AN IMPROVED CAPSULE AND MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE . SAME
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Betts, of Wharf Road, City Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, for the Invention
Sealed the 28th January 1873, and dated the 28th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1872.
I, WILLIAM BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CAPSULE AND MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE .
SAME," to be as follows:-
My improved capsule consists of a capsule so constructed as that
when put on the bottle it is nearly impossible to remove it without
tearing it, or in fact without so destroying the capsule that it cannot
possibly be used a second time, thus preventing fraud. To effect this
object I perforate the sides or cylindrical part of the capsule with a very
large number of small holes so close together that the metal between

page_text: the holes gives way and breaks when it is attempted to take the capsule
off the bottle. The sides of the capsule being round, not flat, it is
necessary to use peculiar machinery to effect the perforation of the same.
The machine which I propose to employ consists of a number of steel
punches fitted into radial sliding blocks, which are made to work in an
annular cast-iron frame.
The several radial sliding blocks with their punches are all forced
inwards simultaneously by a series of inclines formed on the inside of a
loose ring which is fitted on to the cast-iron framing, and is caused to
make a partial revolution by hand through the intervention of a handle
fitted thereon for that purpose or otherwise. Adjustable stop screws are
provided on the cast-iron framing for the purpose of limiting the stroke
of the ring and consequently the movement of the punches. The
capsule to be perforated is mounted upon a correspondingly shaped and
perforated steel die fixed on a spindle in the centre of the machine, the
said die being chambered to allow of the free escape of the cuttings or
pieces of metal punched out of the capsule by the punches.
A rod or wire passes up through the centre of the die spindle and has
a head or disc attached to its upper end for the facility of removing the
capsule from the die after it has been perforated. In lieu of having as
many punches as there are holes to be perforated, and perforating all the
holes at one operation, it is obvious that a fewer number of punches may
be employed, and the die be turned or otherwise adjusted or moved
slightly after each stroke of the punches so as to bring a fresh portion
of the capsule under the action of the punches.
The several punches may be arranged or grouped together so as to
produce various patterns on the capsule, and each punch may be of any

page_text: WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the.
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Betts, Her special license that
I, the said William Betts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Betts, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CAPSULE AND MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Betts, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Betts, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar perforated capsule and to a
peculiar construction of apparatus for perforating the same. My im-
proved capsule consists of a capsule so constructed as that when put on
the bottle it is nearly impossible to remove it without tearing it, or in
fact without so destroying the capsule that it cannot possibly be used a
second time, thus preventing fraud. To effect this object I perforate the
sides or cylindrical part of the capsule, an elevation of which is shewn
at Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, with a number of small
holes so close together that the metal between the holes gives way and
breaks when it is attempted to take the capsule off the bottle. The
sides of the capsule being round, not flat, it is necessary to use peculiar
machinery to effect the perforation of the same.
The machine which I propose to employ is illustrated in plan with
one half of the cover plate removed at Figure 2, whilst Figure 3 is a

page_text: .
J
:
vertical section along the line 1, 2, in Figure 2. It consists of a number
of steel punches a fitted into radial slides b, which are made to work in
annularly disposed guiding slots or ways c on the cast-iron table.
The several radial slides b with their punches are all forced inwards
simultaneously by a series of inclines d, d, formed on the inside of a loose
ringe which is fitted inside the cast-iron table f, and is caused to make
a partial revolution through the intervention of a hand lever g for that
purpose or otherwise. Adjustable stop screws may be provided on the
cast-iron framing for the purpose of limiting the stroke of the ring e,
and consequently the movement of the punches a. The capsule to be
perforated is mounted upon a correspondingly shaped and perforated
steel die h fixed on a spindle i in the centre of the machine, the said die
being chambered internally, as shewn at k, to allow of the free escape
of the cuttings or pieces of metal punched out of the capsule by the
punches.
A rod or wire passes up through the centre of the die spindle i, and
has a head or disc m attached to its upper end for the facility of removing
the capsule from the die after it has been perforated, the said rod being
elevated, as shewn in dotted lines, by depressing the small lever n or
otherwise. o, o, are helical springs for returning the punches to their
normal position after they have acted upon the capsule. In lieu of
having as many punches as there are holes to be perforated, and perfo-
rating all the holes at one operation, it is obvious that a fewer number of
punches may be employed, and the die may be turned or otherwise
adjusted or moved slightly after each stroke of the punches so as to bring
a fresh portion of the capsule under the action of the punches.
The several punches may be arranged or grouped together so as to
produce various patterns on the capsule, and each punch may be of any
desired section.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The construction and use of perforated capsules, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described.

page_text: Second. The use of radial punches mounted in radial slides, actuated
by hand or otherwise, in combination with a perforated metal die for
receiving the capsule to be perforated, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
In Commation WITH a perforated metal але тог
receiving the capsule to be perforated, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.