Improved Means for Preventing the Escape of Fluids from Balloons, Cushions and other Collapsable or Non-collapsable Objects or Vessels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb.,
1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Preventing the Escape of Fluids from Balloons,
Cushions, and other Collapsable or Non-collapsable Objects or
Vessels.
I SAMUEL EDMOND STATHAM of Manor House, Levenshulme, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Indiarubber Manufacturer and Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
My said invention relates to improved means for stoppering or preventing
the escape of fluids such as air, gas or liquids from inflated bodies or from
vessels.
My invention is however specially applicable for stoppering and preventing
the deflation of children's toy balloons or advertising balloons of the common
types.
At present it is usual after the inflation of such balloons to tie the neck tightly
with a piece of string or wrapping, or sometimes to tie the neck itself into a knot.
Any of these methods is however ineffective as the air gradually escapes past such
obstruction and the balloon soon becomes deflated. According to my invention the
balloon or body is formed with a neck of sufficient length and with a thickened or
ribbed end so as better to withstand the pressure of the lips in blowing up the
balloon. I also provide a ball or other suitably shaped stopper on the end of a
shank the said stopper being considerably larger than the diameter of the neck.
When the stopper is pushed into the neck that portion of the neck is stretched so
tightly over the stopper that the fluid pressure in the balloon cannot escape.
shank is formed at the outer end with an eye which is preferably too large to pass
into the neck and which serves as a hold-fast to carry the balloon or by which it
may be suspended.
The
T'he eye does not interfere with the blowing up of the balloon. When it is
desired to let the air escape the stopper is pushed by the shank into the body of
the balloon and out of the neck, through which the air pressure then escapes.
At any time the stopper can be at once drawn into the neck, whereupon the exit
passage is again closed.
In addition to its uses in connection with balloons of the indicated description,
my improved stopper can be employed to prevent the escape of air or liquids
from cushions, lifebelts, beds, tyres and other vessels some of which may be
non-collapsable.
Dated thin 9th day of February 1895
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Daiton Street, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: Improved Means for Preventing the Escape of Fluids from Balloons,
Cushions, and other Collapsable or Non-collapsable Objects or
Vessels.
I SAMUEL EDMOND STATHAM of Manor House, Levenshuline, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Indiarubber Manufacturer and 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 and accompanying drawing:-
My said invention relates to improved means for stoppering or preventing the
escape of fluids such as air, gas or liquids from inflated bodies or from vessels.
My invention is however especially applicable for stoppering and preventing the
deflation of children's toy balloons or advertising balloons of the common types.
At present it is usual after the inflation of such balloons to tie the neck tightly
with a piece of string or wrapping, or sometimes to tie the neck itself into a knot.
Any of these methods is however ineffective as irrespective of the difficulty of
properly effecting the stoppering, the air gradually escapes past such obstruction
and the balloon soon becomes deflated.
My invention will be best understood from a reference to the annexed sheet of
illustrative drawings.
Fig. 1 is a view of a toy or advertising balloon in a state of inflation fitted with
my improved valve.
Fig. 2. is an enlarged section of the neck with the valve in position.
Fig. 3. shows the neck of the balloon with the valve removed and the balloon
deflated.
According to my invention the balloon or body a is formed with a neck a¹ of
sufficient length and with a thickened or ribbed end a 2 so as better to withstand the
pressure of the lips in blowing up the balloon.
I also provide a spherical or elliptical or other suitably shaped stopper b on the
end of a shank b' the said stopper b being considerably larger than the diameter of
the neck a. When the stopper bis pushed into the neck a¹ as in Figs. 1 and 2,
that portion of the neck is stretched so tightly over the stopper that the fluid
pressure in the balloon a cannot escape. The shank is formed at the outer end
with an eye 62 which is preferably too large to pass into the neck a¹ and which
serves as a hold-fast to carry the balloon or by which it may be suspended.
The eye does not interfere with the blowing up of the balloon. When
inflating the balloon the stopper is pushed down into the body of the balloon so as
to leave the neck clear. The end of the neck is then taken between the lips and
the balloon blown up after which the stopper is drawn forward into the neck so as
to retain the pressure.
When it is desired to let the air escape, the stopper is again pushed by the shank
into the body of the balloon and out of the neck, through which the air pressure
theu escapes.
At any time the stopper can be at once drawn into the neck where-
upon the exit passage is again closed.
In addition to its uses in connection with balloons of the indicated description,
my improved stopper can be employed to prevent the escape of air or liquids
from cushions, lifebelts, beds, tyres and other vessels some of which may be non-
collapsable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
The improved means for preventing the escape of fluids or fluid pressure from

page_text: collapsable or non-collapsable containers or vessels, substantially as herein before
described and as illustrated.
Dated the 8th of November 1895.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents..