Year: 1886

page_text: I, JAMES SCOPE DAVISON, of Monk wearmouth Bottle Works, Fulwell Road,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Bottle Manufacturer, 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:-
'
My invention has reference to bottle stoppers such that the closing of the bottle
is effected by a disc of elastic material (or there may be more than one) that enters
into and at its periphery fits accurately against the surface of the bottle mouth so
as to effect a gas tight closure. Amongst the uses to which my invention is
applicable is the closing of bottles of various forms such as used to contain wines,
spirits, ales, stout, beers, mineral waters, gaseous liquids, pickles and other articles.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a
bottle neck with a stopper according to my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a
side elevation of the bottle neck and stopper. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view thereof.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detached detail views. 1 is the bottle neck, 1 the
mouth or passage in the neck, and 2 is the disc of elastic material such as india-.
rubber shown in fig. 1 within the mouth or passage 14 in the bottle neck into which
it is supposed to have been forced so that it effects a gas tight closure. 3 is a disc
of hard material such as wood, glass, or porcelain having a less diameter than the
elastic disc 2 and inserted between it and the outer cap or cover 4.
5 is a pin
passing gas tight through a small hole in the disc 2, through a hole in the disc 3,
and through the cap or cover 4 so that the latter can be readily turned inde-
pendently of the elastic disc 2; the pin is rivetted over at the exterior of the top
of the cap and is made with a head below the disc 2 as shown. The cap, which
I prefer to make of metal, stamped to shape, is cut away at two opposite sides as
shewn at 6 (figs. 2 & 8) curved portions 7 being left which, when the cap is partly
rotated, are caused to pass beneath projections 8, which may be formed with the
bottle neck but are represented in figs. 1 to 12, as portions of a wire 9 secured to
the neck. The wire 9 may be rigidly fixed to the neck in which case the cap alone
bas to be turned to effect engagement therewith or the wire may be loose upon the
neck so that engagement can be effected by turning both it and the cap. To close
a bottle with a stopper such as described, the stopper is placed over the mouth or
orifice of the bottle neck, then the disc 2 is forced into the mouth or passage 1ª by
a blow from the hand or from a mallet or otherwise, so that the inner surface of
the top of the cap comes into contact with the top of the bottle mouth, then the
cap is turned or rotated partially until its portions 7 have passed under the
projections 8, which will then prevent the disc or closure 2 being forced out by
pressure within the bottle. To open the bottle, the cap is turned in the opposite
direction until the portions 7 are free from the projections 8 and the disc 2 is then
withdrawn. The disc 2 instead of being comparatively thin as in Fig. 1 and having
an interposed disc of hard material 3, may be a thicker disc, resembling a plug of
elastic material as shown in section in fig. 10 but it will usually be found more

page_text: convenient to employ the arrangement illustrated in fig. 1. In lieu of using only
one disc of elastic material, two or more such discs may be employed, as shown in
section in fig. 11. In some cases that face of the flexible disc which is exposed to
the contents of the bottle may be protected by a layer or cover 10 (fig. 12) of any
suitable substance, such as cork, or the layer or cover 10 instead of being secured
to the disc 2 may be separate therefrom and be inserted in the bottle mouth before
the stopper is applied. Instead of employing a wire as shown in figs. 1, 2, 9, 10,
11, and 12, a circular flat band or ring 9* (figa 15 and 16) may be employed.
The band or ring is slit at 11 to enable it to be sprung over the mouth of a bottle
provided with a specially formed groove 12 (fig. 17) and is furnished with pins or
projections 8* secured to or formed in one with it. Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate at 8*
projections formed in one with the bottle neck to serve in lieu of the projections 8
of wire already described. It will be evident that for the purpose of my invention,
equivalent projections may be provided in any other convenient manner. The
cap 4 may be provided with slots adapted to pass over and engage with projections
on the bottle neck, or be otherwise formed so as to engage with such projections
for the purpose of my invention. And as will be evident stoppers constructed with
elastic discs on and for the purpose of my invention may be provided with devices
differing from those above described for securing the stopper to the bottle. The
cap or cover 4, when of metal, may be electro-plated, galvanized, lacquered, or
japanned, or otherwise coated or covered to prevent it being corroded. The wire
or band and pin 5 may be similarly treated. The cap or cover 4 instead of being
of metal may be of other suitable material such as wood, earthenware, glass,
ivorine, vulcanite or celluloid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-.
1. A bottle stopper comprising a disc of elastic material such as will enter into
and at its periphery fit accurately against the surface of the bottle-mouth so as to
make a gas tight closure substantially as described.
2. A bottle stopper comprising an elastic disc such as will enter and at its
periphery fit against the mouth of the bottle, and a cap or equivalent, connected to
the said elastic disc in such a manner as to be capable of being rotated indepen-
dently thereof and of being made to engage with a projection or projections
attached to or formed with the bottle substantially as hereinabove described.
3. In a bottle stopper the combination of an elastic disc adapted to enter and at
its periphery fit against the mouth or passage within a bottle neck, a cap or
equivalent, and a disc of rigid material of less diameter than the elastic disc, such
disc of rigid material being interposed between the elastic disc and the cap or
equivalent, substantially as hereinabove described for the purpose specified.
4. Providing bottle necks with projections of wire or metal band formed and
applied substantially as hereinabove described for the purpose set forth.
5. Bottle stoppers constructed arranged and operating as hereinabove described
with reference to and shewn respectively in figs. 1 to 9; in fig. 10; in fig. 11; and
fig. 12 of the drawings annexed.