IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BOTTLE STOPPERS
Year: 1888

page_text: We, GEORGE A. GEMUNDEN, and ALBERT F. GARTNER, both of Savannah, in
the County of Chatham, and State of Georgia, United States of America, Gentlemen,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR BOTTLE STOPPERS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention is intended to take the place of the present plan of wiring bottles,
or such vessels, whose corks or stoppers must be held in place, either because of the
pressure of the contained fluid, or for other reasons.
In carrying out our invention, we employ a bottle or vessel having a groove of
required shape in its neck, into which a metal device is pressed, for retaining the cork
or stopper.
The metal device consists of one or more washers and a guard, in one piece. The
washers are flat, and of disk form and the guard is bent over upon them, its centre
being bent up so as to form an arch or bow. A slight pressure on the arch will
straighten out the guard, and force it into the groove so as to hold the washers in
The opening in the neck of
place, and prevent the cork or stopper from coming out.
the bottle is smaller in diameter below the groove than above it, a shoulder being
thus formed on which the washer can rest, and so be prevented from falling below
the groove.
In the drawing Figures 1, 2 and 3 show different forms of the metal device, con-
sisting of two washers and the guard before folding; Figures 4 and 5 show a single
washer and the guard before folding Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views showing
the washers and guard folded and applied to the bottle, the guard being arched,
Figure 6 showing the double washer, and Figure 7 a single washer: Figures 8 and 9
are similar views showing the guard straightened out and forced into the groove;
Figures 10 and 11 are plan views of the washers and guard when the guard is
straightened out; and Figure 12 is a view of the metal device, shown in Figure 3,
when folded.
+
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
.

page_text: A represents the washers, and B the guard, which are struck out in one piece from
any suitable elastic sheet metal. The washers and guard may, if preferred, be per-
forated at their centres, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, for the purpose of allowing a
corkscrew to be inserted when it is required to draw the cork from the bottle.
C represents the upper portion of the neck of a bottle having near its end an interior
circumferential groove e molded or blown therein. The opening in the neck of the
bottle is smaller in diameter below the groove than above it as shown, a shoulder c'
being thus formed on which the washer rests. D represents a cork or stopper.
In operation the metal devices are folded as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the guard
being arched; and when the cork has been forced into the bottle so that its top will
be on a line with, or just below, the shoulder, the metal device is inserted, and by
applying pressure to the arched guard it will be straightened out and forced into the
groovec, thus holding the washers in place and preventing the cork or stopper from
being ejected by the pressure of the fluid contained in the vessel.
The metal devices illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, are best adapted for use
when the fluid in the vessel has no inherent pressure when first put in the botile, but
from which a pressure may be afterwards generated by steaming or otherwise. When,
however, our device is to be used in connection with bottles containing soda water,
aerated mineral waters, and the like beverages, where the cork has to be held in the
bottle by means of the plunger, which forces it into the bottle, until it is secured, we
prefer to use the device illustrated in Figures 3 and 12, which is provided with a
slot in the guard and one of the washers, and with a recess in the other washer,
to enable it to clear the plunger while being forced into the groove in the bottle. The
slots and recess also allow a cork-screw to be worked into the cork.
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. The combination with a bottle, having near its mouth an interior projecting
shoulder and a circumferential groove, of a cork fitting the neck of the bottle below
the groove, and a securing device adapted to rest on the projecting shoulder and con-
sisting of a metal washer and guard, the guard being arched and bent over on the
washer, and adapted, when straightened out, to be forced into the groove, substantially
as specified.
2. A metal securing device for bottles, consisting of the washers A A and the
guard B, formed of one piece of sheet metal, and provided with the slot band recess b¹,
substantially as specified.
Dated this Third day of August 1888.
GEORGE A. GEMUNDEN.
ALBERT F. GARTNER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.