Improvements in Bottles to Prevent the Fraudulent Refilling thereof.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 18th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles to Prevent the Fraudulent Refilling thereof.
I, EMIL GERLACH, of No. 112, California Street, in the City and County of
San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
This invention relates to improvements in devices to be fixed in the necks of
bottles in which medicinal preparations, liquids, and liquid beverages are put on
the market for sale, to prevent a bottle from being refilled, and used again after
it has been emptied of its contents. Bottles provided with these devices are
generally called "non-refillable bottles."
The present improvements in respect of these non-refillable bottles consist in a
valve-case and valve-balls of novel construction; and in the manner of securing
the same in the neck of a bottle; as fully set forth in the following description,
in which reference is had by figures and letters to the accompanying drawings
illustrating my said construction.
Description of the drawings:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a bottle showing the device fixed in place, and with
the neck shown in section;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal-section through the case with the valve-balls inside;
Figure 3 is a plan of the top;
Figure 4 is a section diametrically across the case at the widest part';
Figure 5 illustrates the position of the balls when the bottle is tilted to pour
out the liquid;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal-section through the two parts of the case before they
are united.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
The valve-case B and also the valve-balls CD are formed of glass so as to
prevent the device from injuring the flavor and other qualities of the liquid
contained in the bottle; they can also be made of porcelain or similar vitreous
material. The device is so fixed in the neck A of the bottle that it can not be
removed without being broken.
The two hollow pieces 1-2 are cast or molded separately with tapering sides
and flattened smaller ends, and after the balls are inserted the two pieces are
united by fitting the rim on their larger ends together and cementing the joint.
The body-piece 2 is formed with a central aperture 8, and above that aperture
a valve-chamber 7 with tapering sides, and in the bottom of that chamber a
circular valve-seat surrounding the aperture 8.
The valve-cage 2 surmounting the body 1 is formed with a closed head 4 on the
smaller end and with a shouldered rim 6 around the large open end; and the side-
walls have longitudinal openings 3.
The ball D is fitted to the seat 9 to close the opening 8 when resting in the
bottom of the chamber 7, and the smaller ball C is placed in the chamber and upon
the ball D before the cage 1 is united to the body.

page_text: The ball D is made hollow to give buoyancy so as to float and be carried by the
liquid against the seat 9 in case the bottle is submerged and its mouth is held
under the surface of a liquid, so that in any attempt to refill the bottle by that
means the liquid flowing into the mouth will carry the ball D against its seat.
The ball is of such diameter that when lying against the large ball D and
that ball is resting on the seat 9 the small ball will also lie against the shoulder 6
in the chamber and thereby keep the valve-ball D up to its seat when the bottle
is laid horizontally.
This ball C traveling behind the lighter ball causes the latter to run quickly
to its seat, and it also prevents the ball D from being stuck in the narrow part of
the cage 1 and thereby held off its seat.
The
Around the top of the cage are two rows of pointed protuberances 55 setting
radially outwards and so as to touch the sides of the surrounding neck. The
points in one row are set to stand opposite to the points in the next row.
function of these projecting points is to hold the upper end of the cage stiffly in
position and also to prevent the introducing of small instruments through the
neck and into the openings of the cage so as to tamper with the valve-ball.
The case B thus constructed is fixed in the neck of a bottle by means of a
ring 10 of cork or other similar compressible substance secured on the body 2 of
the case and by forming the lower portion of the passage in the neck A of the
bottle with contracted sides A¹ tapering inwards.
The ring 10 is confined in a recess or groove in the body 2 above the flange on
the lower end. This ring makes a tight fit in the neck when forced down into the
tapering portion A¹ and when thus fixed it cannot be withdrawn from the top
nor forced down into the bottle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is:
The device for inserting and fixing in the neck of a bottle to prevent the
introduction of liquid through the neck without interfering with the outflow of
the liquid from the bottle, consisting of the tapering valve-case B formed of
vitreous substance in two pieces 1-2 and afterwards joined together, the valve-
balls CD and the packing ring 10 around the body of the valve-case, the neck of
the bottle having a contracted portion inside at the bottom where it opens into the
bottle to hold the case in the neck, as described and shown in the drawing.
TAL
OLI 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.