Non-refillable Bottle.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898
Non-refillable Bottle.
I, WILLIAM SIMON BECHTOLD, of 114, Mount Prospect Avenue, Newark, in the
County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, in the United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 has reference to what are commonly termed "non-refillable
bottles," and has for its object to provide, at a low cost, a closure which permits
the passage of liquid freely from the bottle, but positively prohibits refilling of
the same, unless the neck of the bottle is broken or the closure entirely destroyed.
To this end my invention consists essentially in the combination with a bottle
of a valve seat, a valve adapted to rest on said seat and formed of two parts, of
which the lower constitutes means for closing off the ingress of liquid and is
provided with a circular cavity on its upper face, while the upper part is con-
nected by a post and socket connection with the lower part and is made substan-
tially conical and tapering to a point, thus forming a guard for said lower part
and a keeper for holding the valve in the bottle.
The nature of my invention will best be understood when described in connec-
tion with the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a portion of a bottle provided with my
improved closure.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bottle inverted.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of the valve.
Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the keeper.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section illustrating modified forms for the valve and stop.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section of a modified form for the closure.
Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts
throughout the several views of the drawings.
Referring to the drawings, the letter B designates a bottle formed at or near
the lower end of its neck with a valve seat 1, having a central opening 2 for the
passage of the liquid contents of the bottle. This seat 1 is adapted for a valve C
constructed to close the bottle against the introduction of liquid. Said valve is
formed with a circular disc 3 adapted to rest on the seat 1. From the disc projects
downwardly a conical stem 4, serving to guide the valve to its seat, but which
may also aid in closing the opening 2 if the seat 1 is correspondingly tapered.
From the disc also projects upwardly a central post 7 adapted to enter a guard 8
which is preferably made conical and provided with ribs 9. This guard may rest
on the valve disc 3, as shown in Fig. 1, or may be supported by the post only. The
valve disc is preferably concaved on its upper face, as at 10, and may be formed
with peripheral notches 11 to provide for an increased flow of liquid. Above
the seat 1 is secured a dish-shaped annular keeper D preferably made of steel,
and which is split, as at 13, to permit of its being forced into a recess 14 formed in
the neck,of the bottle, into which it then expands. To render the keeper stronger,
it is provided with a circular bead or rib 15, up to which the incisions 13 extend.

page_text: In Fig. 1 I have shown the keeper arranged at such a height that the guard 8 pro-
jects a short distance through the opening 12 therein; it may however be
arranged higher. When the bottle is tilted, or entirely inverted, as shown in
Fig. 2, the valve falls downwardly until its motion is arrested by the keeper D
and the liquid can then pass around the guard. In Fig. 9 I have shown the
valve C in the form of a split ball with a conical stem 4 fitting the seat in the neck,
and a guide 16 which enters the opening in the keeper D to prevent the parts of
the valve from separating under ordinary conditions, the adjacent part of said
keeper being flanged down and slit. The valve may be made entirely of glass
or any suitable material, or its body may be made of glass and the guard of
steel.
It will be readily understood that any attempt to lift the valve will simply
result in separating the guard 8 from the body of the valve, which latter remains
seated. The circular cavity 10 is to deflect upwardly and outwardly any instru-
ment which may be inserted and so prevent its introduction beneath the valve.
In Fig. 10 I have shown the neck B of the bottle provided with a contracted
portion at its lower end, the upper part of which tapers conically downward and
the lower part conically outward so as to form a shoulder b. The valve C has
a conical portion adapted to rest upon the part a of the bottle neck, which part
forms a seat for said valve. Said valve is provided with a central downwardly
extending projection e having a globular enlargement at its lower end conforming
substantially to the curvature of the shoulder b, so that when the bottle is in a
lateral position, or tipped, the valve is held against its seat and prevented from
leaving the same. The valve C has a central conical cavity g in its upper portion,
in which rests the guard H having an upwardly extending stem / adapted to pass
through and be guided by a central opening in a keeper I) of any suitable con-
struction. The lower extension of the guard is of less taper than the cavity
in the valve, and the central pressure on the valve so attained causes said valve
to rest squarely upon its seat. As the extension rests upon the valve C with
only a small area of contact, binding of the valve and guard is prevented even if
an adhesive should be applied with the purpose of securing the valve and guard
together. The central portion of the guard H is of a diameter equal to, or nearly
equal to, that of the interior of the bottle neck, and is provided with transverse
peripheral grooves for the passage of the liquid. M is an ordinary cork inserted
in the neck of the bottle for sealing the same for transportation. The central
portion of the guard H is provided with a circular curved recess at its top, similar
to that formed in the valve C shown in Fig. 1, to prevent the insertion of an instru-
ment for lifting the valve.
If desired the several parts may be arranged in the manner described in the
interior of a plug cemented or otherwise secured in the neck of the bottle.
It is evident that the details of construction and arrangement may be varied;
therefore I do not wish to restrict myself to those shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. The combination with a bottle, of a valve seat, a valve adapted to rest on
said seat and formed of two parts, of which the lower constitutes means for closing
off the ingress of liquid and is provided with a circular cavity on its upper face,
while the upper part is connected by a post and socket connection with the lower
part and is made substantially conical and tapering to a point, thus forming a
guard for said lower part and a keeper for holding the valve in the bottle, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The valve herein described, consisting of a valve disc provided with a circular
cavity on its upper face, a post projecting from the upper face, and a separabie
conical guard surrounding said post.
3. The valve herein described, consisting of a valve disc provided with a circular

page_text: cavity on its upper face and with peripheral notches, a post projecting from the
upper face, and a separable conical guard surrounding said post.
4. The combination with a bottle, of a valve seat, a valve adapted to rest on
said seat and composed of two separable parts, and an annular dished keeper
provided with radial slits extending through its side and into its bottom, sub-
stantially as described.
5. The combination with a bottle, of a valve seat, a valve adapted to rest on said
seat and composed of two separable parts, and an annular dished keeper provided
with radial slits extending through its side and into its bottom and with downwardly
projecting prongs adapted to guide the upper separable part of the valve, sub-
stantially as described.
6. The combination with a bottle having its neck contracted to form a valve
seat and a diverging portion forming a shoulder, of a valve adapted to rest on said
seat and having a central enlargement projecting downwardly and adapted to
engage with said shoulder, said guard resting on said valve and said valve having
a central conical cavity in its upper end, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of January 1898.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.