IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING METALLIC CAPSULES TO BOTTLES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Betts, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Capsule Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING METALLIC CAPSULES TO
BOTTLES."
Sealed the 23rd June 1868, and dated the 5th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Betts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1863.
I, WILLIAM BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Capsule Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING METALLIC CAPSULES TO BOTTLES,"
to be as follows:→
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for applying metallic capsules to bottles, whereby greater economy
and simplicity of construction are obtained with increased efficiency of
action.
According to this Invention the compressing loop, which is made, by

page_text: preference, of what is commonly known as "catgut," is always maintained
ready formed and in an open state, fit to receive the neck of the bottle, in
place of requiring to be made by hand at every fresh operation. One end of
the gut is secured to the side of a metal plate having a semicircular or other
suitably formed notch made therein for the reception of the bottle neck. The
gut then passses in the form of an open loop under and in front of the bottom
of the notch, and over the top, and finally descends to a connecting rod
secured to a treadle, which works on fixed centres in the back portion of the
capsuling stool, or in any convenient part of a work bench. The lower portion
of the loop is held down in its place just below the edge of the notch in the
plate by a wire connected to a weight' or to an india-rubber or other spring,
and the whole is carried by to an upright post, fixed either to the front of
the stool or to a work bench or table. The treadle having been depressed in
order to compress the loop of gut round the capsule on the neck of the bottle,
is raised again on being released, so as to open the loop and liberate the bottle
by a spring, the inherent spring in the gut itself serving to maintain the loop
open when not acted upon by the treadle. A check or projecting piece is
fitted to or formed on one side of the notch in the plate for the purpose of
retaining the loop in its place close against the metal plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BETTS, of Wharf Road, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, Capsule
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Betts, Her special license, that I, the said William Betts, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Betts, my executors, administrators, or 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
APPLYING METALLIC CAPSULES TO BOTTLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Betts, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of
one of them, 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 William Betts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly. described and ascertained in and by the following,
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for applying metallic capsules to bottles, whereby greater economy
and simplicity of construction are obtained with increased efficiency of
action.
According to this Invention the compressing loop, which is made by
preference of what is commonly known as "catgut," is always maintained
ready formed, and in an open state fit to receive the neck of the bottle, in
place of requiring to be made by hand at every fresh operation. One end of
the gut is secured to the side of a metal plate having a semicircular or other
suitably formed notch made therein for the reception of the bottle neck. The
gut then passes in the form of an open loop under and in front of the bottom
of the notch, and over the top, and finally descends to a connecting rod secured
to a treadle, which works on fixed centres in the back portion of the
capsuling stool, or in any convenient part of a work bench. The lower
portion of the loop is held down in its place just below the edge of the notch
in the plate by a wire, connected to a weight or to an india-rubber or other
spring, and the whole is carried by an upright post, fixed either to the front of
the stool or to a work bench or table. The treadle having been depressed in
order to compress the loop of gut round the capsule on the neck of the bottle,
is raised again on being released, so as to open the loop and liberate the bottle
by a spring, the inherent spring in the gut itself serving to maintain the loop
open when not acted upon by the treadle. A check or projecting. piece is.
fitted to or formed on one side of the notch in the plate for the purpose of
retaining the loop in its place close against the metal plate.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now

page_text: proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a front elevation of my improved
apparatus for applying metallic capsules to bottles; and Figure 2 is a side
elevation of the same. The rest of the Figures are full-sized details, which
I shall herein-after refer to.
A is the seat of the stool, and B the legs or supports; C is an upright
or post, firmly secured to the seat, or to a bench or table, as preferred.
A.bracket D is fitted to this upright, to which is secured the metal plate E
(Figures 3 and 4). This plate is made adjustable in height by passing its
connecting screws a, a, through vertical slots b, b, made in the plate (see
Figures 1 and 3), and a semicircular notch is formed in the upper edge of the
plate, to receive the neck of the bottle. F is the loop of gut, one end of
which is fixed to a lug G, whilst the other end is secured to a vertical sliding
rod H, attached to the treadle H', and guided by passing through the fixed
lug I. The treadle works on fixed centres at K, and is drawn up when
released from the pressure of the foot by a helical or other spring L. In order
to keep the lower portion of the loop down in its seat in the wooden bracket D
a wire or cord M is passed through it, and is attached to a weight N (Figure 3)
or to an india-rubber or other spring O (Figures 1 and 2). P is a check lug
or projecting piece formed on the plate E, for the purpose of retaining the
loop in its place against the plate E, as is clearly shown in the detail plan,
Figure 5.
In using this apparatus the operator is seated on the stool or in front of a
bench, and having placed the capsules on the neck of the bottle, he inserts
the neck into the ready formed open loop of the gut, and then depresses the
treadle with the heel of either foot, so as to cause the loop to close upon and
grip the capsule immediately behind the rim on the neck of the bottle; a turn
is then given to the bottle, after which the capsule will be found to be firmly
compressed behind the projecting rim. The treadle is released, and the loop
opens to allow of the withdrawal of the bottle, and introduction of the next
one. The edge of the plate E serves as a guide for the bottle neck, which is
inserted sufficiently far before turning to bring the projecting rim just beyond
the plate.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and

page_text: original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for applying
metallic capsules to the necks of bottles, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use to and in capsuling apparatus of a loop of
gut or other suitable material so disposed as to remain always ready formed
and open for use, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Betts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three.