Patent GB-176928-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for filling bottles, cans and the like
IPC: B67C7/00
Filed: 1921-01-03
Abstract: 176,928. Pennock, T. E. Jan. 3, 1921. Bottling; filling cans and like receptacles; c o r k i n g. - A machine for. filling bottles, cans, &c., is provided with a travelling belt adapted to convey a row of bottles along the side of a filling platen, with means for moving alternate bottles only from the belt on to the platen. The filled bottles may be afterwards transferred to a second belt which carries them to a second platen where the corks are driven into the bottles, the filled and corked bottles being afterwards transferred from the second platen to the first belt, which conveys them to the delivery end of the machine. As shown, the belts 61, 62, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, are driven by pulleys 59, 60 on a shaft 58 driven through gearing from a shaft 55 driven from a shaft 34. The belt 62 passes over a pulley 64 carried by a pivoted upright 65 adjustable by means of a rod 67. A disc 37 on a clutch member 36 on the shaft 34 is pressed by a spring 38 against a disc 35 on the inner end of a shaft 34<A> driven bv a belt from a shaft 10, which is driven through clutch mechanism from an electric motor 7. The disc 37 is moved away from the disc 35 by means of a yoke 40, Fig. 5, which engages with a collar 41 on the member 36 and is carried by a crank 39 on a shaft 42 carrying a crank 44, provided with a roller 45 to bear against a cam 46. The shaft 34 is thus driven intermittently from the shaft 34<A>, and a fly-wheel 77 on the shaft 34 ensures that the belts 61, 62 are started and stopped gradually. The cam 46 consists of two discs 47, 48 with raised portions, one disc being adjustable angularly on the other and clamped in position by bolts so that the active parts of the cams can be caused to overlap more or less to regulate the time that the clutch is held open. The bottles are pushed off the belt 62 on to the platen 96, Fig. 3, by an arm 88 which is moved rearwardly along a transverse guide 89, 90 by means of a link 91 connected to a pivoted lever 92 operated by a cam 95 on a shaft 29 driven through spur gearing from a shaft 25 driven by worm gearing 23, 24 from the shaft 10. The arm 88 is moved forwards by means of a weight 106 secured to the end of a cable 104 which passes over a pulley 105 and is attached to the lever 92. The platen 96 is afterwards raised by means oi a cam 97 engaging a roller 98 carried between parallel pivoted levers 99 which are connected by links 101 to a block 102. The block is connected by a stem 103 to a sleeve 96<A> which carries the platen 96 and is free to move up and down in a box 96<B> under the action of a spring 103<A>, a nut 103<B> at the lower end of the stem limiting the upward movement. Adjustable spring-pressed guides 110, Fig. 7, for centring the bottles under the filling-nozzles 87 are carried by blocks 122 adjustable laterally on a bridge 86, which is adjustable on brackets 84, 85. The height of the bridge 86 is adjustable by means of a hand-shaf 82 geared to the screws 80, 81 which carry the brackets 84, 85. The liquid supply tank 120 is open to the atmosphere and is connected by a suction pipe 121, fitted with a non-return valv 154, and flexible tube 128<A> to a passage 123 in the block 122 leading to the liquid nozzle 125. The air nozzle 126 surrounds the liquid nozzle, and the air passage 124 extends up through the block and is connected at the top by a flexible tube 129 to a manifold 130 to which is connected a goose neck 144 extending up into a glass dome 142 supported on a bracket 141. A tube 145 extends from the dome to a vacuum pump and a depression 146 in the seat 143 of the dome is connected by a pipe 147 to an overflow pump 148 from which a pipe 149 leads back to the tank 120. When liquid is drawn into the dome and the bottles are filled, the cam 97 operates to drop the platen 96, the arm 88 pushes a second set of bottles on to the platen, and the filled bottles pass on to the belt 61 and are carried opposite a pusher arm 156 which transfers them to a platen 165. This platen rises and brings the corks previously inserted in the bottles up against a bridge 163. The arm 156 and platen 165 are operated by mechanism similar to that which operates the arm 88 and platen 86. After corking, the platen 165 descends and the arm 156 pushes another row of bottles on to the platen thereby pushing the corked bottles on to the belt 62 which carries them out of the machine. The belts 61, 62 are flanked on one side by stationary guides 170, 168 and on the other side by adjustable guides 171, 169. The pusher arm consists of two slotted sections bolted together so as to be adjustable longitudinally on each other. The liquid nozzle may be countersunk at its lower end with a conical recess to direct the drainage to the outside of the nozzle. For easily-flowing liquids, a nozzle with a bushing at the lower end to reduce the size of the opening is used. Instead of a continuous concentric opening between the air and liquid nozzles, the outer nozzle may have two small cylindrical openings in it. Or the liquid and air nozzles may be separated by a square bushing with the corners cut off. When filling very small bottles, the blocks are spaced so as to come opposite only the odd-numbered bottles in the series as the bottles are brought forward by the belt in close order and the pusher arm 88 has teeth to engage the odd-numbered bottles and push them on to the platen which is provided with guides to hold them in correct position. The even-numbered bottles remain on the belt in open order and are moved up into close order against the gauge 157 on the next movement of the belt.