IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING LIQUIDS FOR BOTTLING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edgar Breffit, of the City of London, and John Edwards,
of Castleford, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEASURING LIQUIDS FOR BOTTLING."
Sealed the 29th January 1878, and dated the 1st August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edgar Breffit and John
Edwards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August
1877.
EDGAR BREFFIT, of the City of London, and JOHN EDWARDS, of Castleford, in
the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING LIQUIDS FOR BOTTLING."
This Invention refers particularly to and is applicable for the purpose of auto-
matically measuring and distributing liquid into bottles, and in performing the same
in a more rapid, cheap, and effectual manner than heretofore.
In carrying the Invention into effect we employ a rectangular cistern or vessel of
desired capacity, into which is fitted a number of measuring vessels, corresponding
to the number of bottles or other vessels desired to be filled at one operation. The
said measuring vessels are fixed rigidly on to a bar placed along one side of the
cistern, said bar with the measuring vessels attached being worked in perpendicular
guides by a parallel motion, and is free to rise and fall perpendicularly from and to
the bottom of the cistern containing the liquid to be measured. Thus by the same
motion the whole of the measuring vessels are at one time dipped into the liquid,
and when filled are simultaneously raised to the desired height. The motion with
the bar and measures attached will now be brought against or come in contact with
a stop or a toothed rack motion, which causes the bar with the measures to make a
partial revolution, so as to speedily and completely empty their contents into funnel-
shaped conductors fitted with suitably projecting outlet tubes, on or under which
the bottles or other vessels to be filled or partly filled are placed. A reverse move-
ment will now cause the bar and measures to descend and dip into the liquid, to be
again charged, raised, and emptied as before.
To vary at will the quantity to be measured we employ measures of different
capacity, and raise at each lift their full contents; or we use one set of measures;
and to alter the quantity raised and measured each measure is fitted with a movable
Paine 6d1

page_text: block piece or displacer, capable of being raised or lowered within it, and fixed
according to a scale, so as to give any required quantity to be raised and discharged
at each movement or lift.
The cistern in which the measures work may be fitted or provided with a pipe
in connection with or leading from any sized store cistern or cask, and fitted with
self-acting ball-cock, by means of which the flow from the store cistern is regulated
and keeps up the required supply for the measures, or stops the flow when the
measuring operation is discontinued. The ball-cock can however be dispensed with,
and the flow and cut-off be effected by hand.
The same motion operating one set of measuring vessels is also applicable for
working a duplicate set in the reverse direction, one set filling while the other set is
being elevated and discharged, and one such set of measures may be used in
measuring and distributing a different liquid from the other set.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edgar Breffit and John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st February 1878.
"
EDGAR BREFFIT, of the City of London, and JOHN EDWARDS, of Castleford, in
the County of York. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING LIQUIDS FOR BOTTLING."
This Invention refers particularly to and is applicable for the purpose of auto-
matically measuring and distributing liquids into bottles, and in performing the same
in a more rapid, cheap, and effectual manner than heretofore.
In carrying the Invention into effect I employ a rectangular cistern or vessel of
desired capacity, into which is fitted a number of measuring vessels, corresponding
to the number of bottles or other vessels desired to be filled at one operation. The
said measuring vessels are fixed rigidly on to a bar placed along one side of the
cistern, said bar with the measuring vessels attached being worked in perpendicular
guides by a parallel motion, and is free to rise and fall perpendicularly from and to
the bottom of the cistern containing the liquid to be measured. Thus by the same
motion the whole of the measuring vessels are at one time dipped into the liquid,
and when filled are simultaneously raised to the desired height. The motion with
the bar and measures attached will now be brought against or come in contact with
a stop or a toothed rack motion, which causes the bar with the measures attached
to make a partial revolution, so as to speedily and completely empty their contents
into funnel-shaped conductors fitted with suitably projecting outlet tubes, on or under
which the bottles or other vessels to be filled or partly filled are placed. A reverse
movement will now cause the bar and measures to descend and dip into the liquid,
to be again charged, raised, and emptied as before.
To vary at will the quantity to be measured we employ measures of different
capacity, and raise at each lift their full contents; or we use one set of measures;
and to alter the quantity raised and measured each measure is fitted with a movable
block piece or displacer, capable of being raised or lowered within it, according to
a scale, so as to give any required quantity to be raised and discharged at each
movement or lift.
The cistern in which the measures work may be fitted or provided with a pipe
in connection with or leading from any sized store cistern or cask, and fitted with
self-acting ball-cock, through which the flow from the store cistern is regulated, and

page_text: keeps up the required supply for the measures, or stops the flow when the measuring
operation is discontinued. The ball-cock can however be dispensed with, and the
flow and cut-off be effected by hand.
The same motion operating one set of measuring vessels is also applicable for
working a duplicate set in the reverse direction, one set filling whilst the other set
is being elevated and discharged, and one such set of measures may be used in
measuring and distributing a different liquid from the other set. In this case there
will be provided for the cistern a longitudinal central partition.
In the accompanying Drawings is represented an arrangement of apparatus con-
structed according to this Invention, Fig. 1 being a plan view; Fig. 2, a vertical
transverse section; and Fig. 3, a front view of one of the measures detached.
A is the containing cistern; a, the measuring vessels; B, handle; C, rocking
shaft carrying levers D and links E; F, bar on which are mounted the measures a,
the ends of which said bars F work in vertical guides F1 and F2; G are discharge
conductors, fitted with outlet tubes H; K is a shallow trough arranged along the
side of the cistern A to receive any drops that may fall during the charging of the
bottles.
In using the apparatus the bottles or vessels to be filled are fitted with their
mouths to the outlet tubes H, and rest on the table or stand carrying the machine,
as at M, Fig. 2. The measure bar F is guided vertically and positively controlled
in its tipping movements by the plain grooved guide F¹ on the left-hand side of the
Fig. 1, and by the compound grooved guide F2 on the right-hand side, and toothed
stop pieces, into which a toothed quadrant tilting piece engages, as shown by the
dotted lines at L. On releasing the handle after raising and tipping the measures
they return to their original position, are charged, and the operation may be
repeated.
In Fig. 3 is shewn a front view of one of the measures a detached, and which
may be made of any required capacity, and may be changed and fixed with facility
by means of the flanges f, to the bar F; N is a cover for the cistern A.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that various kinds of liquids
can be accurately and rapidly measured and charged into any sort of bottles or
other receptacles that may be placed under the discharge tubes or outlets H in a
very efficient and convenient manner, and that the apparatus can be arranged to
fill any greater or less number of bottles, or with various liquids, in given quantities
by employing transverse divisions in the cistern when measuring different liquids,
and a greater less number of measures, or by using measures of various sizes;
aud further, that the apparatus could be constructed with a duplicate set of measures,
levers, and discharge troughs on the other side of shaft C, and having alternate
action with that shown if worked from same shaft C.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and set forth the manner
in which it is carried into practical effect, we claim the improvements in measuring
and distributing liquids into bottles, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edgar Breffit, for and on behalf of myself
and the said John Edwards, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
In the presence of
HENRY HAIGH,
Castleford.
E. BREFFIT. (L.S.)