Improvements in or relating to Funnels.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
Improvements in or relating to Funnels.
I, HARVEY ISAIAH KEINER, of 18 Helfrick Court, City of Wilkes Barre,
County of Luzerne, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America Machinist,
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 automatic funnels of that class in which a valve
mechanism opens or closes and thereby regulates the flow of the liquid from the
funnel according as the funnel is applied or removed from the vessel upon or in
connection with which it is to be used.
Fig. 1, is a central vertical section of my improved funnel, mounted upon a
bottle,
Fig. 2, a side elevation of the funnel, the upper part of which is shown in section
so that the interior construction thereof may be more clearly understood; and,
Fig. 3, a sectional view of the construction.
In the practice of my invention, I construct a funnel A, having mounted within
its lower end a sleeve B, in which a valve tube C, is loosely fitted and within the
tube C, is secured an air tube D, arranged at one side or in a position eccentric
thereto as best shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the tube C, is provided with
openings or ports E, and is closed by a cap or valve F, which is attached thereto
and through which an air tube D, extends.
The tube C, has formed thereon a collar C2, at such distance beneath the lower
end of the sleeve B, as to permit the said sleeve to fall sufficiently to expose the
ports or openings E, while preventing too great downward movement thereof.
A gasket G, immediately above the collar C2, and secured thereto forms an air
tight joint between the collar and the sleeve and the sliding movement of the
tube C, within the sleeve is such as to prevent any liquid to enters the joint
between them, and the gasket also forms a elastic cushion for the sleeve to
rest upon.
Below the collar C2, is placed a circular elastic washer or stopper which is
frictionally secured to or connected with the tube C, the said stopper being adapted
to serve as a seat for the funnel when placed upon the bottle and also to seal the
mouth of the said bottle during the operation of the funnel. The stopper is
formed of two parts H, and H', the upper portion H, being preferably composed
of rubber of medium hardness while the lower section H, is composed of flexible
and elastic material, and provided with an interior body portion of flexible material
so as to more effectually conform to any irregularities in the surface of the mouth
of nozzle of the bottle and render the space K, within the neck L, of the bottle
air tight as will hereinafter more fully appear.
The lower part H, of the valve or stopper is preferably composed of soft rubber
and hollow as shown at M, Fig. 3, and the hollow space therein is filled with wool,
cotton or any preferred kind of soft, flexible or elastic packing M.
The method of inserting this packing is immaterial and I may employ two
separate disks of soft rubber between which the packing is placed or the entire
washer or the portion H, thereof may be made integrally or hollow and have holes
or openings in the upper side as shown at O, Fig. 3, through which said packing
material is inserted, the object being to fill this, space in such manner and with
such material that the portion H, of the washer will be soft flexible or elastic
and thus serve as a perfect cushion for the purpose herein before specified, or in

page_text: constructing the part H, I may employ a thin annular body of flexible rubber
having upon the exterior thereof, an upwardly projecting rim with an inwardly
directed Hange upon the upper edge thereof, said annular body being also provided
with a central aperture and an upwardly directed tubular extension having an
annular flange upon the upper edge thereof, this being the form of construction
shown in Fig. 3, the opening O, being formed by the said inwardly projecting
flange and the flange formed upon the edge of the upwardly directed tubular
extension of the central opening.
The tube C, is of sufficient length to permit the requisite movement to open
and close the valve and to extend so far into the bottle as to limit the filling of
the latter to the height required. And the air tube D, extends from the bottom
of the tube C, upwardly therethrough to,, or appreciably above the top of the
funnel.
The said tube C, fitting loosely in the sleeve B will, whenever the funnel body
is held in the hand, or when removed from the bottle neck fall and cause the
ports E, to be closed and the valve F, to rest upon its seat, said valve assuming
the position shown in Fig. 2. When the funnel is inserted into a bottle or similar
vessel its weight causes the sleeve to slip down upon the tube until it abuts
against, or rests upon the gasket G, thereby opening the ports to permit the
passage of the liquids therethrough.
The portion H, of the washer or stopper has a flat under surface in order that
it may cover the mouth of the bottle more perfectly and also be applied to those
of different diameters as well, while the upper portion H¹, is preferably composed
of rigid material, in order to form a substantial backing or support therefor.
1 prefer to arrange the air tube eccentrically within the valve tube C, in order
that it may be more firmly secured within the latter and allow of a more
unobstructed passage of the liquid through the tube, and the operation of the
funnel is as follows; The lower end tube C, is inserted into the neck of a bottle or
similar vessel which it is desired to fill, and the stopper consisting of the parts H,
and H, rest upon the neck or nozzle thereby making a air tight connection with
the bottle, be reason of the flexible and elastic character of the part H, herein-
before described. The funnel immediately assumes the open position shown in
Fig. 1, and the body A, sliding downwardly thereby raising the valve and opening
the ports E, to permit the free passage of the liquid therethrough and down into
the bottle. As the liquid enters the bottle the air escapes therefrom by way
of the air tube B, as will be readily understood, and the operation of Howing
continues until the liquid reaches the level of the bottom of the tube C, thus
sealing the mouth of the air tube whereby the air in the space K, within the neck
of the bottle cannot escape and forms an air cushion, which stops the further
filling of the bottle until the funnel is raised, when the valve instantly falls and
cuts off the further flow of the liquid. The liquid remaining in the funnel, if any,
can then be decanted into another vessel, or returned to that from which it was
drawn.
By frictionally and movable attaching the stopper consisting of the parts H,
and H', to the tube C, the same may be adjusted vertically upon said tube to
regulate the depth of the latter within the bottle, according to the height to which
it is desired to fill the bottle, and it is evident that this device may not only be
applied to bottles of the usual or any preferred form of construction but also to
jars, cans, lamps, jugs or other vessel or vessels adapted to hold liquids of any kind
or class.
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 stopper for automatic funnels, comprising an annular body portion adapted
to seal the mouth of a bottle or similar vessel and provided with an interior body
A
1.1

page_text: 2. A stopper for automatic funnels, consisting of a substantially rigid body
portion, and a hollow and elastic portion on the under side thereof, said hollow
portion being filled with or provided with a body of flexible material.
3. A stopper for automatic funnels, adapted to be used in connection therewith
to close the mouth of a bottle or other vessel, comprising a substantially rigid
portion, and a flexible elastic portion having a body of flexible material,.
substantially as shown and described.
4. A stopper for automatic funnels, adapted to be used in connection therewith.
for closing the mouth of a bottle or other vessel consisting of an annular hollow
body of elastic and flexible material, and filled in with flexible material, and a
substantially rigid portion above the same, which serves as a support therefor
each of said parts having a central opening through which the tube connected with
the funnel passes, substantially as shown and described.
5. A stopper for automatic funnels, adapted to be used for filling bottles or
other vessels, comprising a flat annular body of thin flexible rubber, having upon
the exterior thereof an upwardly projecting rim with an inwardly directed flange
upon the upper edge thereof, said stopper being centrally apertured, and provided
with an upwardly directed extension having an annular flange upon the upper edge,.
and a filling of flexible material inserted within said stopper and beneath the
exterior flange and the central flange, and the centrally apertured disk of
substantially rigid material secured to both of said flanges, substantially as shown
and described.
6. A stopper for automatic funnels, adapted to be used in filling bottles or other
vessels, consisting of au annular body of elastic and flexible material having an
aperture in the center thereof with an upwardly projecting extension, and an
annular flange upon the top of said extension, and a disk or body of substantially
rigid material secured at the upper surface of said body and also provided with
a central opening, and secured to the said flange, substantially as shown and
described.
7. The combination with a funnel, of a tubular valve, having a collar thereon,
adapted to limit its movement and a stopper beneath the same adapted to make an
air tight connection between the funnel and a bottle or similar vessel said stopper-
comprising an annular body adapted to seal the mouth of a bottle or other vessel,
and provided with an interior body of flexible material, substantially as shown and
described.
8. A funnel, consisting of a body having a sleeve, a tubular valve loosely fitted
to the sleeve and provided with openings for the passage of the liquid, a collar
upon the valve tube and adapted to limit its movement within the sleeve, an air
tube within the valve tube extending therethrough, and an elastic stopper
adjustably and frictionally fitted upon the tube, comprising a portion of flexible
material having a body of elastic or flexible material, and a substantially rigid.
portion above the same, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 31st day of October 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents..