US2986297A

US2986297A - Bottle stopper

Info

Publication number: US2986297A
Application number: US69902A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pollick Frank
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-11-17
Filing date: 1960-11-17
Publication date: 1961-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-30

Description

y 1961 F. POLLlCK 2,986,297

BOTTLE STOPPER Filed Nov. 17, 1960 42 38 INVENTOR.

FRFINK POLL/CK BY W J HTTORNEY 2,986,291 nomn STOPPER m Polllck, 439 Bellevne Ave., Yonkers, N.Y.

Ftled N ov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,902

7 Claims. (Cl. 215-52 This invention relates generallyv to bottle stoppers and more particularly to stoppers for bottles containing liquids, particularly liquids that are confined within the bottle or equivalent container under pressure.

This would betrue, forexample, of carbonated liquids and beer which are maintained under pressure and which 2,986,297 Patented May 3t),

opens upwardly and hasits upper edge notched its innerside providing an annular ledge or shoulder'22. A slightly curvedcover plate 24 seats on the, ledge .22 and covers the opening in the head portion. The peripheral edge of the cover plate 24 may be secured to the ledge by adhesive or in any other suitable'manner. A

A plurality of vents 26 are formed in the center of the will accordingly travel upwardly through the outlet or neck ofthe bottle so long as the pressure upon the surface of the liquid exceeds atmospheric pressure.

Bottle stoppers of this type are subject to severe strain and are likely to be blownout of the neck of the bottle or to pop out and furthermore such stoppers are difiicult to insert into the opening in the neck of the bottle.

Constructions of this type have heretofore been made but such constructions with which applicant is aware have not been satisfactory. Some have been complicated and expensive and since the aim is economy, it is evident that an expensive stopper is essentially unsatisfactory. Likewise unsightly stoppers are unsatisfactory. Furthermore, some prior art stoppers have been structurally defective.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a bottle stopper having automatic means of the bellows type for relieving the pressure on the stopper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle stopper that will close small vials or other bottles even though fully loaded.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a bottle stopper that provides a perfect seal for the neck of the bottle; that is readily applied and removed by hand; that is inexpensive to manufacture; and that is attractive in appearance.

For further comprehension of the advantages and objects of the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the ,top end of a bottle with a bottle stopper embodying one form of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the bottle stopper per se.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bottle stopper.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in Fig. 1 a bottle stopper 10 is shown applied to the neck 12 of a bottle 14, such as used for holding carbonated liquids, beer and other liquids under pressure. The bottle stopper 10 comprises a hollow elongated cylindrical body 16 formed of suitable plastic material or other suitable bottle stopper material. At one end, the top end as viewed in Fig. 5, the body is formed with an integral, circular, hollow enlarged or head portion 18, forming a shoulder portion 20 at the bottom of the head portion. The head portion cover plate. The outer peripheral edge of the head portion 18 is knurled as indicated at 28 to providea firm hand grip on the stopper. The hollow body 16, head portion 18 and cover plate 24 define an interiorchamber 30.

In accordance with the present invention, a bellows 32 is positioned in thechamber 30 and is normally disposed centrally and longitudinally -of the body .16. The bellows is shown formed of thermoplastic material but may be formed of alloy steel or other suitable metal The bellows is composed of corrugated sections 34 closed at the top 36 and open atthe bottom 38. The bottom 3 8 flares downwardly and outwardly as indicated at40' its extremity shaped in the form of an upturned rim 42 sealed to the inwardly tapering end edge 44 of the body 16 by heat sealing or in any other suitable manner. In use, the bottle stopper 16 is forced by hand into'the neck 12 of the bottle 14 until its shoulder 20 seats on the bead 46 of the neck of the bottle so that the body of the stopper is given a force fit against the inner surface of the bottle neck as shown in Fig. 1, with the interior of the bellows communicating with the interior of the bottle. When the gas pressure in the bottle is greater than atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the bottle will force the bellows outwardly so that the corrugated sections of the bellows will expand lineally as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 against the action of the atmospheric pressure exerted through the vents 26. The bellows thus absorbs the pressure exerted by the gases in the bottle and the stopper cannot be blown out or pop" out of the neck of the bottle. When the stopper is manually removed from the neck of the bottle, the bellows will collapse to its normal condition thus being reduced by volume an amount equal to the volume of the stopper withdrawn from the neck of the bottle. This makes it easy to seal and uncork the bottle especially when the bottle is full or is of very small cubic volume.

The modified form of bottle stopper '10 shown in Fig. 6 diflers from the bottle stopper 10 of Fig. 5 merely in that the enlarged or head portion 18' is solid instead of hollow and the cover plate 24 is omitted so that the chamber 30 is open to the atmosphere at the top. In all other respects, the stopper 10' is similar to stopper 10 and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts. The stopper 10' functions similarly to stopper 10.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that changes in details might be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim:

1. A bottle stopper comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body portion open at one end and with an enlarged hollow head portion at the other end communicating with the atmosphere, and a bellows device in the body portion, one end of the bellows device being closed and the other end being open and being secured to the open end of the body portion whereby said bellows device is adapted to expand and contract lineally upon application of gaseous pressure and release of such application, respectively, when the stopper is in sealing position in a bottle containing liquid under pressure.

2. A bottle stopper comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body portion open at one end and having an enlarged annular hollow head portion at the other end,

gasses? said head portion opening upwardly, a plate closing the opening in the head portion, said plate having central air vent holes, and a bellows device in the body portion, one end of the bellow being closed and the other end open and secured to the open end of the body portion whereby said'bellows'device is adapt'e 'd to expand and contract lineally upon application' 'of gaseous pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and upon release of such application, respectively, when the stopper is in sealing position in a bottle containing liquid under pressure. 3. A bottle stopper as defined in claim 2 wherein the outer periphery of the head portion is knilrled to provide afirmhandgrip.

4. A bottle stopper comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body portion open at one end and having an enlarged annular hollow head portion at the other end, defining a shoulder under thelliead' portion adapted to seat upon the top of the neck of a bottle, said head portion opening upwardly, a plate closingthe opening in the head portion, said plate having central air vent holes, said body, head portion and plate defining a chamber, a bellows device in the body portion ofsaidchamber, one end of the bellows being closed and the other end open and secured to the bottom end edge of the body portion whereby said bellows device is adapted to expand and to contract lineally upon application of gaseous pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and upon release tit of such gaseous pressure, respectively, when the stopper 4 is in position in the neck of a bottle containing liquid under pressure.

5. A bottle stopper as defined in claim 4 wherein the outer periphery of the head portion is knurled to provide a firm hand grip.

6. A bottle stopper comprising an elongated tubular cylindrical body portion having an annular enlargement at one end defining an annular shoulder under the enlargement adapted to seat'on the top edge of a neck of a bottle, a bellows device in the body portion, one end of the bellows device being closed and the other end being open and secured to thebottorn end edge of the body portion whereby said bellows device is adapted to expand and to contract lineally upon application of gaseous pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and upon release of such gaseous pressure, respectively, when the stopper is in sealing position in the neck of a bottle containing liquid under pressure.

7. A bottle stopper asdefined in claim 6 wherein the outer periphery of the annular enlargement is knurled to provide a firm hand grip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED sures PATENTS 2,634,014 Kimber Apr. -7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS $3 1,664 Canada Oct. 16, 1956