Improvements in or relating to Bottles to Prevent them being Refilled.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Bottles to Prevent them being
Refilled.
JOHN LEDBROOK Railway Inspector 25 Golden Hillock Road Small Heath
Birmingham CHARLES LINGHAM EDKINS Button Manufacturer 21 Golden
Hillock Road Sinall Heath Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of this.
invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to prevent the bottles being refilled. The bottles
are made in two or more parts. The bottle & lower part of the neck of the
bottle forming one part with a cavity inside of the neck, & while in this state the
bottle is filled up to the cavity in the lower part of the neck, after which a small
ball made of glass or any other material is placed in the cavity. The top part of
the neck with another cavity for the reception of the ball when pouring or
emptying forming the other part. The top part of the neck after the bottle has
been filled is secured on the lower part of the neck & secured by means of a cement
or other material to prevent the top of the neck being removed rendering the bottle
useless when empty.
When emptying or pouring from the bottle the contents passes through two or
more holes between the inside of the neck and the ball into a recess under that
portion of the neck from which the cork or stopper has been removed.
The bottles are made of material used in the construction of bottles generally.
d thin 8th day of February 1896.
D
JOHN LEDBROOK.
CHARLES LINGHAM EDKINS.
Improvements in or relating to Bottles to Prevent them being
Refilled.
We, JOHN LED BROOK Railway Inspector 25 Golden Hillock Road Small
Heath Birmingham and CHARLES LINGHAM EDKINS, Button Manufacturer
21 Golden Hillock Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is a device whereby a bottle is prevented from
being refilled when empty or additional liquid being introduced for the purpose of
adulterating that already in it.
In carrying out this invention the bottle may be made in two parts, the lower
one which contains the liquid and the upper one or neck which receives the
device preventing the lower being refilled when empty or the adulteration of any
liquid it may contain. The top of the lower part is fitted with a ball valve (of
glass or other material not affected by the liquid) and with a screw thread.

page_text: "
The upper part contains partitions or diaphragms provided with apertures so
arranged that the ball cannot be tampered with through the neck. After the
lower part has been filled and the ball valve put in place the top part is screwed
on and further secured by some cement or other material to prevent the upper
part being removed so that when empty the bottle becomes useless.
When pouring the liquid the ball valve comes to rest against the diaphragın
and the liquid escapes through the apertures in the diaphragms.
But we find it preferable to make the device entirely separate from the bottle
the latter being so constructed that once the device is in, it cannot be withdrawn
except by breaking the bottle. It is this form of the invention which the
accompanying drawing represents.
Fig. 1 is a section of the bottle neck without the device.
Fig. 2 an external view of the device.
Fig. 3 plan view of same.
Fig. 4 section of same.
:
Fig. 5 a section through the neck of the bottle fitted with the device.
In Fig. 1 the bottle neck A is provided internally with serrations B (there may be
two three or more of them). The lower part of the neck is so contracted as to
provide a shoulder or seat Ĺ on which the device bears. The device as shown in
Figs. 2, 3, & 4 consists of a thimble C the bottom of which forms the seat of a ball
valve D (Fig. 4) the lift of which is limited by a guard or cage E, above this is
fitted disc F with a central hole, and above the latter is a third disc F1, somewhat
larger in diameter than the hole in F. The thimble C is cut in the manner shown
in Fig. 2 and the parts G. G. G G bent outwards. When the device is pressed or
forced into the neck of the bottle parts G are pressed inwards but as they go down
past serrations B their elasticity causes them to lodge into the serrations B and
the device is fast into the neck of the bottle and cannot be removed without
breaking the bottle neck. There may be two three, four, or more projections B
and these may be at different heights so as to fit in different serrations. A gasket
of suitable material K is laid on the shoulder L. When the bottle has been filled
and the device secured in neck as explained the cork H may be driven in. It is
clear that when the cork H is removed the bottle can be emptied in the usual way;
as the ball valve D. drops from its seat. On the other hand the ball valve
prevents the bottle being refilled or additional or other liquid being added to it.
The discs F and F prevent the ball valve D from being tampered with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
In the construction of all kinds of bottles a device consisting of a ball valve and
perforated diaphragms so arranged in the neck of a bottle that they permit the
egress of liquid when the cork. or stopper is removed.but prevent the bottle being
refilled when empty or additional or other liquid being introduced into it; it being
impossible to remove the device without breaking the neck of the bottle, substantially
as described hereinbefore..
Dated this 7th day of November 1906
JOHN LEDBROOK.
CHARLES LINGHAM EDKINS.