Improvements in Bottle Stoppers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
Improvements in Bottle Stoppers.
I CHARLES DE WITT of 101 East German Street of the City of Baltimore
State of Maryland in the United States of America do hereby declare the nature
of this 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 bottle stoppers and more particularly to
means for hermetically sealing the mouths of the bottles in order to prevent leakage
and the escape of gases arising from the liquid in the bottle, and also to prevent the
ingress of air.
Stoppers have been previously designed for this purpose and have been in use for
a considerable time but it has been found that owing to the imperfect sealing of the
mouths of bottles by such stoppers the liquid within the bottles become vitiated in
a very short space of time. In one form of stopper, a metal disc is employed, such
disc having a projecting nipple to which is fitted a rubber washer adapted to be
inserted wholly within the mouth of the bottle. In the use of such stoppers,
particularly in connection with beer bottles, it is found impossible to keep the
rubber clean, so much of the surface being exposed to the action of the gases within
the bottle; and moreover the stopper fails to make a perfect seal. As an
improvement upon this stopper, a tapering porcelain stopper having a flexible
annular washer, attached to a nipple thereon, has been substituted so that but little
of the surface of the washer is exposed to the gases in the bottle, thus overcoming
the objection of uncleanliness found in the first mentioned stopper; but a continued
use of these stoppers has shewn that a perfect seal is not secured, due to the fact
that the pressure which is applied to retain the stopper in place by compressing the
washer against the side walls of the bottle mouth is practically uniformly distributed
around the washer thereby compressing the washer with substantially equal force
in a radial direction, and thus providing a straight surface of contact between the
mouth of the bottle and the washer permitting the escape of gas along this surface
when there is sufficient pressure of gas within the bottle to enter between the lower
edge of the washer and the side walls of the bottle mouth. As bottles are generally
made with inwardly tapering mouths at the top, the washer, in this case, is
naturally forced or pressed within the mouth between the two parallel surfaces of
the bottle plug and of the inwardly tapering wall of the mouth of the bottle.
According to my invention I provide an improved form of stopper which
overcomes such defects which secures a better and more perfect seal than heretofore
and which can be easily and cheaply manufactured.
And in order that my invention and the manner in which it may be carried out
may be better understood I will describe it with reference to the accompanying.
drawings but I do not confine myself to the exact details shewn therein.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the neck of a bottle with a stopper constructed
according to my invention applied in its sealing position.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the stopper unseated and
Figure 3 is a detail of the stopper and the flexible washer.
A indicates the neck of the bottle to which is preferably applied, the ordinary.
bail or yoke a and the eccentric lever c, as a means for seating and unseating the
stopper plug B, which is provided with a hole, d, extending transversely there-
through, through which hole, the upper portion of the bail or yoke a passes. The
hole d, is preferably enlarged at each end for the purpose of allowing the ready.
removal of the stopper plug B, from the bail or yoke without straightening either
of its arms.

page_text: The stopper plug B is preferably provided with a nipple E consisting of a
downwardly projecting hemispherical-portion and an enlarged button 6 which with
the upper part forms a groove, in which is sprung, a flexible washer D the
perforation of which preferably of considerably less diameter than the diameter
of the bottle plug at the groove. Extending transversely round the bottle plug is
an annular flange C adapted to bear upon the washer when seated so as to compress
the same between itself and the top of the bottle. The washer D when applied to
the stopper, assumes the position shewn in Figure 2. The compression, upon the
surface of the washer around the central perforation, when applied to the groove
on the bottle plug, causes the said washer to readily assume a cup shape, conforming
to the contour of the nipple E. When the bail or yoke a' is lowered by the lever c
the flexible washer will come in contact with the mouth of the bottle and will be
forced firmly against the same, the flange C causing the upper rim of the washer
to slightly protrude round the bottle mouth, but out of contact with the yoke or
bail a, thus forming two break-joints at f, and g, respectively. It will be observed
that the wedging action of the nipple E, as it is forced into the mouth of the
bottle, will change the tension of the outer surface of the washer at g, causing the
upper rim of said washer to turn outwardly so as to be in shape to be readily
compressed by the flange C, of the stopper, thus forming the second break-
joint at f.
I have shown the yoke and lever mechanism for seating and unseating the
stopper, but it is to be understood that any suitable means may be employed for
this purpose as it forms no part of the invention, and though a stopper with the
nipple E of the spherical form shewn is preferably used this nipple may be made
tapering or otherwise so long as pressure surfaces are formed so that the washer
is compressed between the flange, the upper part of the nipple and the bottle
mouth, substantially as shown and defined. When the yoke and lever connection
is used, the hole d, may be splayed out at the ends, as shown, heart-shaped, or
triangular-shaped, or of other irregular shape, if desired, and if it should not be
desired to make the stopper removable from the yoke, the hole may be cylindrical
to fit the said yoke.
I am aware that it is not novel to provide a stopper with a flange adapted to
be seated upon the top of the mouth of the bottle, but I am not aware that such a
stopper combined with a flexible washer, in the manner herein described has been
known heretofore, and it is upon the combination of these two features, from which
important and advantageous results are derived, that this invention is based.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.-
1. A bottle stopper consisting of a stopper plug having a flange, adapted to
project over the sides of the bottle mouth, and a downwardly projecting nipple to
be inserted within the mouth of the bottle, in combination with a flexible disc
washer sprung into place around the said nipple so as to be in close contact
therewith, and means for seating the said stopper on the bottle and holding it in
position thereon so as to compress the said washer between the bottle mouth, the
flange, and the nipple on the said plug within the mouth of the bottle, forming a
double break joint, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a bottle, of a bottle plug provided with a nipple
adapted to be inserted within the mouth of the bottle, a flange extending outwardly
from the said plug, a flexible disc washer sprung into a groove on the said nipple
and extending around and in close contact therewith whereby its outer surface is
placed under tension and its inner surface under compression, with means for
seating the said stopper on the bottle and holding the same in position thereon so
as to tightly compress the upper portion of the washer between the flange, the
nipple, and the bottle mouth, forming a double break-joint substantially as
herein before described.

page_text: 3. The combination with a bottle having a tapering mouth, of a bottle stopper
plug a flange projecting therefrom, and extending over the edges of the mouth,
a nipple of spherical contour depending from the plug and adapted to project
within the mouth of the bottle, a flexible disc washer sprung into place close
around the said nipple, with its outer edge extending up to the flange, with means
for seating and holding the said stopper plug on the bottle, so as to forcibly
compress the washer between the flange, the nipple, and the bottle mouth whereby
the said bottle mouth may be hermetically sealed by two break-joints substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of October 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.