Machine for Measuring and Filling Bottles with Non Aërated Liquids.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 5th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
Machine for Measuring and Filling Bottles with Non Aërated
Liquids.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the
County of Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery for measuring and filling a definito quantity of
liquid into each bottle dealing with several bottles at one and the same time.
I will describe the nature of my invention as applied to filling a convenient
number of bottles with fermented liquid such as ginger beer.
For this purpose I mount on suitable standards with cross pieces forming the main
frame work of the machine a tank capable of holding several gallons of ginger beer
and of being constantly supplied by means of a ball tap with the required additional
quantity of liquor to maintain an approximately uniform level notwithstanding the
withdrawal of liquor during the operation of filling the bottles.
The bottom of the said tank is made of sufficient strength for supporting the
contents of the tank and for resisting the upward pressure due to the filling arrange-
ment hereafter referred to.
Secured to the bottom of the said tank and each communicating with its interior
are as many measuring vessels as are required to agree with the convenient number
of bottles to be filled at one operation. For ginger beer two dozen will be a
convenient number as that number is generally packed in one van box and according
to my invention the bottles after being washed are placed in such boxes and are
brought to the filling machine to be filled ready for corking without necessitating
their removal from the box.
The box with its required quantity of bottles therein contained is placed upon a
rising platform operated so as to rise and fall alternately pausing for a determined
interval of time at both extreme positions in its course.
At the lowest point the pause enables the box containing filled bottles to be
removed and a box containing empty bottles to be filled to be substituted therefor.

page_text: At the uppermost point the pause allows time for the liquid to flow from the
measuring vessels one of each of which communicates with one of each of the bottles
in the box.
The required motion is derived from a cam wheel or a pair of cam wheels revolving
about the axis of a horizontal shaft to which motion is imparted in the usual way from
any convenient source of power.
When hand power alone is employed the said platform may be raised and lowered
by means of suitable levers and gearing and in that case the pausing at each extremity
of the course traversed may be more or less prolonged at the will of the operator.
The measuring vessels are constructed on the principle of measuring vessels that
have hitherto been employed singly such as are described in the specification of Letters
Patent No. 2209 of the year 1872 but they are provided with telescopic outlet fittings
each governed by a spring so as to adapt them to the necks of bottles slightly varying
in length.

page_text: Liquids.
I FREDERICK FOSTER of Niagara Works Eagle Wharf Road Hoxton in the County
of Middlesex 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 statement :-
This invention relates to machinery for measuring and filling a definite quantity of
liquid into each bottle dealing with several bottles at one and the same time.
I will describe the nature of my invention as applied to filling a convenient number
of bottles with fermented liquid such as ginger beer.
For this purpose I mount on suitable standards with cross pieces forming the
main frame work of the machine a tank capable of holding several gallons of ginger
beer and of being constantly supplied by means of a ball tap with the required
additional quantity of liquor to maintain an approximately uniform level notwith-
standing the withdrawal of liquor during the operation of filling the bottles.
The bottom of the said tank is made of sufficient strength for supporting the
contents of the tank and for resisting the upward pressure due to the filling
arrangement hereinafter referred to.
Secured to the bottom of the said tank and each communicating with its interior
are as many measuring vessels as are required to agree with the convenient number
of bottles to be filled at one operation.
For ginger beer two dozen will be a convenient number as that number is
generally packed in one van box and according to my invention the bottles after
being washed are placed in such boxes and are brought to the filling machine to be
filled ready for corking without necessitating their removal from the box.
The box with its required quantity of bottles therein contained is placed upon a
platform with rollers upon which the box rests so as to be capable of being moved
easily thereon for withdrawal when the bottles are filled and a box containing empty
bottles for filling is substituted therefor.
A plate carrying a number of coned mouth pieces corresponding in number and in
position with the bottles to be filled is fitted in guides so as to be capable of being
raised by means of a treadle and rod operating a lever so as to raise the platform
to allow the box full of empty bottles to be passed under the coned inouth pieces
referred to.
Upon releasing the treadle the said platform descends and the coned mouth pieces
set the bottles in precisely the position required for filling.
The said coned mouth pieces slide on tubes which communicate with the measuring
vessels referred to, through which tubes the liquor is delivered to the bottles.
A second plate is fitted upon the same guides above the first mentioned plate and
has a number of holes corresponding in number and concentric with the coned mouth
pieces in the plate beneath.

page_text: Through these holes the tubes conveying the liquor pass and upon these tubes
are fitted sliding pieces which fit loosely in the holes above referred to and have
flanges larger in diameter than the holes, by which means the said sliding pieces
are raised when the plate, being raised by means of a treadle, rod and levers, presses
upon the flanges of the said sliding pieces.
The said sliding pieces operate double valves in the measuring vessels which in
one position close the inlet to the measuring vessel and open the outlet and in the
other position close the outlet and open the inlet.
The said double valves are each urged by a spring which makes the normal position
of these valves close the outlets from the measuring vessels and the sliding pieces
are provided with washers of elastic material such as india rubber so to make a joint
when the sliding pieces are raised to avoid the passage of liquor other than by the
outlet tube leading to the bottles to be filled.
Or the box with its required quantity of bottles therein contained may be placed
upon a rising platform operated so as to rise and fall alternately, pausing for a
determined interval of time at both extreme positions in its course.
At the lowest point the pause enables the box containing filled bottles to he
removed and a box containing empty bottles for filling to be substituted therefor.
At the uppermost point the pause allows time for the liquor to flow from the
measuring vessels one of each of which communicates with one of each of the bottles
in the box.
The required notion is derived from a cam wheel or a pair of cam wheels revolving
about the axis of a horizontal shaft to which motion is imparted in the usual way
from any convenient source of power.
When hand power alone is employed the said platform may be raised and lowered
by means of suitable levers and in that case the pausing at each extremity of the
course traversed may be more or less prolonged at the will of the operator.
The measuring vessels are constructed on the principle of measuring vessels that
have hitherto been employed singly such as are described in the specification of
Letters Patent No. 2209 of the year 1872; but they are provided with telescopic
outlet fittings each governed by a spring so to adapt them to the necks of bottles
slightly varying in length.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood I proceed to describe
the apparatus as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in all the figures of which
the same reference letter indicates the same part.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the complete machine.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the measuring vessel as employed when the box full
of empty bottles to be filled rests upon a fixed platform and Fig. 4 is an enlarged
view partly in section of the measuring vessel as employed when the box full of
empty bottles to be filled rests upon a rising platform.
Upon the frame-work A I mount a tank B supplied with the liquor required to be
bottled, to approximately a permanent level by means of the ball tap C.
In the bottom of the tank B I secure any required number of measuring vessels D
with air tubes E rising through the tank B to a level above the liquor therein
contained.
The number depends upon the number of bottles to be filled at one time and may
conveniently be equal to any usual number for which the carrying boxes are made.
The platform F with rollers G upon which the box rests so as to be easily moved
thereon for withdrawal when the bottles are filled, is fixed at a distance to allow a
box full of bottles to be placed thereon when the plate H with coned mouth pieces J
is raised by depressing the treadle K acting upon the rod L and lever MI which
moves upon the bar N as a fulcrum.
When the box full of bottles has been placed in this position the treadle K being
released the plate H falls and the coned mouth pieces J falling upon the necks of
the bottles adjust the position of each bottle so that the outlet tubes from the
measuring vessels D deliver the liquor centrally into the necks of the bottles.
Before the liquor can be so delivered the treadle O must be depressed and thereby

page_text: the rod P and lever Q cause a partial rotation of the bar N with which the lever Q
is rigidly connected and by means of the levers R. R¹ also rigidly connected with
the bar N the plate S is raised carrying the sliding pieces T thereby lifting the
valves from their seatings at the outlets and closing the upper valves upon their
seatings at the inlets, to the measuring vessels D.
The sliding pieces T are fitted with india rubber washers W to provide a liquid
tight joint when the sliding pieces T are lifted and the outlet valves thereby opened.
These valves are upon release of the treadle O urged to the outlet seatings as a
normal position by the springs X.
When the filling machine is constructed with a rising platform upon which the
box full of bottles rests, as herein before described then the coned mouth piece J
Fig. 4 is made to slide upon the outlet tube of the measuring vessel D, against the
resistance of a spring Y interposed between the coned mouth piece D and the stem
of the valve V upon which it acts to lift the valve V from the seating at the outlet
of the measuring vessel D; the spring X being weaker than the spring Y so that the
spring Y only yields as may be required to allow for the slight variation in the length
of the bottles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In apparatus for filling several bottles at a time in position in a box ; the use
of the measuring vessel D operated by the plate S by means of the treadle O sub-
stantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus for filling several bottles at a time in position in a box; the use of
the plate H with coned mouth pieces J for correcting the position of the bottles
substantially as herein before described.
3. In apparatus for filling several bottles at a time in position in a box; the double
spring arrangement, yielding to unequal pressures substantially as described and
illustrated by Fig. 4 to allow for slight variations in the lengths of the bottles.
4. The general construction arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the improved machine for measuring and filling bottles with non aërated liquids
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated thin 8th Jane of T1000