Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct.. 1895
Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
I, WILTON BROOKE, of Ashville, Stairfoot, near Barnsley, in the County of
York, Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My present invention relates to that class of bottles which are stoppered
internally by means of a glass globe or stopper and an india rubber ring held in a
groove inside the bottle mouth. By the present method of manufacturing these
bottles, the stopper. has to be placed in the bottle neck during the process of
making the bottle, that is, before the bottle mouth is completed; and after the
bottle is completed it is impossible to extract the stopper without either breaking
the stopper or the bottle.
One object of my present invention is to so adapt the internal formation of the
bottle mouth that it will permit my specially-shaped stopper both to be inserted
and extracted after the bottle is made. In carrying out my improvements I form
a groove in the bottle mouth, in the ordinary way for the reception of the india
rubber ring; and above this groove; I also by means of suitable tools form internal
screw threads, or slots, or inclined planes, or other suitable formations, in the
bottle mouth. On the stopper. I form either screw threads, or projections, or studs,
or other suitable formations which will work through the screw threads, or slots, or
inclined planes, or other formations in the bottle mouth. I then take this stopper,
and screw or otherwise cause it to pass right through the screw. threads, or slots,
or other formations in the bottle mouth, until the stopper falls into the bottle neck.
I then insert the india, rubber ring in the ordinary way, and the bottle is then
complete; and when filled, with aerated or gaseous liquid the internal pressure
forces the stopper against the india rubber ring and thus, makes the bottle airtight
in, the ordinary way. To release, the contents, the stopper, is removed from its
contact with the india rubber ring, as will be well understood.
When it is desired to extract the stopper. I first remove the india rubber ring
from the bottle mouth, then allow the stopper to fall into the bottle mouth until it
can be reached either by the fingers or suitable tools, and then I screw or otherwise
cause the stopper to pass.out of the bottle mouth.
My improved internal stopper may be of conical, or tapered, or any other
suitable shape, and may be, made of glass, earthenware, ebonite, or other suitable
substance or substances.
My improvements are applicable to bottles with or without contractions at the
base of the neck for preventing the stopper falling to the bottle bottom, and with
or without indents for holding the stopper when the contents are being poured out
or when the bottle is being washed. Or if desired the stopper can be removed
when the bottle is to be washed. My improved stopper may also be used with
bottles having a valve in, the neck.
Another object of my invention is to enable my improved bottle to be used for
external screw or similar external stoppers, and when it is desired to so use the
bottle it is only necessary to remove the india rubber ring. and screw out or
similarly remove the internal stopper, and the bottle is then ready for use with an
ordinary screw stopper. carrying an india rubber ring which engages with the lip

page_text: of the bottle mouth and secures the bottle airtight in the manner already well
known.
Dated this 16th day of March 1895.
WILTON BROOKE.
Improvements in Stoppering Bottles.
I, WILTON BROOKE, of Ashville, Stairfoot, near Barnsley, in the County of
York, Manufacturing Chemist, 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 that class of bottles which are stoppered internally by
means of a glass globe or stopper and an india-rubber or other ring held in a
groove inside the bottle-mouth.
According to the method hitherto generally adopted of manufacturing such
bottles, the stopper is placed in the bottle-neck during the process of making the
bottle, that is, before the bottle-mouth is completed; and, after the bottle is
complete, it is impossible to extract the stopper without first breaking either the
stopper or the bottle. Moreover when a stopper is broken or starred in the bottle,
the bottle is rendered useless, as another stopper cannot be introduced into the
same.
One object of my present invention is to form the stopper and the interior of
the bottle-mouth in such a manner as to permit both the introduction and the
removal of the said stopper after the bottle is made, and so that, whilst the stopper
can be introduced into the bottle after the latter is made, it cannot easily fall out
of the same.
1 thus provide for effecting considerable economy in the manufacture
of internally stoppered bottles, as, with the usual method of manufacture, a large
number of bottles are rendered useless by breakage of or injury to the stoppers
after they have been introduced into the bottles and the bottles have been
completed.
In making a bottle according to my improvements, I form a groove in the
bottle-mouth in the ordinary way for the reception of the india-rubber or other
ring; and above this groove I also, by means of suitable tools, form an internal
screw-thread or inclined planes or segments of a screw-thread, or other suitable
formations in the bottle-mouth. On the stopper I form either screw-threads or
projections or studs or other suitable formations which will work through the
screw-threads or inclined planes or other formations in the bottle-mouth. To
introduce this stopper into the bottle, I screw or otherwise cause it to pass right
through the screw-threads or other formations in the bottle-mouth until the
stopper falls into the bottle-neck. I then insert the india-rubber or other ring in
the ordinary manner and the bottle is then complete; and when it is filled with
aerated or gaseous liquid, the internal pressure will force the stopper against the
said ring and thus make the bottle air-tight in the well-known manner.
the contents of the bottle, the stopper is removed from its contact with the said
ring, as is well understood.
To release
When it is desired to extract the stopper from the bottle, I first remove the
india-rubber ring from the bottle-mouth, and then invert the bottle and allow the
stopper to fall into the bottle-mouth until it can be reached either by the fingers or
by a suitable tool, and I then screw or otherwise cause the stopper to pass out of
the bottle-mouth.
Another object of my said invention is to enable my improved bottle to be used
for external screw-stoppers or similar external stoppers, aud, when it is desired to
so use the bottle, it is only necessary to remove the india-rubber ring and, if

page_text: desired, screw out or similarly remove the internal stopper, and the bottle is then
ready for use with an ordinary screw-stopper carrying an india-rubber ring which
engages with the lip of the bottle-mouth and secures the bottle air-tight in the
manner already well known.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of part of a bottle-neck, showing also, in
side elevation, one form of my improved stopper.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing another modification of my invention.
Figure 3 is a vertical central section showing a further modification of my said
invention.
Figure 4 is a plan of the bottle shown in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 3, showing a still further modification of
my said invention.
Figure 6 is a plan of the bottle shown in Figure 5, illustrating also the manner
of passing the stopper through the mouth of the bottle.
Figure 7 shows in central section different forms of my improved stopper adapted
for use with a bottle such as that shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
at is the bottle-neck; b is the stopper; c is the india-rubber ring which is fitted
as usual in a circumferential groove d in the mouth of the bottle.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the stopper bis formed with studs or
projections arranged in a spiral or helical row around the same; the bottle-
mouth is made with an internal screw-thread e above the groove d, which screw-
thread and the other parts of the bottle-mouth are so formed that, when the
stopper is inserted in the bottle-mouth and turned about its axis, the said studs or
projections will travel between the threads of the internal screw until they pass
out at the lower end thereof, when the stopper will fall into the bottle-neck. It is
obvious that, although the stopper cannot fall out of the bottle when the latter is
inverted, yet the said stopper can be readily removed from the bottle, when
,desired, by turning it in the reverse direction about its axis so as to screw it
through the mouth of the bottle. To facilitate the turning of the stopper about
its axis, I sometimes form a hole or holes &² in either end of the stopper to permit
the insertion of a suitable tool for the purpose; or I provide the stopper with one
or more projections at either end so that it can be more easily turned by hand or
otherwise.
In the modification shown in Figure 2, the stopper is made with a screw-
thread extending completely around it.
It will be evident that the bottles shown in Figures 1 and 2 can, when desired,
be closed by a screw-stopper of the well-known or other suitable kind, either with
or without previously removing the internal stopper.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown another modification of my invention in which
the stopper is formed with a projecting part and the hottle-mouth is made with
corresponding internal indentations or grooves f extending vertically or almost
vertically through the bottle-mouth above the circumferential groove d.
The stopper shown in Figures 5 and 6 is made with a circumferential rib 64, the
bottle-mouth being formed internally with corresponding vertical or nearly vertical
grooves to permit the introduction and removal of the said stopper.
In Figure 7 I have shown other forms of my stopper, the first and second being
of hemi-spherical form, one with a flat and the other with a concave surface, and
adapted to be introduced into and removed from bottles such as that shown in
Figures 3 and 4. The third form of stopper shown in Figure 7 is similar to that
shown in Figure 3.
My improved internal stopper may be made of glass, earthenware, ebonite or
other suitable substance or substances. It is in all cases niade with at least one of
its sides convex, and I prefer to make it either of approximately spherical form as
shown, for example, in Figure 3 or in Figure 5, or of elongated form with rounded
ends as in Figure 1 or in Figure 2.

page_text: My improvements are applicable to bottles with or without contractions at the
hase of the neck for preventing the stopper falling to the bottom of the bottle, and
with or without indents for holding the stopper when the contents are being poured
out and when the bottle is being washed. Or, if desired; the stopper can be
removed when the bottle is to be washed. My improved stopper may also be used
with bottles having a valve in the neck.
Instead of forming a screw-thread in the bottle-mouth as above described,
I sometimes make the bottle-mouth and the stopper with short inclined projections
or segments of a screw-thread, or with other suitable projections, so that the stopper
can only be introduced into the bottle by first inserting it into the bottle-mouth so
that its projections pass between some of the projections in the bottle-mouth, and
then turning it about its axis through a suitable angle so as to permit its projections
to pass between the remaining projections in the bottle-neck. In any case my
bottle and stopper are so constructed that, when the projections on the stopper have,
in the rotation of the stopper, passed those in the bottle-mouth, the stopper can fall
freely into the bottle-neck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction of bottles and of internal stoppers therefor, with suitably
shaped projections in the bottle-mouth and on the stopper, so that, in order to
introduce the stopper.into or remove it from the bottle, the said stopper must be
inserted into the bottle-mouth and turned about its axis, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. An internal stopper provided with projections so arranged that it is
adapted to be introduced into and removed from a bottle having an internal screw
in the mouth thereof, by screwing it through or turning it about its axis in the said
mouth, substantially as herein before described.
Third. A bottle having a circumferential groove in its mouth to receive an
india-rubber or other ring, and having an internal screw above the said groove
through which can be introduced and removed an internal stopper having corre-
sponding projections, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. The improved internal stopper formed substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1 or to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing, for the
purposes above specified.
Fifth. An internal stopper for bottles, having one or both of its ends rounded or
convex, and which is formed substantially as described with reference to Figure 3
or Figure 5 or Figure 7 of the drawing so that it can be introduced into a bottle
having a correspondingly shaped mouth, after the said bottle is made, and, when so
introduced, cannot easily fall out of the bottle but can be removed therefrom when
desired, as above specified.
Dated the 6th day of September 1895.
WILTON BROOKE.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.