IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES FOR GASEOUS OR AERATED LIQUIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Barrett and Charles George Elers, both
of Dacre Street, in the City of Westminster, Aërated Water.
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Barrett and
Charles George Elers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 23rd December 1871.
We, HENRY BARRETT and CHARLES GEORGE ELERS, both of Dacre
Street, in the City of Westminster, Aerated Water Manufacturers, do.
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES FOR GASEOUS OR AERATED LIQUIDS," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists in improvements in that class of stoppers for
bottles for aerated or gaseous liquids constructed of a cylinder or plug
of hard wood, glass, or other suitable material having a greater specific

page_text: gravity ка
water, auu
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vulcanized india-rubber that is made to press against a seat in the neck
of the bottle and so close it.
The object of our improvements is to enable bottles closed with our
improved stoppers to be more easily opened than heretofore, and to
prevent splashing of the contents, and avoid accidents.
According to our improvements we form a hole or passage through
the centre of the cylinder or plug forming the spindle of our improved
stopper in the direction of its axis, in which hole or passage is placed a
stem or rod of metal or other suitable material; this stem or rod is
somewhat longer than the cylinder and is furnished at its upper end
with a button or knob; the stem or rod is also provided with a button
or collar at its lower end, the upper side or shoulder of which collar is
hollowed out so that when the stopper is applied to a bottle the upper
edge of the collar will press against the under side of the closing washer
(which is fixed as near as possible to the lower end of the cylinder) and
covers the central hole in the cylinder. In the side of the cylinder or
plug a lateral aperture or passage is made communicating with the
central hole or passage and providing an exit for the escape of the
compressed gas when the stem or rod is pressed down. If requisite,
more than one lateral aperture or passage may be used. Either the
upper or lower button of the stem or rod should be fixed so as to be
removeable to enable the stem or rod to be applied to or removed from
the cylinder.
A bottle being furnished with a stopper thus constructed the stopper
is introduced into the bottle, which is then inverted and filled with
a gaseous liquid. The stopper being of greater specific gravity than
water will then fall into its place and close the opening of the neck.
To open the bottle it is merely necessary to gently press or strike the
upper knob or button of the stopper which projects a short distance
above the neck of the bottle, by which means the stem or rod and with
it the lower button or collar will be moved downwards a short distance,
and the lower end of the central hole or passage of the cylinder being
thus uncovered the air and gas in the bottle will escape up the central
hole or passage and pass out at the holes in the side of the cylinder.
The internal pressure on the stopper being thus reduced the stopper will
fall to the bottom of the bottle.

page_text: In another of our improved arrangements instead of the lower button
or collar pressing against the under side of the closing washer, it may be
furnished with an india-rubber seating or cushion, and be made to fit
against the lower end of the cylinder which in this case projects some
distance from the under side of the washer, the upper part of the
central hole being enlarged so as to allow the upper button of the stem
to pass therein when pressed down to open the bottle.
In another of our improved arrangements instead of the lower button
or collar pressing against the under side of the closing washer, it may be
furnished with an india-rubber seating or cushion, and be made to fit
against the lower end of the cylinder which in this case projects some
distance from the under side of the washer, the upper part of the
central hole being enlarged so as to allow the upper button of the stem
to pass therein when pressed down to open the bottle.
Other modifications of the parts forming our improved stoppers and
acting as above described may also be employed.
In some cases it may be advisable to apply a spring to the rod or
stem of the stopper so as to keep the lower end of the central hole of
the cylinder closed without depending entirely on the pressure within
the bottle.
We can also employ a washer with one or more perforations which we
apply to a cylinder or plug preferably constructed as herein-after
described. To open a bottle closed with a stopper having a perforated
washer, the top of the cylinder must be slightly pressed by the hand,
by which the central part of the washer will be somewhat depressed and
moved away from the sides of the bottle; the compressed gas will then
escape through the holes in the washer and allow the stopper to fall to
the bottom of the bottle.
When we employ a perforated washer we prefer to fix it to the
cylinder or plug in the following manner:-We employ a plain cylinder
or plug flat at the lower end, but having a hole in the centre thereof;
the washer is formed with the usual hole in the centre, and is placed on
a small spindle at the bottom of which is a button; upon the upper
side of this button, which is flat, the under side of the washer rests;
the spindle is of such a size as to correspond with the hole in the lower
end of the cylinder or plug and may be cut with a screw thread if
desired, to correspond with a female screw in the said hole.
To introduce the stopper into the bottle, the washer on the spindle
and the cylinder are introduced separately, and the two parts are
adjusted together inside the bottle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Barrett and Charles George Elers in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
BARRETT and CHARLES GEORGE ELERS, both of Dacre Street, in the
City of Westminster, Aërated Water Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Henry Barrett and Charles
George Elers, Her special licence that we, the said Henry Barrett and
Charles George Elers, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Henry Barrett and Charles George Elers,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES FOR GASEOUS OR AËRATED LIQUIDS,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry Barrett
and Charles George Elers, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles George Elers, on behalf
of myself and the said Henry Barrett, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in improvements in that class of stoppers for
bottles for aerated or gaseous liquids constructed of a cylinder or plug of

page_text: hard wood, glass, or other suitable material having a greater specific
gravity than water, and furnished at the lower end with a washer of
vulcanized india-rubber, that is made to press against a seat in the neck
of the bottle and so close it.
The object of our improvements is to enable bottles closed with our
improved stoppers to be more easily opened than heretofore, and to
prevent splashing of the contents, and avoid accidents.
To make our Invention better understood we will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figures 1, 2, and 3, shew an elevation, a plan, and a section respectively
of one form of our improved construction of stopper; and Figure 4 is
an elevation shewing the same applied to a bottle.
According to our improvements we form a hole or passage as seen in
Figure 3 through the centre of the cylinder or plug a forming the
spindle of our improved stopper in the direction of its axis, in which
hole or passage is placed a stem or rod 6 of metal or other suitable
material; this stem or rod b is somewhat longer than the cylinder and
is furnished at its upper end with a button or knob c; the stem or rod is
also provided with a button or collar d at its lower end, the upper side
or shoulder of which collar is hollowed out as seen in Figure 3, so that
when the stopper is applied to a bottle the upper edge of the collar will
press against the under side of the closing washer e (which is fixed as
near as possible to the lower end of the cylinder a) and covers the
central hole in the cylinder. In the side of the cylinder or plug a
lateral aperture or passage f is made, communicating with the central
hole or passage and providing an exit for the escape of the compressed
gas when the stem or rod is pressed down. If requisite, more than one
lateral aperture or passage may be used. Either the upper or lower
button of the stem or rod should be fixed so as to be removeable to
enable the stem or rod to be applied to or removed from the cylinder;
in this case the upper button c is removeable, it being screwed on to the
rod or stem b.
A bottle being furnished with a stopper thus constructed (the stopper
being introduced into the bottle) is inverted and filled with a gaseous
liquid. The stopper being of greater specific gravity than water will
then fall into its place and close the opening of the neck.
To open the bottle it is merely necessary to gently press or strike the

page_text: A stopper of this construction being applied to a bottle it is opened
by pressing the knob a, thus moving down the button or collar d,
when the air and gas will escape up the central hole of the cylinder and
out at the lateral holes 9, 9, and the stopper will fall to the bottom of
the bottle.
Another improvement consists in the employment of a perforated
washer 6 on a cylinder or plug a as shewn in Figures 11 and 12. A
plan of the perforated washer is shewn in Figure 13. To open a bottle
closed with a stopper having a perforated washer, the top of the cylinder
must be slightly pressed by the hand, by which the central part of the
washer will be somewhat depressed and moved away from the sides
of the bottle; the compressed gas will then escape through the
holes c of the washer and allow the stopper to fall to the bottom of
the bottle.
Having thus described our Invention and the best means we are
acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein
laid down and shewn in the accompanying Drawing; but what we
claim is,―
Firstly. The improved arrangements or construction of stoppers for
bottles for gaseous or aërated liquids, whereby bottles stoppered therewith
are more easily opened, as herein-before described and represented in
Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The employment of a perforated washer in conjunction
with a cylinder or plug of hard wood or other material of a greater
specific gravity than water, as herein-before described and represented in
Figures 11, 12, and 13 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles George Elers, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.