IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS OR STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW VESSELS; PARTS OF WHICH APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards, of the firm of Edwards and Co:-
Engineers and Patent Agents, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS OR
STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW VESSELS; PARTS OF WHICH
APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES"
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of. Patents on the 13th December 1882.
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co:-Engineers and Patent
Agents, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS OR STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLÓW
VESSELS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES'
"
This invention relates to the covers or stoppers for bottles, jars, and other hollow.
vessels, of glass, earthenware, wood, or other materials; and it has for its objects
novel methods of constructing and arranging the parts of such covers or stoppers so
that they can be readily fixed and secured with any desired pressure in their
places or removed, whilst they are simple, cheap, and effective, easily operated and
used and not likely to get out of order.
The improved cover or stopper consists of a cap or cover containing if necessary
a sufficient thickness of cork or other suitable material by the pressure of which
upon the mouth of the bottle, jar, or other vessel, a tight joint is made. Round
the neck of the bottle or jar I provide a narrow projecting flange at a short
distance from the mouth and upon one side of the cap or cover I. form or fix a
descending arm or plate the lower end of which is turned inward for a sufficient
distance so that it fits under the flange when the cap or cover is in its place upon
the bottle or jar.
Upon the opposite edge of the cap or cover I arrange a second descending plate
turned in at its lower edge so that such turned in part can fit under the flange
when the cap or cover has been forced down with the required force, but I do not

page_text: fix the second plate rigidly to the cap or cover to which it is only attached at its
upper edge in such manner that its lower turned in part can be forced under the
flange or withdrawn from under the latter.
Upon the sides of the cap or cover at equal distances between the fixed and
moveable descending plates described I fix pivots upon which turn the ends of a
semicircular handle preferably of sheet metal such as tinned plate, of such size that
when turned up vertically it serves as a handle by which the cap or cover can be
removed or held, and when turned down it fits tightly over the moveable plate
which it holds firmly pressed against the side of the cap or cover.
When it is desired to place and fix the cap or cover upon the bottle, jar, or
vessel, the edge of the fixed plate is inserted under the flange and the cap is pressed
down with sufficient force upon the mouth of the bottle or jar, the cork or other
material being compressed until the lower turned-in edge of the moveable plate can
also pass under the flange, and the handle being then turned down over the
moveable plate presses the latter against the side of the cover the turned in edges
of both plates under the flange holding the cover or cap tightly down.
To remove the cover the handle is turned up, when the moveable plate is
released from the flange and the cover can be lifted off. I prefer to make a notch
or projection in the moveable plate into or over which a corresponding projection
or notch in the handle springs.
Instead of one moveable plate, two or more may be used, all being covered and
held down by the handle when turned down; and instead of a fixed plate upon
the opposite side of the cover or cap, one or more moveable ones similar to those
already described may be used being held down by a second semicircular handle
turning upon the same pivots as that already described.
The moveable plates may be hinged or attached in any convenient way to the
upper part of the cover or cap. I prefer to make a narrow slit through the upper
edge of the latter and to form the moveable plate with a transverse end or T piece,
its outer end being passed through the slot from inside and then bent to its desired
form. Or the plate may be bent over and rivetted to the top of the cover, and it
may be carried across the cover after being so rivetted and bent down so as to
form the fixed plate which is further fixed to the side of the cover.
Or the fixed
plate may be formed of a part of the side of the cover itself turned in, and the
moveable plates may be also formed from strips cut from the side of the cap, their
upper edges being left adhering.
Where my invention is to be used for bottles containing wine, aërated waters, or
other liquid under pressure, the plates may be made and arranged in the method
above described of one piece of metal rivetted or otherwise fixed to the centre of
the cover or cap, the metal being sufficiently flexible and elastic to allow the lower
turned in ends to be forced under the flange, and I arrange a ring of suitable shape
and strength round them, one side of the ring being loosely attached to one of the
plates and the other side passing over the other plate when forced down and thus
drawing the two turned in edges toward each other under the flange.
'Or instead of a ring or handle, a separate conical ring may be used in the
various arrangements, which can be pressed down over the several plates forcing
them all under the flange and toward the neck of the bottle or vessel. And
I prefer that the turned in ends of the plates described should be made at a slight
angle, so that as they are forced under the flange they tend to draw the cover or
cap down against the mouth.
"
.
The cork or other material may be made to enter the mouth of the bottle as
well'as
'as or instead of pressing against its edge. The ends of the turned in ends of
the plates may be afterwards turned outward so as to form a recess to hold a wire
or string bound round them to retain them under the flange; and these turned out
ends may be inclined so as to render it more easy to force them over the flange.
Where the improved cover or cap described is to be used for vessels containing
aerated fluids, one or more holes may be left in the top and closed by an internal
valve of cork, india rubber, or other suitable material, opening downwards, so that

page_text: the bottle or vessel can be filled through such holes under pressure, whilst they are
closed by the valve when the external pressure is removed:
A stud or handle may be used to open such valve when desired to draw off the
liquid.
Covers or caps constructed according to my invention may be applied to boxes
or vessels of wood or other material, circular, rectangular, or of other form.
In the different methods of arrangement described; the several plates may be
attached to the bottle; jar, or vessel, their upper turned-in edges fitting over a
flange on the cover or cap and being held there by a moveable handle pivotted.to
the cover or to the vessel.
In a modified form my invention may also be applied to other purposes, such as
attaching castors to the legs of tables or other furniture, attaching together the
separate parts of fishing or other rods, or other purposes where it is required to
attach together firmly and quickly separate articles or the separate parts of articles.
For this purpose supposing that it is desired to attach an ordinary castor to the
leg of a table, I form the ordinary conical socket attached to the castor with two or
more moveable plates similar to those already described, formed either of separate
plates or by dividing the socket itself vertically.
1}
The upper ends of these plates are turned inward so that when the castor is in
its place the turned in edges fit into a groove or over a flange upon the leg, and
they are forced into such groove so as to draw the socket tightly into its place, by
means of a conical ring fitting round the socket and the plates and driven up over
the latter, where it may be retained by screws or other means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th June 1883.
1
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co:-Engineers and Patent
Agents, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERS OR STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER HOLLOW
VESSELS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
PURPOSES"
This invention relates to the covers or stoppers for bottles, jars, and other hollow
vessels, of glass, earthenware, wood, or other materials; and it has for its objects
novel methods of constructing and arranging the parts of such covers or stoppers
so that they can be readily fixed and secured with any desired pressure in their
places or removed, whilst they are simple, cheap, and effective, easily, operated and
used and not likely to get out of order.
In the accompanying drawings which are in illustration of my invention,
figure 1 shows a section of the improved cover or stopper, which consists of a cap
or cover a containing if necessary a sufficient thickness of cork or other suitable
material by the pressure of which upon the mouth of the bottle, jar, or other
vessel, a tight joint is made. Round the neck of the bottle or jar I. provide a
narrow projecting flange c at a short distance from the mouth, and upon one side
of the cap or cover a I form or fix a descending arm or plate d the lower end of
which is turned inward for a sufficient distance so that it fits under the flange c
when the cap or cover is in its place upon the bottle or jar. Upon the opposite
edge of the cap or cover I arrange a second descending plate or wire e turned-in at
its lower edge so that such turned-in part can fit under the flange when the cap
or cover has been forced down with the required force, but I do not fix the second
plate e rigidly to the cap or cover, to which it is only attached at its upper edge
in such manner that its lower turned-in part can be forced under the flange c or
withdrawn from under the latter. Upon the sides of the cap or cover at equal
distances between the fixed and moveable descending plates described I fix pivots
fg, upon which turn the ends of a semicircular handle h preferably of sheet metal
such as tinned plate, of such size that when turned up vertically (as shewn in
section in figure 2 and in plan, in figure 3) it serves as a handle by which the cap
or cover can be removed or held, and when turned down (as shewn in figures 1
and 4) it fits tightly over the moveable plate e which it holds firmly pressed
against the side of the cap or cover a.
When it is desired to place and fix the cap or cover upon the bottle, jar, or
vessel, the edge of the fixed plate d is inserted under the flange c and the cap a is
pressed down with sufficient force upon the mouth of the bottle or jar, the cork or
other material b being compressed until the lower turned-in edge of the moveable
plate c can also pass under the flange, and the handle h being then turned down
over the moveable plate e presses the latter against the side of the cover the
turned-in edges of both plates under the flange holding the cover or cap a tightly
down.
To remove the cover the handle h is turned up, when the moveable plate e is
released from the flange and the cover can be lifted off.
I prefer to make a notch or projection in the moveable plate at i into or over
which a corresponding projection or notch in the handle springs.
Instead of one moveable plate, two or more may be used, all being covered and
held down by the handle when turned down as shewn in figures 5, 6, 7, and 8,
where one fixed and two moveable plates are used; and instead of a fixed plate
upon the opposite side of the cover or cap one or more moveable ones similar to
those already described may be used being held down by a second semicircular
.

page_text: handle turning upon the same pivots as that already described, as shewn in
figures 11 and 12.
The moveable plates e may be hinged or attached in any convenient way to the
upper part of the cover or cap a.
In figures 1 to 8, the fixed plate is shewn fixed inside the cap, its upper end
being passed out through a slot in the cap and then turned down outside. The
moveable plates are shewn arranged outside the cap, their upper ends being passed
through a slot and turned down sufficiently inside. Or sometimes I make a
narrow slit through the upper edge of the cap and I form the moveable plate with
a transverse end or T piece, its outer end being passed through the slot from
inside and then bent to its desired form. Or the plate may be bent over and
rivetted to the top of the cover, and it may be carried across the cover after being
so rivetted and bent down so as to form the fixed plate which is further fixed to
the side of the cover. Or the fixed plate may be formed of a part of the side of
the cover itself turned-in. And the moveable plates may be also formed from
strips cut from the side of the cap, their upper edges being left adhering, as shewn
in figures 10 and 11.
Where my invention is to be used for bottles containing wine, aërated waters,
or other liquids under pressure, the plates may be made and arranged in the
method above described of one piece of metal rivetted or otherwise fixed to the
centre of the cover or cap, as shewn in figures 13 and 14, the metal being
sufficiently flexible and elastic to allow two or more lower turned-in ends e, e, e, to
be forced under the flange c, and I arrange a ring h of suitable shape and strength
round them, one side of the ring being loosely attached to one of the plates and
the other side passing over the other plates when forced down and thus drawing
the turned-in edges e, e, e, toward each other under the flange c as shewn.
Or, instead of a ring or handle, a separate conical ring may be used in the
various arrangements as shewn at h in figures 15 and 16 which can be pressed
down over the several plates e, e, e, forcing them all under the flange a and toward
the neck of the bottle or vessel.
And I prefer that the turned in ends of the plates described should be made at
a slight angle as shewn, so that as they are forced under the flange they tend to
draw the cover or cap down against the mouth.
The cork or other material may be made to enter the mouth of the bottle as
shewn in figure 17 as well as or instead of pressing against its edge. The ends of
the turned in ends of the plates may be afterwards turned outward (as shewn at e¹
in figure 17) so as to form a recess to hold a wire or string bound round them to
retain them under the flange; and these turned out ends may be inclined so as to
render it more easy to force them over the flange. Figures 22 and 23 shew a
modified arrangement in which a screw stopper is used, the stopper b screwing
through a thread in a ring d which is itself attached to the mouth of the vessel by
means of three descending arms or plates e, e, e, the lower turned-in ends of which
are forced under the flange cand retained by a wire fastened round them.
Where the improved cover or cap described is to be used for vessels containing
aërated fluids, one or more holes may be left in the top as shewn at k in figures 15
and 16 and closed by an internal valve of suitable material, opening downwards,
so that the bottle or vessel can be filled through such holes under pressure whilst
they are closed by the valve when the external pressure is removed.
A stud or handle m may be used to open such valve when desired to draw off
the liquid.
Covers or caps constructed according to my invention may be applied to boxes
or vessels of wood or other material, circular, as illustrated in figure 9, rectangular,
as illustrated in figure 18, or of other form.
In the different methods of arrangement described, the several plates may be
attached to the bottle, jar, or vessel, their upper turned-in edges fitting over a
flange in the cover or cap and being held there by a moveable handle pivotted to
the cover or to the vessel.

page_text: Figures 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29, illustrate a modified method of applying my
invention to vessels such as wine bottles.
a is the cap or cover, and n is an inner loose plate or crossbar turning in the
cap a on the central pivot o and having two or more descending arms or wires e, è,
the lower turned-in ends of which fit under the flange c of the bottle. . f, are
recesses upon opposite sides of the cap a into which the arms e, e, fit when the
recesses are opposite to them. When the cap is pressed down upon the bottle and
then turned partly round, the inclined sides of the recesses f, f, force the ends of
the arms e, e, under the flange c, and draw down the cork or other elastic packing
against the mouth of the bottle, which is thus tightly closed.
In order to release the cap, it is turned round the opposite way until the arms
e; e, can again enter the recesses f. f. This method of arrangement may be applied
to any kind of ordinary bottle.
The method of arrangement may be modified more or less. For instance, the
crossbar or plate may have projections rising through concentric slots in the cap
the projections being used as handles to turn the crossbar or plate round to fasten
or release the cap. The upper edge of these grooves may have inclined edges so
that when the cap is turned round it is forced down against the mouth of the
bottle. Or the central pivot o may be fixed to the crossbar or plate and to an
external handle. Or, instead of being vertical the arms or wires may be arranged
horizontally their turned-in ends being forced under the flange when the cap or its
equivalent is turned round, as in the arrangement already described.
In a modified form my invention may also be applied to other purposes such as
attaching castors to the legs of tables or other furniture, attaching together the
separate parts of fishing or other rods, or other purposes where it is required to
attach together firmly and quickly separate articles or the separate parts of articles.
For this purpose, supposing that it is desired to attach an ordinary castor to the
leg of a table as illustrated in figure 19, I form the ordinary conical socket a
attached to the castor with two or more moveable plates e, e, e, similar to those
already described, formed either of separate plates or by dividing the socket itself
vertically. The upper ends of these plates are turned inwards so that when the
castor is in its place the turned-in edges fit into a groove c or over a flange upon
the leg, and they are forced into such groove so as to draw the socket tightly into
its place, by means of a conical ring h fitting round the socket and the plates and
driven up over the latter, where it may be retained by screws or other means.
In figure 20 a similar arrangement is shewn applied to fixing the head upon a
cask; and figure 21 illustrates the method in which the invention may be applied
to holding firmly together the joints of fishing rods, or articles of the like kind,
e, e, e, being the moveable plates, and h a fixing ring.
I do not confine myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts
of the apparatus, which may be modified to suit varying circumstances and
conditions, but having described my invention and the manner in which it is to
be performed, I claim The methods of fixing caps or covers upon bottles or other
vessels, or of attaching together separate articles, by means of arms or plates
having turned-in projections which are forced inward when required, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described and shewn in the drawings.
-
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Edwards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 13th day of June in the year of our Lord 1883.