Improvements in Devices for Olosing Bottles, Jars and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Olosing Bottles, Jars and the like.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me fiom Abroad by Thomas B A Price, of St James' Building,
Corner of Broadway and 26th Street, New York City, United States of America)
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 devices for closing bottles, jars and the like and is
more particularly intended for bottles containing aerated liquids, where the re-
quuements are that the stopper be held closely against the mouth of the bottle,
so as to form a joint absolutely tight for resisting the expansive force of the
gas, while at the same time the device can be readily unlocked, so that the bottle
can be opened without the necessity for great muscular effort Moreover, the
attachment must be sure and positive in its operation, simple, so that it is not
liable to get out of order, and inexpensive, and attractive in appearance.
In fastening devices where a lock-lever 18 employed, it is common to arrange
two pivoted toggle members in such a manner that the device is locked, or un-
locked, by throwing the joint to one side, or the other, of its mid position or
dead centie and, as is well known, a considerable exertion is sometimes necessary
to force the parts over the dead-centie According to this invention these
pivoted members are so arranged that when the device is locked the members are
balanced, as it were, exactly in their dead-centres, so that a minimum pressure from
either side suffices to unlock the fastening In the ordinary fastening, after the
device 18 unlocked it is then necessary to move the stopper away from in front
of the month of the bottle, and if the contained liquid is highly charged a con-
siderable part of the gas escapes during the interval between the operations of
unlocking and removing. In the device according to this invention the same
movement serves both to unlock the device and to swing it free from the mouth
of the bottle or the like
"
According to this invention a stopper or plug fits against the mouth of the
bottle or the like (I will refer to it as a bottle) and there are two members pivoted
together and also pivoted, respectively, to the stopper and the bottle in such a
manner as to form a lock that may be designated a reentiant toggle When
the device is locked, the two toggle members extend about the bottle, lving one
within the other in the same plane and in the line of resistance against the ex-
pansive force of the gas in the bottle The greater pressure from within the more
firmly is the device held locked, while a very slight pressure against the elbow of
the toggle members in either sideway direction suffices to unlock the device, and
the same motion swings the whole stopper clear away from the mouth of the
bottle
In order to make the fastening as secure as possible normally, while easy to
unlock when desired, there may be employed, in addition, a positive catch to hold
the two members in their locked position, such that when the toggle is pushed to
one side the catch will readily disengage,

page_text: The preferred arrangement according to this invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing wherein Figures 1 and 2 are vertical central sections
at right angles to each other shewing the upper part of a bottle having the im-
proved closing device applied thereto.
A is part of a bottle, having two diametrically opposite bearings a a near the
top (which is shown as flaring outwards slightly) These bearings may be in a
metal collar on the neck of the bottle, but are shewn as being holes in the glass,
or other material, of which the bottle is made B is a block (which may be
practically hemispherical) having the flat plate 6 against which is seated an india-
rubber or other elastic washer to bear against the top or month of the bottle.
The boss B¹ fast to the block B fits in the mouth of the bottle and prevents lateral
dipelacement The crescent on U-shaped block C 18 pivotted to the block B by
its depending legs at o c The bail is pivotted to the neck of the bottle by
its in-turned ends being engaged in the bearings ua, and its horizontal portion d
passes through the block C, so that it lies a little below the top of the blook B,
a groove or notch being formed along the top of the block B to receive the
Baid horizontal portion d.
To open the bottle, the crescent or U-shaped block B is pushed to one side when
the leverage will lift the portion d slightly in order to free it from the grooves d¹
after which the whole device swings feely to one Bide To close the bottle
reverse the movement, when the cam action on the top of the block B will force
the portion d sufficiently upwards to enable the latter to ride over and become
seated in the groove d'
There should be sufficient clearance in the concavity of the crescent or
U-shaped block C to permit the horizontal portion d to be lifted slightly, and the
ends of the bail should preferably be a little less than the bearings in which
they engage
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim 19.
1. The combination with a bottle, jar, or the like, having two opposite bear-
ings, of a bail engaging in the said bearings at opposite ends, a crescent or
U-shaped block having a transverse opening through which the said bail passes,
and a stopper seated in the concavity of the said crescent or U-shaped blook and
having two opposite bearing seats therein, luga on the lower end of the crescent
or U-shaped block engaging in the said bearing seats, the said stopper having
a depression in its upper end adapted to be engaged by the bail, all substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with a bottle, jar, or the like, of a bail pivotted at ite
opposite ends to opposite sides of the bottle, jar, or the like, and adapted to swing
over the mouth thereof, a block through which the bail passes, the said block
having two depending legs, a stopper pivotted to the block between the said legs,
and having a depression in its upper end in which that part of the bail passing
through the block 18 adapted to engage to retain the parts in their proper
positions for closing the bottle, jar, or the like, all substantially as hereinbefore
descubed.
3 A closing device for bottles, jars, or the like, the said device consisting of
the combination of parts as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing
Dated this 3rd day of November 1899
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC, Agents.