Stopper-fastener.

(Application filed Dec. 11, 1899.) (No Model.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LIThO.. WASHINGTON. D C.

United States Patent Office.

ALFRED GARNER, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

STOPPER-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,533, dated July 24, 1900.

Application filed Decembet 11,1899. Serial No. 739,958. (No model.)

Io all whom it may. 'concern: .

Be it known that I, Alfred Gaener, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, 5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stopper-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full; clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which io it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in stopper-fasteners for bottles, jars, and the like; and it has for its object to provide a cheap and simple device which will so cover 15 and retain an ordinary cork stopper in the neck of a bottle that the said stopper may not be removed without such injury to the neck of the bottle as will indicate that the same has been tampered with.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

. Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a por25 tion of the neck of a bottle and my improved stopper-retainer and its exterior cap. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through a bot30 tie-neck fitted with a stopper and provided with my improved stopper-retainer.

A represents the neck of the bottle or jar, which is provided with the usual annular enlargement A° upon the exterior of its 35 mouth.

;A' represents, the stopper, of an ordinary kind, located within the mouth of the neck.

B.represents the stopper-retainer, this beingin the form of an inverted cylindrical cap 40 of a normal diameter to fit snugly over the annular enlargement A° upon the neck of the bottle or jar. This cap is provided with a series of inwardly-inclined lugs B', which are formed by .making two substantially-longi45 tudinal incisions b' b' and a connecting circumferentialincision b in the cylindrical wall of the cap B, the portion of the said wall of [ the cap bounded by said incisions being bent inwardly at its free end, so as to extend at an 50 inclination into the interior of the cap, as shown in the drawings. The open or bottom edge of the cylindrical wall of the cap is preferably. provided .at intervals, with incisions b², which allow this edge of the cap, which is first fitted over the neck of the bottle, to be 55 flared somewhat, and consequently to allow the cap to be more regdily forced over the neck of the bottle. There may be any desired number of the locking-lugs B' formed in the wall of the cap B, as hereinbefdre de- 60 scribed, sufficient to form a complete and efficient lock for the cap when placed in position;

The distance between the circumferential incision b and the upper or closed end B° of 65 the cap should preferably be just sufficient to allow the lugs B to spring inwardly beneath the annular enlargement A^ft upon the bottle-neck when the top or closed end B° of the cap comes in contact with the stopped as 70 shown in Fig. 3.

The cap B should be made of a stiff sheet metal having sufficient resilience to cause the lugs to spring inwardly and engage beneath the enlargement A° on the neck of the bottle 75 after having been forced downwardly in the operation of pushing the cap down in position.

The operation of placing the cap in locking position upon the neck of the bottle-will be readily understood from an inspection of the 80 drawings and need not be specifically pointed out.

C represents a protecting-cap, which may or may not be used, as preferred. This protecting-cap. Cis preferably of a tapered form 85 and is provided at its larger or lower and open end with an interior annular flange c. This protecting-cap C may be used merely to give a better appearance to the bottle and to receive a label or other distinguishing-mark, 90 but is not necessary to the complete and satisfactory action of the locking-cap B.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a cheap, simple, aud efficient Stopper-fastener, the advantages of which will 95 be apparent to any practical mind.