Wisconsin Hutchinson
Hutchinson soda bottles are a unique type of antique bottle that had a wire stopper inside the neck and blob of the bottle. We collectors often refer to them simply as "Hutches". The wire piece that makes up the stopper on the bottle is slightly hourglass shaped. It is made out of one piece of wire (bent in half) to form this shape. On one end, there is a rubber gasket (held in place by washers welded to the wire). Once the stopper is placed inside the bottle, the rubber gasket winds up on the inside (where the contents are). The gasket is designed to seal the bottle below the neck at the shoulder of the bottle from the inside. The rest of the wire loops upward and allows the bottle to be opened or resealed by the part of the stopper that extends up and out of the blob. The hourglass shape creates tension against the inside of the blob holding the stopper in position. It cannot be pushed completely inside the bottle when the metal wire is not corroded. Likewise, it is very difficult to pull the rubber gasket back out of the bottle because it is a very tight fit.
