IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DECANTERS, WATER BOTTLES, TUMBLERS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, CHINA, STONE- WARE, OR OTHER BRITTLE OR HARD MATERIALS."
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to James Vernon, of the Firm of James Vernon and Brother,
of Newton Stewart, in the County of Wigton, Scotland, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DECANTERS, WATER BOTTLES,
TUMBLERS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR ARTICLES MADE OF GLASS, CHINA, STONE-
WARE, OR OTHER BRITTLE OR HARD MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Vernon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1876.
JAMES VERNON, of the Firm of James Vernon and Brother, of Newton Stewart,
in the County of Wigton, Scotland. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
DECANTERS, WATER BOTTLES, TUMBLERS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR ARTICLES MADE
OF GLASS, CHINA, STONEWARE, OR OTHER BRITTLE OR HARD MATERIALS."
The object of this Invention is to construct the bottoms or bases of articles made
of glass, china, earthenware, or other hard, brittle, or fragile material or substance
in such a manner that such articles will not be so liable to be chipped as when con-
structed in the ordinary manner.
The Invention is particularly applicable to decanters, water bottles, tumblers, and
other vessels or articles made of glass, the edges of which are very liable to be
chipped when they came in contact with another hard substance, such as marble,
stone, or metal.
The Invention is also applicable to vessels or articles made of china, earthenware,
or stoneware. It consists in securing in any convenient manner to the base of the
article small blocks, studs, balls, or rings, made of india-rubber, gutta percha, leather,
or some other analogous elastic or flexible substance.
I have found vulcanized india-rubber to be a very suitable substance for the pur-
poses of my Invention, and in carrying out my improvements I form in the base of
the article (when it is being made) shallow holes, recesses, or notches, in which I
secure the pieces of india-rubber or other analogous substance by means of cement
or otherwise. A portion of these pieces of india-rubber will project above or beyond
the glass or other surface and will form feet on which the article will rest, and will
prevent the base of the brittle article from coming in contact with the hard surface.
on which it is placed; there will therefore be no liability of the edges of the
[Price 6d.]

page_text: article becoming chipped, and moreover the article may be placed down noise-
lessly on a hard surface, such as marble, stone, or metal, thereby avoiding the shocks
consequent upon setting down articles made of the above mentioned brittle materials
on a hard surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Vernon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th March
1877.
"
JAMES VERNON, of the Firm of James Vernon and Brother, of Newton Stewart,
in the County of Wigton, Scotland. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
DECANTERS, WATER BOTTLES, TUMBLERS, AND OTHER VESSELS OR ARTICLES MADE
OF GLASS, CHINA, STONEWARE, OR OTHER BRITTLE OR HARD MATERIALS."
This Invention relates to the extended application of a principle disclosed in the
Specification of a Patent granted to me and dated the First June, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six, for "Improvements in Toilet or Wash-hand Stand
Services." Under that Patent I claimed as subsidiary to the main Invention the
application to articles of earthenware forming part of the toilet or wash-hand
stand service of elastic pads or feet which served to prevent the bottoms of the
ewers, basins, and other pieces from scratching the marble top of the wash-
hand stand, and removed the liability of their being chipped or broken when hastily
set down on the stand.
Since applying for this Patent of the First June, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six, I have discovered that elastic pads or feet might also be applied with
advantage to articles of earthenware other than those indicated in the title of my
Patent, and also to certain articles of glass which were liable to fracture from
rough usage.
I now propose, as the main object of the present Invention, to fit decanters, water
bottles, tumblers, goblets, and wine glasses, and such like vessels of glass with an
elastic cushion or pads which will interpose between the glass and the surface on
which they may be placed, and thus avoid the risk of fracture to which glass vessels
are constantly exposed while in use.
In applying this Invention it is requisite to provide an elastic material which will
not be injuriously affected by water and by the detergent substances used in washing
the articles to which the elastic material is to be applied, and furthermore it is im-
portant that the pads or cushions should be permanently secured in place and
have no tendency to yield to the friction of drying cloths and become loosened or
displaced.
To provide against these contingencies I employ the material known as vulcanized
india-rubber, preferring that which is prepared with "Kerme's mineral," and this I
cause to fit a rebated recess or recesses formed in the bottom or foot of the glass
vessel, securing the same in place in the manner which I will proceed to explain,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
Fig. 1 shews in partial sectional elevation a water bottle fitted at foot with an
elastic bearing surface according to my Invention; and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan
view of the same; a is a ring of vulcanized india-rubber composed of a bead or strip
of such section as will fill a rebated annular groove formed in the bottom of the
water bottle and projecting slightly beyond it. This annular groove is enlarged
laterally, as shewn at b, to permit of the insertion of the strip of rubber end wise
therein. When inserted in its place the part b may be filled up with cement of any
kind that will remain unaffected by water and alkaline solutions to which the vessel
may be exposed when being cleaned.
Fig. 3 shews in vertical section the foot of a wine glass fitted according to my
Invention with an elastic cushion or protector for the glass. In this case the annular
rebated groove formed in the foot of the glass is not intended to be enlarged, as

page_text: shewn at Fig. 2, as I use a ring and rely upon the elasticity of the india-rubber to
draw the ring into its seat and retain it therein without the application of cement
thereto. In order to facilitate this I make the depth of the groove incline towards
the horizontal instead of making it vertical as in the first example. The section of
the ring will of course correspond to the sectional figure of the groove, and the ring
will be of such width as when filling the groove to leave an elastic head below the
foot of the glass.
Figures 4 and 5 shew another mode of applying the Invention to glass vessels, the
vessel used for the illustration being a tumbler. In the bottom of the glass three
or more circular recesses are formed to receive elastic studs of india-rubber.
These studs are moulded with a flange on their inner end to form a holding
for cement, which is inserted in and made to fill the space in the recess not
occupied by the stud. The further to ensure the maintenance of the stud in
the recess pieces of wire of a length equal to the diameter of the recess are
passed through the stem of the stud at right angles to each other, and these
with the aid of the binding cement will effectually secure the stud in place.
Studs of this character may be employed wherever the thickness of the material
admits of their insertion.
Fig. 6 shews in transverse section, and Fig. 7 in inverted plan view, the bottom
portion of an ordinary basiu fitted with an elastic annular pad according to this
Invention. In this example, as in Fig. 2, the rebated annular groove is enlarged
laterally as at c, Fig. 7, to admit of the insertion of the bead or strip of india-rubber d
endwiso into the groove. This elastic bead is shewn in side view at Fig. 8 with holes
pierced through its rebated part. These holes are intended to be filled with cement
which will harden and adhere to the sides of the groove, or form hard pins that will
resist all tendency of the ring to tear away when subjected to undue strain. This will
be better understood by reference to Fig. 6, which shows a pin of cement lying trans-
versely of the groove. Keen's china cement will serve my purpose.
The Invention is particularly applicable to large vessels of earthenware with lids
of the same material, such as sugar jars and bread pans.
When applying the Invention to bread pans, which usually stand upon a stone or
brick floor, I fit the bottom with studs, as explained with reference to Figures 4 and
5, but the lid of the pan by preference I form with a rebated groove at the lip, and
fit the same with a ring of india-rubber which will bed upon the flange of the pan
as illustrated at Fig. 9.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the Con-
struction of Decanters, Water Bottles, Tumblers, and other Vessels or Articles made
of Glass, China, Stoneware, or other Brittle or Hard Materials," and explained the
nanner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim the fitting of elastic pads or feet to articles of earthenware forming parts of
toilet or wash-hand stand services, as that is already secured under my Patent of June
First, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, but excluding such articles I claim
under the above in part recited Letters Patent constructing articles of glass and
earthenware or other materials having the like characteristics of brittleness and
hardness, with cushions or pads of vulcanized india-rubber or its equivalent, the
samme being inserted and secured in place in the manner and for the purpose above
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Vernon, have hercunto set my hand
and seal, the Twelfth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
JAMES VERNON. (L.S.)