Moulding and Cutting Grooves in the Mouths of Bottles, Jars, and other similar Vessels for Securing Corks or Stoppers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Moulding and Cutting Grooves in the Mouths of Bottles, Jars, and
other similar Vessels for Securing Corks or Stoppers.
I THOMAS ETHERIDGE HARPER of Pilgrim House, South Weald in the County of
Essex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
1 propose to form by moulding when the Bottle or other Vessel is in a plastic
condition or by cutting after it has been manufactured two or more slanting
grooves on opposite sides of the mouth and at an angle of about 45 degrees formed
to retain the cork or a stopper carrying a washer of compressible material not-
withstanding upward pressure from within and admitting ready withdrawal on the
application of lateral pressure from without.
To mould such grooves while the Bottle or other Vessel is in a plastic condition
I propose to use a modification of the ordinary tool used in forming screw threads
in similar Vessels.
To cut such grooves in the Bottle or other Vessel after manufacture I propose
to use a small wheel of copper or soft iron mounted at the extremity of a
spindle and in connexion therewith sand and water or emery powder.
Date : mich 10ea
THOMAS E. HARPER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Moulding and Cutting Grooves in the Mouths of Bottles, Jars, and
other similar Vessels for Securing Corks or Stoppers.
I THOMAS ETHERIDGE HARPER of Pilgrim House, South Weald in the County
of Essex, 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:-
The objects of this Invention are,
==
1. The formation of Bottles, Jars or other similar Vessels with spiral grooves
specially adapted for such a Stopper as I have described in the complete Specification
of my Invention of 1888 Novr. 27th No. 17252 entitled " Improvements in screw
Stoppers for stopping Bottles Jars and other Vessels."
2. The adaptation of plain or ordinary Glass Bottles to the use of similar
stoppers.
In forming grooved mouths in new Bottles I propose to use a revolving mandril
with intermittent spiral gouged shaped threads which will form in the then plastic
state of the Bottle mouth the grooves hereinafter described. Such a mandril is similar
to the mandril carried by the Bottle making tools now in general use for making
screw mouthed Bottles differing only in the shape and number of its threads. In the
adaptation of plain or ordinary glass Bottles I propose to use the common glass
cutters wheel but of a suitable size and mounting for the purpose as hereinafter
described.
Figure 1 represents a Bottle mouth as seen from above with treble spiral inter-
mittent grooves divided from one another by raised threads which when the stopper is
forced into the Bottle bury themselves in the Cork and retain the Stopper tightly in
its place notwithstanding upward pressure from within and which cause the stopper to
come out of the Bottle when it is turned to the left.
Figure 2 shews the grooves from below a piece being taken out of the Bottle neck
for that purpose.

page_text: The threads comprising such grooves are graduated at both ends and on both sides
and between them make a complete circuit of the mouth of the Vessel the bottom end
of one thread slightly projecting under the head of the next one. If made too
abrupt on the upper side they will catch and turn or tear the Cork when the
Stopper is being forced into the Vessel and if the underside of such threads
forming the upper side of the grooves is made square or undercut the Stoppers
will stick too much and will be difficult to turn and the Cork will not so readily
611
up
the grooves so as to insure a perfect joint-and if the threads are too short
that is, do not make a complete circuit of the mouth the Stopper will be liable to
yield to the pressure if the contents of the Bottle are effervescent.
To cut grooves in plain glass bottles I use a disc of copper or of soft iron
mounted at the end of a spindle and just not too large to enter the mouth of the
Bottle and above such wheel a hopper of sand and water set to drop its contents
upon the wheel similar to those used by Glass Cutters for cutting glass-if neces-
sary Emery or Corundum powder may be used instead of sand and water-the width
of the wheel must be proportioned to the size of the groove it is desired to cut and
the edges of it should be slightly rounded so as to cut a gouge shaped groove. To
save expense in this operation two grooves may be cut instead of three but I prefer
three because not only is the entrance of the Stopper to the Vessel thereby mado
smoother on account of the more vertical direction of the grooves but a less turn of
the Stopper is required to extract it for large Vessels or where quicker extraction
is desired four or more grooves may be cut and similarly in moulding four or more
threads comprising between them four or more grooves-may be raised instead of
three.
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 manufacture of Bottles Jars and other Vessels with internal intermittent
spiral grooves substantially as herein described.
2. The use of such Bottles Jars and other Vessels in combination with the
Stopper in my said former Specification described or a Stopper substantially similar
thereto.
3. The conversion of plain or ordinary glass Bottles into grooved mouthed Bottles
by the means herein described.
Dated this 4th day of December 1889.
THOMAS E. HARPER.