Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, and like Vessels

6581. Kirkegaard, G., and Jebsen, F. March 18. Stoppers for bottles, jars, &c. are formed of metal caps containing cork discs, which are placed over the mouths of the bottles &c. The stopper is adapted to ensure a tight closure of bottles &c. having necks which vary slightly in size, and to prevent breaking of the bottles while the stoppers are applied. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bottle neck provided with a stopper in the closed position; Fig..3 is a section of the same. The bottle neck is formed with a sloping shoulder 2, against which presses a bead or flange of the metal cap 3, preferably of tin, with slit edges 4 to permit the edge to turn inwards without crimping. The cap is surrounded by a ring 6 formed in two halves, the hooked ends 7 of which are engaged by a lever device, by means of which the ring can be contracted to draw the cap tightly over the mouth of the bottle, and so ensure the cap, which is provided with a disc or ring of cork 5, making a tight joint. The hooks 7 engage with holes 9 in the two arms of a bow-shaped lever 8, and with an eccentric slot 10 in the lever, as shown, so that, when the lever is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, the hooked ends of the ring are brought together, and the edges of the cap are clamped against the outside of the bottle, the ring 6 travelling down the inclined shoulder 2 of the bottle neck. The lever 8 may be locked in the closed position of the stopper by loops 11, Fig. 5, formed on the ends of the lever, which loops snap over the ring 6 when the lever reaches the closed position shown in Fig. 1. The lever 8 is provided with a thumbpiece 16. As applied to a jar, a packing-ring is preferably used in place of a disc. Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the tightening-ring 6 is formed in one piece, so that there are only two hooks 7. The tightening-lever consists of a flat piece 12 having a handle 13. The ring is loose when the handle is in the horizontal position, and tight when the handle is vertical. The slot 10 is provided with an extension 14, which will yield in case the diameter of the bottle should be a little too large to correspond with the eccentricity of the lever ; this prevents breaking the bottle. Or, the ring itself may be kinked for this purpose. The stopper may be used more than once.