IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to, Joseph Scott, of the City of Glasgow, in Scotland,
Glass Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING BOTTLES,
JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES."
Sealed the 15th January 1856, and dated the 10th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Scott, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
November 1855.
I, JOSEPH SCOTT, of the City of Glasgow, in Scotland, Glass Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING
BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
Whereas by the present mode of corking bottles, jars, and other receptacles,
the air inside thereof becomes artificially compressed, and renders them liable to
burst: now, the nature of my Invention consists in placing a tube between tho
cork and the neck of the bottle, jar, or other recepticle during the operation
of corking, which tube, either before or while in the act of being withdrawn,
allows the compressed air to escape either by natural or artificial means,
thereby preventing breakage of the bottle, jar, or other receptacle, and pre-
serving the contents; the cork, on the withdrawal of the tube, expanding
and rendering the interior of the bottle perfectly air-tight.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
80th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SCOTT, of the City of Glasgow, in Scotland, Glass Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Scott, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Scott,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CORKING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTICLES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Scott, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under his, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Scott, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Whereas by the present mode of corking bottles, jars, and other receptacles,
the air contained in the inside thereof having no means of escaping past the
sides of the piece of cork or other substance driven into the neck or orifice of
the bottle or other vessel, becomes compressed by the act of corking, and this
may not only render the vessels thus corked more liable to burst, but may
also have a tendency to injure the liquid or other contents of the bottle or
other vessel my said Invention consists of a mode of preventing this
compression of the air within a bottle or other vessel, which I effect by
means of a thin tube, tubular or hollow instrument, interposed between the
side of the cork and the side of the neck or orifice of the bottle or other

page_text: vessel into which a cork is to be introduced during the time the cork is being
driven into it.
The elasticity of the cork is sufficient to allow.it to be driven whilst this
thin instrument is placed within and against the side of the neck of the bottle
or other vessel to be corked, and the instrument has made throughout its
length (which should at least be equal to the extent to which the cork is to bo
driven into the bottle or other vessel) .a tube, tubular channel, groove, or
passage, to allow of the free escape of the air during the process of corking.
The cork is to be forced into the mouth or orifice of the bottle or other vessel
by any of the well-known means, and as the cork descends into the neck or
orifice the air contained within or a portion of it will escape through the tube;
groove, or passage, leaving any portion of air which may still remain in an
uncompressed state. The tubular or grooved instrument is then withdrawn,
and the elasticity of the cork will cause it to expand, so as to close up the
entire neck or orifice of the bottle or other vessel, and so make it tight. This
tubular or grooved instrument I furnish with a handle, in order to facilitate its
being drawn out after the operation of corking has been performed.
In the accompanying Drawings I have given Figures shewing how an
instrument may be constructed according to my Invention.
In these Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the instrument; Figure 2 is
a perspective view, shewing the grooved part which is to be introduced into tho
neck or orifice of a bottle or other vessel; Figure 3 is a back or top view of the
handle for drawing the instrument out after the operation of corking; Figure 4
is a section, taken through the line A, B, Figure 1, of the arm of the instru-
ment, which is to be inserted into the neck or orifice of a bottle or other vessel;
and Figure 5 is a section of a bottle neck, shewing the instrument in the
position in which it is to remain during the process of corking, and also
shewing a cork in section, which has just been inserted into the bottle neck.
In these Figures, C is the tubular or grooved arm or portion of the instru-
ment which is to be inserted into the neck or orifice of the bottle or other
vessel, with the grooved side against the neck or opening; D is the groove in
the arm or part C, the handle e is for pulling out the instrument after the
corking has been completed, and h is an orifice, which may be made in con-
tinuation of the groove D through the handle e, to facilitate the escape of the
air. F, Figure 5, is the cork which has just been driven into the bottle
neck g, g, and from which the instrument is to be drawn by means of the
handle e.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my Invention,-

page_text: First, the insertion or placing within the necks or orifices of bottles, jars,
and other vessels and receptacles during the process of corking,, a tubular or
grooved instrument, so as to permit the escape of air from the bottle, jar,
vessel, or receptacle, as above described.
Secondly, the particular form of the instrument, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Scott, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and 'fifty-six.
JOSEPH SCOTT. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said Joseph
Scott in the presence of
ARCHIBALD CONNAL, STEVENSON,
Book-keeper to Borron, Price, & Co.,
12, Princes Square, Glasgow,