A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN CLOSING BOTTLES CSING BOTTLES, JARS, FAUCETS, AND STOP-COCKS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Todd Woodman, of Boston, in the County
of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts of the United States of America.
for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN CLOSING BOTTLES,
for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN CLOSING BOTTLES,
JARS, FAUCETS, AND STOP-COCKS."
Sealed the 20th May 1864, and dated the 22nd January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Todd Woodman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd January 1864.
I, CHARLES TODD WOODMAN, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk and
State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN
CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS, FAUCETS, AND STOP-COCкs," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in the employment of a loosely fitting
elastic globular body in the neck of a bottle, jar, or can, or in the chamber of a
faucet or stop-cock, the bottom of this neck or chamber being so formed as to
afford a seat for said body, the latter being pressed against the seat sufficiently
hard to render the joint water and air tight by means of a follower provided
with an external screw working in an internal screw cut in said neck or
chamber.
The nature of my Invention consists further in providing the neck of a
bottle, jar, or can with a lateral outlet above the aforesaid seat to operate in
combination with said elastic body and follower, so that a part or the entire

page_text: contents of the vessel may be readily drawn through said outlet as required
without injuring the stopper, wasting the liquid, or exposing the remaining
liquid to the atmosphere. This outlet is also convenient for charging
or filling the vessel by means of a pipe or hose without removing the follower
or stopper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Todd Woodman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
TODD WOODMAN, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Todd Woodman, Her special license that I, the said
Charles Todd Woodman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Todd Woodman, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and 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 "A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN CLOSING BOTTLES,
JARS, FAUCETS, AND STOP-COCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Todd Woodman, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal
of one of them, 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 calender
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Todd Woodman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
making a part of this Specification, in which―
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through a bottle provided with my

page_text: improvement in closing the same; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a stop-cock
or faucet provided with my improvement in closing the same; and Figure 3
is a longitudinal central section of Figure 2, showing the internal construction.
Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the Drawings.
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in the employment of a loosely
fitting, elastic, globular body in the neck of a bottle, jar, or can, or in the
chamber of a stop-cock or faucet, so constructed as to form a seat k for said
body, and pressing the same sufficiently hard against said seat to make
it air and water tight by means of a follower provided with an external
screw which works in an internal screw in said neck or chamber.
And second, in providing the neck of a bottle, jar, or can with a lateral
outlet (C) above said seat (k) to operate in combination with the elastic
globular body (H) and follower (G), so that a part or all of the contents of
the vessel (especially such as ale, beer, wines, and mineral waters) may be
readily drawn through said outlet, as required, without injuring the stopper,
wasting the liquid, or exposing what remains undrawn to the atmosphere.
The outlet C is also useful for charging or filling the vessel by means of a pipe
or hose without removing the stopper.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement, I will
now proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same.
My improvement is applicable to bottles, jars, or cans of any description
and material. Figure 1, however, represents simply a longitudinal central
section through a common bottle, of which the body A is constructed in every
respect like those in general use, while the lower end of the neck B is con-
tracted so as to form an annular seat for the globular body H to rest upon.
The upper part of the neck B is provided with a screw; the lower part
between said screw and the seat & being smooth and round, so that the body H
may play with freedom in it. The follower E, F, G, may be of any material
capable of affording a suitable screw thread. The bottom part G of this
follower may be either convex, flat, or concave. The body H is spherical, and
should be a little less in diameter than the inside of the neck B, so that it will
roll out or turn therein with freedom. It may be made of suitable
any
elastic material, though I consider india-rubber for most purposes as preferable
to any other. C is an outlet in the neck of the vessel, the size, shape, and
position of which outlet are plainly shown in the Drawings. Its size and
length, however, may be varied at pleasure. The ball H being dropped into
the neck of the vessel, and the follower screwed down upon it as shown in the
Drawing, it is obvious that the vessel will be most effectually and quickly
closed. It is also obvious that a part or all of the contents of the vessel can

page_text: be readily drawn by simply starting back the follower, so as to allow the
ball H to move from its seat k, the great utility of which, especially in drawing
small quantities at a time, is equally plain. Again, the elastic ball H (turning
freely in the neck of the vessel, and almost certain to rest on a different part
of its surface after every draft) will not become hard or misshapen, as would
be the case if it were always submitted to pressure in one and the same
position. Instead of using the outlet C, the contents of the vessel may be
drawn in the usual manner, by removing the follower and ball, the
outlet C being kept on top and forming a vent; or in jars and cans, for
many articles, such as fruits, jellies, &c., the outlet C may be dispensed
with.
Figures 2 and 3 represent my improvement as applied to a stop-cock or
faucet of ordinary size and shape and of any suitable material. The shape
and size, however, may be varied at pleasure.
A is the round induction pipe, and B is an enlarged cylindrical continuation
of the same, forming a chamber for the ball and follower. The inner end of
this chamber B forms an annular seat k for the ball H, as shown in Figure 3 ;
C is the eduction pipe, the outer end of which may be provided with an
external screw h for the purpose of attaching a hose or filter; D is the cap or
outer end of the chaniber B, to which it is attached by means of a screw, as
shown in Figure 3; I being a packing of rubber, or other suitable material,
to make a water-tight connection between the cap and chamber, and also
prevent any leakage round the shank E of the follower. The follower G and
its shank E are made in one piece and of any suitable metal. The face of G
(which is presented to the ball H) may be flat, concave, or convex; the
latter, however, I consider as preferable to any other form, inasmuch as the
friction on the ball and the tendency to twist the same are less. The shank E
is provided with an external screw which plays in an internal one in the
cap D; F is a wheel or handle attached to E, whereby the latter is turned.
The ball H should be just large enough to play with freedom in the chamber B.
When the follower is turned back from the pipe A, the pressure of the liquid
causes the ball H to follow it, leaving a round unbroken passage for the flow
of the liquid, as represented by the dotted line in Figure 3, an advantage
which, I believe, is not afforded by any other stop-cock or faucet in use. The
ball H, moving freely in the chamber B, has every time it is liberated its
position changed, being turned by the flow of the liquid, so as never to become
misshapen and hard, as it would if always pressed against the seat k in the
same position. The friction of the ball H on its seat is also much less than
would be the case were it a fixture on the follower, or of any other shape

page_text: than globular. It is consequently more easily operated, more durable, and
less liable to get out of repair than any other device with which I am
acquainted for a similar purpose.
My improvement, in fine, is very simple & cheap as well as durable; indeed,
nothing but the ball H is ever liable to get out of repair, and that can be
readily replaced at a trifling expense.
Having thus described the construction and operation of my Invention, what
I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First, the employment of the loosely fitting elastic globular body H in the
neck of a bottle, jar, or can, or in the chamber of a stop-cock or faucet, in
combination with the seat k and follower G substantially as set forth and for
the purpose described.
Second, providing the neck of a bottle with an outlet C to operate in com-
bination with the seat, ball, and follower, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of
April, A.D. 1864.
CHARLES TODD WOODMAN. (L.S.)