IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE of CAPSULES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cheswright, of Parkhurst Road, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE of
CAPSULES."
Sealed the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 19th March 1879.
wh
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cheswright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1879.
CHARLES CHESWRIGHT, of Parkhurst Road, in the County of Middlesex. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of capsules, whereby
increased strength and rigidity of the capsule is obtained at the part where such
strength and rigidity is required, whilst at the same time the requisite flexibility is
retained to secure adherence to the bottle; and my Invention consists in the
formation of a capsule, the head or upper end of which is made sufficiently rigid,
whilst the lower portion is flexible as in ordinary capsules.
These capsules may be produced by means of punches and dies, the size and
shape of the same for the several gradatory stages being so arranged as to secure
the required drawing action upon the metal of the capsule, in order to leave the
head or upper end to any required depth rigid, of any desired thickness; and to
draw out the lower part sufficiently to produce the required flexibility the interior
of the capsule may be formed either with or without a shoulder, according to the
shape of the punches employed in its manufacture. Or I may produce the said
capsules from a disc of metal by pressing the same up by impact, so as to form a
thimble or cap of the required shape. Or in lieu of the preceding methods I
produce the said capsules by the process of what is known as "spinning," or in any
other convenient manner. The rigid portion of the capsule may, if desired, be lined
with cork or other suitable material, so as to prevent exudation and also corrosion
from the action of the contents of the bottle.
may

page_text: Capsules made according to my Invention offer increased facilities for orna-
mentation, as the head or upper end may be made of the strength or thickness
adapted to the character of the design to be impressed or imparted, whilst at the
same time they enable a hermetic closure of the bottles to be effected by the inter-
position of a ring of india rubber or other suitable material between the upper end
of the neck of the bottle and the internal shoulder formed at the point of junction
of the rigid and flexible portions of the capsule. These capsules possess the further
advantage that they admit of the securing "graffes," or clasps, or wires being placed
at the exterior of the capsule, suitably grooved on its end for their reception,
whereby they are removed from contact with the cork, and all liability to any
objectionable chemical action of the wine upon metal is entirely obviated, whilst at
the same time ullage is thereby avoided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Cheswright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1879.
CHARLES CHESWRIGHT, of Parkhurst Road, in the County of Middlesex. "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAPSULES."
My said Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of capsules,
whereby increased strength and rigidity of the capsule is obtained at the part
where such strength and rigidity are required, whilst at the same time the requisite
flexibility is retained to secure adherence to the bottle, and also whereby the capsules
are rendered better adapted to prevent ullage or exudation of the contents of the
bottle.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I form the head or upper
end of the capsule rigid, whilst the lower portion is flexible, as in ordinary capsules.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings represent vertical sections of
capsules constructed according to this mode of carrying out my Invention.
a is the
head or upper end of the capsule, which is rigid, and 6 is the lower portion, which
is flexible, as in ordinary capsules, the two portions either forming an internal
shoulder, as shewn at c in Figure 1, or merging the one in the other, as shewn at c¹
in Figure 2.
These capsules may be produced in various ways, as, for example, by taking a
disc of metal and pressing the same up by impact, so as to form a thimble or cap of
the required shape, or by the process of what is known as "spinning," applied in
the manufacture of metal teapots and other like articles; but I prefer to form the
said capsules by means of a series of punches and dies caused to act in succession
upon the capsule, the sizes and shape of the several punches and dies for the
different gradatory stages being so arranged as to secure the required drawing
action upon the metal of the capsule in order to leave the head or upper end a to
any required depth rigid, of any desired thickness, and to draw out the lower
portion 6 sufficiently to produce the required flexibility. When an internal shoulder
is required in the capsule, as in the example represented in Figure 1, the punch is
made, as shewn in Figure 3, with a corresponding external shoulder d; but when
the shape of capsule indicated in Figure 2, without any internal shoulder, is
intended to be produced, the punch is made as shewn in Figure 4, the part d' being
the counterpart of the shape shewn at c' in Figure 2. In all cases the punches are.
to be made of such sizes and their relative parts are to be so proportioned that the
punch will exercise the requisite drawing action upon the capsule in course of
manufacture above the point c (Figure 1) or c¹ (Figure 2), leaving the part below
that point, that is to say, the head or upper end a of the capsule, of the desired
thickness and rigidity.
Capsules made according to my Invention offer increased facilities for orna-
mentation, as the head or upper end made be made of the strength or thickness
adapted to the character of the design to be impressed or imparted, and may be
moulded or pressed either during or subsequently to the manufacture of the capsule
into any required shape.
These capsules enable a hermetic closure of the bottles to be effected, as the
internal shoulder or its equivalent forms a suitable bearing for a ring or washer of
hard india rubber, cork dissolved in acid, or other convenient material, which may
be interposed between the upper end of the neck of the bottle and the said shoulder.
These capsules also possess the advantage that they admit of the securing "graffes,"
clasps, or wires being placed at the exterior of the capsule, which is suitably
grooved on its end for their reception, as shewn at e in Figures 5 and 6, the said
Figures representing respectively a plan and elevation of a capsule constructed in
this this manner. The "graffes," clasps, or wires are thus removed from contact with
the cork, and all liability to any objectionable chemical action of the contents of

page_text: the bottle upon metal is entirely obviated, whilst at the same time "ullage" is
avoided. If desired also the rigid portion of capsules constructed according to my
Invention may be lined with cork or other suitable material; so as to prevent
exudation of the contents of the bottle, or, should such occur, to prevent corrosion
from the action of the same upon the capsule.
According to another mode of carrying out my said Invention I attain the object
before mentioned of combined rigidity and flexibility in a capsule by constructing
the flexibile portion separate from the rigid portion, and applying it over the rigid
portion after the application of the latter to the bottle.
This part of my Invention as applied to a bottle is illustrated in Figures 7, 8,
and 9, Figure 7. representing in elevation the condition of the parts prior to the
application of the flexible portion of the capsule, and Figures 8 and 9 representing
in vertical section and elevation respectively the complete capsule as applied to the
bottle..
it'
A
..
a is a rigid cap, which may be corrugated or fluted, as, shewn, and which, is
placed over the cork f, and is provided with a flange a', between which and the
upper end g of the neck of the bottle is interposed a ring or washer of india
bber or other suitable material.. The cap, is grooved on its exterior for the
reception of "graffes," clasps, or wires i, which are placed over the same and firmly
secure it to the bottle, as shewn clearly in Figure 7. Over the cap with its "graffes,"
clasps, or wires is then placed the flexible capsule b, after which the bottle, carrying
the rigid cap enclosed in the flexible capsule, is introduced into a capsuling machine,
and subjected to the operation of the same, whereby the capsule is forced into the
grooves or fluting upon the cap, and caused to assume the shape thereof, and to
firmly adhere to the neck of the bottle.
By means of this arrangement also a hermetic closure of the bottle is effected
and ullage is prevented, but should any slight exhudation of the contents of the
bottle, take place, their corrosive action is obviated by reason of the securing
"graffes," clasps, or wires being removed out of the reach of contact with the
same.
.1.
When the modification of capsules shewn in Figures 1 and 2 are adopted,, the
upper or rigid portion may be slotted for the free escape of any wine which may
happen to exhude from the bottle.
1
In the case of either of the modifications herein before described, the wires or
metallic fastenings may if desired be covered with varnish or any other suitable
protective coating.
1:
The ring or washer hereinbefore referred to, which may be rounded on its edge,
is by preference formed with a bevelled annular projection or flange on its under
side, the same being caused to partially enter the mouth of the bottle, so as, to bo
interposed between the cork and the bottle mouth when the cork is driven in.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, 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 original, and
therefore,claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,
Constructing capsules with combined rigid and flexible portions, substantially in
the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cheswright, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
CHARLES CHESWRIGHT. (L.S.)