Improvements in Stoppers for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other Vessels.
We, EDWARD ALEXANDER MATTHIAS, of 15, Stanley Street, Liverpool, and
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, of 84, Corporation Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, Commercial Travellers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to improvements upon the invention for which Letters
Patent No. 1,790 were granted to us dated January 25th 1896, the object of the
present invention being to simplify and improve the manufacture of such stoppers.
We still form the stopper in two parts, horizontally divided, and made cylin-
drical or slightly conical, and so that one can slide inside the other, a circum-
ferential groove or neck being made at the point of junction to receive a ring
of india rubber (or other suitable substance or composition) so formed that, when
the two parts of the stopper are closed together, the said ring bulges out beyond
the circumference of the stopper and so fills up the mouth or orifice of the jar
or vessel in a perfectly air-tight manner; and when the two portions of the
stopper are slightly separated from each other, the bulge is flattened by the
natural contraction of the india rubber and the stopper becomes a slack fit, in
which state it can easily be placed in or withdrawn from the mouth of the jar or
vessel.
According to the specification of our previous invention above referred to the
two parts of the stopper were normally held together by a strong india rubber
spring or springs which when in action automatically draw the two parts together
so as to cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all round the circumference.
According to our present improvements we dispense with the strong india
rubber spring or springs and we use in place thereof a flat metal spring (prefer-
ably steel) for forcing the two parts of the stopper together so as to bulge the
india rubber ring.
The lower or inner portion of the stopper is made in the form of a plug slightly
conical outside, and is provided with a projecting flange all round the bottom,
above which is a rim which form the bottom portion of the groove in which the
india rubber ring rests. Near to the top of this portion an elongated slot is
made through the plug to receive the flat metal spring above referred to.
The upper or outer portion of the stopper is made in the form of a ring slightly
conical inside to fit over the conical plug or lower portion and provided under-
neath with a rim corresponding with the one before mentioned and forming
(when the two parts are put together) the upper portion of the groove in which
the india rubber ring lies. Above this is a flange projecting (say about 3 of an
inch) all round, and on the top thereof are two square flat recesses on opposite
sides of the central hole, and of such a form and size as to receive the two ends
of the flat metal spring above named.
The bottom of these recesses is (when the two parts are placed together)
about level with the bottom of the slot through the top of the plug and, the

page_text: metal spring being bent upwards in the form of a bow or arch, it will be. evident
that, if the spring be compressed and pushed through the slot with its ends rest-
ing in the two recesses, the resilience of the spring will draw the two parts of
the stopper together so as to cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all round
and thus make an air tight fit in the mouth of the jar or vessel.
When it is required to remove the stopper the fingers of the two hands are
placed under the opposite sides of the flange, and on pressing the top of the plug
down with the two thumbs, and at the same time drawing up the flange with
the fingers the metal spring will be flattened down in the centre and the two
parts of the stopper thrust asunder, thus allowing the inilia rubber ring to
collapse so that the stopper can easily be withdrawn. The same action of the
fingers and thumbs should also be used to facilitate the insertion of the stopper
and on withdrawal of the hands the metal spring will assume its arch-like form
and cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all round.
As a modification of the above in some cases we propose to dispense with the
flange at the top of the upper part of the stopper and to prolong the ends of the
metal spring so as to project beyond the body of the stopper and jar at each side,
in which case the stopper can be released by pulling the ends of the spring up-
wards by the fingers, and at the same time pressing the, plug downwards with
the thumbs so as to separate the two parts. In this case the upper part of the
plug may be made entirely of metal or other suitable material.
The metal spring, and in the above named modification the upper and outer
metal portion of the stopper, may be protected from corrosion by any suitable
enamelling, or other coating, which will preserve the same from the corrosive
action of acids or moisture.
1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
Improvements in Stoppers for Jars, Bottles, Cans, or other vessels.
We, EDWARD ALEXANDER MATTHIAS, of 15, Stanley Street, Liverpool, and
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, of 84, Corporation Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, Commercial Travellers, 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 upon an invention for which Letters
Patent were granted to us in Great Britain No 1790 dated January 25th 1896,
the object of the present invention being to simplify and improve the manufacture
of such stoppers.
We still form the stopper in two parts horizontally divided and made cylin-
drical or slightly conical, and so that one can slide inside the other, a circum-
ferential groove or neck being made at the point of junction, to receive a ring of
india rubber (or other suitable substance or composition) so formed that, when
the two parts of the stopper are closed together, the said ring bulges out beyond
the circumference of the stopper and so fills the mouth of the bottle or orifice
of the jar or vessel in a perfectly air-tight manner; and when the two portions of
the stopper are slightly separated from each other the bulge is flattened by the
natural contraction of the india rubber and the stopper becomes a slack fit in
which state it can easily be placed in, or withdrawn from the mouth of the jar
or vessel.

page_text: According to the specification of our original patent above mentioned the two
parts of the stopper were normally held together by a strong india rubber spring
or springs, which when in action automatically drew the two parts together so
as to cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all round the circumference.
The annexed drawings illustrate our present improvements,
Fig. 1 being a central vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan view of one way of
carrying the same into practice.
Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of a modified form of the improved stopper.
According to our present improvements see Figs. 1 and 2 we dispense with the
strong india rubber spring or springs and we use in place thereof a flat metal or
other spring a (preferably of steel) bent into an arched form, for forcing the
two parts b and c of the stopper together so as to bulge out the india rubber
ring d.
The lower or inner portion 6 of the stopper is made in the form of a plug
slightly conical outside; and is provided with a projecting flange e all round the
bottom, which forms the lower portion of the groove in which the india rubber
ring drests. Near to the top of this portion ban elongated slot g is made
through the plug to receive the flat metal spring a above referred to.
The upper or outer portion c of the stopper is made in the form of a ring
slightly conical inside to fit over the conical plug or lower portion 6 and is pro-
vided underneath with a shoulder or rim f corresponding with the flange e before
mentioned and forming (when the two parts are put together) the upper portion
of the groove in which the india rubber ring d lies.
Above this is a flange e projecting (say about three eighths of an inch) all
round, and in the top thereof, are formed two square flat recesses h to receive
the two ends of the flat metal spring a above mentioned.
The bottom of these recesses is (when the two parts b and c are placed together)
about level with the bottom of the slot g through the top of the plug, and the
metal spring a being bent upwards in the form of a bow or arch (see Fig. 1) it
will be evident that, if the spring be compressed or flattened and pushed through
the slot with its ends resting in the two recesses h (as shown) the resilience
of the spring a will draw the two parts of the stopper together, so as to cause
the india rubber ring d to bulge out all round and thus make an air-tight fit in
the mouth of the jar or vessel.
When it is required to remove the stopper the fingers of the two hands are placed
under the opposite sides of the flange cand on pressing the top of the plug b
down with the two thumbs, and at the same time drawing up the flange with the
fingers, the metal spring a will be flattened down in the centre and the two parts
of the stopper thrust asunder thus allowing the india rubber ring d to collapse so
that the stopper can be easily withdrawn. The same action of the fingers and
thumbs should also be used to facilitate the insertion of the stopper, and on with-
drawal of the hand the metal spring a will again assume its arch-like form
and cause the india rubber ring to bulge out all round.
As a slight modification of the above we sometimes dispense with the flange c*
at the top of the upper part c of the stopper, and prolong the ends of the metal
spring a so as to project beyond the body of the stopper and jar at each side
(as shown in section on Fig. 3 and plan view at Fig. 4) in which case the stopper
can be released by pulling the ends of the spring a upwards by the fingers, and
at the same time pressing the plug downwards by the thumbs so as to separate
the two parts. In this case the upper part of the plug may be made entirely of
metal or other suitable material.
The metal spring a and (in the above named modification) the metal portion
of the stopper, may be protected from corrosion by any suitable enamelling, or
other coating, which will preserve the same from the corrosive action of acids
or moisture.
In some cases we may rivet or otherwise fix the spring a to the top of the
part b which may be made of metal as seen at Figs. 5 and 6, the ends of the said

page_text: spring resting in suitable recesses, or in an annular recess * in the part c as
shewn at Fig. 5.
Or in some cases we may make the spring a in the form of an arched plate with
a central oval hole see Figs. 7 and 8 through which the top of the part b projects.
This part bis provided with a flange 6 or side projections at the top beneath
which the central or raised part of the metal spring a is held, the ends of the said
spring a resting in the upper edge of the part c as seen at Fig. 7. The part b
is or may be notched or grooved at to allow the spring to be slipped over the
flange b*
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
The combination with the parts b and c of the arched metal spring a sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this 20+1.
L
1000