Improvements in and relating to Stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug.. 1896
Complete Specification Loft 2nd Mar 1807 Accented fot Mov 180?
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Stoppering Bottles.
I, WILLIAM SMITH DAWSON, of Ghusury, Howrah, Bengal, Empire of India,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of and means for stoppering bottles
in such a manner that the contents of the same when filled cannot be tampered
with, nor can the bottle when once opened be re-filled without detection. It is
obvious that a bottle of this description presents an absolute guarantee for the
preservation of the genuineness of its contents, and prevents fraudulent re-filling of
bottles bearing a given brand or label with contents of othor kinds.
may
1 carry my invention into effect in the following manner :-The bottle, which
be of any suitable material, shape, and size, has the portion of the neck into
which the cork fits ordinarily, specially formed as follows:-The aperture at the
lip of the ottle is preferably of slightly less diameter than that of an ordinary
bottle to the depth of a quarter of an inch more or less. Below this orifice there
is a chamber of slightly greater diameter, and below this another smaller chamber
of the same diameter as the orifice of the bottle. A short piece of the upper part
of the interior of the neck is separated from the rest of the neok by an annular
impression preferably in the shape of a semi-circular cavity, and immediately
below an annular boss or thickening in the outer wall of the neck. The stopper
which I use for my improved bottle is constructed of porcelain or other suitable
impervious material, provided with a band or washer of india rubber, cork, or other
elastic substance. The top of the stopper is flat and circular, the lower end
thereof is preferably in the shape of n half round piece with the elastic material
on the shank thereof as aforesaid. When the bottle has been filled with the liquid or
Fubstance for which it is designed the stopper is inserted and passes down through the
orifice and the upper chamber, and lodges in the lower chamber aforesaid; the top
of the stopper being formed of the requisite diameter to pass easily through the
orifice, but to be retained in position by the shoulder of the lower chamber which
forms a sent for it. In order to prevent the withdrawal of the stopper there is
then inserted a cruciform piece of steal or other suitable substance, the prongs or
bars of which are turned upward at a suitable angle, and the centre piece of which
rests flat upon the top of the stopper whilst the ends of the bars lodge in the upper
angle of the recessed chamber beneath the orifice. In place of this cruciform
piece other devices, such for instance as a spiral spring, might be adapted for the
same purpose, but I prefer the arrangement first described. Tho cavity is then
completely filled with a suitable cement which surrounds the steel pieces and fixes
it immovably in its position. Any suitable cement or filling may be employed for
this purpose, such as plaster of Paris, silica, rosiu, or other plastic material which
can be filled in and allowed to harden; but the substance which I at present profer
to use is Portland cement. The orifice being thus completely filled the bottle
may be sealed or capsuled in the usual manner, and the operation is complete.
A bottle secured in this mauuer can only be opened by breaking off the top by
a slight blow directed against the neck of the bottle at the point below the outer
boss where the glass is not in contact with the sides of the stopper où account of
the concave annular recess aforesaid which easily causes Iracture at that point,
and the top of the bottle, together with the stopper, can then be easily removed.

page_text: Any particles of glass &c. adhering are dusted off, and the head of the bottle.
grasped by the hand, and taken off along with the stopper which is retained
thereby. The remainder of the, neck of the bottle forms a smooth opening, and
can be temporarily closed by an ordinary cork, or the stopper may be removed
from the broken-off head of tlie bottle and used for this purpose.
Dated this 10th day of Aust 180
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322 High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Stoppering Bottles.
1, WILLIAM SMITH DAWSON, of Ghusury, Howrah, Bengal, Empire of India,
Accountant, 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 aud
by the following statement :-
Bottles sealed or capsuled in the usual manner may easily have the contents
removed and the seal or covering restored without visible trace of the alteration.
My new bottle closing device renders this fraud impossible, because the stopper or
cork cannot be withdrawn without breaking off the top of the bottle. It consiste
essentially in the provision of a recessed chamber above the cork or stopper which
chamber is filled up with a suitable cement, (plastor of Paris, rosin, Portland
cement or the like) after the bottle is filled and closed, and is made secure as
hereinafter set forth, whilst the bottle neck possesses an annular groove or recess
around the stopper causing the neck to be easily broken when required at that
point for the purpose of withdrawing the stopper.
The details of my invention are capable of modification according to the pattern
of bottle required and the purposes for which the same is intended and I have
in the accompanying drawing illustrated by way of example two such modifications,
one as applied to a bottle having a rigid stopper, the other as applied to a bottle
with an ordinary cork. In these drawings:-
Figure 1 represents a view of my improved bottle filled, stoppered, and sealed.
Figure 2 is a view of the stopper.
Figure 3 a section of the neck and mouth of the bottle.
Figure 4 a section of the stopper.
Figure 5a section of the neck and mouth of the sealed bottle, shewing the
various parts of the closing apparatus in place.
Figure 6 a modification in which an ordinary cork forms the stopper.
Figure 7 a retaining device for stopper.
Figure 8 a view of the bottle and neck after the top has been broken off, and
the stopper re-inserted,
Like letters indicate like parts throughout.
A denotes a stopper of porcelain, glass, wood, ebonite, or other suitable material,
and B a cylindrical washer on the shank thereof. G indicates the bottle mouth,
D the upper and wider chamber, C the lower and narrower chamber. E is the
annular impression or notch in the interior of the neck. This notch may in
certain cases be formed on the exterior of the bottle neck instead of the interior
as shewn in the drawing. F is a retaining device shown in the form which I
prefer in Figure 7. Its use adds to the security of the fastening especially for
fiquids bottled under pressure. The recessed chamber D shewn in the drawing is
cylindrical in section but it might also be constructed conical, its lower end con-
tracting to the diameter of the seating chamber E. J is the outer ridge or

page_text: annular boss around the base of the top of the bottle. K'(Figure 5) indicates the
cement filling over the stopper. A'(Figure 6) denotes the cork serving as stopper
in that modification.
The bottle having been filled, the stopper A is inserted and passes freely
through G and D, resting in the lower part of the chamber C (Figures 3 and 5).
The steel or other piece F (Figure 7) is next inserted, its centre resting on
about the centre of the top of the stopper A, whilst the prongs are bont upwards.
80 as to engage firmly beneath the upper shoulder of the chamber D as shewn in.
Figure 5, and the chamber filled with cement as aforesaid. For certain purposes
I may employ an ordinary cork in place of the rigid stopper. Such an arrango-
ment is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing; the chamber C is dispensed with.
and the cork pressed down into the neck of the bottle until its top is level with
the lower angle of the chamber D; the piece F is then inserted and the chamber D.
filled with cement as described. The seal H or capsule or the like may then be
affixed.
In order to open the bottle, it is struck with a hard substance in the direction.
indicated by the arrow (Figures 3, 5, 7) at the point immediately below the
projection. The neck of the bottle being much reduced in thickness at this.
point by the recess E easily fractures below the head of the stopper, but above
the lower end thereof so that the loose top of the bottle can be easily removed,
withdrawing the stopper at the same time, without permitting any dust or fragments.
of glass to fall into the interior of the bottle. The stopper can then if required
be removed from the brokon top of the bottle and reinserted as shown in Figure 7
to serve as a temporary closing device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner tho same is to be performed I declare that what [
claim is :-
1. The improved bottle closing device consisting essentially of a recessed
oylindrical or conical chamber below the mouth, a cylindrical space for the shank
of the stopper below the said recessed chamber, an internal or external annular
groove in the bottle neck surrounding the aforesaid cylindrical space and with or
without a thickened outer ring in proximity thereto, in combination with a stopper,
and cement filling for the upper chamber aforesaid, substantially as described.
2. In a bottle closing device such as set forth in Claim 1 a retaining device
such as that shewn in Figure 7 having its centre pressed upon the top of the
stopper and its arms bent upwards and engaged beneath the upper edge of the
chamber D substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The bottle-closing device substantially as described aud shewn in Figure 5 of
the accompanying drawing.
4. The modification of the bottle-closing device substantially as described and.
shown in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co..