HutchBook.comHutchinson Stopper Extractors
Although W. H. Hutchinson & Son’s 1889
Bottlers Supplies
catalog advertised “The bottles can be easily and quickly washed without
removing the Stoppers,” it also mentioned “We have invented a tool for
removing the Stoppers from bottles, so that if you put them into your
bottles and afterward desire to take them out, you can do so with little
trouble…Price $1.50.” The
illustrated extraction tool that the 1889 catalog referred to appears to
be an improved version of No. 238,958, a “Tool for Removing Rubber Disks
from Internal Bottle Stoppers,” patented March 15, 1881 by Richard Otten
of
Here are the application
illustrations and a portion of the accompanying specifications from the
August 12, 1880 patent:
A
large class of
bottle-stoppers contain a rubber disk or valve confined between metallic
disks on or near the lower end of a stem, the lower of the metallic
disks being the larger, so that the stopper may be easily arranged in
the neck of the bottle, but prevented from being withdrawn except by
being wholly pushed into the bottle and turned over or reversed in
position. These rubber
disks or valves frequently become worn or injured, while the remaining
part of the stopper continues perfect, and hence it is often desirable
to remove the old rubber disk or valve and apply a new one…The object of
my invention is to furnish a simple and convenient tool whereby the
rubber disk or valve may be removed with facility from the class of
stoppers referred to while the stopper is in its proper position in the
neck of the bottle…
I insert it into the neck of the bottle and arrange
the end of the hook against the under side of the disk or valve
C, and then push the slide
H down firmly against the
upper side of the said disk, as indicated in Fig. 1.
The slide H may be
very easily manipulated and controlled by placing the thumb on the part
I while the tool is thus
applied to the disk or valve C
the latter, as will be perceived, will be very firm grasped or seized
near its edge, and a quick or sudden jerk or twitch will draw the disk
or valve from between the metallic disks on the stem.
The valve may then be entirely withdrawn with ease, after which
the remaining part of the stopper may be drawn up out of the neck of the
bottle with facility.
The W. H. Hutchinson and Son 1908 Bottler’s Book included the same illustration accompanying “Hutchinson Stopper Extractor No. 1…Price each $1.25.” Another option from the same catalog was the:
Bulis Patent
Automatic Stopper Extractor
For removing old stoppers from bottles.
The Extractors have round wooden handles, but not shown in cuts.
Illustrating how to detach the old rubber so as to extract the
stopper without bending the wire.
Price each $1.25.
For those instances where
bottlers wanted to remove and not salvage an old Hutchinson Patent
Spring Stopper, the 1910
W. H. Hutchinson and Son Bottlers’ Supplies
catalog offered:
