IMPROVEMENTS.. IN CORKING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I-JOSEPH BOON POWELL trading as J and S. Powell of 28 Redcliffe Street in
the city and county of Bristol Cork Manufacturers' do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.. IN CORKING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
:-
$
• This Invention relates to certain improvements in corking machines the object
being to so construct such machine that it shall be of great strength and durability,
less noiseless in action, easily worked and rapid in motion and also to preserve the -
corks and bottles from breakage.
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-A hollow metal standard piece or frame
is provided open at the top and bottom said bottom part being made with a rim.
projecting outwards.
Inside said standard is an upright slide or plunger to which is attached at the
top a solid metal piece or arm projecting through a slot in the standard frame and
provided and terininating with a ram or hanimer. This slide is provided with a
roller placed high up in the frame of the standard and said roller works in a slot
in the slide and works in a slot in the slide and thus retains the upward and
downward movement of the ram.
At the lower part of the ram slide is a wrought iron spindle passing through a
hole bored in said slide. On each side of this spindle is a friction roller which
works in a long slotted way in said standard. All these rollers are in a straight
line with one another and the cork ram works parallel thereto whereby the bottle
cannot be broken in corking.
t
The cork gripper is fitted in a slot in the standard and works on rollers therein
(said gripper being narrow at one part) so as to slide freely inwards and pulls the
cork up to a fixed part or inverted cup piece fitted underneath said gripper. The
ram constantly working against this fixed part or cup prevents any dirt or particles
of cork entering the liquid whereas in other machines the cork is forced away
which forcing away causes a speedy wear on the forced part which prevents the
cork reaching up to the ram. It therefore follows that the cork in passing into
the bottle is frotted away and pieces thereof forced into the liquid in such old
machines.
The metal slide for pulling in the cork has a long roller thereby giving a steadier
motion than a narrow roller,

page_text: The lever handle balanced by a counterweight is placed low down near the seat
of and at the command of the workman with only a short pull forward instead of
as in other machines high up, and two motions.
The bottle holder is held by a square threaded screw which passes through a nut
with trunnion ends which ends travel in a parallel mortice way, said mortice way
being in a perfect line with the cork ram and remains thus for any length of bottle
thereby preventing breakage of the bottles in corking or the bottle holder may
also be held by a ratchet lever with end catch lever and weight working on a
turned bolt. For corking a number of bottles there is a side thumb screw gripper
provided which grips aforesaid screw and holds it with the bottle holder tight.
The working is as follows:-
On the lever handle being pulled forward the cork gripper and cork slides
inwards and the ram slide is depressed and with it the ram and drives the cork
into the bottle.
E. J. COLSTON FEAR,
17, Redcliffe Street, Bristol,
Agent for the Applicant..
I, JOSEPH BOON POWELL, trading as J. & S. Powell, of 28 Redcliffe Street, in
the City and County of Bristol, Cork Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKING MACHINES," 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 certain improvements in corking machines, the object
being to so construct the machine that it shall be of great strength and durability,
noiseless in action, easily worked, and rapid in motion and also to preserve the
corks and bottles from breakage.
:
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-A hollow metal standard piece or
frame provided with ears at the bottom, is mounted on a pedestal or seat, and beld
firmly in position by means of bolts passing through same; and secured at one end
by nuts Said standard is open at the top, and provided with a rim or flange
projecting inwards-Within said standard is an upright slide the upper part
whereof is wider than the lower, and in the upper part is a long slot, in which
works a friction roller fitted on a spindle in the said standard, for guiding the slide
up and down in a parallel direction-At the top of said slide is attached a solid
metal piece or arm, projecting through a slot in the standard frame, and provided
and terminating with a ram or cork driver, the length of which can be regulated
by means of a screw, and lock nut, according to the distance the cork is to be

page_text: driven into the bottle.-Said slide is bevilled at the back, towards the bottom of
the wider part, and on each side of said upper or wider part and around said slot,
is provided a cam path.-Over this slide and in a passage in the standard, is fitted
a cork gripper of any convenient shape, provided with a friction roller at. the back,
and pins inside, said pins travelling in the cam path, and the roller runs up and
down the incline, and back of the wide part of the slide.-To the standard and
inside the cork gripper is fixed a metal piece in the form of a groove, having at the
bottom an inverted cup piece with hole drilled through.-The standard is provided
at the lower part on each side with a wide slot, and passing through same, and
through the lower part of the inner slide, is a gudgeon, covered on each side with
a friction roller which works in the long slot of the standard On the right hand
side of the standard is fitted a lever handle with crank, the said crank working on
a pivot, in a boss on the back of the machine, and the end of the said lever-handle
with crank, is provided with a counterweight.-On the left hand side of the standard.
is a corresponding crank only, for working the friction rollers in the said cranks,
and also the gudgeon. The bottle holder consists of a long screw, passed through
the pedestal or seat, and underneath the front of the cork gripper, and on top is a
receptacle on which the bottle is placed-Screwed underneath the seat is a plate.
with a hole through the centre, through which the screw-passes, and said plate
is provided on two sides with ears, in the centre whereof are slots extending from.
the bottom nearly to the top.-One part of the screw of the bottle holder has a
nut around it, provided at one side with a locking feather-Between said ears
is fitted a toothed quadrant the opposite end of which is provided with a
surplus weight, to counterbalance the weight of the bottle and holder.-In the
opposite ends of the ears, below the bottle holder, is fitted a lever and catch,
and provided at the other end with a counterweight, the object being that when
the handle of the machine is drawn forwards, the catch gears in the teeth of the
quadrant, and holds the bottle holder up for corking. The locking feather is for
the purpose of biting the bottle holder thread, and preventing any vertical.
movement of the bottle holder.-On the bottom of the internal slide is rivetted
freely a hooked piece which extends downwards below the catch lever, so that on
the lever handle returning to its normal position, the hook pulls the lever up, so
releasing the catch from the quadrant, so that the holder may be depressed, and the
corked bottle removed.
In order that the said Invention may be well understood, there are annexed
hereto three sheets of drawings illustrative thereof.
On sheet 1 is shown a side view of the machine complete.-The dotted lines
showing the position of the parts after the corking of the bottle.
A is the standard-B, the slide-a the slot at the wide part, and b, the friction
roller.-C, the ram arm-D, the ram. E, the cork gripper.c, the path for the
friction roller of the gripper (not shown), to travel on-a¹, the cam path for the
pins (not shown) of the gripper to run in-F, the solid groove piece, up against
which the cork is drawn, and F¹ the inverted cup, through which the cork is
passed.-G slots in the sides of the standards.-G, the gudgeon G³, the crank.--
Ga, friction rollers around the gudgeon G-H, the lever arm-H', counterweight
J, the screw holder for the bottle, and J', the receptacle on which the bottle is
placed. J is the nut around the screw holder, in which the locking feather
works.-K, plate underneath the seat. K' the ears. K' the slots. L, the toothed
quadrant.-L weight at end thereof.-M, lever. M¹, catch to take into teeth of
quadrant L, and M², counterweight.-N, hooked piece, for taking off catch from
the quadrant.
In sheets 2 and 3 are shown the details of the machine.
Sheet. 2. Fig. 1 side elevation of standard.

page_text: Figs. 5 and 5 are side view. and plan respectively of the lever handle and
counterweight. Fig. 6 show the cranks. "
Figs. 7 and 7a show the toothed quadrant in side view and plan respectively.
Sheet 3. Fig. 8 shows the bottle holder and screw, with nut and locking feather.
Fig. 8a shows the locking feather.
Fig. 9 plan of bottle holder.
Fig. 10 shows inside and front view of the catch and lever under the standard.
Figs. 11 and 12 show inside view and plan respectively of the plate and ears
underneath the standard. . .
Fig. 13 shows the solid grooved piece and inverted cup.
Fig. 14 shows the cork gripper, with friction roller and pins.
Figs. 15.and 16 show in side and front views the slide, with slot, cam path, and
back bevil, together with the arm and cork ram and screw, and locking. nut.-
Fig. 16 also shows the gudgeon and friction rollers thereon.-In Fig. 14, sheet 3,
the pins and friction roller are numbered 1 and 2 respectively, the other parts are
lettered the same as, in sheet 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that what I claim is :-
:
(1.) The slotted way a in the slide B, in which the rollers b work in a direction
parallel to the rollers G³ in the standard A, by which means the cork is driven into
its place by the rammer D in a parallel direction, with greater precision and
steadiness than in corking machines as hitherto constructed;-substantially as
hereinbefore set forth and described.
:
(2.) The cork gripper E and piece F F as and for the purposes herein set forth,
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(3.) The improved screw gripper J2 on the screw J, as and for the purposes
herein before set forth and described, and illustrated by Figs. 8 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
:
(4.) The toothed quadrant or ratchet L, provided with the counter balance
weight L', into the teeth of which quadrant or ratchet gears the catch M¹ on the
lever M, operated by hook N, as, and for the purposes herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 28th day of October 1884.