IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Beard at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th October
1867.
I, RICHARD BEARD, junior, of North Road, Clapham Park, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate, first, to the rendering wood stoppers, such as
are described in the Specification of the Patent granted to Nathan Thompson,
and dated January 1st 1866, No. 3, or others of similar construction imper-
vious to air and water, and causing such stoppers to fit or pack more closely
to the neck of the bottle. This is accomplished by coating the outer surface
of the stopper with a composition which can be rendered sufficiently hard to
drive well into the bottle and to extract cleanlily from the same, and yet
possessing sufficient pliability to form a tight packing into the neck of the
bottle by giving or yielding to any inequalities therein. This composition by
closing or hermetically covering the pores of the wood on the outer side
prevents the escape of air or gas from the bottle, or the oozing of any fluid,
still the wood not being impregnated thereby is left in its natural state, and
will swell or expand in the bottle, the composition also possessing sufficient
elasticity to expand with it. By preference I use a composition of drying oil
(well boiled) and resins, into which I mix cotton or other fibre and pigment
to give any desired color and assist in giving the desired solidity, or a com-
position of resins, fibre, and pigment without the oil may be used. Vulcanite

page_text: or ebonite composition may also be employed. Having covered the outer
surface of the stopper with the composition I place the same in a suitable
mould or die so formed as to press the composition firmly to the wood, and
also mould it into proper form. The mould or die containing the coated
stopper is then placed in a heated chamber or kind of oven; the vulcanizer
used for india-rubber is preferable. It is desirable that this vulcanizer or
oven should be kept as air-tight as possible. The stoppers in the moulds are
subjected to heat to render them sufficiently hard; on removal from the
mould or die they will be smooth and hard ready for use with or without
capsules.
The improvements also relate to lever stoppers, such as are described in
the Specification of a Patent granted to Nathan Thompson, and dated 4th
January 1865, No. 27, or similar stoppers, more especially such as are
intended for wide mouth bottles or vessels, such as are used for pickles and
preserved fruit. It has for its object the rendering the use of such stoppers
more convenient and easy. It having been found that owing to the inequalities
in the mouth or opening of pickle and other bottles it is difficult to fit these
stoppers with certainty so as to render the bottle air-tight. I provide each
stopper with an outer rim, say, of metal, on the exterior of which I apply
and cause to adhere a coating (with or without fabric) of the composition
before described, or similar composition. I solidify the same more or less by
heat. This rim being driven into the bottle its elastic surface will fit or pack
to the neck or mouth of the bottle, whilst the interior retaining its size and
form will receive the lever stopper.