Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 4.djvu/657

 MA.TTHEWS V. BHONEBBB,OI!B. 643 �out. In bottling still liquida, such as cider, porter, etc., which make more or less gas after being closed up, I take the bottle provided with its stopper, as before mentioned, and pour in the liquor in the usual manner; then, quickly invert- ing the bottle, cause the valve, e, to drop into its seat par- tially, and, taking hold of the protruding end or knob, b, I pull the valve, c, tight into its seat, when the mouth of the bottle will be effectually closed, and the compression of the valve, c, of elastio material, in the tapering portion of the neck, will insure the retention of the stopper ; then the bot- tle is tumed up again. The mode of unclosing is the same in ail cases. ♦ * * �"Wishing to be understood as not limiting my claims of invention to any particular materials or precise forma of the parts so long as they embody the characteristic features of form, and the mode of operation involved in my invention, what I claim as new and desire to seoure by letters patent is — Firstly, the employment in combination with a bottle, having the interior of its neck suitably formed to receive it, of a stopper constructed to operate in closing and unclosing the bottle, substantially as described; secondly, I claim so constructing the valve, c, and the mouth of the bottle, that the former may be readily forced through the latter in one di- rection, and incapable of easy passage through it in the opposite direction, as herein before described, for the purpose set forth ; thirdly, I claim making the entire stopper of such a length that it cannot tum over in the body of the bottle, as and for the purpose set forth." �It is important to see what is the proper construction of the first claim of this patent. The specification describes the stopper as having a valve on it which is to be elastio or yield- ing. It is indispensable that this valve shall be compressible, The stopper with the valve on it is described as a distinct thing from the bearing surface or seat on the interior of the neck of the bottle with which the valve cornes in contact to close the bottle. �Bythe termsof the first claim the stopper istobe "constructed to operate in closing and unclosing the bottle substantially as ����