IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING OR ALARAWA
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Claude Nouveau, of No. 2, Rue Sainte
Appoline, Paris, in the Empire of France, and of No. 45, Essex Street,
Strand, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING OR
ALARAWA
"
Sealed the 5th April 1859, and dated the 7th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Claude Nouveau at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1858.
I, JEAN CLAUDE NOUVEAU, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, in the Empire
of France, and of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING OR STOPPERING
BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS CONTAINING NON-GASEOUS LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
My improvements refer to the means of stopping or stoppering bottles and
other similar vessels containing liquids of any kind, and consists in forming the
stopper with a tube, the top of which is fitted with a valve or valve cap,
moveable when acted upon by a thumb lever; upon this valve being raised, a
column of atmospheric air rushes in, and pressing upon the interior of the
bottle, counterbalances the exterior action of the air on the liquid at the
mouth of the bottle, causing the latter to flow freely, and thus completely
emptying the bottle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Claude Nouveau in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
CLAUDE NOUVEAU, of No. 2, Rue Saint Appoline, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of No. 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jean Claude Norwean, Her special licence that I, the said Jean
Claude Norwean, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jean Claude Norwean, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING OR STOPPERING BOTTLES AND OTHER
VESSELS CONTAINING NON-GASEOUS LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Jean Claude Norwean, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Claude Norwean, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:-
Hitherto, vessels for containing gaseous or aerated liquids have been fitted
with stoppering apparatus or caps, which are so contrived as to hermetically
close them, but which, when desired, may be caused to afford the fluid vent,
and allow of its outflow from the pressure of the gas which it contains, and
likewise to close off such outflow by certain instantaneously acting arrange-
ments wherewith they are provided. Now the present Invention relates to
bottles and other vessels for containing perfumes, liqueurs, spirits, and other
non-gaseous (or non-aerated) liquids, and .its. object is the stopping or

page_text: stoppering thereof in such manner as to keep the contents hermetically closed
or air-tight, but yet afford means for the instantaneous and controllable
pouring out of the contents, and also for stopping the flow thereof at pleasure
by a spring or equivalent self-acting contrivance. For this purpose I employ
a stoppering cap which is fitted to the bottle or vessel, and is provided with
such arrangements as to keep the contents of such bottle or vessel hermetically
closed, but which arrangements are so contrived, that when it is desired to
pour out the contents, atmospheric air may be caused, without having to
detach the cap, to communicate with and exert pressure on the liquid, so as
to balance the pressure of the atmosphere on the spout or exit, and permit the
outflow (when the vessel is inclined) by the natural gravitation of the liquid,
mechanical means being provided for opening the mouth or exit, and self-
acting means for stopping the outflow instantaneously when desired; the
admission and pressure of air has thus the effect of permitting the outflow,
which, in the case of gaseous liquids, results from the action of the gas
contained therein.
In the form preferred I effect the closing within the cap by means of a
valve or plug rendered air-tight by an india-rubber, cork, or other suitable
washer or packing, and the vessel is opened by pressing on a knob or equi-
valent contrivance acting on a spring, while at the same moment com-
munication is also opened between the liquid contents and the atmospheric
air, so that on inclining the bottle or vessel the liquid will flow out freely; the
outflow may be instantaneously stopped by removing pressure from the knob,
thus releasing the spring, closing the valve, and shutting off the admission
of air.
The cap or stopper may be fitted to the neck of the bottle or vessel by
screwing it thereon, or by bayonet joint, or other mode of connection, so that
it may be readily detached to supply the vessel with liquid, and afterwards
replaced. The cap may be composed of metal, stamped or otherwise, or of any
suitable material. Bottles or vessels may be formed with a screw to receive
the cap, or such as are already in use may be readily adapted for my mode
of stoppering, by fitting a screw-threaded collar on the neck to receive the
stoppering cap. The method in which my Invention may be carried into
effect, is exemplified in the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a bottle, provided with a stoppering cap, con-
structed according to my Invention, and which is shewn in section in Figure 2.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modification. A is the bottle, and B the cap
screwed to the neck thereof, or otherwise fitted on; d is a valve rounded off,

page_text: as shewn, for the freer passage of air, and attached to one end of a hollow
stem e, Figure 2, having a spring round it, and a knob h at top; c is an
india-rubber washer for packing the connection air-tight; p is the spout; the
steme has an orifice f at top, and another 9 at bottom; on pressing down
the knob h, the spring / will be forced down, and with it the stem e, and valve
d, bringing the orifice f opposite an opening 9 in the side of the cap B, (com-
municating with the atmosphere), so as to admit atmospheric air to the interior
of the stem e, and by the same action the tubular passage m is opened, and
this passage communicating with the spout p, and likewise with the air
entering through f, the liquid will readily flow out through the spout when the
bottle is inclined, and will continue to flow until pressure is removed from the
knob h, so as to release the spring 1, and allow it to fly back to its original
position, and restore stem e, and valve d to place, and thus close the bottle
air-tight.
In the modification, Figure 3, the stem e is solid, and atmospheric air is
admitted through a lateral passages, the air supply passage in this arrange-
ment being a fixture instead of shifting, as in Figure 2.
I do not confine myself to the modes represented for admitting and shutting
off the supply of air to the liquid contents, as the same may be very variously
modified.
By the adoption of my method, overrunning or waste of liquid is obviated,
loss of time and inconvenience of removing and replacing stoppers prevented,
and, in the case of spirituous liquids, danger of combustion avoided.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I lay no claim to the
stoppering of vessels containing gaseous or aerated liquids, in which, when a
valve is opened, the outflow is effected by the pressure of the gas contained in
the liquids; but I declare that my Invention applies to vessels intended to
contain non-gaseous liquids, and that I claim,-
First, the mode of or general arrangements for stopping or stoppering
bottles, and other vessels containing non-gaseous liquids, herein-before
described, in which means are provided for the hermetical closing of the con-
tents, and for the instantaneous and controllable outflow thereof, and stoppage
of such outflow, all as herein-before described.
Second, the adaptation to vessels containing non-gaseous liquids, and the
general arrangements of a stoppering cap, provided with appliances for closing
the vessel air-tight, but permitting the outflow of the liquid contents when
desired, by admitting atmospheric air to them for balancing the pressure of the

page_text: atmosphere on the exit; such cap being provided with means for the instan-
taneous outflow of the liquid, and admission of air, and shutting off of such
outflow and admission, all in the manner described.
Third, the arrangements for the purpose herein-before particularly described,
especially as exemplified in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Claude Nouveau, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
0 Witness,
EMILE BARRAULT,
33, Bard St. Martin.
в Nouveau
(L.S.)