Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles with Aërated Water and Delivering them into Boxes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles with Aërated Water
and Delivering them into Boxes.
I ROBERT LUKE HOWARD of Luton in the County of Bedford, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention I employ a horizontal or nearly horizontal revolving
cylinder or frame which is constructed to receive one or more bottles to be filled and
stoppered with internal stopper such for instance as that known as Codd's Globe
Stopper. The bottle or bottles are held between a bottle rest and a mouth piece in
such a position that the axis of the bottle is angular to that of the revolving cylinder.
As the cylinder revolves each bottle assumes a position in which the mouth and the
bottom are successively uppermost for filling and for stoppering respectively, without
altering its position on the revolving cylinder. The position of the bottle may be such
that its axis converges to the axis of the revolving cylinder or so that its axis crosses
the axis of the revolving cylinder. To ensure the tight closing of the stopper without
undue waste of gas I provide for rapidly drawing back the bottle rest so that the
month of the bottle is released and drops. The syrup pump may be arranged at one
end of the revolving cylinder and be worked by a cam therefrom. The valves and
passages for the syrup and the aërated water may be arranged in a manner analogous
to that of the so-called Mac Donell Bottling Machine.
Each bottle after being filled and stoppered is released by the return motion of the
bottle rest and falls into a suitably inclined shoot which leads to a distributor bencath
which the box or case to be filled travels. The box or case is mounted upon a carriage
which is actuated by an intermittent feed motion. The distributor consists of a
rotating table which receives an intermittent motion and upon which channels are
provided. Each channel in its turn (as the distributor is rotated) comes opposite to
and forms a continuation of the above mentioned shoot. These channels are of
graduated lengths to suit the respective positions of the compartments in the box or
case to be filled. The channels are equal in number to the compartments in one
transverse row of the box or case, that is, equal to one transverse row at right angles
to the direction in which the box or case travels. One channel on the distributor

page_text: delivers the bottle into the first compartment of the transverse row of the box, another
channel delivers the bottle into the second compartment and so on, thus one revolution
of the distributor fills one transverse row of the compartments in the box, after which
the latter is moved forward automatically thus bringing the next transverse row of
compartments underneath the distributor to be filled in like manner and so on. Each
channel on the distributor is pivotted so that when the bottle has nearly reached the
end of its sliding travel therein the channel, turns on its axis and tips the bottle into
its respective compartment.
The whole of the motions for the shoot, distributor and traveller or endless band are
derived from the bottling part of the machine.

page_text: improvements in Machines for Filling bottles with Aerated water
and Delivering them into Boxes.
I, ROBERT LUKE HOWARD of Luton, in the County of Bedford, 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
ate ment
According to this invention I employ a horizontal or nearly horizontal revolving
cylinder or frame which is constructed to receive one or more bottles to be filled and
stoppered with internal stoppers such for instance as that known as Codd's Globe Stopper.
The bottle or bottles are held between a bottle rest and a mouth piece in such a position
that the axis of the bottle is angular to that of the revolving cylinder. The position of
the bottle may be such that its axis converges to the axis of the revolving cylinder, or so
that its axis crosses the axis of the revolving cylinder at a right angle or any less angle.
As the cylinder revolves each bottle assumes a position in which the mouth and the
bottom are successively uppermost for filling and for stoppering respectively without
altering its position on the revolving cylinder. To ensure the tight closing of the
stopper without undue waste of gas I provide for rapidly drawing back the bottle rest
so that the mouth of the bottle is released and drops. The syrup pump may be
arranged at one end of the revolving cylinder and be worked by a cam therefrom.
The valves and passages for the syrup and the acrated water may be arranged in-a
manner analogous to that of the so-called Macdonell Bottling Machine.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one mode
of carrying this part of my invention into effect, Figure 1 being a side view of a three
bottle machine for filling with aerated liquid bottles which are stoppered with internal
stopper, Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section and Figure 3 a vertical cross section
on line X, X, Figure 2.
The frames A A of the machine are provided with horizontal bearings A¹ for the
cylinder 13 to revolve in. This latter is cast hollow for the sake of lightness and is
made to revolve by means of worm wheel 131, worm B2 and endless strap on a strap
pulley on the shaft of the worm B. B³ is a lever for throwing the strap from the
loose to the fast pulley and vice versa in the well known manner. There are three
bottle rests which are jointed onto three circumferentially equidistant brackets (
that are bolted onto the cylinder B and thus partake of its rotation. Each bottle
rest C has a bowl or roller C³ which works in a cam groove D' on a hollow boss or
socket D that is bolted onto one of the frames A. There are also three mouth
pieces E which correspond to the three bottle rests C and are screwed onto faces on
the cylinder B. The bottles are held each between a bottle rest C and a mouth
piece E in such a position that the axis of the bottle F is angular to that of the
revolving cylinder B. The position of the bottle F may be such that its axis
converges to the axis of the cylinder and so in revolving describes the frustrum
of a cone or it may cross the axis of the cylinder B so that in revolving the two ends

page_text: describe circles of equal diameter as in the arrangement in Figures 1, 2 and 3 or it
may describe circles lying in one plane the latter being the case when the axis of the
bottle is at right angles to the axis of the cylinder as in the second arrangement
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 or its position may be intermediate between these positions. As
the cylinder revolves each bottle F assumes a position in which the mouth and the
bottom are successively uppermost for filling and for stoppering respectively that is to
say in the arrangement shown in Drawing Figures 1, 2 and 3 at the front and back
of the machine without altering its position on the cylinder B. While the bottle is at
the top and at the bottom it is in a horizontal position. In the arrangement in which
the axis of the bottle converges to the axis of the cylinder, the bottle will be in a
horizontal position when at the sides and with the mouth and bottom successively
uppermost when at the top and bottom respectively. To ensure the tight closing of
the stopper without undue waste of gas I provide the cam groove D¹ for rapidly
drawing back the jointed bottle rest C the bowl C³ on the rest C working in the cam
groove D so that the mouth of the bottle is released at the proper place and time and
that end of the bottle drops. The cam groove 11 may be so formed as to provide for
two slight withdrawals of the bottle rest C for the purpose of "sniftingas is well
known in bottling machines. G is the syrup pump in this case arranged at one end
of the cylinder B and worked by a cam path H formed thereon; G is a bowl or
roller working in the cam path H and fitted on a guided rod G which is formed with
an eye that takes onto the syrup pump piston rod. This latter has collars against
which the eye works and which can be shifted for adjusting the stroke of the pump as
required. I and K are two flanges on a ring which by means of studs A are bolted
to the frame A. To the flange K are screw clamped a suitable number of heads or
buttons K and to the flange I are also screw-clamped a suitable number of heads or
buttons 1 these heads can be shifted round in any required position. The heads K¹
serve to open the admission valves by coming in contact with heads on their spindles.
The heads similarly serve to open the snift valves by coming in contact with heads
on their spindles. The flange I has also a recessed part 1 Figure 3 in one part of its
circumference. This recessed cam part serves to open the syrup valve which is
actuated by the same lever as the shift valve. The three sets of valve appliances
shewn in Figure 3 are by pipes connected to the inlets O and P in the head which
is fixed centrally in the interior part of the cylinder B. The arrangement of the
valves and passages for the syrup and the aërated liquid is analogous to that of the
so-called Macdonell Bottling machine and need therefore not be described.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through a bottling machine in which the
bottles are arranged tangentially around the revolving cylinder the axis of the bottle
being at right angles to the axis of the cylinder. Figure 5 an end view partly in
section showing three bottles thus arranged. Figure 6 is a vertical cross section on
line XX Figure 4 showing the cam arrangement for moving the bottle rests and
figure 7 a side view of a bottle rest and the cam moved lever for working it. The
machine is mounted on one frame only.
The cylinder B in this case revolves in a bearing A¹ on the framing A of the
machine. It is revolved by means of a worm wheel B₁ fixed on the cylinder B and
caused to rotate by a worm B2 and an endless driving strap on the shaft of the
latter.
The stationary cam sleeve D is in this case cast in one with the frame A of the
machine. The cylinder B is cast in one with the three arms which by transverse
bolis c are connected to three similar arms 02 on a loose sleeve C to which the three
bell crank lever bottle rests C C are pivotted by the studs c¹. The rests CC¹¹ are
moved by the bowls C³ which work in the cam groove D¹ in the sleeve D).
These bell crank lever bottle rests CC consist by preference of two parts C and C
working independently in the stud c¹ and connected by means of the spring C which
allows the part C to adjust itself to the length of the bottle without crushing it
while (completes the stroke communicated by the roller C³ from the cam path D¹.
C Figure 7 is a trough or support acting as a guide to the operator in putting in the
bottle.

page_text: These three mouthpieces E with their valve boxes e are secured to the arms C¹ on
the cylinder B. As the cylinder revolves each bottle F will successively have its
mouth and bottom uppermost respectively for filling and stoppering. On the
stationary sleeve D is fixed a ring with two flanges K and I on which are clamped in
the required positions heads or buttons K' and I which serve to operate the admission
valves and the snift valves. a (Figure 4) is the central aerated water supply pipe the
end of which through a cupleather enters the head b. The latter revolves in the cam
disc H which by a bracket not shown on the drawing is fixed to the frame A.
a a are pipes which convey the aërated water through the centre of the cylinder B
to the head d and thence by three radial outlets o and pipes to the valve boxes e on the
mouth piece E.
G is the syrup pump the piston rod of which is actuated by bell crank lever G²
with bowl G working in stationary cam H. is the central syrup inlet pipe, which
through a cupleather enters the end of the revolving syrup pump G.
་
Each bottle after being filled and stoppered is released by the return motion of the
bottle rest and may by preference fall into a suitably inclined shoot which leads to a
distributor beneath which the box or case to be filled travels. The box or case is
mounted upon a carriage which is actuated by an intermittent feed motion.
The distributor consists of a rotating table or box which receives an intermittent
motion and upon which channels are provided. Each channel in its turn (as the
distributor is rotated) comes opposite to and forms a continuation of the above
mentioned shoot. These channels are of graduated lengths to suit the respective
positions of the compartments in the box or case to be filled. The channels are equal
in number to the compartments in one transverse row of the box or case, that is--
equal to one transverse row at right angles to the direction in which the box or case
travels. One channel on the distributor delivers the bottle into the first compartment
of the transverse row in the hox-another channel delivers the bottle into the second
compartment and so on, thus one revolution of the distributor fills one transverse row
of the compartiments in the box after which the latter is moved forward automatically
thus bringing the next transverse row of compartments underneath the distributor to
be filled in like manner and so on.
Each channel on the distributor may be pivotted so that when the bottle has nearly
reached the end of its sliding travel therein the channel turns on its axis and tips the
bottle into its respective compartment, but by giving the distributor a suitable
inclination and providing each channel with a stop at its lower end I can dispense
with the channel pivotting arrangement.
The whole of the motions for the shoot, distributor and traveller or endless band are
derived from the bottling part of the machine.
Figure 8 is a side view of the outline of the bottling machine Figures 1, 2 and 3
and showing partly in section the bottle delivering apparatus in connection therewith;
Figure 9 is an end view.of the latter. The same delivering apparatus can be used in
connection with the machine shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 but it would be placed at
right angles thereto and not in length continuation and it would be driven by different
wheel or other gearing.
On the end of the main shaft of the revolving cylinder B of the bottling machine
Figures 1, 2 and 3 is fixed a bevel wheel R that gears with a bevel pinion S the boss
of which latter revolves in a bearing not shown on the drawing and is provided with
disc S¹ for a crank pin onto which takes a connecting rod S². The latter communicates
intermittent motion by the pawl lever S³ and pawl S to the pawl wheel T provided with
four teeth (or other suitable number). The pawl wheel T is fixed on the distributor U
which is a square box or shoot, each corner forming a channel. Each channel in its
turn (as the distributor is rotated) comes opposite to and forms a continuation of the
above mentioned shoot shown here at T¹. These four channels are of graduated length
as shown at U1, U2 and U³ (three out of the four) to suit the respective positions of the
four rows of compartments of the box or case V to be filled. This latter contains four
such rows of compartments, or room for 16 bottles, one in each compartment. T is an
arm on the pawl wheel T. Once in each revolution of the latter this arin comes in contact

page_text: with one of four spokes X on a wheel X¹, the spindle X of which carries a sprocket
wheel which by an endless chain Y¹ or traveller is connected to the pulley Y². The
chain has tappets Z which coming in contact with the box V propel the latter
forward transversely one fourth of its width by each motion. The various acting
parts are so timed or arranged that each such motion takes place after one row of
compartments in the box V has been filled with bottles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A machine for continuously and automatically filling with aërated water
and stoppering bottles with internal stopper consisting mainly of a cylinder or frame
in which the bottle or bottles in a more or less angular position to the axis of the
cylinder is or are held each between a movable bottle rest and a mouthpiece fixed onto
the cylinder the bottles being revolved with the cylinder in such manner that cach
bottle assumes a position on the frame in which the mouth and the bottom successively
is uppermost for filling and for stoppering the bottle rest and the valves for filling,
snifting and syruping being automatically operated substantially as set forth.
Second. A machine for automatically delivering bottles from the bottling machine
and delivering same into a box or basket consisting mainly of a revolving distributor
with channels of unequal length and of a box having compartments and receiving
periodically lengthwise and transverse motion substantially as set forth.
Third. The constructions of bottling machine shown and described.
Fourth. The construction of the machine for placing the bottles in boxes as shown
and described.
Fifth. The combined bottling and bottle delivering machine shown and described.
Data : ....
11000