AN IMPROVED STOPPER FOR BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Adams, Turner, and Henry Barrett, Soda
Water Manufacturer, both of Saint Helier, Jersey, one of the
Channel Islands, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED STOPPER FOR
BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 26th February 1869, and dated the 2nd September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Adams and
Henry Barrett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd September 1868.
We, JOHN ADAMS, Turner, and HENRY BARRETT, Soda Water Manu-
facturer, both of Saint Helier, Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STOPFER
FOR BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING AERATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS," to be as follows,
that is to say:
This Invention consists in an improved stopper for bottles containing
aerated or gaseous liquids such as lemonade, ginger beer, and soda

page_text: water. This improved stopper is constructed of a cylinder or plug of
hard wood or other like material having a greater specific gravity than
water, such as lignum vitæ. This cylinder or plug is of a diameter
slightly less than that of the opening of the neck of the bottle, and
of a length exceeding slightly the height of the neck of the bottle.
Near the lower end of the cylinder or plug and around it is a groove
in which is fixed an india-rubber washer, and the cylinder or plug
for a short distance above this groove is hollowed out to allow of space
for the washer to be forced through the neck of the bottle. To apply
this stopper it is forced into the neck of the bottle, when the washer
falls back into the hollow part of the cylinder or plug until it reaches
the part of the bottle below the neck, when it expands and recovers
is normal position. This stopper closes the bottle when it is filled
by the pressure of the gaseous liquid from within, and the bottle is
opened by applying pressure on the top of the stopper from without.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Adams and Henry Barrett in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 2nd March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
ADAMS, Turner, and HENRY BARRETT, Soda Water Manufacturer, both
of Saint Helier, Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto us, the said John Adams and Henry Barrett,
Her special licence that we, the said John Adams 'and Henry Barrett,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Adams 'and Henry Barrett, our 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 "AN IMPROVED STOPPER 'FOR BOTTLES FOR

page_text: CONTAINING ABRATED OR GASEOUS LIQUIDS," upon the condition' (amongst
others) that we, the said John Adams and Henry Barrett, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 im;"
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Adams, on behalf of my-
self and the said Henry Barrett, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed,.
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in an improved stopper for bottles containing
aerated or gaseous liquids such as lemonade, ginger beer, and soda
water. This stopper is also applicable to non-aörated liquids such as
ale, stout, or other non-aerated beverages, in which case the bottle is
not quite filled with liquid, space being left for atmospheric air. This
improved stopper is constructed of a cylinder or plug of hard wood
having a greater specific gravity than water, such as lignum vitæ or other
suitable material. This cylinder or plug is of a diameter slightly less than
that of the opening of the neck of the bottle, and of a length exceeding
the height of the neck of the bottle. Near the lower end of the
india-.
cylinder or plug and around it is a groove in which is fixed an
rubber washer, and the cylinder or plug at a short distance above this
groove is hollowed out to allow of space for the washer to be forced
into in order to pass through the neck of the bottle. To apply this
stopper the washer end is inserted in the neck of the bottle, by which
the washer is flattened down until it reaches the part of the bottle
below its neck, when the washer expands and recovers its normal.
position. This stopper closes the bottle when it is filled by the pressure
of the gascous liquid from within, and the bottle is opened by applying.
pressure on the top of the stopper from without, by which it is forced
down and leaves the mouth of the bottle open.
To make our Invention better understood we will now. describe the

page_text: same by reference to the accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1
is an elevation drawn full size, and Figure 3 a plan of our improved
stopper; Figure 2, section of same without washer; Figure 4, plan of
the washer; Figure 5, elevation of the stopper applied to a bottle, the
latter being in section; and Figure 6, elevation full size of the bottling
machine that we prefer to use in. employing our improved stopper.
The same letters represent similar parts in all the Figures.
a, a, is the cylinder or plug of wood having a greater specific gravity
than water, such as lignum vitæ; 6 is the groove near the lower end of
the plug for receiving the india-rubber washer; c, the plug, being
hollowed out as shewn at c¹ to give space for the washer when the
stopper is forced into the bottle. To apply this stopper to a bottle
it is forced into the interior of the bottle, which is then filled with
the gaseous liquid by the apparatus shewn in Figure 6 (by preference)
in the following manner:-The bottle d being inverted its neck is
placed in the cone e of the apparatus as shewn, and is kept in that
position by the holder or block f moved down by pressing the foot
on the treadle g¹ of the rod g. The air pipe h is then moved up through
the cone e by means of the lever until it reaches the bottom of
the bottle. The aerated or other gaseous liquid is then forced into
the bottle through the pipe ; by the ordinary machine or force pump,
and the atmospheric air passes out down the air pipe and escapes
through the valve k, which is weighted according to the pressure
required. As soon as the bottle is filled the air pipe is withdrawn,
when the stopper falls by its own weight into the neck of the bottle,
the bottle is then relieved from the pressure of the holder or block f,
and the stopper becomes firmly held by the pressure in the bottle in
the position shewn in Figure 5, the washer fitting closely against the
bottle and preventing all escape of liquid. To open the bottle the
top of the stopper is pressed or struck by the hand so as to overcome
the pressure, when the stopper sinks to the bottom of the bottle by its
own weight (as shewn in dotted lines Figure 5), leaving the mouth of
the bottle open for the outlet of the liquid.
Having now described our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, what we claim is,-
1911
bining anmated

page_text: or gaseous liquids, as herein-before described and shewn in the ac-
companying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Adams, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
JOHN ADAMS. (L.S.)
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE.