Improvements in and connected with Bottle Stoppers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bottle Stoppers.
I, ALFRED GREGORY ELY, of 56, Warren Street, in the City, and State of New
York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
This invention has for its object to provide a bottle with a stopper which will
prevent the bottle from being refilled after its contents have been once exhausted.
My invention is shown as it will preferably be embodied in a stopper composed
of an outer case or shell containing one or more valves of peculiar construction,
the said case or shell being so constructed that it may be forced into the bottle
neck, but cannot be removed therefrom.
My improved bottle stopper is composed of a shell or case having an extended
liquid passage and provided below the inner end of said liquid passage with a
chamber having at its lower end a seat and at its upper end a rest, combined
with a tipping valve, said chamber being shallow, and said valve nearly filling
the chamber and being substantially hemispherical in shape, being heavier on
its undercurved portion than on its upper plane or diametrical side, whereby when
the bottle is slightly tipped the said hemispherical valve tends to slide or roll
as will be described on and along its said seat.
The improvements in bottle stoppers to be described include a shell or casing
having an extended liquid passage, and provided below the inner end of said
liquid passage with a chamber having at its lower end a seat and at its upper end
a rest, combined with a tipping valve, said chamber being shallow, and said
valve nearly filling the chamber and being nearly hemispherical in shape, being
heavier on its under curved portion than on its upper plane or diametrical side,
whereby when the bottle is slightly tipped the said hemispherical valve tends
to slide or roll as will be described on or along its said seat, said valve having
in its said plane or flat side next said rest a series of grooves or liquid passages.
The improvements also comprise a bottle having within its neck a choke or
snug, an independent shell or case externally tapered from the delivery end of
said shell towards its inner end, said taper having a shoulder at its inner end,
the upper or delivery end of said shell next to said tapering surface being sur-
rounded by an extended flange, a compressible ring mounted on and surrounding
the said tapered surface and retained between said flange and said shoulder, said
ring engaging said choke and being peripherally compressed thereby when the
shell or case is in position in the bottle neck, said case or shell having within
it a shallow chamber provided at its lower end with a valve seat and at its upper
end with a rest, a tipping valve nearly filling the chamber, said valve being
substantially hemi-spherical in shape and made solid of heavy material, the upper
side thereof being cut away to lighten it and provide fluid passages and the
underside being smooth to slide or roll around on its seat.
The improvements also comprise, a shell or case having an extended liquid

page_text: passage and provided below the inner end of said liquid passage with two chambers
one below the other, one of said chambers containing a float valve in the form
of a many sided box, said box being packed with light material like cork and
extending above said packing in the form of a plurality of feet, and said other
chamber being shallow and containing a weighted hemi-spherical valve nearly
filling the chamber.
The improvements also comprise in a bottle stopper a shallow case containing
a valve seat, a valve co-operating with said seat, the lower end of said valve being
circular in cross section, a float valve chamber located below said seat, combined
with a float valve in said float valve chamber, said float valve being many sided
to form liquid channels about its sides, liquid passages at the upper end of said
valve, the lower end of said float valve being provided with a depression to
operate as will be described.
My valve, which I chiefly depend upon to close the liquid passage or valve
seat communicating with the interior of the bottle, is a tumbling valve so
shaped and proportioned as to its weight that it will remain on said seat when
the bottle is right side up and preferably it will not leave said seat until the
delivery end of the bottle neck has substantially passed below a horizontal
plane when the said valve will quickly tumble from its seat and meet a stop at
the main passage of the case, the valve, or the edge of the passage being provided
with fluid passages.
This case or shell has its circular exterior tapered, and this tapered portion
is surrounded by a yielding packing ring, preferably of cork, the said ring when
the case or shell is put into the bottle neck passing a snug or contracted part
of the neck, the said snug thereafter acting on the ring in such manner that
should any attempt be made to withdraw the case or shell, the tapered surface of
the fatter acting within the ring, expands the same and forces it tighter and
tighter against the snug, so preventing the withdrawal of the case or shell.
I have also shown the case or shell as provided with a float valve of peculiar
construction, it being placed in a supplemental chamber of the case or shell.
Fig. 1, on enlarged scale, shows a bottle neck stoppered in accordance with
my invention.
Fig. 2, a view of one half of the case or shell detached, Fig. 2 a detail to be
referred to.
Fig. 3 a section on the line, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 a tap view of the tipping valve detached.
Fig. 5 shows part of the case or shell with the valve and compressible ring.
Figs. 6 and 7 show the parts of Fig. 5 in two different positions.
Fig. 8, a top or plan view of the float valve.
Fig. 9, a modification of the parts shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 10 shows a modified form of my invention.
Fig. 11, a section on the line ', Fig. 10.
Fig. 12, an upper end view of the part n¹ of Fig. 10.
Figs. 13 and 14, a top view and section of a modified form of valve.
Figs. 15 and 16, a top view and section of yet another modified form of valve,
and
Fig. 17 shows a cork which may be used, if desired.
The bottle neck A, of any usual or suitable shape, has in its neck a choke a,
and at its lower end a shoulder a¹.
The neck receives a case or shell B which in its most simple form is composed
of a body having through it a passage b, the body being tapered externally, as
shown at 61, said tapered portion being surrounded by a compressible ring 62
preferably made from cork, the lower end of said ring acting against a shoulder 620
at the lower end of said tapering body.
The case or shell is shown as prolonged beyond the passage b, thus providing
a head as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, and said head is chambered, as at b³,
in prolongation of the passage b, and externally the head is provided with an

page_text: annular groove c, a series of eduction orifices c¹ connecting the bottom of said
groove with the chamber 65, and the top of the head is notched as at ², so that
fluid entering the outlet and the chamber may flow through the eduction orifices
and pass from the notches out from the bottle neck.
To make an absolutely safe non-refillable bottle, the central chamber of the
head of the case will be stopped with a glass disc 3, it being put into a moulded
glass case or shell, with liquid glass cement, but in some cases it may be desired
to stop the central hole in the head with a cork d, shown in Fig. 17.
The case or shell when made of glass may be moulded in two pieces, one of
these pieces is shown separately in Fig. 2, and each half has a hole 2 and a
pin 3, the pin on one part entering a hole in the other part.
While I prefer to use the head shown in Figs. 1 and 2, yet it may be omitted,
as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, and the passage b may be closed in any suitable manner,
as by a cork.
Below the passage b, is a valve chamber e, in the lower end of which is a
seat el, composed of an edge surrounding a passage e on which rests the smooth,
unobstructed spherical under side of the valve f, it being made preferably of
glass or some non corrosive substance or metal, the upper side of the said valve
being cut away to leave channels, as at f¹, to leave a series of legs 2 to contact
with the valve stop e-it being at the lower end of the passage b,-when the
bottle is tipped over or inverted, as shown in Fig. 7, the channels f¹ allowing
the fluid to pass about the valve and enter the said passage.
If the bottle neck is tipped over, as in Fig. 6, the tipping valve will tip, but
owing to its convexed lower end being heavier, it will not leave the valve seat,
but on turning the bottle neck over far enough to tip the valve bodily over as
in Fig. 7, the valve will move against the stop e¹.
Instead of making the seat e¹ as part of a collar, as represented in Figs. 5,
and 7, it may be made as a cup, as shown at g, Fig. 9, the valve f resting on the
edge of the passage made through the end of the cup.
Fig. 5 shows the compressible ring embracing the tapered exterior of the case
or shell loosely but on pushing the case or collar into the neck of the bottle past
the choke a the choke compresses the ring and causes it to be compacted firmly
against the tapering surface, and should it thereafter be attempted to withdraw
the case or shell, the outward strain put on the case or shell will cause the tapering
surface to swell the ring inside the choke which will actually prevent the with-
drawal of the case or shell.
With the case or shell provided with the head closed at top, it is impossible
to insert a wire into and so as to disturb the valve to hold it open for the purpose
of refilling.
I may use an ordinary cork in the bottle neck above the head of the case or
shell after the latter has been inserted into the neck, as shown in Fig. 1.
To further prevent refilling, I may, as I have shown in Fig. 1, provide the
case or shell with a second cup h fitted to the valve seat e¹, and in the chamber of
this cup, I place a float valve h', the said float being composed preferably of a
many sided box, shown in section in Fig. 1, and in top view Fig. 8, said box
being packed with cork, the top of the box having feet 4 so that when the bottle
is inverted the said feet will contact with the underside of the seat c¹, so that the
fluid in the bottle may readily pass the flattened secant sides of the float and
between the feet.
Instead of making the main valve f just as shown in Fig. 1 to 9, I may modify
the shape as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, when the heavy body f is surrounded by
a rim m having a series of holes m¹ or as in Figs. 15 and 16, wherein the
holes are cut through the rim to leave a series of fingers m².
In the modification Fig. 10, the tipping valve is designated by the letter n
and to enable the fluid to pass about the valve, I have provided the body of the
valve chamber, marked m¹, with a series of grooves 2, and have notched the rest
or shoulder at the lower end of the passage b, as shown at n³, Fig. 12.

page_text: I prefer to use the float valve for the best results, but my invention is not in
all cases limited to its use.
Preferably the case or shell, and its seats, will be made of glass or some
equivalent mouldable acid-resisting compound, which will not corrode.
The shoulder will in practice be located at a distance below the choke a
corresponding substantially with the length of the shell or case used, or the
length desired for the neck of the bottle.
The underside of the float valve is shown as provided with a depression as 30,
so that the outflowing liquid acting in the depression will act more effectively and
quickly to overcome the air pressure, which is produced by the air rushing into
the bottle to fill the space left by the liquid as it flows from the bottle.
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
1. A bottle stopper composed of a shell or case having an extended liquid
passage, and provided below the inner end of said liquid passage with a chamber
having at its lower end a seat and at its upper end a rest, combined with a
tipping valve, said chamber being shallow, and said valve nearly filling the
chamber and being substantially hemispherical in shape, being heavier on its
under curved portion than on its upper plane or diametrical side, whereby when
the bottle is slightly tipped the said hemispherical valve tends to slide or roll
as described on and along its said seat, substantially as set forth.
2. A bottle stopper composed of a shell or case having an extended liquid
passage, and provided below the inner end of said liquid passage with a chamber
having at its lower end a seat and at its upper end a rest, combined with a tipping
valve, said chamber being shallow, and said valve nearly filling the chamber and
being substantially hemi-spherical in shape, being heavier on its under curved
portion than on its upper plane or diametrical side, whereby when the bottle
is slightly tipped the said hemispherical valve tends to slide or roll as described
on and along its said seat, said valve having in its said plane or flat side next
said rest a series of grooves or liquid passages, substantially as described.
3. A bottle having within its neck a choke or snug, an independent shell or
case externally tapered from the delivery end of said shell towards its inner
end, said taper having a shoulder at its inner end, the upper or delivery end
of said shell next to said tapering surface being surrounded by an extended
flange, a compressible ring mounted on and surrounding the said tapered surface
and retained between said flange and said shoulder, said ring engaging said choke
and being peripherally compressed thereby when the shell or case is in position
in the bottle neck, said case or shell having within it a shallow chamber pro-
vided at its lower end with a valve seat and at its upper end with a rest, a tipping
valve nearly filling the chamber, said valve being substantially hemi-spherical
in shape and made solid of heavy material, the upper side thereof being cut away
to lighten it and provide fluid passages and the underside being smooth to slide
or roll around on its seat, as described and substantially as shown.
4. In a bottle stopper, a shell or case having an extended liquid passage and
provided below the inner end of said liquid passage with two chambers one below
the other, one of said chambers containing a float valve in the form of a many
sided box, said box being packed with light material like cork and extending
above said packing in the form of a plurality of feet, and said other chamber
being shallow and containing a weighted hemi-spherical valve nearly filling the
chamber.
5. A bottle stopper composed of a shallow case containing a valve seat, a valve
co-operating with said seat, the lower end of said valve being circular (or of the
form shown) in cross section, a float valve chamber located below said seat, com-
bined with a float valve in said float valve chamber, said float valve being many
sided to form liquid channels about its sides, liquid passages at the upper end of

page_text: said valve, the lower end of said float valve being provided with a depression to
operate, substantially as described.
6. The combination with a bottle stopper containing a chamber, of a float
valve in said chamber, said float valve being many sided to form liquid channels
about its sides, and having at one end a series of feet, the lower end of said float
being provided with a depression to operate, substantially as described.
Dated the 4th day of September 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.