Improvements in Means for Closing Bottles and other similar Vessels to Prevent the Fraudulent Insertion of Liquid into same.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1893-Accepted. 13th May,
1993
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Closing Bottles and other similar
Vessels to Prevent the Fraudulent Insertion of Liquid into same.
I JULES EMMANUEL CLERC of 29 Cours du 30 Juillet, Bordeaux (Gironde),
France, Chemist and Druggist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Several ways of closing bottles have been proposed with the view of preventing
the fraudulent refilling of the bottle with a liquid of inferior quality to that it
originally contained; some of these arrangements comprise as the obturating device
a metal ball or sphere which allows the original liquid to be poured out but
prevents the introduction of fresh liquid into the bottle. These arrangements,
however, have not allowed of a satisfactory result being obtained. In fact it is
always possible with certain precautions to introduce liquid; it is sufficient for that
purpose to incline or reverse the bottle and to then force in liquid by means of a
pump or by slight jerks, the ball or sphere occupying by virtue of its weight a
position sufficiently distant from its seat. It is this defect which I propose to
avoid by the system which is the object of my present application for Patent.
The principle of my invention consists in the idea of employing a floating
obturating ball, that is to say, a ball lighter than the water or other liquid, I con-
struct this ball of hollow metal and by preference of aluminium or of any other
material; it is thus impossible to introduce liquid when the bottle is turned upside
down since the liquid forced in carries with it the ball and forces it against its seat.
To secure the ball in this closing position, even when the bottle is in the horizontal
position, I employ an additional ball, smaller and of heavier material, which drives
forward the first ball under the action of the liquid.
My invention differs from previous methods in the combination of parts which
compose the obturator and in those which complete the closing.
My device consists of a sheath the lower end of which is narrowed conically and
which forms an opening through which the liquid passes. The internal conical
opening thus formed constitutes a seat for the obturating ball valve; the sheath or
Focket fits into a cork stopper which enters the neck of the bottle. At its upper
part the sheath is provided with a collar. In this sheath is fitted a hood composed
of small split metal blades; the hood receives a small plate of hollowed out form to
which is secured a nipple of widened form. The plate is provided with a rim or
ledge to rest upon the collar, with openings for the passage of the liquid and with
a central hole. The hood is also provided at its bottom with a hole and the
nipple is screw threaded, so that a screw introduced into the hood passes through
the plate and screws into the nipple, firmly uniting these three parts. This conical
device is placed in the sheath and a cap secures the collar of the sheath and the
rim or ledge of the plate. This cap also carries the pouring out device. Before
introducing the split hood into the sheath a light hollow ball is introduced which
constitutes the obturating valve together with a small heavy ball. The function of
this heavy ball is easily understood. If this bottle is placed in a horizontal position
so as to endeavour to refill it whilst in that position the heavy ball descends the
length of the cone and drives back the hollow obturating ball. The opening is
thus closed. If it is attempted by turning the bottle upside down, to refill it by
forcing liquid in, the liquid entering the neck will cause the hollow ball to float,
will raise it and thus ensure a tight closing so that no liquid can enter..
The widened form of the nipple also prevents the introduction of a wire into the
opening to impede the operation of the hollow obturating ball and the heavy ball.
My device when in place is surrounded by a capsule which covers the neck of

page_text: the bottle, this capsule can be provided with any of the known safety devices such
as a rivetted eyelet hole and seal.
One of the features of my invention consists as will be well understood in the
combination of the two balls the one large and light which constitutes the obturator,
the other smaller and heavy which pushes the obturating ball against its seat in the
inclined or vertical positions whilst the said hollow ball alone effects a closing of
the bottle by floating, if the bottle is reversed and liquid attempted to be forced in.
Dated this 9th day of June 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Closing Bottles and other similar
Vessels to Prevent the Fraudulent Insertion of Liquid into same.
I, JULES EMMANUEL CLERC of 29 Cours du 30 Juillet, Bordeaux, Gironde,
France Chemist and Druggist, 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 :-
Several ways of closing bottles have been proposed with the view of preventing
the fraudulent refilling of the bottle with a liquid of inferior quality to that which
it originally contained; some of these arrangements have comprised as the
obturating device a metal ball or sphere which allows the original liquid to be
poured out but prevents the introduction of fresh liquid into the bottle. These
-arrangements however have not allowed of a satisfactory result being obtained.
In fact it has always been possible with certain precautions to introduce liquid; it
has been sufficient for that purpose to incline or reverse the bottle and to then
force in liquid by means of a pump or by slight jerks, the ball or sphere occupying
by virtue of its weight a position sufficiently distant from its seat. The object of
my present invention is to overcome this defect.
My invention is based upon the employment of a floating obturating ball, that is
to say, a ball lighter than the water or other liquid. I construct this ball of
hollow metal, by preference aluminium, or of any other suitable material. This
ball renders it impossible to introduce liquid when the bottle is turned upside down,
since the liquid forced into the bottle neck carries the ball with it and forces it
against its seat. To secure the ball in this closing position even when the bottle
is in the horizontal position, 1 employ an additional ball, smaller and of heavier
material, which drives forward the first ball under the action of the liquid.
My invention differs from previous methods in the combination of parts which
form the obturator and in those which complete the closing.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings represents in clevation my invention applied
to a bottle, Figure 2 being a vertical section of the same. A is a sheath (seen
separately in Figures 3, 4 and 5) the lower end a of which is narrowed conically
and has an opening o through which the liquid passes; the internal conical opening
thus formed constitutes a seat for the obturating ball valve b, seen separately in
Figure 6. The sheath fits into a cork stopper B which enters the neck C of the
bottle. At its upper part the sheath is provided with a collar c. In this sheath
is placed a hood D consisting of small split metal blades (seen separately in
Figures 7, 8 and 9); this hood receives a small dished plate E; (see Figures 10
and 11), on which is placed the nipple F (see Figures 12 and 13). The plate E
has a rim or ledge d to rest on the collar c, and has also openings eee fff for the
passage of the liquid and a central hole g. The hood D has also a hole h at top
and the nipple F has a hole i which is screw-threaded, so that a screw k introduced
into the hood can be passed through the plate E and screwed into the nipple F
firmly uniting these three pieces together; the combination of these parts is seen

page_text: separately in Figure 14 and also in position in the sheath A in Figure 2. This
conical device is placed in the sheath A and a cap G (seen separately in
Figures 15, 16 and 17) having its rim or edge turned in at 7 unites the collar c of
the sheath A and the rim or ledge of the plate E; this cap also carries the
mouth piece x.
Before introducing the split hood D into the sheath the light hollow ball b
which constitutes the obturating valve is inserted, and also a small heavier ball m,
the latter being seen separately in Figure 18. The function of this heavier ball m
is readily understood. If the bottle be placed in a horizontal position (see
Figure 19) so that an attempt may be made to refill it whilst in that position the
heavy ball in runs down the cone D and drives back the hollow obturating ball b;
the opening o is thus closed. If it be attempted by turning the bottle upside down
(see Figure 20) to refill it by forcing liquid in or by forming a vacuum therein,
the liquid entering the neck will cause the hollow ball to float, will lift it and
thus ensure a tight closing so that no liquid can enter. The widened form of the
nipple F (see Figures 2, 19 and 20) prevents the introduction of a wire to impede
the operation of the hollow obturating ball and the heavy ball. Finally when in
place my device is surrounded by a capsule X which covers the neck of the bottle;
this capsule can be provided with any of the known safety devices such as a
rivetted eyelet and seal.
One of the characteristic features of my invention as will be well understood is
the combination of the two balls, the one large and light which constitutes the
obturator, the other smaller and heavier which pushes the obturating ball against
its seat in the horizontal or vertical positions of the bottle whilst the said hollow
ball alone effects a closing of the bottle by floating if the bottle be reversed and
liquid be forced into the neck.
Although I have described my invention only as applied to bottles, it is applicable
to other similar vessels such for example as flagons.
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 in respect of means for closing bottles and other similar vessels to prevent
the fraudulent insertion of liquid into same is :-
1. The combination with a sheath having a conical opening or seat at its inner
end and a light ball valve, fitting on the said seat, of an internal conical hood
containing a ball of heavy material which ball in the upright or horizontal position
of the bottle presses upon the light ball so as to keep it on its seat and thereby
close the opening of the bottle, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of parts consisting of the sheath having a valve seat at its
inner end, the light ball valve, the internal conical hood, the ball of heavy material,
and the nipple widened at its upper end to prevent the introducion of a wire or the
like, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
3. The means, substantially as herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, for closing bottles and other similar vessels to prevent
the fraudulent insertion of liquid into same.
Dated this 4th day of March 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.