An Improved Funnel for Measuring and Checking Waste in Bottling Spirits or other Liquids.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Funnel for Measuring and Checking Waste in Bottling
Spirits or other Liquids.
We, FREDERICK ABRAHAM POUPARD, of Cambrian House, West Norwood, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and FRANK STUART CLARK, of 38 and 39 Cow
Cross Street, E.C. in the County of London, Coppersmith, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved funnel for use by publicans or others in
bottling spirits or other liquids and is designed by the application thereto of an
automatic valve and internal scales of definite quantities of liquid to enable the user
to measure easily the quantity of liquid poured into or allowed to run out from the
said funnel, and also provides the funnel with an automatic check against the
surplus spirits or liquid in the funnel running to waste, when the funnel is removed
from the neck of the bottle or vessel.
To an ordinary funnel we fit a valve and seating to the neck of the lower orifice,
the valve being of such form and material that it will close by its own weight and
that of the liquid above it, so as to check egress of the liquid from the body of
the funnel, whilst being filled, or whilst being held in the hand for removal or
handling.
The stem of the valve, or if the valve be a ball, a spindle under the valve is
formed conveniently of several wires, or so that the wires or wings, from the stem
can pass through slots in the lower tube of the funnel. The wires or wings may
be then bent up and attached to a ring to rest upon the neck of the bottle, or may
be attached to an external sliding tube, covering the tube of the funnel, the
outside tube being provided with a flange which shall rest on the neck of
the bottle.
When the funnel is placed in the neck of a bottle or vessel, the flange or the
body of the sliding tube, which may be conveniently conical shape or the projecting
wings of the valve stem first encounter and rest on the neck of the bottle and lift
the valve allowing the spirit or liquid to issue from the funnel.
Upon grasping the upper part of the funnel and lifting it from the bottle the
external sliding tube and the valve will fall by their own weight and retain the
remaining liquid in the funnel. If therefore an excess quantity of spirit or liquid
has been poured into the funnel than is required for the bottle, the funnel can be
at once lifted the issue of liquid stopped and the surplus can be saved and returned
to the cask or other source of supply.
If also graduated scales of quantities are provided within the funnel, the funnel
can be filled to any desired quantity of liquid and it can be discharged in desired
proportionate amounts into several bottles by placing the funnel in the necks of
the bottles successively and lifting the funnel away when the desired quantity has
been discharged.
The actual form of valve employed by us may be varied at pleasure and is within
the essence of our invention so long as the valve automatically opens by placing the
funnel on the neck of a bottle and automatically closes by its own weight on
removal of the funnel from the bottle or vessel.
Dated this 28th day of April 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Funnel for Measuring and Checking Waste in Bottling
Spirits or other Liquids.
We, FREDERICK ABRAHAM POUPARD of Cambrian House, West Norwood, in
the County of Surrey, Gentleman, and FRANK STUART CLARK of 38 and 39 Cow
Cross Street, E.C. in the County of London, Coppersmith, 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 :-
Our invention relates to an improved funnel for use by publicans or others in
bottling spirits or other liquids and is designed by the application thereto of an
automatic valve and internal scales of definite quantities of liquid to enable the
user to measure easily the quantity of liquid poured into or allowed to run out from
the said funnel, and also provides the funnel with an automatic check against the
surplus spirits or liquid in the funnel running to waste, when the funnel is removed
from the neck of the bottle or vessel.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we will now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed reference being
had to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a funnel according to our invention inserted into
the neck of a bottle, the valve being open.
Figure 2 is another view of the funnel removed from the bottle the valve being
closed.
Figure 3 is a section on the linex of Figure 2, and Fig. 4 shows a modified
construction.
We carry out our invention as follows:-
To an ordinary funnel A we fit a valve B and seating C to the neck of the lower
orifice, the valve B being of such form and material that it will close by its own
weight and that of the liquid above it, so as to check the egress of the liquid from
the body of the funnel A, whilst being filled, or whilst being held in the hand for
removal or handling.
The stem D of the valve B or if the valve be a ball a spindle under the valve
is formed conveniently of several wires, so that the wires or wings d from the
stem D can pass through slots E in the lower tube F of the funnel A. The wires
or wings d may be then bent up and attached to an external sliding tube G
covering the tube F of the funnel, the outside tube G being provided with a
flange which shall rest on the neck K of the bottle, or equivalently the wings d
may be attached to a ring to rest upon the neck of the bottle as shewn in
Figure 4.
When the funnel is placed in the neck K of the bottle or vessel, the flange H of
the body of the sliding tube which may be conveniently conical in shape, or
equivalently, the projecting wings d of the valve stem D, first encounter and rest
on or engage with the neck of the bottle, and lift the valve, allowing the spirit or
liquid to issue from the funnel.
Upon grasping the upper part of the funnel and lifting it from the bottle, the
external sliding tube G and the valve B will fall by their own weight and retain
the remaining liquid in the funnel.
If therefore an excess quantity of spirit or liquid has been poured into the
funnel, than is required for the bottle, the funnel can be at once lifted, the issue of
the liquid stopped, and the surplus can be saved and returned to the cask or other
source of supply.
Graduated scales of quantities L are provided within the funnel, and thus the
funnel can be filled with any desired quantity of liquid, and it can be discharged
in desired proportionate amounts into several bottles, by placing the funnel in the

page_text: necks of the bottles successively and lifting the funnel away when the desired
quantity has been discharged.
The actual form of valve employed by us may be varied at pleasure and is within
the essence of our invention so long as the valve automatically opens by placing
the funnel on the neck of a bottle and automatically closes by its own weight on
removal of the funnel from the bottle or vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. The combination with a funnel of a valve seated therein and means for
opening the same when the funnel is supported by the portion forming the delivery
orifice.
2nd. In such a funnel, a valve resting on a seating arranged on the exit pipe and
a tube or flange carrying the valve operating stem and adapted to engage with
mouth of the bottle or vessel, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with such a funnel of a graduated scale or scales to
measure the quantity of liquid drawn into or delivered therefrom, substantially as
described.
4th. The arrangement and construction of a measuring valve funnel substantially
as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of September 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.