Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them being Refilled.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent them being Refilled.
We, CHARLES HAYES, of 922, Broad Street, and EDWIN EUGENE CHATFIELD, of
108, South 8th Street, Manufacturing Jewellers, and ALBERT BARNUM WILSON,
Teacher, of 97, South 10th Street, all of the City of Newark, Essex County, State
of New Jersey, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained, in and by the following statement:
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This invention relates to non-refillable bottles, and has for its object to provide
a cheap and simple means for location within the neck of a bottle that will allow
the liquid contained in the latter to be readily poured therefrom, but, after the
bottle has been emptied, be effective under all conditions to prevent refilling of the
same. This object we accomplish by means of the construction and arrangement
of parts embodying our invention as hereinafter set forth in detail and pointed out
in the claims.
Referring to the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the centre of a bottle embodying our
invention, with the lower portion of the bottle broken away.
Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the cork removed, showing the bottle tilted
and the position assumed by the valve at such time, when the liquid is being
poured from the bottle.
Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 4 is a side view of the valve-seat, valve and valve protecting basket, removed
from their position within the neck of the bottle and illustrating a slight modifi-
cation in construction to be hereinafter referred to.
To explain in detail: a represents a whiskey or other liquor bottle, with its lower
portion broken away, having the usual long neck a¹.
According to our invention, we provide a ring b for location within the neck a¹
adjacent to its lower end, the upper edge of which is adapted to form a seat for a
flat valve c. This ring b, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with
an annular extension 61 on its lower side of less circumference than the inner cir-
cumference of the neck a¹, on which a ring of cork or other suitable packing
material is adapted to be placed so as to fit closely between the same and the neck
of the bottle, and, in such position form a tight joint around the valve seat and
also serve as a means to frictionally hold the latter from vertical displacement in
the neck of the bottle after being located therein. A projecting flange a² is formed
on the inner wall of the neck a¹ at or adjacent to its lower end, which serves as
a seat to receive the lower edge of the packing ring 62 when the latter with its
connected valve seat ring is placed in position, and prevent the same dropping or
being pushed through the neck into the body of the bottle.
The valve c, which consists of a flat disc, is movably held in a normal position
upon its seat so as to close the opening in the neck of the bottle, by means of a
ball or weight c¹ which is centrally suspended therefrom through the medium of
a flexible connection c². By this construction it will be understood that the bottle

page_text: when empty, may be shaken or otherwise agitated to cause the weight to swing
and change its position, but the latter, being connected with the valve through the
medium of the flexible connection, will continue to act upon the valve and hold
the same in position on its seat to close the bottle and prevent refilling. The
valve c being held upon its seat by means of the flexibly connected weight as de-
scribed, also enables the bottle to successfully withstand the test under which
most of the so-called non-refillable bottles prove defective, that is, being immersed
in liquid and then subjected to agitation.
When the bottle is originally filled, the contents may be readily poured there-
from after the cork d in the mouth of same has been removed, by tilting the
bottle in the usual manner, as shown in Figure 2, so that the liquid will flow
against the under side of the valve c with sufficient pressure to move the latter
from its seat as shown and allow the liquid to escape. After the desired quantity
of liquid has been poured from the bottle and the latter returned to its normal
upright position, the valve c is also returned to its normal position upon the valve
seat and serves as a stopper to close the bottle.
"
Above the said valve and valve seat, we have located a perforated basket e
through which the liquid contained in the bottle may readily pass, but which will
effectively prevent the valve being reached to be tampered with in any way. This
so-called "basket e consists of a short tubular piece of less diameter than the
inner diameter of the neck of the bottle whereby a space or passage f is provided
between the adjacent surfaces of the same. About midway between the ends of
the basket is formed a solid transverse wall e¹ so as to close direct communication
through the same, and at points above and below this central wall e' the basket
is provided with perforations e2 and e³ through which the liquid passes in. flowing
past the wall e¹, as clearly indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.
The basket e, as herewith shown, is permanently connected with the bottle as
a fixed part thereof in a manner as follows: The basket is provided with an an-
nular flange, at or adjacent to its upper end having an annular groove e therein,
and the inner wall of the bottle neck a¹ is also provided with an annular groove a³
formed therein at a point sufficiently far below the top of the neck as to admit
of a cork being inserted in the latter above the said groove, as shown in Fig. 1.
When inserting the basket e into the neck of the bottle, a split spring ring g
having a normal tendency to expand is first placed or compressed into the groove e
in the basket, and the latter is then forced down into the upper tapering portion
of the neck a¹ with the ring pressing outwardly against the inner wall of the latter
until it reaches a position opposite the groove a³ in the bottle, at which time it
immediately expands so that a part thereof will lie in each of the opposite grooves a
and e and so lock the basket from further movement in the neck a¹. When the
basket is thus locked in position it will be obvious that the same cannot be re-
moved without first breaking the neck of the bottle for the reason that the locking
ring g, after being brought to its locking position within the two opposite grooves, is
enclosed therein and cannot be again reached. By this means the valve is effectually
protected from being reached to be tampered with in any way.
As a means to prevent possibility of a wire or other device being passed through
the upper openings e in the basket e to a point outside of the latter, and then
back through the lower openings e³ to the valve c, for the purpose of tampering
with the latter, we have formed the basket with projections e6 on its outer surface
at a point between the upper and lower openings which extend to a point adjacent
to the inner wall of the neck a¹ as shown. These projections e6 while thus pre-
venting the passage of a wire or other tool from the upper to the lower openings,
do not interfere with the outward flow of the liquid, as the latter readily passes
or flows outward through the openings e³ into the space f between the basket and
the bottle, then through the open spaces between the projections e, back through
the upper openings into the basket, and from there out through the mouth of the
bottle, all as clearly indicated by the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1.
The basket e is provided with projections e7 on its lower end against which the

page_text: valve c strikes and rests when moved from its seat by the pressure of the liquid
against the under side of the same as shown in Fig. 2. These projections e, as
a part of the basket, serve to limit the movement of the valve and retain the same
in its position within the neck of the bottle, and also prevent the valve after the
bottle has been returned to its upright position, being held above its seat by suc-
tion as would be liable to occur if the lower end of the basket presented a smooth
unbroken surface for the valve to rest against. The projections & might, however,
be located on the upper surface of the valve instead of on the basket and perform
the same functions.
In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the valve seat ring b and the
basket are separate from each other. This has been found to be a convenient con-
struction to allow for the grinding or smoothing of the upper surface of the valve
seat, which latter, as also the valve and the basket, is preferably formed of glass,
but in some instances we form both the basket and the valve seat ring in one part,
as shown in Fig. 4, by moulding the same with connecting ribs (only one of which
is shown in the drawing) which unite the parts adjacent to their outer edges so as
not to interfere with the valve c. When thus constructed, the basket and valve
seat with the valve supported in position on the latter as shown in Fig. 4, will all be
necessarily inserted in the neck a¹ together and be held in position by the locking
ring g
After a bottle has been filled with the liquid it is intended to contain, and the
means for preventing refilling of the same as described have been secured in proper
connection therewith, a cork or other suitable stopper is inserted into the mouth or
upper end of the bottle neck as shown in Fig. 1, to close the same for the purpose
of shipping, etc. When the contents are to be used, however, the cork may then
be removed and further dispensed with, if desired, as the valve will serve as a
stopper when the bottle is kept in its upright position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
-
1. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle having a valve seat located in its
neck portion, a valve supported on said valve seat and have a weight suspended
therefrom through the medium of a flexible connection, and means supported in
the neck of the bottle above said valve to limit the movement of the same, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle having a flat valve seat located in
its neck portion, a flat valve supported on said valve seat and having a weight
centrally suspended therefrom through the medium of a flexible connection, and
means supported in the neck of the bottle above said valve to limit the movement
of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle having a flat valve-seat located in
its neck portion, a flat valve supported on said valve seat, a perforated basket of
less diameter than the inner diameter of the bottle neck, having projections in its
lower side for limiting the movement of the valve, and means for locking the said
basket in permanent connection with the bottle in a position above the said valve
therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle having a flange or projection on the
inner wall of its neck portion, a valve seat ring seated upon said flange or projec
tion, a valve supported upon said valve seat ring and having a weight suspended
therefrom through the medium of a flexible connection, and means permanently
supported within the neck of the bottle above the said valve to retain the latter in
position and limit the movement of the same, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
5. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle, a perforated basket having a
valve seat ring supported thereby at a point below its lower end, a valve supported
on said valve seat ring, and means for locking the basket with its supported parts

page_text: in permanent connection with the bottle within the neck portion thereof, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. A non-refillable bottle, comprising a bottle, a ring supported within the neck
of the bottle with its upper surface forming a valve seat, a packing ring located
between said ring and the inner wall of the bottle, a valve supported upon said
ring and having a weight centrally suspended therefrom through the medium of a
flexible connection, and means located within the neck of the bottle above said
valve for retaining the latter in position and limiting the movement of the same,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
73
T
1
1
100
EDWARD EUGENE CHATFIELD.
ALBERT BARNUM WILSON.
CHARLES HAYES..
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.