IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SCREWS UPON THE NECKS OF BOTTLES AND FOR CHARGING BOTTLES WITH AERATED LIQUIDS, ALSO FOR STOPPERS FOR RETAINING AND DRAWING OFF SUCH LIQUIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Foster at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
February 1871.
I, FREDERICK FOSTER, of Lansdowne Cottage, No. 316, Essex Road,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SCREWS
UPON THE NECKS OF BOTTLES AND FOR CHARGING BOTTLES WITH AERATED LIQUIDS,
ALSO FOR STOPPERS FOR RETAINING AND DRAWING OFF SUCH LIQUIDS," to be as
follows:-
In order to form a screw thread in the necks of bottles at the time
of forming or moulding the same I combine with the ordinary tongs
employed for moulding the exterior of the neck a central stem with a
screw thread cut upon it. Each of the two jaws of the tongs is carried
by an arm, and at their rear end the arms are coupled together by
a spring which tends to keep the two jaws away from one another,
but which yet allows of the jaws being closed by the workman grasping
the arms of the tongs in his hand and squeezing them towards one

page_text: another as usual. To the centre of the spring is attached the end of a
rod which passes centrally between the arms, to the forward end of the
rod is connected by a swivel joint another rod having a screw thread
upon it where it comes between the jaws so that the rod with the screw
thread upon it can revolve freely. The rear end of the rod which has
the scrow thread upon it passes through a guide slot in a plate carried
by one of the arms, and when the jaws of the tongs are apart from one
another a pin carried at the end of the slot enters one or other of a
number of holes which are formed around the rod, and so locks thic
rod and prevents its turning, when however the jaws are closed together
the pin is by the act of closing the jaws moved out from the hole and
the screw can then revolve freely. In using this apparatus to mould
the neck of a bottle the rod with the screw thread upon it is passed into
the neck and the jaws are then closed whilst the bottle is turned round
in the ordinary manner. As the jaws are closed and the bottle revolved
the semi-fluid glass at the mouth of the bottle is pressed into the screw
thread which at this time can revolve freely whilst the exterior of the
neck is at the same time moulded. The tonges are then allowed to open
and the bottle is again turned to unscrew it from the screw rod, the
screw rod being then locked and prevented from turning as above
explained. In place of locking the screw by a pin entering a hole in its
stem other arrangements for locking the screw when the tongs are open
may be adopted.
If the screw thread is to be cut on the exterior of the neck of a bottle
I employ a ring with an internal screw thread cut within it; the ring
is mounted on suitable arms or handles; the ring is placed over the
mouth of the bottle, and a plunger is forced into the open mouth, the
semi-fluid glass at the mouth is thus forced into the screw thread, after
this has been done the bottle is unscrewed from the ring and the burr
usually shown on moulded screws is thus avoided. The ring may be
carried by arms which spring from a boss through which a stem
carrying the plunger is passed, the plunger may either be taper or
may be made to expand after being introduced into the mouth of a
bottle.
For charging bottles (having a screw thread formed in their neck)
with aerated liquids I connect the receiver in which the liquid is con-
tained by a pipe with a small chamber, at the front of which is a orifice
having around it an clastic ring into which the neck of the bottle to be

page_text: filled is inserted. The pipe by which acrated liquid is supplied to this
small chamber is just in rear of the clastic ring, and into the back portion
of thic small chamber is placed a screw stopper which is to be screwed
into the screw neck of the bottle. The neck of the bottle to be filled is
pushed into the clastic nozzle of the small chamber and aerated liquid is
then admitted to the chamber by opening a valve in the inlet pipe, the
bottle is thus filled with the liquid, the air in the bottle being allowed
to escape from time to time either by momentarily withdrawing the
bottle from the nozzle, as usual, or by opening a small valve in the
chamber; when the bottle has been filled with liquid the stopper is
pushed up to the neck of the bottle and is screwed down into it by
means of a rod passing through a stuffing box at the back of the small
chamber. The inner end of the rod is suitably formed to enter a notch
cut across the head of the stopper whilst the outer end of the rod has
a hand wheel upon it by which it may be turned round.
The screw
stopper may be of wood, or it may be of other material and may be
provided with a ring of clastic material to come between the head of the
stopper and the top of the neck of the bottle. To form a screw stopper
for bottles for containing acrated liquids in such manner that any
portion of the contents may be drawn off whenever desired, I form the
stopper of metal and with a hollow screw stem, at the back of this
hollow a valve seat is formed, from which a passage leads up through
the head of the stopper and through a small central projection on the
top of it. A branch passage is formed through the head of the stopper
to one of its sides from the passage before mentioned. Below the valve
seat is a valve having a long stem which rises up through the projection
on the head of the stopper and projects above it. On to the top of the
stem is screwed a tubular cap which embraces the upper part of the
projection; an elastic washer is placed around the stem to rest on the
top of the projection, and above this a small metal disc, a coiled spring
is also placed around the stem to bear on the under side of the head
of the tubular cap and on the metal disc, the cap and valve con-
nected to it are thus pressed upwards and the valve drawn against its
scat, but if the cap is pressed downwards the valve is removed from
its scat and liquid allowed to pass from the bottle through the sido
orifice in the head of the stopper whilst the passage of liquid through
the opening through which the valve stem passes is entirely prevented
by the coiled spring being pressed down and caused to compress the
clastic ring which is around the stem.

page_text: For bottles which are suitably formed at the bottom to stand on a
table the stopper above described may be formed into a syphon stopper
by adapting to the bottom of the hollow screw stem (by an clastic
packing) a glass tube to reach to the bottom of the bottle and the outlet
orifice may have a hent tube leading downwards from it to discharge &
the liquid in a downward direction.