AN IMPROVED BOTTLE STOPPER
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Settle, of Camden Town, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BOTTLE STOPPER."-A
communication from abroad by John Matthews, of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 81st October 1865, and dated the 29th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Settle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1865.
I, WILLIAM SETTLE, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BOTTLE
STOPPER," a communication to me from abroad by John Matthews, of New
York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in improved stoppers to be attached to bottles, from
which they are not required to be removed when the liquid is poured out, the
necks of the bottles being formed for the purpose. The said stopper consists
of a coiled spring having its top end bent over and fixed to a central wire or
rod carrying a valve composed of a disc of india-rubber between two buttons,
the upper one of which is less than the other. The stopper is inserted by

page_text: simply thrusting the valve through the neck of the bottle; the disc folds
around the upper button during 'the passage into the bottle, while the greater
size of the lower button prevents the withdrawal of the valve as the disc folds
over it in attempting to force it out of the bottle. The lower coil of the
spring rests on a shoulder in the neck of the bottle, and the top of the neck is
taper for preventing the spring from coming out, but at the same time
allowing the coils to be pressed together. When the spring is not pressed it
pulls up the disc against the bottom of the neck and effectually stops the
passage, but when the spring is pressed down the valve moves with it and
opens the bottle.
If required, the bottle can be opened without any instrument, although it
may be preferable to employ one having a central tube to pass into the neck
of the bottle, and spring legs for clasping the outside of the bottle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Settle in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the 28th
November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SETTLE, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
ne, the said William Settle, Her special licence that I, the said William
Settle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Settle, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make.
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Treland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED BOTTLE STOPPER," a communication to me from abroad by John
Matthews, of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Settle, my executors or adminis
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Settle, 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
(that is to say):―
.
This Invention consists in improved stoppers to be attached to bottles, from
which they are not required to be removed when the liquid is poured out, the
necks of the bottles being formed for the purpose. The said stopper consists
of a coiled spring having its top end bent over and fixed to a central wire or
rod carrying a valve composed of a disc of india-rubber between two buttons,
the upper one of which is less than the other. The stopper is inserted by
simply thrusting the valve through the neck of the bottle; the disc folds
around the upper button during the passage into the bottle, while the greater
size of the lower button prevents the withdrawal of the valve as the disc folds
over it in attempting to force it out of the bottle. The lower coil of the
spring rests on a shoulder in the neck of the bottle, and the top of the neck is
taper for preventing the spring from coming out, but at the same time
allowing the coils to be pressed together. When the spring is not pressed it
pulls up the disc against the bottom of the neck and effectually stops the
passage, but when the spring is pressed down, the valve moves with it and
opens the bottle.
If required, the bottle can be opened without any instrument, although it
be preferable to employ one having a central tube to pass into the neck
of the bottle, and spring legs for clasping the outside of the bottle.
may
This Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the figures and
letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a
bottle provided with and closed by my improved stopper; Fig. 2, the bottle
opened, and the instrument which opens it; Fig. 3, a detached view of the
stopper; and Fig. 4, a detached view of the opening instrument.
In Fig. 3 the top of the spring a is bent over and soldered or fixed to the
valve rod c, carrying at its lower end an upper button d, a disc of india-
rubber e, and a lower button f. The stopper is placed in the bottle by
pushing the valve through the neck g, Figs. 1 and 2, and during the passage
of the valve the rubber disc e folds around the upper button d. When the
stopper is fairly entered, its withdrawal is prevented by the rubber disc folding
over the lower button f, which is of greater size than the upper button d.
The spring a rests on a shoulder formed at the top of the neck of the bottle,
and keeps the rubber disc close up to the lower part of the neck, and

page_text: effectually closes the bottle. The instrument, shewn in Fig. 4, for opening
the bottles consists of a central tube h fixed to a cap i, having spring legs k,
which clasp the outside of the mouth of the bottle; and the stopper is opened
by simply passing the tube h into the mouth 1, and pressing down the spring,
so as to place the valve below the neck, as shewn in Fig. 2.
Among the advantages claimed for this stopper are the following:-It is
simple and easily understood; it is durable, and not liable to get out of order;
it has no moveable joints to wear, becomes stiff by age, or corrode; it is self-
closing; no corks, wire, twine, or cork fasteners are necessary when this
stopper is used; it retains the internal pressure on the bottle with much
greater certainty than a cork, and effects a great saving in material by pre-
venting the leakage of the enclosed fluid; the stopper always remains
attached to the bottle, and cannot be lost, as it is not necessary to remove it
from the bottle to pour out the liquid.
For effervescing beverages, such as sparkling wine, ale, cider, root beer,
ginger pop, or soda water, it is peculiarly advantageous, as the greater the
pressure in the bottle the tighter the stopper,
It can, if required, be opened without any instrument, although it may be
preferable to use one.
The bottling of mineral waters can be accomplished with the same
machinery at present in use, with very slight modifications. Soda or mineral
water may be bottled more rapidly than at present, as no time is lost in tying,
adjusting cork fasteners, or in thrusting the cork into the bottle.
The breakage of bottles resulting from thrusting the cork into the bottle is
avoided; an important consideration to bottlers of soda or mineral waters.
The bottle cannot be broken by over-filling, as nothing is thrust into the neck
of the bottle after the bottle is filled.
The machinery required to fill bottles closed by the stopper with liquids
under pressure is more simple, and consequently less expensive. A single
glass or portion of a glass of ale, mineral water, or other liquid under
pressure may be drawn from the bottle, leaving the remaining contents of the
bottle fresh and sparkling for use when required. After pouring the fluid
from bottles closed in the usual manner it often happens that a small portion
of the liquid remains in the bottle, After standing for some time the liquid
dries, leaving a scale or crust on the bottle, which is difficult to remove by
washing. In bottles closed by this stopper the interior of the bottle always
remains moist, the sediment or liquid does not dry, and the bottle is more
easily washed.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim the improved bottle stopper as herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Settle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM SETTLE. (L.S.)