Improvements in Machines for Stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ANDERS ANDERSEN PINDSTOFTE, of 66,
Vesterbrogadte, Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of Denmark, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Machines for Stoppering Bottles.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for stoppering bottles.
The machine constructed according to the said invention is so arranged that the
bottle will be securely held in the proper position during the stoppering, the stopper
is compressed to such an extent as to enable it to be conveniently introduced into the
neck of the bottle and jerks are obviated so that the bottles are not liable to break
during the stoppering.
Upon the bench of the improved machine is mounted a vertical standard which
carries at its upper part the fixed table and at its lower part a guide for the rod
of the movable bottle-support. A weighted lever is pivoted to the said standard.
The movable bottle-support, whose surface is covered with indiarubber or the like,
is arranged for enabling it to be automatically adjusted in accordance with the
various heights of the bottles, so that these shall always be firmly held between the
bottle-support and the fixed table hereinbefore referred to. Upon the rod of
the bottle-support is secured a ring against which acts the long arm of the afore-
said weighted lever, whilst the wedge-shaped counterweight, bearing upon the short
curved arm of the weighted lever, forces the long arm and consequently the bottle-
support upwards. An oscillating frame passing over the long arm of the weighted
lever and pivoted to the said standard prevents the counterweight from raising the
bottle-support with a jerk.
To secure the bottle-support and bottles in their position during the stoppering
a wedge is suspended from a pin on a draw-rod so that when the latter is
moved downwards the said wedge is wedged in between the standard and counter-
weight. Accordingly the bottle-support and bottle will be liberated only when the
draw-rod in its upward movement carries the wedge with it. At its front part the
fixed table presents an orifice for the passage of the stopper, and on its under side,
around this orifice, is provided an india-rubber ring against which presses the orifice
of the bottle upon the support when the bottle is moved upwards against the fixed
table by the counterweight.
Upon the fixed table are arranged one or two uprights along, which a frame is
adapted to slide up or down, an opening being provided in the said table for this
frame. The latter is attached to the above-mentioned draw-rod pivoted below to
a balance lever for moving the frame back to its original position after the
stoppering. A handle pivoted to the standard extends between two projections on
the aforesaid frame in such a manner that when the handle is pressed down the
frame moves with it. At its front part the frame carries a vertical stamp which
during the downward movement of the frame forces the stopper into the neck of
the bottle.
On the fixed table are arranged two jaws, one of which can be moved from right
to left and vice versa, whilst the second besides being adapted to performn this move-
ment can also be turned upon a pivot provided on the first jaw. At their rear part
these jaws carry each a horizontal roller.
When the frame is moved downwards one of the rollers passes upon an inclined
surface provided on the right hand side of the frame, thereby causing the second
jaw to turn so that its front part shall be placed parallel with the first jaw, and the

page_text: stopper put between these jaws shall be compressed. As soon as the front parts of
the two jaws are parallel the second of the rollers above named passes upon an
inclined surface of the frame and causes the jaws to move so as to further compress
the stopper in the matrix formed by a block secured to the fixed table and a second
block secured to the first jaw.
When the jaws are entirely closed the aforesaid stamp during the further
downward movement of the frame forces the stopper down into the neck of
the bottle. On releasing the handle the frame moves upwards again and the
jaws are opened through the agency of two springs, one of which acts upon a
roller provided on the first jaw whilst the other acts directly upon the second jaw.
The balance lever hereinbefore named which is designed to cause the frame to
return to the original position and prevent the machine operating with jerks consists
of a rod pivoted to the bench of the machine, one end of this rod being pivoted to
the aforesaid draw-rod and the other end carrying a counterweight which when the
handle is released moves the frame upwards.
This upward movement is regulated by a swing frame held by brackets secured
to the under side of the bench. The lower arm of this frame embraces and supports
the free end of the balance lever and thereby prevents the counterweight from
moving too abruptly when the handle is released. In lieu of this swing frame for
obviating jerks use may be made of two separate frames, one of which acts like the
lower arm of the aforesaid frame whilst the other embraces the second arm of the
balance lever. For this second frame a bracket is also provided on the under side
of the bench.
The operation of the machine is very simple. The bottle is placed upon the
support the stopper is put between the two jaws, and the handle is actuated.
When the bottle has been stoppered the handle is released whereupon the counter-
weight on the balance lever moves the machine back to the initial position, the
stoppered bottle is removed and the operation repeated.
In a modified arrangement of the improved machine the two jaws are pivoted to
a slide which in the downward movement of the frame is moved back straight, no
inclined surface being provided on this frame.
Two vertical rollers secured to the fixed table force the jaws together during the
back-movement in such a manner that the stopper is pressed between the jaws and
the matrix fixed to the said table.
When the above mentioned slide is caused to advance again the jaws are opened
"by a wedge secured to the table.
A modification of the device for obviating jerks consists in dispensing with the
draw-rod and pivcting the balance lever to a bracket arranged upon the bench by
the side of the standard. A roller or pin provided at the end of the balance lever
engages with a groove or slot in the handle in such a manner that the counter-
weight at the end of the balance lever is moved upwards when the said handle is
moved down. On releasing the handle after the stoppering it is moved upwards
again by the balance lever, and jerks are avoided by reason of the engagement of
the two parts.
Dated this 26th day of May 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Stoppering Bottles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents, 5
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to machines for stoppering bottles.

page_text: neck of the bottle, and Jerks are obviated so that on a How ADIC TO DECREA
during the stoppering.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure
is a side view of the machine.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the same.
Figure 3 represents an upper view of the fixed table the jaws being open, and
Figure 4 an upper view of the said table, with the jaws closed around the cork.
Figure 5 shows a modification of the table and jaws and
Figure 6 shows a modification of the regulating device.
The machine is mounted upon a bench A to which a vertical standard B is fixed.
This standard carries at its upper end a fixed table C and at its lower part a
guide D for the rod of the movable bottle-support G. A weighted lever Fis
pivoted to the said standard. The movable bottle-support G whose surface is
covered with india-rubber or the like is arranged for enabling it to be automatically
adjusted to suit the various heights of the bottles, so that the latter shall always be
firmly held between the bottle-support and the fixed table. Upon the rod 9 is
secured a ring g' against which acts the long arm of the aforesaid weighted lever
whilst the wedge-shaped counterweight H, bearing upon the short curved arm of
the said weighted lever, forces the said long arm and consequently the bottle-
support G upwards. An oscillating frame passing over the long arm of the
weighted lever and pivoted to the standard prevents the counterweight H from
raising the bottle-support G with a jerk.
To secure the bottle-support and bottles in their position during the stoppering a
wedge is suspended from a pin on the draw-rod L so that when the latter is moved
downwards the said wedge is wedged in between the standard B and counterweight H.
Accordingly the bottle-support G and bottle will be liberated only when the draw-
rod L in its upward movement carries the wedge H' with it. At its front part the
fixed table C is provided with an orifice e for the passage of the stopper and on its
under side, around the said orifice with an indiarubber ring e', against which is
pressed the upper end or neck of the bottle arranged on the support when the said
bottle is moved upwards against the table by the counterweight.
Upon the table C are arranged one or more uprights I, upon which the frame K
is adapted to slide up or down, an opening or openings being provided in the table
for this frame. The latter is attached to the draw-rod L pivoted at its lower end
to the balance lever M for moving the frame K back to its original position after
the stoppering has been effected. A. handle N pivoted to the standard B passes
between two projections on the frame K in such a manner that when the handle is
pressed down the frame is caused to move with it (see Figure 2). The frame K
carries at its front part a vertical stamp O which during the downward movement
of the frame forces the stopper into the neck of the bottle.
On the table C (see Figures 3 and 4) are arranged two jaws one P of which can be
moved from right to left and vice versa whilst the other Q besides being adapted to
perform this movement can also be turned upon a pivot p provided on the jaw P.
At their rear part these jaws are each provided with a horizontal roller, R and S.
When the frame K is moved downwards the roller S passes upon the inclined
surface provided on the right hand side of the frame, thereby causing the jaw Q
to turn so that its front part is parallel with the jaw P and the stopper inserted
between these jaws compressed. As soon as the front parts of the two jaws are
parallel the roller R passes upon the inclined surface of the frame and causes
the jaws to move to the position shown in Figure 4. By this means the stopper is
further compressed in the matrix fitted in the hole in the table C which matrix is
formed by a block a secured to the table C and a second block Y secured to the
aw P.
When the jaws are entirely closed (Figure 4) the stamp O during the further

page_text: downward movement of the frame forces the stopper V down into the neck of the
bottle. On releasing the handle N the frame moves upwards again and the jaws P
and Q are moved to the position shown in Figure 3 being opened through the
agency of the springs, and s (or by other suitable means) one of which acts upon
the roller T provided on the jaw whilst the other acts directly upon the jaw Q.
The balance lever M which is designed to cause the frame K to return to the
original position and prevent the machine operating with jerks consists of a rod
pivoted to the bench A one end of this rod being pivoted to the draw rod Land the
other end carrying a counterweight M' which when the handle N is released moves
the frame K upwards.
This upward movement is regulated by a swing frame W held by brackets
secured to the under side of the bench. The lower arm of this frame embraces and
supports the free end of the balance lever M and thereby prevents the counter-
weight M from moving too abruptly when the handle N is released. In lieu of
this swing frame W for obviating jerks use may be made of two separate frames
(formed like") one of which acts like the lower arm of the frame W whilst the
other embraces the second arm of the balance lever. For this second frame a
bracket is also provided on the under side of the bench A.
The operation of the machine is very simple. The bottle is placed upon the
support G the stopper is put between the jaws P and Q and the handle N is
actuated.
When the bottle has been stoppered the handle N is released whereupon the
counter-weight M' moves the parts of the machine back to their initial position;
the stoppered bottle is removed and the operation repeated.
Figure 5 shows a modification of the table C with the jaws.
The two jaws P¹ P' are in this instance pivoted at p to a slide Q which in the
downward movement of the frame K is moved back straight (the frame K having
no inclined surface).
Two vertical rollers uu secured to the table C force the jaws together during
the back movement in such a manner that the stopper is pressed between the jaws
and the matrix fixed to the table C.
When the slide Q is caused to advance again the jaws are opened by the wedge
secured to the table.
Figure 6 shows a modification of the device for obviating jerks. It consists in
dispensing with the draw rod and pivoting the balance lever M to the bracket_B¹
arranged upon the bench A. by the side of the standard B. A roller or pin m provided
at the end of the balance lever engages with a groove or slot in the handle N in
such a manner that the counterweight M is moved upwards describing an are of a
circle when the said handle N is moved down. On releasing the handle after the
stoppering it is moved upwards again by the balance lever, and jerks are avoided
by reason of the engagement of the two parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A machine for stoppering bottles, which is characterized chiefly by the
movable frame K, the inclined surfaces and ¹ of which act upon the jaws P and Q
combined with the table C, by the table G adapted to be automatically adjusted,
and by the mechanism for regulating the shocks, all substantially as hereinbefore
specified and shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings.
Second. In a machine for stoppering bottles the employment of movable jaws P
and Q whereby the stoppers during the further movement of the jaws are held and
compressed.
Third. The combination of the jaws P and Q above mentioned with semi-circular
matrices and y by means of which parts the stopper is compressed to the desired
form, all substantially as above described, and shown in the drawings.
Fourth. In a machine for stoppering bottles the employment of two jaws P P

page_text: pivoted to a slide Q, and which, when the slide is moved back, are acted upon by
two fixed rollers U, and compresses the stoppers placed between the jaws and
matrices iC, all substantially as described and as represented in Figure 5 of the
drawings.
Fifth. In a machine for stoppering bottles the employment of the movable
frames K, the two inclined surfaces and of which act upon and move the
jaws P and Q, all as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawings.
Sixth. In a machine for stoppering bottles the employment of the regulating
weighted rods F with swinging frames f" the counterweight H and the wedges H¹
suspended from the journals l, the whole being designed for automatically adjusting
and securing the table G, and constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
Seventh. In a machine for stoppering bottles the employment of the swinging
frames W forming a roof and supporting the balance M (or two separate pivoted
frames placed opposite each other), in order to prevent shocks in the machine and
during the movement when the handle N is released, all substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the drawings.
Eighth. In a machine for stoppering bottles the mechanism for regulating the
shocks consisting of a balance pivoted to the handle N and provided with a counter-
weight which balance is at the same time connected with the frame of the machine
in such a manner that during the upward and downward movement of the handle a
continuously rotary motion is imparted to it, thereby preventing the occurrence of
shocks in the machine on the handle N being released.
Thi
1
ג
11001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton-Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.