Improvements in Bottle and Jar Stoppers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1900—Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle and Jar Stoppers.
I, JOHN DAVIES, of 14, Eaton Place, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Mineral Water Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to screw stoppers for bottles and jars containing any
kind of liquid, food substance, or in any case where screw stoppers are required.
Hitherto it has been found that a considerable proportion of bottles with
screw stoppers are liable to fracture when filled and stoppered, owing probably
partly to the stopper having a wedging action on the bottle mouth which tends
to burst it, partly to the expansion due to the variation in temperature, and
partly to the rubber washer forming the seating not being resilient enough,
or not being able to give enough when pressure is applied to it. The latter
defect may be due to the rubber being seated on the plain ungrooved neck of
the stopper or even on a projecting ridge thereon, which allows a minimum
of give for the rubber washer, and causes a serious strain on the bottle mouth
when the stopper is screwed up tight, or to the rubber not having enough body
to enable it to give when the pressure is applied.
This liability to fracture I avoid by making the neck of the stopper, that is
the part between the head and screwed shank where the rubber washer goes,
with a V or other suitably shaped groove. In this groove a rubber washer or
ring (in one arrangement round in cross section) is seated, but owing to the shape
of the groove there is a free annular space left between the bottom of the V groove
and the inside of the washer or ring. This groove not only receives the washer
and keeps it in place preventing its displacement, but also owing to there being
the free space under the ring, it allows for the compression of the rubber into
this free space when the stopper is tightly screwed up, at the same time making
a perfect joint, and thus there is nothing to prevent a certain giving, or free
action of the rubber when compression is applied to it and therefore the pressure
put upon the mouth is never sufficient to burst it. Further, the rubber washer
being round in cross section, it has a downward pressure rather than a wedging
action as was the case hitherto. The stopper in which the washer is seated may
be made of any suitable material.
In another arrangement the washer is made rectangular in cross section and
so seated in the V groove in the stopper, that it will be tilted against the head,
that is to say with one of its edges in the groove, and the opposite one projecting
above and around it, while of the other two edges, one abuts against the head
and the other against the bottle mouth. At the point where the stopper shank
joins the head there is an enclosed annular space caused by the tilting of the
washer against the head. This free space allows for compression of the rubber
into it when pressure is applied, and also the position of the washer in the
groove, tilted against the head as described, is favourable to securing great
resilience. An edge of the rubber being uppermost, this edge is especially

page_text: resilient and gives more casily to the pressure applied to it, at the same time
making a perfect joint. By these arrangements therefore there is nothing to
prevent a certain giving or free action of the rubber when compression is applied,
and pressure put upon the bottle mouth, whether by contraction of the glass or
expansion of the stopper or otherwise, is never sufficient to burst it, and further-
more there is no wedging action as has been the case hitherto. If desired there
may be also a free space left between the bottom of the groove and the inside of
the washer.
Improvements in Bottle and Jar Stoppers.
I, JOHN DAVIES, of 14, Eaton Place, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Mineral Water 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:-
This invention relates to screw stoppers for bottles and jars containing any
kind of liquid, food substance, or in any case where screw stoppers are required.
Hitherto it has been found that a considerable proportion of bottles with
screw stoppers are liable to fracture when filled and stoppered, owing probably
partly to the stopper having a wedging action on the bottle mouth which tends
to burst it, partly to the expansion due to the variation in temperature, and
partly to the rubber washer forming the seating not being resilient enough,
or not being able to give enough when pressure is applied to it. The latter
defect may be due to the rubber being seated on the plain ungrooved neck of
the stopper or even on a projecting ridge thereon, which allows a minimum
of give for the rubber washer, and causes a serious strain on the bottle mouth
when the stopper is screwed up tight, or to the rubber not having enough body
to enable it to give when the pressure is applied.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a screw stopper made in accordance
with my invention;
Figure 2, a sectional elevation showing a stopper with a round ring applied to
it in place of a rectangular one.
The aforesaid liability to fracture, I avoid by making the neck of the stopper
(that is, the part where the rubber washer goes between the head B and the
screwed shank A) with an annular groove C. In this groove a rubber washer or
ring D, rectangular in shape in cross section (Figure 1) is so seated that it will
be tilted against the head B, that is to say, with one of its edges in the groove C,
and the opposite one projecting above and around it, while of the other two
edges, one abuts against the head B and the other goes into the bottle mouth.
At the point where the stopper neck joins the head, there is an enclosed annular
space caused by the tilting of the washer against the head B. This free
space allows for compression of the rubber into it when pressure is applied, and
also the position of the washer in the groove tilted against the head as described
is favourable to securing great resilience. An edge of the rubber being upper-
most, this edge is especially resilient, and gives very easily to the pressure
applied to it when inserted in the bottle mouth, at the same time making a

page_text: perfect joint. There is also a free space G left between the inside of the washer
and the bottom of the groove, thus allowing for further compression of the rubber
into this free space when the stopper is tightly screwed up. This space is best
secured by forming a recess at the extreme bottom of the groove C as shown.
By this arrangement therefore there is nothing to prevent a certain giving or
free action of the rubber when compression is applied; and pressure put upon
the bottle mouth whether by contraction of the glass, or expansion of the stopper
or otherwise is never sufficient to burst it, and furthermore there is no wedging
action as has been the case hitherto.
The groove is by preference vee shaped, but it is obvious that it may be made
of any other suitable shape, that will have the effect of enabling the washer to be
tilted and remain tilted, against the head.
In another arrangement, shown in Figure 2, the washer 1 is made round in
cross section, and is seated in the groove C, but owing to the shape of the groove
there is a free annular space G left between the bottom of the groove C, and
the inside of the washer or ring D. This groove not only receives the washer
and keeps it in place, preventing any displacement, but also owing to there being
the free space under the ring and also a free space F, freedom is allowed for the
compression of the rubber into these free spaces when the stopper is tightly
screwed up, at the same time making a perfect joint, and thus there is nothing.
to prevent a certain giving, or free action of the rubber when compression is
applied to it, and therefore the pressure put upon the bottle mouth is never
sufficient to burst it. Further, the rubber washer being round in cross section,
it has a downward pressure rather than a wedging action, as was the case hitherto.
The stopper in which the washer is seated may be made of any suitable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The improvement in screw stoppers for stoppering bottles which consists in
forming the neck of such stoppers near the head with an annular groove, and in
so shaping this groove and seating therein a rubber washer or ring, rectangular
in shape in cross section, that the said ring will be tilted diagonally against the
head, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A screw stopper comprising a head and threaded shank, a rubber washer or
ring D, and an annular groove C of vee shape or the like, in which the ring is
seated, in such manner as to tilt it diagonally against the head, substantially as
set forth.
3. A screw stopper comprising a head and threaded shank, a round rubber
washer or ring D and an annular groove C formed in the stopper neck in which
the said ring is seated, the groove being so made as to leave a free space under.
the ring so as to allow for the compression of the rubber therein, when the
stopper is tightly screwed up, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of January 1900.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.