IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS AND IN CAPS OR COVERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the County of King's
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 AND IN CAPS OR COVERS 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 22nd March 1881.
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 AND IN
CAPS OR COVERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers and in caps or covers
for bottles, jars, and other hollow articles, and relates to means whereby stoppers
may be readily withdrawn from the necks of the articles into which they have
been inserted, and be repeatedly inserted and withdrawn for a considerable time
while still remaining efficient stoppers, part of such means being also applicable to
caps or covers for such description of articles.
For this purpose, according to one arrangement, I take a piece of cork and form
a circular space therein, leaving a good thickness of cork around and at the bottom
of the same; into this recess I cement a rigid head piece, preferably of wood, and
formed either with or without a projecting flange, as may be desired.
Either partially or entirely across the head of the stopper I form a recess, and
transversely of such recess I pass a pin or bar, leaving sufficient space around the
latter to enable an instrument of a similar character to a button hook to pass
under and partly around the same for the purpose of withdrawing the stopper.
When the recess is formed entirely across the head of the stopper, the ordinary
binding wire or cord used for fastening the stopper in position can lie in such
recess, and if desired a capsule or label placed smoothly over the entire, which
capsule or label must be destroyed or defaced in order to obtain access to the
contents of the bottle or other vessel.

page_text: In some cases, in lieu of employing a cross pin in such slotted head to enable the
stopper to be withdrawn from the bottle, I pivot a lever in such slot which projects
at one end, so as to form a handle thereto, and at the other end bears on the bottle
neck; or such slot in the head may be dispensed with, and a lever partly passing
around the head of the stopper be used in lieu of the cross lever.
By raising the one end of either of said levers, the other end or ends thereof are
caused to bear against the bottle neck, and thereby partially withdraw the stopper,
and in the latter arrangement the lever forms a convenient handle to facilitate the
complete removal of the stopper. This last described form of lever is also applicable
to caps or covers for bottles, jars, and other hollow articles, and in such case the
ends of the said lever are caused to bear on the shoulder of the bottle or other
vessel.
According to another arrangement I form the head of the stopper of metal in
such manner as to enable it to be firmly fixed to the cork, and at the same time
provide means to enable it to be readily withdrawn in the manner above described.
For this purpose I employ a solid cork, and I construct the metal head in the form
of a cap provided, if desired, with a projecting flange and an inwardly projecting
ring. I also form a slot or depression in the centre of the cap, and in the latter
case I fix a pin or bar across such depression by passing the legs of a staple through
the cap on opposite sides of the depression and then turning such legs back against
the underside of the metallic cap, or such cross pin or bar may be formed and fixed
in any other suitable manner; the cork is compressed and then passed into the
metallic cap, where it expands, and where it is preferably cemented, thereby
becoming securely fastened to the cap. Or the cap may be formed with a straight
ring or short cylinder in the first instance; then when the cork is placed in position
therein, the ring or short cylinder is turned inwards by dies or otherwise.
When a mere slot or hole is formed in the metallic cap, an instrument in the
form of a lever will readily withdraw the stopper on being passed into the slot or
hole, and caused to bear at its end against the underside of the cap, and in some
cases also against the top of the cap or the neck of the bottle or other article to
which the stopper is applied. When a cross pin or bar is applied to the metallic
cap, an instrument similar to a button hook is employed to withdraw the stopper,
in like manner to that described with respect to the first described stopper.
The lower part of the cork portion of the stopper when exposing the end grain
of the cork may be coated with a suitable cement in order to render the same
impervious.

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
22nd September 1881.
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 AND IN
CAPS OR COVERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers and in caps or covers
for bottles, jars, and other hollow articles, and relates to means whereby stoppers
may be readily withdrawn from the necks of the articles into which they have
been inserted, and be repeatedly inserted and withdrawn for a considerable time
while still remaining efficient stoppers, part of such means being also applicable to
caps or covers for such description of articles.
For this purpose I pivot to the stopper a lever which partly passes around the
head of the stopper, and forms a handle thereto, and at its ends is formed to bear
on the end of the bottle neck to facilitate the removal of the stopper.
The said lever is also applicable to caps or covers for bottles, jars, and other
hollow articles, and in such case the ends of the said lever are caused to bear on a
ring, flange, or shoulder formed on the neck or mouth of the bottle or other vessel.
By raising the said lever the ends thereof are caused to bear against the end of
the bottle neck, or against a flange or shoulder thereon, and thereby partially
withdraw the stopper, and such lever forms a convenient handle to facilitate the
complete removal of the stopper.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
VRSCRETION OF THE DRAWINGD
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section; Figure 2 is another side view; and
Figure 3 is a plan of parts of a jar and its cap or cover, showing the latter pressed
firmly to its seat. Figure 4 is a side view of the same, showing the lever handle
turned up, and the cap or cover thereby partially raised.
Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of the upper part of a bottle or jar and
its stopper, with the lever handle lying down, and the stopper forced firmly into
the neck of the bottle, and Figure 6 is a side view of the parts shown at Figure 5,
but representing the lever handle turned up, and the stopper partly removed from
the bottle neck,
a is
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.
the body of the bottle, jar, or other hollow article; b is the cap, cover, or stopper
which, according to my Invention, has a lever handle c pivotted thereto, which
serves the double purpose of a handle, and of a lover to start the cap, cover, or
stopper from the neck of the article to which it is applied. For this latter purpose
the ends of the lever handle care prolonged a suitable distance beyond the
axes or pivots of thereof; and in order to strengthen such lever handle c, and to
enable a firm grip to be made thereof, I form one or more ribs or corrugations c³
thereon, either along the entire length thereof, or only for a portion of the length
thereof, as shown in the Drawings. I also, in order the more firmly to secure the
cork packing or lining 6¹ in the interior of the cap or cover b, form the latter with
an annular recess 63 to receive one edge of the cork packing or lining, which mode

page_text: of construction also assists in making a tight joint between the parts, and stiffens
the cap or cover.
с
When in the position shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5, the lever handle c lies
close to the cap, cover, or stopper b, in which position the latter can be forced upon
.or into the bottle neck, but when it is desired to remove the cap, cover, or stopper b.
from the bottle or other article to which it is applied, the lever handle c is turned
up into the position shown at Figures. 4 and 6 by pushing the part c³ upwards, and
thereby causing the levers c³ to press upon the edge of the neck, or upon a flange
formed on the article to which it is applied..
This action of the levers c³ will start the cap, cover, or stopper from its seat,
after which it can be completely removed by pulling upon the lever handle c.
If desired, two or more of the above described lever handles may be mounted on
a cap, cover, or stopper, thereby facilitating the removal of large stoppers, caps, or
covers.
Caps, covers, or stoppers with my improvements applied thereto are equally
applicable to bottles or other hollow articles made of glass, earthenware, or metal.
I would here remark that the various methods described in my Provisional
Specification of constructing stoppers and caps or covers for bottles, and the method
of facilitating the removal thereof, apart from the lever handle herein described, are
not of sufficient novelty to render it advisable to lay claim thereto, and for this
reason I desire to disclaim and I do hereby disclaim such methods of construction.
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
combining with a cap, cover, or stopper, a lever handle c pivotted thereto, and
formed with levers to act against the end of the bottle neck, or against a
projecting ring or flange thereon, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Thompson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
NAMITAN MITOUDSON