IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE APPLICATION OF WIRE COVERINGS FOR SECURING THE CORKS OF BOTTLES CON- TAINING SPARKLING WINES OR OTHER FERMENTED OR EFFERVESCENT LIQUIDS
Year: 1874

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British &
Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, & 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
APPLICATION OF WIRE COVERINGS FOR SECURING THE CORKS OF BOTTLES CON-
TAINING SPARKLING WINES OR OTHER FERMENTED OR EFFERVESCENT LIQUIDS."
-A communication from Jean Adrian de Mestre, residing at
Bordeaux, France, Merchant.

page_text: means of which the wire which secures the liquid is broken, can be
applied to a double loop or four twists of wire descending to under the
ring of the bottle without the lower links, and even to a single loop or
twist crossing the cork transversally like an ordinary band.
These loops may be easily and rapidly applied by means of the new
apparatus called "apply loops," the double loop exercising a strong
pressure on the cork held at four opposite points, and the simple loop
depressing it strongly and transversally. This kind of band could be
sold thus, without previous shaping into a cap, packed in great quantities
in a small space, and ready to be applied, that is to say, the two ends
of the wire being passed through the ring of the twisted wire and having
only to be tightened after the compression of the cork.
When the corks of bottles containing gaseous or fermented liquids are
secured with wire the said corks are pressed down by the tension of the
said wire by means of pincers, the result of which is considerable loss or
frequent ruptures during the operation; while by using the new system
of corking the band, that is to say, the wire cap, or the loop alone,
sustains the pressure obtained by a machine, so that the solidity of the
wire, usefully tried in the making, is not affected by the strain of the
compression.
The Figures I., II., III., IV., V., VI., VII., VIII., of the annexed.
Drawings represent the first part of the said Invention; Fig. I. being a
sectional side elevation of the working size of the apparatus designed to
apply the simple loop or twist, and screwed to the machine, applying the
wire
cap to the bottle placed beneath; Fig. II., a front view of the immove-
able part of the same; Fig. III., a back elevation of the moveable part of
the same; Fig. IV., a plan top view of the same; Fig. V., a sectional side
elevation of the apparatus for applying the double loop; Fig. VI., a
front elevation of the immoveable part of the same; Fig. VII., a view
of a bottle provided with the double loop. In these Figures similar
letters indicate corresponding parts.
A, tube or cap of the machine, by means of which the wire cap is
applied, in the centre of which a screw cutting is formed, in which is
screwed a threaded rod on the top of the apparatus. B, immovable
part of this latter; C, wedge at the lower part of the piece B, and of
which the edge has been cut so as to practise a longitudinal groove to

page_text: receive the twisted wire; D, sockets or square slides, in which slide the
supports of the moveable part of the apparatus, so as either to draw this
moveable part near or to remove it to a distance, according to the length
of the loop to be applied; E, thumbscrew at cach side pressing upon the
supports to keep the moveable part at the required distance; F, little
spring steel blades, between which the twisted wire is seized from the
side of the ring, as shown in the Drawings, to be kept in the groove of
the wedge C; G, hollow box or moveable part of the apparatus; H, H,
moveable fork holding the part of the loop opposite to the ring, the
twisted wire being placed at the top of the angle (Fig. III.) and two
bands at the sides, as shown in the Drawings, the said fork oscillating,
so as by means of a lower inclined plane in combination with this rocking
movement to guide the bands of the loop under the ring of the bottle,
when the two ends of the wire are drawn forwards and downwards; I,
spiral spring acting upon the handle of the fork to bring it to its first
position; J, J, rods or supports of the moveable part; K, axis of the
fork H, articulated on the box G.
By means of forks, whose supports or rods will be as much lengthened
as the moveable part of the apparatus has to be removed from the im-
moveable part for the application of long loops, the wire band will
always be able to be brought beneath the ring of the bottle with the
same precision.
Fig. V. and VI. show a modification of this apparatus constructed to
apply the double loops or four twists reaching down below the ring of
the bottle; L is a truncated conc, substituted for the wedge C, and on
the lower flat part of which the top of the cork comes to be pressed for
the application of the double loop; a depression or notch is formed at
the back part of the said wedge, as in the wedge C, in order that the
moveable part G may easily be brought near, and that the fork may
work; M, M, adjustable supports or guides in rectangular sockets
crossing the immoveable piece B, and shown in dotted lines; N,
adjusting screws to keep the supports M in the required position; O,
spring steel blades adjustable in slots crossing the supports M, and on
which the wire band of the double loop is sustained, as shown in
Fig. V., and by means of which, when being inflected, the drawn out
band gets under the ring of the bottle, and the required position of the
lateral wire twists, which slide over the back part of these blades, is

page_text: obtained; P, r, adjusting screws of the Diades at the required
height.
The second part of the said Invention is represented in Figures IX.,
X., and XI.; Fig. IX. being a perspective view of the finger pincers;
Fig. X., a view of the thickness of the same; and Fig. XI., a modified
perspective view of the same.
In these Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
A, is a ring or finger stall, through which the first finger is passed; B,
another ring, through which the second finger is passed; C is a little
rod uniting the two rings, and on which rests the wire D, which is
inflected between a set of teeth in the external sides of the rings, the
said inflections preventing the wire from slipping when it is pressed, no
matter how little. On the external sides of the rings shoulders or pro-
jections are formed to press the thumb on the ring A and the third
finger on the ring B; little notches might be made with a file on the
rims of the teeth of the ring B, so that the wire may be better held, and
may be prevented from escaping under the rather oblique pressure of
the ring A. Each hand is armed with an apparatus during work; each
apparatus will do for either hand without distinction. In order to
facilitate the use of these apparatus, and their adaptation to all sizes of
fingers, it could be furnished with a material not so hard as metal, as
for instance twine, and lightened while modifying its form. Instead of
the set of teeth a little steel plate D, as shown, Fig. XI., could be used,
with chequered surfaces fitted in longer branches mounted on a hinge C.
In this case the shoulders and projections of Fig. IX. and X. will be
suppressed; the apparatus thus modified being more powerful to seize the
wire.
Many other modifications might be made, the object of the Invention
being the construction of a pair of pincers able to be adapted to the
hand of the workman, and to remain there the whole time of the work,
and to carry on the work without inconvenience to the workman.
Having thus described the said Invention, and the manner of carrying
it into effect, I claim and desire to secure by the said Royal Letters
Patent apparatus designed to apply single or double twisted wire, loops,
or bands, to the corks of bottles containing gaseous or fermented liquids,
and finger pincers adjusting themselves to the hand during the working,

page_text: as substantially herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- 5
four.
H. BONNEVILLE. (L.S)