IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOTTLES OR SIMILAR VESSELS AND THEIR STOPPERS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR"
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Creasy of Tiverton Street, in the County
of Surrey for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOTTLES OR SIMILAR VESSELS AND THEIR STOPPERS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Creasy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1882.
JOHN THOMAS CREASY, of Tiverton Street, in the County of Surrey,
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOTTLES OR SIMILAR VESSELS AND THEIR
STOPPERS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
My invention relates to the manufacture of bottles and similar vessels, and tools
or apparatus therefor, and to stoppers to be used with the said bottles or other
vessels.
One part of my said invention has for its object to provide means for easily and
effectually securing stoppers in bottles and similar vessels. Bottles have been
constructed for this purpose with projecting pieces in the neck which are adapted
to engage with projections upon the stopper when the latter is inserted in the
bottle and slightly turned so as to bring the projections upon the stopper under
those within the neck. This mode of construction is disadvantageous because in
inserting the stopper it is apt to strike the projections within the neck and break
them off. But according to one part of my invention I obviate this disadvantage
in the following manner, that is to say, I make the neck of the bottle or other
vessel with an elongated aperture, and I form the stopper in such a manner that it
must be placed in a certain position in order to insert it in the said aperture, that
is to say, one part of the stopper is of a shape corresponding to that of the said
aperture. The neck of the bottle below the said aperture is made of circular form
internally, which may be effected by means of a tool hereinafter described or in
any other suitable manner. The diameter of this circular part is equal to the
length of the elongated aperture in the neck. The stopper is made with a circular
portion whose diameter is equal to the width of the elongated aperture. By these
means, when the stopper has been inserted a sufficient distance into the neck of the

page_text: bottle it can be turned through an angle of say sixty or ninety degrees and will
then be firmly secured therein. By constructing bottles and stoppers in this
manner I am enabled to make them stronger than heretofore and without any
projecting pieces which are liable to be broken off in inserting the stopper.
In some cases I place upon the end of the stopper a ring of cork or other
suitable material, and I form the bottle-neck with a seat into which the said cork
will enter, or against which it will press when the stopper is secured in the bottle.
I prefer to secure this ring of cork upon the stopper by forming a screw-thread
upon the latter and fitting thereon a nut of pure tin. or other material which will
not be affected by the liquid contained in the bottle. In other cases I substitute
for the said ring a cork washer which is inserted in a recess or groove in the head
of the stopper so that when the latter is pressed into the neck of the bottle, the
said cork washer will bear against the top of the same.
Another part of my said invention has for its object to provide a tool or
- apparatus for facilitating the manufacture of bottles and similar vessels. In forming
or finishing the necks of bottles a pair of tongs is usually employed, the extremities
of which are provided with rollers capable of being brought towards each other by
pressing the two parts of the tongs together, and a central mandril is carried by
the said tongs and fits into the neck of the bottle. In order that such a tool may
be used in manufacturing bottles of the class above described, I fit upon the said
central mandril a piece corresponding in form to the desired shape of the elongated
aperture in the neck of the bottle, this said piece being free to rotate.upon the said
mandril. On opposite sides of this mandril I attach two springs by a bolt or screw
at one end; the other extremities of these springs pass within a slot in the mandril
and are made of suitable shape to form the aforesaid circular part in the bottle
neck when the bottle is rotated upon the said mandril. The aforesaid piece
rotating with the bottle forms the elongated aperture in the neck thereof. Each of
the said springs is capable of being pressed outward from the mandril by partially
closing the tongs. The extent of their outward movement is adjusted by means of
set-screws so that the same pair of tongs can be used with bottles of different sizes.
In some cases the ends of the said springs are also made of suitable shape to form
the aforesaid seating in the neck of the bottle.
:
Another part of my invention relates to an improved bottle-holder or tool for
holding a bottle or similar vessel and rotating it during the operation of forming or
finishing the neck. This part of my invention consists in making the said bottle-
holder adjustable in the following manner so that it can be used with bottles of
different sizes, that is to say, I construct the clamps, which clasp' the bottle, with
racks into which gear's a pinion capable of being rotated by means of a milled
wheel or other suitable device conveniently arranged upon the stem or handle of
the tool, so that by turning the said wheel in one direction or the other the said
clamps are caused to approach, or recede from, one another to suit larger or smaller
bottles.
Another part of my said invention is designed to provide improved means for
holding internal stoppers in bottles to prevent them from falling to the bottom
thereof. For this purpose I make the bottle at and near its neck of oval form and
I construct the mould with internal projections in such a manner. that the bottle
will be formed with two indentations on opposite sides, thus forming two pockets
or tapering passages of such size that the stopper can lodge therein but cannot pass
through the same. I make the stopper oval to correspond with the neck of the
bottle and fit upon it a ring or washer of india-rubber or other suitable material
designed to be held by the pressure within the bottle against a seat in the neck
thereof

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Thomas Creasy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th June 1883.
JOHN THOMAS CREASY, of Tiverton Street, in the County of Surrey,
" IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOTTLES OR SIMILAR VESSELS AND THEIR
STOPPERS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
My invention relates to the manufacture of bottles or similar vessels and tools
or apparatus therefor; and it also relates to stoppers to be used with the said
bottles or other vessels.
One part of my said invention has for its object to provide means for easily and
effectually securing stoppers in bottles or similar vessels. Bottles have been here-
tofore made for this purpose with projections in the neck adapted to engage with
projections upon the stopper when the latter is inserted in the bottle and slightly
turned so as to bring the projections upon the stopper under those within the
neck. This mode of manufacture is disadvantageous because in inserting the
stopper it is liable to strike the projections within the neck and break them off.
But according to the first part of my present invention I accomplish the desired
object, while obviating this liability to breakage, in the following manner, that is
to say I use a stopper with projections thereon but, instead of providing pro-
jections in the neck for the said stopper to engage with, I form in the neck below
the elliptical or elongated orifice or aperture thereof, grooves or cavities into which
the projections on the stopper are forced when the stopper is inserted and turned
on its axis, the surfaces by and against which the said projections are held being
shoulders or abutments formed by cutting into the solid substance of the neck, and
not projecting therefrom.
By manufacturing bottles and stoppers in this manner I am enabled to make
them stronger than heretofore and without any pieces which are liable to be
broken off in inserting the stopper. Although it is preferable to make the bottle
with an elongated orifice or aperture as hereinafter described, the said aperture
may be square, triangular, or of other suitable form, the shape of the stopper being
correspondingly modified.
I sometimes provide the stopper with a ring of cork or other suitable material
and form the bottle neck with a seating into which the said ring will enter or
against which it will press when the stopper is secured in the bottle.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,
Figure 1 is a plan of a bottle made in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the upper part thereof on the line x, x
Figure 1
Figure 3 is an inverted plan of one form or modification of my improved
stopper.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section
Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of another form or modification of
my improved stopper, showing also part of the bottle neck in section
Figures 5 and 5b show, by a side elevation and a plan, another mode of forming
the stopper and the aperture or orifice in the bottle neck.
The remaining figures are hereinafter referred to.
a is the bottle neck, b is the elongated orifice or aperture, c, c, are the grooves

page_text: or cavities below the same, d is the stopper having the elongated portion e and
the circular part f. To secure the stopper in the bottle it is held so that the
elongated portion e coincides with the orifice or aperture b; the stopper is then
inserted in the neck of the bottle until the part e is level with the grooves c when
it is turned through an angle of about sixty degrees and the projecting parts of
the elongated portion e entering the said grooves hold the stopper firmly in the
bottle.
In Figure 5 the stopper is shown provided with a ring g of cork or other suitable
material, which is secured in the following manner, that is to say, the stopper is
made with an extension d' which is screw-threaded; and a nut h, of pure tin, or
other material which will not be affected by the liquid contained in the bottle, is
screwed' thereon. 7
The bottle neck, in this instance, is made with a seating a' against which the
ring will press when the stopper is secured in the bottle.
g
In the modification shewn in Figures 3 and 4, I fit a ring g of cork or other
suitable material upon the stopper so that, when the latter is pressed into the neck
of the bottle, the said ring will bear against the top of the same and thus close it
tightly. Instead of fitting the ring g on the stopper, I may fit it in a recess or
groove in the top of the bottle neck.
Another part of my said.invention has for its object to provide an improved tool
or apparatus for facilitating the manufacture of bottles and similar vessels. In
forming or finishing the necks of bottles, a pair of tongs is usually employed, the
extremities of which tongs are provided with rollers capable of being moved
towards each other by pressing the two limbs or sides of the tongs together, and a
central mandrel is carried by the said tongs and fits into the neck of the bottle.
The object of this part of my invention is to adapt these tongs for use in manu-
facturing bottles of the class above described, that is to say, bottles having
circular.grooves in the neck and an elongated or other shaped aperture above the
same.
Figure 6 is a plan, partly in section, of my improved tongs
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the same, and
Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line x, x¹, Figure 6.
k, are the two limbs or sides of the tongs which are by preference made of a
piece of steel flattened at kl to form a spring. The extremities of the limbs & are
bent at right angles to form lugs or projections in which I fix, by screwing or
otherwise, the studs or pins j wheroon are mounted the two rollers 1. m is the
central mandrel which is formed integrally with the bar m³ secured to the part k¹
by two nuts m³. I fit upon the said mandrel a loose collar n the part n¹ of which
corresponds in shape with the orifice or aperture it is desired to form in the bottle;
this collar is free to rotate upon the said mandrel except when held as hereinafter
set forth.
0, 0, are two springs attached to the bar m¹ by means of a screw-bolt and nut
at p. These springs are formed with the extensions o¹, which pass through slots in
the cross-piece m* of the bar m¹ and in the mandrel m, and are made of suitable
shape to form the aforesaid grooves in the bottle neck when the bottle is rotated
upon the said mandrel. When a bottle is placed upon the mandrel m, the collar n
fits into the mouth of the same, and, when the bottle is rotated, the said collar
rotates therewith. By forcing the sides of the tongs towards each other the
rollers are caused to press upon the exterior of the bottle neck and an orifice or
aperture corresponding in shape with the collar n is thus formed. Two set-
screws q, q, are passed through the sides of the tongs. By means of these
set-screws the springs o can be pressed outward from the bar m' by forcing the
two sides k, k of the tongs together. The parts o¹ will then be in position to form
the grooves in the bottle neck. The extent of the outward movement of the
springs is regulated by means of the set-screws q, so that the same pair of tongs

page_text: can be used with bottles having grooves of different dimensions. In some cases
the ends o² of the said springs. are made of suitable.shape to form the seating a' in'
the neck of the bottle. :
In some cases I provide the following means for preventing the rotation of the
collar n when it is desired to remove a bottle therefrom or to place another bottle
thereon, that is to say-I fix to one, or to each, of the parts k a bent rod or wire k³
which enters a slot in the cross-piece m* and engages with a projection n² on the
collar n when the tongs are open, thus preventing the rotation of the said collar.
When the parts are pressed towards each other the rods k³ are moved away from
the projections n² and the collar is free to rotate. By these means I ensure the.
formation of the aperture in the proper position relatively to the sides of the
bottle.
Another part of my invention relates to an improved bottle-holder or tool for
holding a bottle or similar vessel and rotating it during the operation of forming or
finishing the neck. This part of my invention consists in making the said bottle-
holder with adjustable clamps in such a manner that it can be used with bottles of
different sizes.
Figure 9 is a plan partly in section of one form or modification of my improved
bottle-holder.
Figure 10 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 11, is a plan of another form or modification of the sail holder.
In Figures 9 and 10, r is a tubular handle, having fixed thereto at one end the
plate s, upon which are arranged the sliding pieces t provided with racks t¹. These
racks are geared with the pinion u which is fixed to a rod u passing through the
handler and provided at one end with a milled wheel v. The pieces are made
with slots 2 into which the clamps are fitted and in which they are secured by
means of the set-screws or thumb-screws t³. By turning the said milled wheel in
one direction or the other the said clamps are caused to approach or recede from
one another to suit larger or smaller bottles. In the modification of my bottle-
holder shown in Figure 11, I employ two sliding plates w each having a screw-
threaded hole wi to receive one of the clamps. These sliding plates are arranged
upon the plate 8, between two guides s¹ fixed to the said plate, in such a manner
that, when one of the said sliding plates is moved, the other sliding plate will be
moved to a corresponding extent in the opposite direction, that is to say, two
bars z are secured above the sliding plates by screw-threaded.studs z¹; these bars
are made with slots 2 fitting over pins sa projecting from the sliding plates.
Screw-nuts 23 are fitted upon the studs z¹ for firmly securing the sliding plates in
any position to which they may be adjusted.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly or generally the making
of grooves in the necks of bottles or other vessels or the employment of stoppers
formed with projections when such grooves and stoppers are formed and used
otherwise than in the particular manner above specified, but I Claim :-
First: The above described improvement, in the manufacture of bottles or similar
vessels, consisting in cutting circular grooves or cavities in the neck thereof,
substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
Second. A bottle or vessel with circular grooves or cavities in the neck below
the aperture or orifice, in combination with a stopper having projections to enter
the said grooves or cavities (with or without the ring of cork or other material
above the projections) substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The modification of my improved stopper wherein I employ a ring of
cork or other suitable material secured to the lower part of the stopper by a metal
nut, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The improved tool or apparatus constructed with the rotating collar and
with the springs having the extensions substantially as set forth, for forming the

page_text: elongated or other shaped aperture and the circular grooves in the neck of a bottle,
or similar vessel.
Fifth. The improved bottle-holder wherein the clamps are made adjustable to
suit bottles of different sizes, substantially as set forth.
.
In witness whereof I the said John Thomas Creasy have hereunto set my
4
hand and seal this sixth day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN THOMAS CREASY (L.S.)