IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES, AND IN MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OF SUCH STOPPERS FROM THE ARTICLES TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLIED
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nathan Thompson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
March 1875.
-
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of the City of Brooklyn and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS,
AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES, AND IN MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OF
SUCH STOPPERS FROM THE ARTICLES TO WHICH THEY ARE APPLIED," to be as
follows:-
.
For this purpose I employ as heretofore a stopper or cover to fit the
article to which it is to be applied, a disc, ring or washer of cork or other
suitable packing being employed to come between the parts as is well
understood, and my present Invention relates to improvements upon
Inventions for which Letters Patent were granted to me, dated August
29, 1874, No. 2961, and November 5, 1874, No. 3824. For this purpose
instead of mounting the wing pieces each upon a separate pin joint as
proposed by such Patents, I cause the ends at which they are pin-jointed

page_text: to the stopper to overlap each other, and I mount them upon a single
pin joint whilst I raise one end thereof, so that whilst resting on the end
of the other and forming a kind of knuckle joint therewith the upper
flange of such wing piece may rest on the edge of the cap or cover. At
their other ends these wing pieces meet each other, and the sides and
top flanges are continued all round, thereby giving the appearance of a
complete capsule to the stopper.
The under flanges are cut away for a short distance from the pin joint,
and also for a short distance at their other ends to enable the stopper to
be applied to and removed from the article.
The overlapping ends of the wing pieces (when the latter are opened
out to release the stopper from the article to which it is applicd) abut
against the raised part of the stopper, and the vertical sides abut against
each other and act to prevent the wing pieces being opened out too far,
whilst at their other ends they are guided by a plate or by a stud or
studs fixed to the stopper, which also act in combination therewith as
stops to prevent the straining of the wing pieces at their other ends. Or
a portion of the cap or cover may be raised by dies or otherwise to serve
the above purpose, in which case portions of the top flanges of the wing
pieces are cut away to enable them to act therewith.
The wing pieces are also according to my present Invention formed
with overhanging projections standing up therefrom to receive a wire to
bind them firmly together, and prevent their becoming accidentally opened
out, and these latter projections for small sizes are formed with holes or
eyes in the vertical sides thereof to receive the ends of an instrument
formed somewhat similar to a pair of nippers but acting in the contrary
direction, so that when the handles are pressed together the acting ends
thereof are separated from each other. These ends are formed with pins
or studs projecting therefrom so as to pass into the holes in the wing.
pieces, and act when properly applied to force the wing pieces outwards
on their centre of motion and thereby release the stopper. Or such
instrument may be used in connection with raised loops or eyes formed
on or fixed at or near the ends of the wing pieces.
For releasing larger sizes of stoppers I employ an instrument con-
sisting of two bars pin-jointed together at one end, at which end a
projection is formed or fixed at right angles to the bars. This instru-
ment is laid flat on the stopper with the projection passing over and

page_text: abutting against the edge thereof; the two bars are then turned on their
pin joint until their edges bear against the projections on the wing pieces,
when by applying further pressure the wing pieces will be opened out
and the stopper released. In some cases however I dispense with such
instruments and fix upon each wing piece rigidly or by pin joint a
projection or lever which can be readily operated by hand to open out
the wing pieces, or the cap or cover may have a cam mounted thereon to
act against the first named projections on the wing pieces, so that by
rotating the cam the wing pieces can be turned on their pin joint and
the stopper thereby released.
If desired the wing pieces instead of being pin jointed to the stopper,
may be simply pin jointed together so as to form a separate article, the
stopper being first placed in position and then secured by the wing
pieces which are afterwards applied. In this latter case each wing piece at
the ends where they abut together will be connected by studs and slots to
the stop plate before referred to, such stop plate being separate from the
stopper.
-