IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Max Sombart of the firm of Buss Sombart and
Company Engineers and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of
Germany, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINES'
A communication from Oswald Assmann of Zwolle Holland
"7
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Max Sombart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1882.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART of the firm of Buss Sombart and Company Engineers
and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of Germany "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES" a communication from Oswald Assmann of Zwolle
Holland.
These improvements relate to the application of a bottle filling machine to the
selfacting bottle stopping machine forming the subject of Letters Patent No. 3615
dated 19th August 1881. so that bottles can be successively filled and corked in a
selfacting manner.
The general arrangement of the said bottle stopping machine is not altered when
in connection with the bottle filling machine.
Concentrically to a vertical shaft there is placed on a periodically revolving disc
a cylindrical vessel provided on its circumference with projections in number
corresponding to tongs on the said disc. Each projection carries on the outside a
cock the key of which is provided with a siphon pipe and toothed sector. The
cylindrical vessel communicates by a pipe with a first receptacle.
The said cocks are situated above the level of the bottom of the cylindrical vessel
so that the mouths of the ports which establish communication between the cocks
and syphon pipes and the said cylindrical vessel at a little lower level than the
lowest level to which bottles shall be filled.
The outer part of each syphon pipe is bent to a circle described from the centre
of the cock key so that it can easily be introduced into the neck of the bottle. The
extremity of the syphon is closed and carries a stud the purpose of which will be
hereinafter described. The outlet of the liquid from the syphon takes place through
small lateral holes.

page_text: The cock key is arranged in relation to the port in such a manner that its passage
communicates with the latter only at the position of the syphon in which the
outlet holes are in the same or a little below the lowest level of the liquid in the
cylindrical vessel so that the syphon must remain constantly filled while drawing
it out from the neck of the bottle. The toothed sector of each cock gears into a
sector which oscillates in slots in the aforesaid revolving disc on a centre carried by
a bracket beneath the said disc the said sector having a lower arm carrying at its
end a spherical roller. Between the nave of the sector and the bearings of the
bolt there are placed upon the latter two spiral springs the ends of which bear on
the one hand upon the bracket and on the other upon projections cast to the sector.
These springs tend constantly to open the cock by moving the circular end of the
syphon downwards. In order to close the cocks at the right moment as the dise
revolves there is fixed on the bench a curved rail the extremities of which are
slightly bent outwards for the purpose of enabling the spherical roller at the end of
each sector arm in connection with each cock to roll slowly upon the rail. As long
as the rollers roll on the middle concentrical part of the rail the extremity of the
syphons is raised so high that it easily passes over the cork receiving device of the
stopping machine. In this position of the syphon the bottles are corked put in
and removed from the machine. The connection of the syphons with the
cylindrical vessel may be accomplished by a modified arrangement whereby the
cocks are dispensed with.
In this case the cocks are substituted by short pipe adjutages one for each syphon
fixed to the cylindrical vessel. Between the latter and each syphon a caoutchouc
tube is introduced for giving a flexible connection. Each syphon is connected to
the elongated arin of the toothed sector and the whole arrangement oscillates
round a centre pin carried by a support fixed to the revolving disc. The sector
carries also a pin which squeezes the caoutchoue tube when the sector together with
the syphon oscillates round the centre interrupting thereby the passage of the
liquid from the cylindrical vessel to the syphon.
In applying this bottle filling apparatus to the hereinbefore referred to self acting
bottle stopping machine the original manner of holding fast the bottles could not
be retained and the former tongs must be replaced by tongs arranged as follows:-
In this case the bottles are not simply held fast at their body by the squeezing
action of the bits of the tongs but by being suspended just beneath the neck ring
they are prevented froin gliding down. Each tong consists of the legs which are
hinged to each other and oscillate round a centre pin. They are held in their closed
position by means of a spiral spring placed between them. The revolving disc is
provided with bosses in which are fixed a bolt and a pin. The latter enters the
iniddle windings of the spring in order to prevent the tong from lateral motion.
The regularly shaped recess which the legs of the tong form when closed serves to
receive the neck of the bottle the neck ring resting upon the surface of the legs.
In thus shaping the said recess the bottles assume always the same position in
relation to the shaft no matter whether the neck of the bottles may be thick or
thin. In order to prevent the bottles from oscillation which occurs when the disc
revolves springs of slight elasticity and suitably shaped to partially embrace the
body of the bottle are provided.
The collar placed upon the top of the bolt which carries the legs of the tongs
extends over the latter so that a hollow cylindrical space is obtained for receiving
a caoutchouc piece on the top of which rests the syphon when it occupies its lowest
position.
To prevent the syphon from being emptied when no bottle hangs in either of the
tongs there is adapted on the upper face of each tong a moveable tongue. When
no bottle is introduced the said tongue covers in its normal position the recess for
the neck of the bottle between the legs of the tongs so that the syphon is
prevented from descending quite down its pin bearing upon the said tongue. The
syphon then occupies a position at which the communication between the cock and
cylindrical vessel is not yet established. The said tongue does not cover the said

page_text: recess when the tong carries a bottle and in taking out the bottle the tongue is
brought back in its original position by the action of a spring.
The first receptacle which first receives the liquid from the barrel to be emptied
by means of a flexible tube is provided with a valve and float gauge which can be
raised or lowered upon a valve spindle according to the respective level of liquid to
which bottles are to be filled. When filling small bottles the float gauge must be
lowered otherwise the liquid would flow over the bottles for the level of liquid in
the bottles will be the same as that in the cylindrical vessel and first receptacle.
In thus arranging the float gauge no liquid can flow over the bottle when being
filled on the machine. When the barrel from which the liquid flows to the first
receptacle is emptied the float gauge will descend lower than usually the valve
spindle closing thereby at its top an electrical current which sounds a bell to inform
the attendant that the barrel is empty. The pipe which communicates between
the first receiver and the cylindrical vessel is provided with a pump which can be
put in or out of communication with the said pipe by a cock and is driven by an
excentric on the main driving shaft of the machine. An air cock is also placed on
the said pipe.
In order to put the apparatus into action all the syphons must be first filled with
the liquid an operation which is effected in the following manner.
The air cock on the last mentioned pipe is opened and the cylindrical vessel is
filled with liquid full to the top the disc is turned & a bottle is put into the
machine at one point and taken out again at another point with the hand the
respective syphon being taken out of the neck of the bottle and then placed upon
the before described moveable tongue. As the cylindrical vessel is higher than the
highest point of the syphon when placed in its lowest position liquid will flow on
its own account through the syphon and fill the latter therewith. Then the same
bottle is introduced again at the first point and taken out at the second and the
same operation is repeated until all the syphons are filled with liquid.
The air cock is now closed and the cock beneath the pump is opened and the
bottle stopping machine is put into motion. The pump in drawing all air out of
the pipe with which it is used produces therein a vacuum so that the liquid from
the first receptacle flows through the said pipe into the cylindrical vessel and fills
the said vessel to the same level as that in the first receptacle. The float gauge is
then adjusted to a level which corresponds with that of the level to which the
bottles are to be filled and the machine is ready for work for automatically filling
and stopping bottles the bottles being removed as they reach a certain point in the
revolution of the disc

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Max Sombart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th November 1882.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART of the firm of Buss Sombart and Company Engineers
and Patent Agents of Magdeburg in the Empire of Germany-" IMPROVEMENTS
IN BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES" a communication from abroad by Oswald Assmann
of Zwolle Holland
These improvements relate to the application of a bottle filling machine to the
selfacting bottle stoppering machine described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 3615 dated the nineteenth day of August in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one so that bottles can be successively filled
and corked in a selfacting manner.
The general arrangement of the said bottle-stoppering machine as described in
the said Specification is not altered when in connection with the bottle filling
machine in accordance with this Invention
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical section and
figure 2 a top view of the selfacting filling apparatus-Figures 3 to 8 show
different views and sectional details thereof drawn to an enlarged scale
Concentrically to the vertical shaft B₁ there is placed on the periodically
revolving disc E a cylindrical vessel F figures 1. 2 3 and 4 provided on its circum-
ference with projections a in number corresponding to that of tongs J on the said
disc E Each projection a carries on the outside a cock g the plug of which is
provided with a syphon pipe f and toothed sector -The vessel F communicates
with the receptacle I by means of the horse shoe like bent pipe H
The cocks g are situated above the level of the bottom of the vessel F so that
the mouths of the ports f' which establish communication between the cocks and
syphon pipes g and the vessel F are at a little lower level than the lowest level to
which bottles shall be filled
The outer part of each syphon pipe fis bent to the segment of a circle described
from the centre of the cock plug so that it can easily be introduced into the necks
of the bottles-The extremity of the syphon f is closed and caraies a stud f² the
purpose of which will be hereinafter described-The outlet of the liquid from the
syphon takes place through small lateral holes f³ figures 1 and 3
The cock plug is arranged in relation to the port f¹ in such a manner that its
passage communicates with the latter only at the position of the syphon f in which
the outlet holes f³ are in the same or a little below the lowest level of the liquid in
the vessel F so that the syphon must remain constantly filled while drawing it out
from the neck of the bottle. The toothed sector h of each cock g gears into the
sector h¹ which oscillates in slots e¹ in the revolving disc E on the bolt i carried by
the bracket j beneath the said disc the said sector having a lower arm h² carrying at
its end the spherical roller h³. Between the nave of the sector and the bearings
of the bolt i figures 7 and 8 there are placed upon the latter two spiral springs ¹ the
ends of which bear the one upon the bracket and the other upon projections h* cast
to the sector h¹ figures 1 and 3. These springs tend constantly to open the cock
by moving the circular end of the syphon f downwards-In order to close the
cocks at the right moment as the disc E revolves there is fixed on the bench a
curved rail the extremities of which are slightly bent outwards for the purpose
of enabling the spherical rollers h³ to roll slowly upon the rail As long as the
rollers roll on the middle concentrical part of the rail the extremity of the
syphons fis raised so high that it easily passes over the cork receiving device L
figure 1 In this position of the syphon f the bottles are corked put in and
removed from the machines

page_text: The connection of the syphons f with the vessel F may be accomplished by a
modified arrangement represented by the figures 1ª and 1b whereby the cocks
are dispensed with
In this case for the cocks are substituted short pipes b (one for each syphon)
fixed to the vessel F figures 1ª and 1b between the latter and each syphon f
a caoutchouc tube c is introduced for giving a flexible connection—Each
syphon is connected to the elongated arm of the toothed sector h and the
whole arrangement oscillates round the centre pin d' carried by the support a fixed
to the revolving disc E-The sector carries also a pin c' which squeezes the
caoutchouc tube c when the sector together with the syphon oscillates round the
said centre pin interrupting thereby the passage of the liquid from the vessel F to
the syphon f-The figures 1° and 1b show the positions in which the passage of
the liquid is established and interrupted respectively
In applying this bottle filling apparatus to the hereinbefore referred to self
acting bottle stopping machine the original manner of holding fast the bottles could
not be retained and the former tongs must be replaced by tongs J arranged as
follows and shown more clearly in figure 3 and 5-In this case the bottles are not
simply held fast at their body by the squeezing action of the tongs but by being
suspended just beneath the neck ring they are prevented from slipping down-
Each tong J consists of the legs which are hinged to each other and oscillate
round the centre pin -They are held in their closed position by means of a
spiral spring placed between them-The revolving disc E is provided with
bosses e in each of which is fixed a bolt k' and a pin k² The latter enters the
middle coils of the spring in order to prevent the tongs J from lateral motion-
The regularly shaped recess which the legs of the tongs J form when closed serves
to receive the neck of the bottle the neck ring resting upon the surface of
the legs In thus shaping the said recess the bottles assume always the same
position in relation to the shaft B³ no matter whether the neck of the bottles be
thick or thin.
In order to prevent the bottles from oscillation when the disc E revolves
springs figure 8 of slight elasticity and suitably shaped to partially embrace the
body of the bottle, are fixed on the brackets j figure 8.
The collar m placed upon the top of the bolts k' extends over the latter so that
a hollow cylindrical space is obtained for receiving a caoutchouc piece n on the top
of which rests the syphon f when it occupies its lowest position as shown at the
left hand side in Figure 1.
To prevent the syphon f from being emptied when no bottle hangs in either of
the tongs there is adapted on the upper face of each of the tongs J a moveable
tongue o figures 5 and 6-When no bottle is introduced the said tongue covers in
its normal position the recess x figures 2 and 5 so that the siphon f is prevented
from descending quite down its pin f2 bearing upon the said tongue o-The syphon
then occupies a position at which the communication between the cock g
and vessel F is not yet established-The said tongue o occupies the. position
indicated by dotted lines in figure 5 when the tongs J carries a bottle, and in
taking out the bottle the tongue is brought back in its original position by the
action of the spiral springs 0¹
The receptacle I which first receives the liquid from the barrel to be emptied by
means of a flexible tube is provided with a valve and a float gauge K which can
be raised or lowered upon the valve spindle p according to the level of liquid to
which bottles are to be filled-When filling small bottles the float gauge K must
be lowered, otherwise the liquid would flow over the bottles, for the level of
liquid in the bottles will be the same as that in the vessel F and receptacle I-In
thus arranging the float gauge no liquid can flow over the bottle when being filled
on the machine-When the barrel from which the liquid flows to the first
receptacle is emptied, the float gauge K will descend lower than usual, the valve
spindle p closing thereby, at its top the circuit for an electrical current which sounds
a bell to inform the attendant that the barrel is empty.

page_text: The pipe H is provided with a pump 9 which can be put in or out of communi-
cation with the said pipe by the cock q¹ and is driven by the eccentric q2 on the
main driving shaft A of the machine-An air cock q is also placed on the said
pipe H.
In order to put the apparatus into action all the syphons ƒ must be first filled
with the liquid an operation which is effected in the following manner
The air cock q is opened and the vessel F is filled with liquid full to the top the
disc E is turned and a bottle is put into the machine at .1 and taken out again at II
figure 2 with the hand, the respective syphon f being taken out of the neck of
the bottle and then placed upon the before described movable tongue o-As the
vessel F is higher than the highest point of the syphon f when placed in its lowest
position (as shown at the left hand side of figure 1) liquid will flow through the
syphon and fill the latter therewith.
Then the same bottle is introduced again at 1 and taken out at II and the same
operation is repeated until all the syphons are filled with liquid-The air cock q
is now closed and the cock q¹ beneath the pump q is opened and the bottle stopping
machine is put into motion-The pump p in drawing all air out of the pipe H
produces therein a vacuum so that the liquid from the receptacle I flows through
the said pipe into the vessel F and fills the said vessel to the same level as that in
the receptacle I-The float gauge K is then adjusted to a level which corresponds
with that of the level to which the bottles are to be filled and the machine is ready
for work for automatically filling and stoppering bottles, the bottles being removed
as they reach a certain point in the revolution of the disc.
By the application of the hereinbefore described bottle filling apparatus to the
bottle stoppering machine before referred to, the filling and stopping of bottles is
performed automatically as the disc E rotates-Bottles are introduced at I figure 2
and get filled while travelling in the direction of the arrow figure 2 over point I I
to the piston C which presses the cork into the bottle-The bottles thus filled and
corked are taken out again at I
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the same in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is―
In combination with the above mentioned selfacting bottle stoppering
machine
First The vessel F placed upon the revolving disc E the syphon pipe H and
float gauge K by means of which the liquid in the vessel F can always be raised to
and kept at a desired level substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings
Second-The connecting parts which serve to convey the liquid into the bottles
consisting of firstly The cock g (or the caoutchouc tube c) and the two toothed
sectors h h pertaining to the same and secondly The syphon f provided at its
extremity with a pin f2 for the purpose hereinbefore described or their equivalent
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Third―The mechanism for effecting the movements of the syphons of consisting
of the toothed sector h¹ and arm h³ in combination with the spherical roller h³ and
spiral spring j¹ or their equivalents and the peculiarly curved rail k in combination
with the mechanism for opening and closing the cock g or caoutchouc tube c and
thereby effecting the filling of the bottles substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The mechanism J represented in figures 3 and 5 and fixed upon the
revolving disc E for holding fast the bottles consisting of the long legs 1 l pressed
against each other by the spiral spring and provided with a recess for receiving
the necks of the bottles substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Fifth The movable tongue o placed on the upper face of the long legs so
that the action of the spring o' always tends to keep the recess x receiving the
neck of the bottle covered so that if there be in the said recess no bottle the
syphon f with its pin f2 rests upon this tongue o preventing thereby the liquid
from flowing out of the syphon ƒ substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings
Sixth The arrangement represented in figure 8 and consisting of the two
springs for preventing the bottles in the tongs J figure 5 from rocking or swinging
during the revolution of the disc E substantially as hereinbefore desbribed and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings
Seventh-The combination with the herein before mentioned bottle stoppering
machine of bottle filling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings
In witness whereof I the said Charles Max Sombart have to this my
Specification set my and and seal this thirtieth day of October One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
CHARLES MAX SOMBART. (L.S.)