IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BOTTLES OR OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederic George Riley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1878.
"
FREDERIC GEORGE RILEY, of South Lambeth Road, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BOTTLES OR OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
My Invention relates to improvements in the mode of and machinery or apparatus
for washing bottles or other similar receptacles, whereby the same are cleansed on
their exterior and in their interior automatically, and with facility and despatch.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I first wash the bottles on
their exterior by subjecting them to the action of the following apparatus, into
which they are introduced in succession automatically by means of a shoot or
guideway, having an aperture of a sufficient size to admit of the bottles descending
one by one into the apparatus below. This apparatus consists of a tub or vessel,
through the centre of which passes a revolving vertical shaft carrying a series of
arms radiating therefrom, and extending nearly to the internal periphery of the
tub or receptacle. These arms may be either plain or covered with india-rubber, or
any other suitable material, or provided with bristles, as required; or each of the
arms may consist of a roller or brush, to which a separate axial motion is imparted
(by gearing from the vertical shaft, or by friction from the bottom of the tub or
receptacle) in addition to the orbital motion which they receive in common with
the shaft.
The tub or receptacle, which is filled or partially filled with water, is formed
with the bottom inclined outwards, so that as the bottles are introduced one by one
into the space between each two of the consecutive revolving arms, as the latter
pass in succession beneath the inlet aperture situate by preference near the centre,
the bottles are gradually, as the arms revolve, carried forward towards the cir-
cumference, and are simultaneously subjected to the friction of the arms; or the
tub or receptacle may be made in tiers (any required number of which may be
used), each fitted with a set of revolving arms and with a helix, the consecutive
helices being arranged in the opposite directions the one from the other. Assuming
that three tiers are employed, the bottles. introduced at, say, the centre, into the

page_text: upper tier are first carried round its helix by the revolving arms, and are then
discharged at the circumference into the tier beneath it, where they are carried by
the revolving arms of that tier around its helix to the centre, and are then dis-
charged into the lowest tier, where they are carried by the lowest series of the
revolving arms around the inverse helix to the circumference. The bottles are
then finally discharged from the tub or receptacle in a cleansed condition on their
exterior, and are conducted by an incline into a trough filled with water, whence
they are to be removed by the attendant to be introduced into the apparatus for
washing them in their interior next herein-after described.
This apparatus is constructed in the following manner:-A table is employed fast
on a vertical shaft or axis, to which rotatory motion is imparted by any convenient
means. This table carries a series of holders arranged at intervals around its
periphery for supporting the requisite number of bottles to be operated upon
simultaneously, the bottles being maintained in an inverted position. The table is
perforated at the places where the holders occur for the passage of brushes, which
are supported in bearings connected to the table, so as to be carried round with
the table in its motion. The brush holders are also each provided with a friction
pinion, which engages with a stationary friction surface, one or both of which may
be covered with india-rubber or other suitable material, so as to render the action
noiseless; or if preferred a toothed pinion and a toothed wheel or segment may
be used in lieu of the friction gearing, the object being to impart an axial motion
to the brushes simultaneously with and in addition to the orbital motion, which
they receive with the table. These brushes are designed to facilitate the cleansing
of the interior of the bottles, which when placed in position; inverted upon the
table as before mentioned, are filled or partially filled with water. It is therefore
requisite that each brush should be raised into the interior of the bottle for the
purpose of acting thereon immediately that the bottle is placed in position, and be
lowered again after the bottle has been operated upon for a sufficient length of
time at a given point in the revolution of the table. For this purpose the bearings
for the brushes are connected to the table by brackets in such a manner as to admit
of the requisite vertical motion up and down, and this motion is obtained by means
of a stationary cam, which acts upon each brush holder in turn as the table revolves,
so as to elevate it into the interior of the bottle, and then allow it to fall again, in
order to admit of the bottle being rinsed preparatorily to its removal from the
table. The rinsing is effected by means of jets of water conducted by pipes
radiating from a valve chamber fitted eccentrically on the top of the table, so as to
partake of its motion, the water being supplied to the chamber from any convenient
source. The degree of eccentricity of the valve chamber to the shaft of the table
is so arranged that the pipes, the ends of which are turned upwards, shall each be
brought beneath its corresponding bottle in its turn as soon as the brush has fallen
to its lower position, so as to discharge a jet of water into the bottle sufficient to
thoroughly rinse the same, and that the end of the pipe shall then be retracted out
of tlie range of the brush. The discharge of the water from the valve chamber into
the jet pipes is regulated by means of valves operated in succession, so as to
be opened and closed preferably by means of a stationary cam arranged within the
valve chamber, the valves being actuated in turn as they are brought into gear
with the cam by the motion of the table. The portion of the shaft upon which the
table is mounted is screw threaded, so as to admit of the height of the table being
varied to suit the required elevation of the brushes, according to the length of the
bottles, the table when adjusted being secured in position by a jam nut or nuts.
By means of the arrangement of apparatus herein-before described for washing
the interior of bottles it is simply necessary to place a bottle in position in each
holder as the table passes the attendant, and remove one (either by hand or auto-
matically) which has already been operated upon, the bottles being cleansed, rinsed,
and drained without any attention upon the part of the person in charge beyond
simply placing the bottles upon the table and (when an automatic discharge is not
employed) removing them from the table.

page_text: In some cases the brushes may be dispensed with, and the jet pipes may consist
of vertical tubes connected by flexible piping to the valve chamber, so as to be
capable of being raised and lowered by means of a cam, after the manner of the
brushes in the arrangement previously described. When the pipes are in their
elevated position they form a support for the bottles by entering the same, as well
as conduct water thereinto for the purpose of cleansing their interior.
As, however, each bottle after having been sufficiently rinsed and drained is by
the revolution of the table, brought round to the position for its removal, the sup-
porting pipe is caused to descend under the action of its cam, and the bottle is thus
allowed to fall on to a receiver in readiness for the insertion of another bottle in its
place, as soon as the supporting pipe is re-elevated, and so on in succession during
the operation of the apparatus.
The apparatus for washing the exterior and the interior of the bottles or other
similar receptacles may be employed separately or conjointly, as desired.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederic George Riley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1878.
FREDERIC GEORGE RILEY, of South Lambeth Road, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WASHING BOTTLES OR OTHER SIMILAR RECEPTACLES,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
My Invention relates to improvements in the mode of and machinery or apparatus
for washing bottles or other similar receptacles, whereby the same are cleansed on
their exterior and in their interior automatically, and with facility and despatch.
According to one mode of carrying out my Invention I first wash the bottles on
their exterior by subjecting them to the action of the following apparatus, into
which they are introduced in succession automatically by means of a shoot or
guideway, having an aperture of a sufficient size to admit of the bottles descending
one by one into the apparatus below. This apparatus consists of a tub or vessel,
through the centre of which passes a revolving vertical shaft carrying a series of
arms radiating therefrom, and extending nearly to the internal periphery of the
tub or receptacle. These arms may be either plain or covered with india-rubber, or
any other suitable material, or provided with bristles, as required; or each of the
arms may consist of a roller or brush, to which a separate axial motion is imparted
(by gearing from the vertical shaft, or by friction from the bottom of the tub or
receptacle) in addition to the orbital motion which they receive in common with
the shaft.
The tub or receptacle, which is filled or partially filled with water, is formed
with the bottom inclined outwards, so that as the bottles are introduced one by one
into the space between each two of the consecutive revolving arms, as the latter
pass in succession beneath the inlet aperture situate by preference near the centre,
the bottles are gradually, as the arins revolve, carried forward towards the cir-
cumference, and are simultaneously subjected to the friction of the arms; or the
tub or receptacle may be made in tiers (any required number of which may be
used), each fitted with a set of revolving arms and with a helix, the consecutive
helices being arranged in the opposite directions the one from the other. Assuming
that three tiers are employed, the bottles introduced at, say, the centre, into the

page_text: .
upper tier are first carried round its helix by the revolving arms, and are then
discharged at the circumference into the tier beneath it, where they are carried by
the revolving arms of that tier around its helix to the centre, and are then dis-
charged into the lowest tier, where they are carried by the lowest series of the
revolving arms around the inverse helix to the circumference. The bottles are
then finally discharged from the tub or receptacle in a cleansed condition on their
exterior, and are conducted by an incline into a trough filled with water, whence
they are to be removed by the attendant to be introduced into the apparatus for
washing them in their interior next herein-after described.
This apparatus is constructed in the following manner:-A table is employed fast
on a vertical shaft or axis, to which rotatory motion is imparted by any convenient
means. This table carries a series of holders arranged at intervals around its
periphery for supporting the requisite number of bottles to be operated upon
simultaneously, the bottles being maintained in an inverted position. The table is
perforated at the places where the holders occur for the passage of brushes, which
are supported in bearings connected to the table, so as to be carried round with
the table in its motion. The brush holders are also each provided with a friction
pinion, which engages with a stationary friction surface, one or both of which may
be covered with india-rubber or other suitable material, so as to render the action
noiseless; or if preferred a toothed pinion and a toothed wheel or segment may
be used in lieu of the friction gearing, the object being to impart an axial motion
to the brushes simultaneously with and in addition to the orbital motion, which
they receive with the table. These brushes are designed to facilitate the cleansing
of the interior of the bottles, which when placed in position, inverted upon the
table as before mentioned, are filled or partially filled with water. It is therefore
requisite that each brush should be raised into the interior of the bottle for the
purpose of acting thereon immediately that the bottle is placed in position, and be
lowered again after the bottle has been operated upon for a sufficient length of
țime at a given point in the revolution of the table. For this purpose the bearings
for the brushes are connected to the table by brackets in such a manner as to admit
of the requisite vertical motion up and down, and this motion is obtained by means
of a stationary cam, which acts upon each brush holder in turn as the table revolves,
so as to elevate it into the interior of the bottle, and then allow it to fall again, in
örder to admit of the bottle being rinsed preparatorily to its removal from the
table. The rinsing is effected by means of jets of water conducted by pipes
radiating from a valve chamber fitted eccentrically on the top of the tablo, so as to
partake of its motion, the water being supplied to the chamber from any convenient
source. The degree of eccentricity of the valve chamber to the shaft of the table
is so arranged that the pipes, the ends of which are turned upwards, shall each be
brought beneath its corresponding bottle in its turn as soon as the brush has fallen
to its lower position, so as to discharge a jet of water into the bottle sufficient to
thoroughly rinse the same, and that the end of the pipe shall then be retracted out
of the range of the brush. The discharge of the water from the valve chamber into
the jet pipes is regulated by means of valves operated in succession, so as to
be opened and closed preferably by means of a stationary cam arranged within the
valve chamber, the valves being actuated in turn as they are brought into gear
with the cam by the motion of the table. The portion of the shaft upon which the
table is mounted is screw threaded, so as to admit of the height of the table being
varied to suit the required elevation of the brushes, according to the length of the
bottles, the table when adjusted being secured in position by a jam nut or nuts.
By means of the arrangement of apparatus herein-before described for washing
the interior of bottles it is simply necessary to place a bottle in position in each
holder as the table passes the attendant, and remove one (either by hand or auto-
matically) which has already been operated upon, the bottles being cleansed, rinsed,
and drained without any attention upon the part of the person in charge beyond
simply placing the bottles upon the table and (when an automatic discharge is not
employed) removing them from the table.

page_text: In some cases the brushes may be dispensed with, and the jet pipes may consist
of vertical tubes connected by flexible piping to the valve chamber, so as to be
capable of being raised and lowered by means of a cam, after the manner of the
brushes in the arrangement previously described. When the pipes are in their
elevated position they form a support for the bottles by entering the same, as well
as conduct water thereinto for the purpose of cleansing their interior.
As, however, each bottle after having been sufficiently rinsed and drained is by
the revolution of the table, brought round to the position for its removal, the sup-
porting pipe is caused to descend under the action of its cam, and the bottle is thus
allowed to fall on to a receiver in readiness for the insertion of another bottle in its
place, as soon as the supporting pipe is re-elevated, and so on in succession during
the operation of the apparatus.
The apparatus for washing the exterior and the interior of the bottles or other
similar receptacles may be employed separately or conjointly, as desired.