IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS TO CONTAIN AERATED OR FERMENTABLE Liquids
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cotton, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES AND SUCH LIKE VESSELS TO CONTAIN
AERATED OR FERMENTABLE Liquids.”
Sealed the 30th November 1877, and dated the 13th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cotton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1877.
•
WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES AND SUCH
LIKE VESSELS TO CONTAIN AËRATED OR FERMENTABLE LIQUIDS."
Considerable difficulty exists in bottling new beers, stouts, and other liquids
subject to gaseous formation, and in retaining gaseous liquids, owing to the bursting
of the bottles from the variations in the internal pressures exerted, and the object
of the Invention is, whilst affording security against limited pressures, to admit of
escape of the gasses when the internal pressure exceeds the pressure desired to bo
maintained. For this purpose the bottle or such like vessel is formed with a pro-
jecting rim to receive projections or clips from the stopper, and the stopper is formed
to receive an india-rubber or other suitable clastic ring or collar, and the groove or
recesss in the stopper to receive such ring or collar, or part thereof, is cut away at a
part or parts, so that when the pressure in the bottle exceeds a certain amount the
ring or collar becomes expanded into the part cut away in the stopper to admit of
the escape of a certain amount of the internal gas until the internal pressure is
reduced to the extent desired.
The cutting away will be varied in extent to the pressure to be controlled.
The cutting away may be in the top of the neck or rim of the bottle or such like
vessel.
.
The projecting rim of the bottle is cut away at parts to receive the clips of the
stopper, and the stopper is held by its clips by turning it with its clips past the
parts cut away.
The parts of the rim may be inclined or wedge-formed to aid the tightening of
the holding thereon by the clips.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th Decem-
ber 1877.
WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPERING BOTTLES AND SUCH
LIKE VESSELS TO CONTAIN AERATED OR FERMENTABLE LIQUIDS."
Considerable difficulty exists in bottling new beers, stouts, and other liquids
subject to gaseous formation, and in retaining gaseous liquids, owing to the bursting
of the bottles from the variatious in the internal pressures exerted, and the object
of the Invention is whilst affording security against limited pressures to admit of
escape of the gases when the internal pressure exceeds the pressure desired to be
maintained. For this purpose the bottle or such like vessel is formed with a pro-
jecting rim to receive projections or clips from the stopper, and the stopper is formed
to receive an india-rubber or other suitable elastic ring or collar, and the groove or
recess in the stopper to receive such ring or collar, or part thereof, is cut away at a
part or parts, so that when the pressure in the bottle exceeds a certain amount the
ring or collar becomes expanded into the part cut away in the stopper to admit of
the escape of a certain amount of the internal gas until the internal pressure is
reduced to the extent desired.
The cutting away will be varied in extent to the pressure to be controlled.
The cutting away may be in the top of the neck or rin of the bottle or such like
vessel.
The projecting rim of the bottle is cut away at parts to receive the clips of the
stopper, and the stopper is held by its clips by turning it with its clips past the parts
cut away.
The parts of the rin may be inclined or wedge formed to aid the tightening of the
holding thereon by the clips.
But that the Invention may be more fully understood- I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying the
same into effect.
. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a portion of the neck of a bottle with a stopper
applied thereto with parts thereof arranged according to my Invention. Figure 2
is an external side, and Figure 3 a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 shows another sectional view taken transversely of Figure 1, and
Figures 5 and 6 are external side and plan views corresponding with Figure 4.
Figure 7 shows a sectional under side view of Figure 4, whilst Figure 8 shows
the same, but with the parts in position for the removal of the stopper.
Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 show the parts separately, in order that their con-
struction and action may be the better understood.
In each of the Figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a represents a portion of the neck of a bottle or other vessel formed with a pro-
jecting rim 6 around its upper edge, and this rim it will be seen is cut away at b¹,
whilst it, is also inclined or wedge-shaped on its lower edge from these cut-away
portions; c is the stopper, the stem c¹ of which is formed to receive the india-rubber
or other suitable elastic band d, which is retained in position on that stem by the
projection c² formed to such stem. The under part of the head of the stopper is
also undercut, so as in part to form a wall for the support of the ring d, and thereby
to aid in resisting the internal pressure exerted on the elastic material d; but that
.such support may be limited to the maximum of pressure desired to be exerted
within the bottle or vessel to which the Invention is applied, a portion of this wall
is cut away at c, so that when the maximum of resistance has been overcome by
the pressure exerted within the bottle or vessel by the gases generated, the ring or

page_text: collar will become expanded, and forced into this cut-away portion c³, so as to
admit of the escape of a certain amount of the imprisoned gas until the internal
pressure of this gas has become reduced to the extent desired.
The stopper c is formed with clips c, which in applying the stopper to the neck
of a bottle are passed down the grooves or recesses b', the stopper c being pressed on
at the time so as to cause the elastic ring d to securely close the neck of the bottle
or vessel to resist to the extent desired the internal pressure of the gases generated
in such bottle or vessel, and then the stopper c will be turned party round, so as
to bring the lower portion c of the clips c under the rim b, when the bottle or
vessel will be closed to the passage of the liquids and the gases generated from such
liquids contained in the bottle or vessel, except in the event of the pressure of the
gases generated increasing considerably, when that portion of the elastic ring resting
opposite the cut-away portion of the under side of the stopper will yield to such
increase of pressure, and automatically admit of a certain amount of it to escape
until this excess of pressure is removed, when the ring d will again assume its position
and its power of resisting the further escape of gas froin the bottle or vessel.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
means shown for holding the stopper of the bottle or vessel in the neck thereof, as
the same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the Inven-
tion; but what I do claim is the arranging or combining parts forming means or
apparatus for stoppering bottles and such like vessels to contain aërated or ferment-
able liquids, whereby in the event of excess of internal pressure of the gases
generated such excess will be automatically allowed to escape, in manner sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cotton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.