IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE STOPPERING OF BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED AND OTHER LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE WHEN INTERNAL STOPPERS ARE USED
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar Breffit, of the City of London, Merchant, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO THE STOPPERING OF
BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED AND OTHER LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE
WHEN INTERNAL STOPPERS ARE USED."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edgar Breffit at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1879.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
EDGAR BREFFIT, of the City of London, Merchant.
APPLICABLE TO THE STOPPERING OF BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED AND OTHER
LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE WHEN INTERNAL STOPPERS ARE USED."
This Invention relates to improvements in or applicable to stopping by internal
stoppers bottles for containing aërated liquids, the object being to form a joint or
seat in the neck of bottles having a bearing shoulder for a flexible ring to rest on
below to meet a ball, or cone, or other stopper of rigid material pressed upward by
gas within.
The mouth of the bottle is made internally conical in shape, the rigid ring piece,
which is inserted therein above the flexible seating, will be made in balves, and
be somewhat smaller than the outer conical mouth. At the points where the two
halves are divided, wedges are inserted so as to enlarge the inner cone to meet the
circumference of the outer cone, and hence effectual resistance will be obtained to
close the valve seat for the internal stopper from within.
In fitting bottles having bearing shoulders in the mouth thereof, a modification
of the Invention may be used as follows:-
Upon the bearing shoulder within the straight mouth of the bottle is placed a
flexible ring of india rubber, cork, or other suitable material to form a seating, said
ring being of width sufficient. to extend over the bearing shoulder edge so as to
narrow the neck of the bottle at that part. Above the seating is placed a solid
ring piece of glass or other rigid material with a central hole corresponding to the
diameter of the opening in the neck of the bottle, the said solid ring piece to be

page_text: held down in its place by a perforated disc furnished with holding down arms and
secured in any approved manner by wiring.
Below the perforated disc and above the solid ring piece a flat flexible ring may
be interposed so as to form a packing between the holding down perforated disc
and the top of the bottle mouth.
In all cases there will be present the bearing shoulder, internal stopper, flexible
seating or packing, and the rigid ring piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edgar Breffit. in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th September
1879.
EDGAR BREFFIT, of the City of London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO THE STOPPERING OF BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED AND OTHER
LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE WHEN INTERNAL STOPPERS ARE USED."
This Invention relates to improvements in or applicable to stopping by internal
stoppers bottles for containing aërated liquids, the object being to form a joint or
seat in the neck of bottles having a bearing shoulder for a flexible ring to rest on
below to meet a ball, or cone, or other stopper of rigid material pressed upward by
gas within.
The mouth of the bottle, when the bottles are specially made, is made internally
conical in shape, and a rigid ring piece which is inserted therein above the flexible
seating will be made in halves or portions, and be somewhat smaller than the outer
conical mouth. At the points where the two halves are divided, wedges are inserted
so as to enlarge the inner cone to meet the circumference of the outer cone formed
in the bottle mouth, and thus effectual resistance will be obtained to secure the
valvo seat against the internal stopper held up by the pressure from within.
In fitting bottles having bearing shoulders in the mouth thereof, a modification
of the Invention may be used as follows:-
Upon the bearing shoulder within the straight mouth of the bottle is placed a
flexible ring of india rubber, cork, or other suitable material to form a seating, said
ring being of width sufficient to extend over the bearing shoulder edge so as to
narrow the neck of the bottle at that part. Above the seating is placed a solid
ring piece of glass or other rigid material with a central hole corresponding to the
diameter of the opening in the neck of the bottle, the said solid ring piece to be
held down in its place by a perforated disc furnished with holding down arms, and
secured in any approved manner by wiring.
Below the perforated disc and above the rigid ring piece a flat flexible ring may
be interposed so as to form a packing between the holding down perforated disc and
the top of the bottle mouth.
In all cases there will be present the bearing shoulder, internal stopper, flexible
seating or packing, and the rigid ring piece.

page_text: In order that the said Invention may be well understood I have hereunto
annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents a
transverse section of bottle mouth made internally conical in shape; Fig. 2, plan
view of correspondingly conical rigid ring piece here shown in halves, and of such
smaller dimensions than the conically formed mouth as to admit of the said rigid
ring piece being placed into the neck of the bottle one half at a time for receiving
the wedge; Fig. 3, a side view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan view of bottle mouth
with the wedges applied between the two halves to secure the ring piece ;¡Fig. 5, a
transverse section on line a, b, of Fig. 4, showing flexible seating and ball stopper
in position.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of straight mouth of bottle with bearing shoulder
formed therein; Fig. 7 is plan of same with modification of fitting; and Fig. 8 is
transverse section on line c, d, of Fig. 7, showing flexible seating of cork and modo
of fitting same.
In Figs. 1 to 5 a is the bearing shoulder and conically formed mouth of bottle;
b, the rigid ring picce; c, the wedges for enlarging the cone 6 together forming the
inner cone; & is the flexible seating for the internal ball or plug stopper, here shown
as a ball. The wedges are here shown in solid black.
In fitting, the ball or plug is first placed in the bottle; then the flexible seating d
is placed on the bearing shoulder a; then the divided ring b is placed in piece by
piece, and next the wedges of wood or other suitable material are plugged into
the openings between the ends of the sections of the said rigid ring piece to enlarge
the inner cone to meet and fit the conical opening in the bottle mouth. The inner
divided cone or rigid ring piece b which I have used has been of glass, but may be
of wood, and the wedges have been of wood, but may be of vulcanite or other
material sufficiently rigid, yet yielding upon concussion to prevent fracture whilst
wedging the parts.
In Figs. 6 to 8, a is the bearing shoulder within the straight mouth of the bottle;
d is the flexible ring placed on the bearing shoulder and extending over same for
seating, said flexible ring being here shown fitted up of two layers or flat rings of
cork so as to "break joint," and with a light flat ring of india rubber d' laid
between the two rings of cork so as in addition to their breaking joint to provide
a packing, and thus ensure an air tight seating for the internal stopper; b is a
solid ring piece of glass or other rigid material, such as china, wood, vulcanite, or
otherwise. The said ring piece b is held down by the cap e, holding arms e¹, and
wired at ein suitable manner. Below the cape and over the ring piece b, and top
of mouth of bottle is placed the flat ring f of india rubber or other suitable packing
material to further ensure the fitting being air tight. It will be obvious that the
arrangement of flexible seating d, d, of Fig. 8 may be used with the conical form
of stoppering device shown in Figs. 1 to 5. This stoppering would be particularly
advantageous for bottling liquids that would be injuriously or disadvantageously
affected or tainted by contact with india rubber, such as for instance beer or ale.
By employment of the tool described in the Specification of Letters Patent,
No. 46607, the plug of which tool has a revolving portion under what is known as
the "swiller," and is provided with dogs, pins, or prods, which will, by pressing the
spring of the tool, perforate a flat ring formed on the bottle mouth, and thus admit
of permanent rivetting down of the ring of rigid material instead of securing same
with metal, which forms an objection to other modes of stoppering.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, I
claim,―
First. In fittings for internally stoppered bottles made with bearing shoulders
and conically recessed mouth a, the divided rigid ring piece b for holding the flexible
seating d in position, and wedges c for securing the said rigid ring piece, substan-
tially as herein set forth and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the Drawings.
Second. In fittings for bottles having a bearing shoulder in the mouth thereof,
the flexible seating formed as herein described and shown at d, d', of Fig. 8, or with
an india rubber or other flexible material ring seating held down by the rigid ring

page_text: piece b and cape, with or without the packing ring ƒ, as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edgar Breffit, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
In the presence of
WALTER A. BARLOW,
6, St. Paul's Churchyard,
London,
E.C.
E. BREFFIT. (L.S.)