IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE WASHERS
Year: 1880

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Adolphus Clark, of Frith Street, Soho, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE WASHERS."
A communication from abroad by Gustavus Davis Dows, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphus Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1880.
ADOLPHUS CLARK, of Frith Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE WASHERS." [A communication from abroad by
Gustavus Davis Dows, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
The Invention communicated to me relates to a machine for washing the interior
of bottles, and it consists in the use of a revolving brush or scraper consisting
essentially of a hollow hub or shaft, having a pair of spring arms and an elastic
flexible connecting tie, made preferably of india rubber, moulded and provided with
sockets to receive the ends of the spring arms, and having its outer surface
corrugated or composed of a series of projecting ribs, such construction adapted to
be compressed so as to enter the mouth of the bottle, and to expand automatically
as it reaches the enlarged part of the bottle, so as to act upon all parts of the inner
surface of the walls of the bottle in combination with a means of automatically
supplying water to the interior of the bottle.
It further consists in a hollow shaft adapted to convey water to the interior of
the bottle and mounted in suitable bearings, in which it may be revolved at a high
rate of speed by means of a pulley affixed thereon, and a belt leading from it to
any suitable driving-shaft, and a spring-supported brush or scraper secured to the
end of the said hollow shaft and extending a short distance beyond, and adapted to
revolve at the discharge end of the said hollow shaft.
It further consists in the combination with the said water-supply shaft or pipe
and a compressible revolving brush or scraper, both adapted to enter the interior
of a bottle, of a sleeve provided with a funnel-shaped mouth mounted loosely upon
the brush-carrying shaft in a position to encompass the said brush or scraper, and
compress it to a suitable size to enter the mouth of the bottle, and adapted to be

page_text: moved endwise on the said shaft to uncover the brush or scraper by placing the
nozzle of the bottle in the funnel-shaped mouth of the said sleeve, and applying
force to the bottle to move it onto the brush in line with the axis of motion of the
said brush.
It further consists in the combination with a water supply shaft or pipe and a
compressible revolving brush of a revolving sleeve encompassing the revolving
brush or scraper and the discharge end of the water supply shaft, and adapted to
be moved endwise in one direction by the movement of the bottle in the act of
introducing the brush or scraper into the said bottle, and in the other direction by
means of a spring or equivalent self-acting device, a valve for controlling the flow
of water through the said shaft or pipe, and means adapted to open the said valve
when the bottle is forced onto the brush or scraper. A pan may be placed under
the brush to catch any drippings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Adolphus Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
January 1881.
"
ADOLPHUS CLARK, of Frith Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE WASHERS." A communication from abroad by
Gustavus Davis Dows, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
The Invention communicated to me relates to a machine for washing the interior
of bottles, and it consists in the use of a revolving brush or scraper consisting
essentially of a hollow hub or shaft, having a pair of spring arms and an elastic
flexible connecting tie, made preferably of india rubber, moulded and provided
with sockets to receive the ends of the spring arms, and having its outer surface
corrugated or composed of a series of projecting ribs, such construction adapted to
be compressed so as to enter the mouth of the bottle and to expand automatically
as it reaches the enlarged part of the bottle, so as to act upon all parts of the
inner surface of the walls of the bottle in combination with a means of automatically
supplying water to the interior of the bottle.
It further consists in a hollow shaft adapted to convey water to the interior of
the bottle and mounted in suitable bearings, in which it may be revolved at a high
rate of speed by means of a pulley affixed thereon, and a belt leading from it to
any suitable driving shaft, and the spring-supported brush or scraper secured to
the end of the said hollow shaft and extending a short distance beyond, and adapted
to revolve at the discharge end of the said hollow shaft.
It further consists in the combination with the said hollow water supply shaft or
pipe and the compressible revolving brush or scraper, both adapted to enter the
interior of a bottle; of a sleeve provided with a funnel shaped mouth working
loosely upon the brush carrying shaft in a position to encompass the said brush or
scraper, and compress it to a suitable size to enter the mouth of the bottle, and
adapted to be moved end wise on the said shaft to uncover the brush or scraper by
placing the nozzle of the bottle in the funnel-shaped mouth of the said sleeve, and
applying force to the bottle to move it onto the brush in line with the axis of
motion of the said brush.
It further consists in the combination with the revolving water supply shaft or
pipe and the compressible revolving brush, of a sleeve encompassing the said
revolving sleeve and brush or scraper and the discharge end of the water supply
shaft, and adapted to be moved endwise in one direction by the movement of the
bottle in the act of introducing the brush or scraper into the said bottle, and in the
other direction by means of a spring or springs, or equivalent self-acting device,
a valve or cock for controlling the flow of water through the said shaft or pipe, and
means adapted to open the said valve or cock when the bottle is forced onto the
brush or scraper. A pan may be placed under the brush to catch any drippings.
But to make the Invention communicated to me better understood I will now
proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan of a bottle washing machine constructed according to this
Invention, the parts being in their normal position; Figure 2 is a plan of the
machine shewing the parts in the position they occupy in washing a bottle;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2; Figure 4, enlorged sectional view of the
funnel shaped end of the sleeves; and Figure 5 is an elevation on a larger scale of
a modification of the brush or scraper adapted for the cleaning of a champagne
bottle, or bottle whose bottom projects upwards into the interior of the bottle;
Figures 6 and 7, detached views of the brush employed for cleaning flat bottomed
bottles.

page_text: A is a bench or table, of suitable height for convenient operation, on which the
machine is fixed; B, B, are standards, provided with suitable bearings, in which is
mounted the tubular or hollow shaft C, having firmly secured thereon a pulley D,
by means of which and a suitable belt leading thereto from any suitable driving-
shaft (not shewn in the Drawing) rotary motion may be imparted thereto.
To the front end of the shaft C is screwed the brush or scraper composed of the
tubular hub a, spring arms b, b, and the elastic and flexible connecting tie 0; the
brush, properly so called, is made preferably of rubber, moulded and provided with
sockets to receive the ends of the spring arms b, b, as shewn in Figures 2 and 5,
and also having its outer surface corrugated or composed of a series of projecting
ribs c², c¹, as shewn in Figures 3, 6, and 7.
The opposite end of the hollow revolving shaft C is provided with the valve or
cock E, which receives the water at e by a connection from any suitable supply;
on the spindle f of the valve or cock E is fitted the cranked lever F, G, the end of
the shorter arm F being connected by means of the spring H to the end of one of
the standards B for the purpose hereinafter described. On the top of the
standards B, B, are formed or fixed guides I, I, I, I, in which slide the rods J, J,
one on each side of and parallel with the hollow revolving shaft C, the said rods J, J,
being connected at the ends by the cross pieces K, K¹, so as to form a moveable
frame; the cross piece K of the frame is provided with a stud or tappet L, which,
when the machine is in its normal position, presses against the arm G of the crank
lever so as to keep the cock E closed, as shewn in Figure 1; M, M, are springs for
carrying back the frame into the position shewn in Figure 1.
N is the outer sleeve having a funnel-shaped mouth, such sleeve sliding upon the
shaft C, and being fixed to the cross piece K' of the moveable frame so as to move
with it.
Within the funnel-shaped mouth of the sleeve N is another sleeve k, of
corresponding shape, so connected thereto that it may revolve with the brush or
scraper at times, while the sleeve N cannot revolve. Both sleeves move endwise
together when the bottle is presented to the action of the brush.
The inner sleeve k is designed to revolve with the brush when the bottle is
removed, and the water is shut off to prevent unnecessary wear to the brush; O is
a set screw to hold the inner sleeve within the outer sleeve and to allow of its
removal when required; Q is a hand wheel for starting the machine; R is the pan
for receiving the waste water or drippings from the bottle.
In the modification, shewn in Figure 5, the brush is made so that it, with the
rubber tie c, may fit down into the annular ring in the bottom of the bottle and
act upon all parts of the conical inward projection of the said bottle bottom without
subjecting the rubber scraper to too great a strain.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The machine being set in motion, and the mouth of a bottle P being inserted
into the funnel-shaped mouth of the sleeves N and k, and the bottle pressed forward,
the moveable frame will be moved from the position it occupies in Figure 1 to that
shewn in Figure 2; the sleeves N and k, in sliding over the hollow shaft C uncover
the brush or scraper fixed, as hereinbefore described, on the end of the said shaft,
and the said brush enters the bottle; at the same time the arm G of the cranked
lever, being relieved from the pressure of the stud or tappet L of the moveable
frame, the cock E is opened by the spring H pulling the shorter arm F of the
cranked lever, and the water will flow through the hollow revolving shaft C, and
pass into the bottle. As the bottle continues to be pushed forward the tension of
the spring arms b, b, causes the brush to expand to adapt it to the varying diameter
of the interior of the bottle and cause the corrugated outer surfaces of the socket
portions of the brush or scraper to rub against the inner surfaces of the bottle.
When the bottle, after being washed, is removed from the machine, the springs M, M,
acting on the sliding frame, will carry the parts back until they assume the position
shewn in Figure 1, the valve or cock E being closed and the supply of water being
cut off, thus preventing waste of water, until it is desired to wash another bottle,.

page_text: when the herein before described operation is repeated, and so on for each bottle to
be washed.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the best means
with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would have it
understood that what is claimed and intended to be protected by the heroin in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. A brush or scraper for cleaning the interior of bottles, composed of a
tubular hub or shaft, spring arms, and a flexible tie connecting said spring arms,
mado of rubber or other suitable elastic material, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
Secondly. A brush or scraper for cleansing the interior of bottles by being
revolved therein, composed essentially of a hollow hub or shaft, spring arms, a
flexible and elastic tie and rubbing-pads, constructed and combined substantially as
described for the purposes specified.
Thirdly. The rubbing pads and tie formed of rubber, and having their working-
faces corrugated or provided with a series of ribs, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
Fourthly. The combination in a bottle washer of a hollow revolving shaft or
water-supply pipe, a funnel-shaped sleeve adapted to slide on the said revolving
pipe, a brush or scraper attached to the end of said pipe and adapted to revolve
therewith and to be compressed to enter the neck of the bottle and to expand to
the largest interior diameter of the bottle, and a sleeve revolving within the said
funnel shaped sleeve, and surrounding and enclosing the brush and adapted to be
moved with the said funnel mouthed sleeve endwise on the said revolving shaft, to
uncover the brush, and to be revolved with the said shaft by frictional contact
with the brush, or be prevented from revolving by frictional contact with the neck
of the bottle, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifthly. The combination in a bottle-washer of a revolving hollow shaft or
water-supply pipe, a cock or valve, a cranked lever, the funnel shaped sleeve
adapted to slide on the revolving shaft, the compressible brush or scraper attached
to and adapted to be revolved with the said shaft, the two funnel mouthed sleeves
arranged one within the other and concentric with the shaft, and adapted to be
moved endwise together, as set forth, and the moveable frame, all arranged and
adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolphus Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury,
London.
ADOLPHUS CLARK. (L.S.)