IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING AND STOPPING THE NECKS OF BOTTLES
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMAS BETTS, of Smithfield Bars, in the City of London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eleventh day of August, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Thomas Betts, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Thomas Betts, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Thomas Betts, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING AND STOPPING THE NECKS OF BOTTLES,"
communicated to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Thomas Betts,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the sanie is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Thomas Betts, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:--
The Invention relates to a mode of applying metal cups or vessels in
covering and stopping bottles, and in the means of affixing the peculiar metal
coverings when covering or stopping bottles; and in order that the Invention
may be most fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will now
describe the means pursued by me. It is well known that in covering and
stopping the necks of bottles with metal, as heretofore practised, two modes
have been resorted to. First, it has been sometimes the practice to use strong
and stiff metal covers, which fit so loosely as to be readily taken off and put on
as required; and, secondly, it has been sometimes the practice to cover the
necks of bottles containing champagne and some other wines by applying
sheets of tinfoil, which have been closely pressed to the surfaces of the necks
of bottles, and have required to be torn off and destroyed in order to remove
such coverings. Now, the objects of the present Invention are to use peculiar
metal cups, or hollow cups so formed as to be readily pressed over the surfaces
of the necks of bottles, and be caused to take the forms of the necks and
closely fit thereon, so as to require to be torn, cut, or stripped off when it is
desired to remove the contents of the bottles, and also the means of affixing
the peculiar metal cups employed when covering and stopping bottles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents part of a bottle having a metal cup or hollow cap placed
on the neck thereof, the bottle being stopped with a cork or other stopper, and
in some cases the metal covering will be sufficient without other stopper. This
Figure shows the metal cup or hollow cap simply placed on the neck before
being submitted to pressure in order to close it on to the neck of the bottle,
and to fit it tightly and securely thereon, and the secure holding will be con-
sequent on the cap being caused to take the contour or figure of the exterior
surface of the neck of the bottle.
Figure 2 shows a bottle with a metal cup or hollow cap after the same has

page_text: been closed tightly on to the neck of the bottle, and has been caused to take
the figure of the external surface of the neck of the bottle, as will be hereafter
described.
And I would here remark, that when the liquors contained in the bottles so
covered and stopped are of an aerated or sparkling or effervescing kind, owing
to the so using metal cups or hollow caps closed upon the necks of bottles, the
use of string and wire may be dispensed with, the metal coverings so formed
and applied offering sufficient resistance to the pressure from within.
Figure 3 shews the section of a metal cup or hollow cap for a bottle, the size
of such cups or caps varying according to the size of the mouths and necks of
the bottles to which they are to be applied, and the extent to which the necks
are to be covered. The dies or tools used in making them will also vary
accordingly, and the thickness of the metal will vary according as the cups or
hollow caps are simply to be used to cover, or to cover and retain the stoppers
without string or wire. The thickness of the metal when tin is used is about
the one hundred and fiftieth to the one hundred and eightieth part of an inch
when for ordinary purposes of covering wine bottles; but when for retaining.
the stoppers as well as covering the necks of bottles containing aerated
or other liquids offering pressure, then I make them somewhat thicker, say,
about the ninetieth to the one hundredth part of an inch thick for wine
bottles, and for larger bottles I generally employ still thicker metal; and
owing to the cheapness and their peculiar appropriateness for the purpose, I
prefer to use metal, tin or lead, though I do not confine myself thereto; tin
being, I believe, the most suitable, owing to its strength, when very thin.
The proper thin metal cups or hollow caps may be made by stamping or by
pressure with suitable dies, as is well understood, when stamping sheet metal;
but I do not claim the sinking of sheet metal by dies, such process of sinking
having been commonly used for other purposes, each metal cap or cup being
formed by a series of dies, gradually sinking the circular sheets of tin or other
suitable soft metal of which they are composed into hollow cups, each pair
of dies making the cups more and more deep and reduced in diameter till the
desired depth and diameter of cup or caps are obtained.
In affixing these metal caps or cups on the necks of bottles, they are first
placed on to the necks, as shewn at Figure 1, and then intimately pressed
against the outer surfaces of the necks of bottles, as shewn at Figure 2. This
process I believe to be best accomplished by means of a cord, band, or gut,
kept tight or stretched at both ends, such cord, band, or gut being passed
round-the cap or cup on the neck of a bottle; and then by turning the bottle

page_text: round, and causing every part of the circumference of the cap or cup of metal to
come under the embrace and pressure of the cord, gut, or band, the metal will
be compressed and fit tightly and smoothly to all parts of the contour or figure
of the outer surface of the neck of the bottle; and owing to the upper part of
the neck of each bottle being larger at the upper end, and generally not of a
regular figure, the cap or cup will not pass or readily be pressed off the neck
except it be cut or torn off therefrom, and any pressure from the fluid within
will tend to the metal covering holding more tightly to the beading or irregular
surface of the outside of the neck of a bottle.
Figure 4 shews a front view, and Figure 5 a side view, of a machine or
apparatus suitable for fixing metal caps or cups. a, a, is a cord, gut, or band,
wound on to the rollers b, c, each roller having a ratchet wheel and click or
catch to retain it from unwinding the cord. The roller c is moved by the
crank handle d, and in order to slack the cord, gut, or band when desired, the
click or catch of the roller c can be raised by the treadle acting to lift up
the click or catch by means of the connecting rod and lever e, f, as is shewn.
In using this machine, a bottle with a cap or metal cup on the neck is placed
on the platform g, and the cord slackened so as to be made to pass around it;
the screw his then caused by its flat end or plate i to press the metal cap or
cup closely on the neck of the bottle; the cord, gut, or band is then caused to
be tightened, by which means it will tightly embrace the cap or metal cup
near the upper end, and the screw and its plate i being then raised, the
operator takes the bottle in his right hand and causes it to turn, and by
pressing it away from him he gradually causes the whole of the outer surface
of the circumference of the metal cap to be acted on by the pressure of the
embracing cord, gut, or band, by which means the cap will fit tightly in all
parts, and take the contour or figure of all parts of the neck of the bottle
which it covers.
'
I would remark that I do not confine myself to the arrangement of machine
above shewn, as the same may be varied, so long as suitable means are
provided for keeping a cord, gut, or band tight, as herein explained.
Figures 6 and 7 shew a more simple machine for the same purpose, but it
is not so convenient in use. a is the gut, cord, or band, which is fixed to the
standard j at one end and to the treadle k at the other. The person using this
machine keeps the cord tight by pressing his foot on the treadle, the cord
embracing the metal cap or cup, as before described.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood that

page_text: what I claim is, the mode of covering and stopping bottles by applying metal
cups or hollow caps made by dies, and affixed by pressure in such manner as to
be caused to apply closely to the outer surfaces of the necks of bottles, and
to take the figures or shapes thereof, as above described.
And I also claim the mode of affixing hollow metal caps or cups on to the
necks of bottles when covering and stopping them, so as to press and cause
the hollow metal caps or cups to take the figure or shape of the necks of the
bottles by means of a cord, gut, or band, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas Betts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.