Improvements in or relating to Corks for Closing the Orifices of Bottles, Jars, and the like, and for Facilitating the Removal of the Corks therefrom.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Corks for Closing the Orifices of
Bottles, Jars, and the like, and for Facilitating the Removal
of the Corks therefrom.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT MAUD, of The Beeches, Pontefract, in the County
of York, Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be ns
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in corks for stoppering or closing the
orifices of bottles, jars, and the like, and its objects are first, to strengthen the
cork thereby enabling a cheaper, and if necessary, a shorter cork to be used in
place of a longer and more expensive one, and second, to facilitate the removal of
the cork from the orifice or mouth of the bottle.
According to this invention I take a cork of ordinary construction, say for
example such as are usually used by chemists, and I drive by any convenient
means, into the cork, say at or about its centre, a U or other shaped staple, of any
convenient material, say such as metal, strength, length and coutour in cross section;
or one or more pegs, pins, or screws, or T or other shaped piece or pieces of single
or double material, such as say metal. The head portion of which may be bifurcatod
or otherwise and may also have, if desired, one or more downwardly projecting
pieces for entering the end of the cork. The prong portion or portions which enter
the cork may be round, flat, rectangular, cuniform, or other shaped and it or they
is or are provided with or without serrated edges or peripheries, and with or without
a hole or holes provided in them. The staples, or their equivalent after being
driven into the end of the cork may be, if desired, additionally secured therein by
glue, cement, or its or their equivalent or equivalents. A cover or cap of any
convenient shape and size, say of the same size as, or larger than the end of the
cork, through which the prong portions of the staple are passed, may be, if desired,
placed on the end of the cork and used for decorative, advertising, or other
purposes, as well as for facilitating the withdrawal of the cork. Or the staples or
their equivalents may be provided with a vertical slit or groove which is made to
extend down into each of the prongs. A corresponding groove is also cut in the
end of the cork. Into the groove and slit a rectangular bar or crosspiece may be
placed for facilitating the withdrawal of the cork.
Or when preferred the cap or cover may be in any convenient rectangular form,
say for example somewhat in cross section like the letter H, only the two vortical
portions of cover or cap which enter the end of the cork up to the horizontal bar,
may be preferably, though not necessarily so, made longer than those which project
abore it. The upper part of the horizontal bar may be decorated, or used for
labelling, advertising, or other purposes. The cap or cover may in addition to its
two vertical portions passing into the cork be secured thereto by one, two, or more
of the hereinbefore mentioned staples, pegs, pins, or their equivalents driven either
vertically, diagonally, angularly, or in any other convenient direction either as
regards the cork or to each other.
When the cap or cover is used for bottles, jars, or the like, containing poisons, its
end or ends may be indented or serrated.
Deed thin Trentond day of April 1896.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Corks for Closing the Orifices of
Bottles, Jars, and the like, and for Facilitating the Removal
of the Corks therefrom.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT MAUD, of The Beeches, Pontefract, in the County
of York, Chemist, 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 relates to improvements in corks for stopporing or closing the
orifices of bottles, jare, and the like, and its objects are first, to strengthen the cork
thereby enabling a cheaper, and if necessary, a shorter cork to be used in place of
a longer and more expensive one, and second, to facilitate the removal of the cork
from the orifice or mouth of the bottle.
In the drawings hereunto annexed :-
Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of a cork with a strengthening staple
applied.
Fige. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of a cork with strengthening staple and
rectangular cap or cover applied.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of a cork with two
strengthening staples and a rectangular cap or cover.
"
Fig. 7 a part sectional elevation of a bottle with a cork in position having a
strengthening staple and armed with a rectangular cap adapted as a poison
label.
"
Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a plan and sectional elevation of cork and
poison" label shown at fig. 7.
Fig. 10 a part sectional elevation of a bottle neck with a cork in position
having a strengthening staple and armed with a circular cap or cover.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are respectively elevatious drawn at angles opposite to
each other and a plan of the cork, circular cap, and strengthening staple shown
at Fig. 10.
Fig. 14 a part sectional elevation of a bottle neck with internal screwed orifice
with a cork in position, and armed with a rectangular cap and two strengthening
staples.
Fig. 15 a sectional elevation with a circular cap and strengthening staple.
Figs. 16 and 17 are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of a cork
armed with a circular cap, pendant projections, and strengthening staples.
Figs. 18 and 19 are respectively a longitudinal section and a transverse section
of a rectangular cap.
Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.
A is the cork, B the strengthening staple or staples, C the cap or cover, hereafter
termed a cap, all constructed and arrauged as hereinafter described.
D the neck of a bottle, jar or other vessel, of any ordinary construction,-say for
example such as is used by chemists, doctors, and the like, or by bottlers of aerated
and fermented liquors or liquids-having either a plain or internally surewed
orifice.
According to this invention take a cork A of ordinary construction, say for
example such as are usually used by chemists, and into it is driven by any convenient
meaus, say at or about its centre, one or more U or other shaped staples B, of any
convenient strength, length, (rather shorter than that of the cork), contour (in cross
section), and innde of any suitable material say such as metal. The prong portion
or portions of the staple B,-which enter and are driven their full length into the

page_text: cork-may be round, flat, rectangular, cuniform, or other shaped and it or they is
or are provided with or without serrated edges or peripheries, and with or without
a hole or holes provided in their prong portions. The staples B may be either
driven into the cork, or holes may first be made therein by any suitable tool of a
slightly larger diameter than the staple, and may be, if desired, additionally
secured therein by glue, cement, or its or their equivalent or equivalents, hereafter
termed glue, for retaining the staple more securely in the cork. By first piercing
holes into the cork and immersing the prong portion of the staple in glue, the
whole-or nearly so-length of the prongs is fixed to the cork, instead of its upper
portion only being fixed thereto, as when the staples are driven into the corks
without the piercing operation first taking place.
A cap C of any convenient shape aud size, say of the same size as, or larger
than the end of the cork, through which the prong portions of the staple Bare
passed, is placed on the end of the cork A and used for decorative, advertising,
or other purposes, as well as for facilitating the withdrawal of the cork from the
neck of the bottle.
The cap C may be made of any convenient material such as wood, metal, xylonite,
celluloid, papier-mache, or the like, or a combination of two or more of them, cut,
pressed, stampel, moulded, or otherwise made into any convenient form or contour,
such as say circular as at Fig. 10, or rectangular form as, at Fig. 18, say for
example somewhat in cross section like the letter H, or an inverted U. Or in
a T or other shaped piece or pieces of singlu or double material, such as say for
example of metal. The head portion of the cap C, which may bo either bifurcated
or otherwise, or may have, if desired, one or more downwardly projecting pieces o
two are shown in the drawings formed on as at Fig. 18 or out of the horizontal
part, or attached thereto as at Fig. 16, for entering the end of the cork.
When the cap is made in say the H form, as for "poisons," only the two vertical
portions c of cap C which enter grooves prepared for them in the end of the cork
up to, say, the horizonal bar, and they may be preferably, though not necessarily
so, made longer than those which project above it. For other kinds of bottles other
than those used for "poisons" the cap C is made in the inverted U form shown
at Figs. 18 and 19.
The upper horizontal bar part of the cap C may be decorated, or used for
labelling, advertising, or other purposes.
The cap C in addition to its two vertical portions c passing into the cork is
secured thereto by one, two, or more of the hereinbefore mentioned staples B,
driven either vertically, diagonally, augularly, or in any other convenient direction
either as regards the cork or to each other.
When the cap is used for bottles, jars, or the like, containing "poisons," its end
or ends may be pointed as at o' Fig. 8, or indented or serrated, but for other classes
of bottles the ends are made semicircular as at Fig. 19 or square.
At Figs. 3 to 14 the cap C may be preferably made say of metal such as sheet
brass or tin, but at Figs. 15, 16, aud 17 it may be made say of wood. In this latter
case the cork A may pass into a recess formed for its reception in the cover Cas
at Fig. 15. The upper end of the cork may be secured to the cap C by any adhesive
material, such as glue, and by the staple B which passes through the cap C into the
cork A as shown. Further when, say, a wooden cap is employed the end of the
cork A may be fixed to the underside of cap C with or without an adhesive
material.
Across the underside of the cap may be cut or formed one, two, or more recesses
into which the pendant projecting pieces c, which enter the top of the cork, may be
secured therein by any suitable means such as, say, cement or other adhesive
material. The cap C is also additionally secured to the cork by the strengthening
staple or staples B as shown.
In the case of the circular caps C shown at Figs. 10 to 12, the pendant projecting
pieces o may, if required, be cut or otherwise formed out of the horizontal portion
of the cap and turned down at or about a right angle thereto as shown at Fig. 12,

page_text: or they may be attached thereto. This kind of cap may also be provided with a
washer or ring E, say of india rubber, to form an airtight joint or seal. The
periphery of the cap may also be milled.
Although in the drawings at Fig. 14 the neck of the bottle D is drawn with an
internal screw thread, yet I would have it understood in place thereof any desired
number of internal projections of any suitable contour may be provided therein.
In either case, a thread is formed in the periphery of the cork for retaining or
removal purposes.
Corks constructed according to this invention turn their whole length in the neck
of the bottle, thereby distributing the torsional strain equally throughout the cork;
thus reducing the transverse breakage to a minimum. Further the cork can be
compressed to any size of orifice in the bottle neck, and the strengthening device
in no way interferes with its free entrance.
An ordinary cork press can be freely used without damaging the cork or staples
as the latter are pressed closer together inside of the cork.
The lower portions of the metallic strengthening device are embedded within the
cork to avoid coming in contact with the contents of the bottle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which it may be carried into practice I would have
it understood that I am aware that prior to the date of this application it has been
proposed to strengthen corks by inserting a scrow or spiral wire in their centres,
either alone, or soldered to a metal augular cap but to those methods I lay no
claim, but what I do claim is :-
1. A cork strengthened with one or more staples constructed as described and
driven its full length into the cork with or without the addition of an adhesive
substance substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
2. A cork strengthened with one or more staples constructed as described and
driven into the cork with or without the addition of an adhesive substance, in
combination with a cap having downwardly projecting pieces which enter the top
of the cork for facilitating its removal all as set forth.
3. A cap or cover such as C having one or more downwardly projecting pieces,
such as c formed on or attached to the horizontal portion of the cap for entering
the top of the cork, said cap being also armed with any desired number of
horizontal projections such as c substantially as herein described and illustrated.
4. The combination of the cork A, strengthening staple or staples B fixed in
position with or without the use of an adhesive material, and the cap or cover C
provided with the downwardly projecting pieces c and end or horizontal pro-
jections call arranged and constructed substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.