US801928A - Device for holding corks in bottles. - Google Patents

Description

N. 0 92a. o 8 J. SPANG' PATENTED 0013 17,1905

DEVICE FOR HOLDING OORKS IN BOTTLES..

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1904.

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DEVICE FOR HOLDING CORKS IN BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

PatentedOct. 17, 1905.'

Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 225,876.

To a whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH P. SPANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Holding Corks in Bottles, of which the following description. in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

In the'process of bottling ale, porter, and some kinds of wine it is necessary to provide some means for preventing the cork of the bottle from being blown out by the pressure within the bottle. The expedient commonly resorted to for accomplishing this is to Wire the cork in the bottle, the wire being passed over the end of the cork once or twice and secured beneath the exterior shoulder with which the necks of all ale and champagne bottles are provided. This operation of wiring the cork in the bottle necessitates the use of special machinery for this purpose, and the operation of unwiring the cork preparatory to opening the bottle is always more or less difficult.

In making my present invention I have improved upon the existing means for securing the cork in place by providing a detachable cork-securing device which can be instantly applied to the bottle and as quickly removed without the necessity of using any special machinery for this purpose.

My improved device comprises a central body portion adapted to span the top of the bottle and legs depending from the body portion and provided at their extremities with foot portions which are adapted to engage the usual exterior shoulder on.the neck of ale,- champagne, &c., bottles.

Either the body portion or the legs are made sufficiently resilient to cause the legs to tightly hug the neck of the bottle, whereby the feet are maintained in engagement with the shoulder.

The device can be applied to a bottle by merely forcing it on the neck, the resiliency in the body portion causing the feet to spring under the shoulder when the device is fully in place, and it can be removed from the bottle by merely separating the legs slightly to disengage the feet from the shoulder.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top of an ale or champagne bottle having a device embodying one form of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is avertical 'with intu rned foot portions 7.

sectionthrough the bottle shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of adifferent form of my invention.

The form of bottle herein illustrated is the familiar ale or champagne bottle, which has the exterior rib 3 around its neck forming a shoulder 4, under which the usual wiring for the cork is secured.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig.

1 the cork-securing device comprises the central body portion 5, which extends across the top of the bottle, and the depending legs 6, which are provided at their lower extremities The body portion 5 is illustrated as substantially circular and is bent downwardly at its central portion to form the depending rib or projection 8. I propose to so temper the device during its manufacture that the resiliency thereof will be in the body portion 5 rather than in the legs 6, with the result that the said body portion bends along the line of the rib 8 to permit the legs to spread when the device is forced over the neck of the bottle. In applying my improved device after the bottle has been corked it is merely forced over the neck of the bottle, the body portion 5 bending along the line of the rib 8 to permit the legs 6 to spread as they are forced over the rib 3, the resiliency of the body portion causing the feet 7 to snap under the shoulder i when the device has been properly placed on the bottle.

The size of the body portion 5 is such that the periphery thereof overlies the end of the bottle-neck, and therefore the rib 8 rests not only on the top of the cork, but also on the end of the bottle-neck. Since the resiliency of the device is along the line of the rib 8, it will follow that any upward pressure by the cork on the rib 8 will cause the legs 6 to hug the bottle-neck more tightly, and thus cause the feet to more securely grasp the shoulder i.

The device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is made from sheet metal.

In bottling some materials it is customary to use a cap'outside of the cork for giving a finish to the bottle. Said cap is sometimes made of tin-foil and sometimes of a piece of sheet metal. By properly shaping the body portion 5, as shown'in Fig. 3, to give it a downwardly-extending flange 15 at its periphery which covers the end of the bottle said device will perform the function of the usual wire for holding the cork in place and the finishing-cap.

The feet 7 (shown in Fig. 1) have no greater width than the legs 6. In Fig. 3 said feet are extended laterally, as at 12, thereby to secure a more extended bearing on the shoulder 4 of the bottle.

Although I have shown two forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to what is shown in the drawings, as the material of which the device is made and the shape of the feet portion may be varied without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A device for holding corks in bottles which have an exterior shoulder around the neck, said device comprising a body portion to extend across the top of the bottle and shaped to present a downwardly extending rib to engage the cork, the material of the rib being made resilient, and comparatively non-resilient legs depending from the body portion, each leg having an inwardlydirected foot portion to engage the shoulder on the bottle-neck, the resiliency of the material forming the rib causing the legs to hug the neck of the bottle.

2. A device of the class described cornpris ing a body portion to extend across and cover the top of a bottle and shaped to presenta V- shaped downwardly-extending rib to engage a-cork, the material of the rib being resilient, said body portion also being formed with a flange, as 15, which surrounds the bottle-neck, and comparatively non-resilient legs depending from the body portion, each leg having an inwardly-directed foot portion to engage the shoulder on the bottle-neck.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH P. SPANG.

Witnesses;

LoUIs (3. SMITH, BERTHA F. HENSER.

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