Improvements in Corking Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
Improvements in Corking Machines.
I GEORGE STATON of 29 Foundry Street Whittington Moor near Chesterfield
in the County of Derby Mineral Water Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to corking machines such as are arranged with a plunger
for forcing the cork into the bottle mouth sebsequently to the cork being squeezed
and is applicable to both hand and steam or other power machines.
The object of my present invention is to arrange such improved feed mechanism
therewith that a cork may be automatically fed into position ready to be carried
forward by the squeezer slide simultaneously with the pressing of a cork into the
bottle mouth so saving the labour hitherto required of feeding one cork at a time
by hand. To attain which I arrange a hopper preferably composed of wire above
the cork squeezing slide which bopper I fill with loose corks and I arrange a lever
or levers or rods or similar mechanism part of which extend within said hopper and
I operate said mechanism by the slide which works the cork squeezer in such a way
that the corks within the hopper are caused to travel one by one as required into a
vertical tube or conductor which is composed of vertical wire rods or bars or has
vertical corrugations in order that the friction on the surface of the corks during
their descent is very little and consequently the corks will travel downwards by
their own weight.
The said tube or conductor extends to a hole or retainer made in the upper part
of the bearing which carries the squeezing slide and said retainer or hole is
arranged a little in front of the plunger.
A lever is arranged on the squeezer slide bearing so as to be operated either by
the end of the squeezing slide or by a cam placed on the side of said slide in such a
way that the said lever is caused to press a needle into or draw a spring upon the
lowest cork in the tube guide or conductor in such a way that the corks are held
in the tube stationary during the time a cork is being pressed into the bottle mouth
and a cork remains in the hole or retainer loose ready to drop into the squeezer
slide upon the return of said slide subsequent to the pressing of a cork into the
bottle mouth.
In order to retain the bottle rest in stationary position during the time a cork is
being pressed into the bottle mouth I secure to the lower part of the vertical rod
which carries the bottle holder a curved toothed foot or stop which engages with a
corresponding curved toothed foot or stop made with or attached to the end of the
weighted lever which lifts the bottle holder up with the bottle ready for the bottle
receiving the cork when required.
H. F. BOUGHTON,
Barnsley, Patent Agent.

page_text: improvements in Corking machines.
1 GEORGE STATON, of 29 Foundry Street, Whittington Moor, near Chesterfield,
in the County of Derby, Mineral Water Manufacturer, 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 corking machines such as are arranged with a plunger
for forcing the cork into the bottle mouth subsequently to the cork being squeezed,
and is applicable to both hand and steam or other power machines. The object of
my present invention is to arrange such improved feed mechanism therewith that a
cork may be automatically fed into position ready to be carried forward by the
squeezer slide simultaneously with the pressing of a cork into the bottle mouth so
saving the time and labour hitherto required of feeding one cork at a time by hand;
to attain which I arrange mechanism in connection with a bottle corking machine
substantially as set forth in the accompanying sheets of drawings of which the
following is a description.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a power bottle corking machine having my improved
cork feed mechanism applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of said cork feed mechanism shown in
position immediately after a cork has been driven into a bottle mouth, and
Fig. 3 is a similar view in part section showing the position of the feed
mechanism when the plunger is withdrawn.
Fig. 4 is a front view of portion of Fig. 3, and
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken on line a a of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a sectional plan upon an enlarged scale taken on line b b of Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 is a sectional plan taken on line cc of Fig. 8 which latter is an elevation
of a modified detail of my said improved mechanism.
Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view.
1 arrange a hopper or tundish T preferably of the special shape shown namely its
back vertical and the remaining sides taper and is in a fixed position above the
cork squeezing slide S, aud said hopper T'I fill with loose corks k as shown Fig. 2.
I arrange levers or rods / portions of which extend within the hopper or tundish T
when the plunger p is withdrawn from the slide S as shown at Figs. 3 and 4, and
said levers or rods are operated by the slide or cam M, that is to say they obtain
a vertically reciprocating motion which causes them to enter the hopper T at every
stroke of the machine so agitating the corks & therein and causing said corks to
travel one by one as required into a vertical tube or conductor D, which may be
composed of vertical rods or bars d' as shown in detail Figs. 7 and 8, or may have
vertical corrugations as shown Figs. 2. 3. 4. 5. and 6 in order that the friction
on the surface of the corks k during their descent is very little and consequently
the corks will travel downwards by their own weight.
The said tube or conductor D extends to a hole or retainer made in the upper
part of the bearing R which carries the squeezing slide S, and said retainer or
hole is arranged a little in front of the plunger p as shown.
In order to retain the corks k in the tube D when desired I employ a lever n
which I pivot to the bearing R and said lever n has a needle which passes through
a hole in the lower end of tube D so pricking the lowest cork in tube D and
preventing them feeding when not required.
The squeezing slide S I taper a little where it comes under the corks as shown
at Fig. 2 and this allows the corks to fall freely one at a time for the subsequent
squeezing and plunging into mouth of bottle B'."
I show a complete power bottle corking machine at Fig. 1 but I would have it
understood that I only do this in order to fully show how my improved cork feed

page_text: mechanism is applied and I do not claim the machine apart from said improvements
therefore
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In bottle corking machines the combination of a hopper or tundish T having
one vertical side with a conductor D arranged with vertical corrugations or wires
and fixed so as to conduct corks k one by one to the squeezing slide S of machine
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In bottle corking machines arranging levers rods or similar agitating
mechanism so that the same is vertically reciprocated by the slide or cam M in
order to cause said rods to enter a hopper T for the agitating of the corks k
therein so as to cause said corks to fall one by one down a tube or conductor D
substantially as described and for the object specified.
Dated this 6th day of February 1896.
H. F. BOUGHTON,
Barnsley, Agent.