Improvements in or connected with Funnels.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Funnels.
A communication by CARLO BONAFEDE, of 37, Via Montebello, Rome, in the
Kingdom of Italy, Civil Engineer
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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 certain new and useful improvements in funnels and
has for its object to provide an automatic closing and a valve in order to prevent
any running out or loss of the liquid from the bottle or vessel when filled, as
well as of the liquid remaining in the funnel when said filled bottle is removed.
These improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like
letters of reference indicate like parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the funnel;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the funnel;
Figures 3 and 4 show the mechanical closing valve in elevation and plan
view;
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the funnel;
Figure 6 is a view of the funnel from beneath;
Figures 7, 8, 9 are sections and a detailed view of an improved form of the
funnel;
Figures 10 and 11 show another form of valve.
With reference to Figures 1 to 6, the funnel is made in the form of a hollow
hemisphere A, on the bottom of which is fixed vertically a guide B.
In the bridge pieces C and D) of said guide there slides a bar E of cylindrical
section which is provided at its upper end with a handle or ring F, and at its
lower end with a disc-valve G with a washer or packing of guttapercha H or
the like. The diameter of valve G is somewhat larger than that of the discharge
opening I in the bottom of the body of the funnel.
At the bottom of the funnel is soldered externally a spout K which naturally
has a larger diameter than the discharge opening I.
The funnel is operated in the following way:-
The funnel is taken up by the handle or ring F and introduced into the bottle
or vessel to be filled, the handle being then left free, whereupon the bar E on
account of its own weight runs down, sliding in the two bridge-pieces, and the
disc-valve G uncovers the discharge opening I. The liquid introduced in the
funnel is thus allowed to pass around said disc-valve, (same being of a smaller
diameter than the spout K) and to enter the vessel.
As soon as the level of the liquid reaches the height of the spout, the disc-
valve G, being of larger diameter than the discharge opening, stops the fall of

page_text: the liquid, on account of a phenomenon of difference of pressures and of
capillarity.
In Figures 7 to 11 it is shown that instead of having a single opening I in the
bottom of the bowl of the funnel, such opening being of a smaller section than
the spout K, the same object may be attained by means of a diaphragm P pro-
vided with a certain number of holes. In this case the valve G instead of being
placed beneath is located upon the bottom of the bowl of the funnel. The
number and the diameter of the holes of the diaphragm depend upon the kind
of liquid for which the funnel is to be used for rendering more efficient the
phenomenon of capillarity. Said diaphragm P may be formed of metallic netting
or canvas.
In Figures 7, 8 and 9 the valve G is fixed upon the vertical rod E which moves
through two bridge-pieces C and D). The rod E ends at its upper end in a ring F.
The bridge 1) (Figure 9) bears at its centre an eyelet or keyhole slot, and the
rod E bears below the ring a rectangular projection L which can penetrate in
the corresponding keyhole slot aforesaid of the bridge-piece D. By means of
such arrangement it is easily understood that the valve may be lowered in the
position shown in Figure 7 and be lifted up again by means of ring F until
the projection L comes out of the corresponding slot and then by properly
turning the ring the valve may be supported as shown in Figure 8.
In Figures 10 and 11 it is shown that the valve G is soldered or otherwise
fixed to the rod E which is bent, as shown by the drawings, in such a way that
one branch grazes the interior of the bowl of the funnel, and the other branch
grazes the exterior of the bowl passing through two guiding holes M. M' provided
in the handle N; this second branch ends at its lower part in a ring R surround-
ing the spout K of the funnel. It is evident that when the funnel is placed
upon the neck of the bottle (Figure 11) this neck pressing upon the ring R will
keep the valve G lifted up from its seat. When the funnel is taken out from
the bottle, thus removing the pressure from the ring R, the valve G falls again
upon its seat and stops the discharge of the liquid.
It will be understood that the diaphragm itself may be movable along the
spout, and that the bowl may take the form of a tube of elastic material, in
such case instead of the valve G any other means may be used for obtaining the
closing, as for instance a cock or other devices.
The valve may also be placed if desirable above the diaphragm as well as
below it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention 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:
1. A funnel of the kind described comprising a bowl and a spout provided with
a discharge opening at the top of the spout, said discharge opening being smaller
in section than said spout and a valve above or below the discharge opening
substantially as described.
2. A funnel comprising a bowl and a spout provided at the top of the spout
with a perforated diaphragm and a valve above or below said diaphragm, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In a funnel of the kind described the combination of a stop-valve with a
vertical rod ending with a ring and guided by two bridge-pieces so that the valve
uncovers the discharging opening by its own weight substantially as described.
4. In a funnel of the kind described the combination of a stop-valve with a
vertical rod ending with a ring and having a rectangular projection, adapted to
penetrate or not into a corresponding slot in the bridge-piece according to the
position into which the ring is turned and whereby the valve covers or uncovers
the discharge opening, substantially as described.
5. In a funnel of the kind described the combination of a stop-valve with a
rod bent in two branches arranged one in the interior and the other on the

page_text: exterior of the bowl, the latter branch ending with a ring surrounding the spout
of the funnel, so that when the funnel is placed in the neck of a bottle the pressure
exercised beneath said ring keeps the valve raised up, whilst when the funnel is
removed the valve closes substantially as described.
11.
01 1
.
1000