Improved Stopper for Bottles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Nov., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stopper for Bottles.
I BENJAMIN CROCKER CROSS of 40 Wesley Street Morley, in the West Riding
of the County of York, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
The object of the invention is to provide a Stopper for Bottles in lieu of corks to
effect which object I have a ring or tube of india rubber placed between two circular
pieces of metal. Passing through the india rubber I have a spindle or stem, the lower
end of which is firmly attached to the bottom circular piece of metal. The upper
circular piece of metal has supports on it which carry a cross piece. The stem passes
sliding
through this cross piece and is hooked at the top. On the cross piece I have a
piece which fits into notches made in the stein. The working of the stopper is as
follows: I have a lever separate from the stopper so arranged as to fit on to the cross
piece, and on to the hooked portion of the stem and at the same time a spring attached
When the lever
to the lever pushes the sliding piece against the notches of the stem.
is depressed it raises the stem, and tightens the india rubber, and the stem is kept in
its raised position by means of the sliding piece fitting into a notch of the stem.
Loosely attached to the vertical portion of the sliding piece is a wedged shaped piece
of metal which after the stopper is tightened is turned so as to fit tightly between the
stem and the vertical portion of the sliding piece so that the stopper cannot be released
until this wedge shaped piece has been withdrawn, when by merely pushing the sliding
piece with a finger or the thumb, the stopper is instantly loosened. The stopper
cannot possibly be fastened into a bottle except with the use of a properly constructed
lever.

page_text: I, BENJAMIN CROCKER CROSS, of 40 Wesley Street, Morley, in the West Riding of
the County of York, Civil Engineer, 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 my invention is to provide a bottle stopper which can only be fastened
by means of a properly constructed tool, but which is capable of being unfastened
almost instantaneously.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by reference
to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 shows in sectional side elevation the stopper as first inserted into the neck
of the bottle and in elevation the tool for fastening the same.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the stopper fastened into the
neck of the bottle.
Figure 3 is a plan of the stopper.
Figure 4 is a section of the same on line xy showing the same in its unfastened
position, and
Figure 5 is a similar section showing the stopper in its fastened position.
A is a ring or tube of india rubber placed between two discs or circular pieces of
metal B, B. C is a spindle or stem which is securely fastened to the lower disc B
and passes up through the india rubber A and also through the upper disc B.
On the top of the upper disc B is a support D through which the spindle passes, and
upon this support D is a cross piece or plate E.
F is a catch or sliding piece placed upon the plate E and having at its ends the
upright pieces G. H. The spindle C passes through both the plate E and the sliding
piece F. and terminates at its upper end in a ring or eye.
The spindle is provided on one side with notches or teeth with which the sliding
piece is adapted to engage at one edge of the hole, as shown in figure 4.
A chain is attached to the plate E for fastening the stopper to the neck of the bottle
as shown in figures 1 and 2.
The tool for fastening the stoppers consists of a bottom piece I to which are fastened
the two supports K, and the top piece L which is pivotted in the said supports.
The longer ends of the pieces K, L which form handles are kept apart by the
spring M.
Between the two supports is a sliding piece N which is moved in one direction by
the small spring O, and in the reverse direction by the projecting piece P, attached to
the top piece or lever L.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: that is to say-
The stopper is inserted into the bottle neck as shown in figure 1, so that the plate
E lies upon the same. The tool is then applied so that the short ends of the part I
rest upon the said plate while the extremity of the short end of the part Lis introduced

page_text: into the eye on the stem C. If now the long ends of the parts I. L. are gripped
together the said stem will be drawn up and the ring A compressed as shown in
figure 2. During this latter operation the sliding piece N is pressed against the
plate F by the spring O, so as to hold the catch in engagement with the notches on
the stem.
When the stopper is thus secured the tool can be removed, the projection P returning
the piece N to its normal position.
In order to remove the stopper it is only necessary to push upon the projecting
portion G, to push the catch of the sliding piece F out of engagement with the notches
in the stem C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
(1) A bottle stopper having a ring or tube of india rubber adapted to be compressed
between two circular pieces or discs of metal by means of a spindle passing through
the same, such spindle being provided with notches on one side with which a sliding
catch engages substantially as described.
(2) In a bottle stopper the combination of a stem and a sliding piece fixed on a
cross piece and having a hole therein one edge of which hole is adapted to engage
with notches in the said stem substantially as described.
(3) The improved tool constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing for the purpose specified.
Datad the 6th day of October 1888
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.