IMPROVEMENTS ON STOPPER LOCKING DEVICES AND APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES. AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES DANA MATTISON of New York City United States of America Artist
and Citizen of the United States do hereby declare the nature of my Invention.
for IMPROVEMENTS ON STOPPER LOCKING DEVICES AND APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES.
AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES 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 stopper for a bottle or similar
receptacle which is adapted to be raised and lowered by a screw, which screw can
only be turned by a special koy. Therefore when the stopper is driven down to its'
seat by turning the screw and the key is removed, the screw cannot be rotated so'
as to raise the stopper by reason of the peculiar construction of the apparatus.
.
.
"
In the annexed Drawings which illustrate my Invention, Figure 1 is a vertical,
mid-section of my apparatus showing the stopper seated and the key removed.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus detached from the bottle. Figure 3
is a horizontal cross-section on line 3 - - 3 in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view
of the screw at the top of the stem showing the key hole. Figure 5 shows side
and edge views of the key detached. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate slight modifications
which are hereinafter described.
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In order to distinguish between' what is new and what is old in these stoppering
devices, I will say that heretofore collars have been made to embrace the neck of
a bottle below the collet, and a bail has been hinged or pivoted to this; in the top
bar of this bail a nut has been constructed and the screw-threaded stem of the
stopper passed through this nut. This is merely a screw stopper and any one may
remove the stopper at will. My Invention contemplates means for preventing the
removal of the stopper except by the use of a special key.
A is an adjustable collar to embrace the neck B (Figure 1) of the bottle and C
is the bail hinged to the collar at a a in the usual way. D is the stopper which
is usually of rubber and provided with a sheet metal cap b. E is a tube within
which is the screw F, the latter being retained in place in the tube by the turning
in of the tube E over the ends of the screw. The stopper D is preferably connected
to the tube E by means of a stem c the spherical head of which is embedded in
the rubber forming the stopper.
The neck of the stem c passes through the cap band through the bottom of the
tube E and a head on the upper end of the stem secures it in place. On the top
of the tube E is secured. a case -G which houses the upper end of the same and

page_text: which has in its top a key hole a as best seen in Figure 4. The tube E has
longitudinal slots ee at each side which extend, or may extend, nearly its entire
length. The tube E fits snugly in and plays through a hole in the cross bar or
plate f of the bail C and inwardly projecting teeth g g on this bar project through
the slots e e in the tube and engage the screw threads on the screw F thus playing
the part of a nut.
It will be seen that the screw F is simply encased in the tube E, and is not
connected with it in any way, nor with the stopper. That is to say, it may rotate
freely independently of the tube and stopper but it must move longitudinally with
the said tubo and stopper. But if the screw be turned the engagement of its
threads with the teeth g g will move it longitudinally through fand it will carry
the tube and stopper with it, but the tube cannot turn by reason of the engagement
of the teeth g with the sides of the slots e e in said tube.
I will now describe the means I employ for rotating the screw. In the top of
the screw I sink or bore an axial socket h (see Figures 1 and 3) and cut a cross
groove or niche in the screw also. These are to receive the key H shown
detached in Figure 5. This key I usually make from a flat plate of steel, and I
provide it with a tang ; (which may turn in the bore n in the screw F) side flanges
or wings kk which engage the niche i in the screw and a neck / which may turn
in the enlarged central part of the key hole d in the casing G.
When the apparatus is secured to the bottle which may be effected by the
collar A in the usual way, and it is desired to seat the stopper so as to close the
bottle, the stopper is brought over the mouth of the bottle and the key inserted
until it properly engages the socket in the screw F; it is then turned by the thumb
and finger whereby the screw is rotated and the stopper run down and firmly
seated.
The key is then removed and the stopper cannot be unseated except by means of
the key.
It will be seen that the screw is so housed and enclosed by the tube E and
casing G that it cannot be seized and turned by any ordinary means or devices,
and the rotation of the stopper, even if this could be effected would effect nothing
as it rotates independently of the screw.
When the key is inserted at the key hole d the wings k may not coincide with
the niche i in the screw, but space is allowed between the end of the screw and the
crown of the casing G to receive the winged portion of the key and it may easily
be turned until the wings are brought to coincide with the niche i.
Although I prefer to make the stem c whereby the stopper is connected with
the tube E independent of the screw, this is not absolutely essential. I may turn
or form a stem on the lower end of the screw and then affix a spherical knob on
this stem to receive the stopper.
This construction is clearly shown in Figure 6. Or what is the same, the stem
may be formed on the knob, and then secured in a socket in the screw. I do not
limit myself to any means of attaching the stopper to the tube E or the screw.
As the strain in seating the stopper is not very great I may rely on the teeth g
shown in Figure 1, which are merely parts of the sheet metal, to perform the office
of nut, but I may employ as well the construction shown in Figure 7 in lieu of the
above. This is, in substance, a solid metal nut with the screw threads cut away
except at the parts on opposite sides where they engage the slots in the tube E.
Indeed the nut may be formed in various ways. For example it might be enclosed
in the tube E and have lugs to project through the slots e and be secured to f.
I prefer to provide the tube E with two slots arranged oppositely, and provide the
nut with teeth on opposite sides to engage these slots, but it is obvious that the
apparatus might be made to work with but one slot, and teeth on but one side.
This would not serve so good a purpose however, as the strain would be on one
side. The screw may have a steep pitch and be many threaded if desired.
The essential novel features of my Invention are the slotted tube and the
casing G and means for rotating the screw with a special key.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a stopper-lock for bottles and similar receptacles, the combination with
the bail, provided with a nut, of the stopper, the screw provided with a key socket,
the slotted tube which encloses the screw, and the casing secured to the said tube
and provided with a key hole, substantially as set forth.
2. In a stopper-lock for bottles and similar receptacles the combination with the
bail provided with a nut, of the stopper, the slotted tube E, the stem o for attaching
the stopper to the tube, the enclosed screw F provided with a key socket in its
upper end and the casing G provided with a key-hole to receive the key, arranged
substantially as set forth.