IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Fenn Roberts, of Holloway, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE
STOPPERS
f
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Fenn Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1883.
MARTIN FENN ROBERTS, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS
"
My invention relates to an improved form of stopper for bottles containing beer
and aërated or other liquids, which can be opened by hand, shall be casy of
operation, simple in construction, and air tight.
My invention is as follows:-
The body of the stopper is a cylinder of suitable substance, passing easily into
the neck of the bottle, and conveniently provided with a shoulder, so that any
superincumbent weight from stacking may be borne vertically by the edge of the
bottle neck; or the cylinder may be slightly coned. Through the axis of this
body plays a rod of greater length than the body, fitted or fixed at its lower end
with a disc or plate, and at its upper end with a cross-head, provided if necessary
with suitable washers. The cross-head drops into a groove formed across the
head of the body, thereby allowing the rod to project considerably below the
body. The projecting portion of the rod is surrounded by a collar of suitable
elastic material, such as india rubber, and this collar entirely fills the space between
the disc on the end of the rod and the lower end of the body. The stopper
is now
ready for insertion into the neck of the bottle, and closure is effected by raising the
cross-head from the lower plane of the bottom of the groove, and turning
to rest on the higher plane of the uncut portion of the head, the effect being to
draw up the rod and compress the elastic collar by means of the disc, thereby
expanding it against the sides of the bottle neck, and thus forming an air-tight
joint. Though I have specified a cross-head as the means of operating my stopper,
yet other means may be employed to effect the object in view, which is essentially
the providing of two planes on the head of the body, which shall respectively lock,
so as

page_text: at either the relaxed or expanded condition of the elastic collar, a suitable stop on
..the rod, by a simple lifting and turning movement. For instance a disc might be
employed with legs dropping into holes cut in the head of the body, the difference
in planes being obtained by the depth of the holes. The lifting and turning
movement for closing the stopper may be effected by any suitable tool or
appliance.
The stopper is unclosed by turning the cross head, or its equivalent, until it
drops to the lower plane, and the expanded collar being thereby relaxed, the stopper
may be withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Martin Fenn Roberts in the Patent Office on the 19th January
1884.
"
MARTIN FENN ROBERTS, of Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, ‘Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE STOPPERS."
My invention relates to an improved form of stopper for use with the' ordinary
description of bottles used for beer and aerated or other liquids, which 'allows of
the bottle being opened by hand, which is easy of operation, simple in construction,
and air tight.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I'now proceed to
describe the same with relation to the drawings hereunto 'annexed, reference being
hind to the letters and figures marked "thereon. Like letters refer to like parts
throughout the figures.
Figure 1 shows in 'section, elevation' and plan one form of my stopper.
Figure 2 shows in same views an alternative form.
Figure 3 shows in'same 'views another alternative form.
Figure 4 shows in same views another alternative form.
Figure 5 shows an elevation, partly broken, of a stopper provided with a' retaining
strip to prevent its falling from the empty bottle and a washer, the retaining strip
and 'washer as shown in Figure 5 being applicable to the forms of stopper shown
in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
.
Figures 6 and 7 show'in plan and elevation respectively a suitable tool for
tightening the stoppers in the bottle.
"
The body of the stopper, A, is a' cylinder of suitable substance, such as stoneware,
porcelain, or wood, passing easily into the neck of the bottle, and conveniently
constructed' with a shoulder, as shown, so that any superincumbent weight from
stacking one tier of bottles in an upright position upon boards resting on other
tiers of bottles also in an upright position may be borne vertically by the edge of
the mouth of the bottle; to further aid this purpose and to prevent breakage to
the bottle necks by superincumbent weight an annular washer of soft or elastic
+

page_text: The
material may be fitted under the shoulder as shown at P in Figure 5:
cylinder A may be slightly coned. Through the longitudinal axis of the body A
plays a rod of greater length than the body, fitted or fixed at its lower end with a
dise or plate B, and at its upper end with a crosshead C provided with a suitable
washer (Figures 1, 3 and 5). The cross-head (sectional view and plan in Figures 1, 3,
and 5) drops into a groove formed across the head of the body, thereby allowing
the rod to project considerably below the body. The projecting portion of the rod
is surrounded by a collar D of suitable elastic material, such as india-rubber, and
this collar entirely fills the space between the dise B, on the lower end of the rod,
and the lower end of the body A. The stopper as thus described is ready for
insertion into the neck of the bottle, and closure is effected by raising the crosshead
from the lower plane of the bottom of the groove, and turning it so as to rest.on
the higher plane of the uncut portion of the head; the elevations in figures 1 and 3
show the crosshead thus raised, the effect being to draw up the rod and compress
the elastic collar D by means of the disc B thereby expanding it against the inside
of the bottle neck, and thus forming an air tight joint.
Though I have specified a.crosshead as the means of operating my stopper, yet
other means may be employed to effect the object in view, which is essentially the
providing of distinct planes on the head of the body A, which shall respectively
lock or retain in position, at either the relaxed or expanded condition of the elastic
collar, a suitable stop on the rod, by a simple lifting and turning movement. For
instance, as shown in Figure 2, a disc C might be employed with legs C¹ dropping
into holes cut in the head of the body, the difference in planes being obtained by
the depth of the holes; or again the head of the body can be made as in figure 3,
where more than two distinct planes are shown, the cross bar being as already
described raised from the groove or lower plane, and the bottler then selects the
higher plane according to the amount of expansion required in the elastic collar D
for it to efficiently close the bottle.
a
Again, an inclined path may be formed from one plane to the other as shown in
Figure 4 at E, the disc or crosshead being fitted with rollers F to travel therein.
In Figures 2 and 4 the sectional view shows the stopper ready for insertion into
the neck of the bottle and the elevation the position of the disc C. when the elastic
collar D is compressed for closing the bottle.
In order to give a slight frictional hold in the neck of the bottle, which shall serve
to prevent the stopper from dropping out when it is loosely re inserted for return
to the bottler by the consumer after emptying the bottle, a plug, strip, or ring of
elastic material G, Figure 5, may be let into the sides of the body A.
The lifting and turning movement for closing the stopper is effected by a suitable
tool or appliance, as for instance that which I illustrate in plan and elevation in
Figures 6 and 7 respectively. This tool consists of a pair of levers pivotted at H
to form a fulcrum for the lift, the bearing being taken on the uncut portion of the
head by the small rollers K, permitting an easy motion. The jaws Lengage under-
neath the ends of the crosshead C and raise it on compression of the handles M
clear of the groove; it is then partially rotated and dropped on to the higher plane
a relieve spring N being provided in this form of bottling tool. When used for the
form of stopper shown in figure 2, the bottling tool is slightly modified, no rollers
being provided at K, the bearing on the body of the stopper being obtained by a
space or spaces Q provided in the disc C. (Fig. 2)
I have specified one form of an appliance or bottling tool which will effect the
closure of my stopper, but other means can be devised which answer the purpose of
raising the crosshead or disc C from a lower to a higher plane, for instance in
Figure 4, where there is an inclined path from one plane to the other the disc C
can be rotated manually, a tool or appliance only being required to prevent the
body of the stopper from turning, and with a square shaped shoulder to the body
which can be held in position by the hand when the disc Ċ is rotated a tool can be
altogether dispensed with. The whole operation of closing the stopper may also be
effected by a bottling machine of suitable construction, which holds the bottle and

page_text: stopper body whilst the raising and turning of the stop is effected by the operation
of a treadle worked by the foot of the bottler, and various modifications of these
bottling tools or appliances may be from time to time devised for raising the cross-
bar C or its equivalent in my stopper from a lower to a higher plane and thus
closing the bottle in which it is inserted.
The stopper is unclosed by turning the crosshead or stop, or its equivalent, until
it drops to the lower plane, and the expanded collar being thereby relaxed, the
stopper may be withdrawn.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my invention and the
manner of its performance, be it known that I am aware than an expansible collar
has been used in combination with different devices, all of them, however, open to
objection on account of costly construction, and drawbacks of structural detail. Be
it therefore further known that I claim under my Letters Patent :-
In a bottle stopper, the combination of a body having distinct planes formed in
its head; with a rod having a stop or crosshead (or equivalent) to rest on either
plane and a disc compressing an expansible collar; the closure and opening of the
joint formed by the stopper in the neck of the bottle being controlled, manually or
by mechanical devices, by moving the stop from one plane to another and thereby
causing expansion or permitting relaxation of the collar, and locking or retaining
same in position, substantially as set forth..
In Witness whereof I, the said Martin Fenn Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred, and eighty-four.
Witness
S. P. WILDING.
23 Rood Lane, Fenchurch St.
"
London EC.
Patent Agent.
M. F ROBERTS (L.S.)