IMPROVED STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR VESSELS AND INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Scope Davison, of Sunderland, in the County
of Durham, Glass Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVED STOPPERS
FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR VESSELS AND INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH.”·
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Scope Davison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1882.
JAMES SCOPE DAVISON of Sunderland in the County of Durham Glass
IMPROVED STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR VESSELS AND
INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
Manufacturer.
My Invention relates firstly to improvements in stoppers for closing glass.
earthenware or other bottles and similar vessels of every description containing
wines, spirits, ales, stout, cider, cordials, mineral or other waters aerated or.
otherwise and secondly to instruments to be used in connection with such
stoppers.
The first part of my Invention consists in making stoppers (hollow or other-.
wise) of india rubber, gutta percha, cork or any suitable elastic material (or
composition or combination of materials) such as will float in the above named
liquids.
I form these stoppers by cutting, pressing or. moulding them of any suitable.
size or shape to fit the mouths or necks of the bottles or other vessels to be closed
or stoppered either internally or externally and I will now describe the various
methods in which I apply thêm.
For external stoppering I make them preferably hollow (with or without a pin
hole) spherical oval conical or any shape suitable to the mouth of the bottle or
vessel (but slightly larger in diameter) and may have a projecting piece formed
upon or attached to take hold of. This stopper being elastic and yielding when.
pressed into the mouth of the bottle seats itself, making a perfectly air and water
tight stopper which can yet be easily withdrawn with the fingers. In some cases
I attach to these stoppers ornamental tops made of metal or other material gilded,

page_text: or otherwise embellished which serves also to take hold of in inserting or with-
drawing the stopper.
For internal stoppering I make them preferably hollow (with or without a pin
hole) of suitable thickness so that they will float and of any suitable form or
shape but for bottles and similar necked vessels I prefer spherical balls. I make
them of india rubber gutta-percha, cork or any other suitable elastic material
which will float, either when solid or when lightened by being made hollow. The
stopper being made a little larger in diameter than the mouth of the bottle or
vessel is by its elasticity easily compressed and forced through the mouth and
neck into the body of the bottle when it resumes its original shape and the bottle
being now filled with liquid the stopper floats on the surface into the neck or
outlet of the bottle into which it is drawn and fixed by the instrument forming
the second part of my. Invention which I will now. describe.
This instrument is made of wood, bone, horn, ivory, vulcanite, ebonite or any
metallic or other suitable substance (preferable flexible) and is shaped with a slight
taper to a point or nearly so at one end. It may be round or oval in section or may
be flat with one concave and one convex side (like a gouge) but it must always be
tapered toward a point whatever its section may be. The mode of operation is as
follows viz: the instrument being inserted down the neck its smaller end projects
into the body of the bottle (into which the ball stopper has already been placed)
The bottle is now filled with the liquid and the stopper floats up into the lower
part of the neck, where it comes in close contact with the tapering instrument
(which being gradually withdrawn rolls the stopper up between it and the tapering
neck toward the mouth of the bottle until it is firmly fixed and the instrument by
its tapering form disengages itself from the stopper leaving the bottle perfectly
closed air and water tight. The instrument may be applied in various ways
either loose in the hand of the bottler or formed upon or attached to the nozzle of
the cock or syphon, by which the bottles are being filled, or the end of a funnel
may be formed so that it will act as an instrument to draw up the stopper. In
the latter cases the act of withdrawing the bottle from the cock or syphon
(or the funnel from the bottle) when filled, will cause the ball stopper to be rolled
up the neck by the instrument and the bottle will be perfectly closed.
When the contents of the bottle or vessel are required to be drawn for use the
Stopper is pushed down by a suitable plug and floats away from the mouth or
outlet (as soon as the bottle is turned to empty it) causing no obstruction to the
discharge of the contained liquid.
"
When only a portion of the contents of the bottle are required to be drawn
off the plug used for forcing in the stopper may be used to close it like a cork.
The stoppers either for external or internal application are made of various
thicknesses according to the sizes of the bottles or vessels and the liquids they are
intended to contain.
I prefer the stoppers being made with smooth surfaces but they may in some
cases be made with corrugated, ribbed or rough surfaces The chief feature of
my Invention, so far as it relates to stoppers is making them so that they will
float in water by forming them either solid or hollow when of materials lighter.
than water and hollow when of materials heavier than water, but I prefer the form
of hollow air stopper of suitable thickness.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that portion of my Invention
relating to the instruments to be used for internal stoppering is fully illustrated, 5
shewing the application of the instrument for drawing up the stopper in the
various forms in which I prefer to use it though I do not restrict myself to the
precise form of the instrument. The other portions of my Invention require no
illustration.
Figure 1. Shews the stopper S floated up until it has come in contact with the 5

page_text: tapered instrument I which in this case is held in the hand of the bottler and
Figure 2 shews the stopper S drawn up and fixed in the mouth of the bottle by
the instrument I which is just disengaged from it.
Figure 3. Shews the instrument 1 formed upon the nozzle of the filling tap or
syphon and just engaging with the stopper Sand Figure 4 shews the stopper S
drawn up and fixed in the mouth of the bottle by the instrument I which is just
disengaged from it..
Figure 5. Shews the instrument I formed upon the spout of a funnel F and
Figure 6. the stopper S fixed in the mouth of bottle and the instrument just
disengaged from it.
Figure 7. Shews the instrument I screwed on to the nozzle of the filling tap C
engaging with the stopper S to draw it up the neck of the bottle and Figure 8
shews the instrument I screwed on to the nozzle of tap C with a modified
formation for the passage of the liquid through it.
Figure 9. Shews another form in which a tapered instrument I is suspended
by a wire or string from the tap or syphon, or from the hand, into the bottle and
upon being pulled up by the wire the stopper S is drawn up into the mouth of
the bottle, or the bottle being withdrawn the same effect is produced.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the methods by which it
may be carried into practical operation I would have it understood that I do
not restrict myself to the precise details but that what I claim as novel and
forming the essential features secured to me by Letters Patent are :—
First. In the external stoppering of bottles (or other vessels to contain liquids)
the use or application of elastic stoppers either solid or hollow of various shapes
(but preferably spherical) and plain or ornamented, constructed and operating
substantially as described.
Second. In the internal stoppering of bottles (or other vessels to contain
liquids) the use or application of floating stoppers (preferably spherical) solid or
hollow constructed and operating substantially as described.
Third. The use or application to bottles or other vessels, with such floating
internal stoppers, of an instrument to draw up the stopper into the bottle neck,
constructed and operating substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said James Scope Davison have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty third day of May in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness:
T. J. DANSON
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent
Newcastle on Tyne.
JAMES S. DAVISON. (L.S.)