Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles.
I JUSTUS ALBERT TRANT, of New Britain, in the County of Hartford and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, gentleman, 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 improvements in bottle-stoppers of the class which have an
expansible portion within the neck of the bottle and the chief object of my inven-
tion is simplicity and economy in construction.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan view of my bottle stopper.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line x-x of Fig. 1 together with a portion of a
bottle, the central member of the stopper being shown in elevation.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cap plate of said stopper.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of my bottle-stopper with a slight modification and
Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.
6 designates the cap-plate designed to rest upon the mouth of the bottle A and
provided with a central oblong orifice 7 (most clearly shown in Fig. 3 and with two
downwardly projecting handles 8. 8. 9, designates a plug centrally perforated and
provided with a conical lower end 10. 11 is a cylindrical block of rubber or
equivalent expansible material which is also centrally perforated and 12 designates a
bolt having a flat shoulder under its head at its lower end and a flattened shank 13.
at its upper end, the edges of which are threaded. The body of said bolt passes
through the cylindrical block and conical-ended plug, while its flattened shank extends
through the oblong opening 7 in the cap plate 6 and is provided with the thumb-
nut 14.
In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. I intend to form the cap-plate 6
and nut 14 of sheet metal and the conical-ended plug 9 of a separate piece of proper
material as for instance, wood.
If desired, however, the cap-plate 6 and nut 14 may be made of cast metal in which
case the conical-ended plug or portion may be formed in one and the same piece
with the cap-plate 6 and in skeleton form as shown by the skeleton plug 15, in
Figs. 4 and 5 said plug having the conical lower end 10, substantially as in the
construction first described.
In operation, the stopper is inserted within the neck of the bottle while the operator
with one hand prevents the cap-plate from rotating and with the other hand turns
the nut 14.
The flattened shank of the bolt by being fitted to the oblong hole in the cap
plate 6 is prevented from rotating so long as the cap-plate is held stationary. Turning
the nut in a direction to draw the head of the bolt upward expands the cylindrical
block 11, within the mouth of the bottle to firmly close the same as in ordinary
stoppers of this class.
Turning the nut in the reverse direction will loosen the stopper.
1 am aware of prior patents for internal bottle stoppers in which an elastic block
is expanded within the neck of the bottle under the influence of pressure against a
cone face and I hereby disclaim the same.
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 :-
The bereindescribed bottle stonnes consisting of the con-plate provided with an

page_text: oblong opening and handles, a conical ended plug, an expansible block, the bolt 12.
ha ring
a flattened shank and the thumb nut 14, secured thereon, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 5th day of Iul. 1000
JUSTUS ALBERT TRANT.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
JUSTUS ALBERT TRANT.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.