Patent GB-189906389-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Wiring the Corks of Bottles.
Inventor: CHAMBERS ROBERT MARTIN
Filed: 1899-03-24
Granted: 1900-03-03
Abstract: 6389. Chambers, R. M., and Chambers, C. E. March 24. Wiring bottles.-Relates to improvements on bottle-wiring machinery such as is described in Specification No. 13,803, A.D. 1898. The driving-shaft y is geared to the shaft z, which carries the cams for operating the principal working parts of the machine. The bottle is placed between the gripping-jaws 130, 131, and the rest 100 carried by the sliding bracket 105 is moved upwards by the cam-actuated toggle mechanism 117 to support the bottle during the wiring operation. The bottle rest is geared by the rack and pinion 101, 102 to the shaft 103 carried by the bracket 105, and the shaft has a friction connection, which permits the movement of the bracket independently of the rest, to adjust the rest automatically to bottles of different sizes. The rest is locked to the bracket by the spring pawl 107 engaging the ratchet-wheel 104, when the pawl lever 108 leaves the cam 109 on the frame, the cork of the bottle being then subjected to the action of a spring- controlled plunger which places a protecting capsule or disc, previously picked up from a suitable feeding-tray, on the top of the cork. The gripping-jaws 130, 131 are geared together, and are opened out by the cam 141 on the bottle rest to permit the upward movement of the bottle. When the wiring is completed and the bottle rest falls, the jaws again grip the bottle, and by a cam on the shaft z, the bracket 132, which carries them, is swung on its pivot 135, to discharge the bottle into the shoot 147. The wires w are drawn from the reels v through guides s, and through tension boxes 40, which exert a tension on the wires at the proper stages of the operation. The ends of the wires are twisted together, the twisted portion being left when the wires are cut in the wiring of the previous bottle, and the twisted ends are caught by hooks on the spindle 621, which draws the wires across the wiring space. As the bottle rises into wiring position, the bottom pair of wires w, Fig. 14. are drawn apart by the cam-actuated hooks 170, to permit the passage of the neck, and are then released, while the top wires are carried over the top of the cork and pressed against the sides by the levers 77, 78. The wires are then twisted by the rotation of the twisting-spindle 30 and the hooking-spindle 621, which are driven by the gearing 311, 312 and 60, 62 respectively, after which the twisted portion of the wires is cut, between the spindle 30 and the neck, by the cam-actuated cutter 35. A second rotation is then given to the spindle 621 by the segment 61 to ensure a tight tie. After the cutting operation, the levers 77, 78 descend, and bend the twisted ends of the wires down closely against the bottle neck. The gearing 311, 312 is brought into action by a clutch, and when released is returned by a spring, so as to take the back twist out of the wires. The end 20 of the twisting-spindle has a longitudinal spring-controlled movement with respect to the body of the spindle, to permit it to work more closely to the neck. The levers 77, 78, the spindle 621, and the cutter 35 are adapted to adjust themselves automatically to the size of the neck. The hooks 170, Fig. 14, of which there is one for each bottom wire, are operated by the slides 173 on the cam-operated arms 172, spring catches 179 being provided to ensure the proper movements of the slides. The machine is started and stopped by the mechanism shown in Fig. 4. The pulley 10 is locked to the shaft y by the wedge 11 engaging in one or other of the recesses 9, and is released to stop the machine by the lever 12 engaging in a groove in the wedge. The lever 12 is operated by the cam a on the shaft z against the action of the spring 15. The lever is locked in the stopping position by the rod 22 connected to the operating-plunger 25, which, when operated, permits the release of the lever 12 from the wedge to start the machine. The starting may also be effected automatically on the insertion of a bottle into the machine.