The Codd bottle takes its name from the inventor and patentee Hiram Codd, whom in 1872 patented a bottle for use in the aerated water trade. The bottle was unique, it would never need a cork inserted to form the closure because trapped in it's neck it had a glass ball or marble which could not leave the neck chamber, or perish. This allowed the bottle to be used many times without the expenditure of a cork. The bottle was filled under gas pressure forcing the marble into the lip where it met an India rubber washer retained in a groove. The marble was forced against the washer forming a perfect air tight seal.
This invention was a great success and was adopted by nearly all companies that were manufacturing mineral waters at the time. The patent gave Hiram Codd some protection from people stealing his ideas but many marble-in-the-neck bottles appeared as glassworks realised they had to manufacture this type of bottle due to increased demand.

Above: Mr Hiram Codd, The Inventor Of The Codd Patent Bottle

The Codd bottle takes its name from the inventor and patentee Hiram Codd, whom in 1872 patented a bottle for use in the aerated water trade. The bottle was unique, it would never need a cork inserted to form the closure because trapped in it's neck it had a glass ball or marble which could not leave the neck chamber, or perish. This allowed the bottle to be used many times without the expenditure of a cork. The bottle was filled under gas pressure forcing the marble into the lip where it met an India rubber washer retained in a groove. The marble was forced against the washer forming a perfect air tight seal. This invention was a great success and was adopted by nearly all companies manufacturing mineral waters at the time. The patent gave Hiram Codd some protection from people stealing his ideas but many marble-in-the-neck bottles appeared as glassworks realised they had to manufacture this type of bottle due to increased demand.

This popularity and competition provides a rich legacy for the UK mineral water bottle collector. It has been estimated there are about 250 relevant patents registered between 1868 and 1907 but as well as variations of closures this includes lips, washer fittings, manufacturing tools, openers and filling methods. They were mainly manufactured in two sizes, capacity being 10oz and 6oz (splits) but you can find Dumpy Codd's, Jumbo Codd's, even giant Codd's whose capacities are all different.

Dan Rylands, a Barnsley glass bottle maker introduced the "anti-theft" codd. This was an aqua bottle whose top or lip was made of a coloured glass to identify one particular company. Thanks to Rylands, bottle collectors can find them with blue, amber, brown, green and even red lips ! Other manufacturers produced Codd's with coloured marbles, and yet others provided Codd's whose glass was a colour other than aqua.

In February 1887 Hiram Codd died but he left a lasting legacy in the form of his invention, The Codd along with the saying "codswallop" a term used for the opening of his bottle by walloping the marble to get the drink inside.

Patent Information In Hiram's Own Words...

Bottles for ærated liquids are now sometimes constructed with an internal stopper of a globular or other form which by the pressure of the gas is held up to a seat of vulcanized India-rubber in the mouth of the bottle. Now my Invention consists in so constructing such bottles that when they are opened by forcing back the stopper the stopper may not fall down into and impede the water way or channel by which the liquid is poured from the bottle but may be sustained above it in the upper part of the neck and there retained. The liquid as it is poured out of the bottle then flows freely beneath the stopper and without coming in contact with it so that the escape of the liquid is unimpeded. For this purpose I form projecting ridges along the inside of the neck of the bottle one either side. The stopper is too large to fall between these ridges and they catch it when it is displaced so preventing it falling down into the water way which is beneath the ridges. The projections are so inclined that when the stopper has been rolled or slidden back along them in opening the bottle the bottle may be nearly inverted without causing the stopper to fall back to its seat. SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the said Hiram Codd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March 1873.

In Hiram Codd's own words here is is patent application - This Invention has for its object improvements in bottles to contain ærated liquids. Bottles for ærated liquids are now sometimes constructed with an internal stopper of a globular or other form which by the pressure of the gas is held up to a seat at the mouth of the bottle. According to my Invention I form projecting ridges along the inside of the neck of the bottle one on either side - the stopper is too large to fall between these ridges and they catch it when it is displaced and guide it in its fall - the projections are so inclined that when in opening the bottle the stopper has been rolled or slidden back along them and has arrived at their lower end they form obstructions to impede the return of the stopper and the bottle may be inverted or nearly so without causing the stopper to fall back to its seat. By this means such bottles may if desired be so constructed that when opened by forcing back the stopper.

The stopper shall not impede the water way or channel by which the liquid is poured from the bottle but may be sustained above it in the upper part of the neck and there retained whilst the liquid as it is poured from the bottle flows freely beneath it. In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I have in the Drawings hereunto annexed shown various examples of bottles formed according to my Invention - Figures l of the Drawings show various views of a bottle furnished with an internal ball stopper ‘a’ which is to be held up by the pressure of air or gas within the bottle against an elastic ring ‘b’ placed in a groove formed around the interior of the head. The lower part of the neck of the bottle is also contracted at ‘c’ as described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me so as to prevent the ball stopper from falling into the bottle when it is pressed back from the elastic seat ‘d,d’ are the inclined projecting ridges formed along the inside of the neck of the bottle one on either side ; the moulds in which the bottles are blown have suitable projections formed in them to produce these internal projections in the neck at the time when a bottle is blown in the mould.

  Above: Codd's Original Patent Design

Above: A Poster Advertising Codd's Patent Globe Stoppered Bottle

This article is used with the kind permission of Mark Potten, To find out everything you need to know about Hiram Codd, his bottles and marble bottles & variations we highly recommend you buy a copy of Mark Potten's CD.

For More Information Please Contact Mark @ mark@mpotten.freeserve.co.uk Or Visit Marks Own Website & Codd Forum HERE!

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