IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DECANTING OF WINE AND OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Shaw, of Old Broad Street, in the
City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas George Shaw
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th May 1854.
I, THOMAS GEORGE SHAW, of Old Broad Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DECANTING OF WINE AND OTHER LIQUIDS" to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object a combination of apparatus for holding a
bottle in an inclined position to facilitate the drawing of the cork, and then
steadily to elevate the bottle by mechanism, so as readily to decant the contents.
For this purpose, a frame or stand is constructed, which carries a lever, cradle,
or frame, which is formed to receive a bottle, and there is an adjustable slide to
accommodate the cradle or lever frame to receive different sizes of bottles. The
cradle or lever frame is, when the cork has been drawn, gradually elevated by
mechanism, so as to decant the liquid steadily, and this is preferred to be done
by means of a screw working through a nut on axes. Provision is made for
having a candle or lamp in a convenient position, by which the progress of

page_text: decanting may be readily seen. By these means a bottle may not only with
convenience be supported in an inclined position when drawing the cork, but
by the aid of the mechanism be gradually and steadily elevated, in such
manner as to decant-the-whole or any part of-the-contained liquid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas George Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GEORGE SHAW, of Old Broad Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto ine, the said
Thomas George Shaw, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas George
Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas George Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DECANTING OF WINE AND OTHER LIQUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas George Shaw, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe'
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas George Shaw, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement thereof (that is to say): —
This Invention has for its object a combination of apparatus for holding a
bottle in an inclined position to facilitate the drawing of the cork, and then
steadily to elevate the bottle by mechanism so as readily to decant the contents.
:

page_text: For this purpose, a frame or stand is constructed, which carries a lever, cradle,.
or frame, which is formed to receive a bottle, and there is an adjustable slide
to accommodate the cradle or lever frame to receive different sizes of bottles.
The cradle or lever frame is, when the cork has been drawn, gradually elevated
by mechanism, so as to decant the liquid steadily, and this is preferred to be
done by means of a screw working through a nut on axes. Provision is made
for having a candle or lamp in a convenient position, by which the progress of
decanting may be readily seen. By these means a bottle may not only with.
convenience be supported in an inclined position when drawing the cork, but
by the aid of the mechanism be gradually and steadily elevated, in such
manner as to decant the whole or any part of the contained liquid.
.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of apparatus combined according to my
Invention, the parts being shewn in the position they would assume when
pouring out the contents of a bottle; the blue lines shewing the parts in a
suitable position for drawing the cork from the bottle when first placed in the
holder, and the red lines shew the position of the parts when the apparatus is
elevated so as to discharge the contents of the bottle. Figure 2 shows a plan
of the apparatus, and Figure 3 shews the friction pulley, with a ratchet wheel
and catch, to retain the apparatus at any desired elevation. a, a, is a frame
or stand which supports the axis of the lever, cradle, or frame b, b, which is
formed with a ring or collar b', to receive the neck of the bottle; and b is a
sliding rest upon the lever b, which is capable of adjustment so as to receive
different sizes of bottles. The ratchet and stop may be dispensed with, and
sufficient friction obtained by a break both in raising and lowering the lever
frame. c is a candle lamp, connected to the lever 6 by a pin joint, the light
being thus moved on a level with the flow of the liquid, so that the process
of decanting may be readily seen. d is a pulley, having a friction band d¹;
and e, e, is a ratchet and pull, to retain the lever b at any desired elevation.
The apparatus shown in the Drawing shews my improvements in the simplest
form; but when desired for purposes where greater steadiness of action than
can be obtained by lifting and lowering the frame 6 by hand, I employ a
screw to lift the lever frame, as shown at Figure 4, the nut through which the
screw works moving on axes or necks to admit of the screw being at all times
at right angles to the lever frame b.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise details ;
but what I claim is, the combined-apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I; the said Thomas George Shaw; have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
THO. GEO. SHAW. (L.s.)