Improvements in Bottle-filling Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-filling Machines.
I, WILLIAM MILES FOWLER of Stamford in the County of Fairfield and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in bottle-filling machines, in which one or
more discharging tubes arranged to enter the neck or necks of bottles is or are
provided with means for automatically shutting off the discharge when the liquid
reaches a predetermined height within the bottle or bottles.
My invention is more particularly directed to means for cutting off the air
escape at variable heights, means for ensuring the free escape of the air from within
the bottle without liability of becoming choked from the passage of liquid through
the air vent, means for supporting the disc which closes the mouth of the bottle
and for adjusting it relatively to the point of discharge, means for determining the
height of the liquid in the distributing reservoir and preventing it from entering
the air vent tubes from the fillers, and means for feeding bottles successively
beneath the filling tubes.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a view of the machine in perspective;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section from front to rear;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section through one of the filling tubes, and
the portion of the distributing reservoir in proximity thereto.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in detail, of the float and valve for closing the exit of
air from the distributing reservoir;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in detail of the dog for feeding the bottle-supporting
carriage, and means for throwing it into and out of engagement with the rack bar
on said carriage;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section through a filler and distributing reservoir
of modified form, shewing the filler closed;
Fig. 8 is a transverse section through the same, on line 8-8 of Figure 7;
Fig. 9 is a view in transverse section, on line 9-9 of Fig. 7;
Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the said modified form of filler, showing it
in the neck of a bottle and open; and
Fig. 11 is a partial vertical section taken longitudinally through the reservoir
shewn in Fig. 7, and through the float chamber for controlling the inlet of the
liquid.
The form of supporting frame which I have chosen at present for mounting the
operating parts of the machine consists of a table A supported upon legs a and
standards B, B', uprising from two opposite sides of the table A.
The bottle-
On the table A there is mounted a bottle-supporting carriage C for conveying
the bottles in banks successively to beneath a range of fillers D.
supporting carriage C has imparted to it a step-by-step movement as follows:-
A rack bar e is secured to, and extends along, the under side of the carriage.
A dog E, provided with a mouth e for the reception of one of the teeth of the rack
bar c, is pivotted, as at e', to a clip e fixed to a piston rod F. The piston rod F carries
a piston working within a cylinder' fixed to the supporting frame, and provided

page_text: with an air vent fat its end, to serve as a dash-pot to relieve the shock caused by
the stopping of the advance movement of the table. The clip 2 is provided with a
slot e³, within which a pin g, carried by the link G, slides. The link G' is connected
to one arm of an angle lever pivotted to a suitable hanger a' a' on the supporting
frame, as at H, its opposite arm having suspended therefrom a weight ', sufficient
to rock the lever in a direction to return the dog E for a new hold of the rack bar,
when the weight h¹ is permitted to act upon the angle lever. The rod which forms
a support for the weight is denoted by 2, and is extended downwardly past the
weight into a tube 3 pivotally secured at to the foot of the lever 1. The foot
lever is pivotted to the supporting frame at a², and has an operating treadle i.
Intermediate of the free end of the tube 3 and a collar he fixed on the rod 2,
there is located a spring , which yields when the operating lever I is forcibly
lifted, so as to give a gradual start, to the rocking movement of the lever pivotted
at H, and so gradually start the bottle-supporting carriage C. The lever I is
forced upwardly when released by the foot, after its downward movement, by a
spring K of sufficient power to overcome the weight h', and impart to the carriage
a prompt advance movement.
The dog E, hereinabove referred to, is provided with a projection (clearly
indicated in Fig. 6), which, when the pin g is at one end of the slot e³, rests upon
the said pin, and holds the dog up into engagement with the rack bar c (as shewn
in Fig. 2), but, when the pin g is at the opposite end of the slot e³, will permit the
dog E to drop out of engagement with the teeth of the rack bar c.
The operation of the feed is as follows:-
When the foot lever I is depressed, the shaft 3 is lowered, and the weight 4' is
permitted to exert its force to rock the angle lever pivotted at H. The first part
of the rocking movement of the angle lever will draw the link G in a direction to
move the pin g to the opposite end of the slot e³, and, thereby permit the dog E to
drop out of engagement with the rack bar. The further rocking movement of the
angle lever will draw the dog E bodily along to the rear a distance sufficient to
advance a succeeding bank of bottles beneath the fillers, & at the same time draw
the piston away from the bottom of the cylinder f. When the lever I is
released and permitted to return under the tension of the spring K, the spring
will at first be compressed, gradually lifting the weight h', and rocking the angle
lever in a direction to move the pin g on the link G to the front end of the slot e³,
thereby engaging and lifting the dog E into engagement with the rack bar, and
the further upward movement of the lever I will move the dog E, and the
carriage C with it, forward to the limit of its stroke, its arrest being gradual and
gentle, because of the cushioning of the air between the piston f and the end of the
cylinder f¹.
The range of fillers D, corresponding in number to the number of bottles in one
of the banks carried by the carriage C, depends from a distributing reservoir L
mounted between the standards B, to be vertically reciprocated. In the present
instance, I have shewn the distributing reservoir L attached to slides b, fitted to
move on suitable ways on the adjacent faces of the standards B, the said slides b
being connected by rods with the operating lever I, so that when the operating
lever is depressed, it will lower the distributing reservoir L, and range of
fillers D connected therewith, and, when the operating lever I is released, the
distributing reservoir L, and the range of fillers depending therefrom, will be lifted
by the force of the spring K.
The distributing reservoir L is provided with a central dome l.for the reception
of the float, which, as the liquid in the reservoir L rises, will gradually lift, and
when the liquid reaches a predetermined height, will close the air escape passage
at the top of the dome by means of a valve ³, connected with the float l' by a rod l
The distributing reservoir L has a suitable flexible connection with a source of
supply not shewn. The said reservoir L is further provided with a series of air
and liquid-tight caps l, projecting from its upper side, and located over the fillers D,
one over each.

page_text: The fillers D consist of a tube d so plugged at its lower
dually decreasing area or opening for the passage of liquid from the reservoir L,
order to finally direct the discharge to one side of the tube. The shape of the
dually diminishing liquid passage-way is clearly shown in Fig. 4, where it is
noted by d', the plug which closes the lower end of the tube being denoted by d².
ithin the tube d, there is located an air vent pipe, which, after it reaches a point
me considerable distance above the lower end of the tube d, as, for example, the
int d³, is open through to the exterior of the tube d, as clearly represented in the
oss section, shown in Fig. 4, where the opening through to the exterior is denoted
d. The lower portion of the air-vent pipe is denoted by M, and is of smaller
ameter than the upper portion, denoted by M', the latter being extended up
rough the distributing reservoir L, and into one of the air and liquid-tight
ps 16.
a considerable distance below the point where
The air vent extends to a point
he liquid discharge terminates, so that the air within the bottle may be free to
scape, when the filler is inserted in the mouth of the bottle, before any liquid is
ermitted to enter the bottle.
Around the filler tube d there is located a vertically sliding sleeve N, which
overs both the liquid discharge and air vent when in its lower or normal position,
and as it is slid upwardly, first opens the air vent, and afterwards the liquid
lischarge.
The sleeve N has fixed thereon a collar n which forms an abutment for the lower
end of a coiled spring S, which surrounds the tube d, the upper end of said spring S
bearing against an abutment n' at the upper end of the tube. The tension of the
spring S tends to hold the sleeve N depressed, and both the air vent and liquid
discharge closed. Around the sleeve N there is also fixed a nut or screw threaded
collar, located, in the present instance, immediately below the collar n, and,
with this nut n², au interior screw threaded sleeve O is engaged, which sleeve
carries on its lower end an upwardly and outwardly flaring support o, against the
lower or smaller end of which an elastic disc P rests. The elastic disc P is
intended to close the mouth of the bottle and the support o against which the
disc P is pressed when the filler enters the mouth of the bottle, and is so shaped as
to permit the elastic disc P to assume such shape as to perfectly conform to the rim
at the top of the bottle, no matter what its irregularities may be, thereby securing
an air-tight closure, and at the same time preventing the disc from becoming
wedged in the mouth of the bottle,-an annoyance which has hitherto prevailed
where the temporary closure was effected by a cork or plug, which wedged itself
in the mouth. It is intended that the disc P shall be of greater diameter than the
opening in the mouth of the bottle, so as to cause it to rest on the rim, as
distinguished from entering within the mouth.
The point at which the disc P shall engage the mouth of the bottle during the
downward movement of the filler, is determined by screwing the sleeve O up or
down on the nut n²; thereby sliding the disc P further away from, or near to, the
lower end of the filler.
A socket piece Q fixed to the abutment n' beneath the distributing reservoir L,
may be made to loosely embrace the adjustable sleeve O, although it is not
essential to the successful operation of the filler.
The trouble which has heretofore prevailed from the filling of the air vent tube
to a greater or lesser extent with liquid during the operation of filling the bottle,
0 has been completely overcome by the enlargement of the interior of the vent tube
intermediate of the point where the air enters and leaves the tube, since any liquid
which may creep up the portion of the tube of smaller diameter, becomes suddenly
expanded when it reaches the portion of the tube of larger diameter, and the air
from beneath breaks through it, and no longer carries it along up with the current
55 of air, and when the tube is withdrawn, any small portions of liquid which may
have crept up that portion of the tube of smaller diameter, will rush back into the

page_text: The possibility of liquid within the distributing reservoir entering the top of the
vent tubes, is wholly avoided by extending their upper ends into air-tight caps
at the top of the distributing reservoir, since no matter how completely filled the
distributing reservoir may become either, intentionally or unintentionally, the
moment the liquid reaches the top of said reservoir, it will begin to compress
the air within the caps 1, and will be held by the compressed air in such caps
against any liability of rising to the tops of the vent tubes.
The operation of the machine is briefly as follows:-
The bottles, having been arranged in banks upon the carriage C, and one of the
banks brought beneath the range of fillers D, the fillers are caused to descend by
foot pressure upon the lever 1. As the fillers enter the mouths of the bottles, and
engage the discs P with the tops of the bottles, the air vent first, and then the
liquid discharge, will be opened, and the bottles will be filled up to the point
corresponding to the lower end of the sleeve N, as this will be in effect the lower
end of the vent, and up to the point where it is closed the liquid may rise. When
the liquid is automatically cut off, its further discharge from the several fillers will
cease, and the fillers will be lifted from within the bottles, the air vent being
successively closed by the action of the spring S, as the fillers are withdrawn.
The return movement of the lever I has, in the manner hereinabove fully set forth,
advanced a second bank of bottles beneath the range of fillers, so that the lever I
may be again depressed, to fill a second bank of bottles, as described.
It will be observed that, as the air vent is open for a considerable distance from
the lower end, the point at which it will be closed and the discharge of the liquid
arrested, will depend upon the point where the bottom of the sleeve N. is located,
while the filling is taking place, and this may be varied by the adjustment of the
disc P nearer to or further away from the lower end of the said sleeve N. There
is thus provided a very effective and simple means of determining the height to
which the liquid shall be permitted to rise in the neck of the bottle.
Instead of extending the air escape conduit up into air-tight caps on the top of
the reservoir, they may be extended up into independent charging cylinders R (see
Fig. 7) connected with the distributing reservoir L by necks r, in which piston
valves S are arranged to slide, and open and close communication between the
reservoir and charging cylinders. The fillers T depend from, and are fixed to,
skeleton supports within the cylinders R, and the sleeves t which open and close
the fillers are connected to the valves St. A spring serves to hold the valves S¹
and sleeve t in depressed position, with filler closed, and an adjustable collars on
the sleeve serves to engage the rim of the mouth of the bottle and open the filler,
and close the valve when the filler is inserted into the bottle, as shewn in
Fig. 10.
When the modification shewn in Fig. 7 is employed, the height of the liquid
in the charging cylinders is determined (as shewn in Fig. 11) by a float U in a
tube u uprising from the reservoir L, which, as it rises, lifts a valve-operating
rod u, to which the float is adjustably secured, and thereby closes the inlet
valve u².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. A bottle-filling machine comprising means for supporting a bank of bottles, a
series of fillers located in position to simultaneously enter the nozzles of the bottles,
closed charging cylinders, one for each filler, a transmitting reservoir intermediate
of the charging cylinders and source of supply and independent of the charging
cylinders, and means for automatically opening and closing the fillers, as they
enter and recede from the mouths of the bottles, substantially as set forth.
2. A bottle-filling machine comprising means for supporting a bank of bottles,
a series of fillers located in position to simultaneously enter the nozzles of the
bottles, closed charging cylinders, one for each filler, a transmitting reservoir

page_text: ndependent of the charging cylinders, and forming a support for them, means for
moving the transmitting reservoir and charging cylinders and fillers carried thereby
towards and away from the bottles, a float governed by the rise of liquid in the
transmitting reservoir to control the height of liquid in the several charging
cylinders, and means for automatically opening and closing the fillers as they enter
and recede froin the mouths of the bottles, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the charging cylinder and means for feeding liquid.
thereto, of a reciprocating valve for. opening and closing the passage for the
admission of the liquid to the charging cylinder, a depending rod fixed to the
cylinder, a liquid conduit at one side of the rod, an air conduit spaced therefrom, a
sleeve fixed to said valve for opening and closing the said conduits, a collar
carried by said sleeve to form a closure for the mouth of the bottle, and a tube.
extending from said valve to a point above the surface of the liquid in the charging
cylinder, and having a communication at its lower end with the aforesaid air-
conduit, substantially as set forth.
4. A filler comprising a liquid conduit, an air conduit extending to a point below.
the lower end of the liquid conduit, and means for successively opening the air-
and liquid conduits, as the filler enters the month of a bottle, the point where the
air vent is cut off by the raising of the liquid in the bottle being variable with
respect to the lower end of the filler, substantially as set forth.
5. A filler comprising a liquid conduit, an air conduit extending alongside the
liquid conduit, and open at the side for a considerable distance from the lower
end, a reciprocating sleeve forming a closure for the openings in the air and liquid
conduits, and means for operating the sleeve as the filler enters a bottle, whereby
the air and liquid conduits are opened and the height of the air escape opening-
determined by the position of the said sleeve, substantially as set forth.
6. A filler comprising a liquid conduit, an air conduit, a movable part for opening-
and closing said conduits, a flexible disc secured to said movable part, and covering.
the mouth of a bottle when the filler enters it, and a support for the disc to hold
it against the mouth of the bottle, said support being spaced from the disc opposite-
that portion of the disc which is intended to engage the rim of the mouth of the-
bottle, substantially as set forth.
7. A filler comprising a liquid conduit, an air conduit, a sliding sleeve fitted to
surround said conduits, a screw-threaded collar fixed to said sleeve, an interior
screw-threaded sleeve, a stopper surrounding the sliding sleeve, and a back
support for the stopper carried by the said screw threaded sleeve, substantially as
set forth.
8. A filler comprising a liquid conduit, an air conduit having a portion of
greater diameter than a lower portion, and means for opening and closing the air-
and liquid conduits, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination with a distributing reservoir provided with an air vent, and
a range of fillers depending from the reservoir, and having air-vents opening into.
the reservoir, of a supply conduit for conducting liquid to the distributing
reservoir and permanently open to the reservoir, and a float within the distributing-
5 reservoir, for closing the air vent therein, to determine the height of liquid in.
the reservoir, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination with a distributing reservoir provided with an air vent,.
and with a range of air-tight caps projecting from its top, of a range of fillers
depending from the reservoir, air vents extending from the fillers up within the
0 air-tight caps on the reservoir, and a float for closing the air vent in the reservoir,.
substantially as set forth.
11. The combination with the distributing reservoir and fillers, and means for
reciprocating them, of a bottle-supporting carriage, and means for advancing-
the carriage step by step beneath the reciprocating pillars, substantially as
5 set forth.
12. The combination with the reciprocating fillers and the bottle supporting
carriage, of an operating lever, a feed dog under the control of the lever, and

page_text: means for cushioning the carriage at its start and finish, substantially as
set forth.
13. The combination with the reciprocating fillers and the bottle supporting
carriage, of a main operating lever for imparting motion to the fillers and carriage,
a gravity dog for advancing the carriage, a dog-operating lever having a loose
engagement with the dog, and a loose connection between the said dog-operating
lever and the main operating lever, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of February 1896.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.