Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Opening Ball Stoppered Bottles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Opening Ball
Stoppered Bottles.
I, SAMUEL THOMAS WATMUFF, of Hipperholme, near Halifax in the County
of York, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the combination of certain mechanism in such
manner that, ball stoppered bottles such as are used for aerated and like water,
may be opened without personal risk of injury by an explosion.
The bottle to be opened is
accomplish my object in the following manner.
placed in a cage hinged at the bottom or other convenient part, and when the cage
is not in use, it is held in an inclined position by a spring.
Above the cage is a spindle mounted in a socket provided with a spring for
keeping the spindle in an elevated position and secured to the bottom of the said
spindle is a bell provided with a projection in the centre.
On placing a bottle in the before mentioned cage, and moving same into a
vertical position, the bottle and cage are in the same vertical line as the before
mentioned spindle, which on the operation of a lever causes the bell to descend,
and the projection therein to come in contact with the ball and force same from its
seating into the bottle.
1
1000
JOHN WAUGH,
· Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Opening Ball
Stoppered Bottles.
I, SAMUEL THOmas Watmuff, of Hipperholme, near Halifax, in the County
of York, Commercial Traveller, 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 has for its object the combination of certain mechanism in such a
manner that, ball stoppered bottles such as are used for aerated and like waters
may be opened without personal risk or injury to the operator by explosion.
In describing my invention in detail reference is made to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my apparatus.
· Fig. 2 a detailed elevation of a connecting fork bar with a portion of the frame
and cage arms in section.
Fig. 3 a plan of the cage enclosing a bottle, also the cage arms open.
Fig. 4 a plan of the apparatus with the base removed, and
Fig. 5 a plan of the base and seat for the bottles.
Similar letters represent similar parts where they appear.
The cage A. is attached to arms B. hinged to the pillar or frame C. of the
apparatus at D. the bottle E. to be opened is placed within the cage A. which is
open as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 when the lever K. is in its normal position
as shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

page_text: Above the cage A. and bottle E. is a spindle G. mounted in a socket or tube F.
provided with a spring S. for keeping the said spindle in an elevated position when
at rest as shown by full lines, the spindle having a pin through same which engages
with the slot holes L. in lever K. so that on the operation of the said lever, the
spindle G. is operated likewise.
Secured to the bottom of the said spindle is a bell H. provided with a pro-
jection J. in the centre through which is a small hole L. to allow the gas to escape,
the wings M. in the interior and at the top of the bell being of some suitable
flexible material for holding the bottle neck in position and covering the top of the
upper portion of the bottle neck.
When the lever K. is moved downwards towards the base N. of the apparatus,
the open and curved forked ends L' of connecting fork L' cause the arms B. to
move towards each other, thereby closing the cage A. upon the bottle E. and on
continuing the course of the lever K. the spring S. is further compressed and the
bell H. passed over the upper portion of the bottle, the flexible wings M. grip the
neck of the bottle and bold it in the centre of the bell H. the perforated
projection J. on coming in contact with the ball stopper P. forces the same from
its seat, thus opening the bottle, the cage A. preventing the glass escaping should
the bottle burst.
The apparatus is applicable for opening bottles of various lengths as shown by
the position of the bells in dotted lines at H' H³.
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. The combination of a spindle G. spring S. and a bell H. having an internal
central projection J. with a cage A. all operated substantially in the manner and
for the purpose as bereinbefore set forth.
2. A bell H. provided with flexible wings M. and a projection.J. combined with
a lever K. and cage A. substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein-
before set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1894.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.