Improved Means for Tightly Closing the Mouths of Jars, Metal Boxes, and other Vessels or Receptacles, and for analogous purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Tightly Closing the Mouths of Jars, Metal
Boxes, and other Vessels or Receptacles, and for analogous
purposes.
We, WILLIAM WILLIS, of The Platinotype Co., 22 Bloomsbury Street, in the
County of London, and WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, Engineer, of Upton Villa,
Penge, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention is designed to provide more efficient means than have heretofore
been devised for tightly closing jars, tin or other metal boxes and similar vessels or
receptacles having large apertures or mouths.
Our improved device is applicable for closing apertures of various shapes,
such, for example, as square, circular or oval, and is, therefore, useful not only
for stoppering jars, metal boxes or like vessels or receptacles, but also in other
cases where it is desired to tightly close an opening or passage.
Devices have been heretofore proposed for closing the mouths of pickle-jars and
like receptacles, so as to render them air-tight, by the lateral expansion of an india-
rubber ring when squeezed between two discs, which, after they have entered the
mouth of the jar, are drawn or forced towards each other by means of a screw or
lever; but such devices are not well adapted for vessels or receptacles whose
mouths are of large diameter, because too much force is necessary in order to
squeeze or compress the india-rubber ring sufficiently to ensure the requisite
tightness of the joint.
According to our invention we provide for accomplishing the desired result by
the compression of india-rubber or other suitable material directly between the
interior surface of the mouth of the vessel or receptacle or other opening or passage
and radially or laterally movable pieces or segments actuated by toggle-joints, or
by other suitable means.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown our improved stopper or closing
device applied to a tin-box or case, such, for example, as we use for containing
sensitized paper for photographic purposes.
Figure is a vertical central section showing the parts in the position which
they occupy when the stopper or closing device is inserted in the mouth of the box
or case.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the position which they occupy
when the stopper or closing device is tightly secured in the mouth of the box or
case.
Figure 3 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line x, x, Figure 1, the
cover hereinafter referred to being removed.
a is a plate or disc forming the body of the stopper or closing device. This
plate or disc is formed with a circular groove or channel a' near its edge, in which
groove or channel is secured a packing ring b of india-rubber or other suitable
material. Within the said ring and upon the plate or disc a are mounted radially
or laterally sliding pieces or segments c, of metal or other suitable material, which
are held in place by means of screws or stops d. The sliding pieces or segments c
are connected by toggle-arms or links e to a central tube or sleeve provided with
a knob or handle g and movable up and down on a stem or spindle fixed in the
plate or disc a. This stem or spindle is provided with a collar or nut j for the
purpose hereinafter specified.

page_text: By pressing down the knob or handle g, after the stopper or closing device has
been inserted in the box or case k as shown in Figure 1, the sliding segments c can
be simultaneously forced outward by the straightening of the toggle-joints into the
position shown in Figure 2. In this operation the flexible or compressible ring b
will be compressed between the interior surface of the mouth of the box or case k
and the said segments c, and the said box or case will thus be very tightly closed
so as to effectually exclude air.
To open the box or case, it is only necessary to exert an upward pull on the
knob or handle g; the inner ends of the toggle-arms e will thus be raised and the
segments c drawn inward so as to release the ring b, and the stopper or closing
device can then be lifted out of the box or case.
The parts are so constructed that the tube or sleeve f will bear against the
collar or nut when, in the depression of the said sleeve, the toggle-arms e
have just passed their dead centre, as shown in Figure 2, so that the inward
pressure exerted upon the segments c by the reaction of the flexible or com-
pressible ring will tend to hold the tube or sleeve down upon the said
collar or nut j, and thus prevent accidental slackening of the stopper or closing
device.
To limit the inward movement of the segments c, we make each of them with a
shoulder which, when the segment has been moved inward sufficiently to release
the ring b, will come against the corresponding screw or stop d.
We sometimes provide the box or case or other vessel or receptacle with an
internal shoulder k¹ which will serve as a support for the stopper or closing
device and will withstand the downward force exerted to tighten the same.
Or we form a shoulder by enlarging the diameter of the mouth of the box or
other vessel or receptacle. We can, however, make the stopper or closing device
with a flange or the like to bear upon the top of the vessel or receptacle for this
purpose.
In the drawing we have shown our closing device provided, with a cover l
secured in place by screws m, for enclosing the moving parts. This cover may,
however, be dispensed with if desired.
In cases where an opening or passage has to be closed against internal pressure,
we prefer to provide around the same a groove or recess into which, when the
toggle-joints are straightened, the laterally sliding pieces or segments will force
the compressible ring, and into which the said picces or segments will enter, so
that the stopper or closing device cannot be forced out by the internal pressure
until the toggle-joints are folded and the sliding pieces or segments thus moved
inward.
The device shown in the drawing is provided with four radially movable
pieces or segments c. It is obvious, however, that we can employ any other
suitable number of such movable pieces or segments for the purpose of our said
invention.
The said radially or laterally movable pieces may, if desired, be made of any
other suitable shape according to the shape of the opening or passage to be closed
by our improved device. Moreover other suitable means can be employed for
actuating the said movable pieces or segments as and for the purposes above
specified; for example, screws or cams or eccentrics worked by the rotation or
other movement of a central knob or handle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. A stopper or closing device comprising a packing ring, radially or
laterally movable pieces or segments within the same, and suitable means for
forcibly moving outward the said pieces or segments, substantially as hereinbefore
described and for the purpose specified.
Second. The radially or laterally movable pieces or segments arranged within

page_text: the packing ring and connected by toggle-arms or links with the movable tube or
sleeve, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Third. The improved stopper or closing device constructed substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawing and operating as, and for
the purposes, above specified.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1896
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.