Protection of Sterilised Liquids.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct.,
1896
IRUVIDIUNAL DI MULTATION.
Protection of Sterilised Liquids.
I FRANCIS THOMAS BOND, of Gloucester, in the County of Gloucester, M.D.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide for the sealing of bottles and other
vessels containing liquids that have been sterilised by heat, in a simple and effective
way, so that the condition of the interior of the vessel in regard to the more or less
perfect vacuum within it can be easily recognised by inspection.
For the purposes of this invention I introduce the liquid to be sterilised into a
bottle or other vessel having a neck, the mouth of which should be provided with a
rim on its outer border. The liquid is then raised to an appropriate temperature
to effect its sterilisation, by exposure of the bottle to heat of steam, hot water, hot
air or of any other convenient medium, or, it may be heated to such a temperature
in another vessel and then transferred, whilst still hot, to the bottle or vessel
in which it has to be stored. Whilst the vessel and its contents are thus hot I take
an india rubber capsule, such as may be readily obtained from the makers of such
articles, similar in shape to the finger of a glove, and of a size adapted to the neck
of the bottle, and I then slip the open end of the capsule over the mouth of the
vessel and draw it down sufficiently over the rim and neck to give it a good grip,
leaving the rest of the capsule projecting above the mouth, which is thus sealed
by it.
As the steam in the space above the liquid condenses by the cooling of the bottle
and its contents a tendency arises to the formation of a vacuum, and the projecting
socket of the capsule is gradually sucked into the mouth of the vessel, by the
pressure of the external air, and expands in the neck of the vessel forming a
rounded expansion which not only effectually plugs the neck but, so long as it
remains in that condition, is an indication of the maintenance of the vacuous
condition originally produced.
The bottle when thus sealed may be kept at ordinary temperatures indefinitely,
the capsule remaining dilated within it, so long as the contents continue to be
sterile; but should sterilisation have been imperfect and fermentation have
commenced, the evolution of gaseous products thereby will gradually destroy the
vacuum and, as this takes place, the dilated capsule will collapse. If the evolution
of gas should be considerable the capsule will be forced back through the neck of
the bottle and become expanded outside the mouth from which it may eventually
be blown off.
For the purpose of protecting the capsule against accidents and of strengthening
its occlusive power I may insert a cork into the neck of the bottle after the capsule
has expanded within it, or I may cover the mouth and neck with a metallic capsule,
over the rubber one, the cork or the capsule, as the case may be, having a small
perforation through it in a vertical direction, to allow of the adjustment of air-
pressure on the two surfaces of the rubber capsule, which, in that case, though it.
will collapse, so far as it can do so, on the development of gas in the contents of the
vessel, will not be driven out until the pressure developed inside is sufficient
to overcome the resistance of the cork or capsule.
To strengthen the grip of the rubber capsule on the neck of the vessel I may
thicken the edge of it into the form of a ring.

page_text: The capsule can at any time be easily removed from the neck of the vessel by
slipping it over the rim around the neck.
Dated this 28th dex of October 1805
1, FRANCIS THOMAS BOND of 3 Beaufort Buildings, in the City of Gloucester,
Doctor of Medicine 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 object of this invention is to provide for the sealing of bottles and other
vessels containing liquids that have been sterilised by heat, in a simple and effective
way, so that the condition of the interior of the vessel in regard to the more or less
perfect vacuum within it can be easily recognised by inspection.
For the purposes of this invention I introduce the liquid to be sterilised into
a bottle or other vessel having a neck, the mouth of which should be provided with
a rim on its outer border. The liquid is then raised to an appropriate temperature
to effect its sterilisation by exposure of the bottles to heat of steam, hot water, hot
air or any other convenient medium; or it may be heated to such a temperature
in another vessel and transferred whilst hot to the bottle or vessel in which it is to
be stored. Whilst the vessel and its contents are thus hot I take an india rubber
capsule, such as may be readily obtained from the makers of such articles, similar
in shape to the finger of a glove, and of a size adapted to that of the neck of the
bottle and I then slip the open end of the capsule over the mouth of the vessel
and draw it down sufficiently over the rim and neck to give it a good grip,
leaving the rest of the capsule projecting above the mouth, which is thus sealed
by it.
As the steam in the space above the liquid condenses by the cooling of the bottle
and its contents a tendency arises to the formation of a vacuum, and the projecting
pocket of the capsule is gradually sucked into the mouth of the vessel, by the
pressure of the external air, and expands in the neck of the vessel forming a rounded
stopper which not only effectually plugs the neck, but, so long as it remains in that
condition, is an indication of the maintenance of the vacuous condition originally
produced.
The bottle when thus sealed may be kept at ordinary temperatures indefinitely,
the capsule remaining dilated within it, so long as the contents continue to be
sterile; but, should sterilisation have been imperfect and fermentation have
commenced, the evolution of gaseous products thereby will gradually destroy the
vacuum, and as this takes place, the dilated capsule will collapse. If the evolution
of gas should be considerable the capsule will be forced back through the neck of
the bottle and will become expanded outside the mouth, from which it may be
eventually blown off.
To strengthen the grip of the rubber capsule on the neck of the vessel I may
thicken the edge of it into the form of a ring.
For the purpose of protecting the capsule against accidents and of strengthening
its inclusive power, I may insert a cork into the neck of the bottle after the capsule
has expanded within it, or I may cover the mouth and neck with a metallic
capsule, over the rubber one, the cork or the capsule as the case may be having a
small perforation through it, in a vertical direction, to allow of the adjustment of
air pressure on the two surfaces of the rubber capsule, which in that case, though
it will collapse, so far as it can do so, on the development of gas in the contents of

page_text: the vessel will not be driven out until the pressure developed inside is sufficient to
overcome the resistance of the cork or capsule.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the way in which the
same is to be carried into effect I declare that what I claim as novel in it is
The use of a capsule of thin india rubber, with or without the protection of a cork
or a metallic capsule over it, for the purpose of sealing in an air tight manner any
liquid contained in a bottle or other vessel provided with a neck, immediately after
it bas been sterilised by heat and whilst so much of the neck of the bottle as is not
filled with the sterilised liquid is full of heated watery vapour, by the condensation
of which, when the bottle cools, the capsule is drawn into the neck of the bottle and
serves, whilst in that position, not only to effectually close the mouth of the bottle
but to indicate the absence of such fermentative action in the liquid as would
develop gas in it.
1
At 1904
FRANCIS T. BOND.