Improved Appliances for Closing the Mouths of Bottles and Jars.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1891-Accepted. 19th Dec., 1991
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliances for Closing the Mouths of Bottles and Jars.
I, FRANZ GERIKE, of Klein-Schonebeck, Germany, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that description of appliances for closing the mouths of
bottles and jars wherein a stopper is carried by a combination of levers pivotted to
the neck of the bottle and so arranged that when the levers are brought into one
position, they cause the stopper to be pressed down into the mouth of the bottle,
while in another position they raise the stopper out of the mouth.
According to my present invention I construct such appliance as follows.
I fix the stopper within a metal loop the arms of which pass down on each side
of the bottle neck and are pivotted to the arms of a bridge shaped lever; the ends
of which are provided with inward projecting studs that enter holes in the opposite
sides of the bottle neck, and which consequently constitute pivots on which the
lever can be turned. Thus, the loop being pivotted to the lever at points near its
pivotted ends, it will be seen that by turning the lever in a downward direction, it
is made to draw the loop downward and thereby to press the stopper carried by the
latter firmly into the bottle mouth. The lever has its sides curved in such a manner
that when turned down so as to bring its bridge close against the neck of the
bottle, the pivotted ends of the loop are brought beyond the vertical line passing
through the pivots of the lever, and consequently there is no tendency of the two
parts to move back again from the position into which they have been brought.
On the inner surface of one of the arms of the loop is a projecting stud, which
when the second lever is drawn downwards as described is made to bear upon
and slide along a vertical shoulder or groove on the bottle, whereby the loop
and its stopper are guided in their motion so as to move more or less vertically
up and down.
By this means the stopper is properly guided into the mouth of the bottle.
Instead of forming the stud on the loop it may be fixed or formed on the bottle
neck, and made to work in an open slot in the side of the loop.
A projecting stop is formed either on the loop or the lever so that when the
lever is moved up into the raised position, it is held by the stop a certain distance
from the loop so as to be conveniently laid hold of by the fingers.
The stopper may be of any suitable material that will insure an air tight closure
of the mouth; it may have its lower end made either spherical, conical, or
otherwise, and it may either be permanently fixed to the loop or be made
detachable.
Dated this 7th day of March 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliances for Closing the Mouths of Bottles and Jars.
I, FRANZ GERIKE, of Klein-Schonebeck, Germany, 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 that description of appliances for closing the mouths
of bottles and jars wherein a stopper is carried by a combination of levers
pivotted to the neck of the bottle and so arranged that when the levers are
DQ27

page_text: Fig. 4 a side view with the stopper open.
The stopper a of suitable material, is fixed to the part of the loop b, either by
a screws as shewn, to allow of its ready detachment, or by other means, such as by
being nipped in a socket k, as at Fig. 5.
The limbs 62 of the loop are pivotted at c¹ to the looped lever c which can turn
with pivots in holes in the bottle head. One or both limbs of the loop bis
provided with a guiding stud 63 which can slide in a vertical groove or against a
shoulder d¹ on the bottle head.
By this means the loop and with in the stopper have a prescribed upward or
downward motion imparted to them on turning the lever r, so that by the mere
moving of the latter in the one direction or the other, the proper insertion of the
stopper into, and its removal from the opening of the bottle is insured.
The lever is so formed that when moved home close against the bottle neck, the
pivots of the loop are brought below and somewhat beyond the vertical centre
line of the pivots e³, so that there is no tendency of the stopper to become loosened
of itself, without moving the lever by hand. In order to limit the movements of
lever c and loop 6 relatively to each other, the one or the other part, for example
the loop in this case, may have a stud or projection Figs. 2 and 4, with which
the lever c comes in contact on opening, and which thus determines a position
for the lever, when opened as shewn by the dotted lines, in which it can be readily
seized by the fingers.
The prescribed motion of the loop can be effected in a different manner; for
example, as shewn at Fig. 6. the loop b can be formed with a suitable slot or fork
which engages with a pin a fixed to the bottle head.
The turning of the lever c upon its pivot c³ can also be effected by the aid of a
wing piece which can be formed on or near the pivot c³, as indicated at Figs. 9
to 12, so that by turning this wing piece by the hand, the pivot e³ and consequently
with it the lever cand loop b are moved in the same manner for opening and closing
the stopper as when the lever itself is operated by hand. The wing piece c³ need

page_text: only be applied to one side of the lever, preferably so that it can be operated by
the finger and thumb of the right hand.
On turning the wing piece in the direction of the arrow Fig. 9. the stopper will
be opened, as shewn at Fig. 10. while on turning it in the contrary direction the
stopper will be closed.
The guiding of the loop 6 is in this case effected by forming a longitudinal rib b
on the one limb, which bears against the shoulder of a notch in the bead d
on the head of the bottle, as shewn more clearly in the part sectional plan at
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12 shews a detached side view of the lever and loop, the wing piece ³ being
in this case situated beyond the pivot c³.
The stoppers are advantageously made rounded at their lower end, the
opening of the bottle being correspondingly hollowed, whereby the easy introduc-
tion of the stopper into and its removal from the bottle, and a close fit of both, is
insured.
The stopper can also have a certain freedom of motion on the loop without inter-
fering with the correct action. Also, stoppers with caoutchouc surfaces of known
construction may be used, having a limited freedom of motion on the loop, or fixed
thereon.
For this purpose the stopper is not connected to the loop by pivots as is usual,
but the loop is made to fit with studs or bent ends of rectangular section into
correspondingly formed holes in the stopper, as shewn at Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an appliance for closing bottles and jars wherein the stopper is fixed to or
has only slight motion on a loop such as b, which is pivotted to a lever d, pivotted
to the bottle neck, controlling the motion of the loop and stopper in opening and
closing, by means of a guiding device, such as a stud 63 or a shoulder d' on the
bottle substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 to 11 of
the drawings.
2. In combination with the guiding device referred to in the preceding claim,
the use of a stud on the loop or on the lever, whereby the motion of the lever
is limited, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 4 of the
drawings.
3. In combination with the guiding device referred to in the first claim, the use
of a wing piece upon or near to the pivot of the lever c for effecting the
turning of the latter, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 of
the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of November 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.