Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles.
I, JOHN CREASY of 22 Chapel Court High Street Borough Southwark
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the formation of stoppers to fit internal joints in the
necks of bottles for wines, beers aerated waters and other fluids.
The stopper is of glass or porcelain being moulded with a stem somewhat
tapered and surmounted by a cap, immediately under which is moulded in the
making an annular groove to hold in its place a ring of cork. This groove and the
ring may be of any required depth and breadth adapted to the purpose of
hermetically sealing and preserving the particular fluid or contents of the bottle.
Near the bottom end of the stem (and at opposite sides thereof) are moulded two
indentations into which I fit wedges of hickory or other wood, which project
slightly out from the stem. This form of stopper, and its composite materials are
the best adapted to bottles having an internal or a "bayonet joint." The
projecting wedges passing down the vertical groove and by a partial turn into the
offset grooves, so lock the bottle. This invention avoids metallic, glass, or other
hard projections which are liable to breakage, splitting or chipping the bottle or
the stopper, and which contrivances do not sufficiently secure the stopper against
shifting by jolting or shaking in transit or otherwise.
My combination stopper passes readily into and out of the bottle and grooves
without chipping gritting or grinding when in contact, and by its nature, and also
by expansion of the wooden wedges, by the fluid contents, into the grooves, more
perfectly adheres to the joints than glass to glass or metal to glass or other
combinations. The maximum strength of the stem is preserved by its not being
pierced through for a metal or other pin, and the wooden wedges preserve their
centrical positions exactly to fit into the grooves of the bottle. These wedges
may be withdrawn and replaced by new without difficulty or cost.
The stopper is thus secured by a series of wedges (a) the wedge shaped form
of the stem (b) the ring of cork wedged (by the stopper, and the downward turn
of it) into the top seating within and around the mouth of the bottle (c) the
two projecting wedges of wood passing under the inclined shoulders of the offset
grooves depressing the stopper and wedging the cork ring into position. The
stopper is thus fixed and retained so rigidly or firmly as to hermetically seal the
strongest æerated waters, wines, beers and other fluids."
Amongst other advantages above described my stopper attains-Readiness and
firmness of attachment so essential in bottling, especially of æerated waters.
Greater ease of detachment. Economy in manufacture, and a greater endurance
of the stopper.
Dated this Sixth day of Januar 1806

page_text: I, JOHN CREASY of 22 Chapel Court, High Street, Borough, Southwark in
the County of Surrey Mechanical Engineer 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 that class of stopper which is formed with lateral
projections adapted to engage corresponding inclined recesses in the bottle neck.
It has before been proposed to form stoppers of this class of glass and with
glass studs or projections to engage the locking recesses in the bottle neck, but it
is found in practice that studs of this character are too brittle and speedily become
broken rendering the stopper useless.
As an improvement upon the device lastly herein before described it was proposed
to pierce the glass stopper with a horizontal hole extending from side to side thereof,
and to introduce therein a metal pin at its ends projecting from the body of the
stopper in the form of studs but this again weakened the body of the stopper and
caused the same to break with a similar result to that above referred to.
Now the object of the present invention is by a simple and inexpensive
contrivance to render a glass stopper sufficiently strong to resist ordinary wear and
tear in corking and uncorking and also the pressure of aerated waters when in
the bottle.
In carrying the invention into effect the stopper is formed of glass, earthenware
or other suitable material and in the body thereof and at diametrically opposite
points are formed two plain cylindrical recesses or if desired they might be
undercut or wedge shaped and into these recesses are fitted short cylindrical studs
of wood such as hickory, beech, or other suitable wood or material which will
swell by contact with the moist contents of the bottle, and thus become firmly
fixed in the recesses.
Immediately beneath the cap the stem or body of the stopper is formed with an
annular recess for the reception of a ring of cork or other suitable packing, which
makes an hermetically tight joint between the bottle and stopper.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully to
describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a bottle having the present invention
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof.
Figure 3 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the bottle neck with the stopper removed.
Figure 5 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the stopper separately.
Figure 7 is a plan thereof and
Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 6 but taken at right angles thereto.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a represents a bottle suitable to be used with the present invention and in the
interior of its neck provided with vertical grooves a terminating in inclined right
angle or offset grooves a² and represents the stopper which is formed of glass
earthenware or other suitable material.
In the body of the stonner & and at diametrically onnosite points are formed two

page_text: plain cylindrical recesses or indents b' or if desired they might be undercut or
wedge shaped and into these recesses b¹ are fitted short cylindrical studs & of a
suitable wood such for example as bickory or beech and these studs swell or expand
by exposure to the moist vapour or liquid within the bottle and thus become firmly
fixed in the recess b¹.
Immediately beneath the cap the stem or body of the stopper is formed with an
annular groove or recess 6 which forms a seat for the reception of a ring of cork
or other suitable packing which makes an hermetically tight joint between
the bottle a and stopper b.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the wearing parts of the
stopper are the cork or other packing ring which comes into direct contact with
the bottle and the lateral studs 62 of wood which engage the recesses or offset
grooves a² in the bottle neck, and thus it will be obvious that there is little or no
liability for the bottle or stopper to become fractured or broken either when
the latter is being inserted into or withdrawn from the bottle or under pressure
when in use.
The wooden studs in the event of injury may readily be replaced by new ones.
It will be obvious that the studs & instead of being formed of wood may be of
other material suitable for the purposes of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A bottle stopper formed with lateral indents or recesses for the reception of
wood or equivalent studs substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A bottle stopper formed with lateral indents or recesses fitted with wood or
equivalent studs substantially as herein shown and described.
3. A bottle stopper formed with lateral wedge shaped indents or recesses fitted
with corresponding wood or equivalent studs substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. A bottle stopper formed with lateral indents or recesses fitted with wood or
equivalent studs and at its upper part provided with an annular groove or recess in
which is seated a ring of rubber or other suitable packing substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 6th day of October 1896.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.