IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James John Broadbridge, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
25
LETTERS PATENT to James John Broadbridge, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
STOPPERING BOTTLES CONTAINING AERATED WATERS OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James John Broadbridgə
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1881.
JAMES JOHN BROADBRIDGE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES CONTAINING AERATED
WATERS OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
In the first place I form a tube or hollow plug of hard wood or other suitable
material or composition, the exterior of the said tube being slightly tapered in form
or straight, and either wholly or partially covered with a compressible washer of
india rubber or other suitable material or composition, so that it will fit tightly
into the neck of an aërated water or other bottle, a flange being formed at the top
to prevent it from being pushed too far into the bottle.
Inside this tube I place a plunger of tinned wire or other suitable material or
composition, at the lower end of which is a disc valve formed of or faced with
india rubber or other suitable material, which when the plunger is raised entirely
closes the lower end of the tube or hollow plug, and prevents the egress of the
liquid from the bottle.
The upper end of the plunger is formed with a perforated cap or short tube of
wood or metal or other suitable material, the lower edge of which projects above
the mouth of the tube or hollow plug when the plunger is raised and the valve is
closed, but fits close on the upper edge of the tube or hollow plug when the plunger
is pressed down and the valve is opened.
The valve may be kept closed by the force of the compressed air or gas in the

page_text: bottle, or it may be provided with a spiral wire or other spring, which has a
constant tendency to raise the plunger and keep the valve closed.
When it is desired to draw off the contents of the bottle (or a portion thereof)
pressure is applied to the cap or short tube at the top of the plunger, taking care
not to close the perforation or opening thereof, and the valve being thus opened
the aerated water or other liquid will be discharged through this perforation or
opening, but on removing the pressure the spring (or the compressed air, or both)
will immediately close the valve.
The flange at the top of the tube or hollow plug is grooved round the edge, so
that it may be wired onto the mouth of the bottle, or it is provided with any other
suitable known device to attach it readily to the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James John Broadbridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th November 1881.
JAMES JOHN BROADBRIDGE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES CONTAINING AERATED
WATERS OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
s
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of apparatus which may be
applied to glass or stone bottles for containing aerated waters, beer, or other
liquids, the object being to provide a valve stopper which can readily be adapted
to and removed from the mouth or neck of an ordinary bottle, without requiring
any special formation of the bottle itself.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing represents in elevation my improved apparatus
applied to the neck of an ordinary bottle, the latter being drawn in section;
Fig. 2 is a section of the apparatus detached (the valve being shown as closed);
and Fig. 3 is a similar view with the valve open.
In the first place I form a tube or hollow plug a, a, of hard wood or other
suitable material or composition, the exterior of the said tube being slightly
tapered in form, as shown, or cylindrical, and either wholly or partially covered
with a compressible washer b, b, of india rubber or other suitable material or
composition, so that it will fit tightly into the neck c, c, of an aerated water or
other bottle, a flange d, d, being formed at the top to prevent it from being pushed
too far into the bottle.
Inside this tube I place a plunger e, c, of tinned wire or other suitable material
or composition, at the lower end of which is a disc valve f. f, formed of or faced
with india rubber or other suitable material, which when the plunger e, e, is raised
entirely closes the lower end of the tube or hollow plug a, a, and prevents the
egress of the liquid from the bottle.
The upper end of the plunger e, e, is formed with a perforated cap or short
tube g, g, of wood or metal or other suitable material, the lower edge of which
projects above the mouth of the tube or hollow plug a, a, when the plunger e, e, is
raised and the valve f, f, is closed, but fits close on the upper edge of the tube or
hollow plug a, a, when the plunger e, e, is pressed down and the valve f, f, is
opened.
The valve ff, may be kept closed by the force of the compressed air or gas in
the bottle, or it may be provided with a spiral wire or other spring, which has a
constant tendency to raise the plunger and keep the valve closed.
When it is desired to draw off the contents of the bottle (or a portion thereof)
pressure is applied to the cap or short tube g, g, at the top of the plunger e, e,
taking care not to close the perforation or opening thereof, and the valve f, f,
being thus opened the aerated water or other liquid will be discharged through
this perforation or opening, but on removing the pressure the spring (or the com-
pressed air, or both) will immediately close the valve.
The flange d, d, at the top of the tube or hollow plug a, a, is grooved round the
edge at h, h, so that it may be wired onto the mouth of the bottle; or it is provided
with any other suitable known device to attach it readily to the same.

page_text: A modification of my improved valve stopper is shown in section at Fig. 4 closed,
and at Fig. 5 open.
In this modification a short lever i, i, is attached to the top of the plunger e, e,
in place of the perforated cap or short tube g, g, and the valve f, f, is opened by
raising the outer end of this lever.
The plunger e, e, works through a fixed guide at k, k; a similar guide may also
be applied to the plunger in the first described modification.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the
peculiar construction of detachable valve stopper, as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed, or any mere modification or imitation thereof,
constructed and operating in substantially the same manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said James John Broadbridge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.