Improvements in the Construction of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, and other Vessels.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 11th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars,
and other Vessels.
I, WILLIAM SHEPHERD of 19 Blenheim Street Oxford Street in the County of
Middlesex Wine and Spirit Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My improvements relate first to valve stoppers which fit down upon a shoulder seat
or flange formed in or on the neck of a bottle jar or other vessel the valve stopper being
pressed down upon its seat by a screw cap combined with the stopper and one part of
my improvements consists in dispensing with the lower part of the stopper which as
heretofore descended below the valve seat into the neck of the bottle the bottom of
the stopper according to my present improvements being left flush with the seat and
having a dise or a collar of cork or any other suitable material fixed or not.fixed
thereon to render it an air tight joint.
The screw cap connected with the stopper is so formed that when screwed down its
outer flange fits over the top of the bottle and affords a firm hold for screwing down
and unscrewing the stopper.
In place of connecting the screw cap to the stopper by means of a collar of cork
india rubber or other material as heretofore the top end of the stopper may be enlarged
or be formed slightly conical a metal cap formed with a flange or projections and
closed upon or over it being so arranged as to retain the screw cap on the stopper
and yet allow it to revolve freely thereon.
According to another part of my improvements the stopper may be made of
various shapes and materials as hereinafter described. For instance the head of the
stopper can be made so large at its upper end that it cannot pass through the screw
cap the flange on the stopper being dispensed with and a groove cut around the
stopper in place of the flange in order to form a bed for one or more washers which
will form the flange and also hold the screw cap on the stem of the stopper and allow
it to revolve thereon.
When cork or any other substance is used for the stopper a groove may or may not
be used.

page_text: My improved screw cap may be formed in various ways to suit the requirements of
the stopper a projection being left to close upon or under the head of the stopper and
firmly secure the same in its place.
The upper part of the cap may be turned over the mouth of the bottle and made
large enough to cover the bottle lip thus forming in appearance a capsule.
The inner
This arrangement is applicable to the internal screw." The screw thread may be a
double screw for some purposes and the bottle made with a double worm.
smooth cylindrical surface and flange or ledge seating being the same as heretofore.
The same modifications are applicable to the external screw formed on the neck of
the bottle and a double screw may for some purposes be used as hereinafter described
and the ledge or flange may be made at a suitable distance inside the neck of the
bottle the inside being quite plain up to the lip. The stopper for the external screw
is made smaller to suit the screw cap.
Dated this 9th day of October 1886
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars,
and other Vessels.
I WILLIAM SHEPHERD of 14B Great Marlborough Street in the County of
Middlesex Wine and Spirit Merchant 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 improvements relate first to valve stoppers which fit down upon a shoulder seat
or flange formed in or on the neck of a bottle jar or other vessel the valve stopper
being pressed down upon its seat by a screw cap combined with the stopper and one
part of my improvements consists in dispensing with the lower part of the stopper
which as heretofore descended below the valve seat into the neck of the bottle the
bottom of the stopper according to my present improvements being left flush with
the seat and having a disc or a collar of cork or any other suitable material fixed or
not fixed thereon to render it an air tight joint.
The screw cap connected with the stopper is so formed that when screwed down its
outer flange or rim fits over the top of the bottle and affords a firm hold for screwing
down and unscrewing the stopper.
And in order that this part of my invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe Figure 1 of the drawings hereto
annexed which shows a vertical section of my improved valve stopper and screw cap
as applied to the neck of a bottle.
a is the valve stopper and 6 the screw cap which are combined and connected
together by a collar c of cork india rubber or other suitable material as heretofore.
d is a collar or disc of cork or other suitable material fixed in any suitable manner
to the bottom of the stopper a for making a fluid tight joint upon the valve seat e on
the interior of the neck of the bottle. The lower end of the stopper a in this
arrangement does not descend into the neck of the bottle below the valve seat e.
The upper part of the cap b according to this part of my improvements fits over
the top of the bottle and thus affords a firm hold for screwing down and unscrewing
the stopper.
In place of connecting the screw cap to the stopper by means of a collar of cork
india rubber or other suitable material as heretofore the top end of the stopper may
be enlarged or be formed slightly conical a metal cap formed with a
flange or pro-
jections and closed upon or over it being so arranged as to retain the screw cap on
the stopper and yet allow it to revolve freely thereon.
Figure 2 shows a section of a screw cap b and stopper combined the stopper a
being connected to the cap b by means of a series of projections formed on an inner
flange or rim in the cap which prevents the stopper from being drawn downwards
after its upper end has been forced up past the projections which act as barbs under
the enlarged or it may be conical head of the stopper to prevent it from returning or
being forced downwards again.

page_text: This arrangement is shown as applied to a screw thread formed on the outer surface
of the neck of the bottle although it may be applied to a bottle having an internal
screw thread such as Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a separate view of the stopper a and Figure 4 an external view of the
neck of the bottle. Figure 5 shows a section of an external screw cap having a plain
flange a³ to retain the head of the stopper by means of an elastic washer applied
thereto.
According to another part of my improvements the stopper may be made of various
shapes and materials as hereinafter described. For instance the head of the stopper
can be made so large at its upper end that it cannot pass through the screw cap the
flange on the stopper being dispensed with and a groove cut around the stopper in
place of the flange in order to form a bed for one or more washers which will form
the flange and also hold the screw cap on the stem of the stopper and allow it to
revolve thereon.
When cork or any other substance is used for the stopper a groove may or may not
be used.
My improved screw cap may be formed in various ways to suit the requirements of
the stopper a projection being left to close upon or under the head of the stopper and
firmly secure the same in its place.
Figure 6 shows a screw cap having a stopper with an enlarged head which is
retained by the wood or other hard washer f for the screw thread to act upon to force
the stopper down upon its seat. gg are cork india rubber or other suitable washers
to fit on to the valve seat.
The upper part of the cap may be turned over the mouth of the bottle and made
large enough to cover the bottle lip thus forming in appearance a capsule.
This arrangement is applicable to the internal screw. The screw thread may be a
double screw for some purposes and the bottle may be made with a double worm.
The inner smooth cylindrical surface and flange or ledge seating being the same as
heretofore.
Figure 7 shows a section of another arrangement of parts the screw cap in such
arrangement being made to fit over the neck of the bottle. The valve stopper a
with disc d as in Figure 1 may be adapted to the other forms of screw caps as in
Figures 2, 5 and 7 and vice versa.
The same modifications are applicable to the external screw formed on the neck of
the bottle and a double screw may be used for some purposes and the ledge or flange
may be made at a suitable distance inside the neck of the bottle the inside being quite
plain up to the lip. The valve stopper for the external screw is made smaller to suit
the screw cap.
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 improved arrangement and construction of stoppers substantially as described
with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings hereto annexed.
2. The improved arrangement and construction of stoppers substantially as described
with reference to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings hereto annexed.
3. The improved arrangement and construction of stoppers substantially as described
with reference to Figure 6 and 7 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 11th day of July 1887.