IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND STOPPERS TO BE USED FOR BOTTLING ÅËRATED OR OTHER LIQUIDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sutcliffe and John Fewings, both of Barnsley, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND
STOPPERS TO BE USED FOR BOTTLING ÅËRATED OR OTHER LIQUIDS.”
Sealed 19th April 1876. and dated the 3rd January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John
Fewings at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, on the 3rd January
1876.
THOMAS SUTCLIFFE and JOHN FEWINGS, both of Barnsley, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND STOPPERS TO BE USED FOR BOTTLING AERATED
OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
This Invention relates,-
Firstly. To certain improvements in apparatus for filling bottles with aërated or
other liquids, where such bottles are to be closed by an internal stopper previously
inserted therein.
And, Secondly. To improvements in the construction of such internal stoppers.
The object of the first part of the Invention is the production of an apparatus,
which instead of possessing an intermittent or reciprocating action shall have a
continuous circular motion in one direction, that is to say, rotating to the extent of
a quadrant of a circle at a time (or of another required series of divisions), the
apparatus causing a bottle to be filled and removed, and another replaced at the
termination of each motion of the apparatus. By such means we are unabled to
fill the bottles with great ease and rapidity, all existing difficulties in regard to the
ordinary forms of apparatus for this purpose being obviated.
The apparatus consists of a wheel, with four or other number of spokes or arms,
as required. We will assume that four arms are used, in which case four bottles
are applied in the line of the arms, as herein-after described. The arms are fitted
to a boss from which a centre piece of gun metal is extended in front of the wheel,
and the boss or axle is then supported on a suitable journal box bolted to the top
of a column or standard; thus the boss and axle form a centre piece capable of
supporting the wheel in its rotation. The centre piece is provided with eight
passages, and connected behind the wheel with a four-way cock or tap. Four of
these passages are for the admission of the liquid into the bottles; the other four
are for the escape of the air from the bottles while being filled. On the cock at the

page_text: back in connection with these air passages a valve is arranged with a spiral spring
regulated to the pressure required for filling, and in front of the apparatus the
centre piece is provided with four hollow bosses and leather, or india-rubber rings
secured to the bosses by screw caps. In the hollow of each boss are two conduits
or passages communicating respectively with the passages in the centre piece.
At or near the periphery of the wheel and extremity of the spokes four cylinders
are fixed; they contain a spindle and spiral spring connected with an external
plate similar to a piston. This plate is furnished with a leather seating similar to
those on the boss, but without an opening, unless it be in the form of a washer; its
object is to hold the bottom of the bottle while the opening at the neck is held by
the seating on the boss, and also to tighten up the neck during the filling, which
tightening is perfected by the spiral spring and spindle, there being a lever handle
to raise the piston when the bottle is to be released. On the top of the standard a
spring pall catch is arranged to prevent the wheel from being turned in the wrong
direction, and to regulate its position when the passages in the centre piece coincide
with those in those in the cock as the bottle is in position for being filled..
Below the four-way cock and bolted to the standard we apply a syrup pump
communicating with the passages; this pump is worked by means of four tappets
on the arms of the wheel, so that at each motion of the wheel a tappet comes in
contact with a plunger and its rocking lever, raising the plunger and forcing, a
supply of syrup into the pump just at the moment of filling, and a spring at the
bottom of the pump serves to suddenly draw down the plunger at the moment the
tappet passes the lever, and thus the syrup in the pump is ejected through the
passages into the bottle with the liquid. The operation of filling will now be
readily understood. We place a bottle (with internal stopper) in an inverted
position on the upper vertical spoke of the wheel, that is to say, it is secured
between the leather seatings described. The wheel is now turned to the left for
the distance of a quadrant, and another bottle is placed on the succeeding spoke;
and the wheel is again turned until the first bottle reaches the horizontal position
on the right-hand side of the wheel. In this position the passages in the cock
coincide with those in the boss on which the neck of the bottle is placed, and the
bottle is consequently very rapidly filled with the liquid. The wheel being turned
one more quadrant the bottle reassumes its original inverted position, and the
stopper falls into the neck, the passages are closed, and of course the bottle is
released and another applied, and so on ad infinitum.
The wheel is turned by handles similar to those of a steering wheel, or by a belt
from the engine, or a treadle from the foot.
}
The object of the second part of the Invention is to produce improved stoppers
applicable to internally stoppered bottles.
We make an oval or egg-shaped stopper of glass, porcelain, or potteryware, or
other suitable material just as large as to pass through the neck; we then cover it
with an india-rubber envelope by means of a tongs or split tube, around the end of
which the rubber is placed, and passed into the bottle; the tongs are then extended,
the rubber stretched and forced on to the stopper, when the tongs or holder is with-
drawn. The stopper can never be blown out of the bottle. Ball stoppers have
been used, covered before being placed in the bottle, and consequently are liable to
be blown out by the pressure of the liquid from the inside.
We make according to this Invention another form of stopper consisting of a
bell-shaped piece of hollow tin or other suitable metal, the sides with concave
surfaces externally, and cut out in grooves or spaces from bottom towards top, so ab
to allow the stopper to be compressed by the fingers. It has a solid metal head,
and is covered or partly covered, all but the head, with india-rubber or other elastic
material.
It is obvious that the stopper may be compressed and inserted through the neck,
when it will instantly expand in the bottle to its full dimensions, and of course the
pressure of the liquid will force it tightly into the seating of the neck, and 'so close
the bottle
་

page_text: pr
ATION pursuance
the said Thomas Sutcliffe and John Fewings, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st July 1876.
THOMAS SUTCLIFFE and JOHN FEWINGS, both of Barnsley, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND STOPPERS TO BE USED FOR BOTTLING
AERATED OR OTHER LIQUIDS."
This Invention relates,-
Firstly. To certain improvements in apparatus for filling bottles with aërated or
other liquids where such bottles are to be closed by an internal stopper previously
inserted therein.
And, Secondly. To improvements in the construction of such internal stoppers.
The object of the first part of the Invention is the production of an apparatus
which, instead of possessing an intermittent or reciprocating action shall have a
continuous circular motion in one direction, that is to say, rotating to the extent of
a quadrant of a circle at a time (or of another required series of divisions), the
apparatus causing a bottle to be filled and removed and another replaced at the
termination of each motion of the apparatus. By such means we are enabled to fill
the bottles with great ease and rapidity, all existing difficulties in regard to the
ordinary forms of apparatus for this purpose being obviated.
The apparatus consists of a wheel with two, four, or other number of spokes or
arms as required. We will assume that four arms are used, in which case four bottles
are applied in the line of the arms, as herein-after described. The arms are fitted
to a boss, from which a centre piece of gun metal is extended in front of the wheel,
and the boss or axle is then supported on a suitable journal box bolted to the top
of a column or standard; thus the boss and axle form a centre piece capable of
supporting the wheel in its rotation. The centre piece is provided with eight
passages, and connected behind the wheel with a four-way cock or tap. Four of
these passages are for the admission of the liquid into the bottle; the other four are
for the escape of the air from the bottles while being filled. On the cock at the
back in connection with these air passages a valve is arranged with a spiral spring
regulated to the pressure required for filling, and in front of the apparatus the
centre piece is provided with four hollow bosses, and leather or india-rubber rings
secured to the bosses by screw caps. In the hollow of each boss are two conduits
or passages communicating respectively with the passages in the centre piece.
At or near the periphery of the wheel and extremity of the spokes four cylinders
are fixed; they contain a spindle and spiral spring with an external plate similar
to a piston; this plate is furnished with a leather seating similar to those on
the boss, but without an opening, unless it be in the form of a washer; its
object is to hold the bottom of the bottle while the opening at the neck is held
by the seating on the boss, and also to tighten up the neck during the filling, which
tightening is perfected by the spiral spring and spindle, there being a lever handle
to raise the piston when the bottle is to be released. On the top of the standard a
spring pall catch is arranged to prevent the wheel from being turned in the wrong
direction, and to regulate its position when the passages in the centre piece coincide
with those in the cock as the bottle is in position for being filled.
Below the four-way cock and bolted to the standard we apply a syrup pump
communicating with the passages; this pump is worked by means of four tappets
on the arms of the wheel, so that at each motion of the wheel a tappet comes
in contact with a plunger and its rocking lever, raising the plunger and
forcing a supply of syrup into the pump just at the moment of filling, and a spring
at the bottom of the pump serves to suddenly draw down the plunger at the
moment the tappet passes the lever, and thus the syrup in the pump is ejected
through the passages into the bottle with the liquid.
The object of the second part of the Invention is to produce improved stoppers
applicable to internally stoppered bottles.

page_text: We make an oval or egg-shaped stopper of glass, porcelain, or potteryware, or
other suitable material sufficiently large to only just pass through the neck; we then
cover it with an india-rubber envelope by means of tongs or a split tube, around the
end of which the rubber is placed, and passed into the bottle. The tongs are then
extended, the rubber stretched and forced on to the stopper, when the tongs or
holder is withdrawn. The stopper can never be blown out of the bottle. Ball
stoppers have been used, covered before being placed in the bottle, and consequently
are liable to be blown out by the pressure of the liquid from the inside.
We make according to this Invention another form of stopper consisting of a
bell-shaped piece of hollow tin or other suitable metal, the sides with concave
surfaces externally, and cut out in grooves or spaces from the bottom towards the
top, so as to allow the stopper to be compressed by the fingers; it has a solid metal
head, and is covered or partly covered all but the head with india-rubber or other
elastic material.
It is obvious that the stopper may be compressed, and inserted through the
neck, when it will instantly expand in the bottle to its full dimensions, and of
course the pressure of the liquid will force it tightly into the seating of the neck,
and so close the bottle.
But to make our Invention better understood we will now proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front
elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation of our improved apparatus; Figures 3
and 4, sections of our improved stoppers for internally stoppered bottles.
In Figures 1 and 2 A is the column or standard; B is the carriage or journal
box;
C is the wheel shewn with four arms, on which the bottles are fixed; D is
the centre piece of gun metal, through which there are eight passages commu-
nicating with the four-way cock E at the back; F, F1, F2, F³, are the cylinder
boxes fitted with spindles and spiral springs and swivel; G is the self-acting syrup
pump, worked by tappets on the arm of the wheel C; H, H, H, H, are the levers
for fastening the bottles in position; I, I, I, I, are the handles by which the wheel C
is revolved; J, J1, J, J, are the bottles fixed on the machine for filling ; K, K1, K2, K³,
are the stoppers, shewing thier position in the bottles; M, M, M, M, screw caps for
keeping the elastic rings in position, so as to hold the bottle neck tight when the
bottle is being filled.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The bottle neck J (in which is
previously placed an internal stopper) is placed in the boss of the centre piece; the
handle H is drawn down, and the bottom of the bottle placed under the plate L
(on which is fitted a leather washer to prevent the bottle from breaking), the lever
is then released, the spiral spring in the cylinder F¹ holding the bottle in position,
and preventing leakage during the time of filling. The wheel is now turned forward
(this may be done by hand, treadle, or other motive power) until the bottle is in
the position of the bottle J¹. Another bottle is again turned until the bottle 3 is
in the position of the bottle J; in this position the passages in the cock E coincide
with the passages in the boss on which the neck of the bottle is placed; the bottle
is consequently filled with liquid; the wheel is turned forward, as herein-before
described, until it arrives in its former position, in which case the stopper being
then inserted falls into its proper position in the neck, the passages from the cock
are closed, the bottle is released, another placed in the same position, and the
operation is repeated, as before described.
The syrup pump G is rendered self-acting (or it may be otherwise) by being
worked from tappets on the arm of the wheel, so that as the wheel revolves the
lever of the pump is pressed down, the plunger raised, and the syrup admitted into
the pump just as the wheel comes into the position for filling the bottle; the lever
is released from the tappets, the opening at the bottom of the pump acts on the
plunger and forces it down, thereby displacing the syrup and forcing it through the
passages into the bottles along with the other liquid. We however in some cases
arrange the syrup pump so that it may be worked by hand lever instead of by the
tappet arrangement herein-before described, in which case the syrup is forced

page_text: through the passages of the cock into the bottle when in the position shewn at J¹,
Figure 1, a boss being provided on the side of the barrel of the cock for attaching
the pipe from the syrup pump.
In Figure 3 a shews our improved oval or egg-shaped stopper of glass, porcelain,
or other suitable material, and b the india-rubber envelope of same applied thereto,
as herein-before described.
The stopper shown in Figure 4 consists of a bell-shaped piece of hollow tin or
other suitable metal c, with concave surfaces externally, and cut out in grooves or
spaces d; e is the solid metal head of the stopper; f, the india-rubber covering of
the stopper.
We also sometimes employ stoppers similar to those shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
but do not lay any claim to them.
Having thus described our said Invention, and the best means with which we
are acquainted for carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein laid down, as the same
may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention; but
what we do claim is,-
Firstly. The general arrangement, construction, and employment of a continuous
acting apparatus for filling bottles with aërated or other liquids, as herein-before
described.
Secondly. The construction and employment of the revolving wheel, and the
method of fixing the bottles thereto in combination with the centre piece, and the
peculiar arrangement of passages and cocks in same, as and for the purposes herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The arrangement for rendering the working of the syrup pump self-
acting (or any mere modification thereof), as herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly. The improved construction of internal stoppers for bottles containing
aërated liquids, as herein-before described and represented in Figures 3 and 4 of
the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fewings, on behalf of myself and the said
Thomas Sutcliffe, have hereto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day
of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
JOHN FEWINGS. (L.S.)