IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND BOTTLING SODA WATER
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Fleet, of East Street, Walworth, in the
. County of Surrey, Soda Water Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND BOTTLING SODA
WATER."
Sealed the 19th September 1862, and dated the 24th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Fleet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
March 1862.
I, BENJAMIN FLEET, of East Street, Walworth, in the County of Surrey,
Soda Water Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND BOTTLING SODA
WATER," to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for manufacturing and bottling soda water
relate first to combining in one machine the apparatus for making the soda
Iwater, and a steam engine for driving the same, one shaft and fly wheel
answering the purpose of both, as also to a great extent the same framing.
This is readily effected by disposing a steam cylinder on the bed plate of the
machine, or other supporting part, and' a crank on the end of the machine
shaft, to which the piston rod may be directly connected, or it may be otherwise
arranged; a suitable feed is also applied to supply the boiler.

page_text: The second part relates to the bottling apparatus; this I dispose at that part
of the machine, from which the soda water is drawn in ordinary, and as bottled
by hand, by which and other arrangements herein-after described the soda
water is even better than that bottled by hand, and infinitely superior to that
bottled by the rack bottling machine, the soda water in that case being con-
ducted from the soda-water machine to the bottling machine by a pipe, during
which passage the gas separates from the water. The channel in which I
place the cork for guiding and forcing it into the bottle I form cylindrical,
and fit therein a plunger, by which the cork is driven into the bottle. This
plunger has a cup, leather, or other packing near the nose, which fits the
cylindrical passage receiving the cork, and prevents the escape of gas upwards
while the bottle neck being pressed up against a soft substance at the lower
part as usual prevents any escape thereat. The soda water enters the cylindrical
channel below the position of the cork, and when the bottle is filled the cork
is forced down by the plunger into the bottle, and thus easily and effectually
bottling the soda water. The bottle is raised, and held up by a treadle as usual.
The plunger I bring down by a screw of rapid pitch (an 8-thread screw), so
that about half a turn is sufficient, which forms a feature of my Invention. It
will be evident that the bottling and corking will be equally effectual with
corks of any size to suit the bottles, the cylindrical passage being adapted to
receive the largest size required, their fitting therein being immaterial.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Fleet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
FLEET, of East Street, Walworth, in the County of Surrey, Soda Water:
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Benjamin Fleet, Her special licence that I,. the. said Benjamin.
Fleet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as. I, the
said -Benjamin Fleet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, .should at.
any time agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all-times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
-
.

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Apparatus FOR MANUFACTURING AND BOTTLING SODA WATER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Fleet, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their or one
of their hands and seals, should. particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Fleet, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in apparatus for manufacturing and bottling soda water
relate,. first, to combining in one machine the apparatus for making the soda
water, and a steam engine for driving the same, the same shaft and fly wheel
answering the purpose of both, as also to a great extent the same framing.
This is readily effected by disposing a steam cylinder on the bed plate of the
machine or other supporting part, and mounting a crank on the end of the
machine shaft, to which the piston rod may be directly connected, or it
may be otherwise arranged; a suitable feed is also applied to supply the
boiler.
The second part relates to the bottling apparatus; this I dispose at that part
of the machine from which the soda water is drawn in ordinary, and as bottled
by hand, by which and other arrangements hereinafter described, the soda
water is even better than that bottled by hand, and infinitely superior to that
bottled by rack bottling machines, the soda water in that case being conducted
from the soda water machine to the bottling machine by a pipe, during which
passage the gas separates from the water. The channel in which I place the
cork guiding and forcing it into the bottle I form cylindrical, and fit therein
a plunger, by which the cork is driven into the bottle. This plunger has cup,
leather, or other packing near the nose, which fits the cylindrical passage
receiving the cork, and prevents the escape of gas upwards, while the bottle
neck being pressed upwards against a soft substance at the lower part as
usual prevents any escape thereat." The soda water enters the cylindrical
channel below the position of the cork, and when the bottle is filled the cork
is forced down by the plunger into the bottle, and thus easily and effectually

page_text: bottling the soda water: The bottle is raised and held up by a treadle as
seen. The plunger I bring down by a screw of rapid pitch (an eight-thread
screw,) so that about half a turn is sufficient, which forms a feature of my
Invention. It will be evident that the bottling and corking will be equally
effectual with corks of any size to suit the bottles, the cylindrical passage
being adapted to receive the largest size required; their fitting therein being
immaterial
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation, & Fig. 2 a side elevation of a soda or
aerated water machine, constructed according to my Invention, which so far
as regards the pressure chamber pumps, and the method of charging the
water with the gas, is the same as ordinary machines.
A is the bed plate; B, B, B, are the frames, but for which two may be
substituted, or other number; C is the receiver or generator in which the
gas and water are forced by the inverted pump D, which is actuated by con-
necting rods E, F, and crank G, on the main shaft H. The table Q supporting
the pump D also supports a steam cylinder I; which actuates connecting rod
K, from the piston of the steam cylinder, and communicates motion directly
to the main shaft H, on which is formed a second crank J. On shaft H is
'fixed a toothed wheel M, to drive the agitator of the receiver C, as also the
eccentrics to work the slide valve N, and pump O of the engine. The shaft
His furnished with a suitable fly wheel as in ordinary steam engines, and may
also have a strap rigger, in order to drive it by other means than its steam
cylinder I, if desired, or power may be communicated from such rigger to
another machine not so fitted with a steam cylinder. Instead of fitting the
steam cylinder to drive the main crank directly, the steam cylinder may be
connected by its connecting rod, with a beam or lever, to which beam or lever
the pump or pumps of the soda water machine may be also attached, and
actuated. I control the reciprocating action. of the steam engine, pump and
beam, by connecting them with a fly wheel shaft, in the ordinary manner of
controlling steam engines, the object being to combine the steam engine, and
soda water machine in one machine and framework. To reduce the frame-
work shown in the Drawings, the bearing p², and frame B', may be dispensed
with, in which case I place the parts a little closer together, and strengthen
the shaft H, and table Q a little to ensure the necessary rigidity with a view
to shorten and stiffen the shaft H, and so better dispense with the mid frame
B', and bearing p¹. I may dispose the receiver altogether outside the frame
supporting it, and in that case bring the spur wheel M close up to the bearing.

page_text: In order to economize gas in soda-water machines, and prevent its escape at
the safety valve, I do not place the valve on the top of the receiver as usual,
but place it on a separate vessel R, which vessel is connected by a tube S with
the bottom of the receiver C,.hence it follows that the vessel R is always
filled with water, and that on any excess of pressure taking place in the
receiver, water escapes from the safety valve T, on vessel R, and thus relieves
the pressure with little or no escape of gas, whereas according to the ordinary
arrangement it is for the most part gas that escapes at the safety valve,
and therefore an item of considerable expense, if much is allowed to blow off
at that valve.
The second part of my Invention, which is also exhibited in Figs. 1 & 2,
relates to the bottling apparatus; this is also partially represented in section in
Fig. 3. U, Y is the bottle rest, and treadle as usual for forcing up the
bottle W to the nozzle or orifice X, where it receives the soda water. This
nozzle has a vertical cylindrical passage through it, and is furnished at the
lower part with a screwed gland v, to hold in position a surface or washer of
leather 2, or other suitable material, against which the mouth of the bottle is
forced and kept air-tight. In the cylindrical cavity a plunger a is fitted having
an inverted cup leather b, or other suitable packing to make it gas and water
tight therein, in which condition it moves up and down. The plunger a is
attached to or in continuation of a six or eight threaded screw c, of rapid pitch,
this works in a boss or nut d, supported from X by uprights e, e, and suitably
stayed at top by stays f, as seen; 9 is a cross handle, by which to actuate screw
and plunger; h is the tap or valve, which opens and closes the emission
aperture r from the receiver, which emerges into the cylindrical cavity in X,
just above the washer z. In this case I have shown a valve s, opened by an
eccentric t, fixed on spindle of the handle u; the valve s closes by a slight
spring on its stem & the pressure on the receiver C. In bottling, the bottle
is put in position as seen, the plunger raised, and a cork inserted at x, which
rests therein just above the emission orifice, the plunger is then brought down
above it, and enters the cylinder a short distance, so that on the pressure being
turned on, and the soda water allowed to pass into the bottle by the tap h, all
escape is prevented from above by the fitting of the plunger in X; when the
bottle is sufficiently filled the cork is forced into the bottle, and the pressure
turned off as usual, the operation is then repeated with another bottle, and
so on.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing.
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-

page_text: First, the combination of a steam engine, and soda-water engine in one
and the same machine, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the application of a plunger or piston furnished, and fitted to the
cylindrical passage receiving the cork, as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Fleet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
BENJN. FLEET. (L.S.)