Improvements in Bottles, Adapted to Prevent the Refilling thereof.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE ECLIPSE NONREFILLING BOTTLE
COMPANY, LIMITED, a corporation organized and existing under and by
virtue of the laws of the State of New Jersey, and having an office at
No. 7 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, and also
at No. 703 Broadway, New York, United States of America, Manufacturers
of Nonrefilling Bottles.]
Improvements in Bottles, Adapted to Prevent the Refilling thereof.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention relates to improvements in bottles, adapted to prevent the
refilling of the same and consists in the device, hereinafter described, which is
applied within the neck of the bottle and which while permitting the discharge of
the liquid therefrom will absolutely prevent the bottle from being re-filled.
The device constituting the invention will become a fixture within the neck of
the bottle at a suitable distance below the top thereof to permit of the insertion
of the usual cork, and the said device will occupy the usual space in said neck
between the cork and the liquid.
The nature of the invention will appear in the detailed description hereinafter
given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device constituting the invention shown
applied within the neck of a bottle, the latter being in vertical section;
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of same;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of same looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in
Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a like view of same looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in
Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a top view of the neck of the bottle containing the device embodying
the invention;
Figure 6 is a bottom view of said device;
Figure 7 is a central vertical section of same on the dotted line 7-7 of
Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a front elevation of same showing the manner of retaining the gate
or valve in its open position, before and during the first filling of the bottle, the
latter being shown in section; and
Figure 9 is a side elevation of same.
In the drawings A designates the bottle, and B the device constituting my
invention, secured within the neck of the said bottle and which prevents the
re-filling of the same. The said device B will have its vertical sides conform to
the inner walls of the neck of the bottle, and it is formed with the exterior
grooves C, D, which are substantially in alignment with one another and terminate
in the chamber E over the-hood F, which hood is less in width than said chamber,
whereby passages G, H, are formed along the opposite sides thereof. The hood F

page_text: is directly over the gate or valve I, the latter being at about the vertical centre of
the lower portion of the device B and being hinged at its upper end and entirely
within the vertical plane of the outer edge of said hood F. Directly below the
hood F is formed the horizontal base J, upon which, when the bottle is in a
vertical position, will rest the ball K. The gate or valve I is held in its closed
position by the ball K and when closed covers the aperture L which leads into
the chamber M formed in the lower part of the device B, as shown more
clearly in Figure 7. The aperture L is substantially transverse in its direction
and the chamber M turns downward and opens into the bottle at one side of the
base J.
The grooves C, D, are of irregular outline and may probably be more readily
traced by starting with Figure 4, which shows the upper portion of said grooves as
first extending downward, then curving to the left, and then extending downward a
suitable distance, thence extending on horizontal lines (shown in Figure 2) toward tho.
opposite side of the device B, and then turning upward, as shown in Figure 3 and
finally terminating in the chamber E, as illustrated in Figure 1. The outlines
of the grooves C, D are important since they effectually aid in preventing the
re-filling of the bottle.
The device B, less the ball K and gate or valve I, will preferably be in one
piece of material, and by preference of glass, while the gate or valve I will
preferably be of some light material such as cork. The device B may be secured
within the neck of the bottle either before or after or during the manufacture of
the bottle, and when the said bottle is made in sections, the said device may be
secured within the neck after the parts of the bottle have been formed and when
once secured within said neck becomes a fixture therein and is not intended for
removal. During the securing of the device B within the neck of the bottle it
will be important to maintain the gate or valve I in its open position, and to retain
it in such position until the bottle has been filled, since if this should not be done,
it would be found impossible ever to fill the bottle, and in order to maintain the gate
or valve I in its open position a looped cord, string or wire will be passed around
the gate or valve I (while the latter is held open and the ball K is within the
hood F) and have its ends passed through one or both of the grooves C, D, and
exposed at the top of the bottle, where, by any suitable means, the ends of said
string or wire may be held or fastened in order not to require manual attention
prior to the filling of the bottle. In Figures 8 and 9 1 illustrate the gate or
valve I in its open position and the string or cord for maintaining it open
preparatory to the filling of the bottle. After the bottle has been filled, the
exposed upper ends of the string, cord or wire are separated, and by slight force
applied to one end of the string, the latter may be conveniently withdrawn from
the bottle. Upon the withdrawal of the string, which is lettered N, the ball K
will instantly close the gate or valve I, and the entrance of any further liquid to
the bottle will be absolutely prevented.
The gate I and ball K will not however prevent the liquid from being poured
from the bottle, since when the bottle is tilted in proper position with its lower
end upward, the gate or valve I will open, the ball at such time leaving it, and
the liquid will escape through the opening L and around the hood F into the
chamber E and thence find an outlet through one or both of the grooves C, D.
Upon the return of the bottle to its vertical position, the ball will assist the
immediate closing of the valve I.
The form of the grooves C, D, is such that they will effectually resist the
entrance of any instrument intended to reach and open the valve or gate I in any
attempt to re-fill the bottle, and said grooves are two in number in order that one
may serve as an air passage or vent while the other permits the escape of the
liquid from the bottle when the latter is properly tilted upward to effect that
result. The hood F also serves to prevent any instrument reaching the valve or
gate I and forms a pocket to receive the ball K when the latter is moved upward
to the position in which it is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. I do not, in every

page_text: instance limit the invention to the special form of grooves C, D, shown, nor to two
grooves, since in some instances one groove only will be necessary.
The gate or valve I will have a natural tendency to close, but will be greatly
assisted in its closing by the ball K. I prefer to have the gate or valve I upon
a slight outward incline, as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The bottle containing the device B for preventing the re-filling, which device
contains the grooves C, D the chamber E to which said grooves lead, the hood F
at the lower portion of said chamber, the hinged gate or valve I below said hood
and arranged to close or open the aperture L, and the bali K arranged to close the
said gate or valve; substantially as set forth.
2. The bottle containing the device B for preventing the re-filling, the latter
having the aperture L at its lower portion, the automatic gate or valve to close
and open said aperture, and an irregular groove leading upward from the space
about said gate or valve; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The bottle containing the device B, the latter having the aperture L adjacent
to its lower end, the hinged gate or valve adapted to close said aperture, the hood
above said gate or valve, the ball adapted to close said valve, and an irregular
groove extending from the upper end of said device to a point adjacent to said
hood; substantially as set forth.
4. The bottle containing the device B, the latter having the chamber M at its
lower end, the transverse aperture L communicating with said chamber, the hinged
gate or valve adapted to close said aperture, the base J at the front of said gate
or valve, the ball on said base, the chamber or space above said gate or valve, and
an irregular groove extending from the upper end of said device into said space
or chamber; substantially as set forth.
5. The bottle containing the device B having the automatically closing gate or
valve, combined with the cord, wire or other flexible means for holding said gate
or valve normally open to permit the first filling of the bottle; substantially as
set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.