IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STOPPING THE MUZZLES OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens,
St. John's Wood, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER
VESSELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STOPPING THE
MUZZLES OF FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 8th September 1864, and dated the 9th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th March 1864.
I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens, St. John's Wood, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER
VESSELS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STOPPING THE MUZZLES
OF FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
In the Provisional Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 9th day
of September 1863, (No. 2223,) and also of a Patent granted to me on the
14th day of January 1864, (No. 106,) were described various modes of con-
structing stoppers for bottles and other vessels, in which the stopper is made
to fit within the mouth of the bottle or other vessel by expanding a ring of
vulcanized india-rubber or other material placed around its circumference.
The ring of india-rubber in one arrangement was placed around a short tube
projecting from the under side of a disc that was of larger diameter than the

page_text: mouth of the bottle or other vessel, and the ring was expanded by another
disc being drawn by a screw towards the first-mentioned disc, and so com-
pressing the ring of india-rubber between them; the lower disc was provided
with a short tube on its upper surface that could slide within the tube of the
upper disc.
Now according to my present Invention in place of the tube around which
the ring of vulcanized india-rubber is placed being carried by a disc, I form
the upper edge of the tube with a projecting flange of larger diameter than
the mouth of the bottle or vessel; the inner tube is also formed with an
exterior flange around its bottom edge. This flange is of such a diameter as
to enter feeely the mouth of the bottle or vessel, and the lower edge of the
ring of vulcanized india-rubber rests on this flange, and when the two tubes
are moved by the screw so as to draw the two flanges towards each other, the
ring of vulcanized india-rubber is thereby expanded. The inner tube is closed
at the top by a disc, which at its centre carries a nut for the screw that draws
the flanges on the two tubes towards each other to work in. The lower
end of the tube I close by a disc of glass, earthenware, or other suitable
material of such a diameter as to enter freely into the mouth of the bottle or
vessel, and I connect the disc to the tube by forming a projection upon it to
enter into and fit the tube, and the projection may either be retained there by
pins passing through the tube into the projection, or the projection on the
disc may have a groove or recess formed around it, and a portion of the tube
may then be pressed into the recess. The flange that is on the outer tube,
aud that is of a larger diameter than the mouth of the bottle is for a portion of
its width dished or recessed inwards, this portion being the inner part of the
flange that is nearest to the tube; this recess in the flange is for the outer
edge of a disc of metal to lie in. This disc is connected to the upper end. of
the screw that works in the nut on the inner tube, so that the upper surface
of the disc and of the flange may be level with each other. The disc has
hinged to the centre of its upper surface a flap of metal, so that (as described
in the Specification of the Patent, No. 106, (1864,) when the flap is turned
up at right angles to the disc it serves as a handle for turning the screw, and
when the flap is turned down on its hinge it lies in a recess in the disc, the
disc being dished or recessed inwards in a suitable manner for the purpose;
by this means after the stopper has been inserted into the mouth of the bottle,
and the ring has been expanded by turning the screw by means of the flap,
the flap can be caused to lie down in the recess and a paper lable may be
pasted over it.
In constructing stoppers such as are herein described, and also such as

page_text: are described in the Provisional Specifications before referred to, and also other
stoppers constructed in such a manner that the circumference of the stopper
may be enlarged by drawing two portions of the stopper towards each other by
means of a male screw working into female screws in one or both of the parts
or portions of the stopper, I form the male screw from a length of metal that
is oblong in section, and from each of the narrow sides of the
of metal I cut away angular portions thus
end view,
side view,
length
so forming on the
narrow sides of the bar angular projections resembling portions of a screw-
thread, and these projections are afterwards finished to the proper form by a
suitable screw-cutting tool or by pressure. By forming the male screw in
this manner the stopper may be made at a less cost than when a perfect
screw is used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHAN
THOMPSON, of No. 15, Abbey Gardens, St. John's Wood, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Nathan Thompson, Her special licence that J, the said Nathan
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Nathan Thompson, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING BOTTLES, JARS, AND OTHER VESSELS,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STOPPING THE MUZZLES OF FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nathan Thompson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Nathan Thompson, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 9th day of Sep-
tember 1863, (No. 2228,) and also of a Patent granted to me on the 14th
day of January 1864, (No. 106,) were described various modes of constructing
stoppers for bottles and other vessels, in which the stopper is made to fit
within the mouth of the bottle or other vessel by expanding a ring of
vulcanized india-rubber or other material placed around its circumference.
The ring of india-rubber in one arrangement was placed around a short tube
projecting from the under side of a disc that was of larger diameter than the
mouth of the bottle or other vessel, and the ring was expanded by another
disc being drawn by a screw towards the first-mentioned disc, and so com-
pressing the ring of india-rubber between them. The lower disc was provided
with a short tube on its upper surface that could slide within the tube of the
upper disc.
Now according to my present Invention I make apparatus for stopping
bottles and other articles in the manner following, and as is illustrated in the
annexed Drawing, (Figure 1 of which is a vertical section of a portion of a
bottle or jar, with stopping apparatus applied to it.) In place of the tube
around which the ring of vulcanized india-rubber is placed being carried by a
disc, I form the upper end of the tube (marked a in the Drawing) with a
projecting flange a¹ of larger diameter than the mouth of the bottle or vessel;
the inner tube b is also formed with an exterior flange around its bottom edge.
This flange is of such a diameter as to enter freely the mouth of the bottle or
vessel, and the lower edge of the ring c of vulcanized india-rubber rests on
this flange, and when the two tubes a and b are moved by the screw d so as
to draw the two flanges towards each other, the ring of vulcanized india-rubber
is thereby expanded. The inner tube 6 is closed at the top by a disc 6¹, which
at its centre carries a nut 6 for the screw to work in that draws the flanges
on the two tubes towards each other. The lower end of the tube b may be
closed by a sheet-metal cap, as Figure 1 shows; or sometimes I close it by a disc
of glass, earthenware, or other suitable material of such a diameter as to enter
freely into the mouth of the bottle or vessel. a, vertical section of the tube 6

page_text: disc b¹, and nut 6³, together with an earthenware disc or plug e, is shown at
Figure 2.
I connect the disce to the tube 6 by forming a projection or
raised ring upon the disc e to enter into and fit the tube, and the projection
may be either retained there by pins passing through the tube into the pro-
jection, or, as is shown in Figure 2, the projection on the disc may have a
groove or recess around it, and a portion of the tube may then be pressed
into the recess. The flange a' that is on the outer tube a is for a portion of
its width dished or recessed inwards. This recess in the flange is for the
outer edge of a disc of metalf to lie in, so that the upper surface of the disc
and of the flange may be level with each other. The disc f is connected to
the upper end of the screw d, and has hinged to the centre of its upper surface
a flap of metal g, so that (as described in the Specification of the Patent
No. 106, (1864,)) when the flap g is turned up at right angles to the disc fit
serves as a handle for turning the screw d, and when the flap g is turned down
on its hinge it, as before, lies in a recess formed for it in the disc f, the disc
being dished or recessed inwards in a suitable manner for the purpose, so that
. after the stopper has been inserted into the mouth of the bottle, and the ring
has been expanded by turning the screw by means of the flap, the flap can be
caused to lie down in the recess, and a paper label may be pasted over it.
In constructing stoppers such as are herein described, and other stoppers
constructed in such a manner that the circumference of the stopper may be
enlarged by drawing two portions of the stopper towards each other by means
of a male screw working into female screws in one or both of the parts or
portions of the stopper, I form the male screw from a length of metal that
is oblong in section, and from each of the narrow sides of the length of metal
I cut away angular portions, as is shown at Figures 3, so forming on the
narrow sides of the bar angular projections resembling portions of a screw-
thread, and these projections are afterwards finished to the proper form by a
suitable screw-cutting tool, or by pressure. By forming the male screw in
this manner the stopper may be made at less cost than when a perfect screw-
thread is used. Figure 4 is a plan of the stopping apparatus and bottle or
vessel shown at Figure 1; Figures 5 show the tube a, with its projecting
flange a', which are stamped up in one piece, as is shown; Figures 6 show
two views of the nut b³, previous to its insertion into the tube b, it is by a
suitable die forced into the form shown, in which form it will readily enter the
tube, and then, in order to securely fix it, it is placed with its concave side
against the disc b', and a suitable tool presses it flat, thereby forcing the
corners of the nut partly through the metal of the tube as shown at Figures 7 ;
Figures 8 show two views of the flap 9, it is pressed into the form shown pre-

page_text: it
paratory to its being connected to the disc f, the projections or lugs upon
are then placed opposite to the holes in the disc (which is shown separately
at Figures 9) and a blow from a suitable tool then flattens the flap, and
thereby forces the projections into the holes in the disc; Figure 10 is a
vertical section, and Figure 11 is a plan of a jar having stopping apparatus
applied to it, which is a slight modification of the arrangement shown at
Figure 1 and the following Figures; Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 are
separate views of the various parts. The several parts are marked with
similar letters corresponding with the description already given, the difference
being only in the detail of the form of the parts. Stoppers constructed in the
above-described ways are applicable for stopping the muzzles of fire-arms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Thompson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.