IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH FLUIDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harcourt Browne, of Arthurs Seat,
Aberdeen, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH FLUIDS."
Sealed the 23rd November 1853, and dated the 23rd May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harcourt
Browne at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd May 1853.
I, JOHN HARCOURT BROWNE, of Arthurs Seat, Aberdeen, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH FLUIDS" to be as follows:-
This apparatus consists of a funnel formed receiver, with a tube
descending into the bottle or vessel; the exterior of such tube where it
enters the neck of a bottle or opening into a vessel is partly covered
with vulcanized india-rubber, or it might be other clastic material.
Down the interior of this tube descends a hollow rod or tube with a
valve at its end, by which the passage of fluid from the funnel can be
stopped at pleasure by raising the valve. The lower part of the tube

page_text: which enters the neck or opening into a bottle or vessel fills or occupies
part thereof. When the liquid has been allowed to flow till a bottle or
vessel is nearly full, the air which cannot get away except through the
valve tube is on the liquid rising above the end of the tube, stopped,
and the filling is stopped also, and the apparatus may be removed with-
out loss of liquid by raising the valve.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Harcourt Browne in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 23rd November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HARCOURT BROWNE, of Arthurs Seat, Aberdeen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Harcourt Browne, Her special
licence that I, the said John Harcourt Browne, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Harcourt
Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VES-
SELS WITH FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Harcourt Browne, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Harcourt Browne, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This apparatus consists of a funnel formed receiver, with a tube
descending into the bottle or vessel; the exterior of such tube where it
enters the neck of a bottle or opening into a vessel is partly covered
with vulcanized india-rubber, or it might be other clastic matoriál.
Down the interior of this tube descends a hollow rod or tube with a
valve at its end, by which the passage of fluid from the funnel can be
stopped at pleasure by raising the valve. The lower part of the tube
which enters the neck or opening into a bottle or vessel fills or occupies
part thereof. When the liquid has been allowed to flow till a bottle or
vessel is nearly full, the air which cannot get away except through the
valve tube is, on the liquid rising above the end of the tube, stopped,
and the filling is stopped also, and the apparatus may be removed with-
out loss of liquid by raising the valve.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will
proceed to describe the manner of performing the same."
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows an external view; and Figure 2, shows a vertical
section of the apparatus. "In each of these figures the same letters of
reference indicate similar parts. a, a, is a funnel shaped vessel¹¹to
receive the wine or other fluid to be bottled, or to be supplied into
other vessels. The shape of this vessel may, however, be greatly varied,
so long as the other apparatus shewn be combined therewith. b, is a
tubular stem to the valve c, which closes under the tubular mouth
piece d, which enters into the neck of a bottle or other vessel. The
part of the valve which enters the tubular mouth piece d, is grooved to
allow the fluid to flow out when the valve is depressed, as is shewn by
dotted lines. The exterior of the mouth piece is clothed with flexible air-
tight material, and there is a conical surface of like material at e, e, for
which purpose I prefer to use vulcanized india-rubber, the object of which
is to make this part air-tight when it presses on the mouth of a bottle
or other vessel, and thus will air be prevented passing in that direction
from the bottle or other vessel. The upper end of the tubular stem b,
of the valve passes through the tubular bearing f, fixed at the upper

page_text: part of the vessel a, and there is a slot in such bearing in which the
stud or screw g, fixed in the stem of the valve, may move, and, when up,
be retained there, the slot being formed with a branch, into which the
screw or stud can be moved by turning the stem of the valve partly
round, and thus will the stem be held up when desired; or, in place of this
arrangement, the stem may be constantly pressed upwards by a spring,
so as to close the valve, and when pressure is applied from above, the
valve is opened, or the stem of the valve may be otherwise acted on.
In using this apparatus the tubular mouth piece d, is to be intro-
duced into the neck of a bottle or other vessel, which at its upper end
will come in contact with and press on the elastic material e, and close
the outlet air-tight. The valve may then be depressed, when the fluid
will flow into the bottle or other vessel from the vessel a, the air
passing up through the stem of the valve, and away through an
opening at its upper end, but so soon as the fluid rises above the valve,
and the air above becomes condensed, it will resist the coming in of
more of the fluid into the bottle, and though it be left in this state.
The valve is then to be raised and the bottle removed, and another
placed to be filled.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not con-
fine myself to the details, nor to the forms of the parts. But what
I claim is, the mode herein described of combining apparatus, such as
herein explained, with funnel or other shaped vessels a.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harcourt Browne, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
Witness,
W. TONGUE.
J. H. BROWNE. (L.S.)