IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND BOTTLING LIQUIDS DIRECT FROM THE CASK OR OTHER VESSEL
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Hepplestone at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th February 1881.
JOHN HEPPLESTONE, of Sheffield, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND BOTTLING LIQUIDS DIRECT FROM THE CASK OR
OTHER VESSEL."
My Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for measuring and bottling
ale, wine, spirits, and other liquids, such liquors or liquids being drawn direct from
the cask or other vessel and passed through the measure to the bottle without
being exposed to the air, and the objects of my Invention are, first, expedition in
measuring and bottling; second, non-exposure of the liquids to the air during the
process.
Thirdly, simplicity of construction in apparatus to perform the above objects.
In carrying out my Invention as applied to a machine for measuring and bottling
one bottle at a time, for example, the apparatus may be attached to a tapping cock
and supported by the cask, or it may be a distinct machine and connected by a
pipe to the cask, in which case I provide a suitable frame to carry the measuring
vessel and the bottle to be filled. A double-way cock opens the communication
between the cask and the measure when in one position, and when reversed by a
quarter turn opens the communication between the measure and the nozzil, at the
same time closing the communication with the cask, the ports being so arranged
that there is at no time a through communication.
The measuring vessel is by preference made of glass having the top dome shaped
and provided with a small central opening; the bottom opening of the glass is
closed by resting upon an elastic washer supported by a circular base plate having
openings connected directly with the twoway cock; it is firmly secured to the base
plate by means of a rod passing through the opening at the top and screwing into
the baseplate, a screw and elastic washer closing up the top opening.
Air is admitted to and expelled from the measure as it is filled or emptied
by means of an escape valve fixed at the top of the interior of a short tube placed
over the measure and connected with the beforementioned rod, through which
openings are formed so as to connect the valve with the interior of the measure.

page_text: A cork or other suitable float is placed in the tube below the valve which is
vertical and is provided with a guide pin which can be actuated by the cork or
other float, the valve seat being over the valve and covered by a cap in which are
holes for the exit and admission of air.
The normal position of the escape valve is when it is open.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Being connected with the cask and
the lever of the twoway cock moved to the stop, the communication is mado
between the cask and the measure which at once fills with the liquid, the air being
expelled through the escape valve; when the liquid enters the valve tube it raises
the cork or other float, bringing it in contact with and lifting the pin of the valve
which is immediately closed, and thus prevents any escape of the liquid. The
bottle being in position the operator reverses the lever which closes the com.
munication with the cask and opens that from the measure to the bottle, the cork
or other float sinking with the liquid releases the valve which drops by gravitation
and admits the required amount of air. The cock lever is then moved into the
first position which again fills the measure, the operations being repeated as often
as required.
In an apparatus required to fill a number of bottles the supply pipe from the
cask is connected with a horizontal pipe or receiver carried by the framework of
the apparatus, and to which a series of measures as before described are attached
at regular intervals. A continuous travelling table passes under the measures in
such a position as to carry forward trays or bins of bottles so arranged in the bins
The trays may
that a bottle shall pass exactly under the nozzil of each measure.
be made to contain one or more rows of bottles.
A lever which may be arranged to be operated either by hand or foot is made to
elevate the bottles when under the nozzils of the measures and is connected to the
levers of the twoway cocks of the series of measures, so that the whole series of
bottles may be then raised and filled by one movement of the lever. The lever may
be also connected with the traversing movement of the table so as to actuato all the
movements simultaneously, but if desired the table may be moved independently
by an index wheel or other mechanical equivalent.
A corking machine or a series of corking machines may be fixed at the back of
the apparatus so that both operations may proceed together. The glass measures
may be readily removed from their base plates and changed for others of a different
capacity without disturbing the other parts of the apparatus.