Dixon’s Patent Marble Bottle c1888-1905
Widely known as Dixon’s patent this invention was actually registered as Scott’s patent (the managing director of P. G. Dixon & Co at the time was Alexander Scott) by the Victorian patent office in 1888. Scott’s patent only seems to have been produced in the larger (approximately 10oz) size and it would also appear that the company never allowed other manufacturers to license the idea as the only examples currently known are branded P. G. Dixon & Co. There are a number of embossing variations within these however as clearly a number of different moulds were used over the years of production. Usage seems to have stretched between the patent year of 1888 up to the early 1900s, by 1905 existing bottles suggest that the company had completely changed over to using Niagara and Dobson style marble stoppered bottles.
Scott’s patent application:
To all to whom these presents shall come I, Alexander Scott of No 77 Collins Street West, in the City of Melbourne, and colony of Victoria, Aerated Water Manufacturer send greeting, Whereas I am desirous of obtaining Royal Letters Patent for securing unto me Her Majesty’s Special License that I, my executors, administrators and assigns and such others as I or they should at any time agree with and no others should and lawfully might from time to time and at all times during the term of fourteen years to be computed from the day on which this instrument shall be left at the Office of the Registrar General make use, exercise and vend within the Colony of Victoria and its dependencies an invention for “Improvements in the construction of Aerated Water Bottles” and in order to obtain the said Letters Patent I must by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, and must also enter into the covenant hereinafter contained: Now know ye that the nature of the said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed is particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
This invention relates to that class of aerated water bottles in which a spherical or ball stopper is prevented from falling to the bottom of the bottle by inward projections on its sides just below the bottle neck. These projections have hitherto been made in such a manner as to have a circular or an oblong space for the passage of the aerated water, and my invention consists in so compressing the sides of the bottle as to produce a space in the form of a cross, the opposite passages of which cross-shaped space may either be in a direct or in an indirect line with one another, The advantage gained by such cross-shaped passage beyond the circular or oblong passages is that it gives greater freedom and area for the discharge of the liquid from within the bottle.
The drawings hereto attached illustrate my said invention: –
Figure 1, shows an outside side elevation of the bottle; and
Figure 2, a central vertical section of the upper part exhibiting my improvements and an elevation of the lower part of my bottle.
Figure 3, is a section at the line a-a, Figure 1, showing my cross passage with the opposite spaces in a direct line with one another, while
Figure 4 is a similar section to Figure 3 showing my cross passage when its opposite spaces are in an indirect line with each other.
A is the bottle; B, the ball or stopper; and C its india-rubber seating in the mouth of the bottle; D is my cross-shaped passage; EE are the external recesses by which the internal projections to form my cross-shaped passage are produced.
It will be noticed that when the cross shaped passage is constructed as shown in Figure 4 with the opposite spaces not in a direct line with each other, the ball stopper does not cover the whole area at the intersection of the spaces, and consequently a greater area is obtained for the inflow and discharge of the liquids into and from the bottle.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing same, I would have it understood that I specifically disclaim the construction of aerated water bottles with internal projections of any other kind than those shown in my drawings. What I believe to be new and therefore claim is: –
Aerated Water Bottles having their sides so compressed as to form an internal cross shaped or approximately cross shaped passage a little below their neck, as herein described and explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
And I do hereby for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators covenant with Her Majesty her heirs and successors that I Claim the said inventions to be a new invention as to the public use and exercise thereof and that I do not know or believe that any other person than myself is the true and first inventor of the said invention and that I will not deposit these Presents to the Office of the Registrar General with any such knowledge of belief as last aforesaid. In witness whereof I the said Alexander Scott have hereto set my hand and seal this twenty seventh day of January One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight.
