Improvements in Bottle-filling Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-filling Machines.
I, CHARLES FRANKLIN BASSETT, of No. 53, Beekman Street, in the City of New
York, State of New York, United States of America, Merchant, 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:-
My invention relates to an improvement in bottle-filling machines, and more
particularly to the structure of the filling tube, with the object in view of render-
ing it effective in connection with bottles having nozzles of varying sizes and
irregular shapes, and standing either in axial alignment with the filling tube or
oblique thereto.
In practical application of bottle-filling machines, there has been more or less
annoyance from bottles having their nozzles or lips distorted, either during the
process of manufacture or by accident, thereby permitting the inflowing liquid
under pressure to escape between the lip and the temporary stopper.
In attempting to stop this annoyance by inserting, under pressure, a temporary
stopper further down in the interior of the neck of the bottle, the further annoyance
was experienced of causing the bottle to be lifted bodily in removing the filler
from it, and if the neck of the bottle were of brittle material, and quite thin there
was liability of breaking it.
My present invention consists in a yielding temporary stopper of such a nature
and construction that it will, under moderate pressure, wrap itself around the
exterior of the nozzle, and around the regular or irregular lips or imperfections
at the mouth of the nozzle, whether the latter stand in axial alignment with the
axis of the filling tube or oblique thereto, and effectively seal the mouth or nozzle
of the bottle during the filling operation.
A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a view of the filling tube and temporary stopper in side elevation.
Fig. 2 is a view of the same in vertical section; and
Fig. 3 is a view of the same in vertical section, showing it engaged with the
mouth of a bottle having an irregular lip, and standing oblique to the axis of the
filler.
A represents the filling-tube, through which the liquid passes from a suitable
supply into the bottle to be filled. In connection with this tube, there is an
air escape tube or conduit a, and around the tube A. and conduit a, a sliding sleeve B
is arranged, which, by its movement away from and toward the tip of the tube A,
opens and closes the air escape conduit and filling tube to and from the interior of
the bottle.
In connection with the sleeve B, there is provided a spring-actuated abutment C
the lower end of which is rounded, as shown, to bear against the cap D of the
temporary stopper, and to permit the latter to rock laterally, and thereby adjust
itself squarely to the mouths of the bottles, which may stand more or less obliquely
to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

page_text: The cap D of the filling-stopper is here shown as a shallow cup, having an orifice d
centrally thereof, through which the sleeve B surrounding the filling tube, is
adapted to extend with such freedom of movement as to permit the cap D to rock
laterally to a degree sufficient to accommodate all irregular bottles that are liable
to be met with in filling:
The cap D covers the upper portion or surface of a block E of yielding material,
preferably a material known in the art as sponge rubber, the block E being provided
with a central perforation of normally less diameter than the sleeve B, so that,
when forced into position onto the sleeve B, it will be held in position by its
frictional contact with the sleeve.
In operation, when the block E of yielding material is forced into engagement
with the nozzle of the bottle, the cap D will first assume, under pressure, a position
squarely across the mouth of the bottle, whether the latter stand in alignment with
the axis of the filling tube or obliquely thereto, and the further pressure on the
cap D will cause the yielding block E to recede centrally, while its exterior will
wrap itself around the outer margin of the lip and top of the nozzle, completely
shutting it off from the outside air.
It is necessary that the block E of yielding material be of a thickness greater
than the depth of the most irregular portion of the nozzle at its mouth, a thickness
of an inch or more being found practical in all cases thus far tested.
It is also desirable that the block E of yielding material be larger than the
extreme diameter of the nozzle at its mouth, so that there may be a margin of the
yielding material to adjust itself to the exterior rim of the nozzle, when pressure
is applied.
The sponge rubber has been found to withstand the action of the several writing
fluids in common use, and is found to be so nearly perfectly elastic that it does
not need renewal, except at extremely long intervals, and, with its well recognized
qualities for withstanding the action of all ordinary fluids, such as are commonly
bottled, it becomes practically of great importance for use in this connection.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a bottle-filling tube, and means for controlling the flow
of liquid through the tube into the vessel to be filled, of a device for opening and
closing the filling tube, a thick block of yielding material carried by said opening
and closing device, and a cap plate adapted to force the block of yielding material
onto and around the nozzle of the vessel to be filled, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a filling tube and the sliding opening and closing
device arranged to co-operate with the tube, of a cap plate mounted on the sliding
opening and closing device in tilting adjustment, and a thick block of yielding
material mounted on the sliding opening and closing device, in position to be
operated upon by the cap plate, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a filling tube and a sliding opening and closing device
arranged to co-operate therewith, of a cap plate carried by the said sliding opening
and closing device, and arranged to tilt laterally with respect to the tube, and a
block of sponge rubber having a diameter and thickness sufficient to surround the
margin of the nozzle of the vessel to be filled, when pressed upon the latter, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of December 1898.