IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Froggatt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1882.
_WILLIAM FROGGATT, of the town and county of the town of Nottingham,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES,"
I employ several forms or modifications of stoppers, In one modification I
employ a perforated cylinder in two parts, the lower part is recessed near the
bottom on its circumference to receive an india-rubber washer of suitable shape,
this washer when the stopper is in use presses upon the interior of the neck of the
bottle, above the outer washer interiorly is a second washer, which lies on a
suitable shaped seat provided for it, from this seat to the top, the lower part of the
cylinder is screw threaded to receive the exteriorly screw threaded portion, of the
upper part of the cylinder, and below the seat the lower part is provided with a
screw capable of adjustment vertically, the upper part of the cylinder contains
a piston, the flange of which is formed of india-rubber of sufficient thickness to
enable it to be compressed, when pressure is applied to the slightly projecting end
of the piston rod, at which time, the flange of the piston is lowered clear of the
seat provided for it, in the upper part of the cylinder, when in such position the
air or gas within the bottle escapes through four slots or grooves cut in that
portion of the lower part of the cylinder which carries the adjustable screw or the
adjustable screw may be grooved, with two or more grooves instead of the lower
part of the cylinder.
A second modification consists in screwing the lower half of the cylinder into
the upper half, and providing the lower half with an adjusting screw, and per-
forating the lower half around the screw with two or more holes instead of the
adjustable screw, a projecting stud may be formed inside the lower part of the
cylinder, such stud forming part of the lower part, the upper portion of the lower

page_text: part forms a suitable shaped seat for an india-rubber washer, above which is the
Bange of a piston as described in the first modification, the upper portion of the
piston rod is slotted or grooved at each side, above the piston flange, upon the upper
half of the cylinder being screwed onto the lower half of the cylinder with an
india rubber washer, between them, the stopper is released from the interior of the 5
neck of the bottle by pressing the piston rod down as before described, the air or
gas escaping from under the piston flange, through four grooves in the top edge of
the lower half of the cylinder arround the flange of the piston and out through the
grooves in the top part of the piston rod By means of internal stoppers con-
structed as above described, the spilling of the liquid is entirely obviated, the 1
perforations and grooves freely allowing the pent up air or gas to escape and
atmospheric air to enter, the pressure being equalized the stopper instantly falls
to the bottom of the bottle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Froggatt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th October 1882.
WILLIAM FROGGATT, of the town and County of the town of Nottingham,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES
I employ several forms or modifications of stoppers
"
In one modification I employ a perforated cylinder in two parts, the lower part
is recessed near the bottom on its circumference to receive an india-rubber washer
of suitable shape, this washer when the stopper is in use presses upon the interior
of the neck of the bottle, above the outer washer, interiorly is a second washer
which lies on a suitable shaped seat provided for it, from this seat to the top
the lower part of the cylinder is screw threaded to receive the exteriorly
screw threaded portion of the upper part of the cylinder, and below the
seat the lower part is provided with a screw capable of adjustment vertically,
the upper part of the cylinder contains a piston, the flange of which is formed of
india-rubber of sufficient thickness to enable it to be compressed, when pressure is
applied to the slightly projecting end of the piston rod, at which time the flange of
the piston is lowered clear of the seat provided for it in the upper part of the
cylinder, when in such position the air or gas within the bottle escapes through
four slots or grooves cut in that portion of the lower part of the cylinder which
carries the adjustable screw, or the adjustable screw may be grooved with two or
more grooves instead of the lower part of the cylinder.
A second modification consists in screwing the lower half of the cylinder into
the upper half, and providing the lower half with an adjusting screw and per-
forating the lower half around the screw with two or more holes, instead of the
adjustable screw, a projecting stud may be formed inside the lower part of the
cylinder, such stud forming part of the lower part, the upper portion of the lower

page_text: part, forms a suitable shaped seat, for an india-rubber washer above which is
the flange of a piston as described in the first modification, the upper portion of
the piston rod is slotted or grooved at each side above the piston flange, upon the
upper half of the cylinder being screwed onto the lower half of the cylinder with
an india-rubber washer between them, the stopper is released from the interior of
the neck of the bottle by pressing the piston rod down as before described, the air
or gas escaping from under the piston flange, through four grooves in the top edge of
the lower half of the cylinder around the flange of the piston and out through the
grooves in the top part of the piston rod. By means of internal stoppers con-
structed as above described, the spilling of the liquid is entirely obviated, the
perforations and grooves freely allowing the pent up air or gas to escape and
atmospheric air to enter, the pressure being equalized, the stopper instantly falls
to the bottom of the battle
Figures 1, 3, and 5 are enlarged sectional views of three forms of internal
stoppers, showing the relative position of the several parts, when the stoppers are
in use, and,
Figures 2, 4, and 6, sectional views of the same stoppers, when at rest within
the unstopped bottles.
In one modification I employ a perforated cylinder provided with a conical
piston, and form the cylinder in either one piece or in two pieces.
When the cylinder is in two parts I prefer them of the shape shewn at Figures 1
and 2, where the lower part A is recessed, near the bottom on its circumference to
receive an india-rubber washer C, this washer when the stopper is in use presses
upon the interior of the neck of the bottle, within the part A of the cylinder is a
suitable shaped seat to receive a second washer D of india-rubber or other suitable
material, from the seat to the top, the cylinder is screw threaded, to receive the
exteriorly screw threaded portion of the upper part B of the cylinder, which is
perforated to receive a conical piston rod E grooved near its base the said groove
being provided with an india-rubber flange or washer F, the top side of which
when the stopper is in use, is forcibly pressed up to a seat provided for it in the
interior of the upper part B of the cylinder by the confined gas or air. To unstop a
bottle provided with a stopper constructed as above described it is only necessary
to employ a slight pressure of the finger upon the projecting upper end of the
conical piston E, to lower its flange Fonto the washer D as shown at Figure 2,
during its passage to such position, the superfluous carbonic acid gas escapes
through the lower part A of the cylinder, past the washer D, around the flange F
and out through the conical upper part B of the cylinder, between it and the
conical piston rod E, the flange Fresting upon the washer D stops the overflow of
the aërated water, a slight continued pressure of the finger upon the piston rod,
causing the stopper to instantly fall to the bottom of the bottle.
When the cylinder A is in one piece I make it of the shape shown at Figures 3
and 4, or of other suitable shape recessed near the bottom on its circumference to
receive an india-rubber washer C as before described, the cylinder is perforated to
receive an inverted conically shaped piston rod E grooved near its narrow lower
end, and provided with an india-rubber washer F, the lower end of the cylinder is
recessed and forms a seat for the washer F, the pressure of the gas or air within
the bottle in which the stopper is used forces the washer C upon the interior of
the neck of the bottle and the washer F up to its seat, the relative position of the
several parts being shown at Figure 3. To unstop a bottle provided with a
stopper constructed as above described, by employing a slight pressure of the finger
upon the piston rod E, the washer F is depressed to the position shown at
Figure 4, as it is depressed the superfluous carbonic acid gas escapes through the
perforated cylinder A past the washer F and around the conical piston rod E,
which upon being pressed down into the position shewn at Figure 4, effectually

page_text: stops the outflow of the aërated water, a slight continued pressure causing the
stopper to fall as before described.
A second modification of internal stopper shown at Figures 5 and 6 consists of a
cylindrical stopper A perforated throughout, the upper portion being formed to
receive a conical piston rod E, provided with a washer F as described in the first
modification, the top of the washer when in use being pressed up to a seat formed
for it in the interior of the stopper A the lower portion of which is screw threaded
interiorly to receive a screw threaded ferrule B which may form a seat for the
underside of the washer For a thin washer, liko the one shown at D Figure 1,
may be placed upon the ferrule to form a seat for the washer F, in either case, the
lower part of the stopper A is grooved on its circumforence to receive an india-
rubber washer C for closing the neck of the bottle, upon pressure being applied to
the top of the piston rod, the superfluous carbonic acid gas escapes, the overflow of
the aërated water is stopped and the stopper falls to the bottom of the bottle as
described in the first modification.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim,
The three several combinations of internal cylindrical stoppers conical piston
rods, and india-rubber washers substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said William Froggatt have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Eighth day of August in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness
HW GOUGH CE
Nottingham.
WILLIAM
(LS.)