IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF WIRE COVERINGS FOR SECURING THE CORKS OF BOTTLES CONTAINING SPARKLING WINES OR OTHER FERMENTED OR EFFERVESCENT LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
AND APPLICATION OF WIRE COVERINGS FOR SECURING THE CORKS OF BOTTLES
CONTAINING SPARKLING WINES OR OTHER FERMENTED OR EFFERVESCENT
LIQUIDS." A communication from Adrien de Mestre, residing at
Bordeaux, France, Merchant.
.
Sealed the 21st August 1874, and dated the 23rd February 1874.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 23rd February 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée, d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.

page_text: $
t
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION OF WIRE COVERINGS FOR
SECURING THE CORKS OF BOTTLES CONTAINING SPARKLING WINES OR OTHER FER-
MENTED OR EFFERVESCENT LIQUIDS," communicated to me by Adrien de
Mestre, a person resident at Bordeaux, France, Merchant, and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and made solemn
Declaration that it is a communication.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and
seal fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for making,
shaping, placing, fixing, and sealing the linked wire caps for bottles,
patentee under date January 19th, 1872, and numbered 174, and under
date July 25th, 1872, and numbered 2211, specially intended for use in
closing bottles containing sparkling wines and other effervescent or fer-
mented liquids. These improvements consist in modifying the apparatus
for manufacturing the twisting wire net in order to facilitate its opera-
tion; in employing one single apparatus in order to simplify the work
for making nets and for moulding the wire cap into the required form;
in using a new apparatus for passing through the wire cap loops, the
wire intended to keep the cap in position upon the cork; in modifying
the apparatus, by means of which the cap is placed on the latter and
round the neck of the bottle, and at last in modifying the tool for
embossing the trade mark on the lead disk or seal in connection with
the same.
These improvements are represented in the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1 is a plan top view of the apparatus for twisting the
wire; Fig. 2, a sectional clevation of the same through the line A, B,
Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a sectional horizontal view of the same through the line
O, D, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the wire cap, the first operation
being made; Fig. 5 is a plan top view of the new apparatus for making
the wire nets; Fig. 6, an elevation of the same; Fig. 7, a sectional.
elevation of the same through the-line E, F, Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an

page_text: elevation of the wire cap, the second operation being made; Fig. 9 is an
clevation of the apparatus for passing the cap stop wire; Fig. 10 is an
elevation of the two puncheons; Fig. 11 is an elevation of wire cap, the
third operation being made; Fig. 12 is an elevation of the apparatus for
applying the wire cap; Fig. 13 is a plan top view of the bracket holding
the tool for cutting the wire; Fig. 14, a back elevation of the same;
Fig. 15, a front elevation of the tool for cutting the wire; Fig. 16, the
same view, the tool lowered to cut the wire; Fig. 17 is a plan top view
of the tool for impressing the trade mark isolated. In these Figures the
same letters indicate similar parts in each apparatus.
The Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 10 are at scale of the third part of
working size; the Figures 4, 8, and 11 at the natural size; the Fig. 9 at
scale of the sixth part of working size; the Fig. 12 at the eighth part of
working size; and the Fig. 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 at the fourth part of
working size.
Fig. 1, 2, 3.-Apparatus for Twisting the Wire.-A is a wooden tablo
on which the apparatus is mounted; B, a bed crown made of cast iron
and provided with a circular projection C, in which openings occur at
stated distances to avoid friction, and in which moves the toothed crown
D, by means of which the motion is imparted through the winch E and
the six pinions F to the six horizontal shafts G carried by the fixed
bearings II. The ends of these shafts aro articulated at I and provided
with moveable hooks J, which hold the wire for the purpose of forming
the twists, but the exception hereafter mentioned, a spiral spring k
surrounding each of these shafts G, and placed in the sockets L, brings.
the formers back into their primitive position as soon as the twist is
formed, and at the same time maintains a proper tension of the wire to
secure regularity and twisting it. One of the shafts is provided on its
external end with a plate M, on which are mounted two little jaws M',
one fixed, the other moveable, and operated by a flat spring M", which
maintains them close. On the insido end of the said shaft a plate N is
fixed, on which are mounted two other moveable little jaws N' operated
by flat springs N". The said shaft and its pinion are provided with a
longitudinal grooving, in which the wire is placed and kept in position
by these jaws, thus allowing the wire to be twisted without entangling
its extremities. This shaft is provided with two pivots O at its extremity
without hinge, instead of a hook, which offers a bearing point in order
that the wire may be twisted in the same way as on the hooks. The said

page_text: :
shaft is brought back by means of a steel flat spring fixed below the
plate B. Parc moveable bearings which follow the concentric motion
of the shafts G. The dotted lines, Fig. 1 and 2, represent the shafts,
bearings, and hooks when this movement is performed. Q are slides in
the plate B provided with notches R, in which guides are worked which
support the moveable bearings P, the said notches allowing the defexion
of the guides in order to disengage the wire when the twist is completed..
S are moveable hooks sliding in the slides T in the plate B¹. The lower
ends of the said hooks are pivoted on a crown U fixed to a central and
vertical arbor V, the upper end of which is provided with an hexagonal
shaped knob or button which forms the centre of the wire cap. The
said hooks have counterweights X, and may be drawn towards the centro
round the knob by means of a footboard Y connected by a rod Z to the
end of a lever fulcrumed at the lower part of a rod below the table A,
the other end of which is forked. The both branches a of this fork,
when the footboard is operated, press under two cross pieces b, the eyelet
ends of which slide on vertical rods e fixed under a flange on the
crown B. The said cross pieces hold a crown' d, on the upper face of
which uprights are provided with friction rollers. e, pressing when the
crown rises against the incline of lower part of the hooks S, thus caused
to keep a vertical position. The vertical rods c.are surrounded by spiral
springs which press down the cross picces and the crown d, thus
allowing the hooks pulled by the counterweights ✗ to be brought back
automatically. f is a handle clongated by a shaft g, which passes
through the crown B, and the end of which rotates in one of the
supports of the plate B'. On the said shaft a round eccentric is
mounted which is inserted and works in a socket in a projecting boss h.
under a moveable circle or crown i. Five levers j, pivoted under the
plate B', are connected with the circle i at the end of their shorter arms
slightly bent, mounted upon pins in this circle; the longer arms of theso
levers are provided with a slide in, which moves the lower end of the
moveable bearings P of the shafts G, which is maintained into the said
slides by means of a set screw 7.
A
.
The first operation is accomplished by the following manner :-The
wire near one of its ends is inserted in the grooving and between the
jaws of the cut shaft, and then between the two pivots at its extremity ;
then successively it is hooked in each hook J and then again inserted
between the jaws and in the grooving of the cut shaft. The said wire

page_text: presents an hexagonal figure, as shown in Fig. 1. Afterwards the foot-
board Y is operated, and the connecting rod Z brings down one of the
ends of the lever, the other forked end of which a lifts up by means of
the cross pieces b the crown d, the friction rollers e of which draw at one
towards the centre the hooks S. The wire stretched upon the hooks J,
as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, are met and dragged towards and close
the hexagonal knob on the upper end of the vertical shaft V, and at the
same time the wire draws the moveable shafts & sliding in their socket L.
The apparatus and wire are placed as shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 1. Then a rotating motion is imparted to the toothed crown D
by means of the handle E, which communicates through the six
pinions F to the six horizontal shafts G, and two wire parts are twisted
one upon the other. The star illustrated in Fig. 4 is thus formed.
For the purpose of disengaging the star from the hooks J these five
hinged hooks are moved by side in the sockets of the plate B¹ by means
of the levers to which motion is imparted by the eccentric g operated
by means of the handle f; the shorter arms of the levers ; are carried
forwards by the circle i, whilst the longer arms are repelled in a contrary
direction. The bearing guides P now at the extremity of the slides are
carried in the notches R, and draw the said bearings which move thus
by side horizontally from left to right the hinged part of the shafts G;
all the hooks J, the points of which are turned towards the left, are
instantaneously disengaged from the loops formed at the ends of the
twisted wire, and the moveable shafts G are also instantaneously carried
back by the spiral springs R and the flat spring by which the sixth cut
shaft is operated, and the hooks S carried by their own weight and that
of the counterweight X fall again in the first position. The star thus
formed the wire parts not twisted are easily disengaged from the cut
shaft by driving, which allows the removal of the star, which is then
placed on the apparatus herein-after described.
Fig. 5, 6, and 7. Apparatus Intended to Produce the Nets or Gallery.
-A is a wooden table on which a bed plate B is fixed having a central
hole and externally provided with a screwed socket on which the set
screw C is screwed, thus firmly keeping in position the said plate; Dis
a bearing plate which may be turned from left to right, and vice versa,
upon a projection Fin the bed plate B; G is a toothed conical pinion
mounted on a socket passing through the bearing plate D and connected
by a rod with the handle E by means of which a rotating motion to right

page_text: and to left is imparted to the said pinion; H is a catch bolt which
catches the plate D. The rotating motion of pinion G is transmitted to
the five toothed conical pinions I mounted on shafts obliquely pivoted
upon the bearing plate D, and at the upper ends of the said shafts
passing through the plates J are placed knobs provided with hooks K;
a sixth hook is fixed to a rod L hinged on the flange of the plate J; this
rod may be pushed backwards by raising the thumbstall M, and it is
drawn forwards in its first position by a spiral spring, the ends of which
are attached to the said rod and the knob N in the centre of the plate J;
upon this knob disks O, more or less in number according to the depth
to be given to the wire cap, are placed, and above the disks a bell-
shaped plateform P having six equal partitions or grooves from left to
right in order to form a square shoulder against which the six star
branches are leaning so that the ends of the star are stopped to obtain a
regular network; a vertical arbor Q passes up through the centre of the
apparatus, a spiral spring surrounding it, one end of which laying upon
the set screw C and the other upon a circular rib at the lower part of
this arbor; the latter is operated by a footboard R fulcrumed upon a
forked bracket S under the table A; a cap T is hinged above the plate-
form P by an universal broken joint at a little arm U pivoted at the end
of the longer arm of a lever V pivoted in an upright X on the tablo A;
the shorter arm of this lever is connected by a broken rod Y with a foot-
board Z, by means of which the longer arm and the cap suspended to it
may be raised; the latters are lowered by a spiral spring a when the
footboard is loosened; another lever b is also fulcrumed at the upright X,
the longer arm of which is raised when its handle is loosened, its shorter
arm being drawn down by a double spiral spring c, the ends of which
are attached to the said shorter arm, and at the lower part of the upright.
In order to construct the nets or gallery the cap T is raised by operating
the footboard Z; the star made by the first above apparatus is set upon
the plateform P, the knob of the latter passing through the hexagonal-
shaped centre of the said star and cach twisting being inserted in the
grooves, then the lever bis lowered and striken by one or two hard
blows on the top of the cap T in order to stamp the star; the loose wire
end is next passed crosswise successively and alternately on each of
the hooks K and through each of the loops of the twistings, and late
on the sixth hook L together with the loose shorter wire end, the
gallery or lower nets or loops being thus performed by twisting the
said wire ends three half turns round each other. This above opera-

page_text: tion is made by turning gradually from left to right the apparatus
by means of the handle E when the bolt II has been disengaged.
The cap kept in position by the spring a turns together with the
lower part of the apparatus on account of its universal broken joint.
A rotating motion is next imparted to the five pinions I and to the
hooks K through the central pinion G which is turned in a contrary
direction from right to left half a turn of the apparatus by means of the
crank E. The wire catched on the said hooks is twisted three-half turns
round itself, so that other loops are formed through which the wire will
be passed in order to make the tie intended to keep in position the cork
of the bottle and to receive the lead disk herein-after described. After-
wards an ascensional motion is imparted to the plateform P by operating
the footboard lever R so that the wire will be stretched and the suitable
depth and the required shape will be given to the wire cap. The latter
thus performed is taken off as follows:-The cap T is raised by pressing
down the footboard Z, the rod L is turned back, the hook of which is
thus disengaged, the lever R is loosened, the central arbor G being
lowered by the spring surrounding it, and carrying down the plateform P,
from which the wire cap will be thus disengaged, so as shown in Fig. 8
and then placed on the apparatus hercin-after described.
Fig. 9 and 10. Apparatus for Passing the Tie.-A is a wooden table
with a box B intended to contain the wire caps to be finished. On this
table is fastened an upright C terminated by a swan neck, to end of
which is hinged by an universal joint a male puncheon D to which will
fit a female puncheon E fixed to the upper end of a rod F so that it may
be turned. The latter puncheon is provided with notches G equal in
number to the wire cap little twisting loops, and it is drawn up towards
the puncheon D by a spiral spring H whose the ends are attached under
the table and upon the rod. The puncheon E being lowered by pressing the
footboard I the wire cap is inserted in it, the loops and the little twisting
in the notches G, then the footboard being loosened the puncheon E
brought upwards receives the puncheon D which maintains the wire cap
in position. The two ends of the wire are passed crosswise successively
through each of the wire cap loops, the puncheon being turned upon
themselves in order to facilitate the work, and the wire cap now ready
to be applied to the neck of the bottle is shaped, as shown in Fig. 11.
In order to facilitate the application of the network under the bottle
ring by bending in a concentric direction all the net loops, a depression

page_text: round the puncheon D is made on which the said loops are applied so
that the said bent may be obtained when the tic is tight round the neck
of the bottle.
In order to disengage the network a rod passes vertically through the
puncheon D, perforated for this purpose, and is fastened with a lower
little plate by means of which the network or wire cap is driven down
by pressing the lever K on the rod, then raised again by a spiral spring
L shouldered between the swan neck and a shoulder on the said rod.
Fig. 12. Apparatus for Applying the Wire Cap.-A is a bench on
which the workman is scated; Ba cast-iron upright securely bolted to
the bench; C, a concave metal cap fixed to the lower end of a short
rod D which is fastened by a screw nut to the upper bent end of the
upright B. This cap is used to compress the cork and the wire cap
in order to fix the latter on the neck of the bottle, and may be changed.
to suit the size and form of the neck; E is a plate iron rod passing
through the bench and provided at its end with a block F on which the
bottle is placed. The lower end of the said rod forms a rack gearing
with a cog wheel G mounted on a shaft which turns on bearings placed
in bracket H bolted to the bench. This shaft is moved by a double
lever I pivoted at J and connected to a second lever K fulcrumed on
the bench by means of a pin passing through holes in the said levers,
so that the longer arm of the lever I may be lengthened or shortened.
The lever K is worked by the pedal L; M is a connecting bar fixed at
one end to the rod E, and at the other end to a vertical rod N, sliding in
the upper and bent part or swan neck of the upright B through which it
passes. On the rod N serving as their pivot are mounted two hinged
arms O which may be fixed by means of screw nuts at a height cor-
responding to the size of the bottles. The front part of these arms when
placed together form a collar round the neck of the bottle which holds
it during its ascending movement and while the wire cap is applied.
The arms are brought together in front when the rod N is raised by the
action of their other ends on two inclines P fixed at each side of the
upright B, and they are separated in front under the extending action of
a spiral spring fixed and bearing on their inside faces. In order to fix
the cap on the bottle the latter is placed on the block F with its neck
between the front parts of the arms O, the pedal is pressed down, the
bottle being raised with the wire cap placed over it, and pressed down
over the cork which was inserted by means in general use.
The upper

page_text: part of the neck is thus placed into the cap C when the wire net and
the cork are sufficiently pressed by a corresponding pressure on the
pedal L, then the extremities of the wire forming the cap are held one
in each hand, twisted together, passed through the leaden disk, and cut off
close its edge by means of the tool herein-after described.
Fig. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.-Tool for Cutting the Wire.-This stool
is fastened to the vertical rod D of the apparatus for applying the
wire cap above described clongated upwards for this purpose. a is
a bracket having a central hole 6 through which passes the said rod D
to which it may be fastened by the screw nut c at required height,
and two slides d in which two bearing flat square rods e of the tool
are inserted and fastened forwards and backwards as required by set
screw f; g is a frame provided with two sockets, one round, h, the
other of square section, i, through which slides upwards and downwards
the rod operating the cutting apparatus, and surrounded by a reacting
spiral spring j. The rod j is of a cylindrical form from the upper
part to j, and of a square section from j to the lower part forming
a shape k, through the jaws of which passes the axle on which
two arms m of the cutting apparatus oscillate. is a flat iron plate
fastened to the frame 9 by means of screws or otherwise, between
which and the said frame the arms m slide against friction rollers.
The arms mare provided at their lower parts with steel blades p
cutting by application, and a spiral spring q inserted between the
lower parts of the said arms above their axle cause them to remove
one from the other when raised under the action of the reacting spiral
spring . By pressing down the rod ; by means of the handler,
the spiral spring being compressed, the arms m are lowered parallelly
until their bent or inclined part, which meeting the friction rollers o
are closed while the cutting steel blades are applied one against the
other, so that the twisted wire is at once cut without removal in any
way. The application of the cutting steel blades could be made by
removing one from the other the upper parts of the arms m, these
latters being bent instead of being crossed on the axle 2, and their
upper and lower parts being bent in a contrary direction, the friction
rollers o being also placed inside and acting against the inside of the
arms; but in this case a longer spiral spring should be required to
connect the upper parts of the arms in order to bring them nearer.
The wire being thus cut is passed through the leaden disk perforated

page_text: for this purpose, and the trade mark or other impression is next mado
on the both sides of the said leaden disk by means of the tool herein-
after described.
Fig. 17. Tool for Impressing Trade Mark.-This tool is mounted on
a bracket & bolted to the side of the bent part of the upright B
(Fig. 12) by means of two bolts t, and consist of two dice or matrices
u, v, engraved with the design intended to be applied to the leaden
disk. The die u is fixed to the brackets and hollowed in a concave
shape in order to give to the disk a convex face, while the other, v,
is connected to the outer end of a moveable piston which slides in a
socket in an arm of the brackets under the action of a lever y,
whose the inside end forms an eccentric which bears and works hori.
zontally on the axle against the inside end of the piston. A spiral
spring surrounding this latter in the socket serves to draw it back
after the impression has been formed on the two faces of the disk
when the workman no longer presses on the handle of the lever. By
this horizontal arrangement the leaden disk may be more easily inserted
between the two dice, and the working is accelerated and much better
made. This is effected by placing the bottle on the block w (Fig. 12)
moveable on a rod surrounded by a spiral spring, and sliding up and
down in a hollow upright a¹ upon the bench A, by inserting the leaden
disk between the both dice & and v, and by operating the latter and
piston to which is attached by means of the lever y.
Having thus described the Invention, and the manner of carrying it
into effect, I would state that I do not confine myself to precise details
above enumerated, which may obviously be modified without departing
from the principles of the Invention; but what I claim and desire to
secure by the said Royal Letters Patent is,-
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3,—
1. The moveable hooks S, slides T, crown U, arbor V, footboard Y,
rod Z, forked lever a, cross pieces b, vertical rods c, crown d, friction
rollers e in combination with each other, and with the horizontal sliding
shafts G, pinions F, moveable hooks J, sockets L, pivots O, moveable
bearings P, slides Q, constructed and operating substantially as set
forth.
2. The bed crown B, toothed crown D, handle E, in combination with
minions To bonizontal sliding choftc & fixed harvings IT articulated

page_text: 3. The cut shaft G and pinion F, and their combination with the
plates M and N, jaws M¹ and N', springs M" and N", substantially
in the manner and for the purpose shown and described.
4. The combination of the hinged shafts G and moveable hooks J.
with the bearing guides P, notches R, handle f, shaft g, projecting boss h,
circle i, levers j, operating substantially for the purpose shown and
described.
Referring to Figures 4, 8, and 11,-
1. A cap consisting of any net formed with a single piece of copper,
steel, or iron wire, substantially as shown and described.
2. The fastening of the wire cap by crossing the two ends of the wiro
forming the said cap through a link or loop also formed by the said wire
in such a manner that the ligation will be made only with the hands,
substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination of the two ends of cap wire with a leaden disk
close the neck of a bottle in such a manner that the fastening of the
wire cap may not be removed without breaking the single wire forming
the said fastening, substantially as described.
Referring to Figures 5, 6, and 7,—
-
1. The cap T, arm U, lever V, upright X, broken rod Y, footboard Z,
spiral spring a, in combination with the lever b, spiral spring c, operating
substantially for the purpose described.
2.. The bearing plate D, handle E, conical pinion G, in combination
with the conical pinions I, plate J, hooks K, hooked rod L, thumb
stall M, knob N, disk O, plateform P, operating substantially as set
forth.
3. The vertical arbor Q in combination with footboard R and