IMPROVE- MENTS IN BOTTLES FOR AERATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Trotman, of Albert House, Albert Street,
Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BOTTLES FOR AERATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Trotman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December 1880.
FREDERICK TROTMAN, of Albert House, Albert Street, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLES FOR AERATED OR GASEOUS
LIQUIDS."
My Invention relates to bottles for soda, potass, or seltzer water, lemonade, or
other aerated or gaseous liquids, and consists in a novel construction of the neck of
the bottle, and the combination therein of a cork lining or seat and a ball-stopper.
Various contrivances have been adopted for stoppering bottles used for containing
aerated or gaseous beverages, but in most of these india-rubber is used. This
material, although possessing the desired elasticity and being quite efficient, so far as
relates to the tight closing of the bottle, has the great disadvantage of acting upon
the liquid in the bottle in such a manner as to impair its quality, so that in a short
time after the bottle has been filled and closed, the effervescence or gaseous quality
will be found to be greatly diminished, and the liquid will no longer be pleasant
or beneficial as a beverage. Other of these contrivances have been too costly and
complicated for general use, and all of them have failed to supply the want of a
thoroughly good and reliable means for securing such liquids, and keeping them in
a perfect condition for any considerable length of time; but by my Invention
I provide a cheap, simple, and efficient device, which will afford the means for
effecting a perfectly tight closing of the bottle, and securing the same against
accidental displacement and loss of the contents of the bottle, while at the same
time it may be readily opened when desired.
According to the said Invention I construct the neck of the bottle with a conical
or taper recess or cavity extending all around the interior of the same, and in this
cavity I place a lining formed of good cork, which fills the space between the top

page_text: and bottom shoulders of the cavity, and is formed and placed in the said cavity in
such a manner that the only aperture or passage into the bottle is through the
centre of the said cork-lining. The interior of the cork-lining presents a circular
conical surface, which forms a seat for a ball or spherical valve of glass or other
suitable material. While the pressure of gas exists in the bottle this ball will be
kept up in its conical seat, without the possibility of accidental displacement, as it
lies entirely within and below the top of the bottle-neck; but by inserting a small
plug or even the finger into the neck, the said ball may be forced from its seat,
and the contents of the bottle may be poured freely therefrom. As there are no
contractions of the bottle-neck, or projections below the ball to catch the same, the
said ball will drop down away from the neck, leaving the aperture thereof quite
clear or free for the flow of the liquid.
It will be obvious that this simple manner of constructing the necks will render
my bottles cheap, and moreover the absence of all contractions or projections below
the ball to catch the same will obviate the inconvenience experienced with other
bottles of having to ascertain the proper position in which to hold the bottles
before commencing to pour out the liquid, and by the use of cork and nothing but
this material to form the seat of the valve, I obtain all the advantages of an
ordinary cork-stoppered bottle in combination with the ball-valve.
My improved bottles may be made of any capacity and of any desired shape, so
far as the body of the bottle is concerned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Trotman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th June 1881.
FREDERICK TROTMAN, of Albert House, Albert Street, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLES FOR AERATED OR GASEOUS
LIQUIDS."
My Invention relates to bottles for soda, potass, or seltzer water, lemonade, or
other aerated or gaseous liquids, and consists in a novel construction of the neck
of the bottle, and the combination therewith of a cork lining or seat and a ball or
other stopper.
Various contrivances have been adopted for stoppering such bottles, but in most
of these contrivances india-rubber is used. This material, although possessing the
desired elasticity, and being quite efficient so far as the tight closing of the bottle
is concerned, has the great disadvantage of acting upon the liquid in the bottle in
such a manner as to impair its quality, so that in a short time after the bottle has
been filled and closed, the effervescence or gaseous quality will be found to be
greatly diminished, and the liquid will no longer be pleasant or beneficial as a
beverage. Other of these contrivances have been too costly and complicated for
general use, and all of them have failed to supply the want of thoroughly good and
reliable means for securing such liquids and keeping them in a perfect condition
for any considerable length of time; but by my Invention I provide a cheap,
simple, and efficient device which will afford the means for effecting a perfectly
tight closing of the bottle, and for preventing accidental displacement of its stopper
and loss of its contents, while at the same time it may be readily opened when
desired.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a central section of a bottle provided with my improved lining, and
having a ball stopper in combination therewith.
Figure 2 is a side view, and
Figure 3 a central section of a bottle showing a conical plug or stopper arranged
in combination with the said lining.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, I construct the neck a of the bottle
with a preferably conical or taper recess or cavity b extending around the interior
of the same, and in this cavity I place a lining c formed of good cork, which fills
the space between the top and bottom shoulders d, e, of the said cavity, and is
formed and placed in the latter in such a manner that the only aperture or passage
by which the liquid can enter or be poured from the bottle is through the centre
of the said cork lining c. The interior of this lining presents a circular and pre-
ferably conical surface which forms a seat for a stopper f of glass or other suitable
material, which may be spherical, as shewn in Figure 1, or conical, as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3. If a ball is used as the stopper, it will be forced up to its conical
seat, as shewn in Figure 1, by the pressure of the gas; but if a conical stopper is
used I prefer to form the same with a small hole f¹ at its upper end for the
insertion of a small hook or bent rod to draw the said stopper up into its seat. I
prefer that in either case the stopper should be entirely within or below the top or
outer edge of the bottle neck so that its accidental displacement will be practically
impossible; but by inserting a small plug or even the finger into the neck the said
stopper may be forced from its seat and the contents of the bottle may be poured
freely therefrom. As there are no contractions of the bottle neck or projections
below the stopper to catch the same, the said stopper will drop down away from

page_text: the neck, leaving the aperture thereof quite clear, so that the liquid may be poured
freely therefrom.
It will be obvious that this simple manner of constructing the neck will render
my bottles cheap, and, moreover, the absence of all contractions or projections below
the stopper to catch the same will obviate the inconvenience of having to ascertain
the proper position in which to hold the bottles before commencing to pour out the
liquid, and by the use of cork, and nothing but this material, to form the seat of the
valve I obtain all the advantages of an ordinary cork-stoppered bottle in com-
bination with the internal stopper or valve.
My improved bottles may be made of any capacity, and of any desired shape so
far as the body of the bottle is concerned, and the width of the recess and lining
ring may be varied.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I do not claim, broadly or generally, the
employment of cork as a lining for a bottle neck, as I am aware that such lining
has been already very commonly used for bottles with external stoppers; but
I claim,
In a bottle for containing gaseous or aerated liquid the recess or cavity in the
bottle neck provided with a lining ring formed entirely of cork, into which the
stopper enters from the interior of the bottle, and which ensures the tight closing
of the latter by the stopper, the said bottle being formed without any contractions
or projections, so that the said stopper when pushed down or inward will fall away
from the neck and the liquid may be poured freely without regard to the position
of the bottle, all as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Trotman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
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