IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS
Year: 1885

page_text: We, EDWIN LEWIS LLOYD, of 3010, Dauphin Street, in the City of Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States' of America, Manufacturer of Bottle Stoppers,
and CHARLES CHRISTIAN JOLY, of 9, South 7th Street, in the. City of Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Bottler, do hereby declare the
nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This Invention relates to that class of bottle stoppers in which the top of a wire
bail bears upon the top of the stopper, the detaching of the latter from the bail
being prevented by means of a yoke formed on or secured to the top of the
stopper.
The object of the Invention is to so construct such a device, as to facilitate the
application of the stopper to the mouth of the bottle, and to prevent accidental
loosening of the bail,
In the accompanying drawings;-
Fig. 1, represents a side view of part of the neck of a bottle with a stopper
closing the mouth of the same, and constructed in accordance with this Invention.
Fig. 2, a similar view showing the bottle open.
Fig. 3, a view showing how the stopper is applied to the mouth of the bottle.
Fig. 4, a perspective view of the stopper and neck of the bottle, the parts being
in the position shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, a plan view, also showing the parts in the same position as in Fig. 1; and
Figs. 6, and, 7, views similar to Fig. 1, but showing modified forms of the wire
bail.
-
A, represents part of the neck of the bottle, and, B, the stopper, which has the
usual rubber gasket or cap, a, adapted to close the mouth of the bottle, the body of
the stopper having a rounded top above which is a segmental yoke, b, the opposite
ends of the latter being connected to the opposite sides of the body of the stopper,
above the cap or gasket, a.
The bail has the usual side bars, d, hung at the lower ends to eyes on the neck
wire, f, or otherwise pivoted at their lower ends in any desired manner.
The top portion of the bail is bent as shown in Figs. 4, and, 5, so as to form a
loop, g, extending forward beyond the side bars, d, of the bail, and between the
loop and said side bars, d, of the bail intervene the return bends, i, whereby a
certain amount of elasticity is imparted to the retaining loop, g, the side bars of
which are bent so as to form projections, h, adapted to a recess, m, in the top of the
stopper, as shown in Fig. 1.
The projecting loop, g, permits the stopper to assume a position considerably in
advance of the side bars of the bail thereby facilitating the ready application of the
stopper to the mouth of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 3, and overcoming an objection
to ordinary retainers of this class, in which the bail is carried straight across from

page_text: one side bar to the other; as in such retainers, the application of the stopper to the
mouth of the bottle is hampered by the retainer unless the yoke is carried beyond
the limits of the stopper, and this is objectionable..
The extent of movement of the stopper independently of the bail is further
increased by bending upward the forward end of the loop,.g, as shown in Fig. 3,
the character of the bail being such that the stopper can be fully seated in the
mouth of the bottle while still free from the downward pressure of the bail.
Owing to the bearing of the projections, h, of the bail in the recess, m, in the
top of the stopper when the latter is secured, as shown in Fig. 1, said stopper is
locked in position and accidental displacement prevented, the rearward movement
of the bail necessitating the rise of the loop, g, and thus demanding the application
to the said bars of the bail of more force than is likely to be exerted accidentally.
The bail may, if desired, be constructed as shown in Fig. 6, that is to say with
the bends, i, below the top or bearing portion, g, of the bail, but it is preferable to
make said bends above the bearing portion, as in this case they serve to retain the
stopper in its central position on the bail, so that it can be readily applied to the
mouth of the bottle.
:
In the absence of this provision, the stopper is likely to slip over onto one or the
other of the side bars of the bail, thus necessitating its restoration to a central
position before it can be applied to the mouth of the bottle, and thereby interfering
with the rapid stoppering of the bottles.
The bends need not necessarily, however, be such as shown in Fig. 1, they may,
for instance, be formed in the retaining portion, g, of the bail, as shown in Fig. 7,
and still perform their proper function.
In the latter case the stopper may have a simple rounded top, and the loop, g, may
be flat, the bearing of the loop upon the stopper being at the cross bar and at the
opposite ends of the loop. ;
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim, is
1. The combination of the stopper having a yoke with the bail having side bars,
and a top loop bearing on the stopper, and projecting in advance of the side bars
of the bail, as herein before set forth.
2. The combination of the stopper having a yoke with the bail having side bars,
and a top bearing loop projecting in advance of said side bars, and having that
portion in advance of the bearing bent upward, as herein before specified.
3. The combination of the stopper having a yoke, and a recess, m, with the bail
having side bars, and a top bearing loop projecting in advance of said side bars, and
having projections, h, adapted to the recess, m, as hereinbefore set forth.
4. The combination of the stopper having a yoke, with the bail having side bars,
a top bearing loop projecting in advance of the bars, and opposite return bends, as
herein before specified.
5. The combination of the stopper having a yoke, with the bail having side bars,
a top bearing portion projecting in advance of said bars, and opposite projections, i,
extending above the bearing portion, so as to engage with the yoke, and retain the
stopper centrally on the bail, as herein before specified.
Doted this oth