A NEW AND IMPROVED FOOD OR FLUID REGULATOR FOR FEEDING BOTTLE AND OTHER TUBES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Botham, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Pharmaceutical Chemist, for the Invention of "A NEW AND
IMPROVED FOOD OR FLUID REGULATOR FOR FEEDING BOTTLE AND OTHER TUBES."
Sealed the 22nd December 1865, and dated the 28th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Botham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
June 1865.
I, WILLIAM BOTHAM, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Pharmaceutical
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
AND IMPROVED FOOD OR FLUID REGULATOR FOR FEEDING BOTTLE AND OTHER
TUBES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved regulator for the purpose of
controlling or regulating the flow of liquid food from the tubes of feeding
bottles, or of fluid from other tubes, wherein suction or exhaustion of air is the
power employed for the withdrawal of such liquid food or fluid. The regulator
consists of a small dome or other shaped hollow piece of india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material or compound, which is to be fitted on the end of a glass,
metal, or other tube, and afterwards inserted into the india-rubber tube belong-
ing to the feeding bottle. It can be made of various sizes and strengths. The
domed or other shaped surface is perforated with a series of leech bite valves
which open and allow the food to pass through as soon as the child or person
begins to suck, it can have any number and any size of leech bites in it, or

page_text: the valves may be cut in a cross section, or in a series of arcs or three-quarter
circles, or merely with a central hole. When the food or liquid has passed
through it cannot return again into the bottle. Another example consists of
a hollow dome or other shaped piece, having the cylindrical flange turned
upwards to the level of the surface of the dome, and enlarged so as to leave
a space between the dome and flange; this is intended to fit by its rim or
flange on to the end and outside of a glass or metal or other tube, which is
placed in the feeding bottle; it is made of india-rubber or other elastic material,
and of various sizes and degrees of strength. The valves may be formed in the
same way as in the first example, both the glass or other rigid tubes, and the
flexible tube may be of any desirable length and diameter, and they may be
straight or curved at convenience. By use of this regulator the supply of food
or liquid is rendered more uniform and regular than it can be by the action
of exhaustion or suction by means of a simple tube or tubes, wherein the
supply is sudden and returnable into the bottle when the air ceases to be
withdrawn for a moment; it also acts as a strainer and prevents the tube
from being choked up by any solid substance which might be in the food.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Botham, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BOTHAM, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Pharmaceutical Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Botham, Her special licence that I, the said William
Botham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Botham, 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
"A NEW AND IMPROVED FOOD OR FLUID REGULATOR FOR FEEDING BOTTLE AND
OTHER TUBES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William

page_text: Botham, 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 William Botham do hereby declare the
nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved regulator for the purpose of
controlling or regulating the flow of liquid food from the tubes of feeding
bottles, or from fluids from other tubes wherein suction or exhaustion of air is
the power employed for the withdrawal of such liquid food or fluid. The
regulator consists of a small dome or other shaped hollow piece of india-
rubber or other suitable elastic material or compound, which is to be fitted
on the end of a glass, metal, or other tube, and afterwards inserted into the
india-rubber tube belonging to the feeding bottle. It can be made of various
sizes and strengths. The domed or other shaped surface is perforated with a
series of leech bite valves which open and allow the food to pass through as
soon as the child or person begins to suck; it can have any number and any
size of leech bites in it, or the valves may be cut in a cross section, or in a
series of arcs or three-quarter circles, or merely with a central hole, or any
number of holes. When the food or liquid has passed through it cannot
return again into the bottle. Another example consists of a hollow dome or
other shaped piece having the cylindrical flange turned upwards and enlarged
so as to leave a space between the dome and flange; this is intended to fit by
its rim or flange on to the end and outside of a glass or metal, india-rubber,
or other tube, which is placed in the feeding bottle, it is made of india-rubber
or other elastic material, and of various sizes and degrees of strength. The
valves may be formed in the same way as in the first example, both the glass
or other rigid tubes, and the flexible tube, may be of any desirable length and
diameter, and they may be straight or curved at convenience. By use of
this regulator the supply of food or liquid is rendered more uniform and
regular than it can be by the action of exhaustion or suction by means of
a simple tube or tubes wherein the supply is sudden and returnable into the
bottle when the air censes to be withdrawn for a moment. It also acts as a
strainer, and prevents the tube from being choked up by any solid substance
which might be in the food.

page_text: In the annexed Drawings Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are respectively a top plan, a
section, and an under plan view of the regulator first described, and Fig. 4
represents in section its application to the tube of a feeding bottle, a, a, are
the sides of the dome or regulator, and 6 the top; c represents the india-rubber
tube, which may be of any length, and either straight or curved. Figs. 4*, 5,
and 6 shew similar views of the second example of regulator. a is the rim
which fits the outside of the tube; b, the top which fits inside the tube; c, the
leech bite or other cut valves; d, the bottom end which connects a and b
together; e, Fig. 7, the glass, metal, or other tube, with the regulator and
india-rubber tube attached thereto.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts herein
expressed and shewn, as the same may obviously be slightly varied or modified
without in any way departing from the principles on which my Invention is
based, but what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein in part
recited Letters Patent is, the new and improved regulator for feeding bottle
and other tubes, substantially as herein specified and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Botham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the; of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
year
Witness,
JOHN CLARK,
7, St. James Row,
Sheffield.
WILLIAM BOTHAM. (L.s.)