IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson of Brooklyn in the County of Kings
and State of New York in the United States of America but at present of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND OTHER HOLLOW
ARTICLES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd September 1882.
NATHAN THOMPSON of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of New
York in the United States of America but at present of 23 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS
AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES
My present Invention has for its object improvements upon inventions for
which Letters Patent were granted to me dated respectively the 17th January
1862 No 127 and the 24th May 1882 No 2458 and relates to a novel construction
of parts whereby the stopper is greatly improved the manufacture thereof
facilitated and the cost thereof reduced.
In the first of my said former inventions the stopper was secured in position on
the neck of the bottle by means of a strong wire passing over the top of the
capsule and provided with two limbs which descended on each side of the capsule
to its lower end, where the ends of such limbs were turned inwards and were passed
through suitable holes in the capsule to enable said ends to enter a groove formed
in the bottle neck when it was desired to fasten the stopper in position. According
to such arrangement however the fastening wire was not permanently attached to
the stopper and as it fitted the latter closely it could not be used as a bale or
handle to facilitate the manipulation of the stopper.
In the second of said former inventions the stopper was provided with a bale or
handle of sheet metal which was connected to the head piece or cap of the stopper
by pivots capable of sliding to and fro in the pivot holes so as to permit of the
pivotted ends of the bale or handle moving to or away from the cap as required for
fastening and for releasing the capsule or stopper and such bale or handle was

page_text: formed at its ends to fit the curve of the head piece or cap of the stopper and with
a set off at each side thereof below the pivots to come under a flange on the bottle
neck when in the locking position.
According to my present Invention I form the bale or handle preferably of wire
bent to the required shape to enable it to lie partially around the head piece or cap
of the stopper or in some cases around the neck of the bottle and with turned in
ends to serve as pivots for the same, such pivot ends being of such a length as to
permit of their coming underneath a flange or into a groove on the bottle neck
when in the locking position and of being released from such flange or groove when
it is required to remove the stopper from the bottle.
I employ my improved stopper in connection with a bottle jar or other vessel
provided with a groove or flange on the neck which latter is formed conical or
inclined on its upper surface so that by pressing the stopper downwards on to the
said neck the pivot ends of the bale or handle shall be first forced outwards and
then when the stopper has descended fully into position the said pivot ends shall
spring inwards into the groove or underneath the flange and lock the stopper in
position; and in order to facilitate the release of the stopper I form the head piece
or cap thereof with projections and so bend the ends of the bale or handle that as
the latter is being raised for the removal of the stopper the ends of the bale or
handle are forced outwards to release the pivot ends thereof from the groove or
flange on the bottle neck, or in some cases the ends of the bale or handle are so
shaped as to be opened out by coming against the upper part of the capsule or by
the flange on the bottle neck or partly by the latter and partly by the capsule or
by projections thereon.
The projections on the capsule also serve to prevent the bale or handle becoming
disconnected from the cap of the stopper.
The stopper may consist simply of a cap with a disc of cork in the interior
thereof or it may consist of an outer cap provided with an inner reversed cap, or
with a ring surrounded with a strip or a ring of cork, or serving to hold a solid
cork.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1883.
NATHAN THOMPSON of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of New
York in the United States of America but at present of 23 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND
OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES"
My present invention has for its object improvements upon inventions for which
Letters Patent were granted to me dated respectively the 17th January 1862
No 127 and the 24th May 1882 N° 2458 and relates to a novel construction of parts
whereby the stopper is greatly improved the manufacture thereof facilitated and
the cost thereof reduced.
In the first of my said former inventions the stopper was secured in position
on the neck of the bottle by means of a strong wire passing over the top of the
capsule and provided with two limbs which descended one on each side of the
capsule to the lower end of the latter where the ends of such limbs were turned
inwards and were passed through suitable holes in the capsule to enable the said
ends to enter a groove formed round the bottle neck when it was desired to fasten
the stopper in position. According to such arrangement however the fastening
wire was not permanently attached to the stopper and as it fitted the latter
closely it could not be used as a bale or handle to facilitate the manipulation of the
stopper.
In the second of the said former inventions the stopper was provided with a bale
or handle of sheet metal which was connected to the head piece or cap of the
stopper by pivots capable of sliding to and fro in the pivot holes so as to permit of
the pivoted ends of the bale or handle moving to or away from the cap as required
for fastening and for releasing the capsule or stopper and such bale or handle was
formed at its ends to fit the curve of the head piece or cap of the stopper and with
a set off at each side thereof below the pivots to come under a flange on the bottle
neck when in the locking position.
According to my present invention I form the bale or handle preferably of steel
or other sufficiently flexible and elastic wire bent to the required shape to enable it
to lie partially around the head piece or cap of the stopper or in some cases around
the neck of the bottle and having turned in ends passing through corresponding
holes in the sides of the cap so as to serve as pivots upon which the handle can
turn,such pivot ends being of such a length as to permit of their projecting inward
underneath a flange or into a groove round the bottle neck when in the locking
position and of being released from such flange or groove when it is required to
remove the stopper from the bottle.
I employ my improved stopper in connection with a bottle jar or other vessel
provided with a groove or flange as above described round the neck which latter is
formed conical or inclined on its upper outer edge or surface so that by pressing the
stopper downwards on to the said neck the pivot ends of the bale or handle shall
be first forced outward and then when the stopper has descended fully into position
the said pivot ends shall spring inward into the groove or underneath the flange
and thus lock-the stopper in position and in order to facilitate the release of the
stopper I form the head piece or cap thereof with projections and I bend the ends
of the bale or handle to such a shape that as the latter is being raised or turned
upward for the purpose of enabling the stopper to be removed they are forced
outward so as to withdraw the pivot ends from the groove or flange on the bottle

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 is a plan and Figures 3 and 4 are cross
sections of a stopper constructed according to my invention and fitted with a
descending portion to enter the mouth of a bottle jar or other hollow article and
Figure 5 is a side elevation Figure 6 is a cross section and Figure 7 is a plan of a
stopper constructed according to my invention and fitted with a disc of cork or
other suitable material forming a packing in the crown thereof so as to press on
the top of the neck of a bottle or other hollow article. Figures 8. 9. 10. 11 and 12
represent slight modifications.
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
a is a hollow cap the cylindrical portion a' of which is formed to fit over the
upper end of the neck of a bottle jar or other hollow article. c is a bale or
handle which I preferably form of steel or other sufficiently flexible and elastic
wire bent to the required shape to enable it to lie partially around the cylindrical
part a¹ of the head piece or cap of the stopper as shewn at Figures 1 to 7, or in
some cases for instance for small bottles such bale or handle may be so shaped as
to lie closely around the neck of the bottle as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, or such
bale or handle may be formed with all parts thereof lying in the same plane as
shewn at Figures 10 and 11 whereby its manufacture is facilitated and cheapened.
The bale or handle c is formed with turned in ends c¹, which pass through corre-
sponding holes in the sides a¹ of the cap, and serve as pivots for the bale or handle
such pivot ends c¹ being of such a length as to permit of their coming underneath
a flange or into a groove b¹ on the bottle neck when in the locking position as
shewn at Figures 4 and 6 and of being withdrawn and released from such flange
or groove b¹ as shewn at Figure 3 when it is required to remove the stopper from
the bottle or other article to which it is applied.
I employ my improved stopper in connection with a bottle jar or other hollow
article provided with a groove or flange b¹ as described round the neck which latter
is formed conical or inclined on its upper outer edge or surface 63, so that by
pressing the stopper downwards on to the said neck, the bale or handle c, being at
such time in its locking position, the pivot ends c', of the bale or handle c shall
be first forced outwards and then when the stopper has descended fully into
position the said pivot ends c¹ shall spring inwards by the elasticity of the bale or
handle into the groove b¹ or underneath the flange on the bottle neck and thus
lock the stopper in position, and in order to facilitate the release of the stopper
when required I form the head piece or cap a thereof with projections a² and I
bend the ends of the bale or handle c at c² to such a shape that as the said bale or
handle c is being raised or turned upward for the removal of the stopper its ends c²
are forced outward by coming into contact with such projections a² and the pivot
ends are thereby withdrawn and released from the groove or flange b' on the bottle
neck, or in some cases the ends of the bale or handle are so shaped as to be opened

page_text: out by coming against the upper part of the capsule a itself or they may be
opened out by coming against a flange or projection formed on the bottle neck
below the capsule a as shown at Figures 8 and 9 or partly by the latter and partly
by the capsule itself as will be readily understood.
The projections a² on the capsule a also serve to prevent the liability of the
bale or handle c. becoming entirely disconnected from the cap of the stopper
as in no case can the pivot ends c'. be drawn out of said projections a². by the
mere raising and lowering of the bale or handle c. I also prefer to make a notch
or recess a³. as shown at Figure 5 in each of the projections a². to limit the
amount of motion given to the bale or handle c. in raising the same.
The stopper may consist simply of a cap a with a disc or ring of cork a'.
in the interior thereof as shewn at Figures 6 and 8 or it may consist of an outer
cap a, provided with an inner reversed cap a³. as shewn at Figures 3 and 4 or simply
with a ring in lieu of such reversed cap a³. surrounded with a strip or a ring of
cork a. or in the case where a metal ring is used it may be employed to hold a
cork which enters the mouth of the bottle or other article as will be readily
understood.
I would remark that in all the arrangements above described the pivot ends c¹ of
the bale or handle c. tend by the elasticity of the latter to spring inward or toward
each other so as to assume the locking position by which means the stopper becomes
automatically locked on the bottle neck by pressing it downward with sufficient
force, the pivot ends c' being first forced outward by pressure against the incline b²
on the bottle neck, and when they have passed such incline springing inwards into
the groove b', or under the flange on the bottle neck.
I have found that the necks of bottles and other vessels although made to a given
size frequently vary slightly in form from the true circle in which cases stoppers
constructed as shewn in Figures 1 to 11 and of the proper size for such vessels
cannot sometimes be applied thereto, thereby necessitating the employment in such
cases of stoppers of larger size than would be necessary were the necks of such
vessels truly circular in form, to obviate this difficulty and to enable stoppers of the
proper size to be applied to the necks of all vessels of a given size although slightly
varying in form I construct the stopper as shewn at Figure 12 in which case the
cylindrical portion a¹ of the cap a. is formed shorter than in the other cases but the
projections a². carrying the pivotted bale or handle c. are caused to project downwards
the required distance as shown. By these means the cylindrical part a¹ of the cap a.
does not descend so far as the bottom part of the inclined top 6% of the neck of the
bottle and therefore does not impede the application of the stopper to vessels of the
proper size but whose necks vary slightly from the true circle.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which I
carry the same into effect I would have it understood that what I claim is:—
First The combination with a stopper of a bale or handle c by which the stopper
can be removed and held and the pivot ends c¹. which are used to lock the said
stopper when the bale or handle is turned down and to unlock the said stopper
when the bale or handle is turned up substantially as herein shown and described.
Second. The combination with a stopper of a bale or handle c whose pivot
ends c. are caused to lock the said stopper when the bale or handle is turned down and
to unlock the said stopper when the bale or handle is turned up by being moved to and
from each other within sockets formed in the capsule a. and under a flange or into
a groove b round the bottle neck substantially as herein shown and described.
Third. The combination with a stopper of a bale or handle c whose pivot ends c¹
are caused automatically to lock the stopper in position on the bottle or other
article by simply pressing the same on to the bottle neck, the pivot ends being first
forced outward by the conical end of the bottle neck and afterwards springing by
the elasticity of the bale or handle into a groove or under a flange on the bottle
neck substantially as herein shown and described.
Fourth. The use in combination with stoppers of projections a³ acting against

page_text: the sides of the bale or handle c, when the latter is being raised and thereby forcing
the pivot ends c¹ thereof outwards so as to disconnect the stopper from the bottle
or other article in the manner and for the purposes as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof I the said Nathan Thompson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this First day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
NATHAN THOMPSON (L.S.)