Improvements in or relating to Stoppering Bottles and other Vessels to Prevent them being Refilled without Detection.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th. Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left: 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Stoppering Bottles and other Vessels
to Prevent them being Refilled without Detection.
RICHARD EDGCUMBE 2, Culford Road, London, N. Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates. to improvements in hermetically stoppered bottles, and
other vessels, and has for its object, a simple means of preventing them from, being
refilled without detection, after they are once opened.
I construct my invention in the following manner,
Near the mouth of an ordinary glass bottle, or other vessel, I form externally a
circular indentation, or gutter, so that the wall of the bottle will be much, thinner
at the bottom of the gutter than the. wall on either side of the gutter, I then insert
a cork, tightly in the neck of the bottle below the circular gutter, I..then place
(flatware) upon, the cork in, the neck of the, bottle, a disc of tin foil, or other
suitable material.. I then fill the remaining opening in the month of the bottle
with moist Portland cement, or any other desired cement that will, set quite hard,
and hermetically, seal. the mouth of the bottle.. Thus if a glass bottle is filled, and
its mouth constructed and closed in the manner as above described, a. light blow
given upon the portion of the bottle above the gutter will cause it to break off
at the gutter formation, and so expose, the, cork, which may be, extracted, in the
ordinary, manner, and further prevent the bottle from being refilled and used again
without detection.
In some cases I serrate (internally) the upper, portion above the, gutter to
receive the cement and I form internally a shallow gutter, opposite the external
gutter to ensure the breaking off with a clean finish, and when, labels are, used
over the top of the bottle, I perforate, them opposite, the gutters. In cases
where I use a cork only, the upper part will be removed, by the extraction; of
the cork.
Dated this 5th day of February 1896.
Improvements in or relating to Stoppering Bottles and other Vessels
... to Prevent them being Refilled without Detection.
.
..I, RICHARD EDGCUMBE of 33, Tedworth Square, Chelsea, (formerly of
2, Culford Road, N.) Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to stoppering bottles jars or other necked vessels to which
same may be applicable and bas for its object to prevent same being re-filled without
detention

page_text: present
Is as follows
Near the mouth of the neck of an ordinary glass bottle or other vessel I form a
circular indentation or gutter either externally or internally or both so that the
wall of the bottle will be much thinner at the bottom of the gutter than the wall
on either side of the gutter or I may weaken the neck of the bottle etc. at this
point in any other equivalent or suitable manner.
I then insert a cork tightly in the neck of the bottle to a point below this
circular gutter or weakened portion of the neck and then place (flatways) upon the
cork in the neck of the bottle a piece of tin foil or other suitable material advan-
tageously a disc approximately of the same diameter as the internal diameter of
the bottle neck.
I then fill the space remaining above the cork in the mouth of the bottle with
Portland cement or any other desired cement or other suitable material in a plastic
or other suitable state that will set quite hard and adhere to the inside of the
mouth of the hottle.
Thus if a glass bottle is filled and its neck constructed and closed in the manner
as above described the portion of the neck of the bottle above the gutter can be
readily knocked off or forced in any suitable manner to cause it to break off at the
gutter formation and so expose the cork which latter may then be extracted in the
ordinary manner while the removal of this top part of the neck of the bottle
prevents the latter being refilled and used again without detection.
If desired I may serrate or groove or otherwise suitably form (internally)' the
upper portion of the neck above the said gutter to receive the cement and key
same therein in any suitable manner and also if desired I may form internally
a shallow gutter opposite the external gutter to ensure the breaking off with a
clean finish and when labels are used over the top of the bottle I may perforate
them opposite the gutters.
In cases where I use a cork only the upper part will be removed by the extraction
of the cork.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the neck of a glass bottle (such as are now
commonly used for bottling spirits or beer) having my present improvements applied
thereto.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 1-1 Fig. 1.
A is.bottle neck,
a is collar thereon.
a is circular channel on the exterior of said bottle neck to weaken the latter all
round at this point.
A is that part of bottle neck above the channel or gutter a*.
bis cork which is driven in to neck A below said groove a* or thereabouts.
c is loose disc or sheet of tin foil paper or other suitable material.
d is cement (or equivalent) which is packed within the mouth of the bottle above
the cork 6 and there sets hard.
To open the bottle-it is only necessary to give a slight blow (or to press) on
the part A of the neck which immediately comes apart at the weakened point a
and then the cork b can be drawn in in the usual way the flange or collar a serving
to keep the hand from injury at the point where the part A' has been severed from
the-neck A.
As an obvious modification of the foregoing I may if desired have the aforesaid
gutter or weakened portion of the neck to coincide or thereabouts with the
Towermost end of the cork or plug after same is inserted in the neck-space
being left above said cork in the neck as before and filled with cement etc. to there
set hard as before described to prevent withdrawal of the cork. The bottle is
opened by breaking off the part of the neck containing both the cement and cork
and thus permitting withdrawal of the coutents of the bottle etc.
This modification would have this, disadvantage that in the event of the
neck being accidentally broken off at the gutter or weakened portion-the

page_text: contents would be lost or liable to be so whereas in the first describ
even if the portion of the neck above the gutter be accidentally or otherwise broken
off yet the bottle still remains tightly and soundly stoppered and consequently no
loss of the contents would occur from any such accident.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Stoppering the necks of bottles jars or other necked vessels by forming a
channel or weakened portion of said neck at a suitable distance from the top thereof,
inserting the cork or plug below said channel or weakened portion in said neck
next inserting a loose disc or wad of suitable material and then filling the space-
inside the neck with cement or other suitable material adapted to set hard within
said neck so that this top part of the neck must be knocked off or separated
from the bottle etc. before the cork can be extracted substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
2. The herein-described improved means of stoppering bottles or the like to
prevent same being re-filled without detection substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
L1806
Dated Luis J
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.