IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE CLOSING OF BOTTLES WITH! SCREW STOPPERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL ELSTON KELK CAPPS of 19 Clifton Crescent, Asylum Road, Peckham
in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE CLOSING OF BOTTLES WITH!
SCREW STOPPERS " to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to facilitate the screwing down of screw
stoppers and for closing the mouths of bottles-and is applicable more especially.
for serowing in the stoppers of bottles now commonly used for bottling beer.
For this purpose I employ a hollow cup or chuck lined with india rubber or
other soft elastic material and carried by the lower end of a spindlo which is
mounted in bearings carried by an upright standard.
At a distance below the cup or chuck is a noveable table for the foot or punt of
the bottle to be placed on this table can be raised by the depression of a treadle.
On the spindle is a pulley with two grooves and a strap or band is wound
around and secured to the circumference of each groove. One band is wound in
one direction and the other band in the opposite direction-one band is led down-
wards over a guide pulley to a treadle and the other is led downwards over.
another guide pulley and has a weight attached to it.
The man who is seated on a scat carried by the frame of the machine can depress
one treadle with one foot and the other with the other foot so that his hands are
left quite free to place the bottles which are to be closed into the machine and to
receive them when closed.
The screw stoppers are first placed loosely into the mouths of the bottles. Each
bottle is then placed by the man who is working the machine on to the moveablo
table and by depressing one of the treadles with one foot he causes the table to
rise and so to force the head of the bottle with the stopper loosely placed in it
into the hollow cup or chuck-by the depression of the other treadle he then causes
the cup or chuck to revolve and screw in the screw stopper. Afterwards he relieves
both treadles from pressure: the table with the bottle resting upon it then descends
away from the chuck and the bottle can be removed-whilst the chuck is turned
back to its former position by the action of the counterbalance weights.
Dated this 7th day of June 1884.

page_text: I SAMUEL ELSTON KELK CAPPS of 19 Clifton Crescent Asylum Road Peckham
in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE CLOSING OF BOTTLES WITHI
SCREW STOPPERS and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
"
This Invention has for its object to facilitate the screwing down of screw stoppers
used for closing the mouths of bottles-and is applicable more especially for
screwing in the stoppers of bottles now commonly used for bottling beer.
For this purpose I employ a cup or chuck lined or faced with india rubber or it
might be wood or other comparatively soft elastic material and carried by the
lower end of a spindle which is mounted in bearings carried by an upright
standard.
At a distance below the cup or chuck is a moveable table for the foot or punt of
the bottle to be placed on-this table can be raised by the depression of a treadle..
The spindle can bo caused to rotate either continuously, or intermittently as
desired.
The screw stoppers are first placed loosely into the mouths of the bottles. Each
bottle is then placed by the man who is working the machine on to the moveable
table and by the depression of a treadle with one foot he causes the table to rise
and so to force the head of the stopper up to the chuck. The head of the stopper
is then taken hold of by the chuck and the rotation of the chuck screws the
stopper into the bottle. Afterwards the man allows the table with the bottlo
resting upon it to descend away from the chuck and the bottle can then be
removed.
The drawings annexed show examples of machines constructed in accordance
with my Invention.
In the machine shown at Figures 1 and 2 the hollow cup or chuck is revolved
by the depression of a treadle. In the machine shown at Figure 3 it is caused to.
revolve by hand, and at Figures 4 and 5 it is made to rovolve continuously by
power, such power being conveyed by a cord or band from any driving wheel or
pulley.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the hollow cup or chuck lined or faced with india rubber
or such like soft elastic material or it might be with a disc of wood according to
the material the stopper is made of. Tho chuck is carried on the lower end of a
spindle B which is mounted in bearings carried by the upright C which forms part
of the frame of the machine.
D is a pulley fixed upon the spindle B it has two grooves formed around it.
One groove has a strap or band E secured to it, this band is led over a guide
pulley F and then downwards to a treadle G. The other groove has a strap or
band H secured to it this band is led over a guide pulley I and has a counterbalance
weight attached to it. The bands are wound with one or two turns in opposite
directions around the pulley so that the depression of the treadle will cause the
pulley to revolve in one direction whilst the counterbalance weight when free to
descend will revolve it in the opposite direction.
The way in which I prefer to construct the chuck and to secure a lining or
facing of vulcanized india rubber within it is shown in section and full size at
Figure 6. At Figure 7 I have shown the way in which I prefer to construct the
chuck when a facing of wood or such like material is used.

page_text: J is a moveable table situated below the chuck its upper surface is covered with
vulcanized india rubber cork or other suitable material. Jare rods descending
from the table J to a lever arm K. This lover arm is connected by a chain with
one arm of a lever L whilst the opposite arm of this lever is connected by another
chain with the end of a treadle M so that when the treadlo is depressed the table J
shall be raised.
The man who is to work the machine seats himself on the seat N with one leg
on either side of it and with one foot resting on one treadle and the other foot on
the other treadle so that by depressing one foot he can raise the table J and by
depressing the other he can rotate the chuck.
When the man by depressing one treadle has caused the head of the screw
stopper of a bottle to be pressed into the chuck he then causes the chuck to rotate
by depressing the other treadle.
In the construction shown at Figure 3 the chuck in place of being revolved at
the required time by the depression of a treadle is revolved by turning a crank
handle G fast on the axis of the pulley F from the circumference of which a strap
passes to one of the grooves of the pulloy D whilst another strap passes from the
other groove of this pulley over a guide pulley L to a counterbalance weight or by
a handle or wheel direct on top of spindle B.
In the construction shown at Figure 4 the chuck is caused to revolve con-
tinuously-its axis being driven by gear or friction wheels from a short axis O
which is driven continuously by an endless driving belt working over a belt
pulley P fast upon it.
In the construction shown at Figure 5 the chuck is made to revolve continuously
by an endless band or cord passing over grooved pulleys.
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
First. The construction of apparatus to facilitate the closing of bottles having
screw stoppers with a cup or chuck capable of being revolved and of taking hold of
and turning the head of the screw stopper and with a moveable table which can be
pressed against the foot or punt of the bottle to press the head of the stopper into
the cup or chuck substantially as described.
Second. The construction of apparatus to facilitate the closing of bottles having
screw stoppers substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed.