Improvements in and relating to Corks, Bungs, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left 17th Dec 1897 Accented 12th Mar
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Corks, Bungs, and the like.
I, CHARLES BAUER, of 34, Sussex Street, Warwick Square, London, S.W.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to corks, bungs and the
like and my invention consists in the improvements hereinafter referred to.
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It is well known that corks, bungs or like stoppers hitherto employed for stop-
pering bottles containing wine or other more or less alcoholic and acid-containing
liquids are liable to be attacked by the acids and after a period become corroded
or eaten away to such an extent as to permit access of air to the contents
thereby rendering the contents liable to be spoilt. It is further known that
attempts have been made to obviate this disadvantage by coating the cork or its
equivalent with some acid-resisting or other suitable material by the main defect
appertaining to corks so coated is that said corks cannot be soaked in water so
as to become swelled-which for practical purposes is found necessary in bottling
wines and like liquids--before said corks are forced into the necks of the bottles.
One object of my invention is to obviate such defect and I accomplish this
object by coating or covering in any suitable manner the underside, i.e. the end
of the cork which is to be within the bottle and which is first attacked by the
acids with a suitable acid-resisting material or substance. The said coating or
covering may extend if desired a short distance up the side of the cork but I
prefer in such event that such coating should not extend very far up the side. By
this improvement nearly the whole of the cork is left plain and said cork is there-
fore capable of being soaked in water and yet the cork is protected against the
action of the acids or other deleterious matter contained in the bottle and the
elasticity of the coating at the lower end of said cork will allow said cork swelling.
If desired the corks or the like may be first soaked and then coated at their lower
ends as described.
It is also known that corks have been coated with acid-resisting material for
stoppering bottles containing ammonia, alkalis, acids and other liquids which
attack ordinary plain corks, but the great defect appertaining to such coated corks
is that the solution or material with which said corks have been coated or covered,
does not enhance the appearance and if anything detracts from the appearance
of the corks and although attempts have been made to mix pigments with the solu-
tion or material to be employed, this has so far proved practically useless by reason
of the acids or alkalis attacking said pigments.
My improved cork obviates this disadvantage and enables me to employ almost
any kind of pigment in order to coat the cork, as, after I have coated the cork
with such pigment-containing solution I dip or otherwise coat or cover the lower
end of the cork with, say, pure rubber or gutta percha or other suitable material.
By this improvement I am not only able to enhance the appearance of the said
acid resisting cork but also, inasmuch as I dip the lower end as described, said
lower end is slightly thickened and thereby makes a better or tighter fit in the
heck of the bottle.

page_text: I do not confine myself to any particular method of dipping or otherwise coating
or covering the lower ends of the corks nor to any particular solution or solutions
employed, and if desired I may partially dip a part of the cork in a coloured
solution and the remaining parts in a plain solution instead of covering the whole
cork first with the coloured solution or material. Nor do I confine myself to any
particular shape of cork or equivalent and if desired the edge at the lower end of
said cork or the like may be slightly rounded off or bevelled if desired.
Doted this 17th day of March 1807
CHARLES BAUER,
By Horn, Son & Co.,
151, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
I, CHARLES BAUER, of 34, Sussex Street, Warwick Square, London, S.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 relates to improvements in and relating to corks, bungs and the
like and my invention consists in the improvements substantially as hereinafter
described.
It is well known that ordinary plain corks, bungs or the like are useless for
stoppering bottles or other vessels which contain acids, alkalis or other liquids
or solids, having a corrosive action, which attack said corks or the like and
render them useless, as well as endangering the purity of the contents of said
bottles or other vessels by reason of the chemical action set up and also by reason
of some particles of said corks, bungs or the like becoming detached and falling
therein and many wines and like liquids are also known to attack and destroy
the corks, bungs or the like so that air is admitted and in time the wine rendered
useless. It is further also known that corks or the like have been coated in a
solution of india-rubber or other acid-resisting solution which protects said corks
against the action of such acids but such coated corks have certain defects, the
chief of which are hereinafter enumerated and which it is the object of my inven-
tion to obviate.
Firstly, such coated corks are not suitable for wines, and like liquids, because
they cannot be soaked as is usual so as to swell out, inasmuch as the coating
prevents access of the water to the cork; and secondly, in order to manufacture
said corks cheaply a machine or machines are necessary. In addition to obviating
these defects, my improvements enable corks to be made so that the end of the
cork which is entered into the bottle or other vessel forms a better and tighter
joint; and there is less acid resisting material required.
In order to attain the object of my invention I coat or cover a comparatively
small part only of that end of the cork which is entered into the bottle or other
vessel with some suitable acid resisting material. This coating or covering I may
accomplish either by dipping said end portion into a solution say of india-rubber
or other suitable material or I may attach to that end a piece of sheet rubber, said
piece being preferably in the form of a dise which is preferably of slightly larger
diameter than the diameter of that end of the cork to which it is attached, so that
said disc projects to a slight extent beyond the edge of the cork, so that when
the bottle or other vessel is stoppered the edge of, or the whole of said disc will

page_text: be compressed in the neck of the bottle or other vessel and thereby form a tight
joint. Or the disc may extend to such an extent beyond the edge of the cork that
said extending part may be turned over and thereby cover, said one eighth of
an inch, of the side of the cork, said turned up portion being either cemented or
otherwise attached to the cork or said part may be turned up by the action of
pushing the cork into position in the bottle or other vessel. This turned up part
increases the diameter of the cork or stopper at such part as compared with the
plain or uncovered part and thus forms a tight joint in the neck of the bottle or
other vessel at the very part where it is desirable, riz., at the bottom end of the
cork. Instead of the above method I may mould or otherwise form a cap or
equivalent which is then preferably cemented or otherwise attached to the bottom
end of the cork, and the flange of which projects a short distance along the side
of the cork. A cork having its end and only a comparatively small portion of its
side covered or coated about as described may be swelled out by being soaked
in water or otherwise practically as well as an ordinary plain cork.
In dipping the end of the cork in al solution as firstly hereinbefore
described, I prefer to employ 1 comparatively shallow dish or vessel.
which contains a suitable solution to the depth of say the one eighth of an inch
already above referred to. I then place a number of corks on their bottom end into
said vessel so that all the corks are covered by the solution to practically the same
depth. When removing said corks to let the solution on them dry, I preferably
scrape the bottom end of said corks, across say the edge of said dish or vessel, so
that the solution on the said bottom end is nearly wholly seraped off. I then
stick this end into a vertical needle and allow the solution on the side of the cork
to dry. After this has resulted, I replace said corks into the dish--it being for
the moment assumed that two dippings are necessary--and having again scraped
the bottom end and allowed them to dry as described, I then, either by dipping.
"painting" or otherwise, apply a coating of solution to the bottom end, the corks
being now stood up on their opposite or top end and allowed to finally dry. By
this method, the blob or lump which would form at the bottom end is avoided
and the corner edge of the cork is covered equally or even more thickly than
any other portion of the coated end of the cork. This is beneficial, inasmuch as
the said corner edge, both in originally stoppering a bottle and during subse-
quent use, is exposed to more wear and tear than the other parts. This result
is not attained by merely dipping the corks and revolving them horizontally as
hitherto, as the solution to some considerable extent runs off said corner edge and
leaves it comparatively thinly coated.
66
If desired the top end of the cork may be similarly covered, the main part of
the cork between the ends being left plain.
It will be evident that my improved corks or the like require considerably less
material, while at the same time they can be turned out or manufactured about
equally as quickly, if not more quickly by hand than a wholly or completely
coated cork can by the aid of any machine at present in use, and further my im-
proved corks or the like may with advantage be soaked in water when required, so
as to be swelled out.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular acid-
resisting material which I may employ, and, if dipped as described, they may be
dipped once, twice or any required number of times and the shape or dimensions of
the corks, bungs or the like, which I employ may be any which in practice is
found suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
--
1. A cork, bung or the like having its bottom end only covered or coated with
material adapted to resist the action of acids or alkalis or other corroding fluids
11
11

page_text: 2. A cork, bung or the like having its bottom end coated or covered with material
adapted to resist the action of acids or alkalis or other corroding fluids or solids
said end being dipped in a solution of such material substantially as set forth.
3. A cork, bung or the like adapted to resist the action of acids or alkalis or
other corroding liquids or solids, said cork, bung or the like being also capable
of being swelled by being soaked in water substantially as set forth.
4. A cork, bung or the like having attached to its bottom end a disc of sheet
rubber or equivalent for the purposes and substantially as set forth.
5. A cork, bung or the like having attached to its bottom end a disc of sheet
rubber or equivalent the diameter of said disc being larger than the diameter of
said bottom end of the cork bung or equivalent for the purposes and substantially
as set forth.
6. A cork bung or the like provided at its bottom end with a cap or equivalent,
said cap being adapted for the purposes and substantially as set forth.
7. A cork, bung or the like having its lower end thickened or increased in
diameter for the purpose and substantially as set forth.
8. A cork, bung or the like having its top end and its bottom end coated or
covered and its intermediate part plain or uncovered substantially as set forth.
9. A cork, bung or the like having its bottom end coated or covered with material
adapted to resist the action of acids or alkalis or other corrosive liquids or solids
said end having been dipped in a solution of such material and the lower end
scraped and when dry again coated for the purposes and substantially as set forth.
10. A cork, bung or the like such as described wherein a comparatively small
portion only is covered or coated with material adapted to resist the action of acids or
alkalis or other corrosive liquids or solids said covered or coated portion serving
also to form a tight joint in the neck of the bottle or other vessel and said cork
bung or the like being also capable of being swelled all for the purposes and sub-
stantially as set forth."
Dated this Seventeenth day of December 1897.