IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKS FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Pritchard, of the Royal Victoria Hospital,
Netley, in the, County of Hants, Mineral Water Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKS FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS,
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by' the said Arthur Pritchard at the
Office of the Commissioners, of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1871.
I, ARTHUR PRITCHARD, of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, in
the County of Hants, Mineral Water Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKS FOR BOTTLES
31
1
AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as
follows:-
My improvements in corks consist in making them polygonal in cross
section, by preference square instead of round as heretofore, whereby
1

page_text: great economy in the manufacture is effected, and when inserted into
bottles or other vessels these corks are perfectly air-tight, and conse-
quently are particularly applicable for the stopping of bottles containing
aërated or mineral waters, wines, ales, or other-liquids and fluids which
have considerable internal-pressure upon the corks.
Corks made according to my Invention are of or about the same length
as ordinary corks, but instead of their being of a cylindrical shape they
are by preference square; they may be tapered towards one end, or they
may be made of the same size throughout their length from end to end,
or they may be square at onerend with the! angles, 'towards the other,
or of any other polygonal form.
+
I insert the square or other polygonal shaped corks into the bottles
or jars by the following means, and in this the second part of my In-
vention, consists:-I use a bottling socket, the external construction
of which is similar to the socket heretofore in use--for bottling-by
machinery, but instead of using a perfect cone or cylinder for the con-
veyance and passage of; the cork, to the neck of, ther bottle, Ixuse a
socket, corresponding, in shape at its upper end with that..of the cork
to be inserted, but gradually merging into the shape of the neck of the
bottle as it approaches the lower-end-thereof, for example: Supposing
the top of the socket is square in shape to correspond with a square-
shaped cork, the edges being bevelled, chanfered, or rounded off to
facilitate the admission of the cork, the square shape is maintained, but
tapering for about two-thirds of the way down when it begins to
assume a cylindrical shape, and finally becomes smaller than the
neck of the bottle, so that the cork easily passes from the socket to the
bottle or other receptacle. Thus a square or polygonal shaped cork
inserted in the socket at the top thereof after having been soaked,
steeped, or boiled in water or other liquid, is driven through it by the
plunger in the ordinary way, and although a square cork when it is
introduced, it is so compressed during its passage through the socket
as to enter the neck of the bottle below as freely as if it had been cut
+

page_text: the corks, but, it must be understood that I claim as one part of my
Invention: the employment of polygonal shaped corks for bottles and
other vessels, no matter in what way and by what means the said corks.
may be inserted.
SPECIFICATION 'in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,'
filed by the said Arthur Pritchard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th June 1872
I
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
PRITCHARD, of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, in the County of
Hants, Mineral Water Engineer, send greeting.
- J.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year'
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Arthur Pritchard, Her special licence that.
I, the said Arthur Pritchard, my executors, administrators, and assigns,.
or such others as I, the said Arthur Pritchard, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel.
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKS FOR.
BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur Pritchard, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months 'next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
}
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Pritchard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
T

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say:
.
-My improvements in corks consist in making them polygonal in cross
section, by preference square, instead of round as heretofore, whereby
great economy in the manufacture is effected, and when inserted into
bottles or other vessels these corks are perfectly air-tight, and conse-
quently are particularly applicable for the stopping of bottles containing
aërated or mineral waters, wines, ales, or other liquids and fluids, which
have considerable internal pressure upon the corks.
Corks made according to my. Invention are of about the same length
as ordinary corks, but instead of their being of a cylindrical shape they
are by preference square; they may be tapered towards one end, or they
may be made of the same size throughout their length from end to end,
or, they may be square at one, end with the angles towards the other
end taken off, or of any other polygonal form.
,
.
کو۔
I insert the square or other polygonal shaped corks into the bottles
or jars by the following means, and in this the 'second part of my In-
vention consists:-I use a bottling socket, the external construction of
which is similar to the socket heretofore in use for bottling by machinery,
but instead of using a perfect cone or cylinder for the conveyance and
passage of the cork to the neck of the bottle, I use a "socket corre-
sponding in shape at its upper end with that of the cork to be inserted,
but gradually merging into the shape of the neck of the bottle as it
approaches the lower end thereof, for example: Supposing the top of
the socket is square in shape to correspond with a square-shaped cork,
the edges being bevelled, chamfered, or rounded off to facilitate the
admission of the cork the square shape is maintained, but tapering for
about two-thirds of the way down, when it begins to assume a cylin-
_drical shape, and finally becomes somewhat smaller than the neck of
the bottle, so that the cork easily passes from the socket to the bottle
or other receptacle.
1
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view in plan, and
Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section of a bottling socket constructed
in this manner and according to my Invention. a is the upper end of
the socket 6 which corresponds in shape with the shape of the cork to
--be-inserted-in-the-bottle, in this case it is square with the corners of the

page_text: socket rounded off, but it may be of any other polygonal shape to cor-
respond with the shape of the corks desired to be used; the socket b
tapers downwards from a, but preserves its square form for a short
distance, say to the line, c, d, where it begins to assume a more rounded
form, which form (as nearly round as possible) is preserved to the lower
end of the socket, only it, gradually decreases in size to the end e, at
which part it is somewhat smaller than the neck, of the bottle which
is to receive the cork, so that it, the cork, may with facility enter
therein.
ווי
I
Figure 3 is a front view of a bottling apparatus fitted with a bottling
socket as before described. 6 is the bottling socket secured to the
bracket f; g is the plunger, which enters the socket to drive the corks
operated by the levers h and h¹; i is the bottle to be corked placed on
the platform k which is connected to the rod l operated by the treadle m.
To cork, place the bottle on the platform k, then with the treadle raise
it until the neck is inserted in or against a washer in the end e of the
bottling socket; insert a square cork in the upper end of the bottling
socket b, after it has been soaked or boiled in water or other liquid
bring the plunger g by means of the levers h and h¹ on to the cork in
the socket at the same time turning the tap which admits the liquid
and the cork is driven down in the ordinary way, and although a square
cork when it is introduced into the socket it is so compressed during.
its passage through the socket as to enter the neck of the bottle below
as freely as if it had been originally cut as a round cork; on releasing
the treadle m the platform / falls and the bottle can be removed.
An apparatus for attaching the wire may be used in connection with
this machine, but bottles may if preferred be wired by a separate and
distinct apparatus. is the frame or standard to which I attach the
brackets and other parts of the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a cork
constructed according to my Invention before it is inserted in a bottle.
Figure 6 shews the neck of a bottle in section with cork inserted;
it will be observed that that portion of the cork in the 'bottle has adapted
itself to the shape of the neck of the bottle while that portion on the
outside of the bottle is retained in its original form, and in this way I
obtain a cork which, while possessing all the qualities of a round cork,
at the same time acts as a protection to the rim or edge of the neck

page_text: of the bottle, the cork at the same time being, cheaper to manufacture,
preventing waste, and keeping the contents of bottles more excluded
from air than corks of the ordinary shape.
:
|_ The bottling-socket before described may of course be used with the
bottling machinery before described or without it as desired; if. used
alone the cork is inserted in the socket and driven down by a plunger
struck by a mallet into the bottle below:
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that although I
have described, my improvements in corks in connection, with bottling
apparatus, having sockets corresponding in shape with, that of the corks,
nevertheless, it must be clearly understood that one part of, my Invention
consists in the employment of polygonal shaped corks for bottles, and,
other vessels; no matter in what, way, and by, what means the said corks
may be inserted, while another and distinct part, is the bottling socket:
I therefore claim,
i
First. The construction, employment, and application of corks, poly-
gonal: in cross section, but preferably square! instead of round as:
heretofore and as described.
1
i
دا
**
Second The bottling socket for corking bottles with 'square or other
polygonal shaped corks constructed and acting substantially as described.
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings."
"
2170
10
I
IJ
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·
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Pritchard, have, hereunto
set my hand, and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
"
-2
ARTHUR PRITCHARD. (L.S.)