IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING AËRATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS, AND A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF STOPPERING AND UNSTOPPERING SAME.
Year: 1874

page_text: .
LETTERS PATENT to Albert King, of the City and County of Bristol,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNAL
STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING AËRATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS, AND A
NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF STOPPERING AND UNSTOPPERING SAME.'
"
Sealed the 11th June 1875, and dated the 16th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th December 1874.
I, ALBERT KING, of the City and County of Bristol, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING AËRATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS,
AND A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF STOPPERING AND UNSTOPPERING SAME," to be
as follows:-
Unsuccessful attempts have been made to produce internal stoppers
for bottles which will float on the surface of the liquid contents. Now
the chief object of my Invention is the production of a light stopper, the
specific gravity of which shall not exceed the specific gravity of the

page_text: liquid. Attempts I say have been made to do this by the employment
of what have been called "light stoppers," made as I believe of some
light wood, such as yew; but from experience I have discovered that
these stoppers, after being in use some time, become so saturated with
the liquid that they sink in the liquid and are practically useless as
floating stoppers; whereas by my Invention I have produced a stopper
which will float on the liquid, does not become injured by remaining in
the liquid, and retains its specific gravity permanently, advantages
heretofore unattained.
I form the stopper or plug portion of cork or of any other material,
but so that the stopper is lighter than the fluid; when the stopper or
plug is made of cork I secure it to a wood or such like top piece for
projecting when the bottle is stoppered into or out of the neck; between.
the cork plug and the wood top piece I have an india-rubber or other
suitable washer ; I attach the cork stopper to the wood top preferably by
a wood spindle attached to or made in a piece with the top, and passing
through or nearly through the cork. The stopper or plug may be made
of hollow metal or other material, but so light that it floats on the
surface.
To fill a bottle with aerated water provided internally with one of my
improved stoppers, I place the bottle to be filled upon an ordinary
bottling frame with the top upwards as is usual when ordinary corks are.
used, and not upside down as is necessary when bottles are to be filled
with aërated water and stoppered by stoppers known as
" Codd's,"
"Barrett's,"
," "Vernon's," and the like. The aerated water is run in, and 2
as the bottle becomes filled the stopper floats on the surface and rises.
with the liquid until the bottle is full, at which time the projecting top
flies spontaneously through the neck of bottle, and the washer is
jambed against the bottom of neck by the gaseous fluid, thereby forming
a gas and water tight stopper. The bottle is opened by pressing in the g
stopper, when the action of pouring out the contents causes the stopper
to float on the surface of liquid, and so to allow the neck to be quite
open for the exit of the liquid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Albert King in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALBERT
KING, of the City and County of Bristol, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Albert King, Her special
licence that I, the said Albert King, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Albert King, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNAL STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING AERATED OR
GASEOUS LIQUIDS, AND A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE OF STOPPERING AND UN-
STOPPERING BAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said.
Albert King, my exccutors, or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Albert King, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
:-
Unsuccessful attempts have been made to produce internal stoppers
for bottles which will float on the surface of the liquid contents. Now
the chief object of my Invention is the production of a light stopper,
the specific gravity of which is less than the specific gravity of the.
liquid. Attempts I say have been made to do this by the employment

page_text: of what have been called "light stoppers," made as I believe of some
light wood, such as yew; but from experience I have discovered that
these stoppers, after being in use some time, become so saturated with
the liquid that they sink in the liquid and are practically useless as
floating stoppers; whereas by my Invention I have produced a stopper
which will float on the liquid, does not become injured by remaining in
the liquid, and retains its specific gravity permanently, advantages
heretofore unattained.
I form the stopper or plug proper of cork or of any other material,
but so that the stopper is lighter than the fluid; when the stopper or
plug is made of cork I secure it to a wood or such like top piece for
projecting when the bottle is stoppered into or out of the neck; between
the cork plug and the wood top piece I have an india-rubber or other
suitable washer; I attach the cork stopper to the wood top preferably
by a wood spindle attached to or made in a piece with the top and
passing through or nearly through the cork. The stopper or plug may
be made of hollow metal or other material, but so light that it floats on
the surface.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
by the aid of the Drawings hereunto annexed to describe more fully the
-manner in which the same is or may be performed or carried into effect,
in each of the Figures of which Drawings the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation; Figure 2, a
longitudinal section, and Figure 3, a plan of a stopper constructed
according to one form of my Invention. a is the lower part, or that
portion of the stopper which in this case is made of cork; is the
spindle on which the cork is placed; c is the wood top piece, made
preferably with the groove in same, as shewn, to receive a washer, but the
groove may be dispensed with; d is the washer. The top piece c is
made of any desired material, but it must be of such material that its
specific gravity is counterbalanced by the lower part a in such manner
that the stopper proper, viz., lower part a and top piece c will float on
the surface of the liquid when it is forced back into the bottle to
discharge the contents of same, as hereafter more fully described.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are views in side elevation, longitudinal section,
and plan respectively of a stopper slightly modified in construction from

page_text: the stopper just described. In this arrangement that portion of the
stopper which is made of wood is made of a wood of lighter character
than is necessary to use in the previous arrangement, because in this
case I wish to use a smaller proportion of cork. c is the wood top picce,
made in this case in a piece with a portion c of the lower piece; the
material used is light wood, such as withy, Riga pine, or cedar; a is a
small portion of cork on the short spindle 6 in order to increase the
bu oyancy.
In some cases I secure the base of the stopper where the plug or
spindle b is flush with the cork portion a by a seal or capsule of some
incorrodible metal, which seal or capsule may be of any desired device
or form; such a seal, disc, or capsule may be stamped with or bear such
mark or design that may be deemed suitable for the purpose to which it
is or may be applied. Such a cover or capsule is shewn at Figures 7, 8,
and 9, in side view, longitudinal section, and plan respectively; c is the
top, and a is the bottom piece of the stopper as before; e is the capsule
made in a piece with the washer d, although of course the washer and
capsule may be made in separate and distinct pieces if desired.
When I provide the stoppers made according to my Invention with
capsules as aforesaid, I choose wood of very light, porous, and buoyant
nature for forming the top and bottom pieces, because the capsule, as
aforesaid, which I prefer to make of india-rubber as pure as may be, and
vulcanized, acts as a protector or guard to the wood, and is the means of
preventing the gas from passing in the slightest degree through the
porous wood.
Another form of capsule is also shown at Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13,
which shew side elevations, longitudinal section, and plan respectively
of this arrangement. Here I form the stopper of light wood as before,
the lower portion hollow, as shown. f is a metal capsule or cap screwed
on to lower part of the stopper or otherwise connected thereto.
In some cases, where the wood is exceedingly light, I make the bottom
portion solid or nearly so.
As in the other arrangement the india-rubber washer d is also used in
this arrangement.
Figure 14 shews a stopper of the class illustrated at Figures 7 and 8
in a bottle, and stoppering same, which has been filled with aërated
liquid.

page_text: Figure 15 shews a bottle in the position it occupies when the content
are being discharged, also shewing the position of the stopper which ha
been pushed into the same, and which stopper floats on the surface o
the liquid while the contents are being poured out.
To fill a bottle with aërated water provided internally with one of my
improved stoppers I place the bottle to be filled upon an ordinary
bottling frame with the top upwards as is usual when ordinary corks are
used, and not upside down as is necessary when bottles are to be filled
with aërated water and stoppered by stoppers known as "Codd's,"
"Barrett's," "Vernon's," and the like. The aerated water is run in and
as the bottle becomes filled the stopper floats on the surface and rises
with the liquid until the bottle is full, at which time the projecting top c
flies spontaneously through the neck of bottle and the washer dis
jambed against the bottom of neck by the gaseous fluid, thereby forming a
gas and water tight stopper, as shewn at Figure 14. The bottle is opened
by pressing in the top piece c of the stopper, when the action of pouring
out the contents causes the stopper to float on the surface of the liquid, as
shewn at Figures 15, and so as to allow the neck to be quite open for the
exit of the liquid, all as shown in the Drawing and herein-before fully
described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I am aware that attempts have
heretofore been made to produce light stoppers, but hitherto without
success, because as soon as the stoppers as heretofore made become
impregnated with the liquid their specific gravity becomes greater than
that of the liquid, and they cease to be what I term floating stoppers.
Again, light stoppers as now made are so porous that the gas quickly
passes through the material of which they are made, and the stopper
sinks, thereby destroying the contents of the bottle, and the stopper itself
ceasing to be a floating stopper. What I claim is,—-
First. The construction and employment of internal stoppers for
bottles containing aerated or gaseous liquids in and by the employment
of a stopper of less specific gravity than the liquids, and having a cork or
other base, capsule, or seal whereby gas cannot pass through the same
and the stopper does not become impregnated with liquid, all sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Secondly. The construction and employment of internal stoppers
possessing less specific gravity than water, substantially in manner
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
together with any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert King, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.