24 



one in Fig. 8, the Simplex, from an ad- 

 vertisement of The Dairy Supply Co 

 (London). The arrangement for closing* 

 the bottles automatically while in the 

 apparatus is not quite clear, but I con- 

 sider it immaterial, because the system 

 first suggested by Dr. Soxhlet (Germany) 

 introduced in 1891 is the simplest sys- 

 tem of closing sterilized milk bottles. 

 The mouth of the bottle is slightly fun- 

 nel shaped and ground smooth. On this 

 is laid a round sheet of rubber, 4 mil- 

 limeters thick. (See Fig. 9). This rub- 

 ber is held in place by a metal cap open 

 in both ends. (See Fig. 10). When 

 the milk heats the air and steam is free 

 to escape and yet does not throw off the 

 rubber, as it is held by the cap. As soon 

 as the cooling commences the vacuum formed in the bottles 

 holds the rubber tightly to the mouth of the bottle, closing 

 it automatically. The great beauty of this system of sealing 

 is that as soon as any fermentation starts the gases w T ill 





Fig. 8. 



Fig. 9. Fig. 10. 



destroy the vacuum and release the stopper, giving notice that 

 something is wrong. 



Dozens of modifications of this idea have been introduced 

 since then. 



