Improvements in Bottle Sealing Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 8th Oct.. 1898
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM PAINTER, of the City of Baltimore, in the
State of Maryland, United States of America.]
Improvements in Bottle Sealing Machines.
We, THE CROWN CORK CO. LTD., of 79 & 81, Paul Street, Finsbury, in the County
of London, 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 :—
This invention relates to machines for applying stoppers or corks to bottles and is
specially applicable to that class of stopper known as the crown cork, in which a
metallic flanged cap or crown, containing a compressible sealing disc,
affixed over
the mouth of the bottle, by having its flange bent or set into intimate contact
with a locking shoulder on the outside of the bottle head, the affixing operation being
performed under pressure so that the sealing disc, held within the flanged cap, will
be pressed firmly on the lip of the bottle, and there held tightly by the cap to make
a perfect seal.
In corking or stoppering machines of this class hitherto generally in use the
pressure to compress the sealing disc, for a perfect sealing effect and to bend or close
the flange of the cap into locking contact with the shoulders on the bottle, can be
very accurately determined for any given size of bottle, but it is found that in a
batch of bottles of supposed equal volume and length there are unavoidable sınall
variations in the length of the bottles; and the pressure which will effect perfect
capping and sealing of one bottle will be disastrous when applied to a slightly longer
bottle, resulting in the breakage of the same and loss of its contents.
The object of this invention is to provide means for compensating for these varia-
tions in the lengths of the bottles so that when the predetermined pressure necessary
to effect the sealing and capping is reached, no further pressure will be applied, not-
withstanding the fact that the individual bottles of a given batch may vary somewhat
as to length.
We are aware that foot power machines have already been used for capping and
sealing bottles, wherein the pressure required to compress the sealing disc upon the
bottle head and affix the cap by bending its flange into contact with the locking
shoulder can be graduated by the operator so as to avoid breaking the bottle; the
machine being so proportioned in its various parts as to keep the maximum pressure
transmitted from the operator to the pressure device well within the limit of safety.
Such a machine being described in the Specification of British Patent No. 7877 of
26 April 1892.
While the feet power machine perforins the capping and sealing with perfect results
it is desirable, in order to secure rapid work and to economize labour, to provide a
machine which is capable of being run by steam or any other desired power and in
which a limit is set beyond which the pressure will not increase.
One of the principle features of this invention is to provide a machine operated by
steam or other extraneous power and having means for automatically limiting the
pressure exerted in the sealing and capping operation to a predetermined degree, the
CD

page_text: said limit of pressure not being affected or changed by slight variations in the length
of the bottles.
A further important feature of this invention is to provide the said machine with
certain means of adjustment whereby the limited pressure may be regulated to suit
different sizes of bottles, such for instance as pint, or quart bottles or those of other
capacities, and which vary too greatly to allow the differences in their lengths to be
compensated by the automatic pressure limiting means.
The machine comprises essentially a capping head or plunger and a holder or
table for the bottle, (one of which is movable, relatively to the other, for securing
the desired pressure), combined with means whereby, when the pressure exerted
reaches the desired or predetermined degree, a release of the means of support from
one of the parts is effected and the said part is allowed to yield in order to prevent
the application of further pressure to the bottle head.
The said machine also comprises, various features of construction and arrangement
hereinafter fully described,
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect we will now proceed to describe the same fully with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a side view, and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the valve mechanism enlarged to show the
parts more clearly.
The bottle, to which the crown cork or seal is to be applied, is placed upon a
thick rubber disc ¹, located in a recess of the table . It is centered, so as to be
axially in line with the movable sealing head a, by means of a guide bracket or
arm fadjustably secured by a set screw fi to the standard b. The bracket, as shown
in Figure 3 is of V shape and the bottle is properly secured by bearing against the
sides of the V shaped portion.
The sealing head a is substantially the same in construction as that disclosed in
the British Patent above referred to, and, as it forms no essential part of the present
invention, needs no particular description herein, further than to state that it is
secured firmly to the rod c by a nut d and is provided with a web or rib a' which
passes between fork arms e¹ of a bracket, said bracket being secured to the
reduced upper end of the hollow standard b. The rod c reciprocates vertically
through this standard and is operated from a crank g² on the shaft g through a
link c. The shaft g is journalled in the frame-work and carries a pulley g¹ through
which the power may he applied to the machine.
Through this driving mechanism for the head, it will be noticed that the length
of stroke given to the sealing head will be uniform and invariable and therefore
variations in length in the individual members of a quantity of bottles all supposed
to be of equal length would result in breakage of the longer bottles unless soine
provision is made to avoid this. Such provision is made by maintaining the support-
ing table K firmly and immovably in one position up to the point where the pressure
applied to the bottle exceeds a certain predetermined degree, above which this main-
taining means will be released and the table permitted to yield sufficiently to
prevent rupture of the bottle.
For this purpose the table is supported by a confined volume of liquid, preferably
oil, in a cylinder h, supported in a bracket b², projecting from the main standard b;
the said confined liquid supporting a piston i with the upper end of which the table K
is connected. This piston forming the stem of the table, is fitted accurately to the
interior of the cylinder h so as to slide therein and it is limited in its upward move-
ment (in order to hold the table at a given position) by a shoulder 2 which abuts
against the flange of a nut screwed into the upper end of the cylinder h and fitted
to the exterior of the reduced upper end of the piston i. This nut is made in two
parts in order to enable it to be easily fitted.

page_text: The lower head of the piston i comprises a casting m screwed into the lower end
thereof and having a depending extension m with an opening therethrough which
forms the escape passage for the liquid from the lower chamber m of the cylinder h
to the interior of the piston i, when the pressure on the bottle is to be relieved or
prevented from increasing beyond the predetermined degree. This escape passage
is controlled by a valve m¹ which fits over the same and rests upon a seat m³ made
within the flange m² on the cast head m. said valve having a guide stem projecting
down into the passage formed by the extension m*. The rim m² is made of slightly
larger interior diameter than the outside diameter of the valve m¹ so that when the
latter is slightly raised by pressure from beneath on the smaller area m³, the pressure
will act upon the whole or larger area of the valve m¹ and quickly raise it above the
annulus m² for a quick discharge of the liquid through it and a consequent quick
release of the pressure on the bottle. So long as this valve is maintained on its
seat the normal volume of liquid will be maintained in the chamber me below the
piston i, and said piston will hold the table with the bottle upon it immovable in
one position; but when the valve is open, the liquid below the piston will be free to
flow up through the escape passage m into the interior of the piston i and said
piston will then move down retracting the table and bottle and so relieving the
pressure on the said bottle.
The valve m¹ is held to its seat by the rod of which has its lower end reduced and
stepped into a socket in the valve while its upper end is free to slide in a hollow
guide o screw threaded into and projecting down from the table k within the hollow
piston. This guide is shouldered on its outer side to afford a bearing for the upper
end of a spring o² the lower end of which bears on a collar o³ which may be adjust-
ably located on the rod o' by the nuts 04, 05. The tendency of the spring is to force
the rod down and to close the valve on its seat, to maintain the volume of liquid
confined below the movable piston or stem in order to rigidly sustain the latter. By
means of the adjustable collar and nuts, the pressure of this spring may be regulated
so that the valve will be held tightly closed to maintain the volume of liquid below
the piston for any predetermined pressure on the bottle, but as soon as this pressure
is exceeded, the upward pressure of the liquid will overcome the pressure of the valve
spring o² and thus the valve will be opened and the table will descend and relieve
the excessive pressure on the bottle. The quantity of liquid used is such as to cover
the valve at all times and the level of the liquid may be up to the line y-y
Figure 1.
An air hole is formed at x at the upper part of the piston.
The piston with the table is returned upward to its normal position after being
depressed, by a spring n³ in the lower chamber of the cylinder, said spring acting
upon a flange of a cup or sleeve n' which is screwed to the lower end of the depending
extension of the piston head.
The force of this spring is light and just sufficient to return the parts to normal
position and it offers no substantial resistance to the yielding of the table when the
pressure exerted on the bottle by the sealing head a exceeds the given degree.
Compared with the pressure necessary to complete the operation of sealing or capping,
the pressure of this spring is inconsiderable and need not be taken into account.
For the purpose of allowing the liquid which flows into the interior of the piston i,
to flow back into the chamber me of the cylinder h, drain openings m² are provided
extending through the cast piston head m outside of the seat of the valve m¹. These
openings are controlled by a conical valve n which fits a conical valve seat on the
lower face of the piston head m. This valve n is of ring form and fits the exterior
of the piston head extension and it has a depending hollow cylindrical portion which
also fits the said extension on which it is capable of sliding. The valve n is pressed
up by a light spring n² to close the ports, and it is kept firmly closed by the upward
pressure of the liquid in the chamber mo.
When the piston and table move upward, however, after having been depressed, this
valve opens owing to the weight of the liquid in the hollow piston and the suction from

page_text: below which is caused by the tendency to form a vacuum in the chamber m® when
the piston rises.
In order to set the hydraulic pressure controlling means above described to suit
different classes and sizes of bottles, such for instance, as the pint size, the quart size
and so forth, the whole cylinder with the table, piston and valve is vertically
adjustable through the bracket 62 by means of a screw h¹ threading through a
bushing held in a bearing on the base 61. By turning the cylinder, it can together
with the table be adjusted vertically and then retained in any desired position by
means of the set screw h³. Drain holes p are formed through the table k. These
holes p are outwardly inclined so as to discharge any waste away from the parts
beneath.
The shaft g may be given a continuous rotary movement derived from any suitable
source of power and may be revolved at a slow enough rate to permit of the reinoval and
replacement of the bottle in the period of either one revolution or two or more.
We do
not wish to limit ourselves, however, to a continuously moving shaft, as any known and
suitable clutch mechanism may be employed, by which the revolution if the shaft
and the movement of the head may be stopped while the bottle is being
removed and a fresh one placed in position, such clutch being controlled by
a suitable foot lever.
Nor do we wish to limit ourselves to the arrangement described in which the
pressure head is the movable part, as obviously this arrangement may he reversed
and the hydraulic cylinder with the table and attached parts may be inade movable
In either case the action would be the same.
While we have stated that the machine is adapted for applying the crown cork and
seal form of stopper, we do not, of course, limit ourselves in this respect as the
principles of our invention may be embodied in machines adapted to work with other
forms of stoppers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to us
from our foreign correspondent, we declare. that what we claim is :-
1. A bottle stoppering machine of the kind referred to provided with means which,
in the event of the pressure exerted on the bottle by the machine exceeding a
predetermined limit, will automatically act to relieve such pressure for the purpose
specified.
2. In a bottle stoppering machine the bottle support having a hollow piston
adapted to work in a cylinder containing oil or other suitable liquid and combined
with valves and springs arranged substantially as described and for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination with the bottle stoppering machine of adjustable means whereby
the aforesaid limited pressure exerted by the machine can be regulated independently
of the stroke of the machine for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with the aforesaid cylinder and its piston of a screw forming
part of the said cylinder and working in a screw socket or bracket substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
5. A bottle stoppering machine having its parts constructed arranged and operating
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for
the purpose specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.