Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Rinsing Bottles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 18911
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Rinsing Bottles.
I, OTTO EICK, of 2312 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, U.S.A., Mechanician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore the washing of bottles has been slow and tedious and attended by
great expenditure of time, and wages for labor.
According to this invention a number of bottles can be cleaned simultaneously
the water being supplied from below under pressure and continuously by a separate
pipe to each bottle, said water being kept in gyratory motion in each bottle by
means of a rotating cleaner, washer or brush working against the inner surface of
the bottle, to which latter an up and down motion is simultaneously imparted, the
water being then discharged between the inner surface of the bottle neck and
the water supply pipe, and flowing uninterruptedly through the bottles.
By means of the apparatus hereinafter described for carrying out the washing
and rinsing process, the costs for attendance and maintenance are reduced to a
minimum, as only two strong lads are required, one of whom places the bottles into
a frame, and inserts said frame into the machine, whilst the other attends to the
machine (which is operated by a suitable motor) and removes the cleaned bottles
from the machine.
Furthermore the space occupied by a washing and rinsing machine of this kind
is extremely small, so that a great number of machines may be arranged in said
space; moreover by reason of the washing and rinsing water being supplied in
closed pipes and by reason of the collection of the used water in large tanks or
catch-boxes, the washing and rinsing room or space is always kept dry.
Moreover the deposits loosened in the washing operation with the aid of the
rotating washers are simultaneously removed by rinsing out the bottles.
The framing of the machine is provided with water tank or catch-box to which
is connected a pipe provided with a valve and serving to supply water under
pressure. A number of short water tubes or nozzles are screwed into the top of
the said water tank, over the conical ends of which tubes, the hollow or tubular
spindles are fitted; the latter are split at their upper ends, for the reception of
other hollow spindles with which they are connected by nuts. On the lower
spindles are mounted a set of toothed wheels which are arranged and rotated from
a fast and loose pulley on the driving shaft which is carried in the framing of the
machine and has at its end a bevel wheel engaging with a bevel wheel which is
mounted on the same vertical shaft as a wheel having teeth of considerable width,
which serves to actuate a number of toothed wheels which are arranged in close
proximity to one another it may be in four series of four wheels some wheels
having wider teeth than the others, and the series being arranged at different levels
to prevent them interfering with one another.
Each of these toothed wheels is carried by one of the said hollow spindles, on
which also the washer or brushes are mounted, whereby the said spindles are
rotated. The washers or brushes are constructed as shewn and consist of a number
of tubular fingers of rubber connected at their lower ends to a common piece
after the manner of the fingers of a glove, and are filled with shot or balls. The
fingers are then closed together, and kept together by a nut provided with an
external screw thread. The nut is then screwed into the upper internally screw-
threaded mouth of the spindle and a tubular piece or stopper furnished with
openings or passages is inserted into the lower connecting portion between the
fingers, so that the washer is firmly fixed in the upper end of the spindle. When

page_text: the spindles are rotated the fingers fly apart and when in the bottle to be cleaned,
they act on the inner surface thereof very effectively.
The machine if constructed for sixteen bottles, must be provided with sixteen
spindles. Two standards project from the underframing of the machine, and
between them a plate with holes is mounted on guides. The number of these
holes corresponds to the number of bottles to be washed and rinsed at one operation.
Under each hole of the plate is a socket for effecting a connection with the mouth
of the bottle, and in which is a mouth piece through which the spindle passes, and
which normally projects with its upper end from below into the said plate. Between
the upper end of the mouth piece, and a flange on the lower part of the socket,
there is inserted a coiled spring to permit of the mouth piece being depressed when
a bottle is placed thereon, whilst it will move freely in the socket up close to the
plate when the said head is removed.
In a modification of the mouth piece a number of separate conical or inclined
springs or clips are united at their lower ends so that when a bottle head is inserted,
these springs move apart, and the bottle is pushed over the spindle with the washer
mounted thereon. In this modification the vertical movement of the mouth piece
is dispensed with, because the bottle head presses the springs apart.
The frame for holding the bottles is provided with round holes for the passage
of the bottle-necks, and with square holes for holding the bellied parts of the
bottles. The frame is placed on the aforesaid plate and a pressing plate guided
laterally on the standards and suspended from the cross beam by coiled springs
serves to press the bottles down.
A hand lever is provided for pressing down the pressing plate by means of cams,
in order to press the bottles against the mouth pieces.
By this means various sizes of bottles can be retained in position. The cleaning
of bottles of different lengths is also ensured by the elastic mouth piece, which
also holds the bottles in the proper position with relation to the washer, in order
that the latter shall completely go over the inside of the bottle. An oscillating
arm is secured on a shaft upon which are also fixed two arms of which one is
extended beyond the shaft and is counter-weighted, and which are connected by
suitable links with the parts carrying the plate and the presser plate so that by
working the lever the said plates can be moved together up and down between the
standards. When the bottles with their frame are inserted in the machine and the
plate is compressed thereon then when the lever is moved in the proper direction
the frame with the bottles and the plates are moved downwards and the bottles are
pressed down into the elastic mouth pieces, the washers with the water supply
spindles entering the bottles.
On one of the arms there is mounted an eye through which passes a rod having
two shoulders and connected with a lever which controls the valve of the water
supply. When the lever is moved, and the bottles depressed, the washers will enter
the same as stated and the lever will be actuated opening the water supply valve
at the same time. If the hand lever be moved back, the bottles are raised and the
water supply is simultaneously shut off by the closing of the valve.
The water entering the bottles through the aforesaid tubular piece or stopper,
passes out of the same again, and flows through the narrow channel between the
spindle and the mouth piece down into the water tank or catch-box from which it
can be let off through a discharge pipe.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the bottles placed_head
downwards project with their heads through the bottom of the frame, and the
working position of these bottles is determined solely by the distance of the plate
from the adjustable plate. The adjustability of this plate thus enables each of
such machines to be employed for bottles of a great variety of heights, but only
bottles of approximately the same height can be placed into the machine at one
and the same time and be subjected to the simultaneous washing and rinsing.
The washer employed in the machine is simple, cheap, and works in a highly
effective manner. The rubber is cast in moulds, the shot is placed into the fingers

page_text: thus formed, and the latter are then rolled up together whereupon the perforated
stopper passed through its middle portion, and then the washer thus formed is
screwed into the end of the hollow spindle. Neither the bottle neck nor the mouth
piece is rotated when the washer is being inserted in the bottle or while it is in
the same.
The bottle frame may also be moved up and down by a suitable motor instead
of by hand. In this case a running nut is provided on the frame, and the latter
is mounted after the manner of a bracket on a lateral column, in which a screw
spindle passing through the running nut is rotated alternately to the right and to
the left by means of gear wheels and belt gear with coupling device, and the bottle
frame is therefore moved alternately up and down; a red connected to the frame
automatically opening and closing the water supply valve at every up and down
movement of the frame.
Dated this 10th day of December 1891
OTTO EICK,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Rinsing Bottles.
1, OTTO EICK, of 2312 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, United States of America,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
Heretofore the washing of bottles has been slow and tedious and attended by
great expenditure of time, and wages for labor.
According to this invention a number of bottles can be cleaned simultaneously
the water being supplied from below under pressure and continuously by a separate
pipe to each bottle, said water being kept in gyratory motion in each bottle by
means of a rotating cleaner washer or brush working against the inner surface of
the bottle, to which an up and down motion is simultaneously imparted, the water
being then discharged between the inner surface of the bottle neck and the water
supply pipe, and flowing uninterruptedly through the bottle.
By the use of apparatus according to my invention the costs for attendance and
maintenance are reduced to a minimum, as only two strong lads are required, one of
whom places the bottles into a frame, and inserts the said frame into the machine,
whilst the other attends to the machine (which is operated by a suitable motor) and
removes the cleaned bottles from the machine.
Furthermore the space occupied by a washing and rinsing machine of this kind
is extremely small; moreover by reason of the washing and rinsing water being
supplied in closed pipes, and of the collection of the used water in large tanks or
catch-boxes, the washing and rinsing room or space is always kept dry.
Moreover the deposits loosened in the washing operation are simultaneously
removed by rinsing out the bottles.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bottle washing and rinsing machine according to
my invention.
Fig. 2 a plan thereof;
Fig. 3 a front elevation, and
Fig. 4 a section on the line r r of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 illustrates one of the water supply pipes with the washer mounted at the
upper end thereof.
Fig. 5 shows separately the mouth piece hereinafter referred to, in section ;
Land
Fig 6 shome also in section a modification of this month niece.

page_text: Fig. 7 shows the frame for the reception of the bottles in perspective; and
Fig. 8 shows the construction of the rotating washer.
On
14
A is the framing of the machine; B is the water tank or catch-box to which is
connected the pipe C provided with a valve c and serving to supply water under
pressure. A number of short water tubes or nozzles D are screwed into the top
of the said water tank (Fig. 5), over the conical ends of which tubes, the hollow
or tubular spindles d are fitted; these latter are split at their upper ends d' for the
reception of other hollow spindles E with which they are connected by nuts e.
the lower spindles d are mounted a set of toothed wheels lettered 9 g* g¹ to g¹4
(Fig. 4) which are arranged and rotated as follows:-G, G' are fast and loose
pulleys on the driving shaft which is carried in the framing of the machine and
has at its end a bevel wheel H engaging with a bevel wheel H' which is mounted
on the same vertical shaft as the wheel G. This latter has teeth of considerable
width, as seen more clearly in Fig. 1, and gears with the two toothed wheels g, g*
having narrower teeth which without touching one another gear with the common
toothed wheel G being situated at different levels.
The wheel g gears with a toothed wheel g¹¹ of almost the same size of teeth as
the wheel G; and the wheel g* gears with a similar wheel g¹.
Below the horizontal centre line of this wheel gl and gearing with the latter is
a wheel g³, whose teeth are less than half the width of the teeth of the wheel g¹;
similarly above the horizontal middle line of the wheel g¹¹ there gears a wheel g¹³,
whose teeth are also less than half the width of the teeth of the wheel g".
Engaging with the wheel g and on the same level therewith, is the wheel g
and gearing with the latter is a wheel g¹. Similarly, in front of the wheel
are wheels 9, 9 and 9', gearing one with the other; and in front of the wheel g
are wheels g³, 9, 910; and lastly in front of the wheel g₁ there are arranged
the wheels g1, 91. Thus the series of wheels immediately in line with the
wheels 9', 9, 9*, 9 are at different levels so as not to interfere with each other, as
seen more clearly in Fig. 3 while the transmission of the rotary movement through
the wheels g g 9 g to their respective series is ensured.
Each of these
"
*
wheels g g g to g¹ is carried by one of the tubular spindles d. The washers or
brushes are mounted on the hollow spindles E which are rotated by means of the
trains of wheels arranged as above described. Each of these said washers or
brushes is constructed as shown in Fig. 8, and consists of a number of tubular
fingers J of rubber connected at their lower ends to a common piece after the
'manner of the fingers of a glove, and containing shot or balls t t. The fingers are
then closed together, and kept together by a nut j provided with an external screw
thread. The nut j is then screwed into the upper internally screw threaded mouth
of the spindle E, and a tubular piece or .stopper J¹ furnished with openings.or
passages is inserted into the lower connecting portion of the fingers, as seen in
Fig. 5 so as to firmly fix the washer in the upper end of the pipe or spindle E.
When the spindles E are rotated the fingers J fly apart and if in the bottle to be
cleaned, they act on the inner surface thereof very effectively.
The machine shewn in the drawing is constructed for 16 bottles, so that
16 spindles E must be provided.
Two standards L L project from the underframing of the machine, and between
them the plate K with holes k kis mounted ou guides kk. The number of
these holes k¹¹ corresponds to the number of bottles to be washed and rinsed at
one operation.
Under each hole of the plate K is a socket M. N is the mouthpiece through
which the spindle E passes, and which normally projects with its upper send 'from
below into the plate K.
Between the upper end of the mouthpiece, and the portion M2 of the lower part
of the socket M, there is inserted a coiled spring m, to permit of the mouth-
piece N being depressed when a bottle-head is placed thereon, whilst it will
move freely in the socket M up close to the plate K when the said head is
removed.

page_text: Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of the mouthpiece N, which in this case is com-
posed of separate conically arranged springs m³, m³, m³, m', united at their lower end
to form a bunch.
When a bottle-head is inserted, these springs move apart, and the bottle is
pushed over the spindle with the washer mounted thereon. In this arrangement
the vertical movement of the mouthpiece is dispensed with, the bottle-head
pressing the springs apart instead.
Fig. 7 illustrates the bottle frame (); it has round holes oo for the passage
of the bottle-necks, and square holes O' for holding the bellies of the bottles.
The frame is placed on the plate K in the manner shown in Fig. 3. P is a pressing
plate guided laterally on the standards L L and suspended from the cross beam pl
by coiled springs p.
:
Qis a handlever for pressing down the plate P by means of cams F, in order
to press the bottles against the mouth-pieces.
By this means various sizes of bottles can be retained in position. When the
bottles are held as indicated in Fig. 3, the plate P is moved from the position
shown in full lines (Fig. 3) down into the position shown in dotted lines, until it
meets the bottoms of the bottle. The cleaning of bottles of different lengths is
ensured by the elastic mouth-piece, which also holds the bottles in the proper
position with relation to the washer, in order that the latter shall completely go
over the inside of the bottle. R is an oscillating arm secured on the shaft r. Upon
the latter there are also fixed two arms R' of which one is extended beyond the
shaft and is weighted by a weight R³. The arms R are connected by links R³
with the parts carrying the plates P and K, so that by working the lever R, the
plates P and K can be moved, together, up and down between the standards L, L.
When the bottles with their frame are inserted in the machine in the manner
shown in Fig. 3, and the plate P is in the position indicated therein in dotted lines,
then when the lever R is moved to the left relatively to Fig. 1 the frame with the
bottles and the plates. K and P, are moved downwards and the bottles are pressed
down into the elastic mouth-pieces N, the washers J with the water supply
spindles E entering the bottles.
On one of the arms R¹ there is mounted an eye U through which passes a rod u
having two shoulders V V.
The rod u is connected with a lever W which controls the valve c of the water
supply. When the arm R is moved and the bottles depressed, the washers will
enter the bottles as stated and the lever W will be actuated opening the water
supply valve at the same time. When the arm R is moved back, the bottles
will be raised and the water supply simultaneously shut off by the closing of
the valve c.
Water entering bottles, passes out of the same again, and flows through the
narrow channel between the spindle and the mouth-piece down into the water tank
or catch-box S, from which it can be let off through a discharge pipe s.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the bottles, placed head
downwards project with their heads through the bottom of the frame O, and the
working position of these bottles is determined solely by the distance of the
plate from the adjustable plate P. The adjustability of this plate P thus
enables each of such machines to be employed for bottles of a great variety of
heights, but only bottles of approximately the same height can be placed into the
machine at one and the same time and be subjected to the simultaneous washing
and rinsing operation.
The washer employed in the machine is simple, cheap, and works in a highly
effective manner.
The rubber is cast in moulds, the shot is placed into the fingers
thus formed, and the latter are then rolled up together so that the washer assumes
the shape shown on the right of Fig. 8, whereupon the perforated stopper J' is
passed through its middle portion, and then the washer thus formed is screwed into
the end of the hollow spindle E. Neither the bottle neck nor the mouth-piece is
rotated when the washer is being inserted in the bottle or while it is in the same;

page_text: the bottle frame may also be moved up and down by a suitable motor instead of
by hand. In this case a running nut is provided on the frame, and the latter
is mounted after the manner of a bracket on a lateral column, in which a screw
spindle passing through the running nut is rotated alternately to the right and to
the left by means of gear wheels and belt gear with coupling device, and the bottle
frame is therefore moved alternately up and down; a rod connected to the frame
automatically opening and closing the water supply valve at every up and down
movement of the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for washing and rinsing bottles, having a removable frame (O) in
which the bottles are placed head downwards, a plate (F) for pressing down the
bottles, elastic mouth-pieces (N) one corresponding to each bottle, and hollow
spindles (E) provided with washers or brushes substantially as described and
illustrated for the purposes specified.
2. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, washers or
brushes working by centrifugal force against the inner surface of the bottle,
formed of a number of hollow elastic fingers J united at their lower ends, filled
with shot and the like, rolled up together, and fitted by means of nuts j into the
upper ends of the rotating spindles (E) substantially as described and illustrated.
3. Apparatus for washing and rinsing bottles constructed substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings, or modified as
described with reference to Fig. 6.
11
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2003
OTTO EICK,
By L. W., per F. B.