IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND LIKE VESSELS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY BARRETT of Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, in the county of
Middlesex, Aërated Water Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES, JARS AND LIKE VESSELS
to be as follows:—
"
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of screw stoppers for
bottles, jars and like vessels when such stoppers are made of wood.
Hitherto screw stoppers when made of wood have been practically useless from
the well known fact that wood expands when brought into contact with liquid, or
exposed to moisture.
The present improvements consist in so constructing screw stoppers of wood as
to provide against the effects of the stopper becoming expanded while screwed in
the bottle neck. For this purpose I divide the stem of the stopper by one or more
cuts or openings oxtending from the bottom towards the shoulder; the form-of-the--
cuts or openings depends on the kinds of wood employed; the cuts or openings
may be inclined or straight and in the latter case the openings may be enlarged at
the top.
I sometimes introduce a suitable spring or expander between the cuts or openings
to press open the stem of the stopper and to allow it to give way when the stopper
is being screwed into the bottle neck.
By constructing the stoppers in the manner described the stem of the stopper
can close inwards so that should the wood expand or swell it shall not burst the
bottle neck but owing to the spaco provided by the cuts or openings it shall give
way by yielding to the resistance of the bottle neck-Should the wood contract,
the stem will open so as to bear against the bottle neck.
Another objection to using wood in the construction of screw stoppers is that
wood becomes discolored or dirty in use. I provide against this objection by
giving the stopper a coating of suitable varnish and in some cases I coat the stopper
with celluloid in solution and in addition to this I sometimes place a disc of
celluloid in the head of the stopper or press a composition into the head or cement
the head so as to close up the grain of the wood for the purpose of rendering it air
tight; when using any kind of composition for this purpose I am enabled to stamp
the same with a name, trade mark or otherwise.
In some cases when the neck or shoulder of the stopper is large and I desire
only to use a thin clastic ring I place a ring of metal on the shoulder of the
stopper so as to arrest the expansion of the wood.
Dated the 5th day of Anril 1884

page_text: "
I HENRY BARRETT of Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Aerated Water Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS FOR BOTTLES JARS AND LIKE VESSELS
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 improvements in the construction of screw stoppers for
bottles, jars, and like vessels when such stoppers are made of wood.
Hitherto screw stoppers when made of wood have been practically useless from
the well known fact that wood expands when brought into contact with liquid or
exposed to moisture.
The present improvements consist in so constructing screw stoppers of wood as
to provide against the effects of the stopper becoming expanded while screwed in
the bottle neck. For this purpose I divide the stein of the stopper by one or more
cuts or openings extending from the bottom towards the shoulder; the form of the
cuts or openings depends on the kinds of wood employed; tho cuts or openings
may be inclined or straight and in the latter case the openings may be enlarged at
the top.
I sometimes introduce a suitable spring or expander between the cuts or
openings to press open the stem of the stopper and to allow it to give way when
the stopper is being screwed into the bottle neck.
Another objection to using wood in the construction of screw stoppers is that
wood becomes discolored or dirty in use. I provide against this objection by
giving the stopper a coating of suitable varnish and in some cases I cont the
stopper with celluloid in solution and in addition to this I sometimes place a disc
of celluloid in the head of the stopper or press a composition into the head or
cement the head so as to close up the grain of tho wood for the purpose of rendering
it air tight; when using any kind of composition for this purpose I am enabled to
stamp the same with a name, trade mark or otherwise.
In some cases when the neck or shoulder of the stopper is largo and I desire
only to use a thin elastic ring I place a ring of metal on the shoulder of the stopper
so as to arrest the expansion of the wood.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing the various figures of which
represent stoppers constructed according to my invention the usual rubber washer
being omitted from the figures for the sake of clearness. Similar letters in all the
figures represent similar parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation and figure 2 a plan of the underside of a stopper made
of wood and having the stem a thereof divided by a cut or opening b extending
from the bottom of the stem to near the shoulder of the stopper the sides of the
opening being inclined or curved outwards towards the bottom of the stem; the
opening b is shewn enlarged and of a circular shape at the upper end c but this
enlargement may if required be dispensed with.
Figure 3 is an elevation and figure 4 a plan of the underside of a stopper provided
with two cuts or openings 6 and 6' formed transversely to each other the sides of
the opening being shewn straight and without an enlargement at the top.
Figure 5 is an elevation and figure 6 a plan of the underside of a stopper similar
to the stopper shewn in figures 1 and 2 and showing a spring d of suitable material
inserted in the cut or opening b, to press open the stem a of the stopper and to
allow it to give way when the stopper is being screwed into the bottle neck.

page_text: By constructing the stoppers in the manner described the stem a of the stopper
can close inwards so that should the wood expand or swell it shall not burst the
bottle neck but owing to the space provided by the cuts or openings b, it shall
give way by yielding to the resistanco of the bottle neck. Should the wood
contract the stem a will open so as to bear against the bottle neck.
Figure 7 shews a section of a wood screw stopper having a straight cut or
opening b in the stem and coated with a suitable varnish or with celluloid for the
purpose of obviating the objection of the stoppers becoming discolored or dirty in
use; the stopper is shewn provided with a disc e of celluloid inserted in the bead
of the stopper (or a composition may be pressed into the head or the head may be
cemented) so as to close up the grain of the wood for the purpose of rendering it
air tight and whereby I am enabled to stamp the bead of the stopper with a name,
trade mark or otherwise.
Figure 8 is an elevation and figure 9 a section of a wood screw stopper having
a straight cut or opening b in the stein and an enlargement c at the top of the cut
or opening in these figures the neck or shoulder of the stopper is shewn provided
with a ring of metal for the purpose of arresting the expansion of the wood,
which ring I use in some cases when the stopper is large and 1 desire only to use
a thin elastic ring.
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) Constructing wooden screw stoppers with one or more cuts or openings
extending from the bottom of the stem towards the shoulder and with or without
a suitable spring inserted therein as and for the purposes herein before described.
(2) The improved stoppers hereinbefore described and represented in the several
figures of the accompanying drawing.