An Improved Device for the Air-tight Closing of and Withdrawal of Air from Jars, Glasses, and other Receptacles for Preserves, Sweetmeats, Chemicals, and other Substances.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898.
An Improved Device for the Air-tight Closing of and Withdrawal
of Air from Jars, Glasses, and other Receptacles for Preserves,
Sweetmeats, Chemicals, and other Substances.
I, RICHARD HENGSTENBERG, of Esslingen A. N. Wurtemberg, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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:-
The present invention relates to a device applicable to receptacles of every
description, for example glasses, jars and the like for preserves, sweetmeats,
chemicals and other substances by which they can be closed down and automatically
rendered air-tight at any time.
The apparatus consists essentially in the arrangement of a nozzle on the cover of
the receptacle, in which cover a closely fitting stopper of glass, india-rubber or the
like is so fixed that the opening in the nozzle can be cut off from all communication
with the interior of the receptacle by suitably turning the stopper. If the receptacle
is connected by means of a pipe with an air pump, water supply pipe or the like and
these be set in action, a vacuum may be produced in the jar or other receptacle which
can be maintained by closing the stopper whereby the cover is automatically closed
down tight.
In the accompanying drawings two modes are shown of fastening the nozzle onto
the cover of the receptacle B.
In Figure the nozzle b¹ is arranged projecting laterally on the neck 6 of the
cover B. The stopper D fitting closely in the neck b of the cover has at its lower
part a small groove d, which is adapted to register with the mouth of the passage
through the nozzle b¹.
If now, for example, the vessel A be connected by the nozzle 6¹ to an air pump, or, as
shown in Figure 3, to a water supply pipe G by means of a side pipe F, air will be
withdrawn from the receptacle A and a partial vacuum be produced. By turning the
stopper D the vessel will be closed and the cover B will thus be automatically secured
by the external air pressure.
The arrangement of the nozzle set forth in Figure 2 of the drawing is still more
practical than that set forth in Figure 1, the stopper itself being formed as a nozzle.
For this purpose the stopper D¹ is provided with a central bored bent at right angles
near the bottom of the stopper where it leads to a groove 62 which is formed in the
inner face of the neck b of the cover. After the withdrawal of the air, the stopper D¹
may be turned by gripping the finger pieces d³, so that the passage & no longer
communicates with the receptacle A through the groove 62. The cover B is thus pressed
automatically tightly against the washer ring e and when closed is perfectly airtight.
As already mentioned above, the withdrawal of the air and closing of the receptacles
can be performed in an exceedingly simple way by means of a water supply pipe as is
well known or by a small pump. Hitherto, for example, preserve jars had the air
withdrawn in the well known manner by heating the contents, or placing them under a
vacuum receiver and then closing them down. By this invention the vacuum may be
produced directly in the vessel itself.

page_text: Every housewife, by means of the arrangement, above described, is thus placed in a
position to herself close, and withdraw air from, preserve jars and the like and is also
enabled in the simplest manner to close and withdraw air from jars that have been
already opened. To open the vessel it is only necessary to turn the stopper B and
allow air to enter, whereas formerly force had to be exerted to open the stopper.
The arrangement which can be attached to each jar or vessel is very cheap and
simple, and the closing and rendering airtight can be very quickly done.
The apparatus necessary for withdrawing the air, a small air pump, or in the event
of water supply being to hand, an indiarubber pipe for the purpose of connecting the
same with the jar or vessel is very cheap to procure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An improved device for the airtight closing of and withdrawal of air from jars,
glasses and other receptacles for preserves, sweetmeats, chemicals and other substances
characterised by a close-fitting stopper being fixed in the cover of the receptacle and
so adapted that by means of a nozzle arranged on the stopper or on the neck of the
cover, communication with the interior of the receptacle may be opened or closed so
that by connecting the nozzle by means of a pipe, with an iron pump, water supply
pipe or the like, air may be withdrawn from the receptacle and then by turning the
stopper to close the communication, an automatic airtight closing of the vessel may
be attained, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1898
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.