Improved Stoppers and Fastenings for Bottles, Jars, Casks, and other Vessels.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stoppers and Fastenings for Bottles, Jars, Casks, and other
Vessels.
I, JAMES JOHNSON SHUTTLEWORTH, of "Lauriston," Ryde, near Sydney, in the
Colony of New South Wales, Architect, 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:-
This invention relates to improved stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars,
casks and other vessels, which stoppers and fastenings have as their essential
feature, two or more, wires, or practically indestructible cords (I will refer to
them as wires) fastened, during manufacture, in the body of the vessel, or in some
object which cannot be removed from within the vessel, which wires are adapted
to be knotted together over a keeper on the outside of the vessel and have their
ends cut off close to the knot. When these wires are broken, (or even untied),
to release the keeper and enable the vessel to be opened, they are too short to be
used again in re-tying. In addition to this essential feature it is always preferred
that the keeper should have upon, or under, it a seal, or other mark of genuine-
ness, and that the irremovable object should bear the same, and it is sometimes
preferred that the knot of the fastening wires should be buried in a glass seal,
or in transparent cement, or under a removeable protector on the outside.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings which shew a variety of stoppers and fastenings all having
common to them the essential feature of this invention before mentioned.
Figures 1, 1, and 1" shew sectional elevation, plan, and horizontal section,
respectively, of the neck E, of a bottle shewing a cork, or stopper, 1), retained
in place by a transparent glass keeper B, fastened by wires A, secured to lugs A¹,
in the body of the neck E, during manufacture. When the bottle is filled the
cork D is driven in, filling the neck E, and bulging in the upper enlargement E
A seal C, or it may be a disc of metal, or paper, or other material, bearing a brand
is placed over the cork so that an inscription, or other mark, may be read from
the top through the glass keeper B, through holes B in which, when put in
place, wires A are threaded and, being drawn tight, the said wires A, are knotted
centrally of the stopper and the ends cut off as close to the knot as possible.
The said knot is then buried in wax, lead, or cement, or the like, but preferably
in glass contained in the undercut recess A2. The mark on the seal, or disc, C,
can always be seen through the transparent stopper B, and when once this seal, or
disc, is destroyed, in drawing the cork, it cannot again be used as a guarantee
of the genuineness of the contents of the bottle. Further the wires A, must be
broken to remove the keeper B, so as to get at the cork D, and being once broken,
(or even untied). they cannot be used a second time for they would be too short
for tying together again. It will be seen therefore that when once the keeper B
is removed, though the bottle may be utilised for other purposes, yet it cannot
again be used with the same guarantee of its contents.
Figures 2 and 2 are section and plan respectively of a modification of the
stopper and fastening shewn in Figures 1, 1 and 1 where all the parts whien

page_text: are identical are marked with the same letters of reference, but the wires A are
not fixed to lugs A¹ but simply buried in the body of the neck and instead of
being threaded through holes in the keeper B pass up in nicks (B) in its edge.
Figures 3 and 3ª are a section and a plan respectively of the neck of a bottle,
or jar, having a cork D, kept in place by a seal, or disc, C, over which the wires A
(fastened to lugs A', in the body of the neck E, during manufacture) are knotted
centrally, and cut off short to the said knot at A2. The seal, or disc, may. theu
be stamped while on the cork end, the mark, or inscription, including the wire;
or the knot may simply be flattened down on to, or into, the seal, or disc, previously
stamped. Similarly as hereinbefore described this stopping and fastening prevent
the re-use of the bottle, or jar, with the same guarantee that its contents are
genuine.
Figures 4 and 4* are a sectional elevation and a plan, respectively, of a modified
construction of the stopper and fastening on a bottle, or jar, or the like. The
cork D has a seal, or disc, C, above it in the enlargement E, of the neck E, and
it is protected by the transparent glass keeper B. This keeper is fastened by a
band of metal rivetted, (or if preferred hinged), at F, which takes over it and
extends down the other side of the neck where it meets with the two wires, (or
the two ends of one wire), A, which are knotted across at A2, cut off quite close,
and flattened in. When these wires A, are broken, (or even untied), they are too
short for again tying and the bottle, or jar, is rendered useless so far as guarantee-
ing the genuineness of its contents is concerned.
Figures 5 and 5* are a sectional elevation and a plan, respectively, of part of a
bottle, or jar, in which a cork, or stopper, D, is used in the neck E. A ball G.
is inserted in the bottle during manufacture and it carries a wire or wires A
immovably fixed in it also during manufacture. The wire ends are brought
through the neck E and temporarily twisted around its outside. The cork, or
stopper, D, is driven in the wires A taking opposite sides of it, inside the neck.
The said wires are then drawn up tightly and they are knotted and the ends cut
off short and the knot flattened, or sealed, as at A2, on top of the cork. The
ball G, (or, in its place, a perforated disc, or a grid, or other object too large to
pass through the neck E,) bears the brand of genuineness. The wires A. being
broken, (or even untied), in opening the bottle, or jar, the brand, or mark, of
genuineness cannot be again used owing to the wires A being too short for re-use.
In Figure 5 there is shewn by dotted lines, a chamber for the irremovable
piece G (shewn, in dotted lines, as a disc, instead of a ball) so that it cannot fall
into the contents of the vessel, which is sometimes desirable to prevent any stirring
up of sediment, or the like.
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the neck of a jar, or vessel, which has a
screw stopper, or plug, H, which is preferably of transparent glass, so that the
marks on the irremovable piece G can be seen. This piece G, is placed in the
vessel during manufacture and it has a wire, or wires, A, imbedded therein. The
wire ends are threaded through holes H in the stopper H, knotted, and cut off
close, and the knot is then sealed, say with cold lead, or fluid glass, in the undercut
recess A². The stopper H, cannot be removed without breaking, and so shortening,
the wires A and thus rendering the piece. G useless subsequently as a guarantee
of the contents.
Figure 7 is a section through the stave of a cask shewing a transparent glass
screw plug J with a protecting metal capsule J. This plug J, is, as described
with reference to Figure 6, fastened to a piece G having a wire or wires A passing
through the said plug and sealed, or cemented, down, say with glass, or with
cold lead, in the recess A². After once opening the cask it is then impossible to
again guarantee the contents by means of the piece G the wires A, having been
broken, (or even untied), being too short for re-tying.
Figure 8 shews the same arrangement as Figure 7 (the parts having the same
reference letters) except that the piece G is of different shape.
Figure 9 is a section shewing this invention applied to a drum or
"tin" for

page_text: oil or the like. The references made in the description of the parts shewn in
Figure 6 apply in this case, and the parts are 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:-
:―
1. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels having a
wire or wires (or the equivalent) immovably fixed to the vessel, or to an object
within, and irremoveable from, the said vessel, and adapted to be knotted together
over the stopper, or a keeper, of the said stopper, and cut off as closely as possible
to the said knot and sealed, or cemented, or flattened, to the said stopper, or
keeper, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having parts
constructed and arranged, substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 1, 1 and 1" of the accompanying drawings.
3. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
4. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
5. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged, substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
6. Stoppers and fastenings for boitles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 5ª of the accompanying drawings.
7. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 6 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
8. Stoppers and fastenings for bottles, jars, casks, and other vessels, having
parts constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purposes, herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of December 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.