A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF PROTECTING OR PREVENTING FRAUDULENT INTERFERENCE WITH THE CONTENTS OF BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander of 36 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents for an
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF PROTECTING OR
PREVENTING FRAUDULENT INTERFERENCE WITH THE CONTENTS OF BOTTLES
AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES "communicated to him from abroad by Charles
Cheswright of Paris in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1883.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE
"}
OR METHOD OF PROTECTING OR PREVENTING FRAUDULENT INTERFERENCE WITH
THE CONTENTS OF BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES a communication to me
from abroad by Charles Cheswright of Paris in the Republic of France,
;
Extensive frauds having been perpetrated by the refilling of old labelled and
other bottles by the removal of the capsule from the bottle neck and by boring
holes in the bottom of the same, the object of the present invention is to prevent
such practice which I accomplish by first covering the entire bottle with the well
known cage of wire or other netting then applying over the neck and netting a
laterally perforated or a plain capsule the sides of which are embedded into the
netting by the ordinary hydraulic or mechanical pressure capsuling machine, thus
preventing removal of the capsule without mutilation. Having thus secured the
mouth of the bottle I twist the wires of the lower part of the netting and pass
them through holes in or solder them to a second capsule (or disc of fusible or other
suitable metal fitting accurately over the bottom of the bottle. This bottom
capsule may be perforated round the sides to facilitate its destruction when
required to be removed but in all cases the top capsule the netting and the bottom
capsule or disc of metal as the case may be are to be so united together as to
render it impossible to remove any one of them without detection. Two flat discs
of fusible or other suitable metal can also be used to which wires can be soldered
when the bottom of the bottle is not required to be protected. In some cases the
wires can be made long enough to be plaited into the network of the cage in the
upper middle or lower part of the bottle.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th October 1883.
"
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents. A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE
OR METHOD OF PROTECTING OR PREVENTING FRAUDULENT INTERFERENCE WITH
THE CONTENTS OF BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES." A communication to me
from abroad by Charles Cheswright of Paris in the Republic of France.
The said Invention relates to a mode or method of protecting or preventing
fraudulent interference with the contents of bottles and other similar receptacles it
having been found that frequent frauds are perpetrated either by removing the
protective capsule from the neck of the bottle or by drilling a hole through the
bottom of the bottle in order to extract its contents and then refilling the
receptacle with inferior liquid. The object of the present invention is to render
such fraud impossible of execution without certain detection. For this purpose the
entire bottle is enclosed in the well known cage of wire or other netting and over
the neck and netting I apply a laterally perforated or a plain metal capsule similar
to those in present use the sides of which capsule are imbedded into the netting
by hydraulic or mechanical pressure applied by the well known capsuling machine
thus preventing removal of the said capsule without mutilation or destruction
thereof. Having thus secured the mouth of the bottle the wires at the lower part
of the netting are secured in any suitable manner to a second capsule or disc of
fusible or other suitable metal fitted accurately over the bottom of the bottle.
This bottom capsule may be perforated round the sides to ensure its destruction by
any attempt to remove it, but in all cases the top capsule the netting and the
bottom capsule or disc as the case may be are to be so united together as to render
it impossible to remove any one of them without detection. In some cases the
wires can be made long enough to be plaited or twisted back into the network of
the cage in the upper middle or lower part of the bottle.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the explanatory drawing which represents a bottle capsuled and protected at the
neck and bottom according to this invention.
Having fixed the network or wire cage A already used for bottles containing
wines or spirits and which may have large or small meshes I fix a plain or
ornamental or laterally perforated capsule at the top as shown at B this capsule is
fixed by means of the ordinary capsuling machine by hydraulic or mechanical
pressure in such a manner that the perforated parts or sides shall penetrate into
the wire work of the cage hence the said capsule cannot be removed without
being defaced or destroyed.
.
The neck of the bottle having been thus protected the ends of the wires of the
cage are twisted at the lower part and made to pass through a cup or botton
capsule C of fusible or other suitable sheet metal covering the bottom of the
bottle.
This cup or capsule C may be perforated on its circumference or edges to ensure
its destruction in case of its being removed and should by preference be the exact
counterpart of the bottom of the bottle which it completely covers.
In some cases two flat discs of capsule metal may be used to which the wires
may be soldered. Or the network may be fixed to the metal botton by solder or
otherwise, or the wires may be long enough to be twisted into the network of
the cage at the top bottom or middle of the bottle. In any case the network the

page_text: capsule and the bottom cup or disc are so united together that none of the parts
can be removed to admit of any tampering with the contents of the bottle.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent is:-
The combination of a cage encircling a bottle or similar receptacle a perforated
or plain capsule which covers the neck of the said receptacle and a cup or second
capsule or disc which receives or covers the bottom of the bottle the said cage and
capsules or discs being securely united together substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
In witness whereof I the said Edwin Powley Alexander have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty sixth day of October in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER (LB)