Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Opening Bottles Closed by Internal Stoppers.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Opening Bottles Closed by
Internal Stoppers.
I HENRY FOSTER Watchmaker & Jeweller 74 High Street Ashford in the county
of Kent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention consists of a upright stand a little higher than the bottle (to be
opened) with back and two sides the front left open, a cup attached to the lower part.
of the stand is arranged so as to hold various size bottles, a rest attached near the top
of the stand, for the nose of the bottle to rest against, so that the cup and the rest
combined bold the bottle in an upright position, a lid at the top of the stand attached
with a hinge, holds a pusher, so that when the lid is shut down, the pusher stands in
a verticle position over the mouth of the bottle, the lid resting on the two sides of the
stand and clear of the top of the bottle, which prevents any pressure on the top part
of the bottle except on the stopper, there is other arrangements for holding the
bottle without the cup, the bottle to be opened is stood in the cup or the other
arrangements, and the lid shut down, the pusher which consists of hollow metal tube
with a knob at the top is pressed down into the mouth of the bottle.
The object of my invention is an improved method of, and safety apparatus for
opening Bottles, closed by internal stoppers, my special object is to prevent acei lents
through the bursting of the bottles when in the act of opening. also to prevent
disturbing the india rubber rings fitted inside the neck of the bottles, also to prevent
any pressure on the top part of the bottle when in the act of opening, except on the
stopper.
In carrying my invention into effect, I will first describe, what I shall call a
(portable stand or apparatus) it consists of a upright stand, a little higher than the
bottles to be opened, with back and two sides, the front left open, the sides are cut
or shaped so as to form a small bracket or rest each side at the top part of the stand,

page_text: this is for the lid (I will call it) to rest on, and similar shape at the bottom part of the
sides, this forms a recess to hold a cup to stand the bottles in.
I form the cup to fit round the lower part of the bottle, and lap over about
an inch, more or less, this is to alow the cup to expand or contract so as to fit
various size bottles, and is regulated for that purpose by two or more set screws
at the sides of the lower part of the stand, I prefer the cup to be made about
two and half inches high, but may be more or less, and open at the ends, to be
made of tin or other suitable metal or material convenient for the purpose, a
slot in the lower part of the back of the cup, with hole large enough to admit
head of screw fixed in back of stand at a corresponding height from the bottom
of the stand, holds the cup, the trend of the slot being in a slight upward direction
from the hole for the head of screw to pass through, by turning the cup slightly
round, the bottom of the cup presses firm on the bottom of the stand, at the
opposite side of the cup the front (I will call it) where the two ends lap one over
the other, a slot in the outer lap, and button or stud revited to the inner lap at
the corresponding height, holds the two parts togeather and alows the cup to
expand or contract a certain distance. Thire may be two buttons and two slots
if required, and with or without a hole one end the slot for the head of button
to pass through or they may be made without the slot or button.
Near the top of the stand just the height of the top rim or nose of the bottle
or thereabouts I fix a rest against the back of the stand the center of the front
part of the rest is hollowed out to fit part round the nose or top rim of the
bottle.
I fix the rest so that when the bottle is dropped into the cup (already described)
the top rim or nose of the bottle drops into the hollow of the said rest at the
same time, therefore the cup and the rest combined hold the bottle in a upright
position, the bottle resting on the bottom of the stand.
Now haveing described my method of holding the bottle, I will next give my
method of pushing the stoppers in as follows.
The lid (I will call it) I fix with a hinge at the top of the back of the stand, and
when the lid is shut down it rests on the two small brackets at the two sides of the
top of the stand already mentioned.
The stand is about half an inch more or less higher than the bottle so that when
the lid is shut down is about halfe an inch more or less above the top rim or nose of
the bottle, which prevents any pressure on the top part of the bottle when the lid is
pressed down.
The pusher (I will call it) is fitted to the lid, so that when the lid is shut down,
the pusher stands over the center of the nose or top rim of the bottle.
The pusher consists of hollow metal tube or other convenient material suitable
for the purpose, with a knob at the top, and is kept up cleare of the stopper of the
bottle when the lid is shut down, by a coil spring round the pusher in a recess
formed with two cups, one above the lid and one below, giveing about one inch and
a quarter more or less, from the top to bottom of the inside of the recess, this alows
the pusher to be pressed down about three quarters of an inch more or less, the
cup under the lid is tapered down towards the bottom to about the size of the pusher,
and is made long enough to enter a little way in the nose of the bottle, when the lid
is shut down, this keeps the pusher from pressing on the india rubber rings fitted
round the inside of the neck of the bottles I prefer the spring for holding the pusher
up from the stopper, when the lid is shut down, but may be made without it, by
rubber, cork or other packing in the recess round the pusher or without either.
Or the pusher may be made a fixture in the lid, with or without the knob at the
top, so that the lid may act as a leaver, the pusher made long enough to enter far
enough in the mouth of the bottle when the lid is shut down, to push the stopper in.
An apparatus for fixing against the side of a counter or other convenient place,
(also my method of fixing the same) in this apparatus I show a different method of
holding the bottles, insted of a cup I make use of two four or more set screws for

page_text: the same purpose from the two sides near the bottom of the apparatus, this is for
cheapness, and can be applied to either apparatus.
An apparatus without cup, or set screws, for holding the bottles.
The lid for holding the pusher can be attached with a hinge, or made a fixture, so
that the bottle can be stood with the nose under the pusher to be opened, this is for
cheapness.
To avoid splash if it is necessary a cup can be fixed part round the lid.
The material I use for makeing the apparatuses above mentioned, is wood, or a
combination of wood and metal, or metal of various kinds, or a combination of any
suitable material convenient for the purpose, in plain, or in artistic designs, in such
as Silver, Electro plate &c.

page_text: Improvements in Safety Apparatus for Opening Bottles Closed by
Internal Stoppers.
I HENRY FOSTER of No. 74 High Street Ashford in the County of Kent Watchmaker
and Jeweller do hereby declare the nature of my Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in safety apparatus
for use in opening bottles closed by internal stoppers.
The objects of my said invention are to diminish the risk of injury which is some-
times sustained by persons opening bottles closed by internal stoppers when the said
bottles are held in the hand as usual and the internal stoppers are pressed away from
their seats by the ordinary means. Also to avoid disturbance of the india rubber rings
which are fitted in the necks of such bottles and form the seats for the said stoppers.
Also to prevent pressure on the mouths of such bottles while they are being opened.
Apparatus for the said purpose constructed according to my Invention consists of a
stand or support in which the bottle to be opened is placed and in which the said
bottle is retained in an upright position at the upper part of which stand or support a
pusher is arranged which is capable of being depressed into the mouth of the bottle in
order to press the stopper away from its seat.
I will further describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon. The same letters and figures
of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in each of the Figures of the
drawings.
с
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a front elevation of one form of the said
apparatus constructed according to my invention Figure 2 is a vertical section of the
same the section being taken on the line A Figure 1. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are details
hereinafter referred to. In the said Figure 2 the position in which a bottle is placed
in the said stand or support in order to be opened is indicated at a by broken lines.
The stand for the bottle to be opened consists of a base & b¹ to which a back c and two
sides d d are connected. The said stand is provided at top with a cover e connected by
a hinge e' to the back c and supported (when in the position shown in the Drawings)
on the upper ends of the said back and the sides d'd. Secured to the upper part of
the back c and on the inner side thereof is a rest against which the side of the mouth
of the bottle to he opened bears. The said rest is shown separately in plan in
Figure 3 by reference to which Figure it will be seen that a hollow or recess f¹ is

page_text: formed in the said rest for the reception of the upper part of the bottle. In the lower
part of the said stand is a tubular receptacle which rests on the base of the stand
and forms therewith a cup which encloses the lower part of the bottle when in place in
the stand. The said part 9 (which is shown separately in plan in Figure 4 and in
back elevation in Figure 5) consists of sheet metal bent into a cylindrical form and
having one end lapped over the other the said ends being connected together by the
engagement of a stul g' secured near the edge of the inner of the overlapped ends
with a slot formed near the edge of the outer of the said ends which slot g² is
enlarged at its inner end to admit of the head of the said stud g¹ being passed through
it. The said receptacle g is secured in place in the stand by the engagement of an
inclined slot g³ (see Figure 5) with a stud secured in the back e of the stand as
shown in Figure 2. The lower end of the said inclined slot g³ is enlarged as shown in
the said Figure 5 to admit of the passage through it of the head of the study in
order to engage the receptacle g with the said stand and the said receptacle is firmly
fixed in place when so engaged by turning it in the direction required to bring the
upper part of the inclined slot g³ under the head of the said stud g by which means a
wedging of the said receptacle between the said stud and the upper side of the part 61
of the base of the stand is produced hh are screws which are passed through and
engage with holes in the sides d d of the stand the inner ends of which screws bear
against the receptacle g. The object of the said screws is to provide for variation of
the internal diameter of the receptacle g according to the size of the bottles which the
apparatus is required to accommodate which variation is effected by turning the said
screws in one or other direction the said receptacle being caused to collapse when the
screws are turned so as to cause their inner ends to advance towards it and the said
receptacle being permitted to expand when the screws are turned so as to cause their
inner ends to retire from it. The pusher consists of a metal tube i to which a knob ¿¹
is secured. The said pusher is mounted in cup shaped guides jj and is capable of
sliding endwise in apertures in the said guides. One of the said guides is secured to
the upper and the other to the lower side of the cover e and within them and around the
said pusher a spiral spring is arranged which spring bears at one end against the
inner side of that part of the guide which is in contact with the pusher and at
the other end against the projecting portions of a pin 2 which is secured in a hole in
the part of the pusher the said spiral spring & being compressed between the portion
of the said guide against which it bears and the said pin . The said spring
therefore admits of the said pusher being depressed to the position indicated in broken
lines in Figure 1. whereby the lower end of the tube i is caused to pass inwards in the
mouth of a bottle placed in the stand in the position shown at a in Figure 2 and the
said spring by its elasticity restores the said pusher to its normal position (namely
that shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2) when pressure is removed from it.
In some cases I connect the overlapping parts of the receptacle g near their lower
ends by means of a slot and stud in addition to connecting them near their upper ends
as shown in the accompanying Drawings.
When the apparatus is required to be used the screws are turned so as contract
the cup g to about the diameter of the bottle to be opened. The cover e is turned
back on its hinge and the bottle is placed in the said apparatus in the position
indicated in broken lines in Figure 2. The said cover e is then turned down
into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 whereby the lower part of the
guide is caused to enter the mouth of the bottle. The pusher i is then depressed
to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 by pressing on the knob i¹.
The lower end of the said pusher is thus caused to bear on the stopper of the
bottle and press it away from its seat the said pusher being prevented from coming
in contact with and displacing the india rubber seat of the stopper by the lower
part of the guide which (as before stated) partly enters the mouth of the bottle.
When the bottle has thus been opened the said pusher is released the cover e is
turned back and the bottle may then be removed from the apparatus. The form
of apparatus hereinbefore described is that which prefer when the said apparatus is

page_text: required to be used without being fixed or secured. When the apparatus is required
to be used in refreshment bars and other places where it is desirable that it should
be fixed I prefer to form it and provide means for its attachment to a vertical
surface as hereinafter described with reference to Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the
accompanying Drawings Figure 6 being a front elevation and Figure 7 a side
elevation of the modified form of apparatus connected to an appliance admitting of
its attachment to a vertical surface Figure 8 is a back elevation of the said apparatus
and Figure 9 is a separate view of the said appliance. The construction and action
of the parts of the apparatus illustrated in the said Figures 6, 7 and 8 which are
not hereinafter referred to are the same as those already described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Referring to the said Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 is a support
on which the bottom of the bottle rests when placed in the stand which support
substituted for the base 6 b' shown in Figures 1 and 2 m is the appliance for
admitting of the attachment of the said apparatus to a vertical surface. The said
appliance consists of a slab of wood in each of the faces of which recesses n n are
formed over which recesses are secured plates oo and p in each of which plates
is an aperture of the form of a slot terminating in a circular hole as shown in
Figure 9 which is a face view of that side of the appliance m which is next to
the back of the opening apparatus. By reference to the said Figure 9 it will
be seen that the circular holes in the plates oo are at the upper ends of the slots
and that the circular holes in the plates pp are at the lower ends of the slots.
99 are screws driven into the back c of the opening apparatus the heads of which screws
project a slight distance from the surface of the said back c. These screws are in such
positions that their heads may be passed through the circular holes in the plates o o
and engaged with the slots in the said plates by pressing the opening apparatus
against the face of the appliance m and sliding the one in the direction of the
length of the other. is a screw which passes through a hole in the back e of
the opening apparatus and engages with the appliance m and prevents the said
parts from becoming accidentally separated. In order to provide for the attachment
of the appliance m to the front of a counter or the like screws are driven into it
in such positions and to such a distance that the plates pp may be engaged with
the heads of the said screws in the same manner as the screws hereinbefore
referred to are engaged with the plates oo. The arrangement herein before described
for securing the opening apparatus against a vertical surface admits of the ready
removal of the said apparatus and its replacement when necessary.
In some cases I secure a guard or shield to the underside of the cover e for the
purpose of preventing any portion of the contents of bottles when being opened
from splashing out over the person using the apparatus. The said shield may consist
of a plate metal so bent as to enclose the upper part of the bottle when the cover e is
in the position shown in the drawings. The said shield may however be of any other
desired form and material.
In order to provide for the opening of small sized bottles in apparatus of the kind
herein before described when made of the size required for opening large sized bottles
a block of wood or other suitable material may be placed in the said apparatus for the
small sized bottles to rest on to which block the receptacle_g may be secured.
Figure 10 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation and Figure 11 is a section
taken on the line C Figure 10 showing a block suitably formed for the said purpose
and provided with means for securing the receptacle y thereto and adapted to be
secured in place by means of the screws by which the contraction and expansion of
the said receptacle g is effected and permitted. The said block with the said
receptacle secured thereto is shown in front view in Figure 12 and in back view in
Figure 13. Referring to the said Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. ss is the said block
around the parts of which the receptacle y is placed. t is a stud projecting from the
said part
with which stud a slot g* formed in the receptacle g engages.
holes in the part s¹ and vv are holes in the receptacle g the object of which is herein-
after described.
g
u u are

page_text: When the opening apparatus is to be used for both large and small bottles the
screws herein before referred to by which the collapsion of the receptacle is effected
are formed as shown in Figure 14 of the accompanying Drawings that is to say the
screw thread ends at some distance from the point the remainder w being of cylindrical
form and at the junction of the screwed part with the cylindrical part a shoulder is
formed. These screws act as herein before described with reference to the screws h h
when the apparatus is used for opening large size bottles but when the receptacle g is
secured to the blocks s¹ and the said block and receptacle are placed in the apparatus
the cylindrical parts of the said screws pass through the aforesaid holes in the
receptacle g and into the holes uu in the parts of the said block and keep the said
block in place and the shoulders a bear against the receptacle g and limit the extent
of expansion thereof.
In cases where simplicity of construction or cheapness is an object one or more or
all of the modifications hereinafter described may be made in the construction of the
apparatus hereinbefore described.
The spiral spring k surrounding the pusher i may be dispensed with and a packing
of rubber or cork may be substituted to retain the pusher in its raised position or the
pusher may be loosely mounted in the guides without either a spring or packing.
Or a pusher may be rigidly connected to the underside of the cover e the pusher in
that case being of such length and secured in such a position to the said cover that
when the said cover is depressed the stopper of the bottle will be forced from its
seat.
In all cases where the pusher is not rigidly secured to the cover the said cover may
be rigidly connected to the sides and back of the apparatus in the position shown in
Figures 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 instead of being hinged as shown in the said Figures.
The part against which the outer side of the mouth of the bottle rests may be
dispensed with and ordinary screws secured in and projecting from the inner sides of
the back of the apparatus may be substituted. Or all provision for supporting the
bottle at the upper part of the apparatus may be dispensed with.
The receptacle may be dispensed with and two four or other number of set screws
passing through the sides d d of the apparatus similarly to the screws h h shown in
Figures 1 and 6 may be provided for confining the bottle in the required position in
the apparatus. Or all provision for confining the bottle at the lower part may be
dispensed with in which case the bottle simply rests on the base or support on which
in the accompanying Drawings the receptacle g is shown resting.
The parts bcdeflm and s of the apparatus herein before described are shown
in the accompanying drawings as made of wood the said apparatus may however be
made of metal or of any other suitable material and the various parts of the said
apparatus may be made of any desired configuration for the purpose of producing an
ornamental appearance or for other purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim as my said Invention of "Improvements in safety apparatus for opening bottles
closed by internal stoppers" is
First Apparatus consisting of a stand in which the bottle to be opened is sup-
ported and partly enclosed the upper part of which stand carries a pusher by means
of which the stopper of the bottle may be pressed from its seat when the bottle is in
position in the stand.
Secondly Apparatus consisting of a stand in which the bottle rests on its bottom
which stand supports a pusher in such a position that when the bottle is in place in
the stand the stopper may be pressed away from its seat by simply depressing the
said pusher or the part of the apparatus by which it is supported.
Thirdly The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting the
apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fourthly The arrangement hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated
in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying Drawings for securing to a vertical
surface apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
Fifthly The several modifications hereinbefore described in the construction of
the apparatus herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.