IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR VESSELS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Clayton, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer, and Joseph Wilkinson, of Bradford, aforesaid,
Smith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES
AND SIMILAR VESSELS."
Sealed the 28th September 1875, and dated the 30th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Clayton and
Joseph Wilkinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th March 1875.
We, ROBERT CLAYTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer,
and JOSEPH WILKINSON, of Bradford, aforesaid, Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS
FOR BOTTLES AND SIMILAR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a flanged plug of wood
or other suitable material, which is placed in the neck of a bottle, with
the flange resting on the outside of the top of the neck thereof. Through
this plug a hole is bored, which is tapped with a screw thread, into

page_text: which a spindle and screw is placed. At one end of the spindle is a
washer made of india-rubber, mackintosh, gum, or other elastic sub-
stance, so as to form a valve within the neck of the bottle, which when
the screw is turned in one direction the india-rubber or other substance
is drawn upwards and pressed against the inside of the bottle neck,
forming a valve, thereby preventing the escape of the liquid or the
gasses therein, and when the screw is turned in the other direction the
valve is set at liberty and the plug easily withdrawn.
+
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Clayton and Joseph Wilkinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
CLAYTON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, and JOSEPHI
WILKINSON, of Bradford, aforesaid, Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Clayton and Joseph
Wilkinson, Her special licence that we, the said Robert Clayton and
Joseph Wilkinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Robert Clayton and Joseph Wilkinson, 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 AND SIMILAR VESSELS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Clayton and Joseph
Wilkinson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Clayton and Joseph
Wilkinson, 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 and accompanying
Sheet of Drawings :—
This Invention consists in the employment of a flanged plug of wood
or other suitable material, which is placed in the neck of a bottle, with
the flange resting on the outside of the top of the neck thereof. Through
this plug a hole is bored, which is tapped with a screw thread, into
which a spindle and screw is placed. At one end of this screw is a
washer made of india-rubber, mackintosh, gum, or other elastic sub-
stance, so as to form a valve within the neck of the bottle, which when
the screw is turned in one direction the india-rubber or other substance is
drawn upwards and pressed against the inside of the bottle neck, forming
a valve, thereby preventing the escape of the liquid or the gasses therein,
and when the screw is turned in the opposite direction the valve is set at
liberty, and the plug easily withdrawn.
In order that this our said Invention may be better understood we
herein give reference to an accompanying Sheet of Drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 illustrates a section of a bottle with our elastic stopper placed
therein, which is shewn closed or in action, with the india-rubber ring or
washer expanded; and Fig. 2 is another section of a bottle shewing
the elastic stopper in its natural form, or at liberty for either drawing
out or screwing up; and Fig. 3 is a section of the stopper showing
how the spindle and screw is placed into a screw thread formed in the
plug, each thread of the screw preventing the escape of either gasses or
liquid through the plug, thus forming a series of valves. A is the
flanged plug, which is made of wood, but may be made of other suitable
material; and B is the india-rubber washer or ring, which when screwed
up forms a valve in the neck of the bottle; C is a spindle and screw
passing through the plug and through the elastic washer; and D is
another washer made of glass, or pot, or other suitable material fastened
at the end of the spindle by the small washer E, which allows the spindle
to revolve whilst it remains stationary on its axis.
Fig. 4 shows a plan, Fig. 5 an underneath view of the stopper;
and Fig. 6 shews how the spindle and screw and handle may be easily
made from wire.

page_text: Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate another form of knob cither attached to by
rivetting, or forming part of the spindle C, and other modifications of
the knob may be constructed and applied.
It will at once be seen that when the screw is turned in one direction
by the handle F the washer D is drawn under the india-rubber washer B,
expanding it so as to fit closely the bottle neck, as shewn at Fig. 1,
and prevents the escape of liquid or gasses therein, and also prevents the
inlet of air, and when the screw is turned in the opposite direction the
pressure of the washer D is relieved from under the elastic washer, which
allows it to form its natural shape, as shewn at Fig. 2, and the stopper
can be then easily withdrawn from the bottle.
It will also be understood that neither air nor liquid can pass through
the hole or thread formed in the plug, as the screw forms a series of
valves therein, and prevents a passage.
Having now described the nature of the Invention we would have it
understood that what we claim is, the screw C passing through a cor-
responding screw thread in the plug A to act in the manner and for the
purposes herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Clayton and Joseph
Wilkinson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 25 day
of September. A.D. 1875.