Improvements in Means for Securing the Caps or Stoppers of Fruit Jars.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1895-Accepted, 29th June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Means for Securing the Caps or Stoppers of
Fruit Jars.
I, HENRY CLAY DILWORTH, (Manufacturer) of 12 North Arlington Avenue
East Orange, in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in' and by
the following statement :
My invention relates to improvements in fruit jar clamps such as are used for
securing the caps of fruit jars. The object of my invention' is to produce a simple,
cheap and strong device, which may be iustantly applied to or removed from a fruit
jar and cap, which can be adjusted so as to make a water-tight seal' enabling the fruit
jar to be held submerged when necessary without permitting water to run into it,
which, however, has a yielding fastening device which permits' the gas or steam
generated in the jar to escape beneath the cap, and which when desired' may be
quickly adjusted so as to bind the cap rigidly in place and make an hermetical'seal.
To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and
combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a
Specification, in which' similar létters of reference indicate corresponding parts' in'
all the views.
part of this
Figure is a side elevation of my improved clamp as applied to a fruit jar,' the
clamp being shown in the locked position';
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; and
Figure 3 is a broken plan view, showing the arrangement of the sealing spring
and the cushion for the same.
The clamp is provided with a main clamping piece or strap B which is of.a
generally inverted U-shape and is adapted to fit over the top of a fruit jar, the
clamping piece having inturned' flanges M at its ends, which flanges are adapted to
fit beneath the rim L on the jar J, this rin being found on all ordinary fruit jars.
It is well to have the inner ends of the flanges shaped to fit snugly against the neck
of the jar.
The clamping piece, when placed in position, is adapted to extend transversely
across the cap C, which is of the usual kind, and rests on the ordinary gasket P.
On the under side of the clamping piece is a flat spring G, one end of which is fastened
to the clamping piece, and the spring is curved downward and is provided at the
centre and on the under side with a cushion K which comes between the spring and
the cap C, and so prevents the spring from contacting with the cap and splintering
or otherwise injuring the same.
The clamping piece B is slotted in the centre, as shown at S to provide for the
movement of the locking lever A, and at the sides of the slot are lugs H which are
preferably formed by turning up the metal comprising the clamping piece B, these
lugs having pivoted to them, by a pin F, the locking lever A which is preferably
struck up from sheet metal, although it may be formed in any approved way, and
the cams a of this lever are adapted to bind on the spring Ġ directly above the
cushion K.
The outer end of the cam lever A is bent down slightly, as shown at a', so as to
fit over the end of the clamping piece B. as shown clearly in Figure 1.

page_text: When the clamp is to be used, the cam lever A is turned over to the position
shown by dotted lines at A¹ in Figure 1, thus releasing the cams from engagement
with the spring G and the clamp is slipped sidewise on to the top of the jar, so that
the spring G pressing downward on the cap C holds the cap in place with sufficient
pressure to prevent water from running into the jar and so injuring its contents, thus
enabling the jar to be submerged if desired, so that the contents may be cooked or
otherwise treated. If however, gas or vapor is generated in the jar, the pressure
from within is sufficient to lift the cap C slightly against the tension of the spring G,
so that the gas or vapor may escape without breaking the jar, and when the
contents have cooled and there is no fear of extreme pressure within, the cam
lever A is turned over to the position_shown by full lines in Figure 1, thus
forcings the cams a firmly upon the spring G and at the same time drawing upon the
clamping piece B, and the cap C is thereby locked in such a way as to make an
hermetical seal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a fruit jar clamp, comprising a
clamping piece shaped to fit over the top of a fruit jar, a spring fastened at one
end to the clamping piece and loose at the other and adapted to exert pressure upon
the jar cap, and means carried by the clamping piece for engaging the said spring,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. As an improved article of manufacture, a fruit jar clamp comprising a
clamping piece shaped to fit over the top of a fruit jar, a spring secured to the
clamping piece, and adapted to exert pressure on the top of the jar cover, and a
cam lever carried by the clamping piece and adapted to engage the said spring,
substantially as described.
3. A fruit jar clamp, comprising a clamping piece shaped to fit the top of a fruit
jar and provided with a slot and lugs at the sides of the slot, a curved spring
fastened at one end to the under side of the clamping piece and extending beneath
the slot, a cushion secured to the under side' of the spring and adapted to press on
the jar cap, and a cam lever journaled between the lugs of the clamping piece and
adapted to bear on the spring directly above the said cushion, substantially as
described.
Dated this 21st day of Mar 1895
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.