Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES of 57 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, Surgeon
Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a cap having a suitable stopper of cork or other material
mounted thereon and furnished at the back with an aperture into which a metal tang
or its equivalent takes and is secured to the bottle by a strap or collar passed round
the neck of the same A suitable slot is formed in the front of such cap to allow of
a catch taking into the same-Such catch is likewise fastened by the before mentioned
strap or collar to the neck of the bottle and works thereon with a hinge like motion-
It is operated either by a thumb screw or in any other suitable and convenient
manner-I may also employ an elastic packing to render the bottle air tight but
preferably I dispense with the same as my improved method of stoppering will in
practice be found to combine the advantages of perfect security and hermetically
closing the mouth of the bottle with great simplicity and economy of construction
and convenience of user.
Dated this 18th day of May 1887.
ELT & Co.,
33, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, GEORGE HORATIO JONES of 57 Great Russell Street in the County of Middlesex
Surgeon Dentist and Doctor of Dental Surgery 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:-
My invention relates to bottle-stoppers or apparatus for hermetically closing the
mouths or apertures of bottles, jars, or other vessels, and either permanently attached
to, or detachable from the same and which are simpler in construction, cheaper, and
at the same time more convenient and efficacious than the stoppers hitherto in use.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention can be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a plan of my improved bottle stopper.
Figures 3 to 8 show various modifications of my said invention hereinafter
described.
A are portions of ordinary glass bottles.
The cap or cover a has at one extremity a slot b through which passes the
connecting piece c, which is turned over and rivetted or otherwise secured so as to
form a convenient joint or hinge. The other extremity of the connecting piece o has
an eye or socket c¹ through which passes a wire d for securing the said connecting
piece c to the neck of the bottle A. The wire d also secures the lower extremity of
the fastener e through an eye or socket el upon which, it passes. The upper
extremity of the fastener e is screw-threaded and provided with a thumb nut or
wing nut f. The fastener e fits into a slit or slot 9 provided in the other extremity of
the cap or cover a.
The cap or cover a is moreover provided with a plug or disc or washer / fastened
to the same by means of a pin h¹ soldered to the cap or cover a or fixed in any
suitable manner to the same. The plug or disc or washer h is made of cork or other
suitable material, with or without a covering of bladder, vegetable parchinent, or the
like.
Figures 3 and 4 show a side elevation and plan of a modification of my invention
intended more especially for bottles containing aërated drinks and the like. The
fastener e is provided with a knob f forming part of, or otherwise attached to the
said fastener é, or it may be adapted to fit upon a screw threaded portion upon the
same so as to afford means for any necessary adjustment. In order to obviate any
chance of the said fastener e being accidentally removed, or having any liability to
slip from its position in the slit or slot g in the plate or cap a I form at the lower
end or extremity of the said slit or slot g, or in any suitable part of the plate or
cap a, a circular aperture or hole g¹ into which fits the taper or conical part or
portion of the knob f' when the fastener e is in position.
The cap or cover a is provided with a plug or stopper h composed of metal, china
or other suitable material, and having a ring or washer h* made of india rubber or
other suitable substance.
Figures 5 and 6 shew a side elevation and plan of another modification of my said
invention. In this case the connecting piece c, forms part of the strap or collar d';
or is rivetted or otherwise secured to the same. The extremities of the said metal
strap or collar d¹ are attached to the socket or eye e¹ of the fastener e by means of a
rivet, pin, or in any suitable manner, so as to allow the said fastener e to swivel or

page_text: hinge upon the said strap or collar d'. To prevent the fastener e from accidental
removal from the slit or slot g in the cap or cover a, I turn or bend up the extremities
of the said slit or slot so as to form projections g³ and the thumb nut or wing nut fis
adapted to bear against the said projections with or without a suitable metal or
other washer interposed between the said nut fand the cap or cover a.
The cap or
cover a is provided moreover with projecting rims or flanges a¹, extending round a
portion of the said cap or cover a, at either side of the same, and with a disc or
washer of cork, india rubber, or any suitable material. The disc or washer h is
retained in position upon the cap or cover a by the projecting rims or flanges a¹.
Figures 7 and 8 are a side elevation and plan of a further modification wherein
the plate or cap a is rivetted or pivotted to the upper extremity of the connecting
piece c the other extremity of the said connecting piece c is provided with a suitable
eye or socket c² to which is fastened by means of a pin or rivet or other convenient
device so as to form a joint or hinge two extremities of the strap or collar d' (which
latter is formed in two parts or portions) the other two extremities of the said strap
or collar d' are secured in a similar manner to the eye or socket e¹ of the fastener e.
The said fastener e is moreover provided with a thumb nut, or a wing nut having a
taper or conical part fitting into a circular aperture or hole g¹, provided at the
extremity of the slit or slot 9 or in any convenient part of the cap or cover a as
hereinbefore described.
I sometimes make the hereinbefore described cap or cover with a rim or flange
entirely round, (instead of partially round) the same adapted to fit over the mouth of
the bottle to which the said cap or cover is applied, and I place therein a disc of
cork india rubber or other material, or a washer or ring which bears against the
mouth or aperture of the bottle, or I form a conical projection upon the inside of the
said cap or cover and place upon any convenient part the same, so as to bear against
the inside of the neck of the bottle a ring, or washer of india rubber, or any suitable
material.
Instead of turning or bending up the extremities of the slit or slot in the cap or
cover in the manner herein before described I sometimes form the cap or cover
thicker at the extremity, or end in which the said slit or slot is situated.
Moreover I also sometimes form the fastener with a convenient head, and pass the
said fastener through a suitable hole or aperture in the cap or cover and cause the
same to screw into a socket provided upon the collar or strap for that purpose or I
dispense with the joint or hinge to the said cap or cover and form the connecting
piece between the collar or strap and the said cap or cover of metal either connected
to, or forming part, and being a continuation of the cap or cover and which can be
sprung, or bent, when the said cap or cover is opened, or removed from the mouth or
aperture of the bottle.
In some cases 1 form a projection upon the strap or collar, or I cause the extremities
of the latter to form a projection having a nick or notch upon the underside of the
same, and I provide the lower extremity of the fastener with a slot adapted to receive
the said projection and engage with the nick or notch therein or I pass a hook formed
on the lower extremity of the fastener through holes provided in the extremities of
the said strap or collar. The said fastener is provided with screw threads, and a wing
nut or thumb nut as herein before described. The extremities of the strap or collar
forming the said projection can in some instances be left free, that is to say, the ends,
are not rivetted or otherwise permanently fastened together, so that the said strap or
collar can be sprung, or passed over or round the mouth or aperture of the bottle, and
can thus be easily transferred from the aperture or mouth of one bottle to that of
another. The extremities of the said strap or collar are retained together by the
fastener, into the slot provided in which they are inserted, and which engages with
the nick or notch in the said projecting extremities, or by the hook upon the said
fastener passing through the holes in the projecting portions of the strap or collar.
Sometimes I also provide the connecting piece between the strap or collar and the
cap or cover hereinbefore described, with a hook at its lower extremity adapted to
pass through holes provided in projecting portions upon the other extremities of the

page_text: strap or collar. The strap or collar is in this case preferably made in two parts or
portions. The connecting piece is moreover in some instances formed with a kook
upon its upper extremity which can be passed through a hole provided in the cap or
cover for that purpose. I thus form convenient hinges or joints, and entirely
dispense with the necessity of employing rivets in any part of the device.
I sometimes instead of the thumb nut or wing nut hereinbefore described employ
a catch piece pivoted upon the upper extremity of the fastener, or I form the said
catch piece upon the upper extremity of the fastener and pivot the same to the strap
or collar in such a manner, that when turned in one direction the catch piece will be
at right angles to the slot in the cap or cover, and will retain the latter in position,
but when turned in the opposite direction or parallel to the said slot, the cap or cover
can be opened and the catch piece will pass through the said slot. Or I provide the
upper extremity of the fastener with a catch piece suitably hinged to the same, and
so arranged that when it is turned down flat upon the cap or cover, it has a cam-
like action and tightens the said cap or cover upon the aperture or mouth of the
bottle.
In cases where the strap or collar might break or injure the bottles owing to their
being formed of thin glass or from other cause, I interpose a washer of lead india-
rubber or any suitable material between the said strap or collar and the neck of the
bottle.
My said invention can be employed either with the disc or plugs, hereinbefore
described or it can be used for securing or retaining in bottles ordinary corks, used
in the usual way. It is applicable to the mouths or apertures and necks of ordinary
bottles without any alteration to the same, but I can also form upon the top of the
mouth or aperture of the said bottles a flat surface by grinding or otherwise, with or
without one or more circular grooves or channels in the same, so as to afford a better
seating for the disc or washer or other stopper and thus produce a tighter joint.
I can moreover when desirable show advertisements, trade marks or other printed
matter upon the herein before described cap or cover, either by stamping printing or
engraving the said advertisements, trade marks, or other printed matter upon the
said cap or cover or otherwise affixing them to the same.
Although I have hereinbefore described and illustrated my said invention as
applied more particularly to bottles of various kinds it is obvious that it is equally
applicable to jars or other vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is,
First. A device for closing bottles and similar vessels, comprising a disc, washer or
the like of cork or other material and a cap or cover which is hinged on one side to a
wire, strap, or collar, and which has on the opposite side a fastener with or without a
screw-adjustment, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second. The improved stopper or device for closing bottles and similar vessels,
consisting of the parts constructed and combined substantially as described with
reference to either of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 20th day of February 1888.