IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING OR FILLING BOTTLES OR OTHER AIRTIGHT VESSELS WITHOUT UNCORKING OR UNSTOPPERING
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED KAUFMAN LEVI, 160 Bishopsgate Street without, in the City of
London, Watchmaker and Jeweller, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING OR FILLING BOTTLES OR
OTHER AIRTIGHT VESSELS WITHOUT UNCORKING OR UNSTOPPERING "
follows:-
to be as
My Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for filling and emptying
bottles casks and other closed vessels and it has more especially for its object to
enable the contents of a bottle to be drawn off in an expeditious manner without
removing the cork and if a portion of the contents are only required by excluding
the air to avoid deterioration of the remainder.
The apparatus of my invention consists of a pair of tubes of different lengths
which are passed through the cork of a bottle or through the head of a barrel or
other container so as to project into the capacity of the vessel. These tubes are
provided with cocks and when necessary with caps also and so arranged as to
project from the cork of the bottle or from the head of the cask or other vessel at
unequal distances to enable the operations of emptying and filling to be effected.
In the case of a bottle or other corked vessel.these tubes are inserted into the cork
by means of a piercer which is passed into the tubes and bored through the cork of
the bottle &c, the apparatus to facilitate this operation being provided with a guide
consisting of a perforated plate, which is adapted to fit over the cork and be held
in place by legs or by a rim to embrace the neck of the bottle.
The guide plate and tubes may be formed in one with the vessel instead of
being separate pieces for the caps, or cocks to be fitted to a cask or other closed
vessel might be provided with holes fitted with the tubes closed by caps to be
removed for the insertion of the cocks when requisite to empty or fill.
The apparatus may be made of metal or other suitable material.

page_text: I ALFRED KAUFMAN LEVI, 160 Bishopsgate Street Without in the City of
London, Watchmaker and Jeweller do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING OR FILLING BOTTLES OR OTHER AIR
"and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
TIGHT VESSELS WITHOUT UNCORKING OR UNSTOPPERING
My Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for drawing off the contents
of, and for filling, bottles, casks, and other closed vessels, and it has more especially
for its object to enable the contents of a bottle to be drawn off in an expeditious
manner without removing the cork and without the necessity of using a corkscrew,
and, if a portion only of the contents are required, to avoid deterioration of the
remainder by excluding the air therefrom.
The apparatus of my invention consists of a pair of tubes of different lengths
which are inserted in the bottle, barrel, or other container, so as to project into
the capacity of the vessel. These tubes may be provided with cocks and they may
have slits or holes which are closed by caps, said tubes being so arranged as to
project from the cork of the bottle or from the head of the cask or other vessel at
unequal distances to enable the operations of emptying and filling to be effected.
In the case of a bottle or other corked vessel, these tubes are inserted through the
cork by means of a piercer which is passed into the tubes and bored through the
cork of the bottle &c, the apparatus to facilitate this operation being provided
with a guide consisting of a perforated plate made with or without legs or rim
(which are either integral with the plate or removable therefrom) which is adapted
to fit over the cork and be held in place by the legs or by the rim to embrace the
neck of the bottle.
The guide plate and tubes may be formed in one with the vessel instead of being
separate pieces for the caps; or cocks to be fitted to a cask or other closed vessel
might be provided with holes fitted with short tubes closed by screw caps, the caps
to be removed for fixing longer tubes fitted with cocks or caps when requisite to
empty or fill, or cocks of the requisite length might be forced through existing or
other holes in a barrel &c.
The apparatus may be made of metal or other suitable material.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein I have represented various modifications of the apparatus
applied to bottles of different forms and kinds.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus of my invention as applied to an
ordinary bottle the apparatus being represented as constructed in its most simple
form. Figure 2 shows a similar apparatus provided with a cock on the short tube
for the purpose of regulating or controlling the flow of liquid through the longer
tube. Figure 3 shows a similar apparatus provided with a cock on each of the tubes
for the purpose above mentioned. Figure 4 shows the apparatus as permanently

page_text: applied to a carare or decanter and provided with a filling funnel. Figure 5 shows an
apparatus similar to that shown in figure 1 but applied to a stone bottle instead of
a glass bottle. Figure 5ª shews the tubes a b withdrawn and the holes in the cork
plugged up. Figure 6 shows plan and elevation of the gauge or template for
determining positions of the holes in the cork to receive the air and discharge
tubes. Figure 7 illustrates the method of drilling the holes and inserting the
apparatus and Figure 8 shows the apparatus inserted and the drills withdrawn.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of one end of a cask or barrel to which the
apparatus of my invention is applied. Figure 10 is a section through the barrel
head showing the means of attaching the tubes. Figure 11 shows a regulating
cap and slot applied to the end of the air tube. Figure 12 shows a section of the
head of the barrel shown in figure 9 with the tubes partly removed and replaced
by caps to exclude the air and preserve the contents or the vessel, itself, when
empty, from impurities. Figure 13 represents part of an upright barrel with the
apparatus applied in the side thereof. Figure 14 represents a tank with the
apparatus applied thereto.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
a is the air inlet tube and b the outlet or flow tube for the liquid. These tubes
are of any suitable length and diameter according to requirements but of a
relatively proportional length of not less than 3 to 2, the air tube being the
shorter.
As shown in figures 1 and 2 the tubes a, b are permanently fixed in a cork or
stopper c which is intended to be substituted for the ordinary cork of a bottle.
To render the cork c more durable it is provided with a cap piece d of metal,
ivory, or other hard material which is cemented on the cork through which the
tubes a, b, pass the tubes being driven tightly into the cork and projecting
slightly from the inner end thereof. The outer ends of the tubes are screw
threaded and provided with screw caps e for the purpose of closing the tubes and
thereby practically corking the bottle. These caps are attached to the tubes a b,
by means of chains b' to prevent their loss.
In figure 3 the tubes are shown as applied to an ordinarily corked bottle the tubes
being merely driven through the cork without the use of the cap d, and being
both furnished with cocks f at their upper or outer ends, the employment of cocks
possessing advantages in certain cases as for instance in retailing liquors as a saving
of time would be effected.
Figure 4 shows a decanter wherein the glass is closed over at the top g of the
neck and is formed solid with the decanter; through this permanent top the tubes
are passed and securely cemented or otherwise fixed therein. There is a filling
funnel h, which is removable and has a screw thread at its lower part, similar to
that of the caps e by which it may be replaced when the decanter is not required
to be filled.
Figure 5 shows the apparatus in its simplest form as applied for temporary use
i.e. if a portion only of the contents of the bottle is required at long intervals the
tubes a and b may be removed and replaced by wooden plugs a² ² as shown in
figure 5. The tubes can then be used for other bottles. In figure 5 the air inlet
tube a is slotted and the slot is partly covered by the cap to regulate the flow of
liquid.
The templet shown in figure 6 is placed over the mouth of the corked bottle for
the purpose of ensuring the proper positions of the tubes in the cork the tubes
being passed through the guide holes ii in the case of ordinary bottles and through
the holes j in the case of narrow necked bottles the operation of boring the hole
being performed as hereafter described.
In figure 7 the use of the templet is more clearly illustrated as is also the mode
of piercing the cork and inserting the tubes which is performed in one operation as
follows: The templet which in this case has legs k to ensure its central position
over the cork, is placed over the neck of the bottle and the tube with the piercer l
passed through it is inserted into the tubes of the templet as shown on the left side

page_text: of the figure and driven through the cork as shown on the right side; the piercers:
are then withdrawn and if there is any pressure in the bottle such as is the case:
with aerated waters or sparkling wines &c the cocks should be immediately closed..
In drawing off, at first, in these cases the shorter cock must be kept closed until
the contents become flat and it should then be opened to admit air to force out
the remainder of the contents as shown in figure 8. The piercers have a feather l¹
which engages in a corresponding notch in the upper end of the cock or tube.
Thus in boring the cork the cock and tube are carried round with the piercer.
In figure 9 the admission of air is regulated through tube a by means of a cap e,
which screws on to the end of the tube and partially or wholly covers a slot cut
longitudinally therein.
This is better shown in figure 11 where m is the slot partly uncovered.
The tubes a, b, are each made in two sections or lengths a, a' b, b', of which the
shorter portions or nipples a¹, 61 are screwed into or inside or otherwise fixed to
the head or stave as shown, and the longer or projecting portions a, b are united
thereto by a screw socket. When the barrel is empty the parts a, b are to be.
unscrewed leaving the parts a¹, b¹ in the barrel and the latter are to be capped by
screw caps n (as shown in figure 12) to preserve the contents and exclude air and
impurities when the barrel is full or empty.
Figure 13 shows the air tube a in the stave of the barrel, the drawing off tube b,
being situated near the bottom. Both tubes in this case are furnished with cocks
which are more convenient in certain cases than screw caps.
In figure 14 the air tube a, is situated at the highest point in the side of the
tank the tube b being at the bottom as usual, the tank is also provided with a
filling tube o which is closed by a screw cap except whilst the tank is being
filled. This tube o is only necessary when the tank or other vessel that the
apparatus is applied to is fixed or of such dimensions that it cannot be conveniently
tilted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An appliance for controlling the flow of liquids from, or into, corked or
stoppered bottles and other closed receptacles, said appliance consisting in the
combination of two tubes having such relative length and position as to constitute
respectively an inlet for air and an outlet for the liquid one or both of said tubes
being provided with a cock for regulating the flow or with a screw cap and with
or without slits or holes closed by the caps, substantially as shown and described.
2. An appliance for controlling the flow of liquid from bottles consisting of a
pair of tubes of unequal length permanently fixed in a cork or stopper, as herein
shown and described, one or both of such tubes being provided with a screw
cap or cock and with or without slits or holes closed by the caps, as and for the
purposes specified.
3. The combination of means for inserting the tubes through the corks of bottles
consisting of piercers and templet constructed and used in the manner described.