US381136A - Cork-retainer - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE. i

JoHN c; Hmson, ,on MrLwAUxEE, wisconsin.

CORK-RETAINER.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,136, dated April 17, 18H3.

Application mea Dr'cpmher 12, 18er. Yserial No. 257.048. (M. dem

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I,-JOHN G. HIRSOH, a citizenof the United States, residing at Milwau-V kee, in thecounty of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a'new and useful Improvement in Cork-Retaincrs, of which the following is a specification.

" My invention relates to an improved device for temporary use in holding the Stoppers or corksfin the necks of bottles against pressure exerted from within thelatter by'gas and ten'd ing to disodge the Stoppers l Y The object of my invention is to `provide a i device particularly -for use in-retaining the corks inbottles while the contents thereof (beer or other liquids) arel undergoing the Pasteurizing, aging, or steaming process.

I design my device especially for use during the practice of the process of steaming or heaty ing beer in' bottles, which process is resorted to for the effect it has of enhancing the prepressure within the bottles so great ythat itk servative qualities ofthe liquid. l'lhe degree of heat required for the purpose produces a would force out lthe corks unless means were provided to counteract it. The means hitherto most commonly employed forthe purpose has a been strong wire bent about the necks of thebottles and corks, and fastened to retain the corks in place. This means presents objections to its employment, however, as it is difficult of application and permits/portions` of the corks to be protruded beyond the necks of the bottles by the force of pressure exerted against them from withinthe bottles as a result of the steaming operation, thus requiring longer and more expensive corksto be used than if their partial dislodgment were prevented.

My improvement eectually overcomes these disadvantages, since it obviates the necessity of wiring the bottles, is readilyv applied, and permits the equally effective use of a comparaa tively short cork,-because it prevents protrusion of any portion thereof beyond the neck of the bottle and obviates any necessity of allowa ance for such protrusion. f

In the drawings, Figure 1 showsin perspective a bottle-neck provided with my improvement. Fig. presents a perspective view of a modified form of the device; and Fig. 3, asimilar view thereof, showin g another modilicationr A` is the corkfretainer, which I-makeofspringywire. It comprises wire which may be'square in cross section, as shown in Fig.2,

or round, as shown in other figures, bent hori-y y zontally upon itself or convolved to produce Y the flat'top r, as shown in all the figures ofthe drawings, and the ends are bent'to produce ther curved parallel, orsubstantiallyparallekbails o and" substantially horizontal andparallel 6ol ,misforced between the arms q to'cause them 65 to embrace the neck below the shoulder, and the top r to cause the latter to slide over the cork and mouth of the bottle-neck. rlhe ends ofthe f arms g may be bent outward, as shown'at w, f to afford guides and adaptthe arms the more 7o readily to slide into positionupon ,the bottle- 1 neck, and the top portion, may be bent up,- f

ward' slightly at its forward edge, as shout-n at w', to permit it to be readily guided' to its seat upon the cork and top of the bottle-neck, though thel device maybe adjusted quite readily without employing 4these lguidingfeatu'res i of the construction, and Iof limit myself to them.V f

course, do not The curvedy bail portions oof the dcviceaf-l v8o y.

ford convenient means by which to force the y cork-retainer into position upon the bottle and Y to pull it oli again. They also ordinarily serve as stops, 'since whenthe portions ofthe curva- `tures strikeagainst the head lportionmtowardY 8 5 opposite sides thereof aboveV the shoulder n,v

as they do ywhen the device is pushed into a,

place, they-prevent the top r from *beingy forced forward farther than to'cause it to cover the top of the bottle-neck., Should the form of 9p bottle upon which theretaineris used, however, require the bails to be lengthened out or render them too long as totheircurve, y, `whereby their stop function would be lost,

a suitablestop may be formed by bending downward the rear edge of thetop portion,v 1', asshown at afin Figpg Y V v As will` be seen, the device exerts a clamping i ,A

effect 'between the topportion, r, and arms q on both sides of `thecork-retainer, which op roo i crates to holdthejc'ork down firmly in` the Y neck, and a similare'ect betweenthe arms g whereby the device is clamped tightly upon the bottle-neck, and in both instances the springy nature of the construction renders it yielding to an extent that permits it to be sprung into place. The retainer firmly holds the cork down, and maintains its position against even great pressure exerted against it through the cork from within the bottle during the process of steaming or heating, and its removal after the treatment by steaming or heating is readily accomplished. The top portion, r, may be made with any number of convolutions in the wire sufficient to produce a top portion, which will completely or substantially cover the cork.

It is quite important that the top portion, r, be flat, so that one layer of bottles provided with the corkretainers may be placed and will stand steadily on another layer in the steaming-vat. This flat form of the top is produced by pressing theconvolutions in the wire closely together, whereby alsono interstices are left through which parts of the cork could be forced by the pressure against it from within the bottle. If it is desired that the surface of the top portion shall be even, instead of corrugated, as produced by round wire, square wire may be employed, with the result shown in Fig. 2. NVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cork-retaining device comprising a strip of springy metal bent horizontally upon itself between its extremities to produce a at top portion, r, forming a practically continu-v ous plate to press upon and completely or substantially cover the top of the cork, and bent toward its extremities to produce vertically and outwardly lrounded bails o, and spring clamping-arms q, substantially as described.

2. A cork-retaining device comprising a strip of springy metal bent horizontally upon itself between its extremities to produce a flat top portion, r, having the convolutions laterally contiguous to form a practically continuous plate to press upon and completely or substantially cover the top of the cork, and bent toward its extremities to produce vertically and outwardly rounded bails 0, and spring clamping-arms q, substantially as described.

3. A cork-retaining device 'comprising a strip of springy metal bent horizontally upon itself between its extremities to produce a dat top portion, r, bent downward toward its rear edge to produce a stop, x2, and forming a practically-continuous plate to press upon and completely or substantially cover the top of the cork, and bent toward its extremities to produce vertically and outwardly rounded bails o, and spring clamping-arms q, substantially as described.

- JOHN G. HIRSCH.

In presence of JOHN A. MAND, GEO. HrRsoH.

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