IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Conrad Sanders, of 15, Victoria Gardens, Ladbroke
Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS."
Sealed the 8th May 1877, and dated the 11th November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Conrad Sanders at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th November 1876.
HENRY CONRAD SANDERS, of 15, Victoria Gardens, Ladbroke Road, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS, AND
OTHER VESSELS."
My Invention consists of an improved stopper for bottles, jars, and other vessels,
and of the mode of combining and making the same.
The said stopper consists of the following parts
First. A head or upper part (herein-after called the head).
Secondly. Of a base or bottom part (herein-after called the bottom).
Thirdly. Of a fitting part or plug (herein-after called the plug).
The head I propose to make of wood, metal, glass, or other suitable or desired
material, and it can be made plain or ornamental, flat or round, or of any desired
shape according to requirements. The bottom I propose to make of any hard metal
or suitable hard material, and it can be made spherical or flat, or cup-shaped in its
external configuration. In its centre a hole is punched in a peculiar manner which
will be described hereafter, and by doing which prongs are raised on its upper
surface or the part which is covered by the head.
If the bottom is intended to be combined with a metal head it will be preferable
to make it of a cup-shaped or spherical configuration in order that the metal head
may be made to fit over it, and be united to it by closing_over_dies after_the_manner_
employed in the button manufacture.
If the bottom is intended to be combined with a head of wood, glass, or other
material, it will be preferable to make it of a flat configuration with the outer edge
flanged up in order that it may be closed over a bede or rim, which I propose to

page_text: form on the under side of head. This flanged up outer edge of the metal bottom
may be made serrated, star-shaped, or claw-shaped, which will facilitate its being
turned or closed over the bede or rim on the under side of head.
The plug I propose to make of cork, india-rubber, or other flexible and suitable
material, and it may be made cylindrical from end to end, or taper, or otherwise as
required.
The manner in which I propose to manufacture and combine the afore-mentioned
parts will be as follows:-If the head is to be made of wood I propose to turn it or
shape it in a machine to the required pattern, a hollow recess being formed on the
under side to receive the upper end of the plug, and a bede or rim being formed
round the outer edge of under side, over which the flanged up edge of the metal
bottom will afterwards be closed over. If the head is to be made of glass, porcelain,
or material of like nature, I propose to mould it or press it in dics, observing the
same precautions as in the case of the wooden head with respect to the recess in the
under side and the rim or bede on edge of under side.
If the head is to be made of metal I propose first to stamp a disc out of shoet
metal, and then to bring it to the desired configuration by means of dies and
punches, either after the plan employed in the button manufacture, or after the
manner employed in making metallic collapsible tubes according to whether the
metal is hard or soft, as the case may be. The bottom I propose to make of hard
sheet metal, either brass or iron, or metal of like nature will be suitable. I first
propose to stamp out a disc with a punch and die, which disc may be round or star-
shaped, or having claw-shaped radiations round its circumference; or in fact may
punched in any shape that is required, providing that sufficient metal is left in
the centre for the purpose which I now proceed to explain. I next propose to take
the aforesaid disc and place it in another die having a hole in its centre, which
hole may be round or hexagonal, or any required shape and of the requisite size and
slightly smaller than the upper part of the plug; I then take a punch which must
be of the same external shape as the interior shape of the die in which it has to
work; but the aforesaid punch must be smaller than the hole in the die by as
much as two thicknesses of the metal which it has to punch through. The point of
the aforesaid punch I propose to make taper or conical, and to form on the taper or
conical part flat surfaces, which when the punch is forced through the metal split
the metal into as many tongues as there are flat surfaces on the punch, and the
downward motion of the punch being continued forces the tongues down into the
space left between the punch and the inside of the hole in the die.
To complete the bottom I next propose to take the aforesaid disc and place
it with the tongues upwards in a die, and stamp it to any suitable shape that
may be required. If it is intended to be united with a metal head a narrow flat
part running round the circumference would be formed, over which the metal
head would afterwards be lapped and pressed.
If the afore-mentioned metal bottom is intended to be united to a head of wood,
glass, or other material, instead of it being shaped as before mentioned, I propose to
place it in a die with the tongues upwards, and flange up the star-shaped radiations,
claws, or prongs on its outer circumference which would afterwards be closed on the
bede or rim provided on the under side of the head.
To unite the bottom to the plug (which is intended to form the fitting part of the
stopper), the upper part of the plug is forced a requisite distance into the centre
hole of bottom, and the raised tongues surrounding the centre hole are then
squeezed into the upper part of the said plug, a sufficient length of the plug being
left extending below the under side of metal bottom to form the fitting part of the
stopper; the metal bottom being thus fixed firmly to the flexible plug of cork or
other material is then united to the head either by closing over with dies in the
case of a metal head, or by closing the star or otherwise shaped radiations over the
bede or rim formed on the under side of head in the case of a head of wood, glass,
or other material.

page_text: And, Inira. A plug or stopper.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews an elevation of the upper part or
"head" of the stopper as hereafter described; and Figure 2, a vertical section of
my improved stopper.
Figure 3 shews a view in perspective of the bottom plate.
Figure 4 shews such bottoin plate fixed to the cork or plug of the stopper; and
Figure 5 is a vertical section shewing the application of my improved stopper to a
feeding bottle.
I make the head or cap A of my improved stopper either plain or ornamental,
and either of metal, glass, wood, or any other suitable material in any desired shape
or form, while the bottom plate B is made of any hard sheet metal or other
suitable material, and is formed either concave, flat, or cup-shaped in its external
configuration.
If the bottom plate is intended to be united to a metal head or cap, I prefer to
make it of a cup-shaped configuration, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, in order that
the metal head or cap may readily fit over the bottom plate, and be united to it by
means of a die working in a suitable press in a similar manner to that employed
in the manufacture of buttons.
If the bottom plate is intended to be united to a head or cap of wood, glass,
porcelain, or other similar material, I prefer to make such bottom plate of a flat
configuration, having its outer edge flanged up in order that it may be closed over a
rim or bead which is formed on the under side of the head or cap. This flanged up
outer edge of the bottom plate may be made, either serrated, star, or claw-shaped,
which will facilitate its being turned or closed over the bead or rim on the under
side of the head or cap.
The plug C is made either of cork, india-rubber, or other suitable flexible material,
and either cylindrical, taper, or otherwise as required.
The manner of uniting these various parts is as follows:-If the cap or head be
made of wood I turn or otherwise shape it to the required pattern, taking care to
form a hollow recess on the under side thereof so as to allow of the plug of the
stopper being inserted therein. A rim or bead is formed around the outer edge of
the under side of such cap over which the flanged up edge of the bottom plate is
afterwards closed. If however the cap or head be of glass, porcelain, or other
similar material I mould or press it in suitable dies observing the same precaution
as in the case of the wooden cap or head with respect to the recess in the under
side, and the rim or bead on the edge of the under side.
If the cap or head be made of metal I first stamp a disc out of suitable sheet
metal, such as pewter or tin, and then bring it to the desired configuration by means

page_text: of dies and punches, either after the method employed in the button manufacture
or that used in the manufacture of metallic collapsible tubes, according to whether
. the metal is hard or soft. The bottom plate B I make of any suitable hard sheet
metal, such as brass or iron, and either spherical, flat, cup-shaped, or of any other
convenient configuration by stamping out a disc with a punch and die, which disc
may be round or star-shaped, or with claw-shaped radiations or prongs formed
round its circumference; or it may be punched in any other required shape
provided sufficient metal be left in the centre for the purpose which I will now
explain. Having thus formed the disc I then place it in another die having in its
centre an orifice which may be either round, hexagonal, or of any other required
shape, and of a size slightly smaller than the upper part of the plug or cork; I then
take a punch formed externally of a similar shape to the interior of the die in
which it has to work, but smaller by about two thicknesses of the sheet metal
through which it has to punch than the orifice in the die I make the point of the
punch taper or conical, and I then by filing or otherwise form on such taper or conical
part thereof any convenient number of suitable flattened surfaces, which when the
punch is forced through the sheet metal split the same into as many tongues as
there are flattened surfaces formed on the punch; and on the punch being con-
tinuously pressed downwards these tongues are forced into the space left between
the punch and the interior of the orifice formed in the die as already mentioned.
To complete the formation of the bottom of my improved stopper I next place
the disc in a die with the tongues either upwards or downwards and stamp it to
any desired shape. If it is to be united with a metal cap or head, a narrow flat
edge is formed round the rim over which the edge of the metal cap or head is
afterwards securely lapped by suitable pressure.
If the bottom plate is to be united to a cap or head of wood, glass, porcelain, or
other similar material I place it in a die with the tongues before described either
upwards or downwards, and the star-shaped radiations, claws, or prongs are flanged
up or down on its outer circumference, and arc afterwards closed on the rim or
bead provided on the under side of the cap or head as before described.
To unite the bottom plate to the plug or cork of the stopper the upper part of
the plug is forced a requisite distance into the centre orifice in the bottom plate,
and the raised tongues or prongs D surrounding such centre orifice are then by
suitable means compressed into the upper part of such plug or stopper which projects
sufficiently below the under side of the bottom plate to fit into the neck of the
bottle or other vessel to be closed, the bottom plate being thus firmly fixed to the
flexible plug of cork or other material is then united to the cap or head, either by
closing the parts over with dies in the case of a metal cap or head, or by closing
the star or other shaped radiations or prongs over the rim or bead formed on the
under side of the cap or head when formed of wood, glass, porcelain, or other
suitable material.
Another application of my improved stopper is the adaptation thereof to feeding
bottles as indicated at Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, wherein the cap or
head a is formed externally of a segmental or curved shape, while the bottom plate b
is of a concave form on the under side. The cork c is fitted into and tightly clasped
by the prongs formed in the bottom plate as before described. A metal tube d
through the centre of the cork, and the cap a thus receives the tubular end piece of
the flexible tube, to the free end of which the mouth-piece is attached in the
ordinary manner.
passes
These improved stoppers possess several advantages over those now in use, as
they may not only be made far more ornamental and even when required be electro-
plated, but can be manufactured at a far less cost than the ordinary ground glass
stoppers, while at the same time they sustain no injury from exposure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is, the method of manufacturing stoppers for bottles, jars, and

page_text: other vessels, and of combining the several parts thereof, substantially in the manner
and by the means herein-before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Conrad Sanders, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HENRY CONRAD SANDERS. (L.S.)