Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 27th May, 1887.
ANTHONY CHARLES FARRINGTON Shelfanger, Diss, Norfolk, Proprietor of the
Shelfanger Spa, and Mineral Water Establishment do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
-
My Improvements relate to stoppers of wood, china or other suitable material, the
component parts of which consist of a body which passes into the neck of the bottle,
a head or top part, and a small piece of suitable rubber Tube. The body is divided
into two parts which are kept separate by the said piece of Rubber. A tubular hole
passes through the head, upper part of body & some way into, but not through, the
lower part of same. This hole is occupied by a stem of metal to operate in, upon the
rubber. The stem is fixed firmly into the lower part of body, but has free room for
movement up and down in the head & upper part thereof My invention relates
particularly to graduated methods in such stoppers of quickly & by simple means
operating upon the rubber, more or less so that one stopper may fit into various sized
bottle necks.
To further describe my invention I may use a lever, graduated as to its connection
with the stem, which it raises or allows to drop and so either compresses or relaxes
the Rubber before referred to.
In another method I may substitute an oval ring or ring of suitably elongated form,
for, or in place of a lever, and graduated to a certain extent by teeth which, when the
said ring is pushed lengthways through the top of the stem, catch corresponding
teeth or rather ridges, on the head of stopper. The head being concave, and ridged
for that purpose. When the narrow part of said oval ring is mado to occupy the
bottom of the cavity referred to, the stem will recede, & the rubber be relaxed.
In another method I may by altering the upper surface of the head of stopper, shape
of the ring & its movement, effect the same result upon the rubber. In this case the
ring may have a swivel connection with the stem, and two graduated elevations may
be made, opposite each other on the head of the stopper-The ring may be made to
catch, and hold up the stem at different stages of elevation, the rubber being compressed
more or less according to the size of the bottle neck-To use this stopper the stem is

page_text: pulled up by the Ring which is then turned by its swivel joint, and lodged on the
graduated elevations on the head of the stopper.
Any of the stoppers described in this Specification may be made in different sizes.
From this circumstance, taken with the graduated character of my invention, it will bo
apparent that it will be found of much utility in being applicable to bottle necks of
different sizes.
Simplicity, and security also characterize the invention, because with but one or
two movements the object, that is, the effectually stoppering a bottle, is accomplished,
and its graduations secure the result.

page_text: Improvements in Bottle Stoppers.
ANTHONY CHARLES FARRINGTON, Shelfanger, Diss, Norfolk, Proprietor of the
Shelfanger Spa and Mineral Water Establishment, 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 improvements constituting this Invention relate to stoppers which may be hard
wood, turned, or made of china in the usual way, or of any such suitable material;
and the component parts of these Stoppers may for description be divided into a body
which passes easily into the neck of bottlo; the head which is of a larger diameter,
and rests on the top of the bottle; and a graduated lever, or a metal ring, which is
made to operate or compress, a piece of suitable rubber encircling a central metal stem
& placed thereon between the body & head portions of the stopper. The Stem passes
freely through the upper part and head of the Stopper, and is fixed into the lower.
The Invention more particularly relates, to a graduated method of regulating the
degree of pressure, upon the rubber, occasioning more or less circumferential swelling
of rubber & so suiting or adapting itself to different sized bottle necks, by a rapid &
simple movement.
The annexed Drawings shew three kinds of such graduated Stoppers. Fig. 1 is
a graduated lever stopper; A being the rubber encircling G, the stem B, the lower
part of the body C through which latter the stem freely passes, the being fixed
into B. D, is the graduated metal lever, the graduations which may number two or
more, being shown at H. F is the socket, and I the pin which receive the lever D.
To use this stopper, press the lever, having adjusted the gradation according to the
size of the neck of the bottle, (the higher snotches suiting larger necks and vice versa,)
and B the knob or lower part of the body, will be raised, and will compress A, the
rubber and so close the bottle. The fulcrum of the lever will be the head E, the
lever pressing on a small metal collar, resting thereon.
Lifting, or raising the lever, will relax the rubber, so that the bottle may be easily
opened, by removing the stopper. The gradations of D. Fig. 1. are more distinctly
shewn in Fig. 4 H. H. H. Fig. 2-This figure represents a graduated Ring stopper-
A being the rubber, B, the lower and disconnected part of the body C. D, is the
graduated Ring, the gradations being shewn at H which correspond with I a raised
ridge on the head E, the latter being sufficiently concave to allow the narrow part
of the oblong ring to drop into it, and fully relax the rubber A. F, is a loop or small
pulley surmounting the stem G; and through this loop or pulley, the ring D is passed.
To use this form of stopper, push the long part of the ring D through the loop or
pulley F until the rubber A presses against the bottle neck, and sufficiently closes
the bottle. In order to relax the rubber, and withdraw the stopper, move the ring D
into the position shewn in Fig. 2. This shews the loop or rather pulley F and
narrow part of the ring D drawn down into the concave head E by the extension of
the relaxed rubber.

page_text: Fig. is a vertical section of
gradations H Fig. 2.
Fig. 4. Show
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Fig. 3. shews the third kind of graduated stopper-A, the rubber-B the knob or
lower part of the body C-D a ring which when not in use rests on the head, of the
Stopper, E.
To use this stopper, turn D on its axis at F, a swivel joint, and force it to slide
up H, H, which are graduated, and raised portions of the head E hearing snotches to
catch the ring D at the degree required for compressing the rubber A sufficiently to
close the bottle securely. To relax the rubber, and so loosen the stopper reverse this
movement.
The stem G, as in the two preceeding forms of stoppers, herein described, passes
freely through the body C, and is fixed into the lower part B of the stopper.
The head E of this stopper should be angular, serrated, or otherwise made in such
manner as to give firmness to the grasp, when turning the ring Swivel D-The swivel
ring may be made in any fancy, and suitable shape.
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--
First The graduated method, substantially, of stoppering bottles, as shewn in
Figs. 1. 2. & 3, and described.
Second-The Snotches, Teeth, or gradations in the lever D, Fig. 1.
Third-The oblong Ring Fig. 2 D, and the Pulley E, Fig. 2; and the concave head
with the raised ridge, shewn in Figs. 2 & 5.
Fourth-The Swivel Ring D Fig. 3, and raised portions of the head, shown at H, H,
Fig. 3.
Dated this 4th of A1 1007