A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Drying Bottles and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct.. 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Drying Bottles
and the like.
We, ISAAC MITCHELL, of the Firm of John Mitchell and Sons, of Brockholes,
near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers and Machine Makers, and
THOMAS EDWARD DICKINSON, of Thunderbridge, Kirkburton, near Huddersfield
aforesaid, Brewers' Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the drying of beer, porter, mineral water and other
description of bottles and the like.
Our invention consists in drying bottles by means of warm or hot dry air, and
comprises a machine or apparatus for supplying the dry air to the interiors of
bottles with which the machine is charged, whereby they are dried perfectly
within a short space of time and can be used again soon after being cleansed,
thus effecting a considerable saving of time and cost over the present slow method
of drying bottles, and avoiding the necessity of keeping a large reserve of bottles
to take the place of those last used and washed.
In carrying out our invention, the machine or apparatus may consist of suit-
able framework or a casing or chest within which is a heater or coil or drying.
chamber of any suitable description for super-heating or drying air forced or
drawn therethrough. The means for forcing or drawing the air through the
heater, may comprise a pump, blower or the like situated within or without the
framework or chest of the machine. Atmospheric air enters the chest through
an opening and is first warmed by the heat radiating from the heater, it then
passes through the pump or blower, and enters the heater through which it
circulates and is further warmed and thoroughly dried.
a
table of
The temperature of the heater need not be greater than is essential to properly
dry the air as the dryness of the air is of more importance than its temperature.
The dry air makes its exit from the opposite side of the heater
and
passes into branch pipes each communicating with separate
a series of small bore tubes or nozzles.
supply pipe provided with
Above and covering the last named pipes is a platform or
wood or other suitable material having openings therein, concentric with the
tubes or nozzles, which project up through said openings. The bottles to be
dried, after being washed or cleansed are placed in an inverted position over the
series of tubes, which extend some distance into same, the necks of said bottles
passing through the openings in the table or cover, and the shoulders resting
against the upper ends thereof, indiarubber or other suitable substance or
material being provided if required to form a cushion or buffer to prevent fracture
of the bottles in introducing them to the machine.
The streams of warm or hot dry air are forced in constant currents through the
small bore tubes up into the inverted bottles in such a manner as to impinge
upon the closed end and the sides of the bottle and then pass out through the

page_text: necks of the bottles to the atmosphere, every portion of the interiors of the
bottles thus being acted upon by the dry air. If the bottles have been drained,
a few minutes will suffice to effectually dry them, consequently a large number
of bottles can be dried without loss of time and with no trouble, beyond charging
and discharging the machine. The tubes or nozzles may be separate from the
supply pipes and secured by glands which will allow for a little vertical move-
ment of the tubes. At the lower ends of the tubes are valves which are normally
closed by the pressure of the air within the supply pipes and by spiral springs and
prevent the egress of air, but when the bottles are passed over the tubes they
engage. and rest on collars or projections on said tubes, the weight thereof depress-
ing the tubes and opening the valves. The hot air is thus automatically shut off
when the bottles are removed and re-admitted through the tubes when the
bottles are placed thereon to be dried. The above arrangement of valves may
be modified.
We may form small lateral openings in the tubes near the lower ends of same,
so that jets of dry air may also impinge direct upon the necks of the bottles, this
being more particularly intended for bottles with screw threads in the neck
thereof.
Dated this 17th day of Nova 1000
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Office, Huddersfield, Agents for Applicants.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Drying Bottles
and the like.
We, ISAAC MITCHELL, of the Firm of John Mitchell and Sons, of Brockholes,
near Huddersfield, in the County of York, Engineers and Machine Makers, and
THOMAS EDWARD DICKINSON, of Thunderbridge, Kirkburton, near Huddersfield
aforesaid, Brewers' Manager, 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 the drying of beer, porter, mineral water and other
description of bottles and the like."
Our invention consists in drying bottles and the like by means of warm or hot
dry air, and comprises a machine or apparatus for supplying the dry air to the
interiors of bottles with which the machine is charged whereby they are dried
perfectly within a short space of time and can be used again soon after being
cleansed thus effecting a considerable saving of time and cost over the present
method of drying bottles and avoiding the necessity of keeping a large reserve
of bottles to take the place of those last used and washed.
In carrying out our invention, the machine or apparatus may consist of suitable
framework, or a casing or chest, within which is a heater or coil, or drying
chamber, of any suitable description for superheating or drying air forced or
drawn therethrough. The means for forcing or drawing air through the heater
may comprise a pump, blower, fan, or the like situated within or without the
framework or chest of the machine. Atmospheric air enters the chest or frame
through an opening or openings and is first warmed by the heat radiating from
the heater, then it passes through the blower or fan and enters the heater through
which it circulates and is further warmed and thoroughly dried.
The temperature of the heater need not be higher than is essential to properly
dry the air, as the dryness of the air is of more importance than its temperature.

page_text: The warm dry air makes its exit from the opposite side or end of the heater and
passes into branch pipes each communicating with a separate supply pipe pro-
vided with a series of small bore tubes or nozzles. Above and covering the last
named pipes, is a platform or table of wood or other suitable material, or metal,
having openings therein, concentric with the tubes or nozzles, which project up
through said openings. The bottles to be dried, after being washed or cleansed,
are placed in an inverted position over the series of tubes or nozzles which extend
some distance into same, the necks of said bottles passing through the openings
in the table or platform, and the shoulders resting against the upper ends or
edges thereof, which may or may not be covered with india-rubber, felt, or the
like to form cushions or buffers to prevent fracture of the bottles if dropped into
position in the machine. The streams or currents of warm or hot dry air are
forced through the small bore tubes or nozzles up into the inverted bottles in
such a manner as to impinge upon the closed ends and the sides of the bottles
and then pass out through the necks of same to the atmosphere, every portion
of the interiors of the bottles thus being acted upon by the dry air. If the bottles
have been previously drained, a few minutes will suffice to effectually dry them,
consequently a large number of bottles can be dried by the machine without
loss of time and with very little trouble. The tubes or nozzles may be separate
from the supply pipes and secured by glands which will allow for a little vertical
movement of the tubes. At the lower ends of the tubes are valves which are
normally closed by the pressure of the air within the supply pipes, and by spiral
springs, and prevent the egress of air; but when the bottles are passed over the
tubes or nozzles, they engage and rest on collars or projections on said tubes or
nozzles, the weight thereof depressing the tubes, and opening the valves. The
hot or warm dry air is thus automatically shut off when the bottles are removed
and readmitted through the tubes when the bottles are placed thereon to be dried.
In the accompanying drawings:.
-
Fig. 1 is longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of a machine embodying our
invention;
Fig. 2 is plan of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional detail hereafter referred to.
Referring to the drawings, letter A represents the framework of the machine;
B a heater or coil of any suitable description enclosed preferably within the
framework A; C a fan or blower coupled to one end of the heater B; Da box or
chest resting on or secured to the top of the framework, and extending over the
whole machine, said box or chest being coupled by pipe E to the heater B; Fa
series of small bore tubes or nozzles screwed into the top or upper side of the
box or chest D and communicating with the interior thereof; and G a wooden or
other suitable table or platform supported by the framework a short distance
above and commanding the whole area of the box or chest D and having formed
or bored through same a number of openings or holes H corresponding to the
tubes or nozzles F and opposite to and concentric with same, the diameters of
said openings being large enough to admit of a bottle neck passing freely through
same.
The bottles to be dried are placed on the machine in an inverted position
preferably, the necks of same being passed down over the tubes or nozzles F and
through the openings H in table G, against the upper ends or edges of which
said openings the shoulders of the bottles rest, and thereby support the bottles
in a vertical position concentrically with the tubes or nozzles F and therefore
clear of all contact with same.
Having charged the machine with the full complement of bottles as above set
forth, motion is communicated to the fan C, which forces atmospheric air into
and through the heater B in circulating through which it is thoroughly dried.
The temperature of the heater need not be higher than is essential to properly
dry the air, as the dryness of the air is of more importance than its temperature.
From the heater, the warm or hot dry air is forced directly through pipe E into