An Improved Manufacture of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, and
the like.
I, HENRY CONRAD SANDERS, of Victoria Works, Victoria Gardens, Notting
Hill Gate, in the County of Middlesex, Collapsible Tube Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved manufacture of stoppers for bottles, jars
and the like.
The chief object of the said invention is to provide a stopper which shall be
very light, strong and durable, and which shall be inexpensive to make.
According to this invention cork or other suitable material is combined with
sheet metal in such a manner as to produce a very efficient, cheap and light
stopper, as hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention I take a sheet metal disc, preferably a steel disc,
and I stamp therein by means of suitable punches and dies, or I otherwise form, as
for instance by spinning, in the upper face of the said disc, an annular recess or
groove. On the lower face of the disc, this recessed portion appears as a tubular
projection which forms the body of the stopper. I mount on the said tubular
projection a ring. of cork or other suitable material which may be cemented thereto
or which may be held thereon by an external circumferential ridge, collar or flange
formed at the lower end of the said tubular portion, which ridge or flauge may be
formed by spinning the metal, or by stamping. I may furthermore make the
tubular portion with a number of serrations or ridges to more securely hold the
cork ring and prevent it from turning thereon when once it is placed in position.
The said serrations or ridges may if desired be formed in a separate band placed
around the tubular projection. The edge of the disc may be bent downward
so as to afford more surface for gripping by the hand.
The above forms a very cheap and light stopper suitable for large jars, bottles
and the like. In cases where a better finish is desired, I fix on top of the stopper
above described another disc the periphery of which may be curved down and
secured around the edge of the lower disc in any suitable manner.
In some cases I should prefer to simply dish down the centre of the steel 'disc
for receiving the cork ring, and form the serrations and ridge round the dished
portion by stamping spinning or otherwise as above described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
; P
35 "
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, and
the like.
I, HENRY CONRAD SANDERS, of Victoria Works, Victoria Gardens, Notting
Hill Gate in the County of Middlesex, Collapsible Tube Manufacturer, do
10 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 an improved manufacture of stoppers for bottles, jars

page_text: The chief object of the said invention is to provide a stopper which shall be
very light, strong and durable and which shall be very attractive in appearance
and at the same time inexpensive to make. It is chiefly intended for jars or
bottles having wide mouths.
According to this invention cork or other suitable material is combined with
sheet metal in such a manner as to produce a very efficient, cheap and light
stopper as hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention I take a thin sheet metal disc, preferably a steel
disc, and I press or draw by means of suitable dies a recess in the upper face of
the said disc; or I may otherwise form the said recess, as for instance by spinning.
On the lower face of the disc this recessed portion appears as a projection which
may be plain or corrugated preferably the latter, and which forms the body of the
stopper. I mount on the said projection a ring of cork or other suitable material
which may be cemented thereto, or otherwise fixed and I further preferably
provide an external circumferential ridge, collar, or flange, formed at the lower
end of the said projection, in order to assist in retaining the ring of cork or other
material in place.
During the operation of pressing or otherwise forming the central depressed
portion of the disc, the disc becomes crinkled on its surface. By suitably
corrugating the face of the dies I control these crinkles and cause them to assume
a regular corrugated shape which adds very materially to the attractiveness of the
stopper. After fixing the cork or the like in place or before according to
requirements or as convenient I turn the rim of the disc down so as to form a
surface which can be gripped firmly by the hand when inserting or withdrawing
the stopper from a bottle or jar.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing a pair of dies which I prefer
to employ for pressing or drawing the metal portion of my improved stopper.
Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 is an elevation of a sheet of metal after it has been pressed or drawn
by the dies shown in Figure 1.
Figures 4 to 14 are sectional views of my improved stoppers shewing various
stages in the manufacture of the same, and also various shapes or designs of
stopper.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts in all the drawings.
The dies shown in Figure 1 are intended for pressing or drawing recesses in
metal discs. The lower die comprises an inner circular die A which is rigidly
supported on a suitable base piece, and an annular collar A' which is adapted
to slide on the die A and is supported by a strong spring or springs or by weights
or other means. Similarly the upper die which is attached to the movable part of
the press comprises an annular die B and an inner cylinder B¹ which is slightly
larger than the circular die A and slides axially in the annular die, it being
controlled by a strong spring or springs. C is the sheet metal disc which is to be
pressed or drawn.
When the upper die is forced down on the disc C the cylinder B¹ slides in the
hole in the said die, but at the same time the force of the controlling springs causes
it to hold the disc down on the lower circular die A. The upper die B in
descending gradually draws the parts C¹ of the disc C down so as to form the sides
of the recess as shewn in Figure 3. While the sides of the disc are being drawn
down by the descent of the die B they are squeezed tightly between the said die
and the part A' of the lower die which is forced up by the pressure of its supporting
spring.
When the dies are separated again after having formed a stopper blank, the
pressure of the controlling springs which act upon the part B' serve to eject the
stopper blank from the interior of the part B.
It is obvious that the dies may be arranged to act in the reverse direction from

page_text: that ilustrated; or they may be arranged to act horizontally or at any angle or
inclination.
It is easily seen that during this pressing operation the diameter of the disc
is reduced, the amount of such reduction depending on the depth of the recess
formed therein.
In order to provide for this shrinking of the circumference the parts C¹, C³, of
the pressed disc will assume a more or less corrugated or crimped form. To render
the corrugations more regular and thus add to the appearance and utility of the
stopper I make the faces of the parts B, A', of the dies serrated or corrugated so
that the edges of the disc while the latter is being pressed or drawn will assume
a regular crimped appearance as shewn in Figures 2 and 3. Having thus formed
the cylindrical body of the stopper I next provide the said cylindrical body with
an externally projecting flange C³ as shewn in Figure 4 by stamping rolling or
spinning in a manner easily understood, and I then apply around the said body a
ring of cork or other suitable material D to form the air-tight packing for the
stopper.
I prefer to bend the edge of the flanges of the stopper downwards so as to afford
a firm grip for the hand. This may be done in various ways, but is preferably
accomplished by spinning.
In Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are shewn various forins in which I make the edge of
the disc. The edge C Figures 5, 6 and 7, is bent down by spinning, while in
Figure 8 I shew a form which is produced by stamping with dies somewhat in the
manner hereinabove described with regard to Figure 1.
In lieu of bending down the edges of the flanges as hereinabove described
I sometimes finish the said edge by securing thereto a second band of sheet metal
in a manner which I will now describe.
The plane disc is stamped pressed or drawn by suitable dies so as to assume the
section shewn in Figure 9. In this case the flanged part of the disc being very
narrow the corrugations formed thereon are very small or practically non-existent.
I now, by spinning or in any other suitable manner, form the bottom flange C³ and
turn in the top edge of the disc C* causing the disc to assume the shape shewn in
Figure 10 I then take a sheet metal-washer and manipulate it by means of suitable
dies so as to assume the form shewn in Figure 11, and then by spinning or otherwise
the form shewn in Figure 12. The diameter a of the innermost edge E of the
washer is approximately equal to the diameter 6 of the upper edge of the stamped
disc.
In forming the washer, I may make the outermost parts E¹ of the same
corrugated or crimped for the same reason and in the same manner as hereinbefore
described with regard to Figures 2 and 3, or I may make the parts E' plane or of
other configuration.
The washer E is now applied to the upper part of the disc as shewn in Figure 13
and by means of suitable dies the turned over edges are pressed tightly together
as shown in Figure 14. This pressing operation causes the top edge of the disc C*
Figure 10 to contract and the bottom edge E of the washer to expand thus
forming a seamed joint. The same effect may be produced by spinning. A ring
of cork or other material D is secured on the downward projecting portion of the
stopper at any suitable stage in the operations.
In some cases I find it advisable to flute the cylindrical portions of the dies so as
to aid in corrugating the sides of the recessed part C' of the disc.
I sometimes secure a tubular serrated or crimped band round the projecting
part C of the stopper and secure the cork or other ring thereto instead of
securing the same direct to the part C² of the stopper.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the use of the methods
herein described for forming my improved stoppers, that is to say, I may perform
any or all of the operation in making the same by stamping, pressing or drawing
with dies, or spinning rolling or any other analogous methods used in metal plate
work and I use any suitable metal for making the said stoppers.
By my invention I produce a very cheap, strong, and light stopper suitable for

page_text: jars, large bottles, and the like. The said stoppers are ornamental and attractive
in appearance and the corrugated flanges form a very good grip when the stopper
is required to be inserted or withdrawn from a vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In the manufacture of a stopper for a bottle, jar or the like from a sheet
metal disc, the method of forming a central recess in the said disc by pressing or
drawing the same with serrated dies constructed to regularly crimp the disc,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
2. A bottle, jar, or other stopper, the body of which is formed of sheet metal
having a central recessed cylindrical part on which a cork or other packing ring
is secured, with or without a flange for retaining the packing ring in place, and
furnished with downwardly depending flanges, substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
3. A bottle, jar, or other stopper constructed substantially as described with
reference to either of the forms or modifications shewn in Figures 5 to 8 of the
drawings.
4. A bottle, jar, or other stopper constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 9 to 14 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.