Improvements in or appertaining to Funnels or Fillers.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Funnels or Fillers.
I HENRY GILBERT JAMES of Sunnyside, Corsham, near Chippenham, Wilts
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 :-
The object of the present invention is to provide a funnel or filler with means
which will indicate when the vessel being filled is full or nearly so, and further to
so construct and arrange the said funnel or filler that the flow of liquid therefrom
will be automatically arrested by the act of removing the same from the vessel
being filled.
According to my invention I suspend a float beneath the outlet of the funnel or
filler, said float being secured to the lower extremity of a light rod or wire which
passes up through a suitable guide or guides in the funnel or filler and is furnished
at its upper end with a light disc or other suitably shaped easily seen indicator
whereby any movement of the said rod or wire and attached float may be readily
followed by the eye. The said float must possess sufficient buoyancy to overcome
the weight of and to lift the said rod and indicator and I find a convenient float to
consist of a hollow cylinder of aluminium, of which metal I also prefer to construct
the rod and indicator although any other suitable material may be employed.
In filling any vessel by means of a funnel or filler provided with a float and
indicator as above described the float will be elevated by the rise of the liquid in
such vessel and the consequent rise of the indicator will warn the operator when
the vessel is sufficiently full. In order to prevent the descending liquid from
impinging upon the float and thus preventing the steady rise thereof I prefer to
enclose the said float, or the upper portion thereof, within a suitable protecting
chamber or tube conveniently secured to the filler, around the sides of which
chamber the descending liquid flows. The said protecting chamber, which will
be formed with an opening or openings at or near the lower part thereof to
permit the rising liquid to lift the float, will also serve to protect the float from
injury.
When filling such vessels as bottles however, in which the rise of the liquid
when it reaches the narrow neck is very rapid, the warning given by the indicator
would be of little use unless convenient means were also provided for instantly
shutting off the further flow of liquid from the funnel or filler immediately upon
receipt of such warning. I therefore construct the funnel or filler with a valve
which is caused to automatically close the outlet thereof by the act of removing
the filler from the vessel, and to automatically open the said outlet by the act of
inserting the filler in a vessel. Thus by simply lifting the funnel or filler the
instant the indicator shews that the proper amount of liquid has passed through,
the further flow of liquid will immediately be arrested and any surplus remaining
in the filler will be retained therein and can be transferred to the next vessel to
be filled.
A funnel or filler constructed with an indicating float and automatic valve as
above set forth will be found especially useful when filling non-transparent or
opaque vessels such as wine or beer bottles, casks, tins, jars, and the like in which
the height of the liquid contents cannot be seen and which consequently are liable
to be overfilled thus causing waste which my invention entirely avoids.
In some cases, as when filling transparent vessels for instance in which the

page_text: height of the liquid contents can be readily seen I may dispense with the float
and indicator, which will not then be required, and retain the automatic
valve only.
I will now proceed to fully describe a funnel or filler constructed so as to embody
my invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar
letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a funnel or filler provided with a
float and indicator and automatic valve in accordance with my invention, the valve
being represented as closed.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of Figure 1 the automatic valve being represented
as open.
Figure 3 is a part sectional side elevation illustrating a funnel or filler provided
with the automatic valve only, the float and indicator being dispensed with.
Figure 4 is a part sectional side elevation of a funnel or filler provided with a
slightly modified arrangement of automatic valve.
Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
a is the head of the funnel or filler and b is the outlet pipe thereof suitably
secured thereto. is a tubular sleeve forming a continuation of the outlet pipe b
and telescopically arranged so as to slide freely thereon. c is a horizontal supporting
flange encircling the tubular sleeve which flange rests upon the edges of the
aperture in the vessel to be filled (as upon the rim of a bottle neck A for example
see Figure 2). c¹ are grooves or notches in the underside of flange c which permit
the exit of air from said vessel. d is a float, consisting of a hollow closed cylinder
of aluminium secured to the lower end of the light rod or wire e. g is a cylindrical
protecting chamber or tube, open at the bottom, within which the float d is capable
of sliding freely. The said protecting chamber or tube g is here shewn as secured
to the tubular sleeve b¹ by means of the short fingers 6 formed thereon having
between them openings for the escape of the liquid as indicated by the arrows.
The chief object of this protecting chamber or tube gas before explained is to
prevent the descending liquid from impinging upon the float d. f is a tube leading
upwards from the top of the protecting chamber g through the centre of the funuel a
and serving as a protecting guide for the wire e. The said tube should terminate
as shewn above the top of the funnel so as to prevent any liquid from passing down
it into the chamber or tube g. is a light disc or knob of aluminium or other
suitable material secured to the upper end of the wire e and serving as an indicator
i is a
by which the movement of the float d may be readily followed by the eye.
valve firmly secured around the tube f which serves as the spindle thereof. is
a valve scat for the valve i formed in the top of the outlet pipe b. are
dependent fingers formed around the valve i for maintaining the same central in
regard to the valve seat i¹.
When the funnel or filler is inserted in any vessel to be filled (in a bottle A for
example as shewn in Figure 2) the weight of the head or upper part a thereof will
cause the outlet tube to descend its tubular sleeve 6' and thus the valve seat i¹
will be moved away from the valve i which permits the liquor introduced into the
funnel a to pass into the bottle through the tube and its telescopic extension b²,
as indicated by the arrows. When the liquid in the bottle reaches a sufficient
height it will commence to gradually lift the float d and the consequent movement
of the indicator will give warning to the operator who the moment the indicator
rises to the height which indicates the bottle to be sufficiently full (which height
can easily be ascertained by an experimental trial) will lift and remove the funnel
or filler, this will obviously cause the tube to be withdrawn to its full extent from
its sleeve and will consequently bring the valve seat and valve i together and
instantly arrest the further flow of liquid from the funnel or filler, which can then
if desired be transferred to another bottle without loss of any surplus liquid it may
contain.
In Figure 3 which represents a funnel or filler for transparent vessels the
valve i is mounted on a short valve spindle f¹ secured to the sleeve b¹ by the

page_text: radial arms and the float and indicator with their appurtenances are dispensed
with.
Figure 4 illustrates a modified construction of valve, the same being inverted
and arranged to close the lower end of the tubular sleeve b' in lieu of the upper
end of the outlet tube b. The dotted lines illustrate how the tube f may be
substituted for the short spindle f' should it be desired to combine the float and
indicator with this modified arrangement of valve.
I prefer however the arrangement of valve illustrated in Figure 3.
Although I prefer to employ my automatic valve in conjunction with the float
and indicator as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings yet at the same time
it is not always absolutely necessary to do so, especially when filling large vessels
(such as casks for example) in which the liquid riscs comparatively slowly, since in
this case it would probably generally suffice to simply discontinue the supply to the
funnel or filler upon receipt of warning from the indicator; I therefore wish it to
be understood that I may if desired employ the float and indicator without the
automatic valve. It is clear also that the apparatus might be somewhat varied or
modified in constructional detail without in any way departing from the spirit of
my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In combination with a funnel or filler, a float suspended beneath the outlet
thereof and an indicator following the movement of said float substantially as and
for the purpose described.
2. In combination, a funnel or filler, a float suspended beneath the outlet thereof
and connected with an indicator, and a protecting chamber or tube enclosing said
float, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In combination with a funnel or filler, a tubular sleeve telescopically arranged
upon the outlet pipe thereof, and a valve opened and closed by the insertion or
withdrawal of the outlet pipe into or from said sleeve, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
4. In a funnel or filler, in combination, a valve arranged and operated as
described in preceding claim, and a float and indicator, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
5. In combination, the funnel or filler a having outlet pipe b, float & connected
with indicator h by the wire e passing through a guide or guides in the funnel or
filler, and the protecting chamber g substantially as described and illustrated.
6. A funnel or filler provided with an automatic valve constructed and arranged
substantially as described with reference to and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of
the drawings.
7. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, constituting
improvements in funnels or fillers, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 5th do of In1901