✅ SOLVED jug stopper ???

[oakhunter27]

these are made of clay found them on a river bottom would like to know what they are andage if anyone knows thanks oakhunter

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I recognize these as being posted here before. They were never positively IDed but I think they were for a ceramic carboy that held caustic chemicals. I dont know why they would be dumped in a river.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,182495.msg1367883/topicseen.html#msg1367883

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Heres another. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,85478.msg606164.html#msg606164

 

[trikikiwi]

Welcome to TreasureNet, oakhunter27
and another marvellous round-up of T'Net's archival threads by BigCy
I notice these 'new' ones are not as solid as the others found previously.
But with such similar 'top' ends, I guess they probably have the same use.

In my limited knowledge, I don't think they are stoppers for caustic-bearing carboys.

oakhunter mate, Can you tell us the history of the area of the river where you found this? Any particular industry of any sort been around in recent or longer times?
Moonshine included!
Cheers, Mike

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Similar clay stopper like items found by 3 different TN members with the same lines on the top. This one should be solvable. Could they be for some type of wire closure?

Could it be a wire insulator for telegraph or electric fence?

 

[oakhunter27]

Welcome to TreasureNet, oakhunter27
and another marvellous round-up of T'Net's archival threads by BigCy
I notice these 'new' ones are not as solid as the others found previously.
But with such similar 'top' ends, I guess they probably have the same use.

In my limited knowledge, I don't think they are stoppers for caustic-bearing carboys.

oakhunter mate, Can you tell us the history of the area of the river where you found this? Any particular industry of any sort been around in recent or longer times?
Moonshine included!
Cheers, Mike trikikiwi thanks there has been indians here forever there was a saw mill about 500 yards on the hill above it and a farm that dates 1860 till now and there was the war of 1812 camp site there about 4000 to 6000 troops camped therr

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont see a green check. Heres are some burned clay carboy stoppers from my TOC glass catalog.
It doesnt show the top but the grooves could be for a wire closure. They were made in 1-1/2 and 2 inch sizes. What ya think?

 

[trikikiwi]

I don't see the connection BigCy - those are distinctly different
and in my experience, flat-topped.
Mike

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I don't see the connection BigCy - those are distinctly different
and in my experience, flat-topped.
Mike

The closest pic I can find. I posted because nobody else has anything better. It just shows that they made burnt clay stoppers for large jugs at the turn of the century..

But I guess its not enough proof.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Interesting. I have seen these before and have read about them somewhere.
Give me a few minutes

 

[surf]

Hey You Guys,

It's been a hot minute...

Hopefully, I can bring a degree of closure on these. I've found a number of the ones like yours over the years. I always wondered what they were. I thought some sort of plug or stopper for vitreous clay pipe, and I still hold on to that as a possibility. Only because I have found them in close proximity to small size vitreous pipe.

I was later told that they were stoppers for carboys. That made sense to me, but I wondered about alternative or additional uses...

It wasn't until I found this porcelain example that I pretty much closed the book on them.

The Gem Stopper Co, of Philadelphia patented these guys, though I've not yet found the patent drawings. The Smithsonian has their catalog: [Trade catalogs from Gem Stopper Co.] | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution

"[Trade catalogs from Gem Stopper Co.]
VARIANT COMPANY NAME:
Established 1875
COMPANY NAME:
Gem Stopper Co.
RELATED COMPANIES:
Gesco
NOTES CONTENT:
Universal acid carbon stoppers ; asbestos gaskets ; metal fasteners ; "Gesco" brand."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

From a lawsuit concerning their milk bottle stoppers:

"That at all said times, the Gem Stopper Company, the defendant above named, was and now is a Pennsylvania corporation engaged in the business of the manufacture of bottle stoppers, including tin milk tops, and a special variety thereof known as Lightning Tin Tops for milk bottles and the wire trimmings for fastening the same. Bradbury's Lawyers' Manual and Clerks' and Conveyancers' Assistant

These stoppers, I believe were afixed with wire bail closures, a la the Lightning stopper bail. I also think for that nice tight seal, they would have had a rubber gasket.

I hope this will serve as a semi solution to some of the long running discussions that have periodically graced these forums.

PS: I see that Mr. Big Cypress has solved this one lo these many moons ago, and deserves a retroactive "Eh!" What glass catalog do you have? I'd like to learn more of that, please.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

What glass catalog do you have?

I have the long out of print reproduction Illiinois Glass 1906.
Its a great book for bottle shapes. I found it online.http://www.sha.org/bottle/igco_1906.htm
SOLVED