IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLOSING AND OPENING OF NECKED VESSELS OR BOTTLES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carlo Minasi, of College Place, Camden Town, in
the County of Middlesex, Professor of Music, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLOSING AND OPENING OF NECKED VESSELS OR
BOTTLES."
Sealed the 1st March 1872, and dated the 12th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carlo Minasi at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1871.
I, CARLO MINASI, of College Place, Camden Town, in the County of
Middlesex, Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLOSING AND OPENING OF NECKED
VESSELS OR BOTTLES," to be as follows:-
The improvements have reference partly to fittings to decanters and
other bottles and necked vessels, so contrived as by the act of pouring
to be self-opening, and by the act of standing them down or returning

page_text: them to an upright position to be self-closing against dust or exposure of
the contents to the atmosphere. I employ a plate, or button, or cover
with a weighted stem thereto, the stem passing through gimbals, or
swivels, or pivots, or rockers to adapt the contrivance to any or a
particular position for pouring, and the weight so overbalancing or
displacing the cover as to allow a convenient egress of the contents,
and on the return of the bottle to the upright or standing attitude to
return the cover to its original position.
Fig. 1 shews external elevation of neck of decanter fitted accordingly,
and Fig. 2 section, both views shewing the fittings closed; Fig. 3
section shewing decanter in the inclined position proper for pouring out
the contents, the fittings being open.
a is decanter; b, cork carrying tube c and case; d, e, is lid or cover to
orifice through which the contents are poured out; e*, stem to same and
e weight on stem; f gimbals through which the stem e slides, thus
permitting the cover e to adapt itself for pouring whatever be the
chance way in which the decanter is handled.
Fig. 4 is plan shewing gimbals; Fig. 5 is a section shewing modifi-
cation of d there being a spout d*, and Fig. 6 view to correspond of
decanter in the inclined position for pouring. Instead of gimbals
proper a rocking swivel is substituted, and the sliding stem ex has a
square instead of a circular fitting. Fig. 6 is another modification
shewing the improved fittings adapted externally.
For bottles for holding soda water or gaseous liquids where it may be
desirable to use at one time a portion only of the contents I employ a
hanging elastic piston within the bottle and with rod passing through
the mouth of bottle and through a cork, or stopple, or cover, the piston
serving by the gaseous pressure against it to effect the closing, and the
rod which serves to press upon and open the piston when desired having
an inclined jamming up or other fitting piece adapted to fit in or against
the cork, or cover, to prevent the piston and rod from dropping down
into the bottle, and to hold it open so long as desired.
Figures 7 and 8 are sections of bottle and fittings in upright and
inclined positions respectively. m is the bottle, n the piston, and n* its
rod; o is the cork or cover partly of metal, partly of cork or elastic
material; p is the inclined fitting for jamming up into the cover o, as in
Figure 8, thus holding the piston down in the bottle and allowing the

page_text: contents to be poured out, and also preventing the piston and rod from
dropping to the bottom of the bottle. Fig. 9 is a modification 'showing
those imnuored fittings adanted outonnally to nook of battle
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Carlo Minasi in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARLO
MINASI, of College Place, Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex,
Professor of Music, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Carlo Minasi, Her special licence that
I, the said Carlo Minasi, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Carlo Minasi, my executors, administrators,
and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLOSING AND
OPENING OF NECKED VESSELS OR BOTTLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Carlo Minasi, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Carlo Minasi, 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 :-
The improvements have reference, firstly, to fittings to decanters and
other bottles and necked vessels which are intended to stand ordinarily

page_text: in an upright position, so contrived as by the act of pouring to be self-
opening, and by the act of standing them down or returning them to an
upright position to be self-closing against dust or exposure of the
contents to the atmosphere. And the said improvements consist in the
employment of a plate, or button, or cover with a weighted stem
thereto, the stem passing through gimbals, or swivels, or pivots, or
rockers, to adapt the contrivance to any or a particular position for
pouring, and the weight so overbalancing or displacing the cover as to
allow a convenient egress of the contents, and on the return of the bottle
to the upright or standing attitude to return the cover to its original
position.
In order to illustrate the manner in which this part of the Invention
is to be performed, Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing shews
external elevation of neck of decanter fitted accordingly, and Figure 2
section, both views shewing the fittings closed; Figure 3 section shewing
decanter in the inclined position proper for pouring out the contents, the
fittings being open.
a is decanter; b, cork carrying tube c; d, case; e is lid or cover to
orifice through which the contents are poured out; e*, stem to same; and
e weight on stem; f, gimbals through which the stem e slides, thus :
permitting the cover e to adapt itself for pouring whatever be the
chance way in which the decanter is handled.
Figure 4 is plan shewing gimbals; Figure 5 is a section shewing
modification, the case d being constructed with a spout d*, and Figure 6
view (to correspond) of the decanter in the inclined position for pouring.
Instead of gimbals proper a rocking swivel is substituted and the sliding
stem ex has a square instead of a circular fitting. Figure 6* is another
modification shewing the improved fittings adapted externally.
The improvements have reference, secondly, to bottles for holding
soda water or gaseous liquids where it may be desirable to use at one
time a portion only of the contents, and consist in the employment of a
hanging elastic piston within the bottle, and with rod passing through
the mouth of bottle and through a cork, or stopple, or cover, the piston
serving by the gaseous pressure against it to effect the closing, and the
rod which serves to press upon and open the piston having in some
cases but not in all an inclined jamming up or other fitting piece
adapted to fit in or against the cork, or stopple, or cover, to prevent the

page_text: piston from dropping down into the bottle and to hold it open so long
as desired.
j
And in order to illustrate the, manner in which this part of the
Invention is to be performed, Figures 7 and 8 in the accompanying
Drawing are sections of bottle and fittings in upright and inclined
positions respectively. m is the bottle; n, the piston, and n* its rod; o
is a cork or cover partly of metal, partly of cork or elastic material and
made hollow or tubular for egress of contents of the bottle rather than
for securely closing the bottle, which object is effected by the elastic
piston; p is the inclined fitting for jamming up into the cover o as in
Figure 8, thus holding the piston down in the bottle and allowing the
contents to be poured out and also preventing the piston and rod from
dropping to the bottom of the bottle. Figure 9 is a modification
shewing these improved fittings adapted externally to neck of bottle.
'
The following Figures shew bottles with hanging elastic piston, and
with rod passing through the mouth and through cork, or stopple, or
cover, but without an inclined jamming up or fitting picce as above
described.
Figures 10 and 11 are sections of a bottle having the said improved
appliances adapted thereto, Figure 10 shewing open position of piston,
the stopple being represented in section, and Figure 11 closed position,
the stopple being shewn in elevation. Both Figures shew top of the
piston rod n* provided with a small plate s having on the under side
three pins or feet (the number may be varied) which rest on the top of
the hollow stopple o or frame of same when piston is fully open, and
prevent the piston and rod from dropping into the bottle and allowing
free egress of the contents. Figure 12 is a top plan of the plate 8, with
its legs, piston rod, and piston. The small holes shown in the plate are
for the purpose of facilitating the pouring out from the bottle. Figures
13 and 14 correspond generally with Figures 10 and 11, but shew the
stopple o constructed with a bridge or bridle picce o* projecting above
or standing proud of the top, the piston rod n* passing through it and a
clamping or set screw t being provided to hold the rod and piston at any
desired degree or amount of opening. Figure 15 is plan view of the
plate s at top of piston, and of the bridge piece o* and stopple o.
The
piston rod is partly of a square or rectangular section and has on one
side serrations for the set screw more readily to fix it.
From the foregoing matter it will be evident to the reader that the
term "hanging" as hercin used in connection with the words "bottle'
"

page_text: and "piston" is intended to be understood as applicable when the bottle
is in an upright or approximately upright position with mouth presented
upwards.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carlo Minasi, have hereunto set
•
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
CARLO MINASI. (L.S.)