IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS. AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.”
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson, of the City of Brooklyn,
and State of New York, in the United States of America, but at
present of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES,
JARS. AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd July 1875.
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of the City of Brooklyn, and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES,
JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers for bottles,
jars, and other hollow articles. For this purpose I employ a cap or

page_text: cover of metal, the cylindrical portion of which is split or divided into
a number of parts to within a short distance of the top. The interior of
the cap or cover is lined with cork or other suitable packing material,
and the base of the split or divided portions may be turned inwards to
prevent the cork or other packing being pulled out.
The above is a description of the simplest form of my improved
stopper, and may be used for some purposes without any other appli-
ance, in which case the divided portions of the cap or cover are made
sufficiently stiff to act as springs to force the packing against the outside
of the neck of the article to be stopped. In order however to make a
more reliable stopper I, according to one arrangement, fix to the outside
of the cap or cover a collar which corresponds in form and is split in a
similar manner to the cylindrical portion of the cap or cover. This
collar is so applied to the cap or cover that the splits or divisions in
the collar come intermediate of those in the cap or cover. Or a split
collar may be fixed to the cap or cover, so as to act to close or compress
the cylindrical portion of the cap or cover around the neck of the article
to be stopped.
The collars above referred to would have suitable projections formed
thereon to afford a sufficient grip when the stoppers are to be removed
from the bottles. Or each of the segmental portions of the cap or
cover may be provided or formed with an incline projecting therefrom,
in combination with which a collar may be used which may be simply
pressed down over the inclines, or may be formed on its upper edge
with three or more inclines or segments or screws to act in combination:
with corresponding projections formed on the cylindrical part of the cap
or cover, in which latter case the cylindrical portion of the cap or cover
would be forced inwards by simply turning the collar.
When using a plain sliding collar the cap or cover may be provided
with stops to prevent the collar separating therefrom, and such collar
or the plain cap or cover, or fixed or split collar may have projections
raised around them, around and between which a wire may be passed
and fastened to afford additional security to the stopper.
The stoppers may be provided with rings, bales, flanges, or projections
to afford sufficient grip in removing them from the bottles.
If desired the caps or covers may have corks fixed in the crowns
thereof to pass into the necks of the bottles or other articles, and the

page_text: collars and caps or covers may have eyes raised thereon to enable them
to be wired together to prevent them from slipping when tightened.
I prefer to form the neck of the bottle or other article slightly
tapered in the contrary direction to that ordinarily used, by which
means my improved stopper is enabled to obtain a firm hold thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHAN
THOMPSON, of the City of Brooklyn, and State of New York, in the
United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Nathan Thompson, Her special
license that I, the said Nathan Thompson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nathan Thompson, 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 STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Nathan Thompson, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Nathan Thompson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers for bottles,
jars, and other hollow articles. For this purpose I employ, as shown at
Figure 1, a cap or cover of metal, the cylindrical portion a of which is
split or divided into a number of parts a¹ to within a short distance of
the top. The interior of this cap or cover is lined with cork or other
suitable packing material and the base of the split or divided portions
may be turned inwards to prevent the cork or other packing being
pulled out.
The above is a description of the simplest form of my improved
stopper and may be used for some purposes without any other appli-
ances, in which case the divided portions of the cap or cover are made
sufficiently stiff to act as springs to force the packing against the outside
of the neck of the article to be stopped. In order however to make a
more reliable stopper I, according to one arrangement, fix to the outside
of the cap or cover a collar which corresponds in form and is split in a
similar manner to the cylindrical portion of the cap or cover. This
collar is so applied to the cap or cover that the splits or divisions in the
collar come intermediate of those in the cap or cover. Or a split or
divided collar may be fixed to the cap or covor so as to act to close or
compress the cylindrical split portion thercof around the neck of the
article to be stopped, as will be well understood.
The collars above referred to would have suitable roughening or pro-
jections formed thereon to afford a sufficient grip when the stoppers are
to be removed from the bottles or other articles. Or each of the seg-
mental portions a¹ of the cap or cover may be provided or formed with
an incline a projecting therefrom, as shown at Figure 10, in combina-
tion with which a collar may be used which may be simply pressed down
over the inclines a³, to compress the stopper against the neck of the
bottle, as will be well understood. Or according to the arrangement
shown at Figures 2 to 16 the collar 6 may be formed on its upper edgo
with three or moro inclines or segments of screws to act in combina-
tion with corresponding projections a formed on the cylindrical part
of the cap or cover, by which means the segmental parts a¹ of the

page_text: cylindrical portion of the cap or cover would be forced inwards by
simply turning the collar b.
This last described arrangement of stopper is represented in plan at
Figure 2, in side elevation at Figure 3, and in vertical section at
Figure 4; and the mode in which I construct it is as follows :-I take
a strip or sheet of metal, and by the aid of suitable dies I stamp or cut
out blanks to the form shown at Figure 5. I then by the aid of other
dies stamp up in such blanks, as shown at Figures 6 and 7 the inclines a³
and projections a³, as also stops a* to prevent the collar 6 becoming dis-
connected from the cap or cover. I next by the aid of other dies
stamp the blank into the form shown by sectional elevation at Figure 8,
after which, by the aid of other tools or dies I complete the formation
of the cap or cover, as shown in plan and elevation at Figures 9
and 10.
In making the collar 6 I first stamp out a number of blanks of the
form shown at Figure 11, and then by the aid of suitable dies I stamp
such blank into the form of a cup with a corrugated or roughened peri-
phery, as shown in plan at Figure 12, and in side elevation at Figure 13..
I next by the aid of suitable dies stamp out from the crown of such cup
a piece, as shown at Figure 14, so as to leave helical portions b¹,
which by the aid of other tools or dies are forced into the position
shown in plan at Figure 15, and in side elevation at Figure 16, so as to
produce the inclines 6' and stops b².
When using a plain sliding collar the cap or cover may be provided
with stops to prevent the collar separating therefrom, and such collar or
the plain cap or cover, or fixed or split or divided collar may have pro-
jections raised around them, around and between which a wire may be
passed and fastened to afford additional security to the stopper, as will
be readily understood without the aid of Drawings.
The stoppers may also be provided with rings, bales, flanges, or pro-
jections, to afford sufficient grip in removing them from the bottles, as
will be well understood.
If desired the caps or covers may have corks fixed in the crowns
theroof to pass a short distance into the necks of the bottles or other
articles, and the collars and caps or covers may have eyes or loops
raised thereon to enable them to be wired together to prevent them from
slipping when tightened.

page_text: For the purpose of my Invention I prefer to form the neck of the
bottle or other article slightly tapered in the contrary direction to that
ordinarily adopted, by which means my improved stopper is enabled to
obtain a firm hold thereof.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the novel construction of stopper, hercin shown and
described, in which a cap or cover lined with cork or other suitable
material is split or divided in the cylindrical portion thereof, so as to
obtain an elastic grip upon the neck of the article to be stopped, either
alone or in combination with fixed, sliding, or rotating collars, acting to
press or force the segmental portions of the cap or cover against the
neck of the article to be stopped in manner and for the purpose sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Thompson, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.