IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS, AND IN INSTRUMENTS FOR APPLYING AND REMOVING SUCH STOPPING APPARATUS
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nathan Thompson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th June
1862.
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens, St. John's Wood, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER
VESSELS, AND IN INSTRUMENTS FOR APPLYING AND REMOVING SUCH STOPPING
APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for stopping
bottles and jars and other vessels, and in instruments for applying and
removing such stopping apparatus.
For the purpose of stopping bottles, jars, and other vessels I employ a
cover or stopper of suitable rigid and non-porous material which enters into
the neck of the bottle or jar and fits on to or into a seat therein, an elastic
material being interposed between the two surfaces. Connected with the top
of the cover or stopper, but so as to be capable of turning freely, is a screw
which passes through an outer lid, this also fits into the neck of the bottle or
jar, and it is notched at its periphery at three, four, or other convenient
number of points, and the interior of the neck of the bottle or jar has corre-
sponding projections upon it, so that the lid can only be dropped into its place
when turned into such a position that the notches therein correspond with the
said projections, when in it can be turned round, and then by rotating the

page_text: screw the lower cover or stopper is forced down and a tight joint made.
There are recesses in the rim of the upper lid into which the projections in the
neck of the bottle or jar drop. When the lower cover or stopper is forced
down by the screw so that the lid becomes secured and cannot be turned until
the screw is again slacked, a key is employed to turn the screw, which may, if
desired, be protected by a seal, or capsule, or otherwise. Or in place of
securing the outer lid by means of projections within the neck of the bottle or
jar I flatten the exterior of the neck thereof and form a groove around the
same. The outer lid in this case has a flange projecting downwards which,
when the lid is in its place, fits over and covers the upper portion of the neck of
the bottle or jar; the flange of the lid also is flattened on two sides, and it has
a thickening ring at its lower edge to enter the groove, which, as above men-
tioned is made on the neck. To allow of the lid being put on and taken off as
required a notch is cut in the flange of the lid at one side so that the lid may
be slid sideways into its place. This notch may, if desired, be covered by a
cap or capsule or in other convenient manner, the securing down the inner
stopper or cover as before effectually secures the lid and prevents it again
sliding off. In some cases I employ a lower cover or stopper as above
described with a screw attached so as to be able to turn freely, and in place of
arranging this to pass through an upper lid I arrange it to screw into a thread
: cut in the neck of the bottle or jar over the seat which receives the lower
cover or stopper. In some cases the screw is fixed to the cover or stopper so
that it cannot turn and receives a nut which is capable of being turned by a
.key. The nut is fitted into a ring in which it is securely held, but can turn
freely. To this ring lugs are jointed or attached, as is described in my
Provisional Specification, dated 16th May 1862, No. 1491, and these lugs
catch on to projections on the exterior of the neck of the bottle or jar. I
find that a convenient instrument for turning the screws which, as above
mentioned, I use in the apparatus I employ for stopping bottles and jars is an
ordinary screw driver having jointed to it two levers which together act as
nippers, and take hold of the upper end of the screw 'and prevent the screw
driver rising and slipping out of its notch.
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