Improvements in or connected with Bottles for the Prevention of the Fraudulent Re-filling of same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1898--Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
Improvements in or connected with Bottles for the Prevention of the
Fraudulent Re-filling of same.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES MATHERET, of 16, Rue Drouot, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention has for its object an improved system of bottle provided with a
method of stoppering called a guarantee stopper because it is intended to prevent
the bottle when once emptied from being again filled, which is especially of value in
the case of fluids having a known value or of a known brand.
My improved system of bottle is characterised by the combination with a neck
provided with grooves of suitable form, of an arrangement of hollow or solid
valve made in this case of lighter material than the liquid so as to be able to float
on its surface but resting when in repose on a seat arranged in the neck of the
bottle.
The body of my improved system of bottle differs in no way from that of ordinary
bottles, the only difference exists in the neck which is formed in two parts fitting
with slight friction one in the other and terminated by a groove or notch or stepped
edges intended to prevent them turning one on the other. The external part is
terminated at its upper end by a neck having in its interior helicoidal partitions
terminated by a grating, both parts having for their object to prevent the internal
parts, which will be described hereinafter, from being gripped and held. This neck
has a mouth or orifice at the top to receive an ordinary stopper, the said mouth
being intended to allow of the discharge of the liquid.
The inner part of the bottle neck is arranged in the following manner: It has
at its summit a circular opening, the walls of which are formed with grooves or
flutings intended to permit the flow of the liquid. This opening is prolonged into
the interior of the bottle by an opening which is also circular but of smaller
diameter, the walls of which have also grooves or flutings serving to facilitate the
flow of the liquid. The two openings are connected one with the other by a curved
part forming the seat of a valve made of hollow glass or of a solid material lighter
than the liquids with which the bottle is intended to be filled; this valve has the
form of a ball prolonged by a tail directed towards the interior of the bottle
This system comprises in addition a heavy mass which rests on the spherical part
of the valve and has for its object to keep the latter pressed on to its seat, and a
second ball which always remains in the body of the bottle and is intended if
necessary to remove the valve from its seat by the shock which it communicates to
the tail of the said valve when the bottle is reversed.
This explained, the arrangement works in the following manner:-
The bottle containing the internal ball, after the external part of the neck has
been withdrawn as well as the weight and the valve, is filled in the ordinary manner
and all the parts then put in place and the external part of the neck attached to the
body of the bottle by means of a ligature passing in a groove arranged both in the

page_text: said part and in the bottle. This ligature is then covered by means of a label seal
or guarantee band. In this condition it is evident that if the bottle be reversed, the
ball will strike the tail of the valve, which will thus be released from its seat and
allow the liquid to pass by means of the grooves formed in the interior of the neck
and to escape by the opening at the top of the said neck.
The bottle once emptied cannot be filled, as if efforts be made to fill it the weight
will press on the valve and force it on its seat, thus rendering impossible any intro-
duction of liquid. The same action is produced if the bottle be placed horizontally
or if efforts be made to act by means of vacuum or by placing the bottle vertically
in the position of discharge or in other words filling the bottle when reversed, the
valve being in fact lighter than the liquid will float on it and immediately he
pressed upon its seat. The internal form of the neck is such that it is absolutely
impossible to retain by means of any hook either the weight or the valve in order to
allow the bottle to be filled.
In order to prevent the same effect being produced by the internal ball when
holding the bottle reversed vertically, I can arrange in the body of the said bottle
at the commencement of the neck two external depressions forming internal pro-
jections which have for their object to prevent the ball bearing in a permanent
manner on the tail of the valve by causing the ball to fall into the cavities of the
bottle at each side after having produced its action on the tail of the valve.
In a modification, the connection of the parts of the neck. may be completed by
means of a cork ring enabling a tight joint to be produced and the valve may
have a somewhat different form to that previously described. This valve is formed
to rest on a seat arranged at the top of the neck of the main body of the bottle. A
disc perforated with holes is secured to the neck of the bottle by means of vitrifiable
cement for the purpose of allowing the passage of the liquid whilst preventing any-
one by means of any instrument maintaining the valve raised in order to effect
a fraudulent introduction of liquid. Above this washer is the mouth or socket to
receive the ordinary cork stopper. The working of the Bottle is the same as
previously described.
In another modification, the part forming the external portion of the
neck is of lesser length and is connected with the internal part by
means of studs or projections formed on the internal part at the time of its manu-
facture and over which it engages with corresponding notches or grooves. The
guarantee fastener or band is passed into a groove and in addition engages below
the studs which allows of an absolute security being obtained. The other parts are
the same as those previously described and the working differs in no way therefrom.
Dated this 28th day of April 1897.
•
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Bottles for the Prevention of the
Fraudulent Re-filling of same.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES MATHERET, of 16, Rue Drouot, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what 4
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object an improved system of bottle provided with a
imethod of stoppering called a guarantee stopper because it is intended to prevent
the bottle when once emptied from being again filled, which is especially of value in 5
the case of fluids having a known value or of a known brand.

page_text: The method of stoppering bottles which forms the essential part of my invention
is characterized by the combination of an arrangement of floating valve resting on a
suitable seat and of a heavy mass or substance tending to maintain this valve pressed
on its seat when an attempt is made to fraudulently refill the bottle, the whole being
arranged in a closed chamber to which access cannot be had without breaking the
bottle or the guarantee seals which form an inviolable closing, whilst the liquid in
the bottle is free to pass. through this closed chamber in consequence of the opening
of the valve in order to be discharged to the outside through suitable openings, but
cannot pass through when it comes in the opposite direction, in consequence of the
obstacle presented by the valve which is then closed.
In order to allow of the invention being better understood, I will now refer to the
accompanying drawings, as an example, in which: ---
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the neck of a bottle arranged to receive this
improved stopper;
Figure 1 a transverse section made on the line y-y of one of the. accessory
parts.
Figure 2 an elevation of the same;
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detail views of one of the accessory parts of my system of
stopper;
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are respectively a vertical section, elevation and perspective
view of a modification of this method of stoppering;
Figure 9 is an elevation of the bottle as a whole fitted with the stoppering
arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The
The same reference letters represent the same parts in the various figures.
The elements constituting this improved method of stoppering consist as before
stated of a floating valve 1 and a heavy mass 2 resting on a said valve.
former is formed either of glass in which case it is hollow or of a lighter sub-
stance than the liquid which the bottle is to contain in which case it may be solid.
The heavy mass is preferably made of solid glass. The valve 1 rests on a suitable
seat 3 which divides the body of the bottle 4 arranged in the ordinary manner from
the neck properly so called of the bottle. Both the valve 1 and the heavy mass 2
are arranged in a closed chamber 5 which may be arranged in various ways.
As an example I have shown in the drawings two methods. In the one shown
in Figures 1, 2 and 9 the bottle is formed of two distinct parts, a body 4 and a
neck 6 which are connected by means of a fastening effected in the following
manner: The body 4 is narrowed in its upper part so as to form a seat 3, Figure 1,
and on this, narrowed part suitable off-sets or shoulders 7 and 8 are formed serving
the one to receive the neck proper 6 and the other to receive a washer 9 of cork or other
suitable elastic material intended to form a tight joint in order to prevent the liquid
from flowing between the bottle and the neck.
In order to connect the whole I arrange in the lower part of the neck and in the
upper part of the body of the bottle two parallel grooves 10 and 11 in which engage
the internally curved round edges of a band 12, the two ends of which may be
buckled together as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and which may be held by means of
a band or cord 13 and a guarantee seal 14 as shown in Figure 5. The guarantee
band 15 closed by means of a seal 16, Figure 9, may be placed around the collar
or band 12 in the case of Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. The band 12 may also if desired
be secured by means of a little padlock.
In the case shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 the closed chamber 5 is formed by an open
enlargement formed in the neck 6 of the bottle and closed at its upper part by a
stopper receiver 17 of glass or other suitable material having notches 18 engaging
over projections or studs 19 cast on the neck of the bottle or arranged thereon. The
connection of the stopper receiver 17 and the neck 6 is obtained by means of a
cord 20 passing under the studs 19 in a suitable groove 21 formed in the stopper
receiver 17, the ends of which cord are connected by a guarantee seal 22. In both
cases the liquid escapes to the exterior by openings 23 formed either in the upper
diaphragm 24 of the neck (Figure 1) or in the stopper receiver 17 (Figure 6). A

page_text: cork stopper 25 inserted in the top of the receiver 17 serves to close these open-
ings 23.
The following is the working of the arrangement:
In order to fill the bottle, the neck 6 or the stopper receiver 17 (according to the
pattern selected) is separated, the guarantee seals and the bands or clasps being un-
fastened and this done the valve is withdrawn from its seat and the bottle is filled.
The whole is replaced when the bottle is full and the guarantee seals are then re-
affixed.
If it be desired to empty the bottle, it is sufficient to incline the safe in the
ordinary manner; the heavy mass 2 then ceases to exert any action on the valve, the
latter is released from its seat under the action of the liquid and allows the latter
to escape between the valve and the stopper in order to be discharged by the
openings 23 (of course assuming that the cork stopper 25 has been withdrawn).
In order to facilitate the flow of the liquid, it is preferable to arrange on the
internal wall of the neck or on the external walls of the valve, grooves serving to
allow of the passage of the liquid, or to form grooves of the same kind on the
sides of the heavy mass 2, the top of which for the same reason is preferably all
channelled or corrugated.
When the bottle has once been emptied it is no longer possible to refill it
fraudulently; in fact the valve immediately resumes its position on its seat and as
it cannot be raised from the exterior owing to the zigzags which prevent access
thereto it is impossible to introduce a drop of liquid into the bottle. It is also
impossible to refill it by producing a vacuum therein, because in this case even
admitting that the valve did not, by being pressed upon its seat, prevent a vacuum
from being formed in the interior of the bottle, the liquid on coming therein would
press this valve on its seat seeing that I have mentioned at the commencement of
the specification that the valve is buoyant. In any case consequently it will be im-
possible to insert liquid in the bottle. When the bottle is intended to contain
sugared liquid it may happen that difficulty will sometimes be experienced in
raising the valve from off its seat. In such case it is preferable to place in the
interior of the bottle a little glass ball which falling on the end of the valve would
produce the release of the same.
The forms, dimensions, proportions and accessory parts may be varied and such
materials as may be found suitable may be employed in their construction without
affecting the essence of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An improved system of bottle provided with a method of stoppering called a
guarantee stopper, characterized by the combination of an arrangement of floating
valve resting on a suitable seat and of a heavy mass bearing on said valve, the whole
arranged in a closed chamber to which access cannot be obtained without breaking
the bottle or the guarantee seals and thus constituting an inviolable stoppering, the
said closed chamber communicating to the outside by means of small openings
allowing the liquid to be discharged but not reinserted, the whole substantially as
hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the accompanying drawings.
2. As a constituent element of my invention, a bottle formed of two parts capable
of being separated viz. a body and a neck, connected together on the one hand by
means of an elastic washer forming a tight joint and on the other hand by a band
forming a clasp fixed in suitable grooves, which band is maintained in position by
any suitable means and which may be afterwards covered by means of a guarantee
band, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the
accompanying drawing.
3. As a modification of construction, an arrangement of neck forming a closed
chamber which is closed by means of a stopper held in any suitable stopper receiver
which is rendered inseparable from the bottle by means of a cord and guarantee

page_text: seal substantially as hereinbefore described and shown as an example in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of January 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co., .
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.