IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND CASES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Farrow, of No. 18, Great Tower Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND CASES."
Sealed the 10th November 1868, and dated the 13th May 1868,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Farrow at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th May 1868.
I, CHARLES FARROW, of No. 18, Great Tower Street, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND CASKS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
cleansing bottles, jars, and casks. For this purpose in machines for
cleansing with shot, grit, or similar matters in which a simultaneous
reciprocating and rotary motion is given to the bottle from neck to
punt, I do away with all cog and gear wheels and substitute the

page_text: following arrangement:-Upon a horizontal bar carried by standards I
cut a worm of rapid twist and few threads, and on this worm the frame
The
supporting the bottles travels to and fro as a nut on a screw.
frame is actuated by a connecting rod from a crank on an axis turned
by a crank handle or otherwise.
In some cases in place of a reciprocating motion I adopt an eccentric
rotary motion, which I obtain thus:-A shaft rotating horizontally and
carried by standards is cranked at both ends, but in reverse directions,
so as to bring the centre of the shaft to an angle of from 25 to 30
degrees from the horizontal. The frame supporting the bottles is fixed 1
on the inclined portion of the shaft, so that the bottles are parallel
thereto. When the shaft is turned by a crank handle or otherwise
the bottles rotate eccentrically so that every part of the bottle is
subjected to the action of the shot or grit used.
A similar apparatus may be used for cask cleansing, the centre 1
portion of the shaft being replaced by a frame to receive the cask.
Set screws may be employed to hold the cask in position.
To
In order to clean bottles it is common to employ a brushing
apparatus consisting of a flexible stem usually of wire with bristles
projecting from it radially to clean the body of the bottle, and s
other bristles projecting from its end and nearly parallel with the stem
to clean the punt or bottom of the bottle. This brush is rapidly
rotated by machinery and the bottles are thrust on to it. In this
arrangement the end bristles wear rapidly from the injury done by the
neck of the bottle laying them back as it is pushed over them.
obviate this I employ a jointed socket which by a spring or in other
similar way is brought up so as to grip the hairs intended to clean the
punt of the bottle. This socket introduces the brush without injury to
the bottle and is then by the pressure of the bottle forced back and
springs open; it then falls out of the way; or in place of using a
compound brush I use one brush for the body of the bottle and another
for the punt, which two brushes may be placed side by side or other-
wise, and to the brush for punts I apply a complete socket which is
drawn over the hairs of the brush in a like manner to that above
described, and is then forced back by the bottle remaining on the stem
of the brush till it is again drawn over the hairs by the receding bottle.
This complete socket may also be used with the compound brush
5

page_text: where the neck of the bottle is sufficiently large to admit of the
socket passing over the bristles which brush the body of the bottle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Farrow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FARROW, of No. 18, Great Tower Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by- Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Farrow, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Farrow, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Farrow, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING BOTTLES, JARS, AND CASкS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Farrow, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Farrow, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus. for
cleansing bottles, jars, and casks. For this purpose in machines for

page_text: cleansing with shot, grit, or similar matters in which a simultaneous
-reciprocating and rotary motion is given to the bottle from neck to punt,
I do away with all cog and gear wheels and substitute the following
arrangement: Upon a horizontal bar carried by standards I cut a worm
of rapid twist, and on this worm the frame supporting the bottles
travels to and fro rotating as it docs so as a nut on a screw. The frame
is actuated by a connecting rod from a crank on an axis turned by a
crank handle or otherwise.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan of apparatus thus
arranged.
a, a, is the frame of the machine upon which is firmly clamped the
bar b, a portion of which is shewn separately at Figure 3, and Figure 4
is a transverse section of the bar taken at the line 1, 1, Figure 3. c is
a cranked axis carried in bearings on the frame and also passing
through an additional bearing introduced in the length of the bar b.
d is a frame formed on a tubular boss which is capable of sliding upon
the bar b; it holds eight or it may be any other number of bottles in a
horizontal position. Shot or grit together with some water or liquid is
placed in the bottles, which are held in the frame so that the shot or
grit and liquid cannot escape in a manner which is herein-after more fully
described in reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7. The bottle frame dis
connected with the cranks on the axis c by connecting rods e, so that
as the axis is rotated by means of the handle c¹ it draws the frame to
and fro along the bar b. c² is a fly wheel to maintain a uniform motion.
The bar has very rapid screw threads cut in it; these in the example
which the Drawings indicate make one quarter revolution in the length
of the stroke of the cranks on the axis c. Within the tubular boss of the
frame d is a stud or projection entering into the screw threads cut in the
bar b, and by following along the screw thread it causes the frame d to bo
turned one quarter round as the frame d is passed from one end of the
bar to the other. It will, however, be seen that the screw threads on
the bar b are cut alternately right and left handed, so that if spread out
on a plane they would appear like the letter W, and at the points where
the threads mect springs & are applied, as is seen in Figure 3. The stud
of the frame which works in the screw threads in coming out of one
thread lifts the spring in passing, and then when the frame returns
the spring prevents the stud returning into the same thread but diverts
it into the next thread which is oppositely inclined, so that in the

page_text: result a rotary motion constantly in one direction is given to the frame d.
The stud in the boss of the frame d is made so that it can turn on a
centre pin or pivot and adapt itself to the alternately reversed directions
of the screw threads. The use of the springs & is by no means essential,
for by curving the points of the grooves where two screw threads meet
the stud will be so set on the centre pin or pivot as to ensure that on
its return it shall take the next thread in preference to that by which
it came up to the point. In this machine it will be observed that the
shot or grit is by the sudden reciprocations of the frame caused to
traverse the bottles to and fro from end to end, and the rotation of the
frame ensures that the bottle shall be equally acted on all round. In
the result any deposit there may be within the bottle is rapidly scrubbed
off, the bottles are then removed from the frame which is refilled with
other bottles requiring cleaning.
In some cases in place of a reciprocating motion I adopt an eccentric
rotary motion, which I obtain thus:-A shaft rotating horizontally and
carried by standards is cranked at both ends, but in reverse directions, so as
to bring the centre of the shaft to an angle of from 25 to 30 degrees from
the horizontal. The frame supporting the bottles is fixed on the
inclined portion of the shaft, so that the bottles are parallel thereto.
When the shaft is turned by a crank handle or otherwise the bottles
rotate eccentrically so that every part of the bottle is subjected to the
action of the shot or grit used.
Figure 5 is a side view of apparatus constructed in this manner.
a, a, is the frame; b, a cranked axis carried in bearings by the frame
and turned by means of a crank handle c, or otherwise; d is a frame
similar to the frame d in Figures 1 and 2; a longitudinal section of this
frame is shewn separately at Figure 6, and an end view at Figure 7.
d' is a tube surrounding the axis b, and d and d are two other tubes
sliding upon it and having right and left handed screw threads cut on
their ends; d is a tubular nut working with these threads, so that by
turning this nut the tubes d2 and 3 can be drawn towards or separated
from each other; a collar on the tube d' keeps the nut d from sliding
along it. This arrangement is adopted in order that the apparatus may
be capable of adjustment to take bottles of different lengths; but
frequently when this is not required I mount the arms d³ for receiving
the bottles directly upon the tube d'in place of upon the tubes d³
and, as the Drawing indicates. These arms at one end carry cups d³,

page_text: in which the bottoms of the bottles are held; they are lined with
vulcanized india-rubber as heretofore in other machines for a similar
purpose. At the end of the frame the arms carry stems & with
india-rubber stoppers at their ends; spiral springs around the stems tend
to draw them back. In securing the bottles the bottom having been i
placed in the cup d, the stem is pressed forward so that the stopper
enters the neck of the bottle, and the stem is then locked by a locking
plate d³ entering between teeth cut on the stem; & is a spring pressing
the locking plate d into the teeth. To liberate the bottles the springs d
are pressed on by the workman, or the stem may be locked and
unlocked by means of set screws. The frame d is arranged so that it
can slide a short distance along the axis b, and at the ends of the tube d¹
toothed discs d are fixed, as is shown. As the axis b rotates the frame d
by its weight falls along it as far as it is able to move, first one way
then the other, and at each fall one or other of the toothed discs d¹º is 1
brought up against a corresponding disc bs on the axis b, and the inclines
of the two sets of teeth in meeting rotate the frame a portion of a tooth,
and a complete tooth is thus gained at each revolution of the axis,
the alternating inclinations of the bottles first in one direction then in
the other, combined with the slow rotating motion, causes every part 2
of the bottle to be effectually cleansed by the shot or grit.
A similar apparatus may be used for cask cleansing, the centre portion
of the shaft being replaced by a frame to receive the cask. Set screws
may be employed to hold the cask in position.
In order to clean bottles it is common to employ a brushing apparatus 2
consisting of a flexible stem usually of wire with bristles projecting from
it radially to clean the body of the bottle, and other bristles projecting
from its end and nearly parallel with the stem to clean the punt or
bottom of the bottle. This brush is rapidly rotated by machinery and
the bottles are thrust on to it. In this arrangement the end bristles a
wear rapidly from the injury done by the neck of the bottle laying them
back as it is pushed over them. To obviate this I employ a socket
which is drawn over the hairs of the brush and is then forced back by
the bottle remaining on the stem of the brush till it is again drawn over
the hairs by the receding bottle.
Figure 8 is a side view, and Figure 0 is a front view of apparatus thus
anged

page_text: a is a pulley mounted on a suitable frame and rotated by a crank
and driving band; b, b, are two other pulleys driven by surface contact
with it; they each carry cleaning brushes c; they may be both compound
brushes as is shewn, or one may be a body brush and the other a punt
brush. Extending along underneath the compound brush or punt brush
is a bar d, on which a support or carriage e is able to slide; its friction
on the bar is lessened by providing it with small wheels. On the top of
the support or carriage e is a tube e', the interior diameter of which
corresponds with that of the neck of the bottle or thereabout, and at
the front end of the tube is a trough e³ provided with clipping springs e³;
the action then is as follows:-The support or carriage e being forward
and the punt brush within the tube e', the neck of a bottle is inserted
down between the clipping springs into the trough ; the bottle is
then pushed forward carrying the support or carriage with it, and the
punt brush passes down the neck of the bottle without deranging the
hairs; the bottle is then cleaned in the usual way and then it is drawn
back off the brush; the clipping springs cause it to bring the support or
carriage with it until it is stopped by the head at the end of the bar d,
when the neck of the bottle falls out of the clip springs leaving the
punt brush again in the tube c.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First. The constructing apparatus for cleansing bottles, jars, and
casks with a frame for holding the said bottles or other vessels, such
frame being driven to and fro along a bar having a worm or screw
or incline upon it so arranged as to rotate the frame at the same time
that it travels along the bar, as herein described.
Second. I claim the constructing apparatus substantially as is described
in respect to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the annexed Drawings.
Third. I claim the constructing apparatus for cleansing bottles, jars,
and casks with a shaft rotating horizontally and carrying a frame in
which the bottles or other vessels are held in an inclined position, as
herein described.
Fourth. I claim the constructing apparatus substantially as is described
in respect to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the annexed Drawings.

page_text: Fifth. I claim the constructing apparatus for brushing the punts or
bottoms of bottles with a socket enclosing and protecting the hairs of
the brush, such socket being removed from the brush by the act of
passing the bottle over the brush and being replaced by the removal
of the brush, as above described.
I also claim the arranging apparatus substantially as described in
respect to Figures 8 and 9 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Farrow, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
CHARLES FARROW. (L.S.)