Improved Means to be Employed in connection with Capsuled Bottles and like Receptacles for the Prevention of Fraud.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means to be Employed in connection with Capsuled
Bottles and like Receptacles for the Prevention of Fraud.
I CHARLES CHESWRIGHT Leith Villa Parkhurst Road Holloway London do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention is principally intended to be applied to champagne and like
capsuled bottles, and has for its chief object preventing waiters from ripping off or
otherwise removing the entire capsule, and thus destroying the identity of the bottle,
by compelling them to remove the head or upper portion only, a small portion of
the capsule always remaining attached to the bottle neck or the collarette hereinafter
described.
It consists essentially in combining or connecting for this object, a stiff metal
capsule-collarette with the various kinds of capsules or coverings employed for
protecting the corks of bottles and like receptacles in the manner hereinafter
described.
By embossing the signature and trade mark of the bottler on the said collarette, I
may still further secure the identification of the brand, and guarantee the genuineness
of the contents, after the capsule has been mutilated or torn off.
It is essential that the collarette should be made of stiff metal, so as to be inseverable
by a knife, and it should preferably possess sufficient elasticity, or spring to enable it
to pass over the ring surrounding a bottle neck, and grip the neck firmly after
passing such ring. It should also be secured in position around the bottle neck in
such a manner as to be incapable of removal by ordinary means.
As constructed according to my invention, the collarette consists of an open ended
conical tube or collar of thin stiff sheet metal, approximating in shape and size to the
bottle neck to which it is to be applied-In order to permit the smaller or upper end
of this conical tube or collar to yield, and pass over the projecting ring or bead,
formed around the top of a bottle neck, and grip the neck firmly after passing such
ring or bead, I may impart elasticity or spring to the collarette by any suitable
means, such as by providing it with longitudinal slits or cuts extending downwards
from its upper or smaller end, and terminating, (preferably in small holes), near its
lower or larger end-Or in lieu of slits or cuts, I may remove longitudinal strips
from the collarette. The connection between the collarette and the capsule may be
effected by causing it to embrace tightly the lower part of the capsule, or, when the
capsule surrounds the exterior of the collarette, by providing the upper part of the
collarette with milled or roughened projecting beads or grooves, into or between
which the lower portion of the capsule is forced by hydraulic pressure, in the well
known manner.
In either case it will be found impossible to remove the entire capsule except by a
great expenditure of time and labour, only its head or upper portion can be
removed.
The removal of the collarette from the bottle neck is in most cases prevented
by the natural spring or elasticity of its cut or slitted portion, which causes it to
grip the neck firmly, and prevents it from being withdrawn over the ring or bead
thereon. Should this natural spring or elasticity however be found insufficient, I
surround the upper portion of the collarette with a strong spring of metal or rubber
contained within a hollow bead produced by bending over outwardly the said slitted
upper portion of the collarette or I may surround the upper portion of the collarette
with a collar of tin plate squeezed tight by suitable pincers, or employ a lapping of
wire or adhesive cement may be used.

page_text: In order to facilitate the tearing off of the heads of the capsules, it will be found
advantageous to employ, in conjunction with the collaretto, capsules of the kind
described in the Specifications to my English patents Nos. 1103 A.D. 1879 and
5931 A.D. 1882 which are specially adapted for the ready removal of their
upper portions.
Dated the 31st day of July 1889
CHARLES CHESWRIGHT.
By E. P. Alexander & Son, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means to be Employed in connection with Capsuled
Bottles and like Receptacles for the Prevention of Fraud.
I CHARLES CHESWRIGHT of Leith Villa Parkhurst Road Holloway in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman 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 :-
This Invention principally relates to the capsuling of Champagne and like bottles
and has for its chief object to prevent waiters from ripping off or otherwise removing
the entire capsule and thus destroying the identity of the bottle which object I effect
by so making the capsule as to compel them to remove the head or upper part only,
a portion of the capsule (the collarette) always remaining attached to the bottlo
neck.
According to my Invention I combine with or connect to capsules employed to
cover or partly cover the cork of the bottle a stiff or comparatively hard metal
capsule-collarette which may be effected in various ways of which examples are
hereinafter given. By embossing the signature and trade mark of the bottler on the
said collarette I still further secure the identification of the brand whereby the
genuineness of the contents is guaranteed after the upper part of the capsule has
been mutilated or torn off.
It is essential that the collarette should be made of stiff or comparatively hard
metal so as to be inseverable by a knife, and it may possess sufficient flexibility or
spring to be passed around the bottle-neck from the side or from the top over the
ring surrounding the bottle neck and grip the neck firmly. It must also be
secured to the bottle neck in such a manner as to be incapable of removal by ordinary
means.
The said collarette may consist of an open ended conical tube of stout or stiff sheet
metal approximating in shape and size to the bottle neck to which it is to be
applied.
It may be made in any suitable way such as by being cast, spun or wrought upon
a model of the neck of the bottle.
In order to permit the smaller or upper end of this conical tube to yield and
pass over the projecting ring or bead formed around the top of a bottle neck, and
grip the neck firmly after passing such ring or bead, 1 impart elasticity or spring
to the collarette by any suitable means such as by providing it with longitudinal
slits or cuts extending downwards from its upper or smaller end and terminating
(preferably in small holes) near its lower or larger end. Or in lieu of slits or
cuts I may remove longitudinal strips from the collarette. The connection between
the collarette and the upper part of the capsule which is made of soft metal may
be effected by causing the said collarette to embrace tightly the lower part of the
capsule or when the capsule surrounds the exterior of the collaretto it may be
connected thereto by providing the upper part of the collarette with milled or
roughoned projecting beads or with grooves into or between which the lower

page_text: portion of the capsule may be forced by hydraulic pressure which may be applied
in the manner well known in applying capsules to bottles.
If the capsule be made of rigid metal it may be provided with a screw thread or
partial screw thread to screw into or onto a corresponding thread formed on the
collarette.
In either case it will be found impossible to remove the entire capsule except by a
great expenditure of time and labour, only its head or upper portion being capable of
being removed by ordinary means.
The removal of the collarette from the bottle neck is prevented by the spring or
elasticity of its cut or slitted portion, which causes it to grip the neck of the bottle
firmly and prevents it from being withdrawn over the ring or bead thereon. Should
this spring or elasticity of the metal itself be considered insufficient, I surround the
upper portion of the collarette with a strong spring of metal or rubber which may
be contained within a hollow bead produced by bending over outwardly the said
slitted upper portion of the collarette or I may surround the upper portion of the
collarette with a collar of tin plate squeezed tight or I may employ a lapping of wire
or cement, or solder may be used. In order to facilitate the tearing off of the heads
of the capsules, it will be found advantageous to employ in conjunction with the
collarette capsules of the kind described in the Specifications of Letters Patent
granted to me No. 1103 A.D. 1879 and No. 5931 A.D. 1882 as those are specially
adapted for the ready removal of their upper portions. In some cases as for instance
where the collarette is not cemented to the bottle neck, I may facilitate the removal
of the upper part of the capsule by bending inwards the upper split portion of the
collarette so as to form an inwardly projecting flange which I sharpen to a cutting
edge and which will on twisting the collarette sever the capsule.
In order to permit the top of the capsule to be torn off, that portion thereof which
is connected with or embraced by the collarette should be of "Betts" or other
suitable flexible or soft or readily severable metal and I may provide the lower part
of rigid or cast metal capsules (when such are employed to cover the cork) with a
dependent ring or flange or dependent strips of such flexible or soft metal forming
tlie connection between the capsule and the collarette.
In cases, where rigid or cast metal capsules are employed screwed onto the upper
portion of the collarette a dependent flange or ring of flexible or soft perforated
metal may be secured to the lower portion of such capsules and fastened to the
collarette by solder, cement or otherwise so that when the capsule is unscrewed this
dependent flange or ring will be destroyed thus shewing that the bottle has been
opened.
In the accompanying drawings similar letters refer to similar parts in all the
figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my capsule-collarette.
Figure 2 shews the same applied to a bottle overlapping the lower part of the
capsule thereof.
Figure 3 shews the same applied to a bottle the lower portion of the capsule
surrounding the upper part of the collarette.
Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section shewing the collarette provided with a
hollow bead for the reception of a spring.
Figure 5 shews the upper portion of the capsule made of hard or cast metal with
flexible soft or readily severable metal strips attached thereto for being confined
under the collarette.
Figure 6 shews a conical tube or collarette of rigid metal suitable for being passed
over the bottle neck from above and then pressed tightly into contact with the bottle
neck by hydraulic or other pressure.
Figure 7 shews a collarette or tube of rigid metal slit (not connected as a tube) so
as to be suitable for being applied from the side of the neck of the bottle it being
made of the shape of the said neck and being fixed in position by means of solder
or by wires or the like wound into the grooves a².

page_text: a is the collarette of hard metal and bb Figures 1 to 4 are longitudinal slits or
cuts therein for imparting spring or elasticity to its upper portion and enabling it
to pass over the projecting ring on the bottle neck, c is a flexible or soft metal
capsule protecting the cork d (here represented by way of example as of the kind
described in the Specification to my English Patent No. 5931 A.D. 1882). In
Figure 2 the capsule e is represented as having its lower part situated beneath and
embraced by the collarette a. In Figure 3 the said lower part of the capsule c is
shown as surrounding the exterior of the upper end of the collarette a and in this
case milled or roughened grooves or beads e are provided on the upper portion of the
collarette into or between which the lower part of the capsule c is forced which may
be done by hydraulic pressure in the well known manner employed for capsuling
bottles.
I prefer in those cases where the lower portion of the capsule c surrounds the
exterior of the collarette a to perforate the said lower part of the capsule with small
holes thereby rendering its removal without inutilation still more difficult. Figure 4
is a hollow bead produced by bending over outwardly the upper slitted portion of the
collarette a, and is a spring (here shown in the form of a rubber ring) contained
within such head and encircling the upper part of the collarette a and consequently
securing it firmly to the bottle neck. The collarette shown in Figure 6 is applied
by slipping it over the capsuled cork and upper part of the bottle and then forcing
it into contact therewith by hydraulic or other pressure as aforesaid. The collarette
shown in Figure 7 is applied by slipping it onto the bottle neck sideways and then
securing it by solder as at h which may be applied at the grooved parts a³ which
give a finish to the appearance of the collaretto or it may be secured by wire wound
into the grooves a². In Figure 5 the head c³ of the capsule is made of cast or other
hard metal to which are soldered or secured strips c³ of soft or flexible metal secured
under the collarette a.
It will be obvious that apart from its use as a preventer of fraud the improved
capsule collarette can be employed for imparting an ornamental appearance to any
bottle whether capsuled or not and will also (especially when applied to champagne
bottles) effect a considerable saving in the amount of metal employed in making the
soft metal parts of capsules which will not require to extend so far down the bottle
neck as when no collarette is employed.
The capsule collarette may be produced in various ways such for example as by
folding a sheet of metal round a block of proper shape and then soldering welding
compressing or cementing the joint or it may be spun in a power lathe, or drawn or
formed by punches and dies or cast in a mould.
The following materials will be found especially suitable for its construction
namely, thin sheets of plated copper, German silver, nickel plated or electro-typed
brass, tin plate, nickelled or enamelled steel, iron or zinc but I do not limit myself to
these materials provided the collaretto is sufficiently hard and springy to embrace
the neck of the bottle and fulfil the purpose described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination of a collarette of stiff or comparatively hard metal as herein-
before described with an upper part or capsule proper of flexible soft or readily
divisible metal or connected to the collarette by such metal or an upper part or
capsule proper of hard metal covering the cork and connected to the collarette
by a screwed connection all substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
.
2. The application to or use with bottle necks of a capsule collarette of the
kind hereinbefore described substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
3. The combination with a capsule collarette of the kind herein before described'

page_text: of an outwardly projecting hollow bead containing a spring substantially as and
for the purpose specified and illustrated by Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The combination with a capsule collarette of the kind hereinbefore described of
an inwardly projecting sharpened flange substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
5. The several means for capsuling bottles as hereinbefore described and respectively
illustrated by the several Figures of the accompanying drawings.
DL: 21 Ja of A: 1900
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.