An Improvement relating to the Stoppering of Wine Bottles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement relating to the Stoppering of Wine Bottles.
We, WILLIAM WATSON, 45 Rosary Road, Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich, in the
County of Norfolk, Hairdresser, and HENRY JAMES HARDING 31 King Street,
Norwich aforesaid, General Carrier, 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 :-
This invention relates to the stoppering of wine bottles and particularly
chainpagne bottles. It is well known that champagne and other bottled wines are
frequently spoiled and rendered undrinkable by contact with a bad cork. The
present invention is intended to obviate this loss and annoyance caused thereby
by protecting or covering the corks so that they cannot communicate any
detrimental flavour to the bottled wine.
In carrying this invention into effect, the corks are preferably compressed to
make them more firm and compact and they are then covered at the inner or
smaller end with a layer or two or more layers of suitably cleaned skin or other
impervious covering such as standard silver which will resist the action of the wine.
The said covering is secured on the cork in any suitable manner. According to a
modification of the invention an india rubber or like ring is employed to retain the
skin or other protecting covering in place and especially to protect said skin or
other covering while passing through the corking machine. The bottle neck is
formed with a part of larger diameter to receive said ring.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying views illustrate two corks protected by an
impervious covering at the end and constructed according to the present invention.
Figure 3 shows the rubber ring of Figure 2 detached; and Figure 4 shows the
inner compressed cork.
A is the cork; B is the covering therefor which is made of standard silver or
sheep skin or skin made from pig's bladder, or film from bullock's heart. The
said covering may be moulded in a suitable mould under the effects of heat or
moisture or otherwise so as to assume the shape of a thimble adapted to fit the
cork, or it may be cut from a piece of skin and folded over the cork. It is then
secured to the cork in any suitable manner, as for example by an elastic or other
band C Figure 1 which is passed around the covering and nips the same in an
annular recess formed around the cork. The said recess is made sufficiently deep
to entirely receive the band so that the latter does not interfere with the insertion
of the cork in the bottle neck. The covering may extend any desired or suitable
distance along the cork from the point thereof towards the large end.
For such a
cork as that shown in Figure 1 the bottle neck may either be cylindrical or have
a slight uniform taper from the outer to the inner end. The covering B of the
cork shown in Figure 2 is held in place by a tightly fitting rubber or other ring D
which extends from the head or top of the cork and is passed over the upper edge
of the covering B so as to firmly secure the same. The ring D may be cemented
or otherwise secured to the cork to prevent displacement thereof. The covering B
may also be secured by cement or by a band C as in Figure 1 in lieu of or in
addition to its being held by the ring D. The bottle neck is made wider at the
part which receives the ring D. In this modification the cork A is preferably
made cylindrical throughout its length.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A. cork having its end or point covered with sheep-skin or other suitable
impervious covering, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
2. A cork constructed substantially as described with reference to either of the
accompanying Figures 1 and 2 for the purpose specified.
Dated this 27th day of April 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.