IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES
Year: 1884

page_text: We THOMAS BROOKE and JOHN BROOKE both of West Street, Sheffield, in the
County of York Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF, AND IN APPLIANCES FOR
STOPPERING BOTTLES to be as follows :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the method of stoppering bottles, and
in the stoppers or caps used for that purpose, the object being to dispense with the
use of washers or cushions of elastic material, (such as rubber) which are
objectionable, as being liable to taint the contents of the bottle.
Our invention consists in the combination of a dressed, ground or otherwise
fitted surface or face upon the stopper or cap corresponding to a similar surface or
face upon the neck of the bottle-with a screw action, or similar means of
tightening and securing the said dressed, ground or otherwise fitted surfaces or
faces together thereby producing a practically air tight joint, without the inter-
position of a washer, ring or disc of elastic material, and thus avoiding any risk of
tainting the beverage or other contents of the bottle.
"
One method of carrying our invention into practice, for example, is to make the
stopper, which may be of any suitable material, (such as glass) with a milled or
roughened round the edge so that it may be firmly grasped by the fingers; the part
directly under the head being tapered and ground or dressed to fit accurately
against a corresponding surfaces formed in the mouth of the bottle. Below this
fitting surface the stopper terminates in a few screw threads which fit easily or
loosely into a similar screwed portion of the bottle neck-and thus the fitting
surfaces which form the joint, are drawn and held tightly together.
We do not confine our invention to any particular position arrangement or
configuration of the fitted surfaces, as it is evident that such may be varied, as for
instance, the screw may be close under the head and the tapered parts may
terminate the stopper, or there may be two tapered surfaces on the stopper with an
intermediate screw, instead of only one, or the stopper may be shaped like a cap
and the outside of the bottle neck may be tapered to fit against a corresponding
part inside the cap, or we may use parallel or flat dressed or ground surfaces to
form a joint in combination with a screw, inclined planes, or grooves or similar
means of holding the said surfaces together, our invention being the combination
of the ground or dressed joint, and the means of drawing and holding the surfaces
of the joint together.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
We THOMAS BROOKE and JOHN BROOKE both of West Street Sheffield in the
County of York Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND IN APPLIANCES FOR STOPPERING
BOTTLES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our invention relates to improvements in the method of stoppering bottles and
in the stoppers or Caps used for that purpose the object being to dispense with the
use of Washers or cushions of elastic material (such as rubber) which are
objectionable on account of their liability to taint the contents of the bottles.
It consists in the combination of a dressed, ground, or otherwise fitted face, or
surface, or surfaces, upon a Cap or stopper, corresponding with a similar face or
surface, or surfaces, upon the neck of the bottle, with a screw action or equivalent
action or means by which the before mentioned faces or surfaces may be forced
and held together, so as to make a secure and airtight joint, without the use or
interposition of washers, rings or discs of elastic material, which eventually become
offensive, and taint the contents of the bottles in which they are used.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood, we annex a sheet of
drawings illustrating some of the ways of carrying out our invention.
Fig 1. represents a Glass Stopper and bottle neck, with the combined screw A,
and fitted conical surfaces B.
Fig. 2. a modification of same, the fitted parts being at O.
Fig 3. another modification, the fitted surfaces being at D.
Fig 4. represents an outside cap, the fitted surfaces being at E.
We make the stopper of suitable material such as glass or earthenware, preferably
with a milled or roughened edge so that it may be grasped firmly by the fingers,
and directly under the head we form a coned or tapered part, which we grind or
otherwise fit or dress to fit accurately into or against a correspondingly fitted
conical opening in the top of the bottle neck, the stopper is terminated by one or
two coarse screwthreads which engage with similar screwthreads in the neck of the
bottle, see Fig. 1.-We may if desirable make the fitting surfaces at the end of
the screw, as shown in Fig 2, or in the position as shown in Fig 3, or there may
be two fitted faces surfaces, or parts in combination with a screw, the object of
which is to draw the fitting surfaces close together, to hold them in that position,
and to enable them to be separated with ease and the stopper removed.
Our invention may be also carried out as an outside stopper or cap, as is shown
in Fig 4. in which the bottle neck has an outside screw, and a coned face E,
against which a corresponding coned face in the cap is fitted, so as to form a
perfect fit when held against it by the screw.
We do not bind ourselves to the use of a screwthread as shown, but may use an
equivalent, such as an inclined groove, having only a partial turn, engaging with
studs, so as to bring the fitted parts together, and the fitting surfaces may be of
any desired shape, and in any position.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is
"
1-In stoppering bottles, the combination of corresponding fitted parts or
surfaces upon the stopper and bottle neck, with a screwthread (or its equivalent)
for forcing and holding the fitted parts together, so as to dispense with the use of
india rubber or other material as herein before described.
2-In stoppering bottles, the method of, and appliances for effecting same
substantially as herein before described and as illustrated in the sheet of drawings
annexed,
ROBT F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.