Improvements in Bottles.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles.
I, JAMES GRAY Junior, of Bourton House Farm, Dunchurch, Rugby in the
County of Warwick, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in bottles which I term the
"detective bottle" by which it is easily ascertained if a bottle has been emptied or
uncorked as it is afterwards practically impossible to replace the indicator in the
position it occupies when first filled and corked. My invention would therefore
be useful for such purposes as patent medicines, scents, spirits and other
contents.
The bottle may be made to almost any desired design or configuration, but
I prefer a fairly long necked bottle. During the process of manufacturing the
bottle and when it is roughly shaped a ball of glass or other material is dropped
into it having a wire attached thereto which passes up the neck to the outside.
The sides of the neck in several places is then checked or pressed inwards so that
the ball or indicator will not pass back through the neck. When the bottle is
filled the wire or cord or other medium attached to the ball or indicator is passed
through a hole in the neck at the top and the cork is driven home when the wire
or cord is severed close up with the ball in its highest position. The result is
that immediately the cork is drawn the ball falls to the bottom of the bottle and
the wire is not recoverable and cannot be re-threaded.
Dated this 29th day of November 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles.
I, JAMES GRAY Junior of Bourton House Farm Dunchurch, Rugby in the
County of Warwick Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what matiner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object improvenients in bottles which I term the
"detective bottle" by which it is easily ascertained if a bottle has been emptied or
uncorked as it is afterwards practically impossible to replace the indicator in the
position it occupies when first filled and corked. My invention would therefore
be useful for such purposes as patent medicines, scents, spirits and other
contents.
The bottle may be made to almost any desired design or configuration, but
I prefer a fairly long necked bottle. During the process of manufacturing the
bottle and when it is roughly shaped a ball of glass or other material is dropped
into it having a wire attached thereto which passes up the neck to the outside.
The sides of the neck in several places is then checked or pressed inwards so that
the ball or indicator will not pass back through the neck.

page_text: In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I have appended
hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings upon which I have fully illustrated the
nature of my said improvements.
Figure 1 is a black sectional elevation of a bottle shewing the position the ball B
assumes before the cork is drawn "home."
my
Figure 2. is an elevation of a bottle shewing a modification of invention.
Figure 3 is a view shewing the neck of a bottle in black section with the ball B
or indicator in the position it assumes when corked.
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the ball or indicator.
The bottle A may be made to almost any desired shape but I have illustrated
my invention as applied to a long necked bottle. During the process of
manufacture and when the bottle is only roughly shaped, the ball B of glass
earthenware or other material which has been previously threaded into the wire bl
is dropped into it the wire passing up and out at the neck which is then checked
or pressed inwards as shown at a¹ to prevent the ball from passing out. After the
bottle has been filled one end of the wire is secured to the cork D which is then
inserted into the neck the other end of the wire is then drawn up tight bringing
the ball flush against the indentations a¹ the wire cut off flush with the top of the
neck and the cork finally driven home when the ball or indicator will assume the
position shown at Figure 3. When the cork is drawn from the bottle the wire
which is secured to it is at the same time drawn out of the hole in the ball which
drops to the bottom and is not recoverable thereby indicating that the bottle has
been uncorked or tampered with.
At Figure 2 I have shown a modification of my invention. In this case instead
of the loose end of the wire passing out at the mouth of the bottle it passes
through the hole a² and is severed off flush with the neck as before.
The holes in the ball B through which the wire is threaded are formed so as to
cross one another (see Figure 4) which prevents the ball from being threaded
again while inside the bottle or may form a curved hole in the ball which would
answer the same purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. The improvements in bottles consisting essentially of a ball such as B or its
equivalent suspended in the neck of the bottle in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
2nd. Forming the hole or holes in a ball such as B or its equivalent so as to
cross each other or in a curved line for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dh:. 15th 1^ce of Tum 1006
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.