Improvements in Stoppers and Appliances for Preventing Refilling of Bottles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1897-Accepted 12th Feb., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers and Appliances for Preventing Refilling
of Bottles.
I, ARTHUR STOCLET, of No. 16, Rue Drouot, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows; -
This invention relates to stoppers and appliances for necks of bottles so arranged
that, when the bottles have been stoppered, they may be emptied of their contents
but cannot receive any fresh charge.
For this purpose there is fixed at some depth down in the bottle neck a valve
seat which may be a ring of cork tightly fitting the neck and on it a metal ring,
the cork being preferably forced down against an inward bulge of the neck. On
the metal ring is seated a light hollow metal valve of less diameter than the
interior of the bottle neck, but having projecting lugs to serve as guides.
On the valve rests a ball at some distance above which is the stopper consisting
of the following parts:-
A ring having a central hole and radiating ribs on its lower side;-above this
another ring made with a recess on its upper and under sides separated by a parti-
tion having through it several holes which are not in line with the hole of the
ring below and finally a plug having through it a central hole, having at its
upper end a collar which rests on a shoulder in the bottle mouth, and having near
its lower end a circular groove coinciding with a similar groove in the bottle neck,
the groove of the plug being occupied by, a volute spring, which, when the plug is
inserted springs out so as to be partly engaged in the groove of the neck.
The stoppers and appliances operate as follows:-
Before or after charging the bottle, the valve seat is put in position, and after
charging, the valve is seated upon it and the ball placed on the valve.
The stopper consisting of the three parts mentioned, which may be made in one
piece or in several pieces cemented together, is inserted preferably with caoutchouc
rings encircling its upper and lower parts, and the spring contained in its groove
springs out partly into the groove of the bottle neck so that the stopper cannot be
withdrawn. On inverting the bottle its liquid contents can freely pass the valve
and the ball, which rests on the ribs of the lower ring of the stopper, it can pass
through the central hole of this ring, by the lower recess in the next ring through
its several holes, thence by the upper recess through the central hole in the upper
part of the stopper.
When an attempt is made to refill the bottle, the valve seats itself and prevents
entrance of liquid. Owing to the collar at the top of the stopper resting on the
shoulder at the bottle mouth, and owing to the holes in the middle part of the
stopper not coinciding with the central holes in its upper and lower parts, no tool
can be introduced to displace or unseat the valve.
The upper part of the stopper with its spring without a central hole may be used
along with a cork under it, the bottle neck being made with an external groove
which weakens it. When the bottle is charged the cork is driven in and above it
is inserted the stopper, the spring of which engages in a groove in the bottle neck

page_text: so that the stopper cannot be taken out. When it is desired to empty the bottle,
the top of the bottle is struck by a smart blow which breaks it off at the weakened
part, and thereupon the cork can be withdrawn. Obviously the bottle thus muti-
lated cannot be passed off as the original.
1 1008
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Stoppers and Appliances for Preventing Refilling
of Bottles.
I, ARTHUR STOCLET, of No. 16, Rue Drouot, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:―
My invention relates to a new construction of appliances for stoppering bottles
whereby, while the bottles can readily have their contents discharged, they cannot
be refilled nor the stopper be removed therefrom.
The appliance consists mainly in the combination of a float valve which closes
the opening of the bottle in such manner as to prevent any liquid from being intro-
duced into it while it allows the contents to be discharged, with a construction of
stopper so arranged that it cannot be withdrawn from the neck without breaking
the latter, the said stopper being provided with passages so formed that they will
let the liquid pass out through them but will prevent the introduction of an instru-
ment of any kind through them for tampering with the before mentioned valve
with a view to the introduction of liquid into the bottle.
I will describe the several parts constituting my improved stoppering appliance
with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shews an enlarged
sectional elevation of the neck of a bottle with stoppering device constructed
according to my said invention. Figures 2 and 3 shew sections taken respectively
on lines A B and CD, Figure 1; Figure 4 shews a separate view of a modified form
of one of the parts of the stopper.
The float valve device is composed of two parts, 1 and 2, of which 1 is a ring of
cork or other equivalent material which is forced into the neck of the bottle, where
it may be more securely held, if necessary, by forming a shoulder in the neck against
which the ring bears, as indicated by dotted lines at a in Figure 1; the other
part 2 consists of a ring of aluminium the inner opening of which is preferably of
conical form, for constituting the seat of the valve 3.
The two parts 1 and 2 are fitted together by any suitable means.
The valve 3,
made of aluminium or other light material that is not attacked by the liquid in the
bottle, is preferably of a hollow cylindrical form, and has on its upper and under
sides ribs 4 which serve to guide it in a vertical position in the neck of the bottle.
The underside is formed conical so as to seat on the conical surface of the ring 2,
and thus to form the valve proper. Above this valve is a heavy ball 5 of metal,
porcelain, or glass, serving to keep the valve down on its seat during the time that
the bottle is not reversed in position for discharging its contents.
The stopper consists of the following parts. A part 6, preferably of glass, or
porcelain, has at its upper end a shoulder b that bears against a corresponding
rim b' formed in the mouth G of the bottle. This part 6 which serves both as seat
and as an obstruction for preventing the gaining access to the interior of the bottle
by means of a tool of any kind, has at its centre an opening E for allowing the
passage of the liquid from the bottle, and at its periphery it has an annular recess F

page_text: corresponding to an annular recess of the same form F¹ in the inner surface of the
neck of the bottle.
In the annular space formed by the two recesses F F¹ I place a blade spring 7
which, in expanding, effects a perfect connection between the mouth G and the
part 6 which connection can only be destroyed by breaking the bottle.
Between the part 6 and the mouth G I place a caoutchouc washer H which serves
to unite the parts more firmly together, and to prevent the introduction of a foreign
body of any kind between the neck and the stopper. Below the part 6 and secured
thereto by a suitable glass-cement, is a piece 8 having cavities LL' formed on its
upper and undersides, which cavities are put in communication with each other
by means of openings K arranged so as to be out of line with the central opening E
of the part 6, for preventing the introduction of an instrument while they allow
of the issue of the liquid from the bottle. To the underside of the piece 8 is then
cemented a bottom piece 9, between which and the neck of the bottle may be fitted
a caoutchouc washer. This piece 9 has a central passage M and has a conical
bottom cavity provided with grooves N which allow of the passage of the liquid
when, on turning the bottle into a vertical inverted position, the ball 5 drops into
the said conical cavity which forms a seat therefor. The parts 6, 8, 9, 2 can be
combined into one by means of a tube 10 of suitable material such for instance as
aluminium, and in this case the caoutchouc ring H³ is placed in a circular groove
formed in this tube.
The above described stoppering device operates as follows;-
After having filled the bottle with the liquid it is required to contain, there is
introduced into the neck first the pieces 1 and 2, then the float valve 3, the ball 5,
and lastly the three combined parts 6, 8 and 9, provided with the caoutchouc
washers HH', the spring 7 having first been introduced into the recess F¹, which
spring expands when F comes opposite the recess F so as to be then situated in
both F and F and thus effectually secures the combined stopper device, in the
neck of the bottle. Lastly, the top of the neck of the bottle may be secured by
a seal. If now it be desired to discharge a portion of the contents of the bottle it
suffices to incline the latter, so as to cause the ball 5 to fall away from the valve 3;
this will then move away from its seat and the liquid will flow first between the
valve and the neck of the bottle then through the grooves N, passage M and
spaces L' KL and passage E to the outside. The bottle being once partially or
wholly emptied it will be seen that it is impossible to fill it again.
If the bottle be held upright in the ordinary filling position, the valve 3 will be
in its seat and will be held there by the weight of the ball 5, so that no liquid can
penetrate into' the bottle.
If, on the other hand, the bottle be held upside down and exhausted of air, for
the purpose of forcing liquid in by atmospheric pressure, the liquid on rising in the
neck will cause the float valve to rise on account of its buoyancy, and it will be
applied to its seat with a force that will be the greater, the greater the degree of
exhaustion is.
If the bottle be held in an intermediate or horizontal position, the incline formed
by the conical cavity of the stopper 9 will cause the ball 5 to descend on to the
valve so as still to hold it closed against any ingress of liquid into the bottle.
Figure 4 shews a modified construction of the stopper for a bottle which is to be
emptied at once and not by degrees. In this case the before described parts 6 and 7
alone are employed, being placed in the mouth of the bottle above an ordinary
cork P closing the same. For emptying the bottle it is in this case necessary to
remove the part 6, which can only be done by breaking off the mouth, which for
this purpose is formed with a part S of less thickness, and consequently offering
less resistance, so that by means of a sharp blow the mouth of the bottle containing
the part 6 can be broken off. The ordinary cork is thus uncovered and can be
drawn by any known means.
It will be evident that the parts 1 and 2 might be combined with the parts 6, 8

page_text: and 9, for maintaining them at the proper distance apart for insuring that the ball 5
shall press upon the valve when the bottle is in a horizontal position.
The shoulder and the corresponding rim b¹ may be dispensed with, if desired,
without altering the essential parts of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
-
1. An improved stoppering device for bottles, for preventing them from being
opened or refilled, consisting of the combination with a float valve device and heavy
ball serving to keep the valve on its seat, of a stopper device that cannot be with-
drawn from the mouth of the bottle without breaking it, such stopper device having
passages that will allow the liquid to issue from the bottle but through which an
instrument cannot be inserted for tampering with the valve, substantially as
described.
2. A stoppering device for bottles consisting of a stopper or plug having internal
non-continuous or zig-zag passages cavities, and grooves for the passage of liquid
and having an external annular cavity formed to meet a corresponding cavity in
the neck of the bottle, into which combined cavities is introduced a blade spring
which connects the stopper with the bottle neck so that they cannot be separated,
substantially as described with reference to the drawing.
3. In a stoppering device for bottles, a float valve guided vertically and held on
its seat by the weight of a heavy ball contained in a space between the valve and a
stopper that is immovably fixed in the neck of the bottle, and that has non-con-
tinuous or zig-zag passages through it for the discharge of liquid, substantially as
described with reference to the drawings.
4. A stoppering device for a bottle consisting of a solid stopper fixed in the
mouth of a bottle above an ordinary cork, closing the bottle such stopper having an
external annular recess situated opposite a corresponding annular recess in the
inouth of the bottle a blade spring being introduced into the two recesses so as to
prevent the removal of the stopper, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.