Improvements in Stoppering Bottles to Prevent Fraudulent Refilling.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppering Bottles to Prevent Fraudulent
Refilling.
I, HARVEY ISAAC LEITH, of No. 58 Davis Street in the City of Providence,
County of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, United States of America
Druggist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the construction of a bottle whose contents are
guaranteed to be of a certain or first quality, and which it is desired shall be
obtained from the bottle by any party. It is impossible by means of the bottle
to introduce any liquid whatever without completely removing the stopper. It
is provided with a metallic seal, so that the stopper cannot be removed without
breaking the scal. Of course the bottle could be broken, but such an act would
show that it had been tampered with. The bottle is so constructed that provided
it is in order the contents will flow out in a large stream, even better than from
an ordinary bottle, because I provide a separate entrance for air.
In order that the invention may be understood so that another may construct it,
the accompanying drawings are described by reference letters.
Figure 1 shows a portion of a bottle to which is applied the stopper involving
my invention. It is represented partly in vertical section and partly in elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan of the complete device.
Figure 3 is a plan of a semicircular piece of wood or other porous substance.
Figure 4 shows the blotting paper or other absorbing material.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a portion of the stopper, in order to represent by
itself the temporary seal, the purpose of which is hereinafter explained.
Figure 6 shows a modified form of lip for the bottle.
Figure 7 is a cross section of that shown in Figure 6, which is a perspective.
Figure 8 is a modification of glass caps closed at one end.
The individual parts of the invention are as follows:-
a represents the bottle to which the device may be applied. It has the usual
neck b, and lip c, and liquid contents, e.
į,
fie a cap, preferably of glass, having an outwardly extending flange g, at one
end, and a conical extension, the base of which is surrounded by a groove which
is circular, the whole cap being circular in cross section. The greater portion of
the cap, measured from the flange, serves as a reservoir or compartment of a given
diameter, while the other end has a smaller diameter, as far as the opening is
concerned, so that the two compartments taken together form a continuous passage
from one end of the cap to the other. The base of the flange is notched at j, so
that if the cap were placed upon a flat surface, with the flange touching the same,
a string k could pass through the notch from the outside to the inside of the cap.
This string is shown so applied. The diameter of the flange for best effects, is the
same as that of the lip of the bottle. The cap is fastened to the lip by means of
a seal consisting of a cylindrical ring, 1, having the inwardly turned flange m, which
lies upon the upper surface of the flange g, of the cap, and presses downward
thereon. The lower end of the ring is turned under all around and beneath the
lip c, so that the cap is held very firmly upon the bottle, but before the cap is
applied to the bottle certain necessary parts of the device are placed within the
cap and these are now described.

page_text: Between the flange 9, of the cap, and the lip c, of the bottle, is a flat ring u',
which is held to the bottle by the same seal ring 1, which holds the cap to the
bottle. Through the ring u, is a tube e, which extends from the interior of the
bottle to the upper part of the notched interior of the cap, so that this tube forms
a passage way for the contents of the bottle to the small opening p, in the upper
portion of the cap. Between the upper end of the tube o, and the outlet of the cap
is a loose valve, which for the purpose must be made of cork or at least some
material which will be uninjured by the liquid contents of the bottle, and which
should preferably be yielding. It should have the properties of leather, but leather
would not be as valuable as cork, because of the fact that it is not very durable in
contact with chemicals. The valve is lettered g. On top of the valve is a
protector r, made of some very hard and smooth substance, such, for example, as
porcelain. The space between the upper end of the tube o, and the upper end of
the notched portion of the cap is only such as to permit the slight movement of the
valve from its seat, when the bottle is inverted. There are two flanges on the
tube 0, s and t, so arranged that there are three places for collars. The uppermost
space is provided with a cork collar u, whose diameter is such as to be even with
the flanges and t. Between the two flanges is an air vent connecting with an air
tube v, which extends as far as possible to the other end of the bottle, or at least
When the bottle is
just so far that it only escapes the bottom of the bottle.
inverted, this air tube communicates between the air in the bottle and the air space
within the capf, between the flanges s and t, which, in turn, communicate with the
outside air through the notch w, as well as around the edges of the projection t,
which being made of a hard substance such as enamelled wood, permits air to
escape around its edge, and between the same and the inner surface of the cap f.
Within the space between the two flanges s and t, is a ring of blotting paper which,
when dry, does not fill said space, but when it becomes saturated with water or
other liquid, it expands and forms a cork between the air vent or tube v, and the
space beyond the flange t, so that if any of the liquid should come through the air
tube into the space between the flanges s and t, it would, by this expanding process,
automatically stop up the passage way between the air vent or tube v, and the space
between the flange t, and the top of the bottle, which latter space contains normally
a collar of some substance which will expand like blotting paper when moistened.
I use for this purpose semicircular pieces of bass wood A, which are applied to the
tube o, before it is inserted in the cap. The piece of blotting paper which serves
as the other absorbent may be made in the form of a strip as in Figure 4, having a
notch, opposite the air vent. This piece of blotting paper is simply wrapped
around the tube o, before insertion into the cap.
As with the piece of blotting paper, so with the wooden collar, both fitting
normally, that is when dry, snugly but not tightly, so that air may pass around the
same on its way from the outside air to the vent and yet when they absorb one or
more liquids they will swell and fill the spaces in which they are located water-
tight.
k is a string which passes through the notch j, into the interior of the cap through
the notch w, and plugs up the air vent in conjunction with sealing wax y.
In Figures 6 and 7, the upper portion of the lip of the bottle has concentric
Corrugations . These corrugations, in conjunction with a cork washer, u', serve to
produce a better sealing joint between the ring n, and the lip c.
Having set forth the elements of construction, and their relative positions to each
other, will now describe the operation and state the exact function of cach
clement.
The general operation consists in inverting the bottle. Iminediately the contents
will run out in a smooth stream from the exit of the cap. There is no bubbling or
other disturbance during the outflow, for while the liquid is passing outward, air is
entering the bottle by the passage way formed through the notch j, around the
edges of the flange t, through the notch w, into the air vent through the air tube c,
and into the bottle. After a sufficient quantity of the contents has been obtained,

page_text: manner.
the bottle is placed again in its upright position. The valve 7, which left its seat
during inversion, resumes the same and closes the bottle from allowing evapora-
tion to proceed. So that it is as well corked as if done so by hand in the usual
Practically no evaporation can take place through the capillary tuber.
No liquid will pass through the air tube to the blotter, or to the wooden ring either
before, during, or after use of the bottle in the manner described, because just as
soon as the bottle is inverted, the weight of the water acting downwards, produces a
suction which causes air to be forced into the bottle from the outside and therefore,
it is impossible for any liquid to pass in the opposite direction through the tube
which is capillary, or at least, very small. However, there is a certain tampering
of the bottle which will cause the liquid to come in contact with the blotter v₁,
and this explains the use of the blotter v', which prevents, by its location and
properties, the liquid from coming in contact with the wooden ring A. This may
be explained as follows:-
If the operator in any way stops up the exit p, in the conical extension, as for
instance, by pressing his finger thereon, the liquid will find its way to the blotter,
closes up
not by way of the valve. This would be impossible, because the cork
But nevertheless, some
all passage between the valve chamber and the blotter o'.
liquid will come to the blotter because there will be a certain leakage or dripping
of the contents of the tube », which will moisten the blotter. Of course, it is
supposed, on theoretical grounds, that no liquid enters the tube, but it is found by
practical experience that it is at least moist, getting so probably, by capillary
attraction from the drops of water which necessarily adhere outside at the very end
of the tube. By whatever means it gets into the tube, experiment proves that it
does. As the finger prevents the water from coming out of the bottle, and there-
fore prevents air from rushing in through the vent, the slight contents of the tube
will gradually but comparatively quickly leak down the tube and moisten the
blotter. By this peculiar operation or tampering with the bottle, the further use
of the bottle has become impaired to the extent that the liquid will only come out
by drops and by shaking, instead of a constant stream. This defect in the bubbling
exit of the water, will show that the bottle has been operated contrary to the
directions which would be applied to each bottle in the following language, or in
language to the same effect ·
"DO NOT STOP UP THE MOUTH OF THE BOTTLE
WHILE INVERTED.'
"
I will now explain how one cannot enter any liquid into the bottle without
removing the seal. If one can do it, of course he would have to force it either
through the air tube v, or through the nozzle p. In the first instance it is impossible
for several reasons, and the first is that one cannot well apply any kind of nozzle
to the notch j, in an air tight manner; but this is merely incidental. If he should
secure a conduit of an air tight nature, so that he could force a liquid through
the notch, the liquid would not enter the bottle, because, (or at least only a
few drops) just as soon as the liquid saturated the semicircular rings A, they would
swell to such an extent as to form a seal or obstruction to the entrance of the
liquid into the tube v; also the blotter would swell and would assist in this corking
of the passage way. Herein is seen the function of the expansible ring A. Again,
no liquid could be forced into the nozzle p, because of the valve q, which applies to
that class which will open only by pressure from within the bottle and will close
more tightly by pressure from without.
Referring to Figure 5, it will be seen how the air tube may be sealed, so that it
can be opened from without. A string k, passes in through the notch j, through
the notch w, and into the end of the tube v, and the string is sealed to the wall of
the tube o, so that by the shaking of the bottle during transportation, no liquid

page_text: will get into the air tube and leak out to the blotter, ¹. When the purchaser is
about to use the bottle for the first time, he jerks the string k, and the same is
entirely separated from the bottle and leaves the air vent entirely open.
In Figure 8, the cap is shown by itself modified, the passage way p. being fused
so as to be closed. Before the bottle is used this portion is broken off. Its object
is to prevent the escape of any liquid during transportation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a bottle of a perforated cap, a seal clamping the cap
over the mouth of the bottle, a tube having a valve and forming a communication
from the interior of the bottle to the interior of the cap, an air conduit extending
from the interior of the bottle to the exterior thereof, a scal stopping up the air
conduit at a point within the cap, and a flexible ligature attached to the scal and
extending to the outside of the cap and of the bottle.
2. The combination with a bottle of a perforated cap, a seal clamping the two
together, a tube passing from the interior of the bottle to the interior of the cap, a
cork or a similar corking material at the upper portion of said tube and fitting
tightly between the tube and the cap, the tube being provided with grooves around
the outside of the same, porous rings fitting in the respective grooves loosely
between the tube and the inner wall of the cap and located below the cork and a
capillary conduit extending from the interior of the bottle through the wall of said
tube and into the upper groove, the lower groove being connected by a conduit
with the outside of the bottle and with the upper groove.
3. The combination with a bottle of a closed cap fitted over the mouth: thereof
and sealed thereto, an air conduit extending from the bottom of the bottle, inside,
through a valved partition into the cap, and having this entrance into the cap
sealed, and a flexible ligature extending from the last named seal to the outside
bottle.
Dated this 27th day of September 1894.
HARVEY ISAAC LEITH.
F. W. Golby,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.