Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Bottles and other Vessels.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Bottles and other Vessels.
I, JAMES LEWIS of 28, Westbourne Road, Penarth, in the County of Glamorgan,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for filling liquids from a
reservoir into bottles or other similar vessels. From the reservoir or cask
containing the liquid I attach to the tap a suitable pipe which I convey to my
apparatus, which can be fixed in any convenient position.
My improved apparatus consists principally of a glass or other cylinder of any
desired capacity, its dimensions being regulated by the capacity of the bottle to he
filled. To the top of my measuring cylinder, the before mentioned inlet pipe is
attached, communicating freely with a pipe extending to or near the bottom of the
cylinder the said bottom having in its centre a valve, the stem of which being
hollow, with orifices near the head of the valve, so that upon the valve being lifted,
these orifices are in communication with the interior of the cylinder and the hollow
stem, thus allowing the liquid to descend through these orifices and the hollow stem.
The top of the head of the valve when raised comes in contact with the bottom
of the inlet pipe, and thus closes the entrance of the liquid into the cylinder. In
order that the entrance of the liquid shall be stopped before the outlet is opened
into the stem, the head of the valve or seat is or may be elastic.
The hollow valve stem passes through the bottom of the cylinder, through a
suitable stuffing box. The end of the hollow spindle bas at its outlet a conical
elastic nipple, with a groove or opening to allow the air to pass out as the bottle is
being filled.
A spiral spring closes the valve downwards, when the bottle is released.
It will be seen that the liquid would not run out of the cylinder, unless air was
let in on the top of the liquid, and to provide for this, I place a non-return valve
or float at or near the top of the cylinder.
When it is necessary to fill a vessel with a large opening at the top, such as an
ordinary tumbler or cup I place at the lower end of the tubular valve stem, two
or more projecting arms, which may be made if necessary to swivel out of the way.
Dated this 31st day of October 1892.
PHILLIPS & LEIG¤,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Filling Bottles and other Vessels.
I, JAMES LEWIS, of 28, Westbourne Road, Penarth, in the County of Glamorgan,
Manufacturing Chemist, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for measuring and delivering
a given quantity of liquid into a bottle or similar vessel.
It consists essentially in the combination with a measuring vessel of a delivery
pipe and its valve, the latter adapted to open the former by being pushed up from
its seat by the bottle to be filled and to be shut down thereupon by a spring as the
bottle is being removed from the nozzle of the said pipe.
The said invention includes the combination with the measuring vessel of a pipe

page_text: adapted to deliver the liquid in question from the reservoir into the said vessel
through ports controlled by the valve above mentioned and an automatic valve
adapted to control the passage of air to and from the measuring vessel as well as to
close the latter against the overflow of liquid.
It is therefore specially adapted for use in bottling wines or spirits from the
wood into bottles, but is provided- with an attachment by means of which it can
be caused to deliver into a wide mouthed vessel such as a jar or a cup.
In order that the invention and the means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood, I will now describe it and them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the measuring apparatus empty. The liquid
valve is, therefore, down on its seat and the air valve open. The dotted lines
indicate the way in which the invention acts with either a jar or a bottle.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation illustrating a modified form of air valve.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
The measuring vessel is of any convenient shape and material. In point of
shape, I prefer that it should be cylindrical, and as to material, I prefer that it
should be of glass because that is transparent. The capacity of the measuring
vessel is the maximum quantity which it will deliver at one time of using. The
vessel illustrated consists of a cylinder a held between two discs a', a². Each of
these has turned in its face a circular groove a³ of a proper diameter to receive
the respective end of the cylinder as well as the necessary packing a'. The pair
of discs a', a' are held to the cylinder a by one or more ties. I prefer to make
use of the supply pipe by which the liquid is delivered into the vessel. is the
supply pipe in question. The bottom end of it is enlarged to make a chamber in
which the delivery valve can work and have its seat, and is provided with a flange b'.
The opposite end of the said tube is screwed into a socket which is a part of
the coupling to which is connected the pipe through which the liquid to be
measured flows into the measuring vessel. The discs a', a are each bored out
centrally to pass the respective ends of the pipe b, and the above mentioned parts
of the measuring vessel nre held together between the flange b' and the socket b².
The measuring vessel is held in a fixed position by any suitable device. It is
not shewn in the drawings, partly because it is not a part of the invention, and
partly because it may be modified, as to shape and kind, to any extent, as
circumstances may render necessary.
is the valve chamber already mentioned as provided by the enlargement of
the pipe b. The end of the pipe is the port through which the liquid flows into
the valve chamber. 6, 6 are ports in the side of the chamber. Their function is
two-fold, to pass liquid from the valve chamber into the measuring vessel, and the
same liquid afterwards from the latter through the said chamber to the delivery
pipe.
c is the valve. Its function is to close the port * and to open the ports in the
delivery pipe, alternately and vice versa. It has its seat upon a ring c¹ which is
screwed into the chamber 63. This ring and the valve c together (when the latter
is on its seat) close the bottom side of the said chamber. c is the delivery pipe.
It is, in fact, the hollow spindle of the valve c. c³, c³ are a series of ports in the
said pipe, near to the valve. is a stuffing box upon the opposite end of the
ring e¹. The lower and plain portion of the pipe or stem c³ works up and down
through it. is an annular chamber in the inner face of the ring c¹ facing the
port c
The opposite faces of the chamber 63 and the top of the valve e correspond in
respect of shape. Either face may be packed with an elastic substance such as
india-rubber or vulcanite. The drawing shews such a facing c upon the top of
the valve.
$. d is a nozzle on the end of the delivery pipe and aligned therewith. This
nozzle is preferably tapered, and has one or more vertical grooves d' cut in its

page_text: outer face to provide for the escape of air from the bottle which is being filled.
d³, d' are arms projecting radially from the nozzle d. They are provided for the
purpose of being engaged by the rim or the mouth of a jar or cup. is a spring
acting between the stuffing box and some fixed portion of the delivery pipe or nozzle
for the purpose of keeping the valve down upon its seat.
.
e is an air port. It is formed in the top of the measuring vessel. It is controlled
by an automatic valve e¹ which is adapted to work in a vertical direction only.
This valve is heavier than air, so that as the liquid falls in the measuring vessel it
follows it and admits air into the said vessel. It is lighter than the liquid, so that
as the latter rises in the measuring vessel, the valve will be closed by it up against
its seat e. Some device is necessary to prevent the valve dropping from its seat
into the vessel. I have shewn one consisting of a spindle e and a stopnut e*, but
any equivalent capable of preventing such dropping may be adopted.
If the valve c is opened suddenly, it is very probable that some of the liquid,
then standing in the measuring vessel, will be forced past the air valve e and
through the port e on to the disc a'. The modified form of air valve illustrated in
Figures 2 and 3 obviates the above mentioned probability.
fis the air valve, of the same specific gravity as the valve e. It is adapted to
rise and fall within a vertical tube f¹ which is screwed into the disc a', and through
which is the air port. This tube forms the body of the valve. are vertical
ridges upon the inner face of the valve body fl. These serve as guides for the
valve f, and also to provide intervening spaces, which form a part of the air port.
The top of the valve is, preferably, conical. Its seat, f³, is formed in the end of a
movable inverted cup which is supported at a short distance above the valve by
a ring adapted, in respect of its width, to rest upon a corresponding ledge formed
on the inner face of the valve body. f is the cap of the latter. A short play is
secured to the cup. This is indicated in Figure 2 by the cap stopping short
of the ring. The air port from the open air to the measuring vessel is through
the top of the cap faud through holes in the sides of the inverted cup
Assuming that liquid passed the valve, it would have to turn right and left
through the said holes into the cap and then back and upwards before it could
get on to the disc a'. Any liquid which might pass the cup, will flow back into
the measuring vessel as soon as the said cup lifts, because there is a clear way
between the ring and the valve body. The cavity of the valve body" must be
allowed for in adjusting the capacity of the measuring vessel.
The operation of my invention is as follows. When the liquid is turned on to
the pipe 6 from the reservoir, flows down it and through the chamber 63 and the
ports into the measuring vessel till the latter is filled. By the time that this has
been effected, the air valve e' has been closed. When it is seen that the vessel is
full, the bottle or jar destined to receive the measured quantity of liquid, is
pushed up against the nozzle d¹ or the arms d', as the case may be, with
sufficient force to lift the valve c off its seat c¹ and to make it close the port 6.
The liquid then in the measuring vessel flows through the ports, the chamber 68
and the ports into the discharge pipe, and down into the said bottle or jar.
When the latter has received all the said quantity of liquid, the bottle or jar is
removed from the nozzle, or the force with which it was pressed up against the
latter slackened, whereupon the spring will pull the valve e down upon its seat,
thereby closing the ports and opening the port . A fresh quantity of liquid
then fills the measuring vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of vessel of a definite capacity, a supply pipe adapted to
supply liquid into the said vessel, a port at the bottom end of the said pipe, a
delivery pipe from the bottom of the said vessel and a valve adapted to normally
hold the delivery pipe closed when in one terminal position and to open the latter

page_text: and close the port above mentioned when it is pushed off its seat into the other
terminal position, as set forth.
2. The combination of measuring vessel, supply pipe adapted to deliver liquid
into the said vessel at or near the bottom level thereof, a delivery pipe from the
bottom of the said vessel, their adjacent ends being axially aligned with each other,
ports in the said delivery pipe, a valve fixed on the head of the said delivery pipe
capable of motion between two terminal positions and adapted when in one to
hold the supply pipe closed and the delivery pipe open and vice versa, a spring
device for keeping the delivery pipe closed, and an automatic device adapted to
provide for the escape of air from the measuring vessel, for the re-entry of air into
it, and for its closure against the overflow of liquid, as set forth.
3. The combination with a measuring vessel, of a pipe adapted to supply liquid
to the said vessel, a chamber within the said vessel and being an extension of the
said pipe, a port being the end of the said pipe, ports in the side of the said
chamber, a delivery pipe from the bottom of the said chamber, a valve, fast to the
top of the said delivery pipe, adapted to close either the said end of the supply pipe
or the delivery pipe according to its terminal position, a stuffing box through which
the delivery pipe works and ports in the said delivery pipe adapted to open to the
said chamber, a spring adapted to keep the delivery pipe closed by the said valve, a
nozzle being the bottom end of the delivery pipe adapted to receive the pressure of
the bottle or jar to be filled, and an automatic device adapted to provide for the
escape of air from the measuring vessel, for the re-entry of air into it, and for its
closure against the overflow of liquid, as set forth.
4. The combination with a measuring vessel, of an automatic device adapted to
provide for the escape of air from the measuring vessel, for the re-entry of air into
it, and for its closure against the overflow of liquid, consisting of a hollow valve
body, a valve heavier than air but lighter than the liquid to be dealt with, a
moveable seat above the said valve, a cavity above the said seat capable of
receiving any liquid which may pass the valve seat, and angles in the direction of
the air port adapted to divert said liquid so as to prevent it from escaping from
the body of the device on to the outside of the latter, and a clearway for the return
of said liquid to the measuring vessel, as set forth.
D
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1000
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.