Improvements in and relating to Stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Stoppering Bottles.
We, EMIL GUSTAV HERMANN STEIN, Inventor, and CHARLES FOSter,
Merchant, of 208 E. 10th Street, in the City, County and State of New York,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :---
Our invention relates to bottles, and the object thereof is to produce a bottle
which, having been once filled and emptied of its contents, cannot be again refilled,
except under conditions not practical in the ordinary use of the bottle; whereby
we prevent certain frauds frequently practiced. by parties so inclined upon the
owners of certain liquors, cordials, medicines, and similar articles, which are
usually bottled by the proprietors or manufacturers, and having been once emptied
of their contents, are refilled with articles of the same general class as those
originally contained therein, but of a cheaper manufacture or worthless make.
These objects we accomplish by means of the construction described in the
following Specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, and in
which
Fig. 1 represents a bottle provided with our improvement, the neck and upper
portion being in section ;
Fig. 2 a transverse section on the line x-x of Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 3 a form of stopper we employ.
Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates the body of the bottle, and
3, the neck thereof, which is provided interiorly with a wide annular chamber or
groove 4, designed to receive a tubular section of cork 5, which is preferably
formed of two semi-circular sections, as shown in Fig. 2.
The upper outer surface of the neck 2 is also provided with vertical grooves or
corrugations 6, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which extend downwardly to a considerable
distance on the neck 2, as shown in Fig. 1, and on the inner upper surface of the
nozzle of the neck are formed short grooves or corrugations 7, shown also in
Fig. 1.
Within the neck 2 is placed a tubular section 8, which is surrounded and held in
place by the cork 5, and is formed of any desired material, and within the top of
the central bore of which is formed a valve seat 9 having a covering 10 of any
desired soft or plastic material, said valve seat being designed to receive a valve 11,
which is also composed of any desired material.
The stopper we employ is shown in Fig. 3, and consists of an annular disk or
plate 12 provided at opposite sides with downwardly depending prongs or spears 13
having teeth or serrations on the edges thereof, as clearly shown in said figure.
In constructing the various elements of our invention we do not limit ourselves
to any particular material, and any kind or class of material found suitable may be
employed.
The operation is as follows: The bottle having been filled, the tubular section 8
provided with the valve seat 9 is placed within the separate sections of the
surrounding casing 5, and the whole is forced into the nozzle of the bottle until it
reaches the position shown in Fig. 1, beyond which it cannot be forced under any
ordinary pressure, and where it will be securely held in the position shown, in
Fig. 1. The valve 11 is then inserted and also assumes the position shown in said
figure, after which the stopper 12, with its depending prongs 13, is forced down

page_text: into the position shown, in which it is securely held by the operation of the
teeth or serrations on said prongs, in connection with the cork or casing of the
tubular section 8.
If, now, it should be desired to empty the bottle of its contents it is only
necessary to invert the same or hold it in the usual position, when the valve 11 will
drop forward under the action of gravity and by the pressure of the fluid, when
the latter will flow out through the grooves or corrugations 7 around the stopper
plate 12, and this process will continue until the contents of the bottle are
exhausted.
It will be seen that in any attempt to refill the bottle by simply pouring the
fluids into it the valve 11 will immediately be reseated and said operation of refilling
prevented, and this operation of the valve would be the same in any position in
which the bottle could be held in the process of refilling as usually practiced. It
might be possible, however, under ordinary circumstances, to apply a tube to the
nozzle of the bottle and by inverting it or holding it in any suitable position, force
fluids to enter, as the bottle in this case might be held in a position in which the
valve 11 would not be seated. To avoid this is the object of the vertical or
longitudinal corrugations 6 formed on the neck and nozzle of the bottle.
readily be seen that if a tube or pipe should be applied to the neck of the bottle.
as thus constructed and an attempt made to force liquids into it, the said liquids
would flow out through said corrugations, and that therefore this attempt would
also result in failure. If, however, the valve 11 should become reseated, even
under ordinary circumstances as those last described, it would be impossible to
force liquid into the bottle, even with the corrugations 6 thereon absent.
It will
As the device cannot be withdrawn or forced into the bottle, the said bottle is
consequently, after emptying, useless, and is thrown away.
"
It will thus be seen that we accomplish the objects of our invention by means of
devices simple in construction and operation, which will not add materially
to the cost of the bottle, and which effectually accomplish the purpose for which
they are intended.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A bottle provided with an annular groove or recess, a tubular section
securely held in said groove, the upper extremity of the bore of said section being
provided with a valve seat, a valve adapted to be seated thereon, a plate inserted
in said section to approximately close the bottle mouth and means for permitting
the discharge of the fluid contained in said bottle without removing said plate,
substantially as shown and described.
2. A bottle having a plurality of exterior corrugations or grooves, and provided
with an automatic valve in the neck thereof, a non-removable plate which prevents
the removal of said valve, and means for permitting the discharge of the contents
of the bottle without removing the plate, substantially as shown and described.
3. A bottle having an annular recess formed in its neck and provided with a
cylindrical tubular section located in said neck thereof and held in position by a
coating or casing of cork fitting in said recess, the bore of said tubular section
being provided at the top thereof with a valve seat, a valve adapted to be seated
thereon, and a plate having prongs thereon, inserted in the tubular section above
the valve, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination, with the neck of a bottle, of a tubular section located
therein and held in position by a casing of cork, consisting of two semi-circular
sections, the central bore of the tubular section being provided with a valve seat at
the top thereof, a valve adapted to be seated thereon and a stopper or cover by
which the movement of said valve is limited, and means for permitting the outflow
of the contents of the bottle around said stopper, substantially as shown and
described.

page_text: 5. The combination of a bottle, the neck of which is provided with an annular
chamber located therein and the upper inner surface of the discharge orifice with
corrugations or grooves, of a tubular section held in position by a casing of cork
fitting within said annular chamber, a valve adapted to be seated on a valve seat
formed in the upper end of the bore of said tubular section, and a plate provided
with downwardly depending prongs having serrated edges adapted to be forced
into or in contact with the cork casing or covering, substantially as shown and
described.
6. A bottle having a tubular section located in the neck thereof and provided
with a valve seat at the upper end of its central bore, a valve adapted to be located
on said seat a stopper or covering by which the movement of the valve is limited,
means for permitting the discharge of the liquid contents of the bottle around said
stopper, and the neck of the bottle being provided with vertical or longitudinal
corrugations or grooves, substantially as shown and described.
7. A bottle provided with a valve and valve seat in the neck thereof, a stopper
or cover for limiting the movement of said valve, and means for permitting the
discharge of the liquid contents of the bottle around said stopper or cover, and the
neck of the bottle being provided on its outer surface with vertical or longitudinal
corrugations, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this the 19th day of March 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.