Improvements relating to Closures for Bottles and other Receptacles to Prevent Refilling.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left 23rd Aug 1897 Accented 25th Sent 1907
Improvements relating to Closures for Bottles and other
Receptacles to Prevent Refilling.
I, DAVID BLUM, of 94 Rue de la Victoire, Paris, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a bottle or other receptacle for liquids, which can be
emptied at pleasure and into which it is impossible to again introduce by any means
a liquid after the bottle has been once closed. Such a receptacle is intended to
suppress frauds of this nature with regard to liquors, spirits etc.
The characteristic safety arrangement of my invention comprises essentially two
spherical balls, the one being heavy, and the other light and buoyant which can be
both displaced without however changing their relative positions in a chamber
formed by two conical surfaces opposed to one another at their bases, which chamber
is constituted by an appropriate construction in the neck of the bottle or of the
outlet tube of the receptacle and communicates on one side with the interior of the
receptacle and on the other side with the exterior.
The light ball forms a spherical valve and is constantly kept on its seat, when one
tries by any means to introduce liquid fraudulently into the receiver, and whatever
be the inclination or the position of this receiver. The simple combination of the
two balls, the one being heavy and the other light secures the closing when the
bottle is vertical, straight or overturned, or in position nearly vertical, and the com-
bination of the two balls and of the chamber within double conical surface secures
the closing for the horizontal and inclined positions. The emptying of the bottle is
effected quite naturally, the light ball leaving its seat under the pressure of the
interior liquid.
1000
Improvements relating to Closures for Bottles, and other
Receptacles to Prevent Refilling.
I, DAVID BLUM, Gentleman, of 94 Rue de la Victoire, Paris, in the Republic of
France, 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:-.
bottle

page_text: emptied at pleasure and into which it is impossible to again introduce by any
means a liquid after the bottle has been once closed. Such a receptacle is intended
to suppress frauds of this nature with regard to liquors, spirits etc.
The characteristic safety arrangement of my invention comprises essentially two
spherical balls, the one being heavy and the other light and buoyant, which can be
both displaced without however changing their relative positions in a chamber
formed by two conical surfaces opposed to one another at their bases, which chamber
is constituted by an appropriate construction in the neck of the bottle or of the
outlet tube of the receptacle and communicates on one side with the interior of the
receptacle and on the other side with the exterior.
The light ball forms a spherical valve and is constantly kept on its seat when one
tries by any means to introduce liquid fraudulently into the receiver and whatever
be the inclination or position of this receiver. The simple combination of the two
balls, the one heavy and the other light, secures the closing when the bottle is
vertical, straight, or overturned, or in positions nearly vertical, and the combination
of the two balls and of the chamber with double conical surface secures the closing
for the horizontal and inclined positions. The emptying of the bottle is effected
quite naturally, the light ball leaving its seat under the pressure of the interior
liquid.
In the annexed drawing is shown the application of my safety arrangement to an
ordinary bottle.
Fig. 1 is an elevational cross-section of the bottle showing the position of the parts
when the bottle is in the natural vertical position.
Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the position of the arrangement if one
tries to fill the bottle by immersing it in a liquid mouth downwards.
Fig. 3 is an analogous view showing the position of the parts when the bottle is
placed horizontally.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the protective part allowing the outflow of the liquid
while preventing access to the safety device.
Fig. 4 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 5 shows the seat of the closing ball.
Fig. 5 is a plan thereof.
Figs. 6 and 7 are variations of the construction of the neck of the bottle provided
with this safety arrangement.
Figs. 6 an 16 are details of part of Fig. 6.
I arrange in the bottle neck a by an appropriate construction a chamber b formed
by the opposition of two conical spaces, the one having its apex diverted towards the
body of the bottle and the other towards the neck. The conical hollow turned
towards the body of the bottle is perfectly regular and communicates at its lowest
part with the interior of the bottle. The upper conical hollow communicates by
holes c with the exterior.
In the chamber b are placed two spherical balls, the one flight and buoyant
which forms a perfect joint when resting upon the under conical surface or seat g
and the other a heavy ball h which rolls upon the upper conical surface and rests
when the bottle is standing upright upon the light ball.
The two balls and h have approximately the same diameter and there is an
interval of several millimetres between them when they are in their extreme positions
in the chamber b, but they have such diameters that they cannot exchange places in
the said chamber. The light ball is hollow and may be made of glass, celluloid,
alurainium or may be solid and made of compressed cork or of cork covered with
indiarubber or constructed of any other buoyant substance, and the heavy ball h is
solid and made of glass, marble, metal etc.
With such an arrangement fixed in the neck of the bottle it is impossible to
introduce any liquid into the bottle.
If the bottle is standing upright the heavy ball rests by its weight upon the light
ball and presses the latter upon its seat; therefore an introduction of liquid is
impossible (Fig. 1)

page_text: If the bottle is turned with its mouth vertically downwards (Fig. 2) and one
introduces into the neck from below upwards a liquid under pressure, the latter
rises in the chamber b and conveys with it the floating ball which rests upon
its seat and prevents this liquid entering the bottle.
If the bottle is horizontal or incline l and if in such a position one introduces into
the neck a liquid under pressure the latter cannot enter into the interior of the bottle,
since the heavy ball h, being then upon an inclined plane, presses by its weight
the light ball upon its sent.
In order to construct the chamber 6 in the neck of the bottle, one can use various
constructions. Figs. 1 to 5 refer to one of these constructions.
The neck of the bottle a is in one piece as in ordinary bottles and it is very slightly
flared outwards throughout its length. The inner part of the neck is interiorly
polished up to a certain height, and into this neck first is placed a conical piece m
polished exteriorly; it forms a perfect closure on its circumference.
The bottle is then filled with liquid, the two balls fand à are placed in the conical
cavity of the piece m superposing them as aforesaid and upon these balls is placed
the safety piece n which is introduced without friction into the neck. Finally in
order to fix the whole in place and to prevent it from being taken out a ring p is
placed in the neck which reaches to the mouth of the neck. The upper edge of the
bottle is presented to the flame of the blow-pipe, which nnites sufficiently the edges
of the neck a and of the ring p. A cork stopper q is placed in this ring p and the
bottle is ready for transport."
One can empty it, but it is impossible to again introduce any liquid into it.
The safety piece n which helps to constitute the chamber b and allows the leaving
of the liquid through the holes c, serves also to prevent access from the outside to
tamper with the balls with a metal wire or any other means. For this purpose it has
two or more crowns and a grooved in their circumference, the recesses ¹ of one
crown being out of coincidence with those 81 of the other. In order that the ring p
which projects in the interior does not close the recesses of the upper crown and
does not prevent the outflow of the liquids, three or four bosses or projections { are
Inade upon the upper face of this crowns (Fig. 4).
In Fig. 6 is shown a variation of the construction. I constitute also the chamber b
of separated moulded pieces and y, assembled and retained with the body of the
bottle A and the neck a. by means of part flanges z¹, x², y¹ yª embraced by a sleeve
to be filled with a cement or silicate of potash or any other appropriate means which
is allowed to dry in the sleeve u around the part flanges of the different assembled
parts. The sleeve u is grooved and recessed as shown in Fig. 6 and the part flanges.
of the assembled pieces are so made that by turning the sleeve its part flanges
engage over the part flanges a, a, y', y', thus giving, when fixed by the setting of
the cement, a secure fastening.
Finally in Fig. 7 the seat of the valve is formed by the body itself of the bottle,
the neck B being for this purpose suitably pinched at the place of this seat. There
is carried upwards in the neck a safety piece z, the lower part of which forms the top
part of the conical chamber in which the heavy ball moves. The issue of the liquid
is effected between the lower perforated part of the piece z and the sides of the
neck B. This piece is fixed to the neck being provided with an interior flange s
between which and the top of the bottle is placed suitable cement or other material
as is shown by the drawing. I have shown in this case a light ball with an interior 1
composed of cork enveloped by an indiarubber covering 2 as it is easy and economical
of construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A safety bottle provided with a closure which renders impossible any fraudulent
introduction of liquid into the bottle, this closure comprising essentially two
spherical balls, one heavy and the other light, and buoyant, which are movable

page_text: without entirely reversing their positions in a chamber closed by two conical surfaces
opposed at their bases, which chamber is contained in the neck of the bottle and
communicates at one side with the interior of the receptacle and on the other side with
the exterior in such a manner that the combination of these three parts, the heavy
ball, the buoyant ball and the chamber with conical sides, assures the seating of the
light ball or spherical valve on its seat when it is endeavoured to introduce
by any process liquid into the bottle, and whatever the inclination or position of the
bottle.
2. In a safety bottle, as in Claim 1, the combination of the neck a of the bottle
interiorly shaped somewhat conically and polished in its lower part with a safety
piece m perforated in places and having a polished conical exterior, placed in the
neck and forming a watertight joint round its circumference, and a seat for the light
ball, and with a second piece n placed freely in the neck resting on the piece m and
allowing the escape of the liquid and the entrance of the air as well as protecting the
balls and, finally, with a glass sleeve p, placed in the neck and resting on the piece n,
this sleeve being fixed at its upper edge to the upper edge of the neck in such a
manner as to secure all the working parts in place substantially as described and
shown in Figs. 1 to 5, of the accompanying drawing.
3. In a safety bottle, as in Claim 1, the combination of two pieces x and y,
forming a double conical chamber b, with two spherical balls f and h, one of which
is light and the other heavy and with a neck independent of the body of the
bottle A, these parts l, x, y and A having flanges which are united at their edges by
a collar u and an appropriate cement, substantially as described and shown by Fig. 6
of the annexed drawing.
4. In a safety bottle, as in Claim 1, the combination of a bottle body B
pinched at the base of the neck, so as to form interiorly a conical seat with a light
ball which seats itself on this seat, a heavy ball placed above the light ball and a
safety piece z placed in the neck above the balls and provided in its lower part with
a conical chamber in which the heavy ball moves and at its upper part with an
exterior flange z¹ which is sealed to the neck by means of an appropriate cement
which is run in between this flange and the top of the bottle substantially as described
and represented by Fig. 7 of the annexed drawing.
Dated this 93rd day of August 1907
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to the Applicant.