Containing Aerated Liquids and which Internal Stoppers. are fitted with
Year: 1885

page_text: Containing Aerated Liquids and which
Internal Stoppers.
are fitted with
I HIRAM CODD of N° 41 Gracechurch Street in the City of London Bottle
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING BOTTLES USED FOR CONTAINING ÆRATED LIQUIDS AND
WHICH ARE FITTED WITH INTERNAL STOPPERS to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in Apparatus for opening bottles.
used for containing ærated liquids and which are fitted with internal stoppers.
Bottles of this kind are usually opened by a plunger pressed down on to the top
of the stopper by the action of a lever or otherwise or by the bottle being pressed
towards it.
According to my invention I construct apparatus for opening bottles of the above
kind in such manner that the pressing inwards of the stopper of the bottle is
effected by compressing the air above the top of the stopper-to a greater pressure
than the pressure within the bottle to effect this I use a flexible ball by preference
of vulcanised india rubber secured within a suitable cap or holder and having a
Binall bole formed through it opposite to which the mouth of a bottle may be
placed If the ball be then forced downwards against the mouth of the bottle or
the bottle be pressed against the ball a tight joint will first be formed between the
mouth of the bottle and the ball and then as the ball is compressed the air within
it and within the mouth of the bottle will be compressed also until a higher pressure
is attained than the pressure within the bottle-the stopper will then at once drop
away from the mouth of the bottle The cap or holder in which the India rubber
ball is secured may either be forced downwards by hand or it may be formed with
a screw stem by which it may be fixed and held in any position or it may be
carried at the lower end of a plunger which can be forced downwards by a lever.
When a plunger forced downwards by a lever is used for opening bottles fitted
with interual stoppers I hold the neck of the bottle just below the head between
two arms which are turned towards one another and made to grasp the neck just
at the time that the plunger descends and in order to allow for the varying diameter
of the necks of different bottles I cause the arms to be so turned towards one
another at the time when the plunger descends by the action upon them of springs

page_text: which will yield so soon as the arms grip the neck of a bottle between them In
this way whether the bottle be small or large its head will always be upheld when
the plunger is forced downwards to press in the stopper.
For this purpose the lever by which the plunger is forced downwards may be
formed with an arm projecting beyond its axis and this arm may have the upper
end of a descending rod jointed to it whilst the lower end of the rod is made to
pass between tail ends of the two lever arms which are to grasp the neck of the
bottle. Either the lower end of the rod might be formed with inclines to act
against springs fixed to the two arms or two springs fixed to the rod might act
against tail ends of the arms whenever the lever was turned in a direction to force
down the plunger.
The moveable arms above mentioned may each be supported by a fixed arm
below it so as to relieve the joints upon which the arms turn from all strain.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Opening Bottles Used for
Containing Aerated Liquids and which are Fitted with
Internal Stoppers.
I HIRAM CODD of N° 41 Gracechurch Street in the City of London Bottle
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:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for opening bottles
used for containing aerated liquids and which are fitted with internal stoppers.
Bottles of this kind are usually opened by a plunger pressed down on to the top
of the stopper by the action of a lever or otherwise or by the bottle being pressed
towards it.
According to my invention I construct apparatus for opening bottles of the
above kind in such manner that the pressing inwards of the stopper of the bottle
is effected by compressing the air above the top of the stopper to a greater pressure
than the pressure within the bottle. To effect this I use a flexible ball by
preference of vulcanized india rubber secured within a suitable cap or holder and
having a small hole formed through it opposite to which the mouth of a bottle may
be placed. If the ball be then forced downwards against the mouth of the bottle
or the bottle be pressed against the ball a tight joint will first be formed between
the mouth of the bottle and the ball and then as the ball is compressed the air

page_text: within it and within the mouth of the bottle will be compressed also until a higher
pressure is attained than the pressure within the bottle-the stopper will then at
once drop away from the month of the bottle. The cap or holder in which the
india rubber ball is secured may either be forced downwards by hand or it may be
formed with a screw stem by which it may be fixed and held in any position or it
may be carried at the lower end of a plunger which can be forced downwards by
a lever.
When a plunger forced downwards by a lever is used for opening bottles fitted
with internal stoppers I hold the neck of the bottle just below the head between
two arms which are turned towards one another and made to grasp the neck just
at the time that the plunger descends and in order to allow for the varying
diameter of the necks of different bottles I cause the arins to be so turned towards
one another at the time when the plunger descends by the action upon them of
springs which will yield so soon as the arms grip the neck of a bottle between
them. In this way whether the bottle be small or large its head will always be
upheld when the plunger is forced downwards to press in the stopper.
For this purpose the lever by which the plunger is forced downwards may be
formed with an arm projecting beyond its axis and this arm may have the upper
end of a descending rod jointed to it whilst the lower end of the rod is made to
pass between tail ends of the two lever arms which are to grasp the neck of the
bottle. Either the lower end of the rod might be formed with inclines to act
against springs fixed to the two arms or two springs fixed to the rod might act
against tail ends of the arms whenever the lever was turned in a direction to force
down the plunger.
The moveable arms above mentioned may each be supported by a fixed arm
below it so as to relieve the joints upon which the arms turn from all strain.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation and Figure 2 a horizontal section of apparatus
formed in the manner above described for holding the neck of a bottle just below
the head whilst its internal stopper is being pressed inwards.
In Figure 1 the lower end of the plunger is shown to be so formed as to enter
the mouth of the bottle and press directly upon the top of the stopper to press it
inwards.
At Figure 4 I have shown a side elevation of a similar machine in which the
lower end of the plunger is made to carry a hollow ball of vulcanized india rubber
to act in the manner herein before described.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the plunger which can be pressed downwards by the
action of a lever B-C is a spring by which the plunger A is held up-B¹ is a short
arm of the lever B to which is jointed the rod D the lower end of which carries
two springs E as shown in Figure 3. F¹ is a forked projection forming part of the
bed or bottom plate F of the apparatus. GG are two lever arms lying above the
two arms of the forked projection F¹ and each capable of turning around the lower
end of the standard H. The forward ends of these lever arms are continuously
pressed apart by a small spring I placed between them as shown at Figure 2. The
lower end of the rod D and the springs E carried by it pass between the tail ends
of the lever arms as shown at Figures 1 and 2.
When the neck of a bottle has been placed between the forward ends of the two
lever arms and arm B2 of the lever B is turned forwards the plunger A is forced
downwards against the top of the stopper of the bottle and at the same time the
rod D is drawn upwards thereby causing the springs E to force apart the tail ends
of the lever arms G and to move the forward ends of these arms towards one
another so causing them to nip the neck of the bottle and to come well below the
bottom of its head. In this way whether the neck and head of the bottle be sunall
or large the bottle will be securely upheld at the time when the plunger is made to
descend to force in the stopper.
In Figure 4 the general construction of the apparatus is the same except that
the lower end of the plunger A carries a hollow ball K of vulcanized india rubber
having a small hole KI at the bottom.

page_text: When the ball is forced downwards on to the head of a bottle the air within the
ball becomes compressed and the pressure of air acting against the top of the
stopper forces the stopper inwards away from its seat.
In place of the elastic ball being forced downwards on to the head of a bottle
by a plunger forced downwards by a lever as shown the elastic ball might as before
stated be carried within a cap to be forced downwards by hand or in other
suitable way over the head of a bottle or the cap containing the ball might be
fixed and the head of the bottle to be opened be forced upwards into it by hand or
otherwise.
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 the plunger A and lever B of a rod D springs E and
lever arms G to act substantially in the manner herein before described.
2. The apparatus for opening bottles composed of an elastic ball held within a
cap or holder and having a small hole formed in it opposite to the side which is
fixed within the cap substantially as described.
3. The construction of apparatus for opening bottles substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.