed.
Secondly. The bottle would be made to terininate just above the enlarged part or
valve lever space being there swelled out again for the guards to be inserted a
reduced mouth in glass or other material for the cork would be fixed on to same with
cement or a screw or other approved method if the first named method is adopted
then the whole of the bottle may be reused by breaking the seal and withdrawing
the pin & guards but by the second method and where the reduced mouth is
cemented on the bottle would have to be broken and the valve extracted for reuse in
another bottle.
When it is desired to utilize the ordinary existing bottles for the purpose the
apparatus and guards constructed substantially as before described are placed in a
case of metal or other suitable material-hereinafter termed the added mouth-and
attached to the glass mouth of the bottle as before described.
The valve case may require to be perforated at the top instead of in its circum-
ference and the valve would rest on a ring instead of a tube if found necessary the
added mouth being passed over the glass mouth.
When fixed by a bayonet joint wire would be bound round the indentations of the
bottle and leaving or forming two or more projecting ends or ears which enter the
slots of the added mouth. The sizes given in this specification are approximate and
are intended to apply to an ordinary spirit bottle (6 to the gallon) the sizes of the
parts would of course be varied to suit the various sizes of the bottles to which they
are applied and to suit circumstances such as the description of liquid that the bottle
may be made to contain.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent their being Refilled.
THOMAS MARCUS HOUGHTON 139 Oxford Street London W. Quantity Surveyor and
THE GLOBE INVENTORS TRADING COMPANY LTD. 11 Lincolns Inn Fields London W.C.
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 and the drawings accompanying the same that is to say :-
This invention has reference to bottles for liquids and its object is to prevent their
being refilled without the knowledge of the owners of the same or the manufacturers
of the contents or the consumers of the contents either one or all of them as the
case may be.
In order that the said invention and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect may be properly understood we have hereunto appended an
explanatory sheet of drawings in which the saine reference letters are employed to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shewn.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the centre of the neck and mouth of the
bottle showing the valve arrangement with the guards held in position by a pin and
sealed.
Figure 2 is a similar section when the guards are inserted in an enlarged or
swelled neck and with reduced mouth cemented or screwed to same for the cork
stopper.
Figure 3 is a similar section but showing the added mouth attached to the
ordinary glass mouth of a bottle by a bayonet joint.
Figure 4 is a section through the enlarged part of neck above the valve and
looking down on saine.
Referring to these drawings it will be seen by Figures 1 and 2 that the neck of
the bottle is reduced in diameter at the point of junction of the body of the bottle
with the neck at A this reduced aperture is for the purpose of affording a firm
fixing for a valve with its frame complete B which is constructed in the following
manner.
A plug is inserted consisting of a short length of tube a with a cork ring b to the
top end of this tube a valve c of rubber or cork or other suitable material and
convenient shape (preferably hemispherical or thereabouts) with a tail or guide d
within the tube or the valve may be in the form of a plug slightly tapered i.e. a
frustrum of a cone similar to the plug used in some descriptions of water tap.
To actuate the valve c so that it shall remain closed excepting when the bottle is
held at a given angle mouth downwards a lever C (hereafter termed the valve lever)
is formed as follows it consists of a weight e of any convenient form but preferably
as shown in the drawing so that it will revolve or swing around within the enlarged
part of the neck of the bottle D hereafter described to the centre of the base of
the weight e a stem f is fixed or made part of same with a disc g formed at its other
end this disc is made slightly hollow with its concave face towards the weight e or
the disc may be flat with a narrow rim to same at or about at right angles to same
for the purpose of hanging on or engaging with the rim formed on the frame
hereafter described.
To the top of the plug previously described an end (hereinafter termed the valve
frame) is formed about the size of the outside diameter of the cork ring or in any
case larger than the inside diameter of the contracted part of the neck A to prevent
its passing through into the body of the bottle F its top end is closed in but leaving
an aperture h with a rim j projecting downwards towards the valve the width and
angle of this rim will be made to correspond with the rin formed on the disc g either

page_text: the circumference of the valve frame its top next the edge or the disc g either one or
all may be perforated to allow of the escape of the liquid from the body of the bottle
when the bottle is held mouth downwards i.e. when the valve is open.
When the bottle is inverted mouth downwards as shown in Figure 5 the weight e
hangs plumb and consequently its disc will close over and rest upon the rim of the
valve frame and the valve. will be open on bringing the bottle back towards the
horizontal the weight remains stationary until the bottle is moved to such an angle
that its valve comes in contact with the disc and is pressed home on its seating at
which point or time the weight commences to move with the bottle still pressing on
the valve and holding it against its seating.
The point at which the weight closes the valve and therefore the point at which it
begins to move with the bottle may be arranged at almost any required angle
providing that there is sufficient room in the enlarged part of the neck for the weight
to revolve but it is preferred to be at an angle of about 45° as this angle does not require
the enlargement of the neck to be unsightly it is a sufficient angle to prevent refilling
and it allows of more readily pouring out by the air passing through and by the
guards and valve.
It is obvious that the weight will continue to press on the valve until its centre of
gravity is perpendicular beneath the point of contact of the dise with the angle rim
of the frame previously described thus with the valve pressed home and the weight
rosting at an angle of 45° with the base of the bottle it must be inverted to an angle
of about 45° before the weight will begin to swing free the bottle may be turned
round in the hand but the disc will revolve on the rim of the frame and consequently
the weight will swing round and work freely whatever the position the bottle may be
in providing the mouth is not depressed more than 45° from the horizontal as when
it exceeds that angle it commences to release the valve as herein before
explained.
Above the reduced part of the neck A the neck is swelled out as at D of sufficient
size to allow of the valve lever working freely within the same.
To prevent the valve with its lever being tampered with guards of glass or metal or
other suitable material are inserted in the neck of the bottle they would consist of
perforated plates or plates overlapping or interlocking or a combination of both in
such manner as to present the greatest obstacle to the insertion of a wire or other
implement within the enlarged part D the guards formed in the manner above
described are shown at A. &, and m. in Figures 1 2 and 3 respectively.
When the bottle with its neck is made in one piece the mouth O Figure 1 is
reduced in size but sufficiently large for the valve and lever all as described to be
passed through and into its place in the neck and the guards k are held in position
by a pin p passed through and sealed as at r.
The preferred method is shown in Figure 2 wherein the bottle is made to
terminate at s the second and smaller swelled portion being formed for the purpose
of allowing the liquid to flow past and through the guards the mouth t of the bottle
may be of glass or metal preferably the latter it is stopped at and with holes
through above and below the same at vit would be attached to the bottle by a screw
either inside or outside or it may be made to fit and cemented as shown in this
drawing. When the added mouth is screwed on and sealed the bottle may be re-used
by the proprietor but where the added mouth is cemented to the bottle as described
then the bottle would have to be broken to enable the valve apparatus and guards to
be re-used in another bottle.
When it is desired to utilize the ordinary existing bottles i.e. to convert them into
bottles that cannot be refilled the apparatus consisting of valve lever with its frame
and plug are constructed substantially as before described and as shown in Figure 3.
and are enclosed in a metal case which is attached to the glass mouth of the bottle
with a bayonet joint which is formed by binding wire around the indentation of
the glass forming one or more projections or ears a a which enter the slots b b of the
added mouth.
With this description of added mouth the valve case requires to be perforated

page_text: at the top instead of in its circumference and the valve rests on a ring c c and
the joint of the bottle with the added mouth is formed by a cork ring d d. The
sizes of the various parts of the apparatus and the enlarged parts of the neck of
the bottle would of course be varied to suit the nature of the contents for which
the bottles are intended the capacity of the bottles to which the invention is
applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The general arrangement construction and combination of the various parts
constituting an improved bottle for the purpose of preventing their being refilled
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Second. The valve with its lever and frame together with the guards and added
mouth substantially as herein before described and shown on the accompanying
drawings.
Third. The valve valve lever frame and guards in an added mouth for attaching
to existing bottles substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the
accompanying drawings.