IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING AND UNLOCKING JABS, BOTTLES, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND MAKING SUCH VESSELS AIR-TIGHT."AL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Stevens, of 14, Stafford Row,
Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, and Robert Fitch, of South
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOCKING AND UNLOCKING JABS, BOTTLES, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND MAKING
SUCH VESSELS AIR-TIGHT."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Stevens
and Robert Fitch at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th November 1856.
i
We, GEORGE HENRY STEVENS, of 14, Stafford Row, Pimlico, in the County,
of Middlesex, and ROBERT FITCH, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey;
do hereby declare the nature of tho said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING JARS, BOTTLES, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND MAKING SUCH
VESSELS AIR-TIGHT," to be as follows:-..
We claim as our Inventions and improvements the following methods and
processes in securly locking all kinds of jars, bottles, wine,decanters, and other
vessels in stoneware, china, or glass by means of a screw-pressure lock and

page_text: key: In the neck of a jar we have a ledge or projection in the inner and
lower part of mouth of neck to receive a lid or cover, the lid or cover being
placed on the said ledge or projection. There is a horozontal groove in the
interior of mouth of neck, with a vertical slot or nick extending from top of
mouth to the horozontal groove. A bar of metal is then placed in the horo-
zontal groove by slipping one end of bar down the vertical slot or nick and
partly turning it round; it is then in its place. Upon the upper side of bar of
metal is a screw working through a hole in centre of bar tapped with a screw
thread. Over the screw is a metal cap with an eyelet hole to receive a key; the
end of the screw working through the bar of metal is worked to a point, the point
to rest on the cover or lid, as first described; the upper part of screw under the
cap being a plug worked vertically to the shape of a triangle, heart, diamond,
square, or any convenient form for the sake of variety, the key being made to
fit over such plug. The koy being applied through eyelet hole over plug turns
the screw up or down; the point of screw acts by pressure on the cover or lid
beneath, and the bar of metal being forced up against the side of horozontal
groove, and one end received into a nick, the jar is then perfectly locked, and
cannot be opened without the aid of the key. There is a small chain attached
to the lid or cover and fastened to the neck of jar for the convenience of
removing the said lid or cover in unlocking the jar or other vessels; the key
turns the screw upwards, that releases the bar; then turn the bar round to the
vertical slot or nick, and the bar can be taken out and the cover or lid
removed. To make the said jar air-tight, we fit by means of a cement on the
under side of lid or cover a thin plate of cork; the pressure of the screw
acting on the lid or cover presses it forcibly against the ledge or projection in
mouth of jar, and thereby renders the jar air-tight.
In the locking of bottles, wine decanters, medical bottles, especially those
used to contain poisons, we use the following means:-The neck of bottles,
wine decanters, would have a small hole in them, cast or blown when making,
or drilled in those allready mado; the hole being countersunk on the inner side
or mouth of bottle to receive a metal tube, with a head to fit into the counter-
sunk part, the metal tube to be tapped with a screw thread to receive a screw
bolt with a point at one end, the other end to be a plug shaped to the form of
a square, diamond, triangle, as in the locks for jars. On the outer part of neck
of bottle or decanter the metal tube projects sufficient to receive a screw cap,
the metal tube having a screw thread worked on the outer part of it, the screw
cap having an eyelet or key hole to receive the key, shaped to fit over the plug
of screw bolt; the screw cap is screwed on to metal tube with a cement, or fixed
with a sawder. On the stopper of decanter or bottle a circular ring, or slot,

page_text: or groove is cast or ground sufficient to receive the point of screw bolt. The
key, being applied through eyelet or key hole of screw cap to the screw plug,
turns the point of screw bolt into the said circular groove or slot in stopper,
whereby the stopper becomes a fixture, and cannot be removed with the aid
of the key.
We have now described and ascertained, by actual models, our Inventions
and improvements in the locking of jars, bottles, and other vessels in all kinds
of stoneware, china, glass, and making the said screw-pressure locks in all
kinds of metals. We wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the particular details herein laid down, but claim any modifications of the
same that may be consistent with this Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Stevens and Robert Fitch in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wo, GEORGE
HENRY STEVENS, of No. 14, Stafford Row, Pimlico, in the County of Middle-
sex, and ROBERT FITCH, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Henry Stevens and Robert Fitch, Her special licence that
we, the said George Henry Stevens and Robert Fitch, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George Henry Stevens
and Robert Fitch, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING JARS, BOTTLES, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND MAKING SUCH
VESSELS AIR-TIGHT," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Henry Stevens and Robert Fitch, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to

page_text: be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said George Henry Stevens, for myself and
Robert Fitch, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
Our. Invention consists in certain novel and useful apparatus herein-after
described for the purpose of locking and unlocking jars, bottles, and other
vessels, and making such vessels secure and air-tight, and thus tend in a great
measure to prevent waste, peculation, accident, and mistakes; the last referring
more especially to bottles or vessels containing poison.
And in order that our said Invention may be readily understood, we have
annexed hereto the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and
letters of reference marked thereon, similar letters applying to similar parts.
For the purpose of closing and securing jars and similar vessels, we arrange
a ledge or projection in the lower part of the mouth of the jar, as may be seen
at a, a, Fig. 1, so as to receive a lid or cover, as b, which is a plate or disc of
metal or other suitable material, covered on the under side by a ring or disc of
cork, couatchouc, or other elastic substance. The top side of the ledge a, a,
may be slightly grooved or corrugated, so that the elastic substance under the
cover b may be imbedded thereon; and in order to effectually secure the cover
on the ledge and render the same air-tight, we form nearer the top of the jar
a horizontal groove, as c, c, and a vertical slot, as d, Figs. 1 and 2. We then
arrange a metal bar, as e, which may have two or more arms, and by means of
the slot d we are enabled to place the bar in the groove c to a point where wo
form a slight recess; or the groove at C, C, instead of being circular may form
merely two or more projections or inverted brackets at C, C, Fig. 3, which is a
similar result to an extension of the vertical slot d, on each side the mouth of
the jar. On or about the middle of the bar we arrange a boss or other con-
trivance to insert a screw, as scen at f, which when screwed down will press
the cover or plate 6 with its elastic substance upon the ledge a, and render the
vessel air-tight, and at the same time will raise the bar into the recesses in the
groove C, so that the bar cannot be turned round to the slot d and liberated
unless the screw bo raised; and in order to prevent which we arrange the top
of the said boss over the screw so as to present a key hole, as seen at f, Fig. 2,
or any other suitable form, and the top of the screw may be formed square;
octagon, hexagon, triangular, oval, oblong, or any desired shape, and wards
and fallers with springs may be inserted, so as to render it difficult to turn the
scrow without the aid of 'a suitable key but with which it is evident the jar

page_text: may be readily locked or unlocked. For jars or vessels containing acids, &c.,
and where glass or stone stoppers are used, we grind the stone or 'glass into
the mouth of the jar, as seen at 6, Fig. 4, and secure the same in a similar
manner to that explained and referred to in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
-per-
In securing the stoppers of bottles, decanters, and similar vessels, wo
forate the neck, as seen at g, Fig.75, and at the enlarged section of the same,
as seen between g; g, in Fig. 6, (new bottles, &c. may be blown or cast so as
to have a similar hole or perforation,) which is countersunk on the inner side
or mouth of the bottle to receive a tube with a head or shoulder, as represented
ati, in Fig. 6. This tube is screwed, and may be fixed to the bottle by means
of cement, or in any convenient manner, and it protrudes through the hole
outside the neck of the bottle, so that a cap h may be screwed on the outside
of the tube until the base of the cap impinges on the neck of the bottle, as scen
at h, h, or otherwise secured by cement, &c.; the tube i, i, is also screwed
inside to admit of a plug or screw bolt k, similar to that represented by f, Fig. 1,
and which with the cap h may present any desired form to which a key is
adapted to turn round the screw bolt k, the point of which enters a groove or
other indentation to be cut or made in the stopper of the bottle, as seen at l.
It is evident the stopper in this position cannot be removed unless the bolt k
be first screwed partially out, and which, as before described, can only be
performed by means of a suitable key.
We show another method of securing the stoppers of bottles, &c. by refer-
ence to Figs. 7 and 8, a plan useful for various purposes, but especially so for
the safe keeping of poisons and other.dangerous drugs. The neck of the bottle
is perforated, and fitted with a tube and cap, in a similar manner to that
explained and referred to by similar letters of reference in Figures 5 and 6;
but the bolt and the tube i, i, instead of being screwed to fit each other, are
formed hexagon, octagon, square, or any other form, so as not to permit of the
bolt turning round in the tube, but so that it may slide longitudinally therein,
and that the point of the bolt may entor- the groove or indentation of the
stopper. We prefer the groove in this case to form a right-angled triangle
instead of a V, as in Fig. 6. On the neck of the. bolt k we insert a coiled wire
or other suitable spring, which impinges upon the collar inside the cap h, h,
and forces the bolt against the groove 7 of the stopper. The neck of the bolt
is made hollow, and screwed inside, so as to admit of the insertion of the set
screw m, by means of which the bolt k can be withdrawn from the groove /
and the stopper liberated. The action of inserting the stopper into the neck
of the bottle will force back the bolt & until the groove / is opposite, when the
spring will press the bolt in the groove, and the stopper will thus be secured

page_text: by a self-acting operation, and if the set screw or key m be removed by being
unscrewed it will be impossible to liberate the stopper unless the lock be
picked.
Having thus fully described our Invention, and the manner of carrying tho
same into practical effect, we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the exact details herein set forth, as the same may be
varied without departing from the principle of our Invention.
We do not claim the parts per se, nor the use or employment of a bar to
hold down the lid or cover, nor the use of cork or couatchouc, &c., for making
the cover air-tight; but we do claim as our Invention, and which, to the best
of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm, the
application and combination of the lock and bolt, with the bar, groove, ledge,
and cover, as herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
We also claim the perforation of the necks of bottles, decanters, and other i
similar vessels in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described, and
the application of bolts, self-acting or otherwise, to such perforations; and the
grooves or indentations in the stoppers, for the purpose of locking and securing
such bottles and similar vessels.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Stevens, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
GEORGE HENRY STEVENS. (L.9.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named.
George Henry Stevens, in the presence of
HENRY FLETCHER, Patent Agent,
123, Chancery Lane, London.