Improvements in Machinery for Filling Bottles with Aërated Liquids.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 15th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Filling Bottles with Aërated
Liquids.
I, FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works, Eagle Wharf Road, Hoxton in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in machinery for filling bottles with aërated
liquids relates more particularly to power machines for filling internally stoppered
bottles in which a bottle is placed in the machine by an operator and is then
automatically and successively, as it makes a complete revolution round a central
shaft, pressed and retained against a perforated sealing pad, charged with syrup, filled
with aerated liquid, snifted and released from the sealing pad, when it can be
exchanged for an empty bottle which in turn passes through the same cycle of
operations; but parts of the invention are applicable to machines for filling other
bottles and has for its object to simplify the construction of the machine whilst
increasing its capacity.
In a machine constructed according to this invention two filling heads provided
with perforated rubber sealing pads to receive bottle mouths in the usual way are
fixed diametrically opposite one another on one end of a shaft and each com-
municates with a separate channel formed in the shaft and automatically connected
at the proper times by the rotation of the shaft with the syrup pump and with the
aerated liquid supply. The bottle holders slide upon arms extending from the
horizontal shaft and are pressed towards the shaft by springs bearing against caps
on the outer extremities of the arms and are withdrawn by means of a fixed cam
acting on rollers attached to the holders.
a
The bottles are charged with syrup from a double acting pump operated by
ram or eccentric on the shaft, the top and bottom of the pump cylinder being
connected through the usual suction valves to the supply of syrup and through
delivery valves to the passages in the shaft leading to the filling heads, one head
being thus connected to the top of the pump cylinder and the other to the bottom.
In order to vary the charge of syrup the cam or eccentric is made adjustable on
the shaft, the eccentric being provided with an elongated hole through which the
shaft passes and being secured to a slotted arm on the shaft by a bolt passing
through the slot.
The horizontal shaft is driven by suitable gearing.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Filling Bottles with Aërated
Liquids.
We, WILLIAM LEWIS WHITE of 85 Gresham Street in the City of London,
Accountant, and JOHN BORGNIS ADAMS of 86 Cazenove Road Stoke Newington
in the County of Middlesex, Gentlemen, Executors of Frederick Foster deceased,
late of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County of Middlesex
Engineer, 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 for improvements in machinery for filling bottles with aerated

page_text: liquids relates more particularly to power.machines for filling internally-stoppered
bottles, in which the bottle is placed in the machine by an operator and is then
automatically and successively, as it makes a complete revolution, round a central
shaft, pressed and retained against a perforated sealing pad, charged with syrup,
filled with aerated liquid, snifted and released from the sealing pad, when it can be
exchanged for an empty bottle which in turn passes through the same cycle of
operations; but parts of the invention are applicable to machines for filling other
bottles and has for its object to simplify the construction of the machine,, besides
increasing its capacity.
In a machine constructed according to this invention, two filling heads provided
with perforated rubber sealing pads to receive hottle mouths in the usual way are
fixed diametrically opposite one another on one end of a shaft, and each com-
municates with a separate channel formed in the shaft and automatically connected
at the proper times by the rotation of the shaft with the syrup pump and with the
aerated liquid supply. The bottle-holders slide upon arms extending from the
horizontal shaft and are pressed towards the shaft by springs bearing against caps
on the outer extremities of the arms and are withdrawn by means of a fixed cam
acting on rollers attached to the holders.
The bottles are charged with syrup from a syrup pump operated by cams upon
the shaft. In order to simplify the construction of the machine, we prefer to
employ a single-acting pump in place of the double-acting pump described in the
Provisional Specification. It will be understood that such a pump will have to
make just twice as many strokes as the double-acting pump referred to. The
arrangement of cams is therefore such that this may be the case. The horizontal
shaft is driven by suitable gearing.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
effect, we have appended hereunto three sheets of drawings illustrative of the same.
Of these,
Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, are respectively front and back elevations, and Fig. 3,
Sheet 2, a side elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a plan of the automatic bottle guard in two positions.
Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is a longitudinal section of the shaft and valve box on same.
Fig. 6 is a section taken at the line x-x on Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a section at the line y-y, Fig. 5.
d
Fig. 8 is an elevation of the back chamber or valve box, and Fig. 9 a section of
the same.
An
As shown in the drawings, a machine constructed according to this invention
consists of a rotating shaft or trunnion a carrying at one end two diametrically
opposite filling heads b, b¹ provided with perforated elastic cushions or sealing
pads c, c to receive the bottle mouths in the usual way, secured in position by
means of bell-shaped nuts d, d¹ the flaring mouths of which constitute conical
guides for the entrance of the mouths of the bottles. These guides are cut
away on one side as shown to allow of the ready insertion of the bottle.
annular groove e, e¹ formed in the centre of each filling head communicates with
a passage f, frunning longitudinally through the spindle a.
Of these passages
there are two f, f' one for each filling head, which extend parallel to each other
to the end of the spindle a furthest from the filling heads b, b'. The spindle a
is supported in suitable bearings upon the frame of the machine, and at its rear
end bears against the back chamber or valve box 9, which is pressed tightly
against same by means of a setscrew /. The face of this valve box against which
the end of the shaft a rotates is faced with a discj of leather or other suitable
material that will make a tight joint between the two parts a .and g. The face
of the chamberg is provided with two diametrically opposite openings, each
communicating with a separate passage; one of these is in communication with
the syrup inlet, and the other with the inlet for aerated water. It will be seen
that, by reason of the disposition of the before-mentioned passages, as the spindle a
revolves, each filling head is alternately placed in communication with the syrup

page_text: and the aerated water, communication being completely shut off during the period
intervening between such alternate communications. In order to increase the
duration of such communications, the disc j is provided with two slots m, m²
curved so as to lie in the path of the passages ff. It will be seen that the
time during which communication is maintained between the filling heads and the
supplies of syrup and aerated water is controlled by the length of the slots m, m³.
The syrup inlet is provided with a valve n opening inwards against a spring, so
that the aerated water may not pass through into the syrup pump. To relieve the
passages of the liquid remaining therein at the time of the closing of the bottle,
we employ a small pipe p, the inner end of which enters a slot cut in the
periphery of the disc; and extends inward sufficiently to lie within the path of the
passages ff. Every time a bottle is completely filled, the passage for fl
communicating with the inside of the bottle comes opposite the end of the pipe p,
which, communicating directly with the atmosphere, allows of the escape of the
liquid contained in the passage. It will be readily seen that the end of the
pipe p, resting within the slot in the periphery of the disc j, acts as a stop and
serves to retain the same in position and prevent its rotation with the spindle a.
The valve box is provided with a lug which, resting against a projection on the
frame, prevents its rotation.
The bottles are pressed against the sealing pads c, c¹ by adjustable cups or
platforms carried on spring-seated carriages or cradles r arranged to slide to
and from the spindle a upon rods or arms s projecting laterally from the side of
the same.
The springs acting against the crossheads u,tend to maintain the
carriages and with them the supporting cups or platforms q against the bottle, .
and so maintain the same in contact with the sealing pads, the springs t only
yielding to slight inequalities in the length of the bottles, and not to the pressure
of the liquid. The carriages r are each provided with an anti-friction roller v
running, as the spindle a rotates, over a stationary cam w. This movement over
the cam serves to give the carriages ran outward movement against the action of
the springs t, this withdrawing of the bottle supports 9 allowing of the withdrawal
of a filled bottle and the insertion of an empty one every time each carriage comes
into a certain position.
To shield the bottle during the operation of filling so that in the event of a
bottle bursting the pieces of broken glass may not be scattered to the injury of
the operator and others, we pivot upon one of each pair of rods s a shield or
guard which is normally maintained close around the space to be occupied by
the bottle by means of a spring or other suitable device. An arm or finger y is
made to extend beyond the pivot upon which the shield or guard works, and come
in contact once in every revolution with a stationary cam surface, by which it is
turned upon its pivot and the guard oscillated upon the same to expose the bottle
and allow of its removal and the substitution of an empty one. The action of
this part of the invention will be readily understood from an inspection of
Figs. 3 and 4.
The spindle a is continuously revolved by means of gearing shown, the belt
pulley being thrown in and out of gear by means of a clutch operated by a treadle.
The drawings show this so clearly that a further description of this part of the
invention is unnecessary.
The syrup is injected into the bottle through the passages already described by
means of a single-acting pump 1, the piston of which is caused to act twice for
every revolution of the spindle a. The piston rod 2 is connected to a plate 3
arranged to move vertically between suitable guides, and slotted to permit of the
passage of the spindle a through the same. To the lower end of one side of the
plate 3 is attached an anti-friction roller 4, and to the upper end of the other side
of the said plate is also attached an anti-friction roller 5, but in this case mounted
upon an adjustable block 6. Upon the spindle a, where it lies within the slotted
plate 3, is secured a sleeve 7 having four radially extending arms arranged in pairs
lying at right angles to each other, the two arms of each pair being in a line with

page_text: one another; one pair lying on each side of the slotted plate 3. When the
adjustable block 6 is lowered so that the wheel 5 lies within the path of one of the
pairs of radial arms, the rotation of the spindle a causes the said arms to come into
contact with the wheel and give an upward movement to the plate, thereby ejecting
one charge of syrup into the bottle through the pipe shown in the drawings.
One quarter revolution of the spindle a brings one arm of one pair of radial arms
into contact with the anti-friction roller 4, thereby depressing the plate 3 and
drawing in a further charge of syrup, to be injected at the next quarter of a
revolution, when the other one of the first pair of radial arms will come into
operation. It will thus be seen that one pair of radial arms injects the syrup into
the bottle, and the other pair recharges the pump. The stroke of the pump, and
consequently the amount of syrup discharged at each operation, depends upon the
position of the block 6, which may be adjusted to throw a full charge or any
portion of a full charge of syrup. When it is not required to syrup the bottles,
this block may be secured in its uppermost position out of the path of the radial
arms, when the piston will remain stationary at the end of its stroke, notwith-
standing the rotation of the spindle a.
The form of snift used with this appliance is what is known as a
continuous
snift "that is to say, communication is continuously maintained with the
atmosphere through a small passage; this is shown at Figs. 5 and 6. A perforated
screw plug 8 is inserted in this passage, the exterior of which is covered by a sort
of baffle plate 9, which deflects any moisture passing outwards. The snift is
regulated by a screw. valve 10, as will be readily understood from an inspection of
Fig. 6. In the event of the snift passages becoming choked or clogged, the
perforated screw 8 may be removed, and the cleaning of the passages thereby
greatly facilitated. By the adjustment of the said perforated screw, the snift may
be to an extent adjusted, as it is found that the extent to which the outer end of
this screw projects into the mouth of the bottle considerably influences the snifting
operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A power filling machine for internally-stoppered bottles, consisting of a rotating
spindle provided with two diametrically opposite filling heads, communicating, by
means of passages through the body of the spindle itself, with a valve box or
chamber, in combination with a single-acting syrup pump operated twice in every
revolution of the spindle by means of cams carried thereon; the whole being
provided with bottle supports and guards operated by means of stationary cams,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth and described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of November A.D. 1893.
J. W. CHALONER,
26, Eagle Wharf Road, London, N., Agent for Applicants.