Improvements in ; Machines for Unstoppering, Filling, and Re-stoppering Bottles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1896
Complete Specication Left, 31st July: 1897--Accepted. 25th Sept.. 1897
Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1896
Complete Specication Left, 31st July: 1897--Accepted. 25th Sept.. 1897
ניס
Improvements in ; Machines for Unstoppering, Filling, and
Re-stoppering Bottles.
We, JAMES MEADOWCROFT and WILLIAM MEADOWCROFT and SON, LIMITED, of
Regent Street, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Soda Water Engineers
and Fruit Essence Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in machines for unstoppering, filling,
and re-stoppering bottles having screw stoppers, the object being to construct a
machine in which an empty bottle is placed, such bottle having an ordinary
screw stopper in situ. The machine unscrews and removes the stopper, then the
bottle is syruped and filled, after which the stopper is lowered and screwed tightly
into position in the bottle by a frictional device which ensures the stopper being
screwed tightly into the bottle no matter how much it may be necessary to turn
the said stopper, as it is obvious that to screw the stoppers onto their seats, a
greater or lesser amount of motion is requisite, according to the pitch of the
screw on the stopper and its position in the bottle both of which vary slightly
in different stoppers and bottles. Provision is also made to prevent loss and waste
of syrup and aerated water in the event of there being no bottle placed in the
machine.
According to this invention, we employ a cam shaft driven by worm and worm
wheel from any convenient source. On the cam shaft are five cams, the first
cam being for the purpose of depressing the bottle holding the block, so that
a bottle can be placed in the machine. The second cam operates a block and
spindle, the latter of which is attached to a rocking lever the free end of which
is connected with and raises and lowers the ordinary clutch for gripping the
stopper of the bottle. When a bottle is placed in the machine another cam
operates the syrup pump and one also opens the aerated water valve, so that the
bottle is syruped and filled, and the remaining cam operates the ordinary snift
valve.
Above the feed head is a revolving cone covered with leather or other frictional
substance, and above and below this cone is another cone keyed onto the vertical
clutch shaft. The two cones on the vertical shaft are controlled by a forked
cranked lever operated by cams on the first mentioned cam shaft, and as the
upper or lower cone is moved into contact with the driven cone, so is the vertical
clutch shaft, by the frictional contact between such cones, caused to revolve in
one or the other direction. When a bottle is placed in the machine, the clutch
is in the lower position, and lays hold of the stopper, which is then unscrewed
by the top cone being moved into contact with the driven cone, the stopper is
then raised and the bottle syruped and filled, after which the clutch lowers the
stopper, and the bottom cone is moved into contact with the driven cone and the
stopper is screwed into the bottle, and when screwed sufficiently tight the
frictional driving device slips, or the clutch slips over the round thumb piece

page_text: or head of the stopper without screwing such stopper too far into the bottle and
breaking the latter or the stopper.
Instead of the frictional cone driving device above described, we in some
cases prefer to use three bevel wheels, one above and one below the first driven
wheel, and on the face of the upper and lower wheels are teeth, corresponding
teeth being formed on a clutch free to slide on a key bed on the vertical clutch
shaft between such wheels. The clutch is raised or lowered by the mechanism
hereinbefore described, so that the top or bottom wheel drives the vertical shaft
in one direction or the other, and the stopper is screwed out of, or into the bottle,
and when sufficiently tight therein the clutch slips over the stopper without
breakage of any of the parts.
In order to prevent loss and waste of syrup or aerated water, the cams for
operating the syrup pump and aerated water valve are by bell-crank lever con
nected with the lever of the bottle holding block, and as the latter rises through
there being no bottle on it, the bell-crank lever slides the cams endwise on their
shaft and just clear of the aerated water valve and syrup pump, and the latter
remains closed, but if a bottle is placed on the block, the latter is thereby pre-
vented from rising and no change of position of the cams takes place.
001 1
of Detabo 1800
BRIERLEY & HOWARD,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Machines for Unstoppering, Filling, and
Re-stoppering Bottles.
We JAMES MEADOWCROFT and WILLIAM MEADOWCROFT and Sox, LIMITED, of
Regent Street, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Soda Water Engineers
and Fruit Essence Manufacturers, 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 improvements in machines for unstoppering, filling,
and re-stoppering bottles having screw stoppers, the object being to construct a
machine in which an empty bottle is placed, such bottle having an ordinary
screw stopper in situ. The machine unscrews and removes the stopper, then the
bottle is syruped and filled, after which the stopper is lowered and screwed tightly
into position in the bottle by a frictional device which ensures the stopper being
screwed tightly into the bottle no matter how much it may be necessary to turn
the said stopper, as it is obvious that to screw the stoppers onto their seats, a
greater or lesser amount of motion is requisite according to the pitch of the
screw on the stopper and its position in the bottle both of which vary slightly
in different stoppers and bottles. Provision is also made to prevent loss and waste
of syrup and aerated water in the event of there being no bottle placed in the
machine.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention, the following is a
complete description of same, reference being had to the annexed drawings in
which:-
Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the improved apparatus for unstoppering, filling,
and re-stoppering bottles, such apparatus being mounted or carried on a stand
or pedestal as ordinary.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front 'elevation of the bottle block and means for operating and
controlling same.

page_text: Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 3.
According to this invention, we employ a cam shaft 1 driven by worm 2 and
worm wheel 3 from any convenient source by means of belt and pulley 4. On
the cam shaft are five cams set so as to come into action at different times. The
first cam 6 to come into action, acting on the runner 7 depresses the vertical
lever 8 and also the horizontal lever 10 one end of which is mounted on the pin 9
and the other end is forked and the fork 11 clips the collar 12 on the bottle block
spindle 13 and so depressing the bottle holding block 14 so that a bottle can be
placed in the machini, after which the block 14 is raised by the spring 15. The
second cam 16 that comes into action operates on a roller or runner 17 carried
in a slide block 18 above which is a rocking lever 19 one end of which is pivoted
on the stud 20 and the opposite and free end is connected with and raises and
lowers the ordinary vertical clutch spindle 21 and clutch 22 for gripping the
stopper of the bottle. When a bottle is placed in the machine another cam 23
operates the syrup pump 24 and a cam 25 opens the aerated water valve 26 so
that the bottle is syruped and filled and tre remaining cam 27 operates the
ordinary snift valve 28.
Above the feed head 41 is a bevel wheel 29 on a cross shaft 30 and this wheel 29
gears with two bevel wheels 31, 32, one above and one below the wheel 29, and
both loose on the spindle 33. On the spindle 33 and free to slide up and down
on the key 34 thereon is a clutch 35 controlled by fork 36 mounted on the stud 37
and operated or caused to rock by the lever 38, on the lower end of which is a
stud received in the cam groove 39 on the end of the cam shaft 1.
When the machine is in motion the bevel wheel 29 is continuously driven
by the belt 40, and as the clutchi 35 is raised or lowered into gear with one or
other of the bevel wheels 31, 32, the spindle 33 is caused to rotate in one or the
other direction. When a bottle is placed in the machine the stopper clutch 41
is in the lower position and lays hold of the screw stopper which is then unscrewed
The clutch 41
by the top bevel wheel 31 being in gear with the clutch 35.
is now raised by the cam 16 acting on the runner 17 as before described and
the bottle is then syruped and filled in the ordinary manner, after which the
stopper clutch 22 is lowered by the weight 42 and the clutch 35 is caused to
engage with the bottom bevel wheel 32 by which means the stopper is screwed
into the bottle, and when screwed sufficiently tight, the clutch 22 slips over
the head of the stopper without screwing such stopper too far into the bottle
and so breaking the latter or the stopper. The frictional contact between the
clutch 41 and the stopper is sufficiently maintained by the weight 42 and the
leather or rubber pad 43 which presses on the top of the stopper, the bottle itself
being forced upwards in the ordinary manner.
In order to prevent loss and waste of syrup or aerated water the cams 23, 25
for operating the syrup pump 24 and the aerated water valve 26 are by a bell-
crank lever 43 mounted on a stud 44 connected with the vertical lever 8 of
the bottle holding block 14 and as the latter rises when no bottle is placed on it,
the bell-crank lever 43 slides the cams 23, 25 endwise on their shaft 1 and just
clear of the syrup pump 24 and aerated water valve 26, and the former remains
inoperative, and the latter closed, but if a bottle is placed on the block 14 the
latter is thereby prevented from rising and no change of position of the
cams 23, 25 takes place.
The amount of motion given to the stopper clutch 41 by the cam 16 can be
adjusted by the adjusting screw 45 in the lever 19, such adjusting screw resting
on the slide block 18.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
(1). The general construction, arrangement, and combination of parts con-
stituting the improved machine for unstoppering, filling and re-stoppering

page_text: bottles as herein fully described and substantially as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2
of the annexed drawings.
(2). In machines of the class herein described the combination therewith of
the three bevel wheels with clutch 35 and fork 36 operated and controlled by
cam groove such as 39 as herein fully described and as illustrated by Fig. 2 of
the annexed drawings.
(3). In machines of the class herein described the combination therewith of
the cam shaft 1 whereon are the cams 23, 25 controlled by lever 43" from the
vertical lever 8, the cam G for depressing the bottle holding block, the cam 27
for operating the snift valve, and the cam 16 for raising or lowering the stopper
clutch 41, all in combination as and for the purpose herein described and sub-
stantially as illustrated by Fig. 2 of the annexed drawings.
(4). In machines of the class herein described the combination therewith of
the bevel wheel 29 the bevel wheels 31, 32 with the clutch 35 controlled by cam
or cam groove driven from any going part of the machine as and for the purpose
herein described and substantially as illustrated by Fig. 2 of the annexed
drawings.
Dated this both day of July fo1.
JAMES MEADOWCROFT.
WILLIAM MEADOWCROFT & SON, LIMITED.
By their Agents,
Brierley & Howard,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.