IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FILLING AND CORKING BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Clarke, of Canterbury, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FILLING
AND CORKING BOTTLES AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Clarke at the Office
"IM-
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th November 1877.
FRANCIS CLARKE, of Canterbury, in the County of Kent, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FILLING AND CORKING BOTTLES AND OTHER
VESSELS."
These improvements relate to the general arrangement and construction of
machines for filling bottles and other vessels with fluids, more particularly those of
a gaseous or aërated nature.
The improved machine is applicable more especially to the filling bottles in
which the stopper is contained within the bottle.
The machine consists of a metal stand of convenient height fitted with an internal
ratchet and spring arrangement connected with a projecting foot presser or treadle.
The upper part of the stand carries a chamber for receiving the bottle to be
filled, which chamber is fitted with a swinging arrangement, so that the bottle may
be instantly inverted when filled to the proper height.
The chamber is fitted at the upper part with an india-rubber ball valve, pressure
tap, and operating handle, which fills the bottle and turns it over.
The tap is connected to the upper part of the hollow swing frame with the source
of supply passing through the centre.
The tubular bearings of the frame are carried in a bracket extending up from the
back of the machine, and the parts are so arranged as to admit of the bottle being

page_text: instantly reversed in position and so cause the stopper to be forced into the neck of
the bottle.
In filling, the bottle is raised to the mouth of the pressure tap by the action of the
foot presser, and when inverted it may be liberated from the machine with the
utmost facility and rapidity.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Francis Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May
1878.
"IM-
FRANCIS CLARKE, of Canterbury in the County of Kent, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FILLING AND CORKING BOTTLES AND OTHER
VESSELS.'
These improvements relate to the general arrangement and construction of
machines for filling bottles with fluids, more particularly those of a gaseous or
aërated nature.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, and if desired
carried into practical effect, I will now proceed to describe the same more par-
ticularly, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon. Similar letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation of one arrangement of my improved filling machine
adapted for all kinds of internal stoppered bottles.
The operating parts of the machine are carried upon a hollow iron column A sup-
ported upon tripod feet. A bolt and nut is passed through the vertical rib or
feather of one of the feet, and this serves as a pivot on which the treadle B works.
The inner end of the treadle extends beneath the lower open end of the column A,
where it is jointed to a vertical rod C, indicated by the dotted lines. The upper end
of the rod Ċ terminates in a small table or lift Ď. This part when raised by the
action of the treadle comes in contact with the lower end of the sliding spindle E,
carrying at its upper end the concave table F on which the bottle to be filled is
held during the operation of filling.
The spindle E has a vertical ratchet in it at one side, the teeth of which point
downwards, so that it readily rises in the upward direction when actuated from the
treadle, but when lifted to the required height it is held and there retained by the
external spring G, which is carried on a pin in the bent arm of the supply or
charging tube H. This tube terminates at its lower extremity in a boss or collar
through which the spindle E passes, and moves vertically therein.
The charging tube is hollow only from the centre and through the upper portion.
At the centre the tube is prolonged in a lateral direction, forming a hollow spindle,
which is a tubular bearing I fitted on the vertical arm K of the column A. The
free end of the hollow spindle is connected by a suitable stuffing box to the pipe L
which is in connection with the soda water machine. The upper free end of the

page_text: charging tube H is fitted with a spring valve chamber M; in the lower part of which
a conical india-rubber collar is arranged to receive the neck of the bottle and hold
it gas-tight therein.
The spring valve contained in M is actuated by the handle N, which when
depressed by the operator permits the flow of aërated water into the bottle beneath,
whilst the air contained therein escapes through the india-rubber tube O, which
opens just within the conical collar referred to. A copper guard P is fixed to the
table F to protect the operator during the filling.
The operation of filling is effected with this machine with extreme rapidity. A
sharp depression of the handle N admits the aërated water, the bottle is inverted by
turning the charging tube H upon its axis by means of the handle. As the half
turn is completed the end of the spring-valve spindle is brought lightly into contact
with the edge of the column A; this is sufficient to allow a very slight escape of gas,
so that the internal stopper falls readily into its place in the neck and the contents
are securely sealed. The filled bottle is swung back to its first position, in doing
which the operator brings the spring G lightly in contact with the stop Q; this
presses back the spring, the ratchet is liberated, and the bottle is loose in the
operator's hand.
The arrangement shewn in Figure 2 shews the foregoing machine combined with
a syrup pump for filling bottles with sweetened beverages. Here the soda water
portion of the apparatus is precisely as before described. The syrup is conveyed
from the tank by the india-rubber tube R, which is sufficiently long to permit of
the free movement of the charging tube. The tube R is connected to a stop-cock S
which opens into the valve chamber T; this is made of a capacity to contain two
charges of syrup, and the valves are double acting, so that as one division of the
chamber is discharging the syrup into the bottle the other is receiving it from the
tank. The compound action of the valves is regulated by the duplex lever handle U,
which is linked to the valve spindle of the syrup filler and to the soda water
supply. The required quantity of syrup to be admitted is regulated by an adjusting
screw V which adjusts the length of the valve stroke. The bottle is first
charged with the syrup and then with the aërated water, the reversing action for
bringing the internal stopper into position being the same as that herein-before
described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I consider to
be novel and therefore claim as my Invention is,―
First. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts forming
the machine for filling internal stoppered bottles with aërated fluids, substantially
as herein-before described, and shewn in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification of the said arrangement.
Secondly. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts
forming the aërated water filling machine combined with an adjustable syrup pump,
substantially as herein-before described, and shewn in Figure 2 of the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Clarke, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
FRANCIS CLARKE. (L.S.)