IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATELY SECURING UNDER LOCK THE CORKS AND STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND DECANTERS AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Burns, of the Firm of Thomas Turner and
Company, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers,
for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATELY
SECURING UNDER LOCK THE CORKS AND STOPPERS IN BOTTLES AND
DECANTERS AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS."
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Burns at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1881.
THOMAS BURNS, of the Firm of Thomas Turner and Company, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers. "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR SEPARATELY SECURING UNDER LOCK THE CORKS AND STOPPERS IN BOTTLES
AND DECANTERS AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS."
This Invention has for its object the construction and employment of apparatus
for the purpose of securing under lock the corks and stoppers in bottles, decanters,
and other necked vessels, and which apparatus may be attached or secured easily
to such vessels, and partly, in certain cases, to their corks and stoppers also, as
may be required, such vessels, corks, and stoppers being constructed as or sub-
stantially as those at present in ordinary use, and employed for any purpose for
which it may be desirable that the corks or stoppers of such vessels should be
secured under lock, such, for instance, for containing wine, spirits, scents, or
poisons.
According to one modification of my Invention a collar or clip is placed around
the neck of a bottle just under the shoulder at the upper part of the neck. The
two hinged halves of the collar are held together at their extremities remote from
the hinge by means of a screw passing through a lug or projection on each half.
The screw has a shoulder formed thereon at the back of one of the lugs, and an
internally screwed boss, through which the screw is screwed, forms part of, or is
brazed or otherwise fixed to, the back of the other lug. At the back of the

page_text: shoulder, on the screw, and in the same plane with the axis of the screw, is hinged
a part terminating at its other extremity in a link projecting sideways therefrom.
A circular-shaped lock having its working parts (which may be of any desired
construction) acting in a horizontal plane, is fixed to the top of the cork, either by
means of a screw on the underside thereof screwed into the cork, or by means of
a bolt or screw passing through the cork, and secured by a screw or nut on the
underside thereof, or in any desired manner. When it is desired to lock the
apparatus the part which is hinged to the first-mentioned screw is raised into a
vertical position, and the link thereon pushed into an opening in the edge of the
lock case, which link may thus lock itself by acting upon a spring-bolt or catch
inside the lock, or may be locked by a key or by other means in lieu of a key,
In either case the lock
such, for instance, as are used in the case of secret locks.
is of course unlocked by the key, or by the means employed in lieu thereof. The
vertical piece is made capable of adjustment to suit the height of the cork by
The vertical part
forming the upper part to screw on to a stem on the lower.
being hinged as aforesaid to the back of the first-mentioned screw can be turned
down and used as a handle to run the screw into its screwed boss on one of the
lugs of the collar, and thus hold the halves of the collar securely to-gether. When
the vertical piece is locked the cork is securely prevented from being pulled up,
and of course the screw holding the collar or clip in position cannot be tampered
with.
This modification of my Invention has been described in its application to a
corked bottle, but it is of course applicable to stoppered bottles, and to the other
vessels named, providing that in the case of stoppered vessels the lock is fixed to
or formed to fit down over the stopper, so that it cannot be removed when the
apparatus is locked.
According to another modification of my Invention two halves of a cylinder or
a cylindrical frame, or other suitably-shaped shell or frame are hinged together
parallel with the axis. At one end of the cylinder and fixed to one of the halves
thereof is a circular lock which completely closes up the end of the cylinder when
the halves are closed to-gether. A link projects from the inside of the other half
of the cylinder, and enters an opening in the edge of the lock when the halves are
closed to-gether, and is locked and unlocked as in the case of the first-described
modification. The other end of each half of the cylinder is provided with an
internal ledge, which comes under the shoulder on the neck of the vessel when the
cylinder is fixed in place, while the lock on the other end of the cylinder comes
over the cork or stopper. This modification may be modified by forming the
locking mechanism at the side of the cylinder, the top being of course closed in or
barred across. The second-described modification may also be modified by hingeing
the halves of the cylinder to open in a vertical plane.
In this case the centre of
the hinges is carried down below the cylinder, so that when open the ledge inside
may clear the shoulder on the neck of the vessel.
It is preferred that in all cases the link should push in against a spring, or that
other mechanism be employed so as to throw out the link when unlocked..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Burns in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th July
1881.
THOMAS BURNS, of the Firm of Thomas Turner and Company, of Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Lock Manufacturers. "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR SEPARATELY SECURING UNDER LOCK THE CORKS AND STOPPERS IN BOTTLES
AND DECANTERS AND OTHER NECKED VESSELS."
This Invention has for its object the construction and employment of apparatus
for the purpose of securing under lock the corks and stoppers in bottles, decanters,
and other necked vessels, and which apparatus may be attached or secured easily
to such vessels, and partly, in certain cases, to their corks and stoppers also, as may
be required, such vessels, corks, and stoppers being constructed as or substantially
as those at present in ordinary use, and employed for any purpose for which it may
be desirable that the corks or stoppers of such vessels should be secured under lock,
such, for instance, for containing wine, spirits, scents, or. poisons.
According to one modification of my Invention, a collar or clip is placed around the
neck of a bottle, just under the shoulder at the upper part of the neck. The clip
is formed in halves, which are hinged to-gether to allow of their being opened and
and closed, and the clip is tightened up around the neck of the bottle by means of
a screw passing through a lug or projection on each half of the clip, and on the
opposite side thereto to where the hinge occurs. The screw has a shoulder formed
thereon at the back of one of the lugs, and an internally screwed boss; through
which the screw is screwed to tighten up the clip, forms part of, or is brazed or
otherwise fixed to, the back of the other lug. To a part of the screw at the back of
the shoulder thereon and endways thereto is hinged a bar having a link projecting
sideways therefrom at its other extremity. A circular shaped lock having its working
parts (which may be of any desired construction) acting in a horizontal plane, is
fixed to the top of the cork, either by means of a screw on the underside thereof
screwed into the cork, or by means of a bolt or screw passing through the cork, and
secured by a screw or nut on the underside thereof, or in any desired manner.
When it it is desired to lock the apparatus the hinged bar aforesaid is raised into
a vertical position and the link thereon pushed into an opening in the edge of the
lock case, thus locking itself by acting upon a spring-bolt or catch inside the lock,
or it may be locked by a key or by other means in lieu of a key, such, for instance,
as are used in the case of secret locks. In either case the lock is of course unlocked
by the key or by the means employed in lieu thereof. The hinged bar is made
capable of adjustment to suit the height of the cork by forming the upper part to
screw on to a stem on the lower. The bar being hinged as aforesaid to the back
of the screw can be used as a handle to run the screw into the screwed boss for
tightening up the clip.
When the hinged bar is locked the cork is securely prevented from being pulled
up, and of course the screw holding the clip in position cannot then be tampered
with.
,
This modification of my Invention has been described in its application to a
corked bottle, but it is of course applicable to stoppered bottles and to the corks
and stoppers of the other vessels named in the title, providing that in the case of
stoppered vessels the lock is fixed to or formed to fit down over the stopper so that
it cannot be removed when the apparatus is locked.
According to another modification of my Invention halves of a cylinder or a
cylindrical frame or other suitably-shaped shell or frame are hinged together
parallel with the axis. At one end of the cylinder and fixed to one of the halves

page_text: thereof, is a circular lock which completely closes up the end of the cylinder when
the halves are closed together. A link projects from the inside of the other half of
the cylinder, and enters an opening in the edge of the lock as the halves are closed
together. The link is locked and unlocked as in the case of the first described
modification. The other end of each half of the cylinder is provided with an
internal ledge, which comes under the shoulder on the neck of the vessel when
the cylinder is fixed in place, while the lock on the other end of the cylinder comes
over the cork or stopper.
This second modification may be itself modified by forming the locking
mechanism at the side of the cylinder, the top being of course closed in or barred
across.
It is preferred that in all cases the link should push in against a spring, or that
other mechanism be employed so as to throw out the link when unlocked.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that the apparatus according to either
modification described is intended to fit existing bottles and other vessels, and not
specially any which may be made for the purpose.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention I will now proceed more
particularly to describe the manner of performing the same with reference to the
accompanying Drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.
'
Figure 1 is a plan of the first described modification of my Invention; Figure 2
is an elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow a, and Figure 3
an elevation of the same looking in the direction of the arrow a¹.
The apparatus
is shewn in its locked position and as applied to a corked bottle.
A is the neck of
the bottle, B the shoulder at the upper part thereof, and C the cork; D is a clip
formed in halves which are hinged at E; F, F, are lugs one on each half of the clip;
G is a screw passing freely through one of the lugs F, and screwed through a
boss H fixed to the other lug F; J is a collar forming a shoulder at the back of the
screw G ; K is a bar attached by means of the adjusting screw L to a hinge M at
the back of the collar J; N is a link projecting from the bar K; O is a lock screwed
into the top of the cork by means of the screw shewn by dotted lines Figure 2.
The forward end of the link N passes through the edge of the lock O. The working
mechanism of the lock will be referred to in describing my second modification.
When the link M is unlocked the bar K can be moved into any desired position to
allow the cork to be withdrawn, and when it is desired to remove the clip D from
the neck of the bottle the bar K is used as a handle to unscrew the screw G. The
height of the link N is regulated to suit the height of the cork by means of the
adjusting screw L within the bar K.
Figure 4 shews in elevation a method of connecting the lock O with the cork C
when the connection is desired as a permanent one, as, for instance, in the case of
spirit bottles. P (shewn by dotted lines) is a square or cylindrical shank fixed to
the lock O and passing down the axis of the cork; R is a broad-headed screw on
the bottom of the cork screwed up into the end of the shank P.
Figure 5 is a vertical section on line x, x, of Figure 6.illustrating the second
described modification of my Invention. Figure 6 is a sectional plan taken on
line y, y, of Figure 5, that is, immediately under the cap-plate; A is the neck of a
bottle; B, the shoulder at the upper end thereof, and C the cork; D is a cylinder
or cylindrical frame formed in halves vertically and hinged to-gether at E; F is a
circular lock fitting into one end of the cylinder and closing it up. One semi-
circumference of the lock case is brazed or otherwise fixed to the inside of one half
of the cylinder; the other half of the cylinder carries a link G which enters an
opening in the edge of the lock case and is locked as the halves of the cylinder
are closed to-gether. The half of the cylinder carrying the link is shewn opened
back by dotted lines, Figure 6. H, H, is an internal ledge which comes under the
shoulder B of the bottle when the cylinder is locked over the cork. Figure 7 is an
elevation shewing an inner view of the two halves of the cylinder when the same
are opened back from one another with their vertical edges in the same plane.
For convenience of illustration a simple form of lock is shewn, in which a is the
.

page_text: bolt; b, a spring to set it forwards; c, the drill pin, and d a spring to throw out the
link G when the bolt a is moved back by the key. e and e¹ are the screws which
hold down the cap-plate f. The screw e also prevents the spring d from going back
too far as the bolt is unlocked; the key hole is shewn by dotted lines, Figure 6;
the link and the drill pin are the only interior parts of the lock shewn by Figure 5.
The cap-plate f completely covers over the lock and the upper end of the cylinder.
Any suitable description of lock mechanism may be employed, such, for instance,
as that illustrated, but having wards used in conjunction therewith, or a lever, or
"Bramah" arrangement. The description of the lock applies equally to the first
described modification of my Invention.
The first described modification of my Invention allows for each apparatus
constructed according thereto wide limits as to the size and construction of bottle
or other vessel for which it may be used, but I very much prefer to use the second
described modification in all cases where wide limits in these respects are not
required.
Figure 8 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus constructed
according to my second modification, and used for the purpose of locking up the
corks or stoppers of spirit jars and chemical jars; and Figure 9 is a section taken
on line z, z, of Figure 8. F is the lock, which is shewn arranged at the side instead
of at the top of the cylinder or frame. The link G (shewn by dotted lines,
Figure 8) is carried by the piece G³, fixed to the other half of the cylinder or frame
to that to which the lock F is fixed. The cylinder or frame is shewn closed in by
a dome-shaped top f brazed or otherwise fixed to one of the halves of the cylinder
or frame, but the top may be simply barred across or otherwise closed in as desired.
The lock-bolt which is shewn by dotted lines, Figure 8, is omitted in Figure 9? for
simplicity. A part of the internal ledge and of the cylinder or frame is shewn cut
away at J to clear the handle of the jar as the cylinder is placed in position. The
lock and link may of course be arranged inside the cylinder or frame, if desired,
when used for purposes in which sufficient room is left for this to be conveniently
done.
In order to allow of wider limits as to the size and shape of the bottle or other
vessel for which an apparatus constructed according to my second described
modification may be used, the arrangement illustrated by Figures 10 and 11 may
be employed; Figure 10 is a sectional plan taken on line x, x¹, of Figure 11 of
the said arrangement, and Figure 11 is a sectional elevation taken on line y¹, y¹, of.
Figure 10. D represents the cylinder corresponding to that already described.
The lower end only is shewn for convenience of illustration; H, H, is the internal
ledge, and E the hinge; a, a, etc., are two steel springs fixed each to one of the
halves of the cylinder respectively by the screws b, b. The ends of the springs
a, a, etc., project inwards beyond the ledge H, H, and thus bear against the neck of
the bottle, under the shoulder at the upper end thereof, when the cylinder is locked
over the cork or stopper. This arrangement of springs also answers the purpose
of steadying the frame when locked up over the cork or stopper.
Figures 12 and 13 are respectively a side elevation and plan of an apparatus
constructed according to my second modification; with the frame or shell of suitable
shape for locking over the stopper of a wine decanter; a, a, are the hinges joined
to-gether by the tube a¹, and b is the lock. The frame or shell is divided vertically
in halves, as shewn by the line across the plan.
Figures 14 and 15 are respectively a vertical section and a plan (with the cap
plate of the lock removed) shewing a different method of locking the halves of the
cylinder to-gether, when the lock is carried at the top thereof, to that shewn by
Figures 5, 6, and 7. a is the lock-bolt, and b, a vertical pin or bolt which is
capable of vertical movement in the sleeve c, carried by the half of the cylinder to
which the lock is fixed; d is a part carried on the other half of the cylinder, and
comes into position immediately under the bolt b when the halves of the cylinder
are closed to-gether. To lock the apparatus the lower end of the bolt b is pressed
down into the part d, when a piece c forming part of the bolt a is pressed forwards

page_text: with the bolt a (by means of the tail spring shewn), and takes over the top of the
lip g, thus preventing the bolt 6 from being pulled up. A springh bears against
the underside of the lip g, and raises the bolt 6 out of the part d when the bolt a is
moved back by the key. The lip g is formed by cutting away some of the metal
of the bolt b above and below, as shewn; k is a piece carried by the half cylinder
to which the lock is fixed, and is employed to prevent the apparatus being
tampered with by the other half of the cylinder, being sprung sufficiently to
move the part d below the bolt b when the apparatus is locked; is a spring
between the lock case and the half cylinder which closes against it, and is
employed to spring the halves partly open immediately they are unlocked.
Figure 16 is an elevation of an apparatus for locking up the corks of wine
bottles constructed according to my second modification, but with the .lock
arranged at the side.
It is preferred to use the springs a, a, etc. (Figures 10 and 11) in all of the
apparata constructed according to my second modification, when such are to be
employed for locking up the corks of wine bottles.
Having now stated the nature of my said Invention, and particularly described
and ascertained the manner of performing the same, I declare that I do not limit
myself to the exact details described and shewn, as such may be varied without
departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim as my Invention
and desire to secure by the hereinbefore in-part-recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The construction and employment of apparatus, substantially as herein
described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, and 3, for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The construction and employment of apparatus, substantially as herein
described and illustrated by Figures 5, 6, and 7, by Figures 8 and 9, by Figures 12
and 13, by Figures 14 and 15, and by Figure 16, for the purpose set forth.
3rd: The employment in apparatus of the description illustrated by Figures 5
to 9, and by Figures 14 to 16, of the projecting springs a, a, substantially as and
for the purpose herein described and shewn by Figures 10 and 11.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Burns, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Wolverhampton.
THOMAS BURNS. (L.S.)