IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Charles Eaton, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING
THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Charles Eaton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1880.
WILLIAM CHARLES EATON, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES."
.
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to improvements in securing the stoppers of bottles so that
the contents of the bottles may not be abstracted surreptitiously.
My Invention is applicable to separate bottles, or to bottles contained in a case
or frame, such as are used for spirits, scents, and other like purposes, and it consists
(as applied to separate bottles, for example) of a ring, by preference of metal, which
is secured round the neck or body of the bottle, and provided with a spring or
other lock. A ring or clasp connected firmly to the stopper has a chain or rod
attached to it carrying the lock staple, and of sufficient length to enable the staple
to enter and be secured by the lock; a second arrangement being that the chain
may be secured to the ring or clasp round the neck or body of the bottle, and be
made to secure the stopper by being passed over the top thereof, and be locked on
the other side. A ring or similar device (such as a cup reversed) placed in the centre
or thereabouts of the chain, may pass over and encircle or cover the point of the
stopper. Where the stoppers of a series of bottles (as the three bottles in a spirit
frame, for example) are required to be secured, the stoppers are provided with
suitable chains or rods attached in the manner before described, which may all be
secured by one movement of a lock acting on an elongated catch bar, by separate
locks, or by other equivalent device connected to the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Charles Eaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1881.
WILLIAM CHARLES EATON, of Sheffield, in the County of York.
IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for securing the stoppers of
bottles or decanters, so that the contents of the said bottles or decanters may not
be abstracted surreptitiously.
My Invention may be applied to separate bottles, or to sets of bottles in stands
or frames, and it consists chiefly in a novel apparatus provided with a lock, which
is attached permanently to the neck or body of the bottle in some cases, but may
also be made separate and removeable if preferred. In the case of a set of bottles
to be contained in a stand, the apparatus is preferably attached to the standard or
handle of the stand. In applying my Invention to a single bottle, for example, I
secure a metallic ring or hoop firmly round the neck of the bottle. On one side of
the ring I attach a lock of suitable, description, and on the other side I attach a
chain (or its equivalent) of sufficient length to pass over the top of the stopper and
be secured by the bolt of the lock. Various additional devices in connection with
the chain may be used to suit the varying shapes of stoppers, such as a ring to
pass over a pointed stopper, or a cap to fit on a round topped stopper. Another
arrangement of my Invention consists of a metallic collar, by preference made in
two parts hinged together, so that it can be clasped round the lip of a bottle or
decanter, and secured by a lock, the centre hole of the collar clipping the neck of
the stopper, to which it corresponds in size.
In applying my Invention to a set of bottles in a stand, such as a set of spirit
bottles, for example, I prefer to permanently attach the before mentioned collars or
retaining apparatus to the central standard or handle, so that when the collars are
opened the bottles may be withdrawn. A lock may be applied to each separate
collar, or one lock may be used to secure the set of bottles, in which case the
arrangement of the various parts must be modified.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood,
I will now proceed to more particularly describe the same, and for that purpose
will refer to the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan of a spirit stand made according to
my Invention, each retaining collar being locked separately. One collar is shown
open, and the others closed,
A is the standard or handle connected with the base of the stand B. The
retaining collars C are secured to the handle A, and clasp the lip of the bottle G, as
well as a portion of the neck H of the stoppers I. The hinged parts of the
collars C are shown open at D, and are secured by the lock E and the staple or
catch F.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 2), represents an arrangement, in elevation, for securing the
stoppers of a set of three bottles in a stand, one lock only being required to lock
the set; Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) is a plan of the same.
The immoveable portion of the collars C are attached to the handle of the stand in a
similar manner to the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, but, instead of the
hinged parts D, I use elongated arms K and й', which are attached to the rings L
and L', three arms being attached to each ring, the righthand arms to one ring and
the left hand arms to the other ring. These rings are supported between the
plate M and the fast collar plate, but are free to partially rotate in either direction

page_text: by means of the knobs N which pass through segmental slots O in the collar plate.
When the two knobs marked with an asterisk are moved towards each other, the
three pairs of arms K and K¹ are opened to the position shown by the dotted lines
at P; the bottles and the stoppers being liberated, the contrary movement closes
the arms, and secures the bottles and stoppers.
When the arms are thus closed, one or more slots or grooves formed on or in the
rings are brought opposite the lock Q, and on the bolt entering such slot or groove R
the whole of the arms are securely locked.
A similar arrangement may be used to clip over the top of the stoppers, the
bottoms of the bottles being held in recesses or binns.
Fig. 3 represents my Invention as applied to a single bottle only; S is a ring or
collar round the neck of the bottle, to which is attached a chain provided with a
concave cap to fit on the round top of the stopper, and secured on the opposite side
by a suitable lock.
Fig. 5 is a modification of this arrangement, the chain being secured to the
stopper by a pin or screw, as shown.
Fig. 4 represents in elevation and plan a removeable collar for separate bottles,
and made to clip or encircle the lip of a bottle, the centre hole fitting closely round
the neck and on to the shoulder of the stopper. It is by preference made in two
equal parts, hinged together as shown in the plan, and provided with a lock, and
when secured on the bottle it is impossible for the stopper to be withdrawn.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which it may be used or carried into practice, I would observe
in conclusion that I am aware that stoppers have been locked in bottles by means
of the bolt of the lock being made to pass through the neck of the bottle into the
stopper, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The various modifications and arrangements of apparatus for securing the
stoppers of bottles, either separately or in sets, substantially as described and
illustrated.
The use of hinged or jointed collars to clasp over the lips of bottles and over
the shoulders of stoppers, whether such collars are separate or are attached to a
frame or stand for bottles, for the purpose and substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Charles Eaton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 22nd day of June, in the year of our Lord 1881.