Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- NAUTICAL
- WAR AND HUNTING
- ARCHITECTURE
- TOOLS
- OPTICS
- USEFUL ARTS
- CHAPTER I PRIMITIVE MAN AND HIS NEEDS.—EARTHENWARE.—BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT.—TOGGLE OR KNEE JOINT
- CHAPTER II CRUSHING INSTRUMENTS.—THE NUT-CRACKERS, ROLLING-MILL, AND GRINDSTONE.—PRESSURE OF ATMOSPHERE.—SEED DIBBLES AND DRILLS
- CHAPTER III CLOTH-DRESSING.—BRUSHES AND COMBS.—BUTTONS, HOOKS AND EYES, AND CLASP
- CHAPTER IV THE STOPPER, OR CORK.—THE FILTER
- CHAPTER V THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SPRING.—THE ELASTIC SPRING.—ACCUMULATORS.—THE SPIRAL SPRING
- CHAPTER VI SPIRAL AND RINGED TISSUES.—VARIOUS SPRINGS IN NATURE AND ART
- CHAPTER VII FOOD AND COMFORT
- CHAPTER VIII DOMESTIC COMFORT
- CHAPTER IX ARTIFICIAL WARMTH.—RING AND STAPLE.—THE FAN
- CHAPTER X WATER, AND MEANS OF PROCURING IT
- CHAPTER XI AËROSTATICS.—WEIGHT OF AIR.—EXPANSION BY HEAT
- CHAPTER XII
- CHAPTER XIII TELESCOPIC TUBES.—DIRECT ACTION.—DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT.—TREE-CLIMBING.—THE WHEEL
- CHAPTER XIV
- CHAPTER XV
- CHAPTER XVI TILLAGE.—DRAINAGE.—SPIRAL PRINCIPLE.—CENTRI-FUGAL FORCE
- CHAPTER XVII OSCILLATION.—UNITED STRENGTH.—THE DOME
- ACOUSTICS
- INDEX
CHAPTER IV - THE STOPPER, OR CORK.—THE FILTER
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- NAUTICAL
- WAR AND HUNTING
- ARCHITECTURE
- TOOLS
- OPTICS
- USEFUL ARTS
- CHAPTER I PRIMITIVE MAN AND HIS NEEDS.—EARTHENWARE.—BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT.—TOGGLE OR KNEE JOINT
- CHAPTER II CRUSHING INSTRUMENTS.—THE NUT-CRACKERS, ROLLING-MILL, AND GRINDSTONE.—PRESSURE OF ATMOSPHERE.—SEED DIBBLES AND DRILLS
- CHAPTER III CLOTH-DRESSING.—BRUSHES AND COMBS.—BUTTONS, HOOKS AND EYES, AND CLASP
- CHAPTER IV THE STOPPER, OR CORK.—THE FILTER
- CHAPTER V THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SPRING.—THE ELASTIC SPRING.—ACCUMULATORS.—THE SPIRAL SPRING
- CHAPTER VI SPIRAL AND RINGED TISSUES.—VARIOUS SPRINGS IN NATURE AND ART
- CHAPTER VII FOOD AND COMFORT
- CHAPTER VIII DOMESTIC COMFORT
- CHAPTER IX ARTIFICIAL WARMTH.—RING AND STAPLE.—THE FAN
- CHAPTER X WATER, AND MEANS OF PROCURING IT
- CHAPTER XI AËROSTATICS.—WEIGHT OF AIR.—EXPANSION BY HEAT
- CHAPTER XII
- CHAPTER XIII TELESCOPIC TUBES.—DIRECT ACTION.—DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT.—TREE-CLIMBING.—THE WHEEL
- CHAPTER XIV
- CHAPTER XV
- CHAPTER XVI TILLAGE.—DRAINAGE.—SPIRAL PRINCIPLE.—CENTRI-FUGAL FORCE
- CHAPTER XVII OSCILLATION.—UNITED STRENGTH.—THE DOME
- ACOUSTICS
- INDEX
Summary
THE STOPPER, OR CORK
THIS object, as depicted in the illustration, is a product of civilised life, though, as soon as a savage could make a vessel, he seems to have made a Cover for it if it were of large diameter, or a Stopper if the opening were small. Even the very Bosjesman, who is quite unable to make a clay vessel, and uses empty ostrich eggs by way of water-bottles, is yet capable of making plugs with which he can stop up the apertures. Then the Kafir, with his gourd vessels, whether they be for water or snuff, makes a plug that fits tightly enough to exclude the air, as well as to retain the contents.
The invention of glass bottles necessarily brought with it the introduction of a new kind of plug, and a material for such a plug was found in the bark of the cork-tree, a species of oak. This bark possesses the capability of compression to a very great extent, and, being highly elastic, it expands as soon as the pressure is removed.
Thus, in bottling wine, the corks are always made much too large to go into the mouths of the bottles. They are first dipped in a cup containing the same wine, and are then compressed violently by a machine worked by a handle, and which, being practically a powerful pair of nut-crackers with a rounded gripe, must suit the shape of the cork.
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- Nature's TeachingsHuman Invention Anticipated by Nature, pp. 350 - 359Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1877