IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS FOR BOTTLES JARS AND OTHER HOLLOW ARTICLES.
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Nathan Thompson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1883.
NATHAN THOMPSON of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS OR COVERS FOR BOTTLES JARS AND OTHER HOLLOW
ARTICLES.
The invention has for its object improvements upon that class of stopper or cover
for bottles jars and other hollow articles described in the specifications of Letters
Patent granted to me and dated respectively January 22nd 1874 N° 276 and
June 16th 1875 N° 2217.
In the former of such specifications is shown and described a stopper or cover
formed on the top thereof with circular inclines and in combination with this
stopper or cover a clip or strap is used which passes across the stopper or cover and
is formed with turned in ends or legs which pass under a flange or ring on the
bottle neck, then by turning such clip or strap around the stopper or cover so as to
cause it to mount the inclines the stopper or cover is pressed firmly on to the end
of the bottle neck. This arrangement has however the disadvantage that it consists
of two separate disconnected parts thereby involving trouble in use and liability to
loss of one or the other of the said parts in addition to which the cap or stopper
and the clip or strap require to be provided with sockets in the centre thereof to
receive an instrument to facilitate the adjustment and turning of the clip or strap
as otherwise the said clip or strap is liable on being turned to be forced out of its
required central position. In the latter of the aforesaid specifications I have
endeavoured to obviate the difficulty above mentioned but in this case in lieu of
employing a strap or clip extending across the stopper or cover an annular clip is
employed which is expensive to produce causes considerable friction and is difficult
if not impossible of application in cases where the necks of the bottles somewhat
vary in forn from the true circle.
According to my present invention I obviate all the difficulties above described
and produce a cheap and efficient stopper or cover capable of ready application to
bottles or other hollow articles.

page_text: For this purpose I employ a cap or stopper formed as described in my aforesaid
specifications with two inclines on the outer edge of the top thereof and such cap
or stopper may be made of glass, earthenware or other solid material or of sheet
metal stamped into the required shape.
When the cap or stopper is made of sheet metal I place in the interior thereof a
compression plate and then a disco of cork or other packing material.
The compression plate is preferably formed with an annular descending rib at or
near the edge thereof and in such position as to come exactly over the end of the
neck of the bottle or other article to which the stopper is to be applied, and in some
cases I secure the cork or other packing material to the compression plate by
turning the edge of the plate over the same.
This compression plate serves to cover the hollows in the interior of the cap or
stopper and to transmit the pressure direct to that part of the cork or other lining
coming between the same and the neck of the bottle or other article whilst the
annular rib also serves to prevent the twisting or bending of the compression plate
out of shape.
In connection with a cap or stopper formed as above described I employ a clip or
strap extending across the cap or stopper and provided with downwardly projecting
legs formed with inwardly turned projections to come under a flange on the neck
of the bottle or other article as described in the specification of my aforesaid Patent
of 1874 but instead of such clip or strap being separate from the cap or stopper as
shown and described in such specification I according to my present invention
connect the clip or strap to the cap or stopper by a pin or stud fixed to the centre
of the cap or stopper around which it can be turned and I make such pin or stud
long enough to permit of the clip or strap rising and falling thereon within certain
limits.
The cap or stopper may be slidden sideways into position on the bottle neck and
it may be provided with a stop to secure its correct adjustment or it may be placed
end wise thereon in which case the clip or strap may be formed with more than two
descending legs. I also form it with a cylindrical part only just long enough to
retain and protect the cork or other packing therein and of diameter the same as
or slightly smaller than that of the flange on the neck of the bottle or other article
which latter in the former case is formed with a continuous flange around the neck
thereof whilst in the latter caso it is formed with two or more openings in the
flange to permit of the inwardly turned projections of the legs of the clip or strap
being first passed down such openings and then underneath the flange and in such
case I prefer to form stops on the bottle neck underneath the flange to limit tho
rotary motion of the clip or strap.
The clip or strap is preferably corrugated or formed with narrow projecting
bearing surfaces to reduce friction as much as possible in turning the same on the
inclines and around the cylindrical part of the cap or stopper, and the inclines are
slightly roughened or corrugated or a spring catch is used to prevent the accidental
slipping back of the clip or strap. For large sizes I provide the horizontal part of
the strap or clip with extensible arms capable of being turned or slidden outwards
when required so as to obtain greater leverage and thereby facilitate the forcing of
the cap or stopper to its seat after which the said arms can be retracted when they
will lie close to the horizontal part of the clip or strap.
In some cases I cause the compression plate to act as a spring by forming it so
as to bear against the cap or stopper a short distance from its edge thereby leaving
the annular rib and adjacent part free of the stopper.
This form of compression plate can be used with a cap or stopper formed either
of solid material which may be turned moulded or otherwise formed of the required
shape or of sheet metal stamped or otherwise shaped.
In applying the cap or stopper to a bottle or other article it is first placed in
position on the neck of the article, then in order to force it firmly down to its seat
the clip or strap is rotated whilst the cap or stopper is firmly held; by these means

page_text: the clip or strap is caused to mount the inclines and thereby force the cap or
stopper firmly down on the bottle neck.
To facilitate the application of my improved stopper to metal bottles or cans
and to flasks I form the seat and fittings for the stopper by casting turning or
stamping and I cement solder or braze such seat and fittings to the neck of the
bottle, can or flask.