Improvements in or relating to Bottle Caps and Brushes or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1396
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Bottle Caps and Brushes
or the like.
A communication from CHARLES M. HIGGINS, of Brooklyn, King's County, New
York, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden, Holborn Circus in the
County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a cap and brush for bottles of mucilage,
ink and other materials which shall present a very finished appearance; shall
tightly seal the mouth of the bottle when in place, and yet admit the ready use and
distribution of the mucilage or ink when required, and at the same time be very
strong and inexpensive in construction. To this end I strike up the cap in one
piece of sheet metal with a screw threaded rim to screw upon the neck of the bottle
and with a tubular shank projecting from the centre of the cap and integral there-
with, and I socket the stem of the brush within the tubular handle shank of the
cap thus producing a very simple and efficient cap and brush having no seams,
perforations, or joints on its exterior to leak or loosen. This invention therefore
consists mainly in the feature here outlined, and also embodies some minor features
as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.
In the drawings, A, represents this improved bottle cap and brush bandle, which
as shown best in the sectional view Fig. 2, is stamped, drawn or struck up by dies
from one piece of sheet metal thus forming the top a, the rim b., and the handle
stem c. in one integral piece without joints or seams. The stem or handle c projects
centrally from the top b. and is preferably straight or cylindrical with a flaring base
where it joins the top b. and with a hemispherical or rounded tip. Within the tubular
stem c is socketted the tube or stem d of the brush f where it is securely held by a
tight frictional fit, by soldering or other means. This stem d of the brush is
preferably made of a tube of sheet metal (see Figs. 2 and 3) pinched or flattened
at the lower end to hold the bristles f as is the usual construction in cheap brushes.
It will be seen that the straight cylindrical form of the tubular handle shank c is
not only neat in appearance, easily formed by dies and is also convenient to grasp
in the fingers, but it also admits of the easy and secure socketting of the straight
steni d of the brush therein which latter advantage would not exist if the form of
the socket c were tapering.
The rim 6 of the cap is preferably formed with a screw thread i rolled or spun
thereon, and also with a knurled edge k see Figs. 1 and 2., whereby the cap may be
readily screwed on the neck of a correspondingly threaded bottle B as seen in
Fig. 2 an interposed washer m of rubber or other material forming a watertight
joint.
It will therefore be now appreciated that by the described construction a very
strong and simple, neat and inexpensive bottle cap and brush is produced admirably
adapted for ordinary bottles of mucilage, ink and other materials.
When the cap
is screwed in place as seen in Fig. 2 the bottle is securely sealed, with the brush in
place ready for use, and no corkage or other seal or closure is required when the
bottles thus equipped are packed in cases for stock or transportation. The use of
corks is thus dispensed with and a great saving thereby effected, as the cost of a

page_text: simple washer m of rubber or waxed paper is far less than that of the cheapest
corks. At the same time the bottle may be readily opened for use by simply
unscrewing the cap which is a much simpler operation than the removal of tight
fitting corks. It will be further noted that not only is this construction economical
but it is very strong neat and attractive, as when the cap is screwed in place there
are no seams or joints in the cap to allow possible leaks, or to possibly loosen
in subsequent manipulation of the cap or handle as would be likely to happen if the
cap were made in two or more pieces jointed, soldered or seamed together. It will
be noted that by reason of the stem d of the brush being socketted up within the
tubular shank or handle c of the cap that a double thickness of material thus exists
at this point which renders the handle of the cap extremely strong and rigid and
not possible to be bent or broken off by lateral flexions or compressions, although
made of very thin sheet metal. The curved and imperforate tip of the handle shank e
covers the open end of the brush stem d and this seals over the same internally, thus
making a tight joint and forming a finished tip or terminal on the brush without any
external seams or joints to offend the eye, or admit of leaks or subsequent looseness,
as will be understood from the drawings. I have shown in Figures 1 and 3 the
shank or Landle c. of the cap formed with three inward flutes, ribs or corruga-
tions n. n. between which the tubular stem of the brush is tightly socketted and
thus held frictionally at three points. This allows the handle shank c of the cap to
be considerably larger than the stem d which is desirable for economical reason, and
yet holds the smaller brush-stem securely within the larger handle-stem as will be
readily appreciated. In lieu of this construction a wire spiral a' may be interposel
between the two parts as shown in Fig. 6, and the parts may be held by friction or
by soldering, the coils of the wire spiral acting the same as the ribs n in Figs. I
and 3.
The stem of the brush may, however, be made of wood or sheet metal of the full
size of the interior of the handle stem e socketted directly in the latter as seen in
Fig. 4. Or, as shown in Fig. 5 a screw thread v may be rolled on the handle stem c
for a short distance and the stem d of the brush made of wood or other material
may be screwed into the same, the threads on the metal stem e embedding themselves
in the soft wood and thus securely engaging the parts. It will be noted that the
thread or spiral groove e in Fig. 5 is merely a lateral or spiral variation of the ribs
or corrugations n in Fig. 1, and will serve the same purpose, if the smooth stem d
in Figs. 1 and 3, or in Fig. 6 is socketted within the same so that hence the
ribs n or vor spiral n' are simply mechanical equivalents of each other.
It is not of course necessary that the cap be made with the screw threaded rim
as it may be plain to slip on and off the bottle neck as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, but
the advantage of dispensing with the ordinary corkage is gained by using the screw
thread as in Fig. 2.
When I use the term "brush" I do not mean to limit myself to what is strictly,
specifically, or commonly understood as a brush, as any equivalent for a brush
capable of dipping up and applying liquids such as a swab, quill, or flat flexible
blade may be used. For example, Fig. 7 shows a swab or sponger on the end of a
wire whose spiral end is secured in the tubular shauk e, and which will form
a good substitute for a brush in applying mucilage, shoe dressing, wood stains, etc.
In Fig. 8, a quill or tube t is shown secured in the shank c with the pointed or pen
shaped end adapted to dip into and lift up the ink, a form of this invention which
is well adapted for bottles of drawing ink.
It is not of course necessary that the brush or swab be secured actually within
the tubular handle shank of the cap as the wire of the swab may be bent and
soldered to the underside of the cap as shown in Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what [
claim is ;-
1. A bottle brush cap struck up in one piece of sheet metal with a central tubular

page_text: and imperforate shank such as c projecting therefrom integral with the cap and
forming a handle thereto, substantially as shown and described.
2. A bottle cap formed with a tubular handle shank such as c projecting
integrally from its upper surface in combination with a brush, or its equivalent,
secured to and projecting from its under or inner surface substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. A bottle brush cap formed in one piece of sheet metal with a central tubular
shank such as c forming a handle in combination with a brush, or its equivalent
having its stem or handle socketted within said handle shank of the cap substantially
as shown and described.
4. A bottle cap such as A formed in one integral piece with screw threaded
rim 6 central tubular handle shank c and a brush or its equivalent socketted in said
shank c substantially as shown and described.
5. A bottle cap and brush consisting of the rimmed cap such as A b. and central
tubular handle such as c. formed in one integral piece of sheet metal with the brush
socketted in and projecting from said tubular handle substantially as shown and
described.
6. A bottle cap formed in one piece of sheet metal with depending rim such as b
and upwardly projecting straight central handle shank such as e imperforate
throughout substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. A bottle brush cap such as A formed in one piece of sheet metal with threaded
rim b knurled edge k and central tubular handle shank c substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
8. The combination with a cap such as A formed with the tubular handle shank c
of a brush having its stem d sochetted within said shank and of a smaller diameter
than the same and with ribs such as n or their equivalent filling the space between
the two and forming a tight frictional bearing between the shank and stem
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 1st day of April 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.