Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Screw Bottle Stoppers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Screw Bottle Stoppers.
I, LEON VALLET, of 49, Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Bottle Stopper 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:-
The invention has reference to the type of stopper for stoppering bottles con-
taining gaseous or slightly gaseous liquids, consisting of a threaded plug of a
suitably hard material, and a rubber washer fitting round the neck of the plug,
directly under the head, the screw or threaded part serving as the means of
forcing the stopper into place in the neck of the bottle, and the washer and head
serving to make the gas tight joint.
As at present made, it frequently happens in unscrewing the stopper out of the
bottle neck, that the india rubber washer slips or is pulled down out of place in
the neck of the stopper, and perhaps off the stopper altogether, the result of
which is, that considerable loss of time is occasioned to replace the rubber rings
in position properly, before the stopper can be used again for stoppering a
bottle; and at the same time, the rings are frequently lost, and this is a loss of
rubber, which is an expensive material. Now, the chief object of the present
invention is to overcome this defect.
The invention will be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings,
which, in Figure 1, shew diagrammatically the plan of a lathe or machine having
a certain mode of actions, (hereinafter described) invented for effecting or carry-
ing out the production of stoppers having the characteristics hereinafter specified,
and the purposes referred to.
Figures 2 and 4 shew the improved stopper, without, and with, the rubber-
washer, respectively, and Figure 3 shews a stopper of the kind, as hitherto
made.
It is necessary in the type of stopper treated of and which are generally made
of hard wood or suitable material, and by turning in a lathe-that the thread
should have a good and clear finish, next the neck, around which the rubber
washer fits, in order that the thread portion of the stopper shall pass freely, fully
dewn into the bottle, and bring the rubber hard onto the neck or mouth, that is,
without the upper end of the thread jamming in the entrance of the thread of
the bottle, as it otherwise would do. To accomplish this, hitherto, a rather deep
circular groove has been cut in to the body, just below the neck portion on which
the washer fits; that is, between the neck portion and the thread portion proper
below. This circular groove is shewn in Figure 3 (which illustrates, as stated,
a stopper as hitherto made) and is designated a, while b is the neck over which the
rubber washer fits. c is the threaded portion of the stopper; and d is the head.
The circular groove a is generally slightly deeper than the helical groove of the
threaded portion. This is illustrated by Figure 3, which well shows the feature
referred to.

page_text: By my invention, I so make a stopper, that while the full and free entrance of
the threaded part into the bottle mouth is secured, it is attained without the
circular groove, while an annular shoulder or ridge is provided above this
threaded part, and at the bottom of the neck, on which the lower edge of the
washer rests, as indicated in Figure 4, and forms a stop to the lower end of the
washer, which prevents it being pulled, or coming away, as described. While
these two features or characterictics are provided, yet, at the same time, the
length of stopper is not increased.
This shoulder or stop ridge is designated e in Figure 2, and it is produced by
cutting a circular angular groove in the neck 6 of the stopper, of the form, and
in the position shewn in the figure. When the rubber washer is placed in
position, and sprung over the neck b, the lower end springs inwards, and fits into
the angular groove, and its edge abuts against, and rests upon the shoulder or
ridge e.
The mode of making the stoppers, by which these effects are accomplished, is
by means of a machine, being a species of lathe, in which the stopper-being
already in a blank form-is threaded, the lathe being so constructed and adapted
to operate, that as the tool and thread approach the shoulder e, the cut ceases to
have pitch, but is continued, and this continued part is in a circular direction,
i.e., in a plane normal to the axis of the stopper. Furthermore, the depth of the
cut diminishes, and eventually vanishes at the surface, as the tool leaves or moves
away from the body of the stopper just below the shoulder or ledge e.
is shewn clearly in Figure 2.
This
The operations performed by and in the lathe are as follows:-The blank
stopper body with the shoulder e already in it, is placed, viz., its head is placed,
in a chuck, and it is moved past a revolving tool, and being revolved itself at a
certain rate, and moved forward, simultaneously, produces the thread. When it
has been moved a certain distance, the tool also is given a movement in the direction
of the axis of the stopper, and at the same rate; and at the same time is moved
away from the stopper. By these combined movements, the diminishing circular
grooved finish to the thread is produced.
An example of machine is given in the diagrammatic Figure 1, in which f
is the chuck, mounted on the screwed shaft f, for holding the stopper heads;
and 9 is a spring back-centre normally pressed towards f by the spring g¹. The
shaft f has a thread of the same pitch as that to be produced on the stopper,
which works in a stationary internally threaded nut and it is also provided
with a coned ring cam i, which is fixed upon it. j is a handle on the shaft f¹, by
which it is turned, and is the revolving tool.
The action of this part of the machine is simple; that is, the crank j is revolved,
the chuck ƒ with the stopper is rotated as well as moved axially past the tool k,
pressing back the back-centre g. When the tool is near the shoulder e, the coned
ring cam comes in contact with levers or bars, which move the tool in the two
directions referred to.
The lever is designated 1, and has a fulcrum at 11, and the bar m slides in
guides m¹ whilst the tool k is supported on a sliding shaft n, which has longi-
tudinal movement through its supports o; and these supports have lateral move-
ment in a slide rest. The end of the lever 7 acts upon the slide supports o and
operates them, that is, slides them back; and the bar m acts endwise on the
revolving cutter shaft n, and moves it in the supports o.
When the cam reaches the ends of the bar m and lever 7, it forces the former
along bodily and this acting on the end of the revolving tool carrier shaft n,
forces the fool bodily forward at the same rate as the shaft f¹ itself, and the
stopper while the action of the cam on the lever 7, forces it away by its conical
face, and so its other end presses upon the slide rests of o, and moves it outwards,
and the tool gradually out of contact with the stopper. The return motions
of these parts are effected by springs n¹ and o¹ respectively.
The effect of the bodily movement of the tool in the direction of longitudinal

page_text: movement of the stopper body, and of its simultaneous retrocession from the
revolving stopper, is the production of the finish to the threaded part, namely
the diminution of the thread in the manner described, gradually away to nothing:
by which sufficient material is left above to enable the shoulder or ledge to be
formed.
It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the machine or
mechanism shewn in the drawings, nor to the particular manner of operation, as
it may be carried out in several ways, so long as the relative actions and move-
ments between the stopper and the tool are preserved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The manufacture or production of screw stoppers of the kind referred to
for screw-mouthed bottles, having a thread, the groove of which near the neck
is continued in a circular direction, and diminishes in depth, disappearing at the
surface, and having a shoulder or ledge (e) for the purpose specified, by rotating,
and simultaneously moving forward the said stopper, past a cutting-tool; and
then, when the tool approaches the bottom of the neck of the stopper, moving
the tool substantially as the same rate, longitudinally, as the stopper, and simul-
taneously withdrawing it away from the stopper; substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. A screw stopper of the kind referred to, for stoppering bottles, in which the
groove of the thread near the neck is continued in a circular direction, diminish-
ing in depth to nothing, and the thread finished; and a shoulder or ledge, at e,
is provided, forming a stop and rest to the lower edge of the rubber washer;
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The machine for making screw-stoppers of the character herein described,
having means for moving the stopper and cutting tool, as, or substantially as in
the manner herein set forth.
11 11:
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1
1000
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.