IMPROVE- MENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS SUITABLE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens, Saint
John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS SUITABLE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER
John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS SUITABLE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR VESSELS.
Sealed the 29th August 1862; and dated the 16th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
May 1862.
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of No. 15; Abbey Gardens, Saint John's Wood;
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS SUITABLE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES,
JARS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers or covers
suitable for closing bottles, jars, and other similar vessels. For this purpose
I employ a plate or lid of earthenware, or any suitable rigid material, and
which may either be made to lay flat over the mouth of the vessel, or it
may be made with a conical or straight projection to enter the mouth of
the vessel, which may be similarly coned or made straight to receive it. In
either case I introduce a ring of vulcanized india-rubber, or other elastic
or soft material between the bearing surface of the stopper or cover, and

page_text: the mouth of the vessel. In order to press the lid or stopper downwards,
and secure it to the bottle, jar, or vessel, I employ a screw and nut, these
are fitted into a recess in the centre of the upper side of the lid by turning
the screw the nut can be traversed up and down vertically, the screw being
kept from traversing independently of the cover by collars, which bear on the
plate which carries it, and which is attached to the stopper or cover. The
nut carries two, three, four, or other convenient number of arms, which radiate
from it, these lay in grooves acting as guides, and to prevent the arms turning
in the upper surface of the lid the said arms have claws, pin-jointed, or other-
wise connected to them at their end, which catch into projections on the neck,
or around the mouth of the bottle, jar, or vessel. Thus by turning the screw
the claws are caused to draw the stopper or cover downwards, so as to make
a perfectly air-tight joint between it and the mouth of the bottle, jar, or
vessel. The projections on the neck or around the mouth of the bottle, jar,
or vessel are by preference recessed or undercut so that the claws cannot
possibly be removed from the projections until they are released by the screw.
The screw is turned by means of a key fixed in a suitable knob or handle
and which enters a corresponding recess in the end of the screw. The radial
arms are not necessarily connected with the nut, but may each be made to
turn on a centre, and the screw may be made to act on their inner ends to
raise and lower them simultaneously, or each claw may have a screw on its
stem, and this may be made to pass through a nut carried by the plate or lid.
The nuts in this case have pinions fixed or formed on them, and these are all
turned simultaneously by a spur wheel or toothed ring gearing with all of them.
In some cases I cut a screw thread round the edge of the stopper or cover,
to receive a corresponding screw ring, which when the stopper or cover has
been secured, as already described, may by turning it round be brought
down so as to cover the claws, and the bottle, jar, or vessel, to which the
stopper or cover has been applied will then appear very much as if an ordinary
capsule had been applied to it..
1
In order to draw up the claws to secure the stopper or cover a cam or
eccentric, on a horizontal axis may be used in place of a screw, and the
tightening will then be effected by turning the cam or eccentric partly round.
In making a cheap stopper for small bottles, I modify the arrangement by
making the arms and claws of twisted wire, and in one piece. There is an
open loop or ring left at the centre, which passes over the centre screw, and
bears on the nut, thereon, by turning the screw as before the nut is raised,
the claws are made to take hold of the projections in the neck of the bottle,
and the stopper is thus secured. The screw in this case is not permanently

page_text: secured in its place, it can be removed when the claws are free, and it draws
up the claws by pressing down on the bottom of the recess, in which it works
as before explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHAN
THOMPSON, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens, Saint John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto
me, the said Nathan Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said Nathan
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Nathan Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS SUITABLE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that, I, the said
Nathan Thompson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nathan Thompson 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in stoppers or covers suitable
for closing bottles, jars, and other similar vessels. For this purpose I employ
rigid material, and which
a plate or lid of earthenware, or any suitable
may either be made to lay flat over the mouth of the vessel or it may

page_text: made with a conical or straight projection to enter the mouth of the vessel,
which may be similarly coned or made straight to receive it. In either case I
introduce a ring of vulcanized india-rubber or other elastic or soft material
between the bearing surface of the stopper or cover and the mouth of the
vessel. In order to press the lid-or-stopper-downwards and secure it to the
bottle, jar, or vessel, I employ a screw and nut; these are fitted into a recess
in the centre of the upper side of the lid by turning the screw, the nut can be
traversed-up and down vertically, the screw being kept from traversing inde-
pendently of the cover by collars which bear on the piece which carries it, and
which is attached to the stopper or cover. The nut carries two, three, four, or
other convenient number of arms, which radiate from it ;- these lay in grooves
acting as guides, to prevent the arms turning in the upper surface of the lid,
and the said arms have claws, pin-jointed or otherwise connected to them at
their end, which catch into projections on the neck or around the mouth of the
bottle, jar, or vessel. Thus, by turning the screw the claws are caused to draw
the stopper or cover downwards, so as to make a perfectly air-tight joint
between it and the mouth of the bottle, jar, or vessel. The projections on the
neck or around the mouth of the bottle, jar, or vessel are, by preference;
recessed or undercut, so that the claws cannot possibly be removed from the
projections until they are released by the screw. The screw is turned by
means of a key fixed in a suitable knob or handle, and which enters a corre.
sponding recess in the end of the screw.
Figure 1 is a plan of a stopper or cover for a jar or similar vessel, arranged
as above described; Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken at the
line 1, 1, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a vertical section, of a
jar, suitable to receive the stopper or cover shewn at Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 5 is a side view of the jar and cover, the latter being only placed on
loosely; Figure 6 is a similar view of the jar and cover, with the latter fully
secured.
a, a, is a plate of earthenware or similar material forming the lid of the jar,
it may, if desired, be formed with a projection to enter the jar as an ordinary
bottle stopper, but as this is not necessary, I have not so shewn it in the
Drawings, but is made to rest flat on the top of the neck of the jar, a ring b
of vulcanized india-rubber being interposed between the two rigid surfaces to
form a more perfect joint. At the centre of the lid a is a recess, into which a
piece of cast metal c is fitted; this piece is made with a stem c' at the bottom,
and a washer d is placed over the stem on the under side of the lid, and the
piece is secured by rivetting the stem over. c², c², are four horns or projections
with which the piece c is furnished; they embrace between them the stem of

page_text: the screw e between the two collars e, e, so that the screw is prevented moving
up or down independently of the piece c and the cover. The lower collar e'
on the screw e is made separately to allow of the parts being put together; it
is placed on when the screw is between the horns in the position it is to
occupy, and is secured by solder or otherwise. f is a nut on the screw e, it.
has four arms f,f', which lay in grooves in the cover, and have the claws.
9, 9, pin-jointed to their ends. A plan of the parts f, f', and g is shewn sepa-
rately at Figure 7, and a side view of the same at Figure 8. When the cover is
put into its place, as is. shewn at Figure 5, the claws turn down under the
flange h round the neck of the jar, and the stems of the claws pass through the
notches h¹, h¹, therein; then by turning the screw by a suitable key, the claws
are drawn up, and the stopper or cover is secured, so as to close the vessel air-
tight. The radial arms are not necessarily connected with the nut, but may.
each be made to turn on a centre, and the screw may be made to act on their
inner ends to raise and lower them simultaneously.
Figure 9 is a side view, and Figure 10 a vertical section of this arrange-
ment. a, a, is, as before, a plate of earthenware, forming the lid of the vessel;
it is formed with a recess at the centre, into which the nut f is in this case.
fixed by cement; in it the screw e works, having collars e¹ upon it as before,
and the ends of the arms f' which now are separate from the nut, enter
between these collars, and may be there loosely secured to keep the parts.
together when the cover is off. The arms f', f¹, are made to rest on the
cover at f, fs, about which points they pivot, and the arms have claws g at their
ends, as in the previous arrangement. It will be seen that by turning the
screw e so as to make it enter the nut f, the arms f¹ may be made to draw up.
the claws and secure the stopper or cover, or by turning the screw in the.
contrary direction, the claws are set free to allow the stopper or cover to be
removed. According to another, arrangement, each claw may have a screw
on its stem, and this may be made to pass through a nut carried by the plate.
or lid. The nuts, in this case, have pinions fixed or formed on them, and
these are all turned simultaneously by a spur wheel or toothed ring gearing
with all of them. A plan of a jar, and a stopper, or cover, of this construction,:
is shewn at Figure 13, and a transverse section of the same at Figure 14. α
is a portion of a jar, it has a flange round its neck, which is notched at a¹, a¹ i
b is a metal ring fixed round the neck of the jar, and having projections 6¹
upon it, to which the screw stems c, c, are pin-jointed, and these have nuts c¹
upon them; these nuts have, as is shewn, teeth at their peripheries; d is the
lid, conveniently made of earthenware as before, into a recess at the centre of
it the piece e is cemented, and this holds the centre or axis of the spur wheel-

page_text: f, which, however, can turn freely, and it has a recess at its centre to receive a
key, by which it may be turned. In the edge of the lid d, four notches d¹ are
formed, these notches are in part radial, as is shewn, and then turn and proceed
a short distance at right angles to this direction, and thus recesses are formed
at the ends of the radial portions of the notches. To put the stopper or cover
into its place on the jar, and secure it, the screw stems c and their nuts ¿¹ being
in the position in which they are shewn by the red lines in the Drawing, the
stopper or cover is first dropped on, so that the radial notches in its edge come
over the notches in the flange of the jar, the stems c are then moved into the
notches as they are shewn and brought into gear with the spur-wheel, then by
turning the lid partly round the stems, enter the recesses at the ends of the
notches, and are so locked in position; the spur-wheelf being now turned it
rötates the nuts-until the stopper or. cover is secured. In some cases I cut a
screw thread round the edge of the stopper or cover to receive a corresponding
screw ring, which, when the stopper or cover has been secured, as already
described, may, by turning it round, be brought down, so as to cover the claws,
and the bottle, jar, or vessel, to which the stopper or cover has been applied,
will then appear very much as if an ordinary capsule had been applied to it.
In order to draw up the claws to secure the stopper or cover, a cam or excentric,
on a horizontal axis, may be used in place of a screw, and the tightening will
then be effected by turning the cam or excentric partly round. In making a
cheap stopper for small bottles; I.modify the arrangement by making the arms
and claws of twisted wire, and in one piece. There is an open loop or ring
left at the centre, which passes over the centre screw, and bears on the nut
thereon. By turning the screw as before the nut is raised, the claws are
made to take hold of the projections on the neck of the bottle, and the stopper
is thus secured. The screw in this case is not permanently secured in its place,
it can be removed when the claws are free, and it draws up the claws by
pressing down on the bottom of the recess in which it works, as before
explained.
:
Figure 15 is a vertical section of a stopper or cover arranged in this manner,
it is suitable for closing a bottle or similar, vessel. a, a, is the neck of a bottle,
it has a flange a¹ at the top, with notches in it at two opposite sides; b is a
lid, fitting on to the flange a¹ of the bottle, a ring of vulcanized india-rubber,
or other suitable soft material, being by preference interposed as before; c is
a screw resting in a recess at the centre of the cover, and having the nut d
upon it; e is a piece of wire twisted round the nut d, it has cross pieces at its
ends, and when the stopper or cover is put into its place, as it is shewn in the
Drawing, the two ends of the wire e, e, which pass down through slots in the

page_text: lid b, are pressed inwards, and made to enter the slots in the flange on the
neck of the bottle, and then by a suitable key, the screw c is turned, and the
nut d made to traverse upwards, this tightens the wire e, (its ends being retained
by the cross pieces on them), and the stopper or cover is thus secured.
Figure 16 is a side view; Figure 17 a vertical section; and Figure 18 a
plan of a modification of the arrangement just described, the neck of the bottle
is somewhat altered in form; the cover b is also altered in shape, and is made
of metal, the joint being made tight by a piece of cork or similar material b¹ ;
the screw c is attached to the cover, but so that it can turn freely, the parts d
and e are substantially as they are shewn in Figure 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Thompson, have hereunto set my
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
NATHAN THOMPSON. (L.s.)