Improvements in or Relating to Machines for Washing and Cleansing Bottles and Similar Vessels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or Relating to Machines for Washing and Cleansing
Bottles and Similar Vessels.
I, GEORGES CHARLES LAPOINTE, of 9, Rue St. Sébastien, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
In this invention the motor mechanism acts on a pulley which transmits move-
ment to a central screw shaft by means of toothed wheels, causing it periodically
to rotate; this principal shaft is provided on part of its surface with two oppositely
inclined screw-threads, to raise to a certain height and then to lower automatically
into their original position the bottles or vessels operated upon, at the same time
utilising the rotation of the non-screw threaded part of the vertical screw shaft to
drive at a greater speed the brush holding tubes of each cleaner.
The frame is designated to receive four or other number of brush-holding
devices; for this purpose the sleeves arranged on the top of the respective shafts
have passing through them movable tubes communicating with pumps arranged
in the water supply tank. These tubes are also carried vertically at their lower
ends in sleeves.
The necks of the bottles rest in cups and their bottoms are guided and held in
place by conical cups. The latter consist of metallic rings having above them
hinged bars the width of which corresponds to the thickness of one of the branches
of a disc secured to a central tube surrounding the central screw, so that by means
of helical springs attached to the central tube and to the branches of the disc the
bottles are securely held during the cleansing.
The bottles being thus secured the machine is started in the following manner.
The pulley continually rotates, a small coupling branch is moved by hand to
permit a pin to be raised by its helical spring, whereby a horizontal rod will be
disengaged and moved outwards by its spring to couple the pulley with the driving
shaft by means of its clutch device and the machine begins to work; by the
rotation a bevel toothed wheel on the driving shaft transmitting its rotary movement
to a bevelled pinion keyed on the lower end of the central vertical screw shaft which
has a right-handed screw thread on which moves from bottom to top a finger nut
which automatically returns to its original position by means of a left-hand screw
thread on the same shaft. A plate may be employed to cover this nut.
During the working of the machine, the large wheel on the end of the central
shaft drives the small pinions which are keyed on the brush tubes, so that the
brush holders connected thereto are rotating at a great speed, as well as the tube
going down to the pumps arranged in the water filling the tank. A fixed tube
covers the central screw shaft.
When the parts return into their original position a lower plate and a lever
automatically press the before mentioned pin which enters the end of the tube and

page_text: effects the disengagement of the claw-coupling and stops the rotation of the parts,
the pulley continuing to rotate.
The upward movement of the device is subdivided into two parts:
(1) That performed at the start when the brushes begin to scrub the bottom of
the bottles, a place as a rule very difficult to clean, for this purpose there is pro-
vided on the central screw shaft a slow-pitched thread so that the-bottles-are at
first raised very slowly.
..
(2) As soon as the nut reaches the portions with a quicker pitch, the rising and
the descent take place in a more rapid manner, until the nut returns to the
portion with the slow pitched thread, the brushes rubbing energetically against the
bottom of their respective bottles during said period.
The bottles are removed by raising their upper retaining bars and in order to
enable the brushes to enter their tubular sheaths two small springs slightly further
apart than the diameter of the neck of the bottle are arranged so that by vertically
removing the bottles the latter draws up the sheaths over the brush and so forms
all the branches of the brush into a small bundle.
Dated this 6th day of May 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or Relating to Machines for Washing and Cleansing
Bottles and Similar Vessels.
I, GEORGES CHARLES LAPOINTE, of 9, Rue St. Sébastien, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, 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 washing and cleansing bottles and similar
vessels.
In this invention the prime motor-mechanism acts on a pulley which transmits
movement to a central screw shaft by means of toothed wheels, causing it to rotate;
this principal shaft is provided on part of its surface with two oppositely inclined
screw-threads so as to raise to a certain height and then to lower automatically
into their original position the bottles or vessels operated upon, at the same time
utilising the rotation of the non-screw-threaded part of the vertical screw shaft to
drive at a greater speed the brush-holding tubes of each cleaner..
Figure is an outside elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2a plan of the bottle-support.
Figure 3 a central longitudinal section.
Figure 4 is a section on line 1-2 of Figure 3.
Figure shows the spring for assisting in throwing the apparatus out of gear.
Figure 6 shows the position of the starting lever when the bottle-support is in
the position Figure 3, and
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing how small bottles may be placed in the
apparatus.
The frame a (Figure 1) is destined to receive 4 (or other number of) brush-
holding devices for this purpose the sleeves bb b2 63 (Figures 1 and 3) are arranged
on the top of their respective shafts communicating with pumps arranged at the
bottom of the water supply tank d. The bottles are secured in place as follows:
.
-
The neck of the bottle, say e rests in; a conical cup f (Figures 1 and 2), the
position of which is adjustable and the bottom of each bottle is guided and held in
!

page_text: place by means of a bracket provided with three branches forming a conical cup g
(Figure 1). Each bracket is hinged to a sleeve i secured to the central tube
(Figures 1 and 3), the brackets being also provided with springs j, which are
attached at their other ends to the central tube, and tending to draw the brackets
downwards, and so hold the bottles securely during the cleansing operation.
The bottles being thus secured, the machine is started in the following manner:
The pulley continually rotates, a small coupling lever (Figures 1 and 4) is
moved by hand to disengage its end from a stop m secured to a gear wheel n.
The coupling mechanism causes the hook-end of the lever / to release the movable
key o' on a shaft o. This key o (Figure 6) is then moved in the direction of the
arrow (Figure 3) by a spring p mounted on the bevel-wheel pl (Figures 3 and 5),
and enters a recess in the pulley (Figure 3) and thus couples the driving pulley k
with the shaft o. At this moment the machine begins to work: The bevel-
wheel transmitting its rotary movement to a bevelled pinion g keyed on the
lower end of the central vertical screw shaft h, which has a right-handed screw-
thread (Figure 3) on which moves from bottom to top a finger or pin
(Figure 3) which automatically returns to its original position (Figure 1) by
means of a left-handed screw-thread on the same spindle. A plate may be
employed to cover this finger h³. Figure 1 shows the position of the bottle carried
at starting, and Figure 3 shows its position just after it has commenced its upward
movement.
During the working of the machine, the large wheel r on the end of the central
shaft h drives the small pinions sslkeyed on the tubes of the pumps, to which
are also secured the brush tubes bb, so that the brush-holders connected
thereto are rotating at a great speed, as well as the tubes cc cc extending down
to the pumps arranged in the water tank, so that when the water ascends the
bottles are simultaneously washed and rinsed.
When the bottle support returns to its original position (Figure.1) on the frame a
the following automatic stopping mechanism comes into operation after a deter-
mined number of revolutions of the shaft h have taken place. A finger on the
shaft h engages at each revolution with a tooth of the toothed wheel n (Figures 3, 4,
and 6), so that after the disengagement of the lever the cam or stop m rotates
with the wheel n and finally returns to its position, Figure 4, and the lever / is
thus automatically raised and stops the machine, the pulley continuing to rotate.
The upward movement of the bottle-carrier is subdivided into two parts.
The bottles are removed by raising their upper retaining brackets jg etc., and
in order to enable the brushes to enter their tubular sheaths, each is
provided with two small springs uu arranged slightly farther apart than the
diameter of the neck of the bottle, so that by vertically removing the bottles the
sheaths are drawn over the brushes & and so confine thein in a small bundle.
In order to make the bottle-support suitable for any bottles, the following
arrangement is employed.
The cups ffff and their movable supports f* are secured by a screw v to
slides h (Figure 2) graduated for pint bottles, half bottles etc., (Figure 2). If it
is desired to secure quickly say a half bottle, the support f is raised up to a
suitable division and the screw tightened. Then the sleeve i is lowered till it
touches the bottom of this half-bottle, and secured in place, and the apparatus is
ready to work. Rods r are provided for carrying the sheaths etc (Figures I
and 3) whereby the brush can be enclosed at the end of the upward movement of
the half-bottle. The rod r when descending brings the sheath back into its
original position, and the brush is again ready to act.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. An apparatus for washing and rinsing bottles and similar vessels characterised

page_text: by a screw-shaft rotatably mounted in a frame and carrying the bottle support
and provided with right and left hand screw-threads, on which moves a pin as h5,
secured to the enclosing telescopic tube secured to the bottle support, consisting
of a series of neck and bottom holders as c and g, sleeve as i so that during the
rotation of the main shaft, the bottle support is alternately raised and lowered,
rotating brushes being inserted in the bottles for the purpose of washing and
rinsing them with water from a suitable reservoir, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for washing and rinsing bottles and similar vessels of the
character described, an automatic stopping device operating after a predetermined
number of revolutions of the main shaft, comprising a finger rotating a pinion #
provided with a cam m, adapted to cooperate with the hooked end of the lever l
to stops the rotation of shaft o, whilst the pulley & continuing to rotate, substantially
as described.
3. Means for regulating the cups of the bottle carrier whereby any size bottles
may be held for washing and rinsing, comprising an adjustable support secured to
the lower carrier and means for regulating the position of the upper sleeve i sub-
stantially as described.
4. The combination of a rod a forming a movable sliding sheath-support par-
taking in the movements of the vessel to be washed, so as to enable the brushes
to be inserted and adjusted substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
apparatus for use in washing & rinsing bottles and similar vessels, substantially
as described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Datad this 12th dox of Lonnory ISOS
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.