IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BOTTLING OR STOPPERING BARM, BEER, AND OTHER FERMENTED LIQUORS, AND IN THE STOPPERS APPLICABLE FOR THIS AND OTHER KINDRED PURPOSES."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Jackson Chapman and John Goldie Chapman,
both of 19, Priory Street, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BOTTLING OR STOPPERING
BARM, BEER, AND OTHER FERMENTED LIQUORS, AND IN THE STOPPERS
APPLICABLE FOR THIS AND OTHER KINDRED PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Jackson Chapman
and John Goldie Chapman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 28th August 1877.
THOMAS JACKSON CHAPMAN and JOHN GOLDIE CHAPMAN, both of 19, Priory
Street, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO BOTTLING OR STOPPERING BARM, BEER, AND OTHER FERMENTED LIQUORS, AND
IN THE STOPPERS APPLICABLE FOR THIS AND OTHER KINDRED PURPOSES."
In stoppering aerated liquids with internal stoppers no difficulty is experienced, as
the gas forces the stopper against the neck of the bottle. Many attempts have been
made to use this kind of stopper for fermented liquors, but as these liquids are
stoppered in what is called the "dead" state the schemes have all depended for their
action on some mode of screwing or tying the stoppers up into their places.
Now our Invention consists in a mode of stoppering bottles with internal stoppers
without the use of string, springs, screws, wires, or other similar appliances. We find
that even in these "dead" liquors there is a considerable amount of gas held in solu-
tion, and that if it be shaken up this gas is liberated. Now this gas is hardly powerful
enough, except in rare cases, to press the stopper tight against the neck unaided;
but if the stopper previous to and during the shaking be drawn tight up against
the neck, the combined pressure, caused by the pull and the liberated gas, fixes the
stopper instantaneously and permanently in position. For a considerable period
after this, as the after fermentation goes on, the pressure increases in intensity,
but the liquor can if desirable be partially or wholly drawn in the usual manner,
and if partially drawn reclosed by a combined pull and shake as before.

page_text: The forms of stopper best suited for this purpose are modifications of that for
which Letters Patent were granted to Samuel Russell, No. 1485, bearing date 16th
May 1872, and of which we are the proprietors, and shown in Figure 3 of the blue
book thereof. The washer H, H, in that Figure may be used to keep the dust out
of the orifice when the stopper is up.
The hole should be placed in one side of the washer so that it can more con-
veniently cover the orifice.
These modifications consist as follows:-
1st. We prefer to bend the shank, joining the head to the stopper proper, so that
instead of rising up through the centre of the neck it rises right up against the side
of the bottle; or instead of this we make the shank in two telescopic or other
portions sliding one into the other, but the inner one has a pin working in a groove
in the other, so that by turning it the inner part stands rigid in position, either
rising up above the lip of the bottle, or lying down close to it.
Other ways could be described of arranging the stopper in two pieces, so that it
will lock by turning it on its axis, but they all depend for their action on one part
being free to slide or rotate on the other while capable of locking when desired.
Sometimes too we make a hollow cylinder instead of a shank, and pivot the
stopper to it by swivelling hooks, or otherwise, but the exact shape of the shank is,
as will be seen, immaterial, and whether cast, stamped out, or formed of wire or
tubing, in all cases it must be such that it can be grasped by the hand or an instru-
ment, and drawn up till the stopper proper (which usually consists of an india-
rubber washer, ring, or disc), is pressed tight against the neck.
It is well to note that there are many other stoppers that could be applied to the
mode of stoppering bottles herein described, though not so conveniently, in fact,
almost any stopper that can by hand; hook, or otherwise, be drawn up into the
neck of the bottle will act more or less.
We sometimes groove the shank to enable the liquor to pass in and out and wash
the bottles more effectually, and also the half button that we use for a head is
hollowed out for the finger to more easily grasp it.
The edge of the button may be hooked to catch an indent in the rim of the bottle,
and thus hold securely while the liquor is poured out. These stoppers and the
mode of bottling are applicable for the barm, beer, stone bottle as well as glass, the
shape being preferably short necked.
With long-necked bottles we prefer to place a chamber in the neck to hold the
stopper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Jackson Chapman and John Goldie Chapman in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th February 1878.
THOMAS JACKSON CHAPMAN and JOHN GOLDIE CHAPMAN, both of 19, Priory
Street, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO BOTTLING OR STOPPERING BARM, BEER, AND OTHER FERMENTED LIQUORS, AND
IN THE STOPPERS APPLICABLE FOR THIS AND OTHER KINDRED PURPOSES."
In stoppering aerated liquids with internal stoppers no difficulty is experienced
as the gas forces the stopper against the neck of the bottle. Many attempts have
been made to use this kind of stopper for fermented liquors, but as these
liquids are stoppered in what is called the "dead" state, the schemes have all
depended for their action on some mode of screwing or tying the stoppers up
into their places.
Now our Invention consists in a mode of stoppering bottles with internal stop-
pers without the use of string, springs, screws, wires, or other similar appliances.
We find that even in these "dead" liquors there is a considerable amount of gas
held in solution, and that if it be shaken up this gas is liberated. *Now this gas is
hardly powerful enough (except in rare cases) to press the stopper tight against the
neck unaided; but if the stopper is fitted with a washer having a wide bearing
surface, and previous to and during the shaking the said washer is drawn tight up
against the neck, the combined pressure caused by the pull and the liberated gas
fixes the stopper instantaneously and permanently in position. For a considerable
period after this, as the after fermentation goes on, the pressure increases in
intensity, but the liquor can if desirable be partially or wholly drawn in the usual
manner, and if partially drawn reclosed by combined pull and shake as before.
To assist the efforts of the gas to retain the stopper in place and to prevent the
possibility of the stopper being accidentally or otherwise knocked down, we
prefer to store and carry the bottle by the stopper, so that the whole weight of the
bottle itself will aid in keeping the bottle tight. To effect this we use a case, shewn
in Fig. 3. In this, H, H, are bottles suspended by the button or head of the stopper
from jaws I hollowed out to nicely fit the button; slatts of wood K., K, and wires L, L,
retain the bottles in their places, and this case is used not merely for holding the
bottles but for transporting them.
The forms of stopper best suited for this purpose are modifications of that for
which Letters Patent were granted to Samuel Russell, No. 1485, bearing date 16th
May 1872 (and of which we are the proprietors), and shewn in Fig. 3 of the blue
book thereof. The washer H, H, in that Figure may be used to keep the dust out
of the orifice when the stopper is up, but we prefer to use a round paper label, as
shown in Fig. 4, which can be readily put on or off.
The hole should be placed in one side of the washer so that it can more con-
veniently cover the orifice.
Our improvement consists as follows:-
We bend the shank A, Figs. 1 and 2, joining the head B to the stopper proper, C,
so that instead of rising up through the centre of the neck it rises right up against the
side of the bottle; and when pressed down to withdraw the contents of the bottle
the stopper is enabled to lie on one side by the crank and washer, falling into the
shoulder of the bottle, so that the liquor can more readily flow out and the bottle be
thoroughly washed with a brush or otherwise, as shewn in Fig. 5.
Other ways could be described of arranging the stopper, but the exact shape of the
shank is, as will be seen, comparatively immaterial, and whether cast, stamped out,
or formed of wire or tubing, in all cases it must be such that it continually hangs in
the neck and can be grasped by the hand or an instrument, and drawn up till the
stopper proper (which usually consists of an india-rubber washer, ring, or disc) is
pressed against the neck.

page_text: i
It is well to note that there are many other stoppers that could be applied to the
mode of stoppering bottles herein described, though not so conveniently; in fact
almost any stopper with adequate washer, that can by hand, hook, or otherwise be
drawn up into the neck of the bottle will act more or less.
We sometimes groove the shank A to enable the liquor to pass in and out and
wash the bottles more effectually, and also the half button that we use for a head is
hollowed out for the finger more easily to grasp it.
The edge of the button may be hooked to catch an indent in the rim of the
bottle and thus hold securely while the liquor is poured out. These stoppers and
the mode of bottling are applicable for the barm, beer, stone bottle as well as glass,
the shape being preferably short necked.
With long-necked bottles we prefer to place a chamber in the neck to hold the
stopper.
The stopper is equally suitable for aerated waters.
Having now described our Invention and the best modes known to us of carrying
it into effect, we wish it to be understood that what we believe to be new and
desire to claim as our Invention under the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
I. The mode of bottling barm, beer, and other fermented liquors with internally
stoppered bottles by the aid of the gas existing in the nearly "dead" liquor, com-
bined with a pull on the stopper, in the manner herein-before described.
II. The bottling of barm, beer, and other similar liquids'in bottles with internal
stoppers, neither screwed, wedged, tied, or otherwise fastened in the orifice, but free
to be pressed in and the contents drawn without further trouble, substantially as
described.
III. The form of stopper for aerated and fermented liquors, as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2, more especially the bent stem, substantially as described.
The case, substantially as described in Fig. 3, is also our Invention, and its
employment in connection with our patented process, herein-described, is a useful
adjunct thereto, though not actually necessary for the carrying out of our said
patented process.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Goldie Chapman, on behalf of myself
and the said Thomas Jackson Chapman, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
J. O. O'BRIEN,
Clerk to Wm. P. Thompson,
Patent Office,
6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
JOHN GOLDIE CHAPMAN. (L.S.)