IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR ALL KINDS OF BOTTLES "
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Thomas King, of the town and county of the town
of Nottingham for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS
FOR ALL KINDS OF BOTTLES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Thomas King at
the Office of the.Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1882.
.ALFRED THOMAS KING, of the town and county of the town of Nottingham,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR ALL KINDS OF BOTTLES,"
My improvements consist in employing a surrounding fixed or sliding collar of
block tin, glass, china, or other suitable material, on the upper portion of stoppers
for bottles containing aerated waters, the same improvements are applicable to
stoppers having pistons or otherwise, and obviates the weighting of the piston, or
with the necessity of weighting or elongating the upper portion of the double
flanged cylinder in stoppers having plungers; and in stoppers not having plungers,
it dispenses with the weighting either internally or partially so, of the top portion
of the stopper, and where it is made to slide up and down the top portion of the
plunger or in those stoppers not having plungers up and down the top portion of
the stopper, it gives the stopper, a greater impetus, consequently, the stopper falls
quicker, when the bottles containing them, are being filled with aerated water, in
stoppers having double flanged cylinders, I form one or more grooves at the top of
the cylinder, each groove radiating from the centre outwards, these grooves allow
the confined gas to readily escape upon the plunger being pressed down.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Thomas King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th January 1883.
ALFRED THOMAS KING, of the town and County of the town of Nottingham
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR ALL KINDS OF BOTTLES."
My improvements consist in employing a surrounding fixed or sliding collar of
block tin, glass, china, or other suitable material, on the upper portion of stoppers
for bottles containing aerated waters, the same improvements are applicable to
stoppers having pistons or otherwise, and obviates.the weighting of the piston, or
with the necessity of weighting or elongating the upper portion of the double
flanged cylinder in stoppers having plungers, and in stoppers not having plungers
it dispenses with the weighting either internally or partially so, of the top portion
of the stopper, and where it is made to slide up and down the top portion of the
plunger, or in those stoppers not having plungers up and down the top portion of
the stopper it gives the stopper a greater impetus, consequently the stopper falls
quicker when the bottles containing them are being filled with aerated water.
In stoppers having double flanged cylinders I form one or more grooves at the
top of the cylinder, each groove radiating from the centre outwards, these grooves
allow the confined was to readily escane from tha alunman
Figures 1 to 7 represent sectional views of my improved internal stoppers, and
Figures 14, 44, 64 are plans of portions of the same severally referred to hereafter.
My improvements are applicable to every description of internal stoppers for
bottles containing aerated waters.
Heretofore it has been the custom to load or weight internal stoppers with
certain descriptions of metal for the purpose of causing the stoppers to fall the
proper way downwards, when the bottle. is being filled, in wood stoppers, such
.weighting has been effected by boring a hole in the stopper and placing metal
therein, and in stoppers made of the materials known as ebonite, vulcanite,
et cetera, the weight is embedded within such materials near the top
Now my improvements enable the stoppers to be reduced in size as regards
their length and in stoppers made of wood similar to those shown at Figures 1
and 2, as they do not require boring out, after being once passed through the
turning machine, they are ready for weighting, this I effect in the following
manner, I take a strip of tin or lead, or. lend coated with tin, or a strip of com-
pound metal or other suitable material B of the requisite length and place it in
the upper groove of the stopper A. Figures 1 and 2 and compress the ends of the
strip together with a clamping tool, thus doing away with the necessity of boring
out, and undercutting the top of the stopper for the reception of a weight, which
is not only liable to become loose, but frequently drops out, thus causing the
stopper to fall the wrong way, while the bottles are being filled with aerated
water, a possibility which cannot occur with my improved stopper. In the lower
groove of the stopper is placed an india rubber washer C, the upper surface of
which forms the joint in the neck of the bottle when in use. Figure 1ª shews in

page_text: plan the shape of the weighting material B when placed in position in the upper
groove by the clamping tool before named. In addition to weighting stoppers as
before described, when requisite I cover the weighting strip with a small band of
india-rubber D shewn at Figure 2, thereby not only placing the weight out of
sight, but preventing the liquor from contact with any metal.
And in
In the sectional view of an improved stopper shewn at Figure 5, besides loading
the stopper as before described I form two grooves to receive two india rubber.
washers C and C, the rubber washer O' has a larger hole through it than the
washer C and extends slightly over the lower flange of the stopper, the upper
surface of the washer C¹ being pressed upon by the lower surface of the upper
washer C, when forming the joint in the neck of the bottle, when in use forms a
more secure joint within the neck of the bottle than when one washer only is used,
thus there is less liability of the stopper being blown out when in use, and less
rubber is required to form the two thin washers than one thick one.
stoppers having plungers, one of which is shewn in section at Figure 3, with the
parts in the respective positions they occupy when the stopper is released from the
interior of the neck of the bottle, and also in section at Figure 4, in the position
the parts occupy when stoppering a bottle. This stopper consists of a central
plunger A of wood, ivory, porcelain, ebonite, earthenware, tin, metal, glass or other
suitable material; the upper end of which forms a disc or button, and the lower
end is grooved to receive an india-rubber washer D, the lower end of the plunger
is first passed through the hole in a weight E of metal, compound_metal, or other
suitable material (one of which is shewn in plan separately at Figure 4) then
through the hole in a bobbin or double flanged cylinder B, also of wood, ivory,
porcelain, ebonite, earthenware, glass or other suitable material; upon the bobbin B
an india rubber washer C of suitable shape is placed, a rubber washer D is then
placed in the groove on the lower end of the plunger and the stopper is ready
for use.
When the stopper is employed in a bottle containing aerated or fermented liquid
the internal pressure forces the washer D, as shewn at Figure 4 onto the bottom
of the bobbin or double flanged cylinder, and thus forming an effectual seal or stop,
the internal pressure at the same time forces the washer C onto the interior of
the neck of the bottle, thus effectually closing or stopping it. The bottle being
instantly unstopped by a slight pressure downwards on the plunger, which causes
the washer D to leave the under surface of the bobbin B, and allows the gas or
air contained in the bottle under pressure to escape between the plunger, and
the sides of the hole in the bobbin, and the stopper drops instantly inside the
bottle.
In stoppers having double flanged cylinders B carrying plungers A either
cylindrical or conical, I form one or more grooves B₁ at the top of the cylinder
each groove radiating from the centre outwards or downwards and in some cases
likewise form grooves A' in the sides of the cylindrical or conical plungers or
pistons A the lower end of the plungers being grooved to receive a washer D,
and the cylinder being provided with a washer C as before described. One such
stopper is shewn in section with the piston closed at Figure 6, and with the piston
opened at Figure 7. The cylinder and piston being shewn in plan at Figure 64
The grooved cylinders and pistons allow the confined gas to readily escape upon
the plunger or piston being pressed down
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim :--
First. The construction and employment of a fixed weight B for the loading
or weighting of stoppers not having plungers or pistons as shewn at Figures 1,
14, 2, and 5.
Second. The construction and employment of a sliding weight E to stoppers
5 having plungers or pistons as shewn at Figures 3, 4, and 4.
Third. The grooving of stoppers provided with cylindrical or conical plungers

page_text: or pistons, as shewn at Figures 6, 6 and 7, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the drawings annexed, for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Thomas King, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourth day of January in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.