An Improved Bottle for Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling thereof.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov.,
1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Bottle for Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling thereof.
1, GEORGE DAVID HOWARD, of 38, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Halvar Starck, of Lorensen Block, Flat 16, Davenport, Iowa, United
States of America, Inventor,) to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to an improved bottle for preventing the fraudulent
refilling thereof, and in accordance therewith I provide a body portion having a
broadened base, the top of such body portion having an opening in the top of
same which is closed hermetically and permanently, when the bottle is filled,
by means of a cap having an annular flange adapted to fit into cement grooves
between a pair of annular flanges surrounding the said opening, the said annular
flange on the cap also having cement grooves to correspond with the grooves
on the beforementioned flanges.
An opening is provided in the side of the bottle, which opening has a neck
leading therefrom, this said neck being provided with a ball-valve adapted to
seat itself upon the opening and close same.
The said neck is formed with an enlargement in one side clear of the passage,
adapted to receive and hold the ball-valve when the contents of the bottle are
being poured therefrom. Diaphragms are provided in the said neck, such dia-
phragms extending partially across the neck, and one being adapted to receive
and hold a portion of the liquid contained in the said bottle. The end of the
neck aforesaid is given an upward inclination.
1000
An Improved Bottle for Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling thereof.
I, GEORGE DAVID HOWARD, of 38, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Patent Agent, (a communication from Halvar Starck, of Lorensen Block, Flat 16,
Davenport, Iowa, U.S.A. Inventor,) 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 non-refillable bottles and its object is to provide an

page_text: improved form of device which shall be adapted for the purposes specified and
which may be cheaply constructed.
To this end my invention consists of a bottle, which may be blown, moulded
or otherwise shaped from glass or other material, provided with certain novel
features of construction that are hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my device.
Fig. 2 a similar view partly in section and Fig. 3 is a detail of the neck of the
bottle shewing a construction provided with cement grooves, while Figs. 4 & 4*
are sectional views on lines ab & c d respectively.
It will be noticed that this bottle is in reality provided with two necks, the
filling neck and the emptying neck, and that the last mentioned one must be
formed separately and attached thereto.
The number 1 indicates the body portion of my device, which is made of any
desired form, as round, square, elliptical or as fancy may dictate. I have shewn
in the drawings a conical form having an extended base which for emptying
purposes should in all the forms be curved upward. An opening 2 is made in
the upper part of my bottle and is surrounded by a projecting annulus 4, having
a second similar annulus 3 formed outside thereof. I preferably form the second
annulus to project slightly above the first, creating in such a way a place where
the one who sells the filled bottle can put his trade-mark, seal, or any other
designation in sealing wax, plaster-of-Paris, or any other suitable material.
The annuli ought preferable to be concentric.
A cap
5 is adapted to be inserted
within the annulus 4 after the bottle is filled and is there secured by any suitable
means as cement plaster-of-Paris, or the like. This cap has a downwardly project-
ing annular flange that is adapted to fit between the two annuli 3 and 4, and
in the construction of the flange it is provided with a horizontal groove corre-
sponding with a similar groove either on annulus 3 or on annulus 4 or on both
which filled with the fastening material effectually prevents the removal of
the cap by any other means than by completely destroying this part of the
bottle. At the lower portion of the bottle and a little above the base is fastened
the neck which is used in emptying the bottle, and this is formed by a tubular
extension made separately for inserting the glass ball forming the valve apper-
taining thereto and will now be described. The numeral 6 indicates the opening
from the neck to the body of the bottle and extending therefrom is the neck 7
having an enlarged portion 8 therein containing a projection to support the ball
valve in certain positions.
Partitions 9 extend horizontally from each and opposite sides when the bottle
is upright, at least half the diameter of the neck, to prevent the insertion of
any flexible filling tube into the bottle when it is kept in an inverted position
and when the ball valve does not stop the opening of the bottle. These partitions
may however be arranged to extend vertically when the upper one of these said
partitions serves a further purpose in that by means thereof the device is particu-
larly adapted for use as an ink bottle since the upper portion serves to retain
a small portion of the liquid contained in the bottle. This it will be plain affords
a place in which a pen may be dipped and at the same time prevents too great
a quantity of ink being taken up thereby. A further use of the peculiar adapta-
tion of this partition is that medicine may be removed there from by means of
the ordinary medicine dropper. It is of special importance that the opening 11
should be higher than the upper part of the opening in the bottle when it is
standing on its base as will be explained below. It is also of importance that
the opening is large enough to allow the ball-valve to be inserted and con-
sequently larger than the opening in the bottle. The opening in the bottle
receiving the ball valve is made with a spherically bevelled face to form a seat
for the ball valve thus forming a perfect closure. It will also be here noted that
the enlarged portion of the neck is formed to receive and by the projection hold

page_text: the ball valve when the bottle is turned upside down to be emptied and is of such
a size that the ball valve when held therein cannot interfere with the free passage
of the contents of the bottle when it is desired to pour the same therefrom; but
it must be constructed so that the ball-valve presents at least half of its diameter
above the outpouring part of the neck so that an ingoing fluid can strike it and
force it up to the opening in the bottle if, as shewn below, vacuum should be
created in the bottle. It is also plain that the opening 11 must be turned upward
as shewn in the drawings, because if not done it would not prevent a fluid from
the
entering the opening in in the bottle when it is turned upside down with
principal direction of the neck parallel with the surface of the fluid.
To fill the bottle-After it is rinsed with both necks open a cork or other
kind of stopper is inserted in the opening 11 and the bottle is filled through the
opening 2 not quite full leaving a little space between the surface of the fluid
and the stopper in the upper part of the bottle. When that is done the cap 5
is put on and secured as before described.
To empty the bottle:--The stopper is removed from the opening 11 and the
bottle is turned upside down. The little air left in the bottle during filling will
again be uppermost and is enough to permit the first portion of the fluid to be
poured out through the emptying neck. When there has been poured out as
much as desired, the bottle is turned over and placed on its base. The pressure
of the exterior air prevents the contents from rising in the neck higher than a
line drawn horizontally through the top point of the opening into the body of
the bottle.
The ball valve prevents any evaporation of the contents as well as any attempt
to dilute the same with any other liquid.
It is impossible to refill this bottle for in an upright position even if no ball
valve was placed in the lower neck the bottle could not be filled farther than
to the horizontal line passing through the upper part of the opening in the body
of the bottle but the ball valve prevents even this. The ball valve prevents also
the bottle being refilled in any other position in which the bottle may be placed
with the emptying neck turned up. The two partitions prevent the insertion of
a flexible tube to refill the bottle even in an inverted position as they completely
occupy the cross sectional area of the neck. It will also be impossible to refill
the bottle when immersed in any liquid for with the upper or filling neck turned
upward and the base downward not only the air but also the ball valve prevents
any fluid from entering the bottle. When with the bottle inverted and the ball
valve free from the opening the bottle is immersed in fluid the opening or
mouth of the neck strikes the surface of the fluid thus enclosing the air therein
& preventing any fluid entering. If from this position the bottle is brought
to a horizontal position the partitions in the neck will come into play. The one
that in this opening is uppermost will prevent the air from escaping from the
bottom while the other will prevent the fluid from entering therein. If the
bottle be turned farther the ball valve falls down & closes the opening. In all
positions between the two last mentioned it is easily understood that either the
ball valve, or the partitions will prevent the fluid from entering and the air
escaping.
If an attempt he made to fill the bottle by evacuating the air therefrom and
inverting the bottle in any fluid the inrushing fluid will strike that part of
the ball that projects into the neck (the ball being as above stated in the recess
when the bottle is inverted thus forcing the same to seat itself in the opening
and firmly close the valve. The pressure of the air will add materially to this
effect.
It is consequently impossible to refill this bottle either partially or entirely
since it can only be filled as at first before the filling neck is sealed up. I have
thus invented in this bottle a simple and effective device which once filled &
sealed cannot be used again. It is thus well adapted for patent medicines,
wines, fine liquors, perfumes & the like or in other words for all liquid preparations,

page_text: the manufacturer's of which use their own special bottle and are desirous of
preventing the refilling thereof with spurious immitations.
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 a non-refillable bottle the combination with a body portion provided with
a pair of openings therein one of said openings being located at the upper end
of said body portion while the other is located in the lower part of said body
portion of means for permanently scaling the opening of the upper part of the
body portion, a neck leading from the other opening, a ball held in said neck
which is adapted to receive and hold the ball, diaphragms extended partially
accross said neck, a valve seat formed in said neck a lateral enlargement formed
upon said neck and an upturned end formed thereon.
2. In a non-refillable bottle the combination with a body portion having a
broadened base an opening in the top and an opening in the side thereof near said
base of means for hermetically sealing the first mentioned opening, a neck leading
from the other opening, a ball valve held in said neck and a seat therefor, an
enlargement formed in one side of said neck clear of passage therethrough adapted
to receive & hold the ball-valve when the contents of bottle are being poured there-
from diaphragms extending partially across said neck & an upturned end formed
thereon.
3. In a non-refillable bottle, the combination with a body portion provided with
a pair of openings therein one of said openings being located at the upper end
of said body portion and the other thereof being located in the lower part of said
body portion of means for permanently sealing the opening in the upper part
of the body portion comprising a pair of annular flanges surrounding said opening
and a cap having an annular flange thereon adapted to fit between said pair of
flanges and cover said openings a neck leading from the other opening a ball
valve held in said neck a lateral enlargement formed upon said neck adapted
to receive and hold the ball, diaphragms extended partially across said neck
and an upturned end formed thereon.
4. In a non-refillable bottle the combination with a body portion having a
broadened base, an opening in the top thereof and an opening in the side thereof
near said base of means for hermetically and permanently sealing the first men-
tioned opening comprising a pair of annular flanges surrounding said opening
and a cap having an annular flange thereon adapted to fit between said pair
of flanges and cover said openings, a neck leading from the other opening, a
ball valve held in said neck & a seat therefor an enlargement formed in one side
of said neck clear of the passage therethrough adapted to receive and hold the
ball valve when the contents of the bottle are being poured therefrom diaphragms
extending partially across said neck and an upturned end formed thereon.
5. In a non-refillable bottle the combination with a body portion provided with
a pair of openings therein a permanent closure for one of said openings com-
prising a pair of annular flanges surrounding said opening and having cement
grooves therein and a cap having an annular flange thereon provided with cement
grooves to correspond with the grooves on the beforementioned flanges and adapted
to fit between the said flanges and cover said opening, a neck leading from the
other opening, a ball valve held in said neck, a lateral enlargement formed upon
said neck adapted to receive the ball and diaphragms extending partially across
said neck one of which is adapted to receive a portion of the liquid contained in
the bottle.
6. In a non refillable bottle the combination with a body portion provided with
a pair of openings therein one of said openings being located at the upper end
of said body portion of means for permanently sealing the opening in the upper
part of the body portion comprising a pair of annular flanges surrounding said
opening and having cement grooves therein and a cap having an annular Hange
thereon provided having cement grooves to correspond with the grooves on 'the

page_text: before mentioned flanges and adapted to fit between said flanges and cover said
opening, a neck leading from the other opening a ball valve held in said neck,
a lateral enlargement formed upon said neck adapted to receive & hold the ball
and diaphragms extending partially across said neck one of which is adapted to
receive & hold a portion of the liquid contained in said bottle.
7. In a non refillable bottle the combination with a body portion having a
broadened base and an opening in the top thereof and an opening in the side
thereof near said base of means for hermetically sealing the first mentioned open-
ing comprising a pair of annular flanges surrounding said opening & having
cement grooves therein and a cap having an annular flange thereon provided with
cement grooves to correspond with the grooves on the beforementioned flanges
and adapted to fit between said pair of flanges and cover said opening, a neck
leading from the other opening a ball valve formed in said neck, a seat therefor
an enlargement formed in one of said necks, clear of the passage therethrough,
adapted to receive & hold the ball of the ball valve when the contents of the
bottle are being poured out, diaphragms extending partially across said neck
one of which is adapted to receive and hold a portion of the liquid contained in
said bottle, and an upturned end formed thereon.
Dated this 30th day of August 1899.
G. D. HOWARD,
38, Chancery Lane, London.