Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
I, AUGUSTO GUATTARI, of 42, Walterton Road, St. Peter's Park,
London, W., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for object to prevent the fraudulent refilling of empty bottles
and consists of a valve stopper and means for locking the same in combination with
a ball valve whereby whilst the drawing off of the contents of the bottle is easily
effected, the refilling of the bottle is rendered so difficult to effect as to be
practically, if not absolutely, impossible.
In
The valve stopper is adapted to revolve in the bottle neck as a seat, being
provided with suitable packings to ensure a tight closure and the bottle is provided
with a pouring spout opening through one side of the neck with which a cavity in
the inner end and side of the stopper may be made to coincide by partially rotating
the stopper in its seat, for the purpose of pouring off the contents of the bottle.
this spout is located a ball valve which, when the valve stopper is so turned that
its cavity coincides with the spout, is apt to seat itself in the said cavity and so
close the thoroughfare. The tendency to thus close is absent when pouring off the
contents, the spout being so formed that the ball, while unable to escape therefrom
forms practically no obstruction to the liquid but in the event of an attempt to
fraudulently refill the bottle the closure of the ball would be at once brought about
both by its own gravity and by the inward flow of the liquid.
The valve stopper is locked in its seat in the bottle neck by means of spring bolts
or tangs which project from diametrically opposite points of the stopper and are
received in a circumferential groove in the bottle neck, these bolts or tangs being
located in a transverse slot in the stopper, in communication with an axial bore
through which the tangs are introduced in the form of a split pin which is retained
in position by a plug screwed into the valve stopper and bearing on the upper
end of the split pin, said plug being in one with the head by means of which the
valve stopper is turned in its seat.
Dated this 27th day of November 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
I, AUGUSTO GUATTARI formerly of 42, Walterton Road, St. Peter's Park,
London, W. and now of Spring Villa, 40 Craven Park, Harlesden, London N.W.
Engineer, 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 has for object to prevent the fraudulent refilling of bottles and
consists of a valve-stopper and means for locking the same in combination with a

page_text: ball valve whereby whilst the drawing-off of the contents of the bottle is easily
effected the refilling of the bottle is rendered so difficult as to be practically, if not
absolutely, impossible.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
which represent in central vertical section, on an enlarged scale, three modifications
of my improved means of preventing the refilling of bottles.
The valve-stopper A is of glass or earthenware surrounded by a sleeve of
cork a or other suitable packing material whereby to make a tight closure and
adapt it to revolve in the neck B of the bottle as a seat. The bottle neck is
provided with a lateral pouring spout Copening through the side of the neck,
and the stopper has a passage D opening through the inner end and side which
by partially rotating the stopper in its seat may be made to coincide with the
pouring spout C. E is a ball valve which closes against a seat except when
the bottle is tilted to pour off the contents when it rolls out of the way without
being able to escape so that an attempt to refill the bottle through the pouring
spout would necessarily be frustrated by the ball rolling back into its seat and
so closing the thoroughfare against the inflow of liquid.
In the example shewn in Figure 1 the seat of the ball valve is within
the stopper and the ball is free to roll out of the stopper into the pouring spout
where it is caught by a sort of pocket as shewn in dotted lines.
In Figure 2 the ball is contained within the spout and closes against the orifice
of the passage D as a seat, whilst in Figure 3 the ball is contained wholly within
the stopper which is formed with a pocket in the passage to catch the ball when it
leaves its seat, the action being the same in all cases.
In Figure 3 however a flap valve F is provided within a chamber in the pouring
spout, this flap valve closing inwards like the ball valve against a suitable seat
and pivoting freely about its lower edge as a centre, as shewn by dotted lines, so
as to fall out of the way when pouring off the contents of the bottle; the object of
this second valve which may be applied in combination with either of the
two others is to render more difficult any attempt to tamper with the ball
valve.
The valve-stopper A is in any case locked into the bottle neck in such a way
that its removal is impossible without breakage whilst permitting of turning the
stopper in its seat.
In Figure 1 this is effected by means of spring tangs G which project from
diametrically opposite points of the stopper and spring or are forced into engage-
ment with a circumferential groove H in the bottle neck when the stopper is
inserted. These tangs are located in a transverse slot in the stopper and are
introduced through an axial hole in the form of a split pin, the ends of which
diverge as shewn, the axial hole in the stopper through which the tangs are
introduced being closed by a screw-plug cemented in and bearing on the upper end
of the pin so as to retain it in position.
In Figure 2 the spring tang is differently formed and is wholly contained within
the stopper.
In Figure 3 the locking engagement is effected by spring bolts G¹ G¹ fitted to
slide in a transverse guide hole in the stopper and forced outwards by an inter-
mediate spring 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is
1. The berein described means of preventing the fraudulent refilling of bottles,
consisting of a rotatable stopper permanently locked in rotatable engagement with
the bottle neck and having a thoroughfare adapted to coincide with a lateral
pouring spout and containing a ball valve adapted to act as described.
2. The combination, with a rotatable bottle stopper, of spring tangs or bolts
adapted to project from the side of the stopper and of an internal circumferential

page_text: groove in the bottle neck for engagement by the said tangs or bolts so as to prevent
withdrawal of the stopper whilst permitting its rotation in the bottle neck
substantially as specified.
Dated this 27th day of August 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.