IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Michaelis, of Number 8, Great Winchester
Street Buildings, in the City of London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES."-A com-
munication from abroad by Jules Becker, of Paris, in the Republic
of France.
Sealed the 16th August 1872, and dated the 22nd May 1872.

page_text: Specification above mentioned, or with any other suitable system, in
employing instead of the long corks now in use for closing bottles a
short plug, disc, or pad of cork or other analogous compressible or elastic
substance, about a quarter to one-sixth the depth of an ordinary cork.
This plug, disc, or pad is preferred to be of such a width as will not
enter the mouth of the bottle, and in order to effect the stoppering it is
placed over the mouth thereof with a capsule (such as is described in the
said former Specification), above it. The whole is then compressed by
any suitable mechanical means. The plug, disc, or pad being thus
pressed on to the edge of the bottle the gripping portions of the capsule
and the retaining ring are applied, and the plug, disc, or pad is thus held
tightly in position over the mouth of the bottle, so that the liquor con-
tained cannot escape therefrom. By this means a large saving in time
and labour, and in the quantity of cork used in bottling, may be effected,
while bottles corked and capsuled on this plan can be much more readily
opened than by the old system.
Secondly. In order to adapt the semi-cylindrical sides of the capsule to
various diameters of bottles and irregularities of shape, the upper or
lower or both flanges thereof is or are split in one or more places, so as
to enable it to be readily bent into a suitable shape to adapt it to the
diameter and form required, and to this end the inner edge of the lower
flange is also formed eccentric with and to a curve of greater radius than
the semicylindrical sides of the capsule.
It is sometimes found preferable to pierce the sides of the capsule
with holes or openings by which means it will more readily assume the
desired form, while these holes or openings are useful for the inspection
of the cork after capsuling; and, if desired, they may be made to
represent an ornamental design, trade mark, or name.

page_text: is placed over the mouth thereof with a capsule C, such as is described
in the said former Specification, above it, the whole is then compressed
by any suitable mechanical means. The plug, disc, or pad being thus
pressed on to the edge of the bottle the gripping portion D, D, of the
capsule and the retaining ring E are applied, and the plug, disc, or pad A
is thus held tightly in position over the mouth of the bottle, as shown in
Figs. 2 & 3, so that the liquor contained cannot escape therefrom. By
this means a large saving in time and labour, and in the quantity of
cork used may be effected, while bottles corked and capsuled on this
plan can be much more readily opened than by the old system.
Secondly. In order to adapt the semi-cylindrical sides of the capsule to
various diameters of bottles and irregularities of shape the upper or
lower, or if necessary both flanges thereof, is or are split in one or more
places, see F, F, Figs. 4 & 5, so as to enable it to be readily bent into a
suitable shape to adapt it to the diameter and form required, and to this
end the inner edge of the lower flange is also formed eccentric with and
to a curve of greater radiust hant he semi-cylindrical sides of the capsule,
or in other words is made to taper in a curved form from the middle
towards the ends, as shown at G, G, Fig. 5. Two of these half capsules
may be used together, as shown in Fig. 6, or one of, this kind with one
of the kind described in the above mentioned former Specification, as in
Fig. 7.
It is sometimes found preferable to pierce the sides of the capsule
with holes or openings, as H, H, in Fig. 8, by which means it will more
readily assume the desired form, while the holes or openings are useful
for the inspection of the cork after capsuling; and, if desired, they may
be made to represent an ornamental design, trade mark, or name I.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to or may be performed, I would have it
understood that what I claim is,―
First. The use of short plugs, discs, or pads of cork or other analogous
substance compressed upon & retained over the mouth of bottles for
the purpose of closing or stoppering the same, substantially by the manner
& by the means shown and described.
Second. The means of adapting the semi-cylindrical sides of the
gripping portions of the capsule to suit various diameters or forms of

page_text: bottles by splitting the flange or flanges thereof, and forming the said
flange or flanges eccentric or tapered in a curved form, substantially as
described & shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Michaelis, have hereunto set
my hand & seal, this 20th day of November in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
PHILIP MICHAELIS. (L.s.)