Patent GB-190421151-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Machinery for Corking Bottles.
Inventor: ARMITAGE ERNEST
Filed: 1904-10-03
Granted: 1904-11-03
Abstract: 21,151. Armitage, E. Oct. 3. Corking. - An ordinary corking - machine for bottles, in which a compressed cork is forced by a punch into the bottle, is provided with means for automatically feeding one cork to the corking- table A, Fig. 1, at each stroke of the punch. Wet corks are supplied from a tube, Figs. 1 and 3, lined with a spiral spring M', and fitted at its lower end with a closing-slide or shutter sliding in a plate F on the table A. One cork is released from the tube G and delivered to a recess in the table A at each descent of the head D, as the sliding end A<2> of the cork-squeezer then withdraws the shutter by engaging a projection J upon it. In order to prevent more than one cork from being delivered, the shutter when withdrawn acts on a lever K' pivoted to an arm on the tube G, and moves a rod L, the flat end L<2> of which passes through holes in the tube G and an adjustable boss M of the tube, and retains the remaining corks. Springs N, N' return the rod L when the punch is returned to its upper position. The tube G is supplied with one cork from the portion S<4> of a divided funnel S at each stroke of the head D. The funnel S is supported by a bracket T from the head D, and slides over the tube G as the head descends. A cork is free to pass from the compartment S' to the tube G, which is formed with a cone shaped cap R to facilitate the passage of a cork. The other compartment S<3> contains a supply of corks, and, as the funnel descends, one cork is delivered from the compartment S<3> to the compartment S' by means of a downwardly-projecting cork-picker Y attached to a bracket Y<1> on a rod P mounted so as to be capable only of rotation. The corkpicker Y is formed of one or more needles held in a holder, and acted on by a spring Y<2> to prevent the needles from passing too far into a cork. At ascent of the funnel, the picker Y seizes a cork, and, as the funnel descends, the rod P is rotated by a spring-controlled cam V<1> which is acted on by a plate V attached to the lower end of the funnel. This causes the picker Y to pass through a hole S<2> in the funnel partition, and the cork is released from the picker by means of a fork Z. The compartment S<3> is supplied with corks from a hopper 11, shown in detail in Fig. 6, which contains a supply. The hopper 11 is provided with an inclined hinged plate 13 which can be raised by leverarms attached to arms 6, 3, Fig. 1, on brackets 1, 2 on the funnel. The lever-arms are connected to a lifting-rod 15, Fig. 6, which works in slots 16. The hopper is formed with an aperture 23, across which a spring 25 is placed to prevent corks from leaving the hopper otherwise than by the action of a drum 22 hinged to the hopper. Between the drum and the plate 13 is hinged a stop forming a quarter of a cylinder, this vessel and the drum being actuated through levers by arms similar to the arms 6, 3. In the raised position of the funnel, the plate 13 and the vessel are in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and a cork is delivered by the drum 22 to the compartment S<3> of the funnel. The movement of the stop and the drum 22 is controlled by springs.