Improvements in or Applicable to Screw Stoppers for Bottles Containing Aërated or Gaseous Liquids.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 18th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
Improvements in or Applicable to Screw Stoppers for Bottles
Containing Aërated or Gaseous Liquids.
We, HENRY BARRETT, Stopper Manufacturer, and JOHN JAMES VARLEY, Engineer,
both of No. 268, South Lambeth Road, in the county of Surrey, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of valve screw stopper whereby
bottles closed with such stoppers can be filled or charged with aërated or gaseous
liquid in a better or more convenient manner than hitherto.
Until now in almost all screw stoppers having valves through which bottles can be
filled after the stopper is placed in the neck the valves have had to depend upon
springs (for the most part metal springs) or upon the internal pressure of gas within
the bottle for holding or keeping the valve up to its seat. According to our invention
we make use of the elastic property of the material from which the valve is made,
viz., india-rubber for closing the valve by constructing the stopper and valve in the
manner hereinafter more particularly described.
The invention may be carried out in several ways: for example, in one modification
we take a screw stopper of the kind used with bottles having a quick, coarse female
screw thread in the neck into which the stopper fits, a joint being made in the cone at
the mouth of the bottle. The stopper is made of any suitable material, but we form
it with a hole running down the centre and out at the point of the stopper. A hole
or passage is also made running at right angles with the central hole and into this
transverse hole we place our india-rubber valve which may be formed of a short
length of cord of circular or other shape in cross section according to the shape of
the transverse hole or passage. The diameter of the cord should be greater than that
of the passage, so that the rubber cord will have to be compressed to place it in the
passage. When this cord is in its place it will close up the end of the central hole
running through the stopper and the elastic nature of the india-rubber cord will
keep it pressed tightly against the end of the said central hole which forms
its seat.

page_text: A hole or holes is or are made in the end of the stopper at the side thereof, the
said hole or holes passing to the hole in which the valve is placed and which hole or
holes is or are uncovered to allow the liquid to pass into the bottle when the valve is
pressed inwards either by the pressure of the liquid or otherwise.
In place of the above named valve we sometimes employ a rubber ball.
We also in some cases construct the stopper with a projection at the end, over
which we place an india-rubber tube. The end of this tube is flattened or closed, or
it may be folded or doubled when closed. It is opened by the liquid passing into the
bottle.
In another modification we form the stopper with a projection or nipple at the end
and with a hole through the centre as before described. Over the projection or nipple
we spring a tube or covering of india-rubber, one side of which fits into a groove
formed around the neck of the projection or nipple, the india-rubber tube resting or
pressing tightly against the end of the central hole.
Dated the 11th day of Anrenot 1887
G. F. REDFERN,
4. South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Containing Aerated or Gaseous Liquids.
We, HENRY BARRETT, Stopper Manufacturer, and JOHN JAMES VARLEY, Engineer,
both of No. 268, South Lambeth Road, in the County of Surrey, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of valve screw stoppper
whereby bottles closed with such stoppers can be filled or charged with aërated
or gaseous liquid in a better or more convenient manner than hitherto.
Until now in almost all screw stoppers having valves through which bottles can be
filled after the stopper is placed in the neck, the valves have had to depend upon
springs (for the most part metal springs) or upon the internal pressure of gas within
the bottle for holding or keeping the valve up to its seat. According to our
invention we make use of the clastic property of the material from which the valve
is made, videlicet, india-rubber for closing the valve, by constructing the stopper and
valve in the manner hereinafter more particularly described.
The invention may be carried out in several ways some of which are illustrated in
the accompanying sheet of drawings. In one modification represented in side
elevation and vertical sections at figures 1, 2 and 3 respectively, we take a screw
stopper a of the kind now used with bottles having a quick coarse female screw-
thread in the neck, into which the stopper fits, a joint being made in the cone at the
mouth of the bottle by the elastic ring b. The stopper is made of any suitable
material but we form it with a hole c running down the centre and out at the point
or lower end of the stopper. A hole or passage d is also made running at right
angles with the central hole c and in this transverse hole d we place our india-rubber
valve e which may be formed of a short length of cord of circular or other shape in
cross section according to the shape of the transverse hole or passage d. The
diameter of the cord should be somewhat greater than that of the passage d so that
the rubber cord will have to be compressed to place it in the passage. When this
cord is in its place it will close up the end of the central hole c running through the
stopper and the elastic nature of the india-rubber cord will keep it pressed tightly
against the end of the said central hole which forms its seat and so make a tight
joint.
A hole or holes fis or are made in the end of the stopper at the side thereof,
the said hole or holes passing to the hole d in which the valve e is placed and which
hole or holes is or are uncovered to allow the liquid to pass into the bottle
when the valve is pressed inwards either by the pressure of the liquid or otherwise as
for instance by a pressing rod.

page_text: The stopper shown in elevation and vertical sections at figures 4, 5 and 6
respectively, is the same as that shown at figures 1, 2 and 3, with the exception
that a slotted opening g is made in the bottom of the stopper to the hole d.
In place of the above named valve e we sometimes employ a rubber ball e to form
the valve, as shown in the stopper represented in elevation and vertical sections at
figures 7, 8, and 9 respectively.
Figures 10 and 11 represent an elevation and a vertical section of a stopper similar
to that shown in figures 1, 2, and 3, except that the lower end of the stopper is cut
away at each side, as shown at h, h whereby the valve e having less bearing surface,
the holes are not required.
In figures 12 and 13 we show an elevation and section of a stopper in which
the valve e is placed in a hole d made through the middle part of the stopper. In
this case as the rubber valve does not extend from one end of the hole d to the other,
the holes f,fare not required.
We also in some cases construct the stopper with a projection at the end, over
which we place an india-rubber tube. The end of this tube is flattened or closed, or
it may be folded or doubled when closed. It is opened by the liquid passing into the
bottle, but we do not advise this arrangement.
In another modification we form the stopper with a projection or nipple at the end
.and with a hole through the centre as before described.
Over the projection or nipple we spring a tube or covering of india-rubber, one side
of which fits into a groove formed around the neck of the projection or nipple, the
india rubber tube resting or pressing tightly against the end of the central hole.
This modification however does not give such good results as the arrangements
illustrated in the drawing.
In order to fill a bottle closed with one of our improved stoppers, the stopper is
screwed tightly into the neck of the bottle and the bottle filled by a suitable filling
machine through the central hole c, the pressure being sufficient to press down the
valve e so as to allow the liquid to pass through small holes such as finto the bottle;
when the bottle has been sufficiently filled a pressing rod or needle, such as i, is
employed to press down the india rubber forming the valve e, and the excess of air
or gas
is allowed to escape or, as it is technically termed, snifted through the holes f, f,
and upon the presser or needle i being removed the valve e will close the openings c
and f. In the case of the stoppers shown in figures 10 and 11, and 12 and 13, the
bottle is filled and snifted through the hole d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A screw stopper for bottles, having a valve which closes from the effect of
the elasticity of the material from which it is made as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
2. The manufacture and use of the valve screw-stoppers hereinbefore respectively
described and illustrated. respectively in the several figures of the accompanying
drawing.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.