IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES CONTAINING CHAMPAGNE OR OTHER EFFERVESCING LIQUIDS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Jean Jacques Heurtier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1875.
I, JEAN JACQUES HEURTIER, of Paris, Boulevard de Strasbourg, No. 23,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CAPSULING BOTTLES CONTAINING CHAMPAGNE OR OTHER
EFFERVESCING LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is a little machine for effecting the
putting in place and fixation of a particular kind of capsule already
patented, for the hermetic corking of bottles containing effervescing
liquids. This kind of capsule is distinguished from other sorts by being
formed with two arms carrying two horizontal car pieces, each pierced with
a slit in order to hook one into the other, thus forming a species of collar
tightly embracing the neck of the bottle just beneath the rim. The
machine which I proceed to describe is chiefly intended to effect the
pressing the turn back of the car tips or the hooking of the ear pieces
of the cap with the necessary amount of force in a ready and easy
manner.

page_text: All the parts of the machine are grouped upon one frame or support
fixed upon a table of any kind. The head of this support is enlarged in
an olive form and pierced from top to bottom, and serves as a sleeve or
guide to a rod which carries the presser and hooker of the machine.
This rod at one portion of its length is cut with rack teeth and gears
with a toothed sector upon the axis of which the end of an actuating lever
is keyed.
In lowering this lever by the hand the rod is caused to
descend with a considerable force, and when the hand is removed the rod
rises of its own accord, being impelled upwards by a spiral spring lodged
in the head of the support hollowed for the purpose.
The pressure mechanism consists of a piece in the form of a cup
provided with a screw attaching it to the foot of the rod formed
conveniently for this purpose. This screw is hollow and permits a free
passage to the rod which carries the pressure die or plunger, also capable
of turning independently of the cap. Upon the rod between a little
opening and the base of the socket of the rod is mounted a stirrup shaped
spring, the branches of which are formed with little projections penc-
trating into openings formed by the forks which terminate the sides of
the cap. The two branches of the stirrup spring are curved like the
sides of the cap so as to assume the cylindrical form of the capsule;
they carry at their lower parts two little rollers which effect the turning
back and hooking as will be explained further on. The screw is
prolonged upwards by another screw which is also hollow and traversed
by the rod of the die or plunger; this screw is provided with a nut
which regulates the vertical play of the die in relation to the cap. The
screws and the nut are lodged within a hollow formed to receive them
in the rod, and are consequently not seen in the machine when at
work.
Upon the socket of the support and directly underneath the mechanism
above described a plate is arranged provided with an axis upon which it
turns freely when actuated by a handle; the axis rests upon the end of
a screw which permits the height of the plate to be regulated.
The capsule is cut from one piece of metal, preferably thin sheet iron,

page_text: I proceed to describe the action of the machine and the manner in
which it effects the placing of the capsule just described.
The bottle having been previously corked is placed upon the moveable
plate turning by means of the hand as already explained, and the metal
capsule is placed loosely over the cork. The lever acting upon the toothed
racked rod causes the spring mechanism to descend upon the capsule,
and by a gradual pressure exerted upon the handle of the machine to
press the cork to the limit of its elasticity, whilst the capsule descends and
assumes a position enabling it to be pressed beneath the rim of the bottle.
When this has been effected it is only necessary to give the bottle by a
half turn of the plate a simple impulse by which the two ear pieces of
the capsule are reversed and flattened.
The placing of the capsule is now completed. In order to uncork the
bottle it is sufficient to draw outwards the flattened ends of the two
cars, which will break casily under this action; the two arms of the
capsule thus released separate from the bottle, and are easily removed
together with the cork they had protected.