IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS AND IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS BOTTLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
and Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS AND IN TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR USE
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS BOTTLES communicated to him from
abroad by Sarah Ann Bull of Denmark Hill in the County of Surrey now
residing at Boulogne-sur-Mer France
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS AND IN
TOOLS
OR APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS BOTTLES
"
[A communication to him from abroad by Sarah Ann Bull of Denmark Hill in
the County of Surrey now residing at Boulogne-sur-Mer France]
This invention relates to bottle stoppers, and tools for the manufacture of glass
bottles, and is chiefly designed to provide improved means whereby aërated waters
or liquids may be held or retained in bottle in such a manner that the said waters
or liquids will not deteiorate, and may be discharged from the bottles with great
facility when required for use
It is well known that many of the arrangements or devices for stopping bottles
containing aörated or similar liquids are complicated and comparatively costly, and
that others, whilst providing ready means for discharging or obtaining access
to the contents of the bottle, do not effectually preserve the contents in good
condition.
This invention provides means for obviating these defects, in a simple and
inexpensive manner.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a tool which is constructed
as follows for forming a portion of the neck of a glass bottle, that is to say I take
a piece of metal which is so bent in the centre that two parallel arms are provided
ונ6...D

page_text: united by the curved portion of the metal at one end, the whole presenting the
appearance of the body portion of that kind of shears which are usually employed
for shearing sheep. The said arms may each be about a foot (more or less) in
length and the aforesaid curvature forms a spring by which they are kept at the
proper distance apart excepting when they are compressed in the use of the tool.
Each arm is provided at its free end with a die or former designed to form the
upper projecting external part of the bottle immediately beneath the mouth of the
latter. Between the two arms aforesaid I provide a device for shaping the interior
of the neck of the bottle, this device consisting of two arms which are pivoted
together somewhat in the manner of a pair of scissors the pivotting being effecte.l
in such a manner as to leave two long arms and two short ones, the latter being so
arranged as to lie between the aforesaid dies or formers, and the former extending
towards the closed or rear end of the first named or outer arms. The two long
parts of the said inner arms extend in such a manner that their free ends enter
loops or eyes attached to the inner surface of the outer arms, that is to say, one on
one side and one on the other side, the said loops being situated somewhat nearer
_to the open end of the tool than to the closed end thereof. The portions of the
said inner arms which lie between the dies or formers are-shaped in a peculiar
imanner that is to say, when the outer arms are not compressed the said portions
of the inner arms form together a cone-shaped piece with a curved groove or
depression in a portion of each of the two parts at the base, and when the outer
arms are compressed the latter press upon the ends of the longer portions of the
inner arms so that the ends which together form the cone-shaped piece expand and
thereby the inner part of the neck of the bottle is formed of the required shape.
There is a plate or disc at the base of the said cone having an aperture through its
centre for the passage of two parts of the inner arms which plate has wings or
projections extending to, and beyond, the outer arms at a point beneath the dies or
formers, a slot being provided in the outer arms on each side. A central rod is
attached to the closed or spring portion of the outer arms and extends to a short
distance below the said disc, at which point it is bifurcated one branch extending
to one side of the disc and one to the other side thereof, these branches being
securely attached to the disc. The pivot which unites the inner arms passes
through ears attached to the disc and is secured to the said branches. When the
neck of a bottle is to be formed by this tool the cone-shaped piece, in its closed
condition, is inserted therein, whereupon the outer arms are compressed so that the
outer dies or formers close upon the outside of the neck and the pieces forming the
cone-shaped piece expand within the neck, and then by rotating the bottle or tool
the proper shape is given both to the outside and inside of the neck. By making
the interior formers of different shapes the formation of the interior of the neck
may be varied as desired
I make the stoppers according to my invention in the following manner, that is
to say. I form a plug, cone, or cylinder of glass or other suitable material and
provide therein an annular recess immediately under a slightly enlarged part
forming the head of the stopper. This recess is filled up with a ring of cork which
may be bevelled or inclined slightly towards the said head and rises slightly above
the periphery of the glass. This stopper is designed to be used with an ordinary soda
water or similar bottle and is first inserted in the bottle without the ring of cork
which is placed in position in the recess on the stopper by any suitable instrument
inserted through the neck of the bottle. When this bottle is filled and turned neck
downward the stopper drops partially into the neck, the head being towards the
bottom of the bottle. The gas forces the cork against the interior of the neck and
the end of the stopper extends sufficiently far therein towards the mouth of the
bottle to be in a convenient position to be operated upon by any one requiring to
use the contents. Although I prefer cork, any other suitable material may be used
for filling the recess.
I also make a stopper in the shape of a double cone, that is to say its greatest
diameter is in the centre and it gradually tapers downward towards each end.

page_text: This stopper is designed to be used with a bottle having a ring of cork or other
suitable material fitted in the neck thereof. The said stopper is placed in the
body of the bottle, and when the same is charged with the liquid the said stopper
is kept pressed tightly against the cork one end projecting up the neck in a
convenient position to be pushed inward when the contents are required for use.
I also make a stopper in the following manner that is to say I provide a cylinder
or cone of glass which has at its upper end a head of considerably larger diameter
than the body. The latter is provided with an annular recess immediately below
the said head, the said recess being furnished with a ring of cork which will fit
tightly to the neck of the bottle. This stopper is designed for use with bottles for
containing wine spirits and other liquids. The edge of the head may be milled or
roughened to facilitate insertion and withdrawal

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-STOPPERS, AND IN
TOOLS OR APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS BOTTLES
"
A communication to me from abroad by Sarah Ann Bull, of Denmark Hill, in the
County of Surrey, now residing at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France,
This invention relates to bottle-stoppers and to tools or apparatus for the
manufacture of glass bottles.
-
The said invention is chiefly designed to provide improved means whereby
aërated waters or liquids may be held or retained in bottles in such a manner that
the said waters or liquids will not deteriorate and may be discharged from the
bottles with great facility when required for use. And the said invention comprises
an improved tool or apparatus whereby glass bottles can be made with a recess
in the neck to receive a ring of cork or other suitable material against which an
internal stopper will be held by the pressure-of-gas within the bottle, when the
latter is filled with aërated liquid.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a plan of the improved tool for the manufacture of glass bottles.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show different forms or modifications of an improved
internal stopper made in accordance with the said invention.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, and
Figure 8 is a plan of an improved external stopper, and
Figure 9 is a sectional elevation showing a modification thereof.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
In Figures 1 and 2, a is a piece of metal, preferably steel, which is so bent as to
form two arms b united by the curved portion c, which constitutes a spring and
keeps the said arms at the proper distance apart excepting when they are
compressed in the use of the tool. Each arm b is provided at its free end with a
die or former d. These dies are secured to the said arms by screw-nuts d' and are
designed to form the external rim of the bottle immediately beneath the mouth of
the same. Between the two arms b I provide a novel device for shaping the interior
of the neck of the bottle; this device is constructed as follows, that is to say :-
e, e¹ are two levers pivotted upon the pin or rod f carried by the forked end of the
central rod or bar g which is secured by means of screw-nuts to the curved
portion c. The short arms e* of the levers e, e¹ are so formed and arranged that
they can be inserted in the bottle-neck before the arins bare compressed. The ends
of the long arms of the said levers enter loops or eyes h which are attached to the
inner surfaces of the arms b. A plate or disc i is fixed to the bifurcated end of
the rod g and has an aperture for the passage of the levers e, e².
This plate has wings or projections & extending through the slots in the arms b,
in which slots the said wings are free to slide.
The said tool is used as follows, that is to say When the neck of a bottle is to
be formed thereby, the short arms e* of the levers e, e¹ are inserted in the bottle
until the mouth thereof bears against the plate i, the arms b are then compressed
so that the dies or formers d close upon the outside of the neck and the short
arms e* are pressed outward within the same. The bottle or the tool is then
rotated and the proper shape is thus given both to the outside and inside of the

page_text: neck. By making the said short arms as shown in the drawing they will form a
recess in the neck of the bottle to receive a ring of cork or other material, and by
making them of different shape the formation of the interior of the neck may be
varied as desired.
One form of internal stopper made according to my invention is shown in
Figure 3 and consists of a slightly conical plug m of glass, ebonite or other
suitable material, having an annular recess n formed therein. In this recess is
fitted a ring o of cork, which may if desired be slightly bevelled or inclined
outwardly towards the flat end of the stopper, and which is larger in diameter
than the body of the stopper. This stopper is designed to be used with an
ordinary soda water or similar bottle and is first inserted in the bottle without the
ring of cork, which is then placed in position in the recess n by any suitable
instrument inserted through the neck of the bottle. When the bottle is filled and
turned neck downward, the stopper drops partially into the neck, the flat end
being towards the bottom of the bottle. The pressure of gas in the bottle forces
the cork against the interior of the neck, and the rounded end of the stopper is
then sufficiently near to the mouth of the bottle to be in a convenient position to
be pushed into the bottle by any one requiring to use the contents thereof.
Although I prefer cork, any other suitable material may be used for filling the
recess.
I sometimes make this stopper with a recess n' extending nearly from end to
end as shown in Figure 4, so that when either end of the stopper enters the neck
of the bottle, the cork ring will be supported by the other end thereof.
Another form of internal stopper made in accordance with my said invention is
shown in Figure 5 and consists of a plug p of glass, ebonite, or other suitable
material, tapered in each direction from the centre. This stopper is designed to be
used with a bottle having a ring of cork or other suitable material fitted in a recess in
the neck thereof. The said stopper is placed in the body of the bottle, before the said
ring is inserted in the neck, and, when the bottle is charged with the liquid, the
said stopper is forced tightly against the said ring by the pressure of the gas in
the bottle, one end of the said stopper projecting up within the neck into a
convenient position to be pushed inward when the contents of the bottle are
required for use. I may if desired make this stopper in the form of a slightly
conical plug p' with a rim or flange på at one end thereof as shown in Figure 6.
One form of external stopper made according to my said invention is shown in
Figures 7 and 8 and consists of a cylindrical or slightly conical body r of glass or
other suitable material which has at its upper end a head s of considerably larger
diameter than the body. The latter is provided with an annular recess n²
immediately below the said head, in which recess is placed a ring o of cork or other
suitable material, which will fit tightly to the neck of the bottle when the
stopper is inserted therein. This stopper is designed for use with bottles for
containing wine, spirits and other liquids. The edge of the head may be milled or
roughened to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the stopper, and is
sometimes made with notches u to permit the stopper to be secured in the bottle
by means of wire or string.
I sometimes modify the construction of this stopper as shown in Figure 9 to
adapt it for bottles having an outlet at one side of the neck. In this case I form
a screw-thread v on the upper part of the stopper below the head, and I form the
recess n³ near the other end of the stopper and fit a ring o of cork therein, so
that, when the stopper is inserted in a bottle having a corresponding internal
screw-thread in the neck, the cork ring can be inserted in, or withdrawn from, the
seating w in the bottle-neck without completely unscrewing the stopper.
•
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim:-
First. The improved tool or apparatus constructed substantially as above
described and having the pivotted levers so arranged that their short arms will be

page_text: moved outwardly by the compression of the arms carrying the external dies or
formers, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
- Second. The improved internal stopper made according to either of the
modifications described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing, for
the purpose specified.
Third. The improved external stopper made according to either of the
modifications described with reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawing, for
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this seventeenth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.