Improvements in or appertaining to Machinery for Filling, Corking, and Labelling Bottles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Machinery for Filling, Corking,
and
Labelling Bottles.
or
I, JAMES ANDREW HUGHES of 112 & 114 Fonthill Road North in the City of
Liverpool Mineral Water Manufacturer and Ale and Porter Bottler, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of a machine for filling, corking and labelling bottles
being especially applicable to still liquors, etcetera.
Heretofore the operations of filling, corking and labelling have been performed
separately by different machines or by hand.
This invention is designed to effect any or all of these operations consecutively
and by one machine. It consists of a circular support or table capable of rotating
on suitable bearings, around and near the circumference of which table are arranged
These carriers
carriers or holders for supporting the bottles to be filled, etcetera.
are mounted on the ends of spindles which pass through holes in the table. On
one side of the machine just over the edge of the table around which the bottles
are arranged, is arranged a pump. The pump is operated from a driving shaft
mounted along one side of the machine, which shaft may be provided with fast and
loose pulleys for putting the machine in or out of operation. A crank and connecting
rod provided with a suitable pawl arrangement may be mounted on this shaft for
turning the rotating table through a distance equal to that between any two of the
bottle carriers at each revolution of the shaft. On the shaft underneath the filling
pump is arranged an eccentric, for operating a suitable lever underneath the table.
One end of this lever on being operated comes against an adjustable block on each
of the spindles carrying the bottle carriers. When the lever is operated, the
spindle opposite the lever at the time is moved upwards, thus raising the bottle and
carrier from the table. The discharge tube from the pump comes directly over
the bottle and is provided with a suitable valve. The neck of the bottle moving
upwards operates this valve and the contents of the pump are discharged into
the bottle. It will be seen that each bottle in succession is quickly filled on
coming into this position, the pump being filled as described during each movement
of the table.
I will now describe the device for corking the bottles when filled :-
As each filled bottle is moved away from the filling device, it is raised up by a
lever (similarly operated to the one on the filling device) so that its neck comes
into a bell mouthed die which holds it in position during the operation of corking.
A rotating disc provided with a number of pockets which may be filled with corks
is so arranged above the said bell mouthed die as to present to the latter during
rotation each cork pocket in succession. Each cork so presented is drawn into
position by a suitably arranged slide mechanism which also carries a pawl for
rotating the disc, after each bottle has been corked. The cork when in position is
driven into the mouth of the bottle by means of a plunger carried by a reciprocating
rod receiving motion from the driving shaft. This reciprocating rod operates, by

page_text: means of any suitable device, such as a link or angularly grooved plate, the slide
for drawing the corks into position. As each bottle is moved on from the corking
device it is damped on one of its sides by any suitable damping arrangement such
as a revolving brush. When it reaches the point for applying the label, a suitable
bell mouthed cap or die, fixed to a lever and operated suitably from the shaft is
lowered over the neck of the bottle to hold it in position. At the same time a
plunger with a concave face working in a box or casing which contains the labels
is moved forwards and presses forward the labels in a curved form, the front one
of which adheres to the side of the bottle. It will thus be seen that by simply
renewing the bottles in the carriers, supplying corks to the rotating disc, and labels
to the label box, the operation of filling, corking and labelling may be carried on
continuously with great rapidity.
Dated this 13th day of June 1894
and
or
Labelling Bottles.
I, JAMES ANDREW HUGHES of 112 & 114 Fonthill Road North in the City of
Liverpool Mineral Water Manufacturer and Ale and Porter Bottler, 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 consists of a machine for filling, corking and labelling bottles
being especially applicable to still liquors, etcetera.
Heretofore the operations of filling, corking and labelling have been performed
separately by different machines or by hand.
This invention is designed to effect any or all of these operations consecutively
and by one machine.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to this
invention;
Figure 2, a plan of the same with parts broken away for clearness;
Figures 3 and 4, front and side elevations of the operating slide;
Figure 5, sectional view of the pump, and
Figure 6, a view showing the damping or gumming device and a modified
labelling device.
In these, A is a circular support or table preferably sloping towards the centre
and capable of rotating in suitable bearings A', around and near the circumference
of which table are arranged carriers or holders B for supporting the bottles a to be
filled, etcetera.
These
When filling smaller bottles an additional holder is used fitting into the
holders B and kept in position by pins inserted in holes B', Figure 2.
carriers B are mounted on the ends of spindles 6, square at the top portion, to
prevent the bottles turning, which spindles pass through holes A' in the table. On
one side of the machine just over the edge of the table A around which the bottles a
are arranged, is a pump C. This pump, which is operated from a driving shaft D
mounted in suitable brackets on the machine, consists of a glass cylinder a' and a
plunger a. This plunger has attached to it the filiing or discharge pipe H which
moves with it. It has also passages a³ cominunicating with the feed and also with

page_text: the hollow portion a* of the piston. The object of this arrangement is to prevent
air passing up the pipe H and getting underneath the piston or plunger, or the
liquor in the bottle re-entering the cylinder and it works as follows:-
The piston rod on rising engages with its enlarged end a³, the inward
projections a of the plunger thereby closing the communication between the
atmospheric air and the cylinder. The liquor entering at 6' raises the valve b' and
passes into the cylinder a¹. On the downward stroke of the plunger which is not
actuated by the piston rod until a clearance has been made between the parts a
and a, the liquor rushes through the passages a³ and down the tube H into
the bottles. E is a crank and E connecting rod operated by the shaft D, which
rod actuates a sliding piece e which carries a spring pawle' for turning the rotating
table through a distance equal to that between any two of the bottle carriers at
each revolution of the shaft D. On the latter is also mounted an eccentric F, for
operating among other things a weighted lever F passing underneath the table A.
This lever is pivoted at f and is connected by a link to a sliding piece G at f*,
which latter is operated in a vertical direction by the aforementioned eccentric and
by the rod G. This lever moreover is normally held up against an adjustable
dog g on each of the spindles 6 carrying the bottle carriers B, thus raising the
bottle and carrier from the table. When the lever is operated by the link f¹ on
its upward stroke, the spindle with the bottle falls. The discharge tube H from
the pump is directly over the bottle, and the plunger of the pump containing the
valve is actuated by the sliding piece G aforementioned through rod H' and link h
and the contents of the pump are discharged into the bottle. The movement given
to the piston rod is such that at each stroke just the amount of liquor sufficient to
fill the bottle is pumped. It will be seen that each bottle in succession is quickly
filled on coming into this position, the pump being filled as described during each
movement of the table.
1
As each filled bottle is moved away from the filling device by the spring pawl el
rotating the table A, it is raised up by a lever FI F (similarly operated to F¹ of
the filling device) so that its neck comes into a bell mouthed socket L fixed and
lined internally with leather or the like, which in conjunction with the lever. F
holds it in position for the operation of corking. The latter is performed in the
following manner-
A rotating disc J provided with a number of fluted pockets j which may be filled
with corks is so arranged above the said bell mouthed socket L as to present to
the latter during rotation each cork pocket in succession. Each cork so presented
is drawn into position by a slide K which also carries a spring pawl K' for rotating
the disc J, after each bottle has been corked. The cork when in position is driven
into the mouth of the bottle by means of a plunger L' carried by the sliding
piece G which as before stated receives motion from the driving shaft. To prevent
the bottle being forced downwards by the thrust of the plunger a wedge / attached
to the slide G comes between an arın of the lever F and the frame of the
machine on the downward stroke of the said slide. This sliding or reciprocating
piece or bar G also operates, by means of any suitable device, such as a link or
angularly grooved plate M fixed thereto, the slide K, for drawing the corks into
position and compressing them. The upward movement of the reciprocating or
sliding bar G returns the slide K to its position under a cork in the disc J, the
latter having been rotated by the pawl K' so as to bring a cork opposite the
space k left by the returning of the slide K, and it also turns the weighted lever F¹
on its pivot thereby allowing the spindle carrying the bottle to drop. During
the period the bottle is being corked it is also gummed on one side by a revolving
brush Twhich is mounted on a bracket T attached to the slide K and is drawn
against the bottle as the slide K moves inward. The brush is rotated from the
driving shaft D by means of a strap led over the frame of the machine by guide
pulleys t as shown in Figure 6. Gum is caused to drop onto the brush from a
receptacle located above not shown. When it has reached the point for applying
the label, a suitable bell mouthed cap or socket N, fixed to a sliding piece Nand

page_text: operated from the reciprocating slide G is lowered over the neck of the bottle to
hold it in position. At the same time a plunger P, with a concave face working in
a box or casing Q which contains the labels R, presses forward the labels in a
curved form, the front one of which adheres to the gummed side of the bottle. The
casing or box Q is connected by a spring arm q with a bell crank lever S pivoted
at to the frame work. The short arm S' of this lever in the position shown in
the drawing is held down pressing the label against the bottle by means of a
block T attached to the slide G. As the latter rises it releases the lever S which
is then turned on its pivot by the spring U and withdraws the box containing the
labels, the downward stroke, of the slide G causing the box of labels to press
forward against the next bottle coming opposite to it. The spring p keeps the
labels pushed forward, and catches r, prevent them being pushed out of the
casing Q. Another labelling device which may be adopted is shown in Figure 6
operated partly by means of a bell-crank lever such as shown in Figure 1 and by
the slide G but its connection with the label box is by means of a sliding and
supporting frame V attached to the box and having forks in which a spring arm Vi
engages, the said arm being operated by the movement of the lever S and arm W
on its pivot to for pressing the labels forward. It will thus be seen that by simply
renewing the bottles in the carriers, supplying corks to the rotating disc, and labels
to the label box, the operation of filling, corking and labelling may be carried on
continuously with great rapidity.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The machine being set in motion the table A has imparted to it an intermittent
movement by the pawl el which brings the bottles to be filled, corked, and labelled
in succession first to the pump C where they are filled as herein before described
and secondly to the corking device, the next bottle in the meantime having been
brought into position for filling. After corking, the bottle is conveyed along in a
circular path to be labelled in a manner already described the three operations
being brought about by the slide G which is reciprocated in the vertical direction
by the eccentric mounted on the driving shaft D.
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. The improvement in apparatus for filling, corking and (or) labelling bottles,
substantially as described, whereby the operations of filling, corking and labelling
may be carried on consecutively in one machine and with greater rapidity than
heretofore.
2. The apparatus for filling, corking or labelling bottles, in which a table having
carriers arranged in a circle around the table for supporting the bottles in an
upright position, is arranged in such a manner that it will rotate intermittently
with the bottles arranged thereon, and bring them successively into a position for
being filled, corked or labelled, substantially as described.
3. The use, in combination with apparatus for the purpose set forth, of means
whereby the bottles are firmly grasped during the operation of filling, corking or
labelling, but released at the end of each operation, substantially as described.
4. In a bottling machine, the arrangement or construction of the injector or
pump for supplying the bottles with a regulated quantity of liquor at each filling
of the same, substantially as described.
5. The arrangement of parts consisting of the plunger a arranged with
passages a³, piston rod with enlarged end a³, and delivery pipe H, together with
means for operating said plunger, whereby in a pump for supplying a regulated
quantity of liquor at each filling of a bottle, the air is prevented from passing
up the pipe H from the bottle and getting underneath the plunger, or the liquor
in the bottle from flowing back into the pump cylinder, substantially as described.
6. The apparatus for corking bottles, constructed, arranged and operated
substantially as described.

page_text: 7. The devices for labelling bottles, constructed arranged and operated substan-
tially as described.
8. The general arrangement and construction of parts forming my improved
apparatus for filling and corking bottles, and also for labelling the same,
substantially as described.
Date AL: 12 1
1005
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London, Patent Agents.