US868784A

US868784A - Bottle-stopper.

Info

Publication number: US868784A
Application number: US30475606A
Authority: US
Inventors: George Hookham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-03-07
Filing date: 1906-03-07
Publication date: 1907-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1924-10-22

Description

G. HOOKHAM.

BOTTLE STOPPEHl APPLIOATION FILED MAB.

4 PATBNTBD'OGT. 22, 1907.

have 71,2501 Geozlg'; e Hook/La. 7a,

UNITED STATES GEORGE HOOKHAM, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907'.

Appncanfm sied March 7,1906. serai No. 304,756.

To all i/.rhom 'it nuo] roncarn:

De it known that l, Geenen HookHAM, a subject oi the .liing of lreat britain and Ireland, residing at 7 and S N ew .lartholomew street, Birmingham, in the county oi llf'arwiek, England, manulacturer,4 have invented `new and useful improvements in Bottle-Stoppers, of

which the following is a specilication.

The invention rol-.ites to bottle stop pers an d has for its object to `el'tect improvements in that kind oi bottle stopper which is described in my Patent No. 787669 patented April It, 1905, these improvements being specially directed towards the attainment of great coinpressibility and choapness ol' construction ot the bottle stopper.

lhe invention consists in orining a bottle stopper with a body part otv wood which has been treated Inechanically so as lo break up the hard cellular' structure ol' the wood and thereby render it very coniprcssible. This body part may be used by itselt' and treated with paratlin wax, pitch or the like, or in addition it may be provided with a contr-al hole, or grooves or with both and covered or partially covered with capsules or a capsule.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the application ol this invention in various ways, Figure l. shows the invention in its simplest iorm. Fig. 2 shows a mod inc-ation having a central hole. Fig. 3 shows an additional mmlitication in which a plug has been inserted in the central hole. Figs. 4 and 5 are end 4views showing two arrangements oi groovcswhich may be employed lor the purpose ot giving greater compressibilty. Fig. is an outside lview ol' a bottle stopper according to the present invention, completely covered by a capsule. Fig. 7 shows another `form oi grooving, and Fig. S shows a stopper with a capsule and internal grooves.

ln carrying the invention into ellect according to one term, a solid wooden cylinder or prism is compressed in any suitable manner so as to break up the hard cellular structure which binds the bers oi the wood. This is prelerably eti'ectid by squeezing the wood through a suitable die which in the case ol' American white wood has about one halt` the sectional area ol the uncompressed cylinder or prism. When this is done suitable lengths may be cut from the wood so compressed so as to give a convenient length ol stopper, u, as shown in Fig. l. When this cork is soaked in water it assumes its original sin-e and shape after which it is dried. By thisinie-.tns some woods, as for instance, American white wood, are rendered so co1n} nessible that stoppers so treated may tor some purposes be used without further treatment exceptiinpregnating the upper portion with any suitable waterprooling material such as para! lin wax or pitch. l

In order to give additional eonipressibility, however,

such as metal, Celluloid or vulcanite.

modification will be clearly seen iroin the sectional it is generally preferred to drill a hole, b, (Fig. 2) up the center oi the body, a, for about three ourths `of Vits length i'roni the inner end, that is, the end which comes in contact with the liquidin the bottle.

For still greater coinpressibility grooves, `c, may be formed by means of a drift, these grooves extending from the inner surl'ace oi the cylinder tormed by the cork body, a, and thedrilled hole, b, as shown in Fig. 4 or groov es,l c, may be arranged outside the cork body as sh own in Fig. 5. ln other cases the exterior surfaces are grooved circumterentially as shown in Fig. 7, the circumferential grooves, c, being preferably iine and closely set. The surface Vmay be provided with one continuous groove or with separate grooves arranged in rings.

In cases wherethe inclosed liuid is of an effervescent nature, a diskof wood or `thin metal, e, is employed which prevents the fluid escaping round the cork screw when such is inserted; it is also useful ior making the stopper more diHicult to eject. Further, when the plug, c, is made ot' `wood compressed or otherwise treated in accordance with this invention, on becoming soaked it exerts a radial pressure on the sides oi the cork and this assists in making a fluid tight joint, and when made of metal it `preverus the hollow cylindrical .part

of the cork from boing squeezed too much radially inwards. `External grooves may be used as shown in Fig. 5 either with or without the plug, e.

A capsule, d, may be inserted on the end oi the stopper in additionto the pitch or other water-proofing inaterial or a covering oi paper or the like may be provided to assist the water-proofing agent. The capsule, d, may be arranged on the inner end or the outer end or on both and may be formed oi any suitable material The term oi this view, Fig. 3, which represents a stopper provided with a closing plug, e. The closing plug, however, may be dispensed with when the liquid contained in the bottle is not oi an eitervescent nature. Further, the form shown in Fig. Bmay be inverted, in which case it is preferred to place a capsule over the end of the hole, and the plug, e, is then dispensed with.

It will be understood that according to my invention in all cases the wood is treated with para Hin wax or the like 7c or provided with a capsule at least on its outer end. Capsules, when used, are made of a material which is not affected chemically by the inclosed iiuid.

In Fig. S there is shown a method oi preventing the end of the top capsule when such is used from being burred when the cork is being inserted. This consists in making an oblique incision, h, in the outer surface all round the cork and embedding the end of the cap sule in the recess thus formed. ln this way when the' cork is being inserted theA end of the capsule is protected from direct contact with the side of the bottle and indeed the overlapping wood at h presses against the eapsul e and helps to hold it in place.

When an inner capsule is used means may be provided for allowing the escape of air from the bottleV while the stopper is being inserted. This means conveniently consists of one or more grooves, f, (Fig. 6) formed in the side of the cork and extending longitudinally up the side of the cork for say two thirds ol the length and conveniently to the point where the upper' and lower capsules meet. The material of which the capsule is made may in addition be cleared away at this point as shown so as to leave the wooden body of the cork exposed. When the cork is being inserted the air escapes through the groove, f, and when the cork is in position the contained liquid passes up the groove and at the head comes in contact with the wooden body. The wood thus becomes soaked and expands, causing the cork to fill into the neck of the bottle and make a fluid tight joint therewith il it did not do so originally.

The capsules on the lower part of the cork may be carried all the way down as shown in Fig. 6 and sealed over the bottom face of the cork or they may extend do'wnwards only part of the way or they may extend to the bottom of the cork but not be scaled over the bottom face. In all cases the lower capsules are cemented in any suitable manner to the cork body.

In order to prevent the capsule adhering to the bottle -neck a roughened, milled or corrugated surface on the lower capsule is preferably provided as shown in Fig. 6. Any suitable lubricant is applied to the outer surface of the lower capsule. This lubricantenters into all the little spaces formed by the milled surface and thus prevents the stopper or the capsule adhering to the bottle neck.

In all cases it is preferred to provide a small hole, g, as shown. This is for facilitating the insertion of a cork screw.

By compressing Wood for stoppers in the manner herein described the hard cellular structure is broken laterally without seriously damaging the longitudinal tissue which is the principal drawback to chemical assisi treatment of wood hitherto employed for rendering it compressible. According to this invention the hard cellular' structure is broken laterally so that on soaking the body part the liquid with which the wood is soaked may, by permeating through the body, cause the fibers to be forced apart, so that, on drying, the libers remain apart but are no longer so firmly bound by the normal cellular structure.

Having now described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

l. A bottle stopper liavinga body part ol' crushed wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, and water-proofingl means on one side of said body, substantially as described.

2. A bottle stopper havingl a body part ol crushed wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, and water proolingl means on the outside ot said body, substantially as described.

3. A bottle stopper having a body part of crushed wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, and a capsule on one end of said body, substantially as described.

4. A bottle stopper having a body part of crushed wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, and a capsule on the outer end of said body, substan tially as described.

A bottle stopper having a hollow part made ot wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down. and water-prooiing moans on said body part.

G. A bottle stopper having a hollow body part made of wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, a capsule on the outer part, and a capsule on the inner part, substantially as described.

T. A bottle stopper having' in combination, a hollow body part made of crushed wood, a plug closing the inner end oi' said hollow body part, and a capsule over the outer end, substantially as described.

S. A bottle stopper having in combination, a hollow body part inade ot' crushed wood, a plug closingthe, inner end of said hollow body part, and capsules over both ends.

E). A bottle stopper' havinga body part of crushed wood in which the lateral cellular structure has been broken down, and inner and outer capsules on said bfdy, said inner capsule being milled and grooved on its surface, substantially as and for the purposes describedA In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence oi' two witnesses,

GEORGE IIOOKITAM.

Witnesses WILLIAM Mouais, WAI/run J. Gunnms.