Improvements in Bottles, and in Stoppers and Caps therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1897-4ccepted, 20th May,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottles, and in Stoppers and Caps therefor.
We, ELISHA MOORE, Hotel Proprietor, of Meductic, New Brunswick,
FREDERICK MOORE, Lumberman, of Woodstock, New Brunswick and ARTHUR
WILMOT HAY, Merchant, of Lower Woodstock, New Brunswick, hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The first form of our invention relates to that class of stoppers which, when
applied to a bottle, make it necessary to break the neck of the bottle before
removing the contents and thus render the bottle useless for refilling or make is
impossible to again offer the bottle for sale in imitation of the original article, and.
the object in the form of our invention is to produce an outer closure or that which
makes it impracticable to get at the contents of the bottle without breaking the
neck, which shall be very simply and cheap and very easily applied, yet effective
in use, and to these ends our invention consists in certain novel features of
construction which will be hereinafter fully described.
In Sheet 1 of the drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a bottle and stopper embodying our
invention, and,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the self-locking stopper.
1. represents the bottle which is preferably formed with its neck scored or
grooved, as shown at 2, in order that it may be readily broken off at this point.
It is not of the essence of our invention however to have the neck thus marked for
breaking, inasmuch as the neck may be broken anywhere below a certain line
without defeating the object of our invention. The bottle preferably has an inner
stopper 3, as is customary in bottles of this character, and in our improved bottle
I prefer to make the neck of smaller diameter in which the stopper 3 fits, in order
to form a shoulder 4 above the same. This reduction of the diameter of the lower
portion of the neck also has the advantage of permitting the use of an inner stopper
which will pass readily through the upper portion of the neck, into that portion
where it is to be seated.
The upper portion of the neck is provided with an internal groove 5 preferably
formed with an abrupt shoulder presented downwardly. 6 is an outer stopper
which fits freely in the upper end of the neck and is self-locking therein in order
that access cannot be had to the lower stopper or the contents of the bottle
otherwise removed without breaking the neck.
Our invention consists in the means adopted for rendering the stopper 6 self-
locking within the neck. This we accomplish by making a transverse slot 7
through the stopper 6, and elongated in the direction of the axis of said stopper,
and in this slot we insert a spring 8 bent in the form approximately of an
inverted V or U, and with its lower ends bent to form hooks 9, which project
from the sides of the slot 7 and snap into engagement with the internal groove 5.
when the stopper is inserted. The upper or bent end 10. of the spring 8, rests in
a depression 11 in the top of the slot 7, while the lower bent ends 9 rest upon the
bottom 12 of the slot.
By this means, the spring is prevented from displacement from the stopper
before insertion and when the hooks 9 engage in the groove 5, they prevent the
withdrawal of the stopper by their bearing against the bottom 12 of the slot.
It

page_text: is nevertheless an easy matter to insert or remove the spring from the stopper
before the latter is introduced, by simply spreading the lower end and drawing the
upper bent end down out of the depression and then moving it sidewise out of the
slot. The stopper 6 rests upon the shoulder 4 and thus prevents said stopper from
being depressed sufficiently to force the hooks out of the groove 5 or to drive in
the stopper 3.
From the foregoing description, it will be seen that we have produced a self-
locking stopper comprising but two parts, which may be manufactured separately
and readily put together by simply inserting the spring in the slot. It will also
be seen that an effective locking stopper is thus produced and all the objects of our
invention readily accomplished.
The second form of our invention comprises a frangible cap which will cover the
mouth of the bottle to prevent removal of the cork and which has automatic
engaging means which prevents removal of the cap except by breaking it, the
means being of certain novel character to be hereinafter described.
This form is shown in Sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1. is a vertical section of a bottle embo:lying the features of our present
invention, while
Figure 2. is a similar view of the cap removed. and
::
Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing respectively the locking spring in
connection with the disengaging bail.
1. represents the bottle and 2 the neck, which latter is provided with the
customary shoulder 3 or a shoulder especially provided, and said neck carries a
stopper 4 as usual.
5 represents a cap which fits over the neck of the bottle so as
to close the mouth and prevent access being had to the stopper 4 and said cap is
provided with an annular notch 6 to weaken it on that line to permit the top of the
cap to be conveniently broken off when it is desired to gain access to the stopper.
If the cap carries a designation or imprint of any kind which can only be
reproduced by the original manufacturer, it will readily be seen that the breiking
of the cap offers an effectual means of preventing the re-filling of the bottle and its
sale with inferior contents as the goods of the original manufacturer.
To provide for automatically locking the cap upon the bottle and thus making it
convenient to slip the cap in place after the bottle is closed, said cap has a semi-
annular groove 7 in which the semi-annular portion 8 of the locking spring is
received and also with vertical diametrically opposite recesses 9 in which the
locking dogs 10 of said spring may enter to permit the cap to be forced over the
head of the bottle upon which it neatly fits. The dogs 10 are given such a set or
position that they may snap into the spaces beneath the shoulders 3 of the bottle
as the cap is pressed down and thus rendered impossible to afterwards remove the
cap except it be first broken along the line of the notch 6. 11 represents a
shoulder which receives the base of the cap and prevents the introduction of an
instrument which might be used to disengage the dogs from the shoulder and
permit removal of the cap.
To provide for removing the cylindrical portion of the cap after the top has been
broken off, we employ a bail 12 which remains within the cap in a recess formed
for the purpose, as shown and extends across the top of the bottle so that it may
be taken hold of when the top is broken off and said bail has downwardly extending
arms 13 with eyes 14 engaging the respective dogs 10 in such a way that when the
bail is drawn up, the dogs will be forced out from beneath the shoulder 3 to release
the cylindrical portion of the cap while said eyes then engage with shoulders 15 at
the upper ends of recesses 9 and draw the cylindrical portion of the cap from the
bottle, leaving the latter unencumbered and clean.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1
A bottle statuer euhotantiall of the aboranton dasamiled fauned with

page_text: transverse slot elongated in the direction of the axis of the stopper and having
inserted in said slot a bent spring with its ends bent to form hooks which project
from the sides of the slot to engage a suitable shoulder formed on the interior of
the neck of the bottle, as explained.
2. A bottle stopper of substantially the character described, comprising a
cylindrical body with a diametric slot elongated longitu linally of the stopper and
formed with a depression in one end of said slot, and a spring of substantially V
or U shape, having its bent end engaging in the depression in the slot and with its
other ends resting against the opposite end of the slot so as to prevent displacement
of the spring and projecting laterally from said slot so as to engage a suitable.
internal shoulder formed in the neck of the bottle, as explained.
3. In a non-refillable bottle, the combination of the neck formed with a reduce !
lower portion and with a stopper therein for preventing the escape of the contents of
the bottle, and a self-locking outer stopper inserted in the upper portion of the
neck, and prevented from being pushed in by the said reduced portion of the neck ;..
said stopper being formed with a diametric slot and having a V or U shape spring
with its ends projecting from said slot and the bottle neck formed with an internal.
groove for the engagement of said projecting end, as explained.
4. A bottle formed with a shoulder and having a frangible cap surrounding the
neck of the bottle and provided with automatic locking beams for engaging the
shoulder, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
5. As a new article of manufacture, a frangible cap for bottles provided with
the groove 7 and vertical groove 9 for the reception of a locking spring to engage
the bead of a bottle; substantially as herein explained..
6. A bottle formed with the shoulders 3 and 11 represented respectively
downward and upward, and a cap abutting the lower shoulder and having an.
automatic device engaging the upper shoulder, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes set forth.
7. As a means for closing bottles, the frangible cap 5. formed with the semi--
annular groove 7 and the vertical recesses 9 in combination with a self-locking
spring formed with the semi-annular portion 8 located in the groove 7 and the
locking dogs 10 working in and out in recesses 9 and adapted to engage a shoulder-
on the neck of the bottle, substantially as set forth.
8. As a means for closing bottles, a cap having a frangible top and interior-
recesses to receive an automatic locking spring in said recesses, and an unlocking
bail having a transverse portion extending across the top of the bottle within reach.
after the top is removed and downwardly extending portions having eyes in.
engagement with the locking spring to force the same out of engagement with the
bottle, and adapted to engage in the recess of the cap to remove the latter after-
disengaging the spring; substantially as herein explained.
Dated this 29th day of January 1897.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants..