IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS, CORKS, OR VALVULAR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES OR RECEPTACLES FOz LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Pinkney, of 26, Long Acre, in the County of
Middlesex, Ink Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOPPERS, CORKS, OR VALVULAR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES OR RECEPTACLES FOz
LIQUIDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR MAKING THE
SAME."
Sealed the 20th March 1855, and dated the 23rd September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Pinkney at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1854.
I, ROBERT PINKNEY, of 26, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, Ink
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN STOPPERS, CORKS, OR VALVULAR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES OR
RECEPTACLES FOR LIQUIDS. AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR
MAKING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention is intended to provide a simple and effective means of
adjusting and regulating the flow of liquids from bottles, jars, and other recep-
tacles for liquids. As applied to an ink bottle, the stopper, which may be
of glass, metal, or ot! er material, is tubular, being bored up from its inner end
to within a short distance from the handle portion. In this tubular portion
there are formed two lateral perforations, diametrically opposite to each other,

page_text: one opening being larger than the other, the larger one being near the stopper
head or handle portion, whilst the smaller one is not far from the lower end; or
the two openings may be opposite to each other. The neck of the bottle is
formed with two lateral holes, to correspond with these passages, so that when
the stopper is in its place, the user has only to turn it partially round to bring
the respective holes into or out of correspondence, to open or shut of the flow
from the bottle. When the out-flow passage is closed, the blank portions of the
stoppers are opposite to blank or solid portions of the neck, but by a slight
turn the lower small hole in the stopper is made to correspond with the small
hole in the neck, allowing the external air to find its way through into the
tubular portion of the stopper, and thence down into the bottle, to supply the
place of the discharged ink or liquid. The ink similarly finds its way out up
through the tubular portion of the stopper, and thence through the larger
aperture therein, and out by the corresponding aperture in the neck. If the
bottle is fitted with a lip, the neck is formed with an inner stopper collar piece,
through which the pouring hole is made. In this way the flow takes place
from the inner collar hole into the lip, which thus bears no external mark of
being perforated. The contrivance is obviously applicable to various liquid
holders. By its adoption the user can open or close the bottle with very great
ease, whilst all risk of accidental spilling from the movement is avoided.
The apparatus for manufacturing the stoppers consists of the usual mould
in two parts; on the interior of such parts, and corresponding with lateral holes
in the stopper, are two or more circular projections. The circular plunger to
form the tube just touches the ends of these projections in its descent into the
mould, clearing away the material between them, thus obviously leaving
perfect perforations in the stopper. This plan is especially adapted for
stoppers made of glass porcelain, saving the usual great expense of drilling.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Pinkney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
PINKNEY, of No. 26, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, Ink Manufac-
turer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Pinkney, Her special license that I, the said Robert Pinkney, my
exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Pinkney, my executors, administrators, or 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 STOPPERS, CORKS,
OR VALVULAR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLES OR RECEPTACLES FOR LIQUIDS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR MAKING THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Pinkney, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Robert Pinkney, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the providing of a simple and effective means
of adjusting and regulating the flow of liquids from bottles, jars, and other
receptacles for liquids. As applied to an ink bottle, the stopper, which may
be of glass, stoneware, metal, or other material, is tubular, being bored up
from its inner end to within a short distance from the handle portion, either
with one bore or divided in two chambers, as shewn in the Drawing hereafter
referred to. In this tubular portion there are formed two lateral perforations,
diametrically opposite to each other, one opening being larger than the other,
the larger one being near the stopper head or handle portion, whilst the smaller
one is not far from the lower end; or the two openings may be opposite to
each other, as herein-before described and shewn in the Drawings. The neck
of the bottle is formed with two lateral slots or holes, to correspond with these
passages, so that when the stopper is in its place, the user has only to turn it
partially round to bring the respective holes into or out of correspondence to
open or shut off the flow from the bottle. When the out-flow passage is closed,
the blank portions of the stopper are opposite to the blank or solid portions
of the neck, but by a slight turn the lower small hole in the stopper is
made to correspond with the small hole or slot in the neck, allowing the
external air to find its way through one division of the tubular portion of.

page_text: the stopper, and thence down into the bottle, supplying the pressure requisite
to cause ink or liquid to flow freely. The ink similarly finds its way out
up through the other division of the tubular portion of the stopper, and
thence through the larger aperture therein, and out by the corresponding
aperture in the neck. If the bottle is fitted with a lip, the neck is formed
with an inner stopper collar piece, through which the pouring hole is made.
In this way the flow takes place from the inner collar hole into the lip, which
thus bears no external mark of being perforated. The contrivance is obviously
applicable to various liquid holders. By its adoption the user can open or
close the bottle with very great case, whilst all risk of accidental spilling from
the movement is avoided. The apparatus for manufacturing the stoppers
consists of the usual mould in two parts; on the interior of such parts, and
corresponding with the lateral holes or slots in the stopper, are two circular or
other shaped projections. The circular plunger to form the tube just touches
the ends of these projections on its descent into the mould, clearing away the
material between them, thus obviously leaving perfect perforations in the
stopper. This plan is especially adapted for stoppers made of glass or
porcelain, saving the usual great expense of drilling.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the several Figures on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a full-sized side elevation of an ink
bottle fitted with my improved stopper; Figure 2 is a back elevation of the
same; and Figure 3 is a vertical section, taken through the centre of the
bottle and stopper. Figures 4, 7, and 8 represent elevations of the lower
portion of three forms of plungers; and Figure 5, a vertical section of a
metallic mould or matrix for manufacturing my improved stopper; and
Figure 6 is a vertical section of a detached stopper made in this mould.
Figures 7 and 8 are elevations of the lower portions of two other forms of
plungers for making the passages in the stoppers; and Figures 9 and 10 are
sectional plans of the stoppers produced by these plungers, shewing the two
distinct passages formed therein.
The stopper A. which may be composed of glass, stoneware, metal, or other
material, is tubular, being bored up with one hole at B, from its inner end to
within a short distance from the handle portion; or with two divisions, as
at Figures 9 and 10. In this tubular portion there are formed two lateral
perforations C. C', shewn in the Drawings as being diametrically opposite to
each other, although such an arrangement is not absolutely necessary, as they
may be made at a slight angle to each other if desirable, and at different

page_text: levels; but I prefer them to be opposite to each other, as shewn in the
Drawings. The neck of the bottle D is formed with a lateral opening or
slot E, corresponding with the lateral perforation C' in the stopper when the
latter is in its place. The material is strengthened by a lip E' round the slot,
to prevent fracture in cutting the slot. In bottles fitted with a pouring lip or
spout, as shewn in the Drawings, an inner stopper collar piece F, composed of
cork or other suitable material, is fitted into the neck, and is then perforated
longitudinally to receive the shank of the stopper; transverse perforations are
then made laterally, to correspond to the lateral perforations C, C', in the
stopper. In using this bottle it is merely requisite to turn the stopper partially
round to bring the respective holes into or out of correspondence to open or
shut off the flow from the bottle. When the out-flow passage is closed, the
blank portion of the stopper corresponds to the blank or solid portions of the
neck, but by a slight turn the lateral perforation C' in the stopper is made to
correspond with the lateral hole or slot in the neck and cork, thereby allowing
the external air to find its way through one division of the tubular portion B
of the stopper, and thence down into the bottle, to supply the requisite pressure
to cause the ink or liquid to flow freely. The ink similarly finds its way out
up through the other divisions of the tubular portion of the stopper when two
divisions are used, and thence through the aperture C into the pouring lip or
spout G. The apparatus for manufacturing these stoppers consists of the
usual mould H, formed in two parts. On the interior of such parts, and corre
sponding with the lateral holes in the stopper, are two circular or other shaped
projections K, K. The circular plunger J, Figures 4, 7, and 8, for forming the
hollow of the stopper, just touches the ends of the projections K, K, in its
descent into the mould, thereby clearing or partially clearing away the material
between the sides of the plunger and the ends of the projections K, as shewn
by the dotted lines, and consequently leaving a perfectly formed aperture in
each side of the stopper; or, if not entirely formed through, the aperture may
be easily completed by pushing out the thin film of glass remaining in the
inside of the perforation. By this arrangement the stopper is formed at one
stroke of the plunger, and the expensive process of drilling is entirely avoided.
Figure 7 is the same plunger divided in two portions, the glass or other
material rising between and forming a division in the stopper, as in Figure 9.
Figure 8 is another plunger with a projecting piece all round lengthways,
forming a corresponding groove in the hole of the stopper, in the centre of
which a slip of wood, glass, or other material may be placed and held secure,
thus dividing the tube in two portions in both cases, see Figure 10, and
causing the more regular flow of liquids, as herein-before described.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of tubular stoppers, corks,
or valvular apparatus, either with or without divisions therein, for bottles or
receptacles for liquids, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a mould or matrix fitted with internal
projections, and used in conjunction with a plunger for forming perforations in
my improved stopper, or in other articles composed of the like materials, as
herein-before described and illustrated in my Drawings.
Third, the peculiar forms of plungers herein-before described for making
stoppers for bottles and other receptacles.
Fourth, the application and use of the slot E, formed in the back of the
bottle neck, for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Pinkney, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
ROBERT PINKNEY.
(L.B.)