IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING THE CORKS, STOPPERS, OR LIDS OF BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Miller and Wilson Struthers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 7th February 1863.
We, JAMES MILLER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Pottery Manufacturer, and WILSON STRUTHERS, of Hamilton, in the County
aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING THE CORKS, STOPPERS, OR LIDS OF BOTTLES, JARS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to certain improved and economical modes of securing
the corks or stoppers of bottles, jars, and other similar holding vessels, which
improvements are also applicable to the fastening of lids or caps to such vessels.
Under one modification or system of arrangement two holes are formed in
the neck of the bottle or jar during the process of manufacture, or while the
bottle, jar, or other similar vessel is in a sufficiently softened state to admit of
the material being easily pierced. These holes are by preference made in the
thickened part or rim which forms the mouth of the vessel, bottle, or jar, and
they are made opposite to one another, so that when the vessel is filled and
the cork or stopper is inserted, a short length of wire, a pin, or other retaining
medium may be easily passed through the cork. In the case of effervescing
fluids, when wire is used for the fastening after the cork is driven into the bottle,
it is perforated if necessary by passing a bradawl or any other perforating
instrument through one of the holes in the neck of the bottle and through
the cork, so as to admit of the wire passing completely through the cork, and

page_text: out at the other side of the neck. The projecting portions of the wire are
secured by passing the ends down under the external rim, and twisting the
extremities together, or if string is used for the purpose, the ends are firmly
knotted. Still greater security may be obtained in the case of highly elastic
fluids by carrying the wire upwards and over the cork, and then twisting the
extremities together. It is also preferred to fasten the cork or stopper of
bottles or jars by means of pins or screws formed either of wood, iron, or
other suitable material, one of which is pressed or screwed into the cork or
stopper through the hole one each side of the neck. If these pins are formed
with a head they may be readily withdrawn by means of a knife or other simple
equivalent therefor. In many instances when the pressure from the gas or
fluid is not great, one hole and one pin or screw will be sufficient, but where
the pressure is strong, two or more holes are formed in the head of the bottle
or jar, according as one or more pins may be found necessary. Where the
stoppers of bottles or jars are formed of glass, china, earthenware, gutta
percha, or other suitable material, a transverse or circular aperture is formed
in the stopper to correspond to the holes in the neck of the bottle or jar.
For wide-mouthed jars, the lids of which are made usually to lie on the
mouth of the jar, these lids are formed so as to overlap the mouth of the jar,
and holes are pierced through the overlapped portion of the lid as well as in
the jar itself, so that the lid may be readily and securely fastened by means
of pins passed through the corresponding holes, or the lid may be fastened down
by straps of iron, tin, zinc, lead, or any other metal passing over the same,
and having a pin inserted through each of the ends into corresponding holes
in the neck of the jar. In the case of jars where the lids fit inside of the
mouth an indented ring is formed round the edge of the lid, into which
the pins passing through holes in the neck of the jar fit, or holes corre-
sponding to those in the neck of the jar are pierced into the cover of the
lid into which the pins fit, or the lid may be sunk sufficiently far into the
neck of the jar so as to admit of a pin or pins being passed through the
holes in the neck across the top of the lid, thereby fixing it firmly in its
place.