Improvements relating to the Washing of Bottles and to Apparatus therefor, and for the Delivery of the Washed Bottles into. Transporting Boxes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 24th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Washing of Bottles and to Apparatus
therefor, and for the Delivery of the Washed Bottles into.
Transporting Boxes.
I, WILLIAM BEETHAM of Llanrwst in the County of Denbigh North Wales,
Mineral Water Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the washing of bottles and to apparatus therefor and is
chiefly designed to provide for the washing of mineral water bottles.
The plan heretofore usually adopted for washing mineral water bottles is for the
operator to take up the bottles one by one after they have been soaked in the
washing liquor and rub the outsides with the hands and the insides with a brush.
The bottles are then placed over a rinsing tap and after drawing are transferred to
the usual retaining boxes. This operation is tedious and slow and moreover owing
to the deep indentations and irregularities of form of the bottles the outside are not
cleaned so well by this method as is desirable.
By my said invention I provide means for simultaneously washing one or two
dozens or more of bottles both inside and outside and I moreover provide for
transferring these bottles, when washed, to the boxes without any necessity for
touching them with the hands. I am thus enabled not only to vastly increase the
speed at which the washing is performed but I also improve the quality of the
washing. A further advantage of my invention arises from the fact that the bottles
ara, during the operation of rinsing, maintained approximately vertical and conse-
quently the nozzles of the rinsing taps are prevented from becoming wedged tight
between the bottle necks and the stoppers which is not uncommon in the method of
washing hitherto adopted and which frequently leads to broken bottles.
My said invention moreover comprises apparatus for the delivery of the washed
bottles into boxes for transport.
According to my said invention I provide a large tank for containing the
washing liquor, and I preferably divide the said tank into three compartments, the
two end compartments being used for washing the outsides and the central com-
partment, which is the largest, being used for soaking, the bottles. One of the two
end compartments may be employed for washing small bottles known in the trade
as "splits."
The bottles to be washed are supported in a frame specially constructed for the
purpose and which will hold one or two dozen bottles or more as may be desired.
The said frame preferably consists of a series of rings combined in one casting of
brass or other suitable metal and supported, by pillars, at a convenient height above
a wooden or other base which is suitably recessed in line with each ring to receive
the bottle necks. The base is moreover pierced through, in the centre of each
said recess, so that the soaking liquor may freely enter the bottles and the latter may
be passed over the rinsing nozzles while in the frame. In order that the bottles may
be held in the frame when the latter is turned over as for instance during the soaking
period when it is desirable for the bottles to be upright, I may provide a series of
fingers or bars connected together by frame work capable of sliding in bearings
attached to the ring casting in such a manner that a finger or bar may be brought
over the centre of each ring and form a rest for the corresponding bottle. By sliding
the said fingers or bars back to positions midway between each pair of bottles the
latter are rendered free to be removed. Any other suitable arrangement may however
be employed for this purpose.
Within each washing chamber and stretching preferably about half way across the
same I fix a series of rows of horizontal brushes projecting from one end of the said

page_text: chamber. I provide as many rows of brushes as there are rows of bottles required to
be washed at the same time and one inore, that is to say, if one dozen bottles are
only required to be washed at once, arranged in the washing frame in three rows of
four each, I provide five rows of brushes, or if two dozen bottles are required to be
washed together arranged in four rows of six each I provide seven rows of brushes,
and so on for as many rows of bottles as it is desired to treat at one time. There
are moreover as many brushes in each vertical row as will reach from top to bottom
of the bottles. I moreover provide the washing compartment with a carriage
mounted on wheels or slides and resting on rails or guide ways fixed to the frame-
work of the tank. The object of this carriage is to receive the bottle frame and
provide means whereby the said frame with the bottles therein may be moved
backwards and forwards between the aforementioned horizontal brushes. A suitable
handle is provided for operating the said carriage, and a guide is also attached thereto
for engaging with the bottle frame to ensure perfect alignment or adjustment of the
rows of bottles with the spaces between the rows of brushes.
For rinsing the interiors of the bottles I employ the ordinary nozzle or tap, but
I arrange the nozzles in groups of one or two dozens or more to correspond with
the number of bottles in the frame, and I space the said nozzles so that they will
pass through the holes herein before referred to formed in the base of the bottle frame.
By, passing the frame over the said nozzles and resting it on a support arranged at
such a height that the nozzles enter the bottle necks sufficiently to lift the stoppers
the whole of the bottles in the frame may be simultaneously rinsed.
The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows:-The frames on being
filled and the guards drawn to prevent the bottles falling out, are placed in the
soaking tank with the bottle necks upwards and, after the bottles are sufficiently
soaked, are removed one at a time and placed on the carriage in the washing
compartment with the bottle necks downwards and moved several times backwards
and forwards between the cleansing brushes. The frame is then turned through a
right angle and again moved backwards and forwards between the brushes to
complete the cleansing of the outsides. The frame is then lifted on the rinsing
nozzles and the insides of the bottles are washed. This completes the cleansing
operation. After draining, the bottle frame is again turned over, to bring the bottles
upright, and placed on an ordinary receiving box, when, on withdrawing the
retaining finger slide, the whole of the bottles drop at once into the box without
handling by the operator. Guides are fixed on the bottle frame to facilitate the
placing of the said frame square with the box and thus indicating when the bottles
are exactly over the compartments in the said box.
A second set of bottles is then taken from the soaking tank and treated in the same
manner, and the operation may be thus continuously repeated.
The soaking tank is preferably constructed so large as to hold frames enough to
ensure each set of bottles being sufficiently soaked before their turn comes for
removal. The frames are replaced by fresh ones as fast as removed to keep the tank
filled and thereby secure a continuous operation.
Dated this 8th day of October 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & CO.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Washing of Bottles and to Apparatus
therefor, and for the Delivery of the Washed Bottles into
Transporting Boxes.
1, WILLIAM BEETHAM of Llanrwst in the County of Denbigh, North Wales,
Mineral Water Manufacturer 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 :-
My invention relates to the washing of bottles and to apparatus therefor and for the

page_text: delivery of the washed bottles into transporting boxes, and is chiefly designed for
washing and delivering mineral-water bottles.
The plan heretofore usually adopted for washing mineral water bottles is for the
operator to take up the bottles one by one after they have been soaked in the washing
liquor and rub the outsides with the hands, and the insides with a brush. The bottles
are then placed over a rinsing tap, and, after draining, are transferred to the usual
boxes. This operation is tedious and slow and moreover owing to the deep indenta-
tions and irregularities of form of the bottles the outsides are not cleaned so well by
this method as is desirable.
By my said invention I provide means for simultaneously washing one or two
dozens or more bottles both inside and outside, and I moreover provide for transferring
these bottles, when washed, to the boxes without any necessity for touching them with
the hands. I am thus enabled not only to vastly increase the speed at which the
washing is performed but I also improve the quality of the washing. A further
advantage of my invention arises from the fact that the bottles are, during the
operation of rinsing, maintained approximately vertical and consequently the nozzles
of the rinsing taps are prevented from becoming wedged tight between the bottle
necks and the stoppers, which is not an uncommon occurrence in the method of
washing heretofore adopted and which frequently leads to broken bottles.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my invention may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of iny improved bottle washing and delivery apparatus,
the front of the tank being removed to more clearly show the internal arrangements.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section taken on the line a, y fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail drawn to a larger scalo showing one of the brush holders, but with
lines only indicating the position of the brushes.
Fig. 5 is.a front view of a brush holder with the brushes in position, and
Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of fig. 4 on the line x, y¹.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the plate to which the brush holders are secured, and
larger
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are side elevation, plan, and inverted plan respectively on a
scale of my improved bottle frame for containing the bottles during washing and
subsequently transferring the same in a body to the transporting boxes.
Like letters represent corresponding parts in all the drawings.
A is a tank, for containing the washing liquor, constructed in any suitable manner
and preferably divided into three compartments A', A2, A³, the centre one A¹ being
the largest. This compartment is intended for a soaking tank in the liquid in which
the bottles are allowed to soak for some time before being washed. The two ond
compartments A2, A3 are fitted with my improved apparatus for washing the outsides
of the bottles, the compartment A' being designed for, washing large bottles and the
conipartment A for washing smaller bottles known in the trade as 'splits.' I have
only shown the washing apparatus of one compartment as that of the other is identical
in all respects except in the matter of size. Moreover, I have only shown an arrange-
ment for washing one dozen bottles at once but it will be understood that I may
construct the apparatus to wash two dozens or any other desirable number of bottles
at the same time time. The washing of the outsides is effected by passing the bottles,
arranged in a frame of special construction, between stationary brushes supported by
brackets hereinafter described projecting from the side of the compartment. The said
frame is shown on a larger scale in figs. 8, 9, and 10 and consists of a wooden or other
base a connected by four pillars b with a metal, preferably brass, plate c cast in the
form of rings c¹ disposed in rectangular rows and columns as shown and of slightly
greater diameter than the bottles. The holder shown in the drawings is con-
structed to contain twelve bottles. For a purpose hereinafter explained, the pitch
or distance from centre to centre of the rings c¹ is equal to that of the bottles
when in an ordinary transporting box. Moreover the pillars are constructed
to be in the centre line of the two outer rows of rings and are situated at a
distance from the centre of the first rings in these rows by an amount equal to

page_text: the pitch of the said rings. The reason for this construction will be hereinafter
explained. The wooden base a is pierced with a small hole a¹ opposite each othe
rings c¹ and is also recessed at a² on the inner side concentric with each hole a' so as
to receive and support the bottle necks. On the outer side of the metal plate c is.
mounted a slide & consisting preferably of two longitudinal bars d' sliding in staples
or other supports d² and four cross bars d³ projecting on each side to about the centre
line of the outer rows of rings. The pitch of both sets of bars is the same as that of
the rings, and the extent of movement is such that the cross bars can be moved from
the position shown in the drawing where they are placed centrally over the rings to a
position midway between the rings. In the latter position, the frame can be filled or
emptied, while, in the former position, the bottles in the frame are prevented from
falling out, and the frame can be carried about or turned over as may be desired. The
pillars are preferably screwed into the plate c and project on the outer side of
the plate forming small feet 6' which protect the slide d and on which the holder.
stands when in the position shown in fig. 8, that is to say, when the wooden base a'
and the bottle necks are uppermost. In order to provide for slight irregularities in
the lengths of the bottles and to prevent short bottles falling out while brushing, three
or four projecting pins c² are fixed round each ring on the inner side of the ring
plate c.
The brush holders e figs. 1 to 6 for operating simultaneously on a dozen bottles are
five in number and in all cases I provide one set more of brushes than there are
bottles in the long side of the frame. The holders e project from the rear side of the
tank to about half way across the washing compartment, and are spaced the same
distance apart centre to centre as the rings e¹ of the bottle frame and in order to.
ensure nicety of adjustment the said brush holders are attached to a metal plate f
fig. 7 which is perforated to receive the ends of the holders and is attached to the side
of the tank as shown in dotted lines in fig. 3. Each brush holder consists of a U-
shaped metal casting having a narrow upper limb and a wide lower limb as shown in
fig. 6, provided with screws e' for fixing to the plate fand with extended fingers e², e³
at the front end to which a cap plate et is attached. I prefer that the upper limb of
the holder shall be a little longer than the lower limb and shall pass about half way
through the metal plate which is slotted for the purpose as seen in fig. 7. The
brushes are supported longitudinally between the front end of the U-shaped portion
of the holder and the cap plate e and are removable by simply taking off the said
cap plate, as many brushes being thus mounted as will reach from top to bottom
of the bottle.
Within the washing compartment A2 figs. 1 to 3 is a carriage 9, mounted on wheels
or slides which run between upper and lower guide rails fixed to the sides of the
compartment, and provided with handles g' by which it can be pushed backwards and
forwards underneath the brush holders e. The said carriage is for the purpose of
supporting the bottle frames and for passing the bottles between the cleansing brushes.
Its height is so arranged that when a bottle frame is placed upon it and the carriage
is pushed towards the brushes, the bottle frame will just pass clear over the brush
holders e; that is to say, the upper metal plate c will pass above, and the base a will
pass beneath, the brush holders. Moreover there is a register pin i fixed in the
carriage g which passes through a corresponding hole in the base a of the frame to
ensure, in conjunction with a stop pinj against which the edge of the base a is rested,
alignment of the bottles with the spaces between the brushes. The said hole in the
base a is disposed centrally between four bottles so that by turning the bottle frame
round the pin i through a quarter of a revolution and thus bringing the edge of the
base against a second stop pin k the brushes and bottles are again parallel and the
latter can be passed through the former. In this case the brushes pass between
the rows of bottles while previously they passed between the columns, so that by
passing the bottles through the brushes in two directions at right angles to each other
the external surfaces are cleaned all round. For greater clearness in fig. 2 I have
shown only the base plate a of the bottle frame. It is obvious that the columns of
the bottle frames arranged as hereinabove described will pass between the brushes

page_text: without offering any obstruction. The bottle frames are placed on the carriage g
with the bottle necks downward so that the necks are opposite the wide part or lower
limb of the brush holders and the largest parts of the bottles are opposite the narrow
parts of the brush holders.
In addition to the brushes for washing the sides of the bottles I may also provide
a transverse revolving brush driven in any suitable manner and mounted in bearings
just above the level of the stationary brush holders for the purpose of cleansing the
ends of the bottles simultaneously with the washing of the sides.
The washing operation is now completed by rinsing the insides of the bottles and
for this purpose I provide as many rinsing nozzles m as there are bottles in the frame.
and space them with the same pitch as the holes a' in the base of the bottle frame so
that by placing the said frame over the nozzles, each nozzle passes up through the
corresponding hole a¹ into the bottle and lifts the stopper. I preferably mount the
nozzles on a platform m', above the washing compartment, supported by brackets n
from the sides of the tank, and I provide a trough or ledge m² for conducting the
rinsing water away without falling into the compartment below. By this arrangement
all the bottles in one holder are rinsed simultaneously and the bottles being kept
upright by the frame the nozzles are not liable to become wedged between the necks
and the stoppers as is the case when the bottles are rinsed singly which often results
in broken bottles. To facilitate the transfer of the washed bottles from the frames
to the boxes, a platform B Figs. 1 & 2 is provided at the end of the tank A and
suitable metal or wooden guides o are fixed thereto. The box to be filled is placed in
the corner formed by the end of the tank and the guide rail o, and the frame in its
upright position is then placed on horizontal rails p of any suitable character which
support it just above the level of the top of the box, guide pins or other means being
provided to facilitate the setting of the frame exactly over the box. By simply moving
the slide d so as to withdraw the guards from beneath the bottles the latter are
simultaneously released and drop into the box, each bottle into its own compartment
inasmuch as the pitch of the holder rings is the same as that of the divisions of
the box.
The operation of washing and transferring bottles by my improved apparatus is as
follows; that is to say, the frames hereinabove described are filled with bottles and
allowed to stand for any desired length of time preferably with the bottle. necks
upwards in the soaking tank or compartment A¹. Then each frame is taken in turn
and placed on the carriage g with the bottle necks downwards and moved backwards
and forwards two or three times between the stationary brushes and under the
revolving brush 1; next the frame is turned through an angle of 90° and again
passed backwards and forwards two or three times amongst the brushes and the
washing of the outsides is then complete. The frame is now lifted on the platform m
and passed over the rinsing nozzles and the water turned on to rinse the interiors,
and, after the bottles have drained sufficiently, the frame is reversed and placed on
the rails p and the guard slide d withdrawn, when the washed bottles immediately
fall into a box placed on the platform underneath without requiring to be touched by
hand. The filled box is immediately pushed away along the platform and replaced
by an empty box ready to receive the bottles from the next frame. As soon as a
frame has been removed from the soaking tank A¹ it is replaced by another filled
frame and so the operation is continuous, the tank being preferably constructed to
contain so many frames that each set of bottles has been sufficiently soaked when its
turn comes for being removed.
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. The improved method of washing bottles in groups consisting of mounting the
bottles in a suitable frame constructed to hold any desirable or convenient number
of bottles arranged in rectangular rows and columns and, after soaking, passing the
bottles while in the frame first in one direction and then in a direction at right angles

page_text: thereto between a series of stationary brushes contained in the washing tank and finally
rinsing the interiors by means of a group of rinsing nozzles so spaced as to pass into
the bottles while still in the said frame, substantially as above set forth.
2. The method of delivering the washed bottles to the transporting boxes,
substantially as above set forth.
3. The frame constructed substantially as described for holding a group of bottles
during the operations of soaking, washing and rinsing by the method above set forth.
and provided with a movable set of guards or fingers for retaining the bottles while
washing, and releasing the same for delivery to the transporting boxes, substantially
as set forth.
4. The series of brush holders constructed and mounted substantially as above
described.
5. The apparatus constructed substantially as above described with reference to
the accompanying drawings and operating in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as specified.
D
1
A
"1 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.