Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN WILLIAM HALL, of 13 Solway View, Whitehaven in the County of
Cumberland, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved means of securing stoppers in bottles, and
other vessels, whereby the stopper will be securely held in place, and may be readily
fastened or unfastened.
The Invention consists of a clip, adapted to embrace the head of the stopper,
and to engage by inwardly turned hooks at diametrically opposite points with a
circumferential groove around the neck of the bottle, said clip being movable
laterally upon, under, or through, a guide bar fixed upon the head of the stopper
in such a manner as to allow of the laterally sliding motion of the clip, this lateral
motion having for effect to bring the clip into its diametrical position across the
bottle stopper or to disengage it entirely from the bottle neck. The guide bar is,
preferably, at right angles to the length of the clip, and the stopper is, preferably,
recessed beneath the guide bar to allow the clip to lie close against the head of
the stopper. The clip is prevented from being detached from the stopper by
means of stops formed either on the bar, or on the stopper, or on both, as most
convenient.

page_text: I, JOHN WILLIAM HALL of 13 Solway View Whitehaven in the County of
Cumberland Engineer 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 :-
My Invention relates to improved means of securing stoppers in bottles and
other hollow vessels whereby the stopper will be securely held in place, and may
be readily fastened and unfastened. I will describe my Invention as applied to a
bottle, but I would have it clearly understood that it is equally applicable to other
hollow vessels such as jars, etc.
The Invention consists of a clip adapted to embrace the head of the stopper and
to engage by inwardly turned ends or hooks at diametrically opposite points with
a circumferential groove or flange formed around the neck of the bottle, said clip
being movable laterally so as to bring the clip into its diametrical position across
the bottle stopper or to disengage it entirely from the bottle neck as the case may
be, and movable preferably upon, under, or through a guide bar secured upon the
head of the stopper in such manner as to allow of the laterally sliding motion of
the clip.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of the bottle neck and stopper, the
latter being secured in place on the bottle neck and shewn partly in section on
line 1-1 figure 2. Figure 2 is a vertical section of the bottle neck and stopper,
the section being taken at right angles to the clip, partly through the axis of the
stopper and partly on line 2-2 figure 1. Figure 3 shews a plan of the stopper
with the clip etc applied while figure 3 shews a plan of the head of the stopper
without the clip. Figure 4 shews the guide bar developed in the flat. Figure 5
shews a vertical section, and figure 6 a plan of a modification in which the clip
slides under the guide bar. Figures 7 and 8 shew an elevation and plan of another
modification in which the guide bar is slotted the guide bar and part of the clip
being shewn in section in figure 7, and figure 9 shews a plan of the head of the
stopper used grooved to receive the guide bar in this modification. Figure 10
shews in plan a stopper more especially designed for pickle-jars, etc.
The same
letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures which are drawn on an
enlarged scale.
The stopper, which may be of glass or any other suitable material, is provided
with a conical plug or body portion a surrounded by cork, india-rubber, or other
suitable packing 6 adapted to fit in the bottle mouth. The stopper is formed with
a flat disc-shaped head a¹ corresponding to the external diameter of the mouth of
the bottle.
The means of this Invention for securing the stopper in the bottle consists of a
clip passing diametrically across the disc head a¹ and formed with downwardly
turned end portions c¹ terminating in inwardly turned end portions or hooks c²
which engage in the manner shewn in figures 1 and 5 with the circumferential
groove d (or with a flange when the bottle has no groove) formed around the bottle
neck so as to securely retain the stopper in place. This clip preferably works
along a guide bar e fixed upon the head of the stopper at right angles to the length

page_text: of the clip. The guide bar is permanently fixed to the head of the stopper, its
ends e being bent down and turned inwardly so as to embrace the edge of the
head, as shewn, and received in notches d* in the head. The head of the stopper
is moulded or formed with a transverse groove or recess a² in its top, edge, and
underside, in which the guide bar e is received, and it is preferably of such a depth
that the guide bar shall be flush with the upper surface, circumference, and under-
side of the head. This groove is for a part of its length made deeper at each
side a³ a³ as shewn in figure 3º, leaving a central rib a on which the guide bar
rests, the recesses on each side of the central piece being for the purpose of giving
clearance for the lateral movement of the clip.
The clip may be connected to and guided by the bar in various ways;-In
figures 1, 2, and 3, the clip is provided with a lateral extension or tail piece f
formed in the centre of the clip whose edges f¹ are bent inwards so as to embrace
the edges of the guide bar (as shewn in figure 1) the tail piece f working freely
thereon so as to admit of the clip being slid into the diametrical position shewn in
full lines in figure 3 or into the position shewn in dotted lines in the same figure.
As will be seen in figure 1 the rib a* on the head of the stopper is so much
narrower than the guide bar e as is necessary to allow clearance for the inwardly
turned edges f1 of the tail piece f. The clip c is preferably made of sheet-metal
which is also preferably fitted or doubled inwards at the edges c³ as shewn in
figure 2 so as to give the clip the necessary stiffness. The clip c and its extension f
when formed out of metal, are preferably stamped out in one piece, and to give
the necessary rigidity at the neck or point where the extension springs from the.
clip, the metal is cupped or struck up as shewn at x. The motion of the clip is
limited by stops formed by shoulders e³ of the guide bar e which shoulders serve
also to fix the guide bar centrally in the groove. The shoulders on the guide bar
are at such distance from the edge of the head of the stopper as to allow the clip
to move in one direction far enough for its ends to be released from the neck of the
bottle, and in the other to limit the movement of the clip to its diametrical or
locked position.
In figures 5 and 6 the clip is simply cranked or bent and passed beneath the
guide bar so as to work between it and the stopper head. In this case the groove a
in the stopper is of two widths, the wider portion being sufficiently deep to admit
of the clip moving freely beneath the guide bar e while the narrower portion is of
only such depth that the guide bar shall be flush with the upper surface of the
head of the stopper. The movement of the clip in one direction is limited by the
shoulders h h on the head of the stopper, while in the other direction its move-
ment is limited by the shoulders ii on the guide bar. The guide bar is bent over
or around the edges of the stopper and secured thereto as above described.
In figures 7 and 8 the guide bar e is slotted and embraced between the tail-piece f
and a second strip of metal f' beneath the guide bar and of greater width than the
slot the upwardly bent ends f¹ of this strip being narrow enough to pass through
the slot and being rivetted or otherwise fixed to the tail-piece f. In this case the
groove in the head of the stopper is of equal width and has a recess or groove in
the centre in which the strip f' is received.
In each of the forms in which a tail-piece is used to attach the clip to the guide
bar the clip preferably moves in one direction from its diametrical or locked position
across the stopper head, that is from the centre of the stopper to the opposite side
to that on which the said tail of the clip is placed.
In figure 10 I have shewn in plan a stopper more especially designed for pickle-
bottles or other large mouthed vessels. The heads of these stoppers are usually
made of metal and in this case I may dispense with the guide bar and secure the
clip to the head of the stopper by pins g on the clip engaging with and sliding in a
transverse groove a³ in the head of the stopper.
The guide bar would preferably be of zinc, and it is bent transversely at the
dotted lines in figure 4 to form the portions e¹ which embrace the edge and pass
under the head of the stopper.
.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1. The combination with a stopper for bottles and other hollow vessels of a clip
embracing the head of the stopper, and having downwardly and inwardly turned
ends adapted to engage in a groove or under a flange around the neck of the bottle
or other vessel, the clip being fitted or arranged to slide laterally across the head
of the stopper for the purpose of engaging and disengaging it as specified.
2. As a means for securing stoppers to bottles and other hollow vessels, the com-
bination with a transverse clip embracing the head of the stopper and having
downwardly and inwardly turned ends adapted to engage under a flange or in a
groove around the neck of the bottle or other vessel, and of a guide bar affixed_to
the stopper at right angles to the clip upon, under, or through which guide bar the
clip is fitted or arranged to slide, whereby the clip is permanently connected to the
stopper and is guided in its lateral movement, substantially as described in the
Specification and shewn in the drawings.