Improvements in the Stoppering of Bottles or other receptacles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1897-Accepted, 28th Aug., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Stoppering of Bottles or other receptacles.
A communication by PIERRE, SAMAIN of 12 Rue St. Amand, Paris in the Republic
of France, Mechanician.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick
and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an arrangement for stoppering bottles
or other receptacles which arrangement allows liquid to be discharged freely, but
does not allow of any fresh liquid being introduced without destroying the seals,
capsules or external coverings of the bottle or receptacle, thus rendering any attempt
at fraud easily detectable.
The invention consists essentially in the use of a stopper lodged in the neck or
orifice of the bottle or receptacle, and of a spring acting on this stopper, the tension of
the spring being regulated in such a way as to be greater than the weight of the
stopper completely immersed in the liquid, but weaker than the weight of this
stopper when only partially immersed.
The invention will now be described in detail when applied to an ordinary bottle.
The apparatus is composed of a metallic casing fitted into the neck of a bottle by
means of a ring of cork or other flexible material, the bottom of the casing being
perforated with an orifice. The upper part of this casing is enlarged in diameter and
closed by a cap having a discharge orifice which may be closed by means of a small
stopper of cork, for instance. In the interior of the cap is lodged a guard piece,
formed of a metallic washer. The edges of this washer are cut out and curved back in
such a way as to give passage to the liquid, whilst preventing the insertion of any
tool to disturb the action of the device.
In the casing is arranged a movable stopper, the lower part of which is conical
in form to fit into the orifice in the bottom of the casing. This stopper is guided
at the top by a collar or socket placed under the guard piece, and near the bottom by
projections which encounter the internal wall of the casing. Finally, the stopper is
traversed through its entire length by a spring fixed in an adjustable manner by
means of screws at one end to the stopper and at the other end to a stirrup formed
below the bottom of the casing.
The pressure of this spring must be regulated in such a way that it is slightly
superior to the weight of the movable stopper when completely immersed in the
liquid, and that it is inferior to the weight of this part when only partially
immersed. In practice, account must also be taken of the dimensions given
(according to the case) to the various sections of passage of the liquid, the more or
less rapid flow of which in these passages influences also the displacements or
movements of the stopper.
When the bottle is placed upright, the stopper entirely closes the orifice at the

page_text: bottom of the casing, but when the bottle is inclined the movable stopper, which at
the first moment is not in contact with the liquid, descends and gives passage to the
liquid which flows freely to the outside, at the same time that an equal quantity of
air enters the bottle describing an inverse course along the higher side of the
casing.
It is evident therefore that the mode of handling consists in first completely
reversing the bottle in order to cause the descent of the stopper, and in then
maintaining the bottle in a suitably inclined position in order that the flow of liquid
may be regularly produced; the most suitable inclination corresponds to that for
which the discharge of liquid will allow a sufficient passage for the entrance of the
external air into the bottle.
On the other hand on the bottle being empty if endeavours be made to introduce
liquid, for instance from a reservoir at a higher elevation, by means of a flexible pipe
fitted on the end of the neck with the bottle more or less inclined, it is easy to see
that the liquid introduced by the discharge opening will rise in the casing and
completely immerse the stopper, and it has been shown that in this case the pressure
of the spring becomes then predominant. This movable stopper will therefore rise
immediately and close hermetically the bottom opening, thus preventing any passage
of the liquid.
It is evident that the stopper may be made of any suitable form and of any
suitable material selected so as to have no action on the liquid, whilst presenting the
necessary density to allow of the good working of the system, and more particularly
to allow of the use of a spring of such force and length that its pressure remains
constant during its working.
It must also be indicated that in order to prevent any attempt at fraud such as
boring a hole along all the length of the device, the guard piece may be made
from hard metal or be covered with a plate of tempered steel if preferred.
Finally, in cases where the device is fitted on vessels such as casks, jars, flasks
and the like, the dimension of their orifice into which the device is placed
is generally sufficiently large to render useless the inflation of the upper part of
the casing.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Stoppering of Bottles or other receptacles.
A communication by PIERRE SAMAIN of 12, Rue St. Amand, Paris in the Republi
of France, Mechanician.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster; 118, New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 its object to provide an arrangement for stoppering bottles
or other receptacles, which arrangement allows liquid to be discharged freely, but

page_text: Boes not allow of any fresh liquid being introduced without destroying the seals,
capsules or external coverings of the bottle or receptacle, thus rendering any
attempt at fraud easily detectable.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which it is shown as applied to an ordinary bottle.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a bottle provided with this improved
stoppering arrangement.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same bottle in an inclined position
corresponding to that in which the liquid is discharged.
The apparatus is composed of a metallic casing A fitted into the neck of a bottle
by means of a ring B of cork or other flexible material, the bottom C of the casing
being perforated with an orifice a. The upper part 6 of this casing is enlarged in
diameter and closed by a cap D having a discharge orifice which may be closed by
means of a small stopper of cork, for instance. In the interior of the cap D is
lodged a guard piece d, formed of a metallic washer. The edges of this washer are
cut out and curved back in such a way as to give passage to the liquid, whilst
preventing the insertion of any tool to disturb the action of the device.
In the casing A is arranged a movable block K, the lower part of which is conical
in form to fit into the orifice a in the bottom of the casing. This stopper valve or
block is guided at the top by a collar or socket e placed under the guard piece, and
near the bottom by projections f which encounter the internal wall of the casing.
Finally, the block K is traversed through its entire length by a spiral spring R fixed
in an adjustable manner by means of screws r¹ engaging the coils of the spring R
at one end to the block K and at the other end to a stirrup E formed below the
bottom of the casing C.
The pressure of this spring R must be regulated in such a way that it is slightly
superior to the weight of the movable block or valve K when completely immersed
in the liquid, and that it is inferior to the weight of this part when only partially
immersed. In practice, account must also be taken of the dimensions given
(according to the case) to the various sections of passage of the liquid, the more or
less rapid flow of which in these passages influences also the displacements or
movements of the block.
When the bottle is placed upright, as shown in Figure 1, the block K entirely
closes the orifice a at the bottom of the casing, but when the bottle is inclined, as
shown in Figure 2, the movable block, which at the first moment is not in contact
with the liquid, descends, uncovers the orifice a and thus gives passage to the liquid
which flows freely to the outside, at the same time that an equal quantity of air
enters the bottle describing an inverse course along the higher side of the casing,
as shown by the arrows in dotted lines in Figure 2.
It is evident therefore that the mode of handling consists in first completely
reversing the bottle in order to cause the descent of the block K and in then
maintaining the bottle in a suitable inclined position as in Figure 2 in order that
the flow of liquid may be regularly produced; the most suitable inclination
corresponds to that for which the discharge of liquid will allow a sufficient passage
for the entrance of the external air into the bottle, the movement of the liquid
tending further to maintain the block or stopper lowered.
On the other hand on the bottle being empty, if endeavours be made to
introduce liquid, for instance from a reservoir at a higher elevation, by means of
a flexible pipe fitted on the end of the neck with the bottle more or less inclined,
it is easy to see that the liquid introduced by the discharge opening will rise in
the casing A and completely immerse the block K, and it has been shown that in
this case the pressure of the spring R becomes then predominant. This movable
block or valve will therefore rise immediately and close hermetically the bottom
opening a, thus preventing any passage of the liquid.
It is evident that the block or valve K may be made of any suitable forin and
of any suitable material selected so as to have no action on the liquid, whilst
presenting the necessary density to allow of the good working of the system, and

page_text: more particularly to allow of the use of a spiral spring R of such force and length
that its pressure remains constant during its expansion.
It must also be indicated that in order to prevent any attempt at fraud, such
as by boring a hole along all the length of the device, the guard piece d may be
made from hard metal or be covered with a plate of tempered steel if preferred.
Finally, in cases where the device is fitted on vessels, such as casks, jars, flasks
and the like, the dimension of their orifice into which the device is placed is
generally sufficiently large to render needless the expansion of the upper part 6 of
the casing A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An arrangement for stoppering bottles or other receptacles, comprising a
metallic casing, such as A fitted into the neck of a bottle and provided at its upper
end with a discharge orifice and at its opposite end with an orifice a for giving
passage to the liquid, a movable block valve or stopper, such as K, bored centrally
and guided in the said casing, one end of which block is adapted to fit into the
orifice a for the purpose of opening or closing the passage to the liquid, and a
spiral spring R fitting longitudinally in the said block or plug, substantially in
the manner herein before shown and for the object indicated.
2. In combination with the casing A and the block or valve K, a guard piece
or protector d placed above the said block and serving as guide to one end of the
block, and projections such as f arranged on the periphery of the block in such a
way as to encounter and slide on the interior of the casing in order to guide the
movements of the said block, substantially as herein before described and with the
object indicated.
3. In combination with the casing A, the block or valve K and the spring R;
screws arranged on the front part of the block and a stirrup fixed on the exterior
of the bottom of the casing and engaging in the spires of the spiral spring R, in
order to enable the pressure of said spring to be regulated in such a way that it
may be greater than the weight of the said block when completely immersed in the
liquid and smaller than the weight of the said block when it is only partially
immersed.
Dhi 02-1 day of Jul 1907