Improvements in Machines for Corking Bottles, or for Charging and Corking Bottles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Corking Bottles, or for Charging and
Corking Bottles.
We, JOHN WALTER FLOWER and ROBERT JOHN COUSINS both of Spring
Head Works, Fontmell Magna, Shaftsbury in the County of Dorset Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide a machine for rapidly and efficiently
corking bottles or for charging and corking bottles without the necessity of
employing skilled labour.
A machine constructed according to this invention contains a platform or table
onto which the bottles to be corked are placed and secured by clips or jaws, to
which table an intermittent motion is imparted whereby the several bottles are
brought in succession into position to receive the corks.
The clips or jaws are operated as the table is moved so as to open out or separate
to receive the bottles to be corked and to release the bottles which have been
corked, the clips or jaws which hold the bottles as they are being moved by the
table into position to receive the corks being caused to close gradually so as to
grasp the bottles firmly while the corks are being forced into the mouths of the
said bottles, after which by the further movement of the table the said jaws are
caused to gradually release the bottles which have been corked so that they may
be readily removed from the table or platform.
When a bottle is brought into position to receive a cork the table is prevented
by a suitable catch from moving past the cork inserting device the said table being
then raised under the action of a weighted lever so as to force the mouth of the
bottle into contact with a yielding surface such as india rubber contained in an
inverted cup shaped chamber communicating by a passage with a cork compressing
chamber from which the corks are forced by a plunger into the mouths of the
bottles. The inverted cup shaped chamber may be provided with segmental pieces
acted on by spring plates, which will yield so as to accommodate bottle mouths of
different diameters. The table or platform on which the bottles are placed is
adjustable in height to suit bottles of different lengths. After each bottle has
been corked the table or platform is depressed by means of a cam so as to withdraw
the neck of the bottle from the inverted cup shaped chamber and admit of the
table being moved to bring another bottle into position to be corked, the retaining
catch at the same time being released to admit of this movement of the said table.
To ensure the mouths of the bottles entering the inverted cup shaped chamber in
proper position to receive the corks guides or wings may be provided on the side of
the chamber to guide the necks of the bottles into the chamber. The corks for
corking the bottles are contained in a hopper having in the bottom a rotating drum
or cylinder provided with spirally arranged ribs or projections which as the drum
rotates cause the corks to pass lengthwise into a shoot by which the corks are
conducted into a chamber in which the corks are compressed before being inserted
in the mouths of the bottles. The corks are admitted one at a time into this
compressing chamber the other corks being retained in the shoot by a spring or
equivalent retaining device which is operated intermittently so as to release the
lowermost cork in the shoot at the required periods. The compressing of the cork
in the chamber is effected by two pressing blocks operated at the required periods
by suitably timed cams acting on levers so that one of these pressing blocks is
caused to act first on the cork in one direction so as to compress it between the said
block and one side of the chamber into a flattened elliptical form after which the

page_text: other pressing block which has a concave pressing surface is caused to advance and
compress the cork between it and the concaved curved end of the chamber, in a
direction at right angles to that in which it was previously pressed, thereby
restoring the cork to a cylindrical form and forcing it into position to be inserted
into the mouth of the bottle which at the time is in the inverted cup shaped
chamber beneath. A plunger is now caused to descend and force the compressed
cork through the passage in the bottom of the compressing chamber into the mouth
of the bottle. The bottom of the compressing chamber may be perforated to admit
of the escape of dirt or other extraneous matter from the interior of the chamber.
The cams for giving the motions to the various parts of the machine are suitably
timed to give the said motions in their required sequential order and the machine
may be driven by hand or by steam or other suitable fluid power engine in which
latter case suitable means are provided for starting and stopping the machine as
required. Means may be provided whereby the bottles may be charged before they
come into position to be corked this may be effected by providing an inverted cup
shaped chamber similar to that hereinbefore described for corking the said chamber
it being situated at a point where the bottles rest just previous to their movement
into position to be corked. The pump or other device employed for charging the
bottles may be connected to this chamber and operated at the required period to
charge the bottle when in this position the platform or table being stationary and
a bottle being corked in the manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of June 1893.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Corking Bottles, or for Charging and
Corking Bottles.
We, JOHN WALTER FLOWER, and ROBERT JOHN COUSINS, both of Spring
Head Works, Fontmell Magna, Shaftsbury, in the County of Dorset, Engineers,
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 has for its object to provide a machine for rapidly and efficiently
corking bottles or for charging and corking bottles without the necessity of
employing skilled labour.
A machine constructed according to this invention contains a platform or table
on which the bottles to be corked are placed and secured by clips or jaws, and
to this table an intermittent motion is imparted whereby the several bottles are
brought in succession into position to receive the corks.
The clips or jaws are operated as the table is moved so as to open out or
separate to receive the bottles to be corked and to release the bottles which
have been corked. These clips or jaws hold the bottles as they are being moved
by the table into position to receive the corks they being caused to close gradually
so as to grasp the bottles firmly while the corks are being forced into the mouths
of the said bottles, after which by the further movement of the table the said
jaws are caused to gradually release the bottles which have been corked so that
they may be readily removed from the table or platform.
When a bottle is brought into position to receive a cork the table is prevented
by a suitable catch from moving past the cork inserting device the said table being
then raised under the action of a weighted lever so as to force the mouth of the
bottle into contact with a yielding surface such as india rubber contained in an
inverted cup shaped chamber communicating by a passage with a cork compressing
chamber from which the corks are forced by a plunger into the mouths of the

page_text: bottles. The inverted cup shaped chamber may be provided with segmental pieces,
acted on by springs, which will yield so as to accomodate bottle mouths of different
diameters. The table or platform on which the bottles are placed is adjustable in
height to suit bottles of different lengths. After each bottle has been corked the
table or platform is depressed by means of a cam so as to withdraw the neck of the
bottle from the inverted cup shaped chamber and admit of the table being moved
to bring another bottle into position to be corked, the retaining catch at the same
time being released to admit of this movement of the said table. To ensure the
mouths of the bottles entering the inverted cup shaped chamber in proper position
to receive the corks guides or wings may be provided on the side of the chamber
to guide the necks of the bottles into the chamber. The corks for corking the
bottles are contained in a hopper having therein a rotating drum or cylinder
provided with spirally arranged ribs or projections which as the drum rotates cause
the corks to pass lengthwise into a shoot by which the corks are conducted into a
chamber in which the said corks are compressed before being inserted in the
mouths of the bottles. The corks are admitted one at a time into this compressing
chamber the other corks being retained in the shoot by a spring or equivalent
retaining device which is operated intermittently so as to release the lowermost
cork in the shoot at the required periods. The compressing of the cork in the
chamber is effected by pressing blocks operated at the required periods by suitably
timed cams acting on levers so that one of these pressing blocks is caused to act
first on the cork in one direction so as to compress it between the said block and
one side of the chamber into a flattened elliptical form after which another pressing
block which has a concave pressing surface is caused to advance and compress the
cork between it and the concaved curved end of the chamber, in a direction at
right angles to that in which it was previously pressed, thereby restoring the cork
to a cylindrical form and forcing it into position to be inserted into the mouth
of the bottle which at the time is in the inverted cup shaped chamber beneath.
A plunger is now caused to descend and force the compressed cork through the
passage in the bottom of the compressing chamber into the mouth of the bottle.
The bottom of the compressing chamber may be perforated to admit of the
escape of dirt or other extraneous matter from the interior of the chamber.
cams for giving the motions to the various parts of the machine are suitably timed
to give the said motions in their required sequential order and the machine may be
driven by hand or by steam or other suitable fluid power engine in which latter
case suitable means are provided for starting and stopping the machine as required.
Means may be provided whereby the bottles may be charged before they come into
position to be corked this may be effected by providing an inverted cup shaped
chamber similar to that hereinbefore described for corking and situated at a point
where the bottles rest just previous to their movement into position to be corked.
The pump or other device employed for charging the bottles may be connected
to this chamber and operated at, the required period to charge the bottle, when
in this position, the platform or table being stationary and a bottle being at the
same time corked in the manner hereinbefore described.
The
In order that this invention may be well understood we will describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings a machine constructed according to this
invention premising however that we do not restrict ourselves to the details of
construction described and illustrated. -
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation and Figure 3 a plan of
the machine,
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the cork feeding and cork compressing
mechanism,
Figure 5 is a detached view of the cork feeding drum or cylinder,
Figu 6 is a plan (drawn to a larger scale) of the spring clips or jaws which
hold the bottles while being corked,
Figure 7 is a vertical section of one of the spring barrels which operate the clips
or jaws and

page_text: plan of the cam by means of which tension is given to the spring
barrels.
Figure 9 is a vertical section (drawn to a larger scale) of the cork compressing
chamber and the inverted cup shaped chamber into which the mouths of the bottles
are inserted while being corked and
Figure 10 is a horizontal section of the cork compressing chamber showing the
compressing blocks or plungers.
Figure 11 is a section of the cup shaped chamber showing more clearly the
yielding bearing pieces to accomodate bottle mouths of different diameters and
Figure 12 is a sectional detail showing the device for retaining the bottles in
position while being corked.
•
1 is the main frame or standard which carries the whole of the working parts
of the machine. 2 is the first motion shaft provided with fast and loose pulleys 3, 4
and receiving motion by a driving strap from any suitable motor. 5 is a strap fork
by means of which the driving strap may be shifted from either of the pulleys 3
or 4 to start and stop the machine as required. The shaft 2 carries a pinion 6 in
gear with a spur wheel 7 on a shaft 8 mounted in bearings 9, and carrying cams 10,
11, 12 and a crank 13 by which motion is given to the various parts of the machine
in their required sequential order. 14 is a table or platform on which the bottles
to be corked are placed and which receives an intermittent partial rotation to bring
the bottles in succession into position to be corked the said intermittent motions
being given to the said table by a pawl 15 and ratchet wheel 16. The table or
platform 14 is keyed on the lower end of a rod 17 the upper end of which rod is
supported in a bearing 18 its lower end working in a footstep bearing in the upper
end of a tube or hollow rod 19 mounted in bearings 20. The tube or rod 19 is
connected to a weighted lever 21 centred at 22 to the standard 1 by which lever
the said rod and also the rod 17 carrying the table is raised after each partial
rotation of the table, so as to cause the inouth of a bottle when in position for
corking to enter an inverted cup shaped chamber 23 containing a pad 24 of
yielding material Figures 9 and 11 against which the mouth of the bottle is held
while the cork is being inserted. The bottles are held in position on the table 14
while being corked by clips or spring jaws 25 hinged to a collar or collars 26 on
the rod 17.
In the drawing are shown six pairs of jaws 1× 2× 3* 4* 5× 6× but we do not
restrict ourselves to this number.
At 1x the jaws are shown fully open or expanded to receive a bottle, the said
jaws gradually closing as the table is intermittently rotated in the direction
indicated by arrows in Figure 6 so that when the jaws are in the position 4* they
securely grip the bottle between them and hold the bottle firmly while the cork is
being inserted after which by the further rotation of the table the jaws gradually
open out or expand so that when they arrive at the position 6x the bottle will be
released and may be readily removed. The opening and closing of the jaws is
effected in the following manner. Mounted in bearings on the rotating table or
platform 14 are six tubes or hollow spindles 27 each having at its lower end an
arm 28 carrying an antifriction bowl 29 which enters a circular groove 20 in a disc
or plate 31-fixed on the upper end of the hollow rod 19, the said groove being
arranged eccentrically to the axis on which the table or platform 14 turns.
Mounted in the upper end of each of the hollow spindles 27 is a drum or barrel 32
(Figure 7) containing a spring 33 one end of which is connected to the barrel and
the other end to the hollow spindle 27. On the exterior of the barrel are two
studs or pins 34 which enter holes in levers 35 carried by the corresponding pair of
jaws 25.
When the jaws are in the position 1* the spring 33 in the corresponding
barrel 32 is unwound or expanded; the position in the groove 30 of the anti-friction
bowl 29 on the arm of the hollow spindle being such that very little or no pressure
is exerted on the spring. At each intermittent motion of the table in the direction
of the arrows in Figure 6 as herein before described the position of the antifriction
bowl in the groove 30 is changed and a partial rotation given to the hollow rod`or

page_text: spindle 27 thereby winding up the spring and causing the barrel 32 to turn and
close the jaws onto the bottle situated between them, the pressure of the jaws on
the bottle being increased at each intermittent motion of the table until the jaws
arrive at the position 4* where the cork is inserted in the bottle, after which owing
to the eccentric position of the groove 30 with reference to the axis on which the
table turns the spring 33 is allowed to gradually expand or unwind so that when
the jaws arrive at the position 6× the said jaws will be sufficiently opened
out to admit of the ready removal of the bottle. During each intermittent
partial rotation of the table 14 an antifriction bowl 36 carried on the upper
end of a rod 37 connected to the weighted lever 21 bears upon the concentric
portion of the cam 10 and prevents the table rising, so soon however as an
intermittent motion of the table is completed the concentric portion of the
cam 10 leaves the friction bowl 36 and allows the weighted lever to raise the
table so as to bring the mouth of the bottle which is situated beneath the inverted
cup shaped chamber 23 into contact with the yielding pad 24 therein and retain it
in this position while the cork is being inserted. The pawl 15 which acts on the
ratchet wheel 16 to intermittently rotate the table 14 is carried on one end of a
bar 38 fitted to turn on the boss of the ratchet wheel, the opposite end of the said
bar having a slot therein in which a pin or projection on a rod 39 engages. The
rod 39 is carried in brackets 40 and has a slotted arm 41 in which works the pin 42
of the crank 13 which crank is so set on the shaft 8 with reference to the cam 10
that while the concentric portion of the said cam is in position to prevent the table
from rising, the crank 13 is acting on the arm 41 to cause the pawl to turn the
table 14 to the extent of one sixth of a rotation. At the completion of each partial
rotation of the table a bolt 43 (see Figure 12) is caused to enter one of a series of
holes 44 in the ratchet wheel 16 to prevent the table moving from the position to
which it has been brought. The bolt 43 is operated by a bell crank lever one
arm 45 of which lever engages in a slot in the bolt and is acted on by a spring 46
which tends to force the bolt into the holes in the ratchet wheel. The other
arm 47 of this bell crank is in the path of the end of the crank 13 so that as the
crank is rotating and operating on the arm 41 to bring the pawl 15 into position to
engage the next tooth of the ratchet wheel 16 it also acts on the arm 47 of the bell
crank lever so as to withdraw the bolt out of the hole in the ratchet wheel to admit
of the table receiving its next partial rotation. To ensure the mouths of the bottles
carried on the table 14 entering the inverted cup shaped chamber 23 in a truly
central position there are fixed to the said chamber guiding wings 48 between which
the necks of the bottles pass into the said chamber. The chamber 23 is provided
with segment pieces 49 (Figures 9 & 11) acted on by springs 50 so as to be capable
of yielding to accomodate bottle mouths of different diameters. The table 14 is
also adjustable in height to suit bottles of different lengths a convenient arrangement
for this purpose being shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and consists of a screw 51 inserted
in the hollow rod or tube 19 and provided with a nut wheel 52 which may be
screwed along the screw 51 to any desired position and by bearing against the lower
end of the tube 19 raise or lower the said tube and the table 14 to any position
required. The nut wheel is kept in contact with the end of the tube, when the
table is raised by the weighted lever, by a strong spring 52* interposed between a
nut 53 on the screw 51 and the floor or platform on which the machine is standing.
The corks to be forced into the bottles are placed in a hopper 54 bolted to the
upper part of the standard I in the lower part of which hopper is a drum or
cylinder 54* which is rotated from the shaft 2 by a strap 55 passing round
pulley 56, 56*.
On the periphery of the drum or cylinder 54* are helical ribs or projections 57
Figure 5 which as the drum rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows in
Figures 4 and 5 direct the corks lengthwise and one at a time through an opening
in the bottom of the hopper into a shoot 58 by which the said corks are conducted
into a compressing chamber 59 to which the cup shaped corking chamber herein
before described is connected. Within the compressing chamber 59. are fitted to

page_text: act in directions at right angles to each other, two compressing blocks 60 and 61
Figure 10, by which the corks (which are preferably wetted before being placed in
the hopper) are alternately compressed. The compressing block 60 is carried on
or formed in one with one arm 62 of a bell crank lever mounted in brackets 63 on
the exterior of the chamber 59 the other arm 64 of the bell crank being acted on by
a-spring 65 to normally hold the compressor out of action. Connected to the
arm 64 by a bolt and nut 66 is a lever 67 centred at 68 to the standard 1 (see
Figure 4) and carrying an antifriction bowl 69 against which the cam 11 on the
.shaft 8 acts to impart at the required periods through the said lever 67 and bell
crank 62, 64 the compressing actions to the block 60. One cork only at a time is
admitted to the compressing chamber the other corks in the shoot 58 being retained
by a spring 70. When a cork enters the chamber it is compressed by the block 60
against the side of the chamber 59 into a flattened elliptical form after which this
block is withdrawn and the other compressing block 61 is caused to move forward
and compress the cork in a direction at right angles to that in which it was pressed
by the block 60. The block 61 has a concave pressing surface between which and
the concave end of the chamber 59 the cork is compressed into a cylindrical form.
The compressing block 61 is carried on a rod 71 fitted to slide in a guide in the end
of the chamber 59 the said rod being engaged at its outer end by the forked end 72
of a lever which is mounted on a stud 73 and carries an anti-friction bowl 74 acted
on by the cam 11 at the required periods to force the block forward to compress the
cork, the said block being withdrawn by a spring 75 when the cam is not acting to
press the block forward. Just before the compressing block 61 makes its return
movement a plunger 76 is caused to descend on to the end of the compressed cork
(the said plunger continuing to descend as the said block retires) and force the cork
through a passage 77 in the bottom of the chamber into the mouth of the bottle
held in position in the cup shaped chamber 23. The plunger 76 is connected at its
upper end to a head or saddle piece 78 which embraces the shaft 8 and upon which
the cam 12 acts to depress the plunger, the raising of the plunger after inserting a
cork into a bottle being effected by a spring 79 interposed between the saddle
piece 78 and the cork compressing chamber 59. As the plunger 76 is rising the
cam 11 is also acting on the friction bowl 36 on the rod 37 so as to raise the
weighted lever 21 and consequently lower the table 14. after which the pawl 15
imparts through the ratchet wheel 16 a further partial rotation to the table to
bring the next bottle into position to receive a cork. The bottom of the com-
pressing chamber is perforated with a number of holes 80 through which any dirt
or chips of cork may escape and prevent the chamber from becoming clogged.
If the bottles are to be charged with gas, liquid, syrup or the like an additional
inverted cup shaped chamber may be provided to which the charging pump or the
like may be connected so that when the bottles arrive at the position 3* communi-
cation between the charging device and the additional cup shaped chamber may be
opened and the bottle when in this position be charged, while the bottle in the
position 4* is being corked. The spring 70 by which the corks are admitted one by
one from the shoot into the compressing chamber is attached to the lever 72* which
operates the compressing block 61 so that when the lever moves forward to
compress a cork in the chamber the pressure of the spring will be removed from
the lowermost cork in the shoot whereupon the whole of the corks will descend
and the lowermost one rest on the top surface of the block 61. As the compressing
block 61 is withdrawing from the chamber the spring 70 will come against the cork
which is next above that one which is resting on the block, which latter cork as the
block retires passes into the chamber whilst the rest of the corks are retained in
the shoot by the spring 70.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
. 1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a machine for corking

page_text: bottles or for charging and corking bottles substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In machines for corking bottles a cork feeding device consisting of a hopper or
chamber to contain the corks and a rotating drum or cylinder having helically
arranged ribs or projections by which the corks are caused to pass lengthwise from.
the hopper or chamber substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In machines for corking bottles a conducting shoot for the corks in combina-
tion with a spring or retaining device operated by any suitable part of the machine
so as to allow only one cork at a time to pass from the shoot as required substan--
Otially as herein before described.
4. In a machine for corking bottles a chamber in which each cork before being
inserted into a bottle is compressed by blocks first in one direction and then in
another direction or a direction at or about right angles to the first compression
and means for operating the compressing blocks substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5. In a machine for corking bottles the combination of a chamber in which the
corks are compressed and means for giving a double compression to the corks before-
being inserted in the bottles, the said chamber having a perforated bottom substan--
tially as hereinbefore described through which perforations dirt or other extraneous
material can escape and thus prevent the chamber from becoming clogged.
6. In a machine for corking bottles a table or platform on which the bottles to
be corked are placed, means for imparting an intermittent partial rotation to the
table to bring each bottle in succession into position to receive a cork, a weighted
lever for raising the table so as to bring the mouth of the bottle, when in position.
to be corked, against a yielding pad substantially as herein before described.
7. In a machine for corking bottles an intermittently rotated table on which the
bottles to be corked are placed in combination with opening and closing jaws or
clips operating substantially in the manner described so as to hold the bottles firmly
while being corked and afterwards release the bottles to admit of them being
O removed from the table and means for operating the clips or jaws substantially as
herein before described.
8. In a machine for corking bottles an intermittently rotated table on which the
bottles to be corked are placed, means for raising the table so as to cause the-
mouths of the bottles to enter a chamber provided with a yielding surface against
5 which the mouths of the bottles are caused to bear while the corks are being
inserted, and means for adjusting the height of the table to suit bottles of different
heights substantially as herein before described.
9. In a machine for corking bottles the combination with an intermittently
rotated table on which the bottles to be corked are placed, of a chamber into
which the mouths of the bottles are caused to enter to receive the corks and guides
for ensuring the mouths of the bottles being properly positioned in the corking
chamber, substantially as herein before described.
10. In a machine for corking bottles, a chamber into which the mouths of the
bottles to be corked are caused to enter, the said chamber being provided with
5 yielding parts to accommodate bottle mouths of different sizes substantially as
herein before described.
11. The combination with the subject matter of the preceding claiming clauses-
of means for charging the bottles while on the intermittently rotated table
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of March 1894
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.