An Improved Bottle-filling Machine.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 27th June, 1891
An Improved Bottle-filling Machine.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BALDINGER, of Galveston, in the County of Galveston
and State of Texas, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a simple bottle-filling machine in which
a number of bottles of equal capacity may be simultaneously filled from a common
reservoir by the single movement of a lever.
It consists in the combination, with a suitable reservoir having a number of
vertically-disposed discharge-nozzles, of a series of valves controlling said nozzles,
a platform adapted to move to and from the nozzles and connected with the valves
to actuate them, and a lever by which the platform and valves are operated con-
jointly, whereby the valves are automatically opened, when by a movement of the
platform the bottles thereon are severally carried up into registry with the nozzles
for filling and are closed when the bottles are withdrawn therefrom, substantially as
is hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an end view of my improved bottle-filling machine;
Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof transversely through its filling reservoir and one
of the discharge-nozzles ;
Fig. 3, a front elevation of the machine, partly in section; and
Figs. 4 to 8, details of its several parts.
Similar letters and numerals indicate like parts in all of the figures.
The filling-reservoir 5, which contains the liquid to be transferred to the bottles,
consists, substantially, of an extended tank or trough having inwardly-inclined
sides. This tank is supported upon suitable standards or uprights, which are each
divided at their lower ends into two legs 14 14, by which they are fixed to a suitable
base-plate 8, affording a firm, stable foundation for the machine. A top plate 3
(see detail thereof in Fig. 7) is firmly fitted upon the tank 5 (see Figs. 2 and 3) to
extend longitudinally across the centre thereof, and cross-plates are secured to each
end of this top plate to project out beyond the ends of the tank and furnish guides
for the standards of the movable platform and bearings for the levers by which it
is operated.
The movable platform is constructed of a bottom plate 7 (see detail thereof in
Fig. 4) of a width to pass readily between the legs 14 14 of the fixed standards of
the machine and of a length to project beyond them at each end. The ends of this
bottom plate or platform are severally secured to upright rods 4 4, which are
severally carried up alongside the outer face of the fixed standards through guiding-
apertures 9 9, formed in the outer ends of the top plate 3 on the tank 5 and in
guide-plates 16, (see details thereof in Fig. 5,) attached to the fixed standards
intermediate said top plate and the base-plate 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.
upper ends of these vertical rods 4 4, carrying the platform 7, are connected above
the tank by a cross-head 2, (see detail in Fig. 8,) extending parallel with the
platform, as shown in Fig. 3.
The
The platform 7 is elevated and depressed a pleasure by means of toothed
segments Z Z, pivoted, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, between lugs 10 10, secured
at one side of the tank upon the ends of the terminal cross-plates of the top plate 3
(see Fig. 7) in position to engage each a rack upon the opposite vertical supporting-
rod 4 of the platform. These pivoted toothed segments are each operated by a

page_text: radial arm or lever, and the levers are coupled together at their outer ends by a
connecting rod or bar 1, (see Fig. 3,) by which they are made to move in unison,
so that by lifting the cross-bar 1 the platform 7 will be depressed, as shown in
Fig. 1, and by depressing the cross-bar the platform will be elevated, as shown in
Fig. 2.
The contracted bottom of the tank 5 is fitted with a series of vertical
delivery-nozzles X X, communicating freely therewith and each adapted to enter
readily the mouth of a bottle or other vessel 15 brought up into register therewith
by an elevation of the platform 7 when properly placed thereon,. às is shown in
Fig. 2..
Each delivery-nozzle X is closed by a vertically-moving tapering or conical plug
or valve formed or fitted upon the lower end of a rod 11, which, passing vertically
through a guide-opening g in the fixed top plate 3 of the tank 5, is attached to the
movable cross-head 2, to which the vertical platform-rods 4 4 are secured. This
attachment of the valve-rods 11 11 to the cross-head 2 is preferably effected by
screwing the ends of the rods into appropriate threaded apertures in the cross-head,
as shown in section in Fig. 3, so as to admit of a longitudinal adjustment of the
valves.
The valve-rods 11 are of such a length and are so adjusted that when the
platform 7, suspended by the rods 4 4 from the cross-head 2, is fully depressed the
valves shall fully close the delivery-nozzles, as shown in Fig. 3, and prevent any.
escape of fluid thereat, but as the platform is clevated the valves will be lifted out
of the nozzles, thereby opening them to admit of a flow of the liquid from the tank
into the bottles or vessels 15, carried upon the platform into registry with the
nozzles, as shown in Fig. 2.
into
In the use of the machine the bottles 15 to be filled are placed upon a tray on
wheels 17, adapted to fit upon the platform 7 and carry the bottles in proper order
and position to register with the filling-nozzles X X. By a simple movement of
the cross-bar 1 the bottles thus placed upon the platform 7 are carried up
connection with the filling nozzles X X, which are simultaneously opened by said
movement, and as soon as the bottles are filled a reverse movement of said cross-
bar will close the valves and simultaneously drop the bottles from the nozzles in
readiness to be removed with the tray from the platform.
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 combination, in a bottle-filling machine, with a suitable reservoir having
a number of vertically-disposed discharging-nozzles, of valves controlling said
nozzles, a platform adapted to move to and from the nozzles and connected with
the valves to actuate them in its movement a tray on wheels for containing the
bottles, and a lever by which the platform and valves are operated conjointly,
whereby the valves are automatically opened as the platform approaches the
nozzles and are closed as it recedes therefrom, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose herein set forth.
2. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, with the tank and its vertically-
disposed conical nozzles, of the vertically-moving conical valves entering said.
nozzles from above the cross-head connecting them, the operative lever, and the
segment-gear connecting the lever with the cross-head, whereby the valves are
opened and closed in unison by a movement of the lever, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose herein set forth.
3. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, of a tank or reservoir, conical
discharge-nozzles communicating therewith, rods terminating in conical valves
mounted to drop vertically into the upper ends of the nozzles to close them, a cross-
head connecting the valve-rods above the tank, a platform suspended from the
cross-head under the nozzles, and vibrating levers pivoted above the tank at each
end thereof, coupled at their onter ends by a connecting-bar to move in unison and
geared by toothed segments at their inner ends each with a vertical rack-bar carried

page_text: by the cross-head, whereby a movement of the arms operating to elevate the
platform will open the valves, and vice versa, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose herein set forth.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.