An Improved Device for Holding or Retaining a Cork or Stopper in a Bottle.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Holding or Retaining a Cork or Stopper
in a Bottle.
I, JOHN FRANKS BEALE, of No. 36, Ludgate Hill, in the Administrative County
of London, India-rubber Expert, 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:-
The present invention relates to an improved device for holding or retaining
a cork or stopper in a bottle, and the chief object of it is as a means of indicating
that the contents of the bottle on which it is used is poison, but of course it can
be used on any other bottles than those containing poison; and other objects of
it are as an additional means for holding down the stopper of a bottle containing,
say, a gas in solution to prevent the stopper being raised or blown out by increase
of internal pressure which may arise, for instance, through a slight increase in
temperature of the room in which the, bottle. is placed; and to prevent the
stopper leaving the bottle in the event of the latter becoming accidentally over-
turned.
According to my invention, the device consists essentially of three portions,
a clip or collar adapted to embrace or fit around and grip the neck of the bottle.
a stretchable band or cord secured to the clip or collar and adapted to be stretched
more or less tightly over the cork or stopper, and a thumb piece or knob on the
band to enable the latter to be readily moved on to or off the stopper as required.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have illustrated it in the
accompanying drawings and will now proceed to describe it in detail with reference
to the said drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 shews, in side elevation, my holder in its general form applied to
an ordinary chemist's bottle.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder detached from the bottle, and
possessing a slightly modified form of thumb piece.
Figure 4 is a detached perspective view of the elastic or stretchable straddle
band.
Figure 5 is a detached perspective view of a modified form of the clip or
collar.
e,
a is the clip or collar; b is the elastic or stretchable straddle band; c is the
thumb-piece or knob on the band b; d, d are the studs or hooks on the clip
or collar a; e are non-stretchable insertion pieces for strengthening and
preventing the band of rubber or other stretchable material becoming torn at the
junction of the said band with the thumb-piece c or fastenings d d; f. f indicate
the two free ends of the clip a; and 9, 9 are holes in the ends of the straddle
band b.
The clip or collar a of the device may be made of metal, vulcanite, leather, or
any other suitable material, and may be of an elastic, springy, flexible, or rigid
nature, and it may be entirely in one endless piece or ring or in one piece divided

page_text: or severed at one part so as to have two ends f, f and be capable of being opened
out to a certain extent so as to fit different sizes of necks or again, it may be
formed of two or more pieces hinged or connected together. It is preferably or
advantageously composed of flat spring steel divided or severed as above described
and having its extremities ff slightly curved outwards or curled round so as to
ease its placement around the neck of the bottle and prevent damaging the
same by avoiding sharp edges.
When studs are employed as the means of attaching the straddle band b
to the clip or collar a the said clip has holes pierced through it for the passage
of the pin of the said stud; on the other hand the clip may be provided with
hooks d d as shewn in Figure 5 in which case holes g g or hooks may be provided
at the ends of straddle band to engage therewith.
It will be understood that this clip when of springy material such a spring
steel is sprung on to the neck of the bottle which it grips more or less tightly
by virtue of its elasticity which latter also enables it to fit several different sizes
of necks. When it is made of elastic or stretchable material it is. preferable to form
it integral with the straddle band b; in which case to place it on the bottle it is
stretched over the neck thereof, and in this form will obviously likewise fit many
different sized necks; and lastly, when composed of rigid or substantially inflexible
or non-stretchable material it may be made to fit and fasten around the neck in a
permanent manner that is to say not with the intention of being removable.
To each side at opposite points of the clip or collar a is either fastened, removably
connected or attached, or made integral therewith, an elastic or stretchable band
or cord 6 forming a loop of a length normally insufficient to straddle the stopper
or cork when in place in the bottle, but readily stretchable to that extent. This
band 6 may be advantageously either wholly or partly composed of india-rubber,
and may be fastened or connected to the clip or collar a by means of studs dd
passed through a hole in each end of the said band and through similar holes gg
in the clip and riveted or turned over' on the inside; or by means of hooks or
catches on the ends of the band engaging in hooks d, d, or other suitable com-
plementary halves of the fastening adopted, on the clip or collar a. This band b
is also preferably fitted with insertion pieces of canvas or other suitable non-
stretchable material e, e, at parts likely to be torn by the fittings.
The elastic or stretchable band is preferably provided with a knob or thumb-
piece to facilitate the handling of it; this thumb-piece being, of any suitable
form such for instance as that shewn in Figure 1 wherein it consists of a flat
piece of metal loosely connected to a rectangular wire ring which in turn is
connected to the material of the band b by passing transversely through it under
one of the insertion strips e therein; or the said thumb-piece may consist simply
of a split or plain ring such as shewn in Figure 3.
A label or ticket may be affixed or attached to any part of the holder and said
label or ticket may bear any device, mark, word or words, signs, or characters;
or, such signs or words may be cast, impressed, embossed, engraved, printed or
otherwise produced in or upon the holder itself.
The operation of the invention is as follows:-
The holder, by means of the clip or collar a having been fitted upon the neck
of the bottle and the stopper being in place therein, the elastic or stretchable
band is stretched and raised upon the stopper or cork by means of the thumb-
piece so that the said band by reason of being under tension due to the
stretching rests upon the top of the stopper as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and exerts
a downward pressure thereon tending to force the stopper downwards and so holding
or retaining it in place, as desired. When some of the contents of the bottle is
required it is necessary to first lift the band off the stopper drawing it over to the
side when the stopper may be removed as usual. It is this deliberate lifting of the
holder from the stopper which renders the invention of especial value for use on
poison bottles and other special bottles,

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. A device for holding or retaining the stopper or cork in a bottle, consisting
cssentially of an endless or divided clip or collar which may be either elastic
or non-elastic to fit around the neck of the bottle, an elastic or stretchable band or
cord integral with attached or connected to said clip or collar so as to form a loop
to straddle the stopper or cork, and a thumb-piece integral with or connected to
said stretchable band or cord, as described and set forth.
2. The combination with a bottle, jar or like vessel of the device for holding
or retaining the stopper or cork therein, consisting essentially of an endless or
divided clip or collar which may be either elastic or non-elastic fitting around the
neck of the vessel, an elastic or stretchable band or cord integral with attached
or connected to said clip or collar and forming a loop straddling the stopper or
cork, and a thumb-piece integral with or connected to said stretchable band or cord,
as described and set forth.
ated the ɔth day of April 109.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.