Improvements in and relating to Bottles.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Bottles.
We, EDMUND TOWERS, Mechanical Expert, in the City of Yonkers, JOHN
GIBNEY, Lawyer, and JOHN CHRISTIAN SPIELMAN WEILLS, Clergyman, the
two latter of Sing Sing, all in the County of Westchester 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in bottles and means for closing them;
the object thereof being to prevent re-use thereof after they have been emptied of
their original contents. The bottle is so constructed, that after it is filled and
corked, it is necessary to break away a portion thereof before removing the
contents, whereby the bottle loses its distinctive appearance and re-use thereof in
its original shape is prevented. By the use of this invention, certain frauds now
practised upon the public and manufacturers of proprietary compounds can be
prevented.
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the
annexed claims.
In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of our improved bottle, having the lower portion
thereof broken away.
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation, taken on a line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation of the upper portion of the bottle, showing the same
in combination with a tool adapted for opening; and
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the stopper or cork, adapted for closing the bottle.
In the practice of our invention, we provide the neck A of an ordinary bottle
with a recess a, which said recess is preferably surrounded by a star shaped
flange a' and is closed at its inner end by means of a disc a', which said disc forms
an integral part of the bottle neck and has a convex inner face.
The bottle neck is further provided with a recess a³ located in the inner surface
of the neck thereof, directly opposite to the recess a. This said recess a³ is
extended upwardly at an angle from the inner surface of the neck of the bottle,
whereby a shoulder a is provided.
The bottle neck is also provided upon its inner surface, at a point diametrically
opposite to the recess a, with a groove a'.
As a means for closing the bottle after it is filled we provide a stopper B which
comprises a cylindrical portion b and a head b².
Projected radially from one side of the stopper is a tongue 63, and located
opposite thereto within the cylindrical portion of the stopper, is a recess b³.
Within this recess is placed a bow-spring C, which comprises a short arm c and a
ong arm c'.
The head of the stopper has a recess 6 therein for engagement with a tool for
opening the bottle, as will be hereinafter described.
In combination with the said stopper, which is composed of some non-flexible
material, preferably glass, we use a flexible cork D, which said cork may be secured
to a downwardly projected stud B¹ of the stopper B, or it may be made separately,
as illustrated by Fig. 2 of the drawings.
In the operation of the invention, the bottle is filled to any desired height and

page_text: the cork and stopper are then inserted therein, the tongue 6 of the stopper and the
short arm c of the bow-spring engaging respectively with the groove a³ and the
recess a³ of the neck of the bottle; this said short arm being in contact with
the shoulder at will prevent the removal of the stopper by any other means than by
breaking away the disc a' and forcing the short arm c inwardly.
As a means for opening the bottle, we provide a tool E, which comprises jaws e,
adapted to be forced toward each other by means of handles e'. One of the jaws e
has a segmental projection e thereon and the opposite jaw has a projected stud e³
thereon for engagement with the aperture a of the bottle.
The tool is further provided with a pivotally attached lever E', which has a
pointed projection thereon for engagement with the recess 6 of the
stopper head.
In the operation of this tool, it is placed upon the neck of the bottle, in the
position illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings. The jaws e are then moved in
the direction of each other by pressing the handles e in the direction of the
arrows 1 and 2. This actiou will break away the disc a³ and at the same time
force the short arm of the spring C inwardly to a sufficient distance to allow the
stopper to be removed. Then to start the stopper, the lever B¹ is forced upwardly
in the direction of the arrow 3, whereby the stopper is moved upwardly for
a sufficient distance to allow the short arm of the spring C to engage with the
inner wall of the neck of the bottle above the line of the shoulder a*. The
stopper and cork can be then readily removed and the bottle emptied.
As warning to the public, the bottle should be supplied upon the neck thereof
with an announcement, comprising preferably the following matter: "If the centre
of this seal is broken or covered with paper or wax, the contents are not genuine ;
but we do not confine ourselves to this specific form of warning.
19
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 having a thin disc formed in the neck thereof adjacent to a recess
which is adapted for engagement with the bottle stopper, said disc adapted to be
broken away before the stopper can be removed, substantially as shown and
described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, a bottle having a recess formed in the outer
portion of the neck thereof and a thin disc closing said recess, which disc
communicates with a recess formed on the inner surface of the neck of the bottle,
said recess adapted for engagement with a projecting spring of a bottle stopper,
whereby the bottle cannot be opened without breaking away the disc, substantially
as shown and described.
3. In a bottle, the combination of a recess formed in the outer portion of the
neck thereof and a thin disc closing said recess, said disc communicating with a
recess within the inner surface of the bottle neck; with a stopper having a
bow-spring connected thereto which engages with the recess of the inner wall of
the neck of the bottle, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination of a bottle having a recess formed within the outer surface
of the neck thereof and a recess formed within the inner surface of said neck,
these said recesses being separated by means of a thin disc forming an integral part
of the neck of the bottle, said neck also having a groove therein, located opposite
to the said recess; with a bottle stopper having a tongue thereon for engagement
with the groove of a bottle neck, and a recess therein located opposite to said
tongue for holding the bow-spring the outwardly extending arm of the said
bow-spring engaging with the inner recess of the neck of the bottle, said stopper
also having a recess within the head thereof for receiving a tool for opening the
bottle, substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination of a bottle having a recess in the outer portion of the neck
thereof, and a recess in the inner portion thereof, said recesses being joined by

page_text: means of a thin disc, and a stopper having a bow-spring therein engaging with the
inner recess, said stopper also having a recess within the head thereof; with a tool
comprising jaws adapted for movement toward each other one jaw having a
segmental projection thereon for engagement with the neck of the bottle and the
other a stud for breaking away the disc of the bottle neck, said tool also having a
lever connected thereto for moving the stopper, substantially as shown and
described.
Dated this 15th dam of Fab 1907
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.