IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES AND VESSELS, SUCH APPARATUS BEING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of New Garden Street, Hull,
in the County of York, Professor of Music, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS, AND
IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES AND VESSELS, SUCH APPARATUS BEING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th May 1874.
I, JOHN EDWARDS, of New Garden Street, Hull, in the County of
York, Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS,
AND IN APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES AND VESSELS, SUCH APPARATUS BEING
SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR FILLING SAME WITH AERATED LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
m: T.

page_text: My present improvements consist in the first place in stoppers for
bottles, the bottle being, I prefer, formed with a groove on the outside
of the neck, or with a thrcaded neck either inside or outside for the
purposes of my said Invention.
The stopper I construct as follows:-I place a collar of metal or other
suitable material in the said groove in neck of bottle, to which collar
I secure a hinge which secures the stopper to the said collar and bottle;
and to this collar opposite to the hinge I secure a spring lever catch
with guard at back thereof, there being a catch piece on the stopper
which takes into the said spring catch so as to form a complete
holdfast.
The stopper provided with hinge and catch piece aforesaid consists of,
by preference, a circular piece of metal or other suitable material in which
a piece of indian-rubber tube is secured by projecting pins or points, or
otherwise in the collar (upon a hollow plug being inserted therein),
such hollow plug being provided with a seating of india-rubber, and a
spherical or other suitable valve held to its seat by a spring. The plug
is secured in the stopper by a screw or other cap.
.
Instead of the above arrangements I use a stopper constructed similar
to the above, but I dispense with the collar, hinge, and spring lever
catch, and use in lieu thereof catches secured to lugs formed on the
circular piece of metal before described. A ring or case encircles
the catches, which case projects generally over the mouth of bottle, the
other end being secured free to move round the hollow plug. This case
forms a seating on the catches which take into groove on neck of the
bottle.
When the stopper is to be taken off, the case is pulled up by means of
arms or other means formed on side of case, and in doing so releases
the catches and the stopper is removed.
Another form of stopper I use which may be adapted to bottles' as
ordinarily made, consists in fitting to the top of the outside of neck of
bottle a case of metal or suitable material projecting over to the mouth
of the bottle, the lower part being secured by collar or other suitable
means below the flange outside of bottle. This case has formed on it
projections which rise a little above the top of the bottle, and project
over same. The plug of the stopper is formed with a piece of metal
which is of such form that on being placed over the mouth of the

page_text: bottle and turned half round is held to the bottle by the projection
formed on the case which surrounds the top of the bottle, as before
described.
My improvements in filling apparatus consists in a stand which is
fitted with springs or other suitable means, and above is the filling
apparatus. The vessel containing the liquid to be used for filling is
connected to a pipe governed by a cock or valve to regulate the flow.
A second cock or valve is provided also for allowing the air to escape
from the bottle or vessel being filled. Between such two cocks is a
pipe with a tube formed perpendicularly downwards to the end of which
pipe is fitted a nozzle or nipple. The bottle to be filled is placed on
the stand or base, and on being pressed it yields, allowing the bottle to be
brought immediately under the nozzle, and to which it firmly presses
rendering the bottle air-tight while in process of filling. The cock or
valve which supplies the liquid is then opened and passes through pipe
into bottle. To completely fill the bottle the compressed air therein
has to be released, which is done by opening the cock which communi-
cates with the outer air; this cock is then closed and the bottle filled
by opening the other cock.
It is obvious that any number of cocks or valves may be used for
supplying, when desired, more than one liquid to a bottle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
:
filed by the said John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARDS, of New Garden Street, Hull, in the County of York, Professor
of Music, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John. Edwards, Her special
license that I, the said John Edwards, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Edwards, 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,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
FILLING BOTTLES AND VESSELS, SUCH APPARATUS BEING SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR
FILLING SAME WITH AËRATED LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Edwards, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 John Edwards, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
My present improvements relate, firstly, to stoppers for bottles, and
to effectually carry out such improvements I proceed as follows:-

page_text: the following manner:-I take a bottle provided either with a groove on
the exterior of the neck or with a thread on the exterior or interior thereof.
I construct the stopper in the following manner :-I place a collar of
metal or other suitable material (a, Figure 1) in the before-mentioned
groove or thread on the neck of the bottle, and I provide such collar
with a suitable hinge (b, Figure 1), such hinge serving to connect and
secure the stopper to the collar, and to that part of the collar directly
opposite to where the hinge is placed I fix a spring lever catch
(c, Figure 1) furnished in front with a metal guard (d, Figure 1), and at
the rear thereof with an india-rubber ring (shewn at e, Figure 1) which
serves as an elastic seating to secure the reaction of the lever catch c,
and I also provide a suitable catch piece (f, Figure 1) on the stopper,
such catch piece taking into the spring catch, c, Figure 1, so as to form
a complete holdfast when the bottle is closed.
The base of the stopper so provided with a hinge and catch piece as
aforesaid I prefer to make of a hollow circular piece of metal (shewn
at Figure g, Figure 1), the inner circumference of which is provided with
a series of corrugations or teeth which serve to secure firmly therein
a piece of india-rubber tubing (h, Figure 1) upon the insertion of
a hollow metal plug (shewn at Figure 2), which forcing the india-
rubber tubing against such corrugations or teeth firmly retains it in the
required position, as described and shewn in my previous Patent, No. 4114,
of 1873, before referred to. In the centre of such hollow metal plug (shewn
in section at Figure 2") I place an india-rubber seating (f, f, Figure 2)
against which a ball or any other suitable valve (g, Figure 2b)
works. Just above such india-rubber seating f is a metal guide bar
(h, Figure 2), having an orifice therein to allow of the passage of the
valve stem (i, Figure 2), which is placed in the lower part of such
hollow plug and works on an elastic seating (j, Figure 2º), (or a spring
be employed instead,) thus when it is desired to charge the bottle
with aërated liquid the stopper is pressed against the nozzle of my filling
apparatus, shewn in section at (Figure 2), such nozzle being furnished
with a fixed rod (a, Figure 2), which forcing the valve stem (i, Figure
2) down permits of the passage of the liquid into the bottle, and
upon the bottle being removed from the nipple when fully charged
the internal pressure of the confined gases therein combined with the
resistance offered by the clastic seating (j, Figure 2b), of the base of
the valve stem, i, Figure 2b, effectually closes the stopper by forcing the
may

page_text: valve against the elastic seating f, Figure 2º. On the outside of the
stopper just above its metal base I form a screw thread (shewn at i,
Figure 1), and affix thereon a metal cap (k, Figure 1), which metal cap
serves to firmly retain the hollow metal plug, shewn at Figure 2, in the
desired position, and thus ensures the proper action of the stopper, and
the whole is surmounted by a small metal top (1, Figure 1), which thus
completes the arrangement.
Figure 3 shews another arrangement of stopper which is applicable
only to a bottle formed with an external groove in the neck thereof. In
this form of stopper I dispense with the collar a, Figure 1, hinge b,
Figure 1, and spring lever catch c, Figure 1. I form a metal case or
cap, as shewn at m, Figure 3, or of any other suitable form sliding
casily up and down a hollow plug (n, Figure 3), provided externally
with two metal arms 0, 0, Figure 3, whereby it may readily be
removed, as hereafter explained; (n, Figure 3) before referred to, is a
hollow plug similar to that previously described, and on the outside
thereof about midway I attach in any suitable manner 3 metal catches
(p, p, p, Figure 3), which when the stopper is placed on the bottle
and forced down take into the hollow groove formed on the neck thereof,
and thus retain the stopper in the desired position. In the base of this
hollow plug I insert a piece of india-rubber tubing (q,
projects some distance beyond such base, and into
tubing I again insert a small central plug (also made hollow), and thus
secure the india-rubber tubing in its place.
Figure 3*, which
this india-rubber
Upon the stopper being inserted into the neck of the bottle, that
part of the india-rubber tubing which extends beyond the base of the
hollow plug enters the mouth of the bottle and being forced against
the sides thereof, by the action of the confined gases therein; it thus
hermitically seals the bottle. On the top of this small centre plug
I place a metal disc, shewn at Figure 3b, provided with perforations
in order to allow of the passage of liquid when charging the bottle,
and when the bottle is empty, such disc serves to receive a glass ball
valve, which is placed in a small chamber formed between such
disc and an india-rubber valve seating (s, s, Figure 3), in the top of
the hollow plug n, as described in the last arrangement.
In the process of filling, the bottle is placed in the frame of the
filling machine, where it is held to the nipple of the filling apparatus

page_text: by means of a spring and kept there till full. When it is filled the
frame of the filling machine is caused to revolve on its axis and
thereby the glass ball falls to its seat, where it is effectually retained
by the pressure of the confined gases, and thus effectually closes the
stopper.
When it is desired to remove the stopper from the bottle, it is only
necessary to draw up the metal casc (m, Fig. 3) by means of the
arms o, o, Figure 3, and the catches p, p, p, Figure 3ª, are at once
released from the groove in the neck of the bottle, and the stopper
removed. A small metal cap surmounts the whole, as in the last
arrangement.
Another variation of the arrangement last described is as follows:-
I take a bottle with a groove formed in the neck thereof, and place
therein any suitable internal stopper. I then provide a metal cap
formed of a circular piece of metal (shewn at Figure 4), provided with
an inner metal lining, which forms a projecting ridge at the base of the
cap (a, Figure 4). Around the base of this cap I place a washer of
india-rubber tubing, and upon pressing the cap into the mouth of the
bottle the projecting ridge of the metal lining is driven into such india-
rubber washer, and thus effectually secures it.
To resist the action of the confined gases in the bottle, which would
otherwise force the metal cap from the mouth thereof, I place thereon
a small metal case formed in two halves, as shewn at Figure 4ª, each
provided at top and bottom with an internal projecting rim, the topmost
rim projecting over the cap and the bottom rim entering the grove in
the neck of the bottle, and to retain these two halves in this position
I slide over them a metal ring (shewn at Figure 4º), and so firmly bind
the two halves together, thereby securing the metal cap on the bottle,
as shewn at Figure 4°. Figure 4ª is a plan view of the metal cap.
Figure 5 shews a modification of an arrangement described in my
former Patent herein-before referred to., a, Fig. 5, is a case made of
metal or other suitable material, fastened to the neck by striking the
ends thereof under the groove in the neck of the bottle. This case is
provided at the top with projections b, b, Figure 5, which rise a little.
above the top of the bottle, and project over the same.
Instead of the metal cap being of a circular form, as shewn at Figure 4,
I make it of an oval form, as seen at Figure 5ª (which is a plan view of

page_text: Figure 9 is an elevation of my filling apparatus; a is a metal stand
from which two hollow metal pillars b, b', rise, one on each side, provided
at the top with axle boxes c, c¹, in which a square metal frame d, d,
works. The bottom of such frame is provided with a cup-like recess e
to receive the bottom of the bottle, such recess being placed at the top
of a movable rod f which is governed by a spring placed in a box g just
below the bottom of the frame. This spring serves to force the rod
upwards to the requisite height to fix the bottle in position in the frame,
and by this means bottles of various lengths may be filled with equal
facility by my apparatus. Upon placing the bottle in the cup-like
recess it is forced lightly up against the nipple h of the filling machine.
This nipple is provided with a piece of india-rubber tubing i, which
depending somewhat below the nipple enters the mouth of the bottle,
and on giving the lever handle J a slight turn such india-rubber
tubing is forced tightly into the mouth of the bottle, and the pin at
the end of such lever handle coming in contact with the stem of the
movable rod at once locks it firmly in the desired position, and thereby
hermetically closes the bottle during the process of filling; k is a valve
or tap, which upon being depressed or turned allows the liquid to flow
into the bottle through the hollow pillar 6 which serves as a pipe to
convey the liquid to the valve or tap communicating with the bottle,
such hollow pillar 6 being connected with a suitable supply pipe placed
beneath the metal strand a; k₁ is another valve, which upon being
depressed allows the compressed air to escape from the bottle through
the hollow pillar 6. This valve ¹ may either have an intermittent
action by pressing it down with the hand or it may be rendered
automatic by regulating it so that it will allow of the escape of the com-
pressed air at any specific pressure.
b
In order to introduce syrup into the bottles I place in the top of the
framed, directly above the nipple of the filling machine, a valve provided
in the centre with a movable stem, and on inserting the nozzle of the
syrup tube, which is furnished with a ball or other valve, in an opening
provided for it in the top of the frame & such ball or other valve forces
down the movable valve stem and allows of the introduction of the
syrup into the bottle; is a handle on the metal base a connected with
a pinion and rack which works the rod of the syrup pump when in
operation.

page_text: b
Figure 10 shews an arrangement for connecting my filling apparatus
to any ordinary corking machine; a is a metal pipe provided with a
screw thread at the top to permit of a metal cap 6 being screwed thereto;
the dotted line c indicates a washer of any suitable material, which is
slipped over such metal tube prior to fastening the cap thereon.
The operation is carried out as follows:-I pass the top of the metal
pipé through the opening provided in the ordinary corking machine for
the reception of the head of the bottle until the screw thread on the
pipe protrude where the cork is usually placed in such machines
previous to forcing it into the neck of the bottle. I then place a suitable
washer on the protruding top of the pipe and afterwards screw down the
metal cap 6. thereon to secure it in the desired position. About the
centre of such metal pipe are 3 or more openings d, d, d, to allow of
the passage into it of the liquid required to be conveyed to the filling
apparatus, and the base of such pipe is formed with a flange e, which
by the action of the screw is caused to rise to the position ordinarily
occupied by the head of the bottle. To the bottom of such metal pipe
I attach any length of tubing requisite to connect it with my filling
apparatus.
In order to dispense with the labour and expense of labelling bottles
as hitherto done and to avoid mistakes, which are at present of frequent
occurrence in opening the wrong beverage, I make the internal stopper
of different colored glass, viz., soda water white, lemonade yellow,
ginger beer red, or if preferred a variegated glass stopper may be used
in order to distinguish the various beverages.
I have made no mention of jars and other similar vessels in the fore-
going statement, it being obvious that suitable stoppers could be fitted.
to them, substantially as above described. And with regard to stoppers
for non-aërated liquids the same arrangements of stoppers as above
described may be used, but the valve arrangements dispensed with.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said improvements in stopping bottles, jars, and such like vessels, and
in apparatus for filling bottles and vessels, such apparatus being specially
adapted for filling same with aërated liquids, I would have it under-

page_text: above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
JOHN EDWARDS. (L.S.).