A NEW OR IMPROVED SAPETY STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Zacharie Poirier, of No. 2, The Grove, South
Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Merchant, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SAPETY STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER
VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th June 1869, and dated the 12th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Zacharie Poirier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1868.
I, ZACHARIE POIRIER, of No. 2, The Grove, South Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a new or improved safety stopper intended
for glass, stone, and other bottles of every description, also carboys and
other receptacles or vessels for sulphuric and other acids or essences, and
for closing tightly all bottles containing champagne and all other
gaseous

page_text: or effervescing drinks. This stopper is composed of a short india-rubber or
cork tube, into the upper part of which is inserted a ring, the said ring
being attached by tying or any other way with the compressible tube.
A screw-tapped peg as thick as the inner diameter of the tube having a
conical head is introduced in the tube at the lower part, it runs through
the said tube and ring and is fitted at its upper part with a round screw
nut. The stopper thus fitted is introduced into the neck of the bottle to
be closed, and if the screw nut is turned to the right hand with the
fingers the conical head of the screw-tapped peg ascends and forces its
way to the compressible tube which yields according to the pressure
which is given by turning the nut, forming thus a tight-fitting stopper,
and as the lower part of the neck of bottles have a conical shape it is
impossible for the most powerful pressure of gascous liquids to drive out
the stopper which may be gently pulled, but by merely turning this
screw-nut round-to the left with the fingers the screw-tapped peg is
prevented turning round with the nut by a small spur of the ring which
enters a groove cut lengthways of the said peg and allowing it only to
slide up and down.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Zacharie Poirier in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 7th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ZACHARIE
POIRIER, of No. 2, The Grove, South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 2
Letters Patent, hearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Zacharie Poirier, Her special licence that I,
the said Zacharic Poirier, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Zacharic Poirier, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED SAFETY
STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition. (amongst
others) that I, the said Zacharic Poirier, my executors 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar mouths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Zacharic Poirier, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawing, that is to say :-
The improved safety stopper of my Invention is different, I believe,
from all that has been done hitherto; by its means bottles can be very
easily and simply closed without any machinery or exertion, without any
kind of binding for holding fast the stopper which cannot fly out what-
ever may be the expansive force of the gas contained in the bottle. The
uncorking or opening of bottles is performed as easily without using
either corkscrew, pincers, or any other kind of tool. However when a
bottle is closed with my stopper it holds so tightly that no force could
drive it out, and the greater the internal pressure the more tightly it is
held in the neck of the bottle.
My improved safety stopper is intended for closing glass, stone, and
other bottles of every description, also jugs, jars, carboys, or other
receptacles or vessels having a narrow neck and intended to contain
champagne and other wines, lemonade, soda water, and all other gaseous
or effervescing drinks, and also sulphuric and other acids.
My safety stopper is composed of a short vulcanized india-rubber or
cork tube, in the upper part of which is inserted a metallic ring on which
this tube is kept fast by any suitable means, either binding spurs,
expansion, &c.; a screw-tapped peg with a conical head is inserted
upwards in the india-rubber tube through which it runs, and is provided
with a round screw nut at its upper part; this tube so fitted is inserted
in the neck of the bottle to be stopped, and the screw nut being turned
to the right with the fingers causes the screw-tapped peg to move
upwards, the conical head of the latter entering gradually in the india-

page_text: rubber tube presses it against the internal side of the neck at the very
place where this neck is conical, and the bottle is hermetically closed
because the conical head of the peg presses the india-rubber or cork
tube in its whole periphery against the conical neck of the bottle. To
open the bottle the screw nut must be turned to the left, then by pushing
down the peg its conical head comes out of the rubber tube, and the
stopper is easily removed.
My safety stopper is represented on the annexed Drawing, the several
and like parts are shewn by the same letters of reference.
Fig. 1 is the stopper fitted with its appendage and ready to be intro-
duced into the neck of a bottle; in Fig. 2 it is shown insulted in the
neck of a bottle, this Figure is a vertical section made in the middle tu
shew all the pieces composing it, the india-rubber tube g is pressed
against the neck of the bottle by the conical head cof the-screw-tapped
peg b, which is shewn at Figs. 3 and 4. To prevent the jug turning
loose in the ring a when turning the nut d for screwing or unscrewing
it a groove is cut lengthways in the peg and a small spur or thread
projects out inside of the ring u, then when the screw nut d is turned
round either side the peg can have but a straight up or down motion.
The screw nut, shewn at Fig. 6, is turned round with the fingers, but
two notches may be cut in its periphery to press it with a wrench. The
india-rubber tube g, which is shewn in section in the Figs. 7, is at first
put on the ring a, Fig. 5 or 8, the first one of a conical shape is fitted
outside with small spurs which stick in the rubber tube, whilst the
second one being expanded in the middle the upper part of the tube
compresses it tightly above where it can be tied with a string.
According to the internal size of the neck of the bottle the conical
head c of the peg 6 enters more or less in the rubber tube by turning
the screw nut & which bears on the top of the ring a, then the upper
part of the screw-tapped peg projects out more or less over the screw nut;
several holes can be pierced across the peg 6, as shewn at Fig. 1 and 11,
and a padlock can be passed through the said holes so as to prevent
any unauthorized abstraction of the wine or cordials from bottles left out
for domestic use.
Instead of an india-rubber tube in some instances a cork tube might
be prefered; Fig. 9 shews in section a safety stopper on my system
fitted with a cork tube, now this tube cannot be fixed on the ring a as
one of india-rubber, in this case the ring to be roughly screw tapped

page_text: outside and screwed in; the cork safety stoppers on my system as before
stated can be applied not only to common bottles but also to all vessels
or receptacles having a narrow neck whatever may be their size, such as
lemi-jars, carboys, earthen jars, or jugs intended either to contain or
carry about any kinds of liquids, either drinks, spirits, essences, or acids;
the stoppers for such large vessels should be of corresponding size, but
if the vessel is to contain acids the conical head of the screw-tapped peg
would not be made of metal because it would be soon destroyed. In order
to prevent this I make the conical head of glazed earthenware on which
the acids have no destroying action; I make a central hole in this
earthen head c, Fig. 12 and 11, which does not run through, this hole
is to recieve the lower end of the screw-tapped peg b, the upper part of the
said peg being provided with a screw nut d at its lower part; the peg b
is pierced with a small hole and the carthen head is also pierced across
with a similar hole, a small iron pin i is passed through both and
rivetted at each end to prevent its getting out, so that the metallic peg
and earthen head are firmly bound together.
Fig. 10 is the section of a stopper for common glass bottles fitted with
an expanding metallic ring, as shown Fig. 8, the rubber tube being
thicker at the lower part with a hole smaller at the top, this tubo
adheres tightly on the ring a on account of the expansion of the latter
which is forced within the said tube. The upper part of the screw-
tapped peg bis enclosed by an acorn-shaped independant screw nut n,
but which could be of any other shape, for instance that shewn at
Figs. 16 or 17.
Now I prefer giving to the metallic ring a the form shewn Figs. 13
and 14, with a circular recess or groove above the conical part, then I
modify the india-rubber tube to which I give the corresponding form,
shown Fig. 15, with an internal fillet at the top which enters the groove
of the ring a, as shewn Fig. 18 and 19, the conical portion of the ring
forces itself in the rubber tube, and its upper fillet entering the groove
of the ring holds firmly the rubber tube. Instead of a metallic screw
muts, as in Figs. 16 and 17, if prefered I make them either of gilded or
ornamental crystal or china, as in Figs. 18 and 19, then as the screw
5 cannot be cut in such material I cast a double metallic ring m, as shewn
in section in the said Figs. and in plan Fig. 20. The Figs. 17 and 18
shew the metal or china screw nut d as hiding completely the screw-
tapped peg b, and the Figures 16 and 19 shew similar screw nuts which

page_text: are pierced through; the screw-tapped peg reaches above the said nuts to
allow of securing the stopper with a padlock as before mentioned.
The nature of my Invention being now completely described, as well
as the manner in which it is to be carried into effect, I claim as my
Invention the system of safety stoppers for bottles of any description,
as well as for receptacles or vessels with narrow necks as before
described and as shewn by the accompanying Drawing; such bottles or
vessels either of glass or glazed earthenware being intended especially to
contain champagne or other wines, lemonades, beer, or any other gascous
drink, acids, or essences, my safety stopper being mainly composed of a
short vulcanized india-rubber or cork tube which is squeezed against the
inner periphery of the nech of the bottle or other vessel by the conical
head of a sorow-tapped peg, which peg is driven upwards by turning
rightwards a screw nut engaged on the said peg.
I claim for my safety stoppers any of the arrangements-herein-before
described either for the metallic ring, india-rubber tube, screw-tapped
peg or nut, employing according to the requirements either plain metal,
ornamented china, or screw nuts with screw pegs entirely hidden by
such nuts, or running through and pierced across with holes to receive
a padlock for complete safety.
I claim, lastly, the conical head of the metallic screw-tapped peg, and
to be of wood or any such hard material as required which could not be
oxidized by liquids, as shewn Figs. 4 and 9, and in the case of carboys
for containing sulphuric or other acids making such conical head of
glazed earthenware, as shewn Fig. 12 on the Drawing.
day of
In witness whereof, I, the said Zacharie Poirier, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
in the year of our
ZACHARIE POIRIER. (L.s.)