Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
I, AUGUSTO GUATTARI of 42, Walterton Road, St. Peter's Park, London, N.W.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for object to prevent the fraudulent refilling of empty bottles
and it consists in means of securing the cork or stopper in the neck of the bottle
whereby the withdrawal of the cork or stopper is only possible by actually severing
the glass and removing the part of the bottle mouth by which it is retained so that the
bottle is rendered incapable of being recorked or stoppered in the original way,
the said means of locking the cork or stopper also serving as the means of cutting
the glass.
According to one arrangement the bottle neck is moulded with an internal
circumferential groove in which are received the points of steel tangs which are
received within and caused to project from opposite sides of the cork or stopper after
the latter is inserted in its seat in the neck of the bottle, the tangs being either capable
of being sprung or forced into engagement with the groove for the purpose of locking
the cork or stopper in place but being incapable of being retracted from such
engagement at least without destroying the cork or stopper. For the purpose of
forcing these tangs into engagement with the groove they may diverge from a
common central stem to which pressure may be applied to force the tangs outwards
before the cap or head of the cork or stopper is finally affixed to it which is done by
any suitable means after the cork or stopper has been thus secured or the tangs may
be so shaped or arranged that their points will be self retracting by the act of forcing
the cork or stopper into the bottle neck the tangs being in either case inaccessible
when so engaged in the groove and their points being of hardened steel so that by
merely turning the cork or stopper in its seat they will cut the thin glass wall of the
groove and so sever the upper part of the mouth from the neck to permit the with-
drawal of the cork or stopper.
According to another arrangement the groove is external and the tangs engaging
therewith are situated within a hollow cap forming part of the cork or stopper and
enclosing the part of the bottle mouth which will be so removed by the cutting
action of the tangs, the locking and cutting action being substantially the same in
both arrangements.
In either case the stopper to which the above described locking device is applied
may serve as a means of sealing up an ordinary cork by which the hermetic closure
of the bottle is effected as usual and above which said stopper is placed.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK.
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improved Means of Preventing the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles.
1, AUGUSTO GUATTARI formerly of 42, Walterton Road, St. Peter's Park, London, W.
and now of 40 Craven Park, Harlesden, London N.W. Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what unner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for object to prevent the fraudulent refilling of bottles
whether of glass or earthenware and it consists in means of so securing a stopper
in the neck of the bottle that its withdrawal and that of the cork which it protects
(if any) can only be effected by severing the neck of the bottle the means of locking
the stopper also serving as the means of cutting the bottle neck.
The invention is illustrated on an enlarged scale in the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification and will be described with reference thereto,
Figure 1 being a vertical section and Figure 2 a horizontal section of one arrange-
mont. Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of another arrangement wherein springs
are used. Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections of other arrangements wherein
springs are dispensed with.
In each case the bottle neck A is monbled with an internal circumferential
V-groove in which are received the V-shaped points of hardened steel bolts or
tangs which are caused to project from opposite sides of the stopper when the latter
is inserted in the bottle neck and which serve both to lock the stopper in the
bottle neck and as the means of cutting the bottle neck in order to release the
stopper.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, bolis B slide in diametrically
opposite holes in the stopper and are forced outwards after the stopper has been
inserted in the hottle neck by a U-shaped spring D contained within the stopper and
attached to a pull rod E passing up through the stopper. The members of the
spring terminate in bevelled catches & which when the spring D is drawn up as
above mentioned slip past the heel ends of the bolts 13 and spring into locking
engagement therewith as shewn. The spring then forces the bolis outwards with a
pressure sufficient not only to retain their points in secure engagement with the
groove a but also to cause then to cut the glass or other material when the stopper
is turned round in the bottle neck. The cavity in the head of the stopper would be
filled with cement after the stopper has been secured as shewn.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the tangs are formed by the
diverging points of a strip of steel H bent to the form shewn, the tangs being forced
outwards into engagement with the groove a by a wedge-like block F which is drawn
up between the limbs of the spring B by the rod E. The limbs of the spring are
notched or shouldered as at and the wedge block has corresponding lugs for
engagement therewith as shewn, whereby the tangs are locked in the outwardly
forced position.
It will be obvious that in both the arrangements above described the position of
the intermediate device, whether a spring of a wedge, may be reversed so as to be
forced into operative position between the bolts or tangs by a push instead of by a
pull as described. The locking of the intermediate device with the bolts may be
dispensed with, if desired. Thus in the arrangement shewn in Figure 5 a plain
wedge is used to force outwards sliding holts such as shown in Figures 1 and 2
whilst in Figure 6 a similar construction is shewn but with the wedge block
inverted. In the one case the outward pressure necessary for the cutting action is
applied by drawing the wedge upwards by means of a nut e screwing on the threaded
end of the rod E or by any other suitable means, the bolts B fitting sufficiently tightly
in their holes to prevent them being retracted even should the wedge block F be

page_text: displaced from hetween them, whilst in the other arrangement the downward pressure
of the wedge block is applied by a push rod inserted so as to bear on the end
of rod E, and terminating in a knob E¹ which is pressed upon in the act of turning
the stopper in the bottle neck. The arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4 may
be similarly modified as regards the inversion of the wedge block F, the engagement
of the parts and being modified accordingly.
To ensure a clean all-round fracture and a proper pouring mouth for the bottlo
after the upper part has been removed, the bottle neck may be moulded with an
external V-groove immediately opposite the internal groove a so as to form a line
of weakness at this point.
The stopper to which the above described locking device is applied may be moulded
of glass, earthenware, or other suitable material, and may either be surrounded by a
sleeve of cork to make a fluid-tight closure or may merely serve as a means of
preventing access to an ordinary cork G driven into the bottle neck below the
stopper by which the hermetic closure of the bottle is effected in the usual way.
It will be obvious that the dimensions and proportions of the parts may be varied
to suit different requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The herein described combined means of locking a stopper in a bottle neck and of
cutting the bottle neck for the purpose of releasing the stopper, the said means
consisting essentially of hardened steel points projecting from the sides of the stopper
in combination with an intermediate wedge and with a circumferential groove in the
bottle neck with which the points are adapted to engage and into which they are
pressed with sufficient force to cut the bottle neck by a rotating motion of the stopper
substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.