Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them from being Refilled.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1898 -Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them from being Refilled.
I, ALFRED TAYLOR, Goldstream, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada,
Mechanical Engineer, 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;-
-
My invention relates to an improved device for preventing the refilling of bottles
after they have once been emptied of their original contents; and the object of
this invention is to provide a moveable valve in the neck of a bottle having a
contracted throat, which valve when the bottle is inverted will fall forward and
allow the liquid to escape, but when the bottle is held upright, or a liquid is
forced into the neck, the valve will fall or be driven back and effectively seal
the opening.
I attain the above object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which-
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a bottle neck constructed to receive my valve
stopping device. This shows the valve in proper position when upright, and
Fig. 2 is a plan section on the line a a.
Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the view.
The neck A is preferably made in the ordinary way, but having a contracted
throat 10 at some distance from the mouth, so that the refilling preventative will
not interfere with the stopping of the bottle.
Arranged to lie directly in the throat 10 is a valve or stopper 11. This valve
is provided with a head or cap 12, which rests on the upper rim of the throat;
and a rubber gasket or washer 13 resting around and beneath the cap 12 forms a
tight seal when the bottle is in an upright position. For a portion of the stem
of the valve 11 the construction is of irregular form to allow of the passage of
the liquid from the bottle and at the same time the irregular edges rest in
proximity to the walls of the throat and prevent the said valve from having a
lateral movement. (See Fig. 2.) At some distance below the cap 12 the stem is
contracted to a small depending portion 14, and around this is formed a groove 14"
over which is placed a rubber conical shaped washer 15, the upwardly sloping
outer rims of which engage the walls of the throat. This washer 15 acts as a
flexible valve or trap. It allows the liquid to escape from the bottle, but should
the same be poured in, the washer will seal the throat effectively, as it will be
pressed against the walls thereof. As shown by dotted lines, it matters not what
the position of the valve 11 is in, the washer 15 will act the same. Thus it is
seen that although the liquid may freely escape the same cannot be introduced
into the bottle.
Beneath the washer or flexible valve 15, grooves 17 are cut parallel on opposite
sides diagonally across the said stem. Arranged on the recessed side of the stem,
and with its fork taking into the grooves 17 is a cross check-bar 18. The
grooves 17 on the opposite sides of the stem of the valve are so formed that the
Check-bar 18 will drop to a horizontal position and fulcrum on the lower part

page_text: of the stem and form a leverage on the opposite side thereof; and as shown in
dotted lines this check-bar 18 is arranged to lie with its solid end in close proximity
to the rubber washer 15, for the purpose of being introduced into the bottle
To prevent it from dropping to this position, however, and allowing the valve to
be withdrawn from the bottle, the lower rim of the rubber washer 15, which
engages in the groove on the stem, projects beyond the plane occupied by the
upper surface of the check-bar when being forced into the bottle; but after the
valve is in the rubber will press the bar forward and always prevent it from
dropping, so that its outer end will pass within the throat.
From the foregoing it is shown that the flexible washer 15 performs two
functions; it prevents liquid from being introduced into the bottle, and also it
prevents the check-bar from being tumbled over so that its outer end would
enter the throat and allow the valve to come away from the throat.
Should it be desirous to employ my device in the mouth of bottles for containing
sauces, etc., the upper portion containing the cork, as shown by dotted lines, may
be dispensed with, and the bottle may be sealed with wax or other material, until
in use, when the valve will provide a convenient stopper.
The valve 11 and the check-bar 18 may be made of the same material as the
bottle; the washers 13 and 15 being the only parts that require to be of foreign
matter, such as rubber, or any other foreign material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In combination with a bottle, a neck having a contracted throat, a valve
loosely arranged in the same, the stem of which has an irregular surface, a cap
on said stem and a rubber or pliable washer on the stem beneath said cap; of a
coned flexible washer on a contracted portion of the stem at some distance below
the cap, said cone being inverted and made to fit the walls of the throat and of
means for preventing the valve from being detached from the throat, as specified.
2. In a bottle for the purposes described, in combination with the neck having
a contracted throat, a moveable valve in said throat, a cap on said valve, and a
washer therebeneath attached to the valve, and made to rest between the rim of
the cap and the upper side of the throat; of a flexible closure surrounding the
stem of the valve and engaging the walls of the throat, a flattened contraction on
the stem of the valve beneath the said throat and in proximity to the lower rim
of the flexible closure, a biforked check-bar arranged to lie in the flattened con-
traction, with its fork on each side of the stem, in a horizontal position, so that
as the valve falls towards the mouth of the bottle it will be prevented from coming
away from the throat, as specified.
Dated this 19th day of November A.D. 1898.
WILLIAM G. TRETHEWEY,
Agent.