Improvements in the Means employed for Closing Preserve Jars or Bottles and other similar Receptacles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means employed for Closing Preserve Jars or
Bottles and other similar Receptacles.
A communication from abroad by THE CONSERVEN-FABRIK MOMBACH-MAINZ
of Dr. W. NaEGELI, in the Empire of Germany.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.1.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
---
The various means heretofore employed for closing preserve glasses, bottles,
jars and the like possess drawbacks which it is the object of this invention to
remove.
The use of metallic stoppers or coverings is especially very unsuitable for various
kinds of fruits as well as various preserved goods, since the colour and taste of the
fruit suffer thereby, and not only that, but the use of metal must be especially
rejected because all metals, by their action on the preserves, are more or less
injurious to health, or coverings of skin or parchment stoppers, coated with sealing
wax, are very far from permanent, as the sealing wax cracks on the slightest shock
or from the variations in temperature to which the preserve jars may be exposed
during their storage or during transportation, and, as a consequence, the preserves
get spoilt, mould penetrating the skin or parchment, or the liquid covering the
preserves becomes dried up.
Stoppers made of cork are also not applicable in all cases, and are especially
unsuitable for long keeping, as the cork very easily goes mouldy, and, moreover,
perfectly flawless cork is only to be obtained with difficulty.
Finally, as regards the use of glass and earthenware stoppers or coverings, which
are cemented on, such stoppers or coverings are, firstly, very difficult to maintain in
place, they break very easily, and are also very difficult to remove from their
bottles or jars, finally, the slightest pressure in the preserve jar will crack the
cement, whereupon the liquid runs out, the preserves becoming unuseable.
This new covering or stopper, which avoids all the above described evils,
constitutes, when compared to the ones at present in use, an undamageable covering
or stopper which is easily opened and which is not composed of metal.
This covering or stopper may be made of any suitable material which expands
under the action of heat or moisture and again contracts under that of a lower
temperature or on drying, such, for instance, as paper or wood pulp, celluloid,
etcetera.
Paper pulp made after the manner of the Japanese paper pulp goods and coated
with lacquer has been found to be especially suitable for this new covering or
stopper.
The coverings or stoppers constructed in this manner from paper pulp, celluloid,
etcetera, have a conical tapering form corresponding to the conical tapering form of
the preserve jars.
The inside walls of the sides of the cap, which fit on the preserve holder, are
coated with a cement which may be composed of various viscous substances
according to the degree of temperature to which the preserves are heated at the
time of fitting the cap on, and according to the degree of hardness which the
cement is to have when cold.
The coating of the side walls of the caps with the cement is so performed that a

page_text: considerably thicker layer of cement rests against the top of the cap than against
its bottom edge.
The caps are kept in this condition. If a preserve glass or other receptacle is to
be closed, a cap is selected, which cannot be completely pressed down on the neck
of the vessel, but is somewhat too small. This cap is then placed in almost
boiling water for some minutes. The sides of the cap thereupon expand, so that
the cap may then be easily placed over the neck of the vessel in such a way that
the top of the cap comes into close contact with the upper edges of the vessel. The
cap, prepared in this manner, is fitted on only after the preserve jar, together with
its contents, has been warmed to a certain degree. When the cap has been fitted
on the warmed preserve jar, it is pressed on to the same by means of a suitable
device, and is then allowed to dry. The cap again contracts on drying, the sides
press firmly to the neck of the preserve glass, and, in this manner, by means of the
soft cement, a thoroughly tight closing of the preserve jar is produced, which, on
the complete cooling of the latter, is pressed still firmer on the jar by the resulting
vacuum in the latter or the air pressure from the outside, so that changes of
temperature or moisture such as take place in the atmosphere, as well as a severe
shaking or blows, cannot affect the stopper.
It is very advantageous to arrange so that the preserve jars may be subjected,
for a short time even after being closed, to the action of a suitable heat, such as the
respective preserves require, and to which they were subjected before the closing of
the jars.
During this heating, the caps must be weighted, the soft cement runs thereby
slowly downwards between the sides of the cap and the preserve jar, and thus
thoroughly fills all the interstices between the two on the simultaneously ensuing
contraction of the
cap.
The composition of the cement may, of course, vary according to the temperature
to which the preserve jars are to be exposed, so that the cement may not run out
when heated between the cap and the preserve jar.
Dated this 17th day of July 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means employed for Closing Preserve Jars or
Bottles and other similar Receptacles.
A communication by THE CONSERVEN-FABRIK MOMBACH-MAINZ OF
DR. W. NAEGELI, in the Empire of Germany.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and, 6 Bank Street Man-
chester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex Civil Engineer 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:—
The various means heretofore employed for closing preserve glasses, bottles,
jars and the like possess drawbacks which it is the object of this invention to
remove.
The use of metallic stoppers or coverings is especially very unsuitable for various
kinds of fruits as well as various preserved goods, since the colour and taste of the
fruit suffer thereby, and not only that, but the use of metal must be especially
rejected, because all metals, by their action on the preserves, are more or less
injurious to health, or coverings of skin or parchment stoppers, coated with sealing
wax, are very far from permanent, as the sealing wax cracks on the slightest shock
or from the variations in temperature to which the preserve jars may be exposed

page_text: during their storage or during transportation, and, as a consequence, the preserves
get spoilt, mould penetrating the skin or parchment, or the liquid covering the
preserves becomes dried up.
Stoppers made of cork are also not applicable in all cases, and are especially
unsuitable for long keeping, as the cork very easily goes mouldy, and, moreover,
perfectly flawless cork is only to be obtained with difficulty.
Finally, as regards the use of glass and earthenware stoppers or coverings, which
are cemented on, such stoppers or coverings are, firstly, very difficult to maintain
in place, they break very easily, and are also very difficult to remove from their
bottles or jars, finally, the slightest pressure in the preserve jar will crack the
cement, whereupon the liquid runs out, the preserves becoming unuseable.
This new covering or stopper, which avoids all the above described evils, con-
stitutes, when compared to the ones at present in use, an undamageable covering or
stopper which is easily opened and which is not composed of metal.
This covering or stopper may be made of any suitable material which expands
under the action of heat or moisture and again contracts under that of a lower
temperature or on drying, such, for instance, as paper or wood pulp, celluloid,
etcetera.
Paper pulp made after the manner of the Japanese paper pulp goods and coated
with lacquer has been found to be especially suitable for this new covering or
stopper.
In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will now be described in
detail, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings and
to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon, and which will be hereinafter
fully explained.
In all the views on the drawing—
c are the inside walls of the cap which fit on the preserve holder; the coating
of cement covering the walls c; and d is the top of the cap c.
The coverings or stoppers constructed in this manner from paper pulp, celluloid,
etcetera, have a conical tapering form corresponding to the conical tapering form of
the preserve jars shown on Figure 2.
The inside walls of the sides c of the cap, which fit on the preserve holder, are
coated with a cement b which may be composed of various viscous substances
according to the degree of temperature to which the preserves are heated at the
time of fitting on the cap, and according to the degree of hardness which the cement
is to have when cold.
The coating of the side walls c of the caps with the cement b is performed in the
manner shown in Figure 3 so that a considerably thicker layer of cement rests
against the top of the cap than against its bottom edge.
The caps are kept in this condition. If a preserve glass or other receptacle is to
be closed, a cap is selected, such as shown in Figure 4, which cannot be completely
pressed down on the neck of the vessel but is somewhat too small. This cap is
then placed in almost boiling water for some minutes. The sides c of the cap there-
upon expand as shown in Figures 2 and 3 in dotted lines, so that the cap may then
be easily placed over the neck of the vessel, Figure 1, in such a way that the top d
of the cap comes into close contact with the upper edges of the vessel, see Figure 5.
The cap, prepared in this manner, is fitted on only after the preserve jar, together
with its contents, has been warmed to a certain degree. When the cap has been
fitted on the warmed preserve jar, it is pressed on to the same by means of a
suitable device, and is then allowed to dry. The cap again contracts on drying,
the sides a press firmly to the neck of the preserve glass as shown in Figure 5, and,
in this manner, by means of the soft cement b, a thoroughly tight closing of the
preserve jar is produced, which, on the complete cooling of the latter, is pressed
still firmer on the jar by the resulting vacuum in the latter or the air pressure from
the outside, so that changes of temperature or moisture such as take place in the
atmosphere, as well as a severe shaking, or blows, cannot affect the stopper.
It is very advantageous to arrange so that the preserve jars may be subjected,

page_text: for a short time even after being closed, to the action of a suitable heat, such as
the respective preserves require, and to which they were subjected before the closing
of the jars.
During this heating, the caps must be weighted, the soft cement runs thereby
slowly downwards between the sides c of the cap and the preserve jar, and thus
thoroughly fills all the interstices between the two on the simultaneously ensuing
contraction of the cap, Figure 5.
'The composition of the cement may, of course, vary according to the temperature
to which the preserve jars are to be exposed, so that the cement may not run out
when heated between the cap and the preserve jar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improvements in the means employed for closing preserve jars or bottles
and other similar receptacles, which consist in providing a cap, or covering of a
material capable of giving in water (such as pulp, celluloid, etcetera) such covering
having its interior provided with a cement-like coating as described and being
made to close the receptacle by placing it for a short while in suitably warmed
water before fixing on the heated receptacle, so as to expand for allowing an easy
fixing and which will then subsequently contract for effecting a hermetic closing, all
substantially as herein before described.
1-7
1 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.