Improved Means for Closing Bottles, Flasks, Cans, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Closing Bottles, Flasks, Cans, and the like.
A communication from abroad by the Firm of LINGNER AND KRAFT, of Dresden,
Saxony, German Empire, Manufacturers.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of the Firm of J. C. Mewburn and Ellis of 55 and
56 Chancery Lane in the County of London, Chartered Patent Agents, 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:-
This invention relates to the closing of bottles, flasks, cans and the like.
The improved means which constitute the invention comprise as the main parts:
(1) A cap adapted to be fitted over or forming part of the mouth or opening of the
bottle or other vessel; this cap is formed with an excentric aperture:
(2) A cover which is adapted to be mounted on the cap in such a manner as to be
capable of rotation thereon, and which is formed with two excentric apertures arranged
in the same position relatively to the centre as the aperture in the cap: and
(3) A closing piece which moves with the cover and is placed loosely between the
cap and the cover.
By turning the cover on the cap one aperture in the former can be brought over or
iuto coincidence with the aperture in the cap so as to allow of the contents of the bottle
flowing out in a stream or in the form of drops.
By turning the cover on the cap into the reverse position, the two apertures which
were in coincidence are shifted relatively or moved out of coincidence, and at the same
time the intermediate closing piece is moved with the cover in such a manner that the
said closing piece comes over the aperture in the cap and closes it.
This movable closing piece between the cap and the cover thus constitutes the main
portion of the closing device; it may be constructed of various forms as hereinafter
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
This improved closing may be employed to tightly close bottles, cans and the like
containing liquids, but even gases under pressure.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the separate parts of one modification of this improved closing
device, and Fig. 4 shows the said parts combined together to form the said closing
device.
A is the cap which is intended to be mounted and fixed with its cylindrical portion
directly on the mouth or opening of the bottle or other vessel to be closed. This
cap is provided with an excentric aperture a. B is the cover, provided with the two
apertures b and c and having its edge bent over the flange of the cap in such a manner
as to allow of the cover turning on the cap. Before the cover is placed into position
there is inserted between it and the cap, the closing piece d which has a flat under
surface bearing upon the cap, and a convex upper surface projecting into the aperture b
of the cover.
The closing piece d is of such size that its under surface is capable of completely
covering the aperture a in the cap A, whilst its convex upper surface projects slightly
through the aperture 6 of the cover, so that the cover when it is turned will carry the
closing piece with it.

page_text: In the position of the parts shown in Figure 4, the closing piece d closes the
aperture a. If the cover be turned so as to bring the aperture c-in the cover over the
aperture a, the contents of the bottle can then pass out.
From the above it will readily be understood that the lower surface of the closing
piece d (which is situated between the cover and the cap and is capable of moving with
the cover) constitutes the closing element and will act as such each time, when the
cover is in a suitable position relatively to the cap, because the smooth under surface of
the closing piece d will always follow up any bending of the surface of the cap, it being
in this connection immaterial whether the cover B is exactly parallel to that surface
of the cap in which the outflow aperture is provided.
The smooth under surface will also always effect a tight closure of the outflow
aperture a in the cap A, even when the closing piece is made of other shapes, of which
a few are shown by way of example in Figures 5 to 10. In Figure 5, the upper
surface of the. pieced is shown recessed. Into this recess there extends a stud
projecting from the cover in 'such a manner that when the cover is turned the closing
piece d is moved over the outflow aperture a of the cap in order to close the bottle, or
is moved away from said outflow aperture in order to open the bottle.
In Figure 6, the closing piece & is shown formed as a plate which is held against
the surface of the cap-by means of a coiled spring; in Figure 7 there is a similar
plate. d.held by means of a leaf spring; in both cases the plate d is moved by turning
the cover B.
In Figure 8, the closing piece d is of triangular form in cross section, and enters
with its apex or upper edge into a correspondingly formed prominence of the cover
which moves the closing piece d with it in its rotation.
An elastic material such as rubber, leather, cork &c. may also be inserted between
the cover and the plate-shaped closing piece d as shown in Figure 9.
If it is desired to have the outflow aperture in the centre of the closing device, this
may be done as shown in Figure 10, by pivotting the part that carries the closing
piece d, excentrically to the outflow aperture of the cap.
In all the modifications the smooth flat under surface of the closing piece d serves to
close the outflow aperture in the cap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me and in what manner 'the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
:-
1. As means for closing bottles, flasks, cans or other like vessels having
a cap with
an aperture therein, a closing piece.situated loosely between the said cap and an upper
rotatable cover which also has an aperture therein, the said closing piece moving with
the cover, so that in one position of the cover the closing piece closes the aperture in
the cap and in another position it is clear of this aperture, whilst the apertures in the
cap and cover are then in coincidence with each other, substantially as set forth.
2. A device for closing bottles, flasks, cans or other like vessels characterized by a
closing piece which is so arranged in the upper part of the closing device that it is
subject to and partakes of the circular motion of the upper part while it is independent
of the planet motions of the upper, substantially as set forth.
3. The improved means for closing bottles, flasks, cans and the like, comprising a
cap forming part of or fixed to the top of the bottle or the like and having an
excentrically situated aperture for the passage of the contents of the bottle or the like,
a cover mounted over said cap and provided with a similar aperture and with a hole
or inner cavity, and a closing piece arranged between the cap and the cover and
engaging with said hole or inner cavity, the arrangement being such that the cover.
can be rotated to move the closing piece so as to close or uncover the aperture in the
cap, whilst at the same time the aperture in the cover will be correspondingly moved
out of or into coincidence with the aperture in the cap, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown and for the purpose specified.
4. The improved means for closing bottles, flasks cans and the like, substantially as
hereinbefore described and for the purpose specified with reference respectively to

page_text: Figures 1 to 4; to Figure 5; to Figure 6; to Figure 7; to Figure 8 and to.
Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The improved means for closing bottles, flasks cans and the like, substantially as
herein before described and for the purpose specified with particular reference to.
Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of March 1897
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents..