IMPROVE- MENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN STOPPERS FOR THE MUZZLES OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nathan Thompson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th October
1864.
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of Abbey Gardens, St. John's Wood, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN STOPPERS FOR
THE MUZZLES OF FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers for bottles, jars,
and other vessels, and in stoppers for the muzzles of fire-arms.
In constructing stoppers according to this Invention, a cork fitting the mouth
of the jar or bottle is employed, and in order that the cork may readily be
withdrawn from the jar or bottle a metal head is connected to the upper end
of the cork in the following manner:-The cork of which the stopper is to be
composed has a hole bored partly through it in the direction of its length
from the end to which the head is to be connected; the opposite end of the
cork is then forced through, a conical ring of metal being introduced into the
ring at its broadest diameter, and then forced through its smaller diameter.
The smaller diameter of the ring is of less diameter than the diameter of the
cork, and the cork after being forced through the ring again expands to its
former diameter. When the greater part of the length of the cork has been
forced through the conical ring, the end of the cork which has not been
forced through the ring is expanded, so as to cause it to fit within the ring
by forcing or driving a rod or screw, by preference of wood, into the hole

page_text: previously made in the cork. This rod or screw at its upper end has a conical
head formed on it, which being forced into the end of the cork expands it
and causes it to fit tightly into the ring. The rod or screw is secured or held
in the hole by suitable cement, and thus the metal ring is firmly secured to
the cork. A covering of soft leather may, if desired, be placed around the
cork before forcing it through the metal ring, and when the cork has been
forced through the ring the leather will be securely retained. To the conical
ring-so-attached_to_the_cork_heads or tops of various descriptions may be
connected in various ways, as for example, the top of the cork may be covered
Lover with a metal plate, the plate being cemented to the top of the cork, and
also securely retained by the upper end of the conical ring being turned over-
on to it; the plate so attached to the top of the cork may have slots formed
through it, through which loops of- canvas or other material are passed
previously to the plate being fixed in position, and by binding these loops
to the sides of the mouth of the bottles or jars the stopper may be
retained. The stopper may also when desired be withdrawn by these loops.
A head or top may also be connected to the conical ring by forming the
conical ring with a cylindrical tube projecting from its upper end, where it is
of the larger diameter, and to this cylindrical tube heads or tops of metal or
other material may be connected by rivets or otherwise. Bottles to be used
with stoppers, such as above described, are made by preference conical at the
mouth to receive the conical ring, and below this conical part the mouths of
the bottles or jars are made parallel to receive the cork of the stopper; by so
making the mouths of the bottles suitable for receiving the metal cone on the
cork, the top of the stopper may be made to come level with the top of the
bottle or jar in order that a paper label may be pasted over it. When it is
desired that the heads of the stoppers should be made so as not to project above
the bottle or jar, as above described, the head of the stopper may have a bent
wire hinged to it, which is capable of turning down into a recess in thè
head of the stopper, or of being turned upwards when the stopper is to be
withdrawn.