Improved Devices for Detecting the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles and like Receptacles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 16th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Devices for Detecting the Fraudulent Refilling of Bottles
and like Receptacles.
I, JOHANNES MEYER (Physician) of 110 Pennsylvania Avenue, Brooklyn, in
the County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 my invention is to provide a device adapted to be contained in
bottles or like receptacles, so arranged that it will indicate at a glance whether the
liquid contained in the bottle is that with which the bottle was originally filled or
liquid that has been introduced therein after the original contents have been
emptied. A further object of the invention is to construct a device of the above
character which will be simple, durable and economic
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the
several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the
claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure is a longitudinal vertical section through a bottle, illustrating the
indicating device in side elevation ;
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the floats, a portion of one of them being broken
away;
Figure 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of
Figure 4;
In carrying out the invention, as illustrated by Figures 1 to 5, the bottle A is
provided in its neck portion with opposing longitudinal grooves 10, and in the
bottom of the bottle recesses 11 are made, ordinarily two in number. The
indicating device consists of a lattice structure A', and a float B accompanying
the said lattice structure. All parts of the device are preferably made of glass,
and the various parts of the lattice structure are preferably circular in cross
section. The lattice structure consists of two uprights 12, which are contained
within the grooves 10 at the neck portion of the bottle and enter the recesses 11
in the bottom. The two uprights are connected near their upper ends preferably

page_text: by a cross bar 13, and below the said cross bar a substantially straight and shorter
bar 14 is located.
Below the cross bar 13 and the shorter bar 14 a series of inclined bars or
steps 15 is located between the side uprights 12, all of the said step bars 15
being given a downward inclination, and alternate step bars being secured to
opposite uprights, so that the step bars are at angles to one another, and a space
being made to intervene all of the opposing step bars so as to form thereby a
zig-zag passage from the top practically to the bottom of the aforesaid lattice
structure.
Beneath the main step bars 15 a series of auxiliary step bars 15ª are located,
graduated in length and having the same inclination and being attached to the
same upright as the main step bar beneath which they are placed. The zig-zag
passage from the bottom to the top is thus interrupted, and while an article may
be readily rolled down the zig-zag passage between the various steps from the top
to the bottom of the structure it cannot be floated upward or rolled upward,
owing to the various interruptions caused by the aforesaid minor or auxiliary
steps 15. Preferably the steps 15 and 15ª are omitted from the extreme upper
and lower portions of the structure. The upper portion of the lattice structure is
cemented or otherwise permanently secured in the bottle.
The float consists of a yoke 16 which is practically of the same length as the
length of the main steps 15, and each member of the yoke terminates in an eye 17,
through which a bar 18 is passed, carrying a hollow ball 19 at each end, the balls
being at each side of the yoke. All portions of the yoke are preferably made of
glass.
Before the bottle is filled with liquid the yoke 16 is hung upon the upper short
bar 14, the balls being at each side of the lattice structure, as shown in dotted lines
in Figure 1. The bottle is then filled with liquid and is closed by a cork 20 of any
description. When the bottle is filled the balls 19 will be floated by the liquid,
and before the bottle is wrapped for transportation, or is placed on sale, it is
shaken so as to dislodge the yoke 16 from the upper support 14, bringing the yoke
upon the uppermost step bar 15. As the liquid is poured out from the bottle the
float will descend to the level of the liquid, the yoke travelling down the zig-zag
path between the step bars, until, when all of the liquid has been emptied from the
bottle the float will be at the bottom of the lattice structure and will separate
therefrom, and in the event of the bottle being again filled the float will be carried
to the top outside of the lattice structure, since it will be practically impossible to
cause the yoke and attached balls to travel the upwardly interrupted zig-zag path
of the lattice structure to occupy the position it held when the bottle was originally
filled, thereby plainly indicating that the contents of the bottle are other thau were
originally placed therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An indicating device for liquid receiving receptacles, consisting of a lattice
like structure having a zig-zag path uninterrupted in one direction and interrupted
in the opposite direction, and a float adapted to travel along the said zig-zag path,
as and for the purpose specified.
2. An indicator for bottles and like receptacles, consisting of a lattice like
structure arranged to be secured within the bottle, the said structure consisting of
uprights and steps having a downward inclination extending in series alternately
from opposite uprights, whereby the steps are at angles to one another and form
between them a zig-zag path uninterrupted from one end in direction of the other
and being interrupted in the reverse direction, a yoke adapted to travel along the
zig-zag path between the steps, and floats attached to the said yoke, as and for the
purpose specified.
3. An indicator for bottles and like receptacles, consisting of a
lattice like

page_text: structure arranged to be secured within the bottle, the said structure consisting
of uprights and steps having a downward inclination and extending in series
alternately from opposite uprights, whereby the steps are at angles to one another
and form between them a zig-zag path uninterrupted from one end in direction of
the other, and being interrupted in the reverse direction, a yoke adapted to travel
along the zig-zag path between the steps, floats attached to the said yoke, and a
temporary support for the said yoke located in the lattice structure at one end of
the aforesaid zig-zag path, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In an indicator such as herein described, the float illustrated by Figure 4 and
consisting of a yoke and a cross bar secured thereto and carrying balls at its ends,
as and for the purpose set forth.
D
1900
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, Loudon, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, Loudon, Chartered Patent Agents.