IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH LIQUIDS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clunes, of Aberdeen, in the County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, Plumber, and John Macintosh, of the same
Place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 12th January 1858, and dated the 17th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clunes and John
Macintosh at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 17th July 1857.
We, THOMAS CLUNES, of Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, North
Britain, Plumber, and JOHN MACINTOSH, of the same Place, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH LIQUIDS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a simple and effective arrangement whereby the
operation of bottling or supplying bottles or vessels with liquids may be per-
formed in a very superior manner. Under one modification, the apparatus
employed consists of the usual reservoir or containing chamber, into which
the liquid to be bottled is primarily supplied from the cask or other large
holder. This reservoir is at the back and upper portion of the apparatus, and
it is lined internally at the height or level at which the operator must keep
the liquid supplied to it, this level being preserved either by an adjustablo

page_text: supplying stop-cock, or by a ball-float or other mechanical arrangement.
This reservoir is fitted with a vertical permeable diaphragm for the purpose
of keeping back floating impurities, and at the front side there is fitted into it
a series or rows of bottling syphons or fixed bent tubes. These tubes have
their longer arms curved down into the bottom of the reservoir, their bottom
open ends being just clear of the reservoir bottom. The other and outer
projecting end of each of these tubes is screwed to receive the screwed upper
end of a pendant valvular supplying tube. This separate tube when screwed
on, carries down this leg or end of the syphon tube to a lower level than that
of the reservoir bottom. The bottom extremity of this tube is closed up
with a valve seating, immediately above which are lateral openings for the
outflow of the liquid. This tube is also embraced by a long outer tube, the
bottom open end of which rests upon the valve seating of the internal tube,
whilst its upper open end carries a small weight to keep it down. Beneath
the range of supplying syphons there is an inclined stage or platform,
adjustable at different heights to suit the sizes of the bottles to be filled.
This stage or incline has formed upon it a series of horizontal grooves or
ledges, to act as rest stops for the bottoms of the bottles. The bottles to be
filled are each placed beneath a projecting syphon leg, and entered up so as
to bring the leg low down in the bottle, and being still further pressed up,
the top of the bottle neck catches against the lower side of the weight and
lifts up the tube, causing the lower end or valve face part to clear the valve
seat and permit the liquid to flow from the reservoir down into the bottle.
Whilst the filling goes on the bottle is quite stationary upon its rest, and
when the level in the bottle reaches the corresponding level in the reservoir
the supply ceases. This level is so regulated as to suit the level required in
the bottle neck, and the displacement of the end of the syphon tube allows
for the corking room.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 16th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
CLUNES, of Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain, Plumber,
and JOHN MACINTOSH, of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh, Her special license that we, the
said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh,
our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING OR SUPPLYING VESSELS WITH LIQUIDS," upon the condi-
tion (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, 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 we, the said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Draw-
ings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to a simple and effective arrangement whereby
the operation of bottling or supplying bottles or vessels with liquids may be
performed in a very superior manner. Under one modification the apparatus
employed consists of the usual reservoir or containing chamber, into which the
liquid to be botted is primarily supplied from the cask or other large holder.
This reservoir is at the back and upper portion of the apparatus, and it is lined
internally at the height or level at which the operator must keep the liquid
supplied to it, this level being preserved either by an adjustable supplyin
stop-cock, or by a ball-float or other mechanical arrangement. This reservoir
is fitted with a vertical permeable diaphragm, for the purpose of keeping
back floating impurities, and at the front side there are fitted into it a series
or row of bottling siphons or fixed bent tubes. These tubes have their longer
arms curved down into the bottom of the reservoir, their bottom open ends
being just clear of the reservoir bottom. The other and outer projecting end
of each of these tubes is screwed, to receive the screwed upper end of a
pendant valvular supplying tube. This separate tube, when screwed on,
carries down this leg or end of the siphon tube to a lower level than that of

page_text: the reservoir bottom. The bottom extremity of this tube is closed up with a
valve seating, immediately above which are lateral openings for the outflow of
the liquid. This tube is also embraced by a long outer tube, the bottom open
end of which rests upon the valve seating of the internal tube, whilst its
upper open end carries a small weight to keep it down. Beneath the range
of supplying siphons there is an inclined stage or platform, adjustable at
different heights to suit the sizes of the bottles to be filled. This stage
or incline has formed upon it a series of horizontal grooves or ledges, to
nct as rest stops for the bottoms of the bottles. The bottles to be filled are
each placed beneath a projecting siphon leg, and entered up so as to bring
the leg low down in the bottle; and being still further pressed up, the top of
the bottle neck catches against the lower side of the weight and lifts up the
tube, causing the lower end or valve face part to clear the valve scat and
permit the liquid to flow from the reservoir down into the bottle. Whilst the
filling goes on the bottle is quite stationary upon its rest, and when the level
in the bottle reaches the corresponding level in the reservoir the supply
ceases. This level is so regulated as to suit the level required in the bottle
neck, and the displacement of the end of the siphon tube allows for the corking
room.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures upon the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto appended, for the purpose of
showing certain modifications under which our improvements may be judiciously
carried out in practice.
Figure 1 on our Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section or sectional elevation
of one modification of our improved bottling apparatus; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
elevation of the same, looking upon the side on which the bottles to be filled
are placed; Figure 3 is a plan of the apparatus corresponding to Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the pendant valvular supplying tube;
and Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section corresponding to Figure 4.
The apparatus consists of a rectangular trough or reservoir A, for holding a
supply of the liquid which is to be filled into the bottles or other vessels.
This trough is formed of wood or other suitable material, and is lined with
metal or other suitable material, and is supported at a suitable elevation upon
one side by the legs B, and upon the other by the front side piece C of the
trough, which is continued downwards and forms the front support thereto.
The interior of the trough is fitted with a vertically arranged perforated
partition or diaphragm D, which is made to slide in grooves, soldered on or
otherwise attached to the ends of the trough A. During the bottling opera-

page_text: tion this diaphragm serves to keep back any floating or solid impurities in the
liquid. Upon the front edge of the trough A is fixed a bar of wood E, which
is fastened to the sides of the trough by a thumb-screw E' at each end; the
upper part of the bar E is bevilled off and forms an angular ridge. To the
front or outward inclined face of the bar E are fastened the series of four or
other convenient or requisite number of socket plates F. In the centre of each
of these socket plates is fixed a bent tube G; these tubes project upwards in
an angular direction through the socket plates F, and are then bent down-
wards at a right angle, descending nearly to the bottom of the reservoir A,
and parallel to its front part C. The lower end of each of the tubes G is
open to the ingress of the fluid, and each of the upper ends thereof is formed
into a globular socket, the open end II of which is directed downwards. Into
each of the ends H of the tubes G is fitted the upper end of a pendant
valvular supplying tube I, the two tubes G and I forming a siphon arrange-
ment. The lower end of each of the tubes I terminates in a metal disc J, to
which is screwed a metal plate K, a washer of leather or other suitable
material being interposed between the plate and the disc. To permit of the
liquid escaping from the tubes I, two lateral apertures L are made in the end
of each of the tubes; these apertures are made immediately above the terminal
discs J. The lateral apertures L are stopped at pleasure by means of a
tube M, which slides up and down the inner tube I; the lower end of the
outer tube M rests upon the leather disc above the plate K, which thus forms
a valve to cut off the flow of the liquid through the apertures L. Both the
plate K and its washer are made somewhat larger than the tube I, so as to
form a seating for the external sliding tube M. To the upper extremity of
this tube is fixed a leaden weight N, the gravity of which keeps the tube
down upon the washer of the plate K, and whilst the tube M remains in this
position the liquor is prevented from escaping. The two tubes G and I thus
arranged form together a self-acting valvular arrangement for filling bottles
or other vessels. In this modification of our improvements the bottles are
supported upon an adjustable inclined stage or platform O, the lower part of
which has a series of horizontal grooves P formed upon it, which serve as
stops or resting ledges for holding and supporting the bottles during the.
operation of filling. The inclined stage O is fastened to the front of the
reservoir by the bent link pieces Q, cach of which has a hole and slot mado
in it, so as to fasten the stage to the stud pins R. There are two of theso
stud pins at each side of the reservoir fixed one above the other, so that the
stage O can be altered as regards height, and thus be adapted for filling
bottles of different sizes. The liquid supplied to the reservoir A is not allowed

page_text: to ascend beyond a certain predetermined level, which may be marked upon
the lining of the reservoir, and the liquid maintained at that level by an over-
flow pipe; or the liquid may be supplied to the reservoir by a ball cock or
other self-acting valvular arrangement. The level of the liquid in the reser-
vior corresponds to the intended level of the liquid in the mouths of the
bottles to be filled, so that when the liquid in the bottles reaches this point no
further quantity will flow therein, and hence waste is avoided. Previous to
cominencing the operation of filling the bottles, it is necessary to expel the
air from the valvular siphons and fill them with the liquid. This is done by
means of a funnel, the tube of which is turned upwards at its lower end and
made to fit the bottom ends of the tubes G. The diaphragm D is removed,
and the lower end of the funnel S, which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1,
is placed under one of the siphon tubes G; a quantity of the liquid to be
filled into the bottles is poured into the funnel until its level is rather above
the upper part of the tube G. The liquid so supplied expels the air from the
interior of the siphon tube, the tube M being raised a little from its seating
to allow of its escape; the tube I being filled with liquid, the funnel is with-
drawn. When the series of siphons have been filled in like manner, and the
diaphragm D replaced, the operation of bottling may be proceeded with.
The bottles to be filled are supported upon the ridges of the inclined plat-
form 0; before resting them thereon, the mouth of the bottle is passed
upwards over the sliding tube M. The length of the tube M and the position
of the weight N are so arranged, that the upper edge of the mouth of the
bottle comes in contact with the weight and lifts the tube M up, so that the
lower end of the tube is raised clear of the lateral openings L. The fluid
thereupon flows through the openings L, until the level of the fluid in the
bottle corresponds to the level of that in the reservoir, when the supply
ccases, hence the necessity of keeping the fluid in the reservoir to the proper
heights. As the bottle is withdrawn from the siphon tube, the lateral open-
ings Lare instantly closed by the descent of the tube M, and any further
escape of the fluid is thereby prevented. In this manner the process of
bottling liquors may be carried on with great dispatch and all waste avoided,
at the same time it is a matter of no importance whether the bottles are
removed as quickly as they are filled or not, since the peculiar arrangement of
the apparatus completely avoids the occurrence of any overflow.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion

page_text: to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our Invention; but what
we consider to be novel or original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of self-acting apparatus
for filling bottles or other vessels with liquids, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of transferring liquids from a supplying trough
or reservoir to bottles or other vessels, by means of the mechanical arrange-
ments herein-before described or any mere modification thereof.
Third, the system or mode of transferring liquids from one vessel to
another by means of the self-acting valvular siphon arrgement, as herein-
before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of bottling or supplying vessels with liquids by
means of a stationary valvular siphon tube or duct, which opens when the
empty bottle is applied thereto, and closes when the full one is withdrawn, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Clunes and John Macintosh,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS CLUNES.
(L.8.)
JOHN MACINTOSH. (L.s.)