Year: 1885

page_text: I EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (communicated to me from abroad by William Rockwell Clough
of the City, County and State of New York in the United States of America
Manufacturer) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in Capsule-stoppers for bottles, and other
like receptacles and consists in a novel construction of capsule specially designed
with a view to its closely encompassing a cork or stopper.at or near the top thereof
when in use the two parts thus combined constituting an improved Capsule-Stopper
the capsule projecting from the top of the cork so as to form a means whereby the
cork may be withdrawn from the bottle or other like receptacle by hand without
additional appliances.
The centre of the Capsule proper is removed, forming an opening corresponding
with the contour of and slightly smaller than the full or expanded cork to be
secured therein, and around this central opening is provided a dependent flange
either plain or dentated or more or less corrugated or otherwise fashioned so as to
firmly bind the cork, after it has been driven through the opening and to prevent
the same from having any independent movement; the said dependent flange, teeth
or similar devices will preferably when in use project downward into the neck of
the bottle a short distance; and the central opening in the top of the Capsule will
leave the upper surface of the cork exposed, permitting thereby if found necessary
or desirable, the use of a cork-screw for extracting the cork and affording a surface
for the application of a wax or other seal label or cap of paper, metal or other
material, bearing if desired a trade mark or matter indicative of the contents of the
bottle, in connection with which the capsule may be employed.
The capsule should be manufactured from a material sufficiently stiff (sheet metal
for example) to prevent its being broken by the expansive action of the cork when
driven into it and to permit the withdrawal of the cork by pressure applied to the

page_text: upper projecting edges of the said Capsule. It is desirable that the dependent
flange surrounding the opening in the capsule shall enter the mouth of the bottle
or vessel and be provided with teeth more or less flexible, in order that the expan-
sive action of the cork against said teeth and the inner walls of said mouth may
serve to more firmly unite the cork with the capsule. One material advantage of
providing the above dependent flange with a flexible circumference is that it may
be fitted to bottle mouths of varying size, although it is not to be understood that
it is absolutely essential in all cases to the correct working of the device, that said
dependent flange should enter the mouth of the bottle at all nor that the said flange
should be flexible.
The accompanying drawings illustrate two embodiments of the said invention
from which the practical application of the capsule to the cork, according to the
nature of the bottle or vessel and its contents, will be readily understood.
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of one form of the capsule constructed
according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the same combined with and encompassing a cork
and showing the relative positions of the capsule and cork, the two when in use
and thus combined, forming the improved Capsule-stopper.
Figure 3 is a plan of the Capsule-stopper.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the Capsule showing corruga-
tions in the dependent flange, the cork being represented by dotted lines as being
grasped by the Capsule.
Figure 5 is a central vertical section of the same at right angles to Figure 4 the
cork being omitted, and,
Figure 6 represents various forms of teeth which may be substituted for the teeth
shown in Figure 1.
In the Drawings-A indicates the capsule and B the cork or stopper part thereof.
The capsule consists of the dependent flange a and the horizontal flange b pro-
jecting therefrom, the outer edges of the latter being utilized to form a ring or
surface by which the capsule and cork may be handled between the finger and
thumb. The edges of the capsule will be of such proportions that the capsule may
be thereby conveniently handled but the exact dimensions thereof and whether
they are turned upward (or downward as shown) or left flat are matters which will
be governed largely by the taste of the manufacturer. I prefer however to give the
edges c the form of a vertical milled or corrugated flange or rim whereby the
appearance of the capsule will be improved and a suitable handling surface afforded.
Between the edges or rim c and the flange a there is formed the annular space d
into which the upper edges of the neck of the bottle may pass.
Around the upper
inner edges of the flange a shown in Figure 1 there is formed the annular shoulder e
in the central opening f over which shoulder the upper edges of the cork expand as
indicated in Figure 2 and thereby oppose the separation of the cork and capsule
when the latter is drawn upward from the bottle for the purpose of extracting the
cork therefrom.
In the use of the invention the capsule may be placed over the neck of the
bottle, the flange a preferably extending downward into the mouth thereof, the
cork being in that case driven through the capsule and into the neck of the bottle
at a single operation, the capsule resting flat on the top of the bottle. In this con-
dition the expansive action of the cork will cause it to bind firmly against the
flange a and the inner wall of the neck of the bottle below or around said flange
whereby the bottle will not only be securely sealed but the cork and capsule will be
firmly united. The capsule and cork may however be first connected by the latter
being inserted into the former and afterwards applied to the bottle. The cork may be
extracted as will be understood from the foregoing description by turning or pulling
or pressing upward on the edges c of the capsule, or the upper end of the cork being
exposed an ordinary cork screw may be utilised for this purpose if desired.
The upper exposed end of the cork also affords a surface whereon a paper
or metal label or other device could easily be applied over or attached to the cork.

page_text: It will not be necessary in all instances to employ the shoulder e but I recommend
its use owing to the fact that it facilitates the firm union of the capsule and cork.
In order to ensure the rigid attachment of the cork and capsule to each other,
the dependent flange a instead of being plain as may be the case if preferred may
be serrated or toothed as shown in Figure 1 or be provided with other means of
engaging the cork such as depressions and elevations or corrugations and apertures
slots or openings as shown in Figures 4 and 5 the purpose of these means of
engaging being to bind the cork during its expansion and prevent its turning
within the capsule or becoming detached therefrom. After the cork has been
driven through the capsule it will expand into the spaces g between the teeth in
Figure 1 or into the apertures h (Figure 5) or corrugations i (Figures 4 and 5) or
into or against each side of the lateral slot or opening k (see Figure 4) and bind
itself into position, so that when the capsule is turned or drawn from the bottle the
cork will necessarily follow it. If the teeth or other means were not provided the
central opening f in the capsule could be of such size as to securely hold the cork
in ordinary cases; but when the engaging means are made use of, the rigid union
of the capsule and the cork is ensured.
When the cork is driven through the opening f into the neck of the bottle, its
projecting end above the capsule may be removed if desired by a knife moving on
a level with the upper surface of the capsule.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. A capsule for corks consisting of a dependent flange a either plain,
dentated, corrugated or perforated adapted to closely encompass and engage with
the cork, and a projecting flange b; substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Second. A capsule and cork combined the former firmly encompassing the latter
at or near the top, and having a flange projecting therefrom, the upper end of the
cork being exposed; substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Third. A capsule and cork combined the foriner firmly encompassing the latter
at or near the top and having a shoulder over which the adjacent portions of the
cork may expand and a flange projecting therefrom the upper end of the cork being
exposed; substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. A capsule and cork combined comprising a dependent or vertical flange a
closely encompassing and binding the cork and a projecting flange b the outer edges
of which form surfaces for enabling the capsule and cork to be handled the top of
the cork being left exposed, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Fifth. A capsule and cork combined wherein the capsule is formed with a
dependent flange a having engaging devices closely encompassing and binding the
cork and provided with a projecting flange b the outer edges of which form handling
surfaces; substantially as specified.
Sixth. A capsule and cork combined the former having engaging devices which
firinly bind the latter at or near the top and having also a flange extending from
said devices the top of the cork being exposed substantially as specified.
Dated this fifteenth day of December 1885