Improvements in Apparatus for the Exhausting and Sealing of Bottles, Jars and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1899--Accepted, 16th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Exhausting and Sealing of
Bottles, Jars and the like.
I, FRANK BRACEBRIDGE MILLS, Engineer, of 50, St. George's Avenue, Tufnell
Park, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in apparatus for the exhausting and sealing.
of bottles, jars and the like relates to the closing and sealing of bottles and similar
vessels in which the atmospheric pressure is utilised to keep the stopper or lid
on to or within the mouth to effect a hermetic joint, and has for its object to
provide a simple and automatic apparatus capable of rapidly exhausting and seal-
ing large quantities of vessels which shall nevertheless each be subjected to the
vacuum for a definite and appreciable tinie to admit of the air being thoroughly
withdrawn from their contents before the sealing operation is completed, and
consists in a receptacle adapted to receive the vessel to be sealed and to be rotated
round a central shaft, a valve opening and closing the receptacle to the exhaust
or vacuum and the atmosphere as it is rotated, a lid or cover that closes the said
receptacle before it is opened to the vacuum- and is automatically opened when
the vessel is sealed, and a plunger or presser to automatically engage with and
force down the vessel stopper before the receptacle. is opened to the atmosphere.
The period of exhaust for the bottle is made as long as possible, taking place say
during three quarters of the rotation, the remaining operation taking place in
the remaining quarter.
Preferably two or more receptacles are provided so that the operation is
continuous, one or more vessels being exhausted, whilst the exhausted and sealed
vessel is being removed and replaced by an unsealed vessel.
In one method of carrying out this invention, two, three, or more bottle re-
ceptacles with their lids or covers are carried by a continuously or intermittently
rotating table or platform, each said receptacle being, connected through a valve
or valves with the vacuum producer or reservoir and with the atmosphere, its
lid or cover mechanically raised and lowered, and the vacuum admitted and with-
drawn once during every revolution of the table.
A bottle being placed in one of the receptacles, the cover or lid is by the rotation
of the table made to automatically close over the receptacle, the presser being
put
raised off the stopper; by the further rotation of the table the receptacle
into communication with the vacuum and remains so during say, in the case of
a table having three receptacles, about two-thirds of a complete revolution, the
presser is then lowered on to the bottle stopper, the vacuum is next destroyed,
and lastly, on the completion of one revolution, the bottle receptacle is again
opened for the sealed bottle to be withdrawn and an unsealed bottle to be inserted
by the machine operator. It will be understood that two or more bottle recepta-
cles being arranged around the rotating table, the operations of sealing a similar
number of bottles are proceeding simultaneously.

page_text: In another form of the apparatus the opening from the bottle receptacle to the
vacuum and to the atmosphere may be made through the cap or lid of the receptacle
and the cap may be drawn down on to the receptacle by hand, held there mechanically
by any convenient means during the completion of the cycle and again raised by
hand or by a spring to remove the sealed bottle and insert a fresh one.
The vacuum producer and reservoir may form part of the machine or be in-
dependent of it, and may be of sufficient capacity to supply two or more of the
rotating sealing tables.
The sealing table may be given an oscillating movement in place of a rotatory
movement.
Dated this 16th day of August 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Exhausting and Sealing of
Bottles, Jars and the like.
I, FRANK BRACEBRIDGE MILLS, Engineer, of 50, St. George's Avenue, Tufnell
Park, in the County of London, 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 for improvements in apparatus for the exhausting and sealing
of bottles jars and the like relates to the closing and sealing of bottles and similar
vessels in which the atmospheric pressure is utilised to keep the stopper or lid
on to or within the mouth to effect a hermetic joint, and has for its object to
provide a simple and automatic apparatus capable of rapidly exhausting and seal-
ing large quantities of vessels which shall nevertheless each be subjected to the
vacuum for a definite and appreciable time to admit of the air being thoroughly
withdrawn from their contents before the sealing operation is completed, and
consists in a receptacle adapted to receive the vessel to be sealed and to be rotated
around a central shaft, a valve opening and closing the receptacle to the exhaust
or vacuum and the atmosphere as it is rotated, a lid or cover that closes the said
receptacle before it is opened to the vacuum and is automatically opened when
the vessel is sealed, and a plunger or presser to automatically engage with and
force down the vessel stopper before the vessel is opened to the atmosphere.
The period of exhaust for the bottle is made as long as possible taking place say
during three-quarters of the rotation, the remaining operations taking place during
the remaining quarter.
Two, three or preferably more receptacles are provided so that the operation is
continuous, one or more vessels being exhausted, whilst the exhausted and sealed
vessel is being removed and replaced by an unsealed vessel.
In one method of carrying out this invention, two, three, or more bottle re-
ceptacles with their lids or covers are carried by a continuously or intermittently
rotating table or platform, each said receptacle being connected through a valve
or valves with the vacuum producer or reservoir and with the atmosphere, its
lid or cover mechanically raised and lowered, and the vacuum admitted and with-
drawn once during every revolution of the table.
A bottle being placed in one of the receptacles, the cover or lid is by the rotation
of the table made to automatically close over the receptacle, the presser being
raised off the stopper; by the further rotation of the table the receptacle is put

page_text: into communication with the vacuum and remains so during say, in the case of
a table having three receptacles, about two-thirds of a complete revolution, the
presser is then lowered on to the bottle stopper, the vacuum is next destroyed
and lastly, on the completion of one revolution, the bottle receptacle is again
opened for the sealed bottle to be withdrawn, and an unsealed bottle to be inserted
by the machine operator.
It will be understood that two or more bottle receptacles being arranged around
the rotating table, the operations of sealing a similar number of bottles are pro-
ceeding simultaneously.
Fig. 1 is a plan shewing one method of constructing a machine according to
this invention for the exhausting and sealing of bottles and the like in which
three bottle receptacles are provided, Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same
machine and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show details of the mechanism for controlling the
admission and withdrawal of the vacuum and atmosphere from the bottle re-
ceptacle, and the raising and lowering of the covers thereof.
The machine comprises three bottle receptacles a each provided with a lid
or cover b and carried by a rotating table c bearing on a rail d near the base of
the stationary casting e of the machine upon which it rotates, and is provided
with bevel toothed ring f through which it is driven by the bevel pinion g carried
by the driving shaft having bearings in the casting e and provided at its other
end with the fast and loose pulleys i.
The lid or cover of each bottle receptacle is carried by an arm projecting
from the vertical spindle m provided with a feather n by which the said arm is
prevented from rotating independently of the spindle while it is permitted a
slight vertical movement as will be hereinafter explained.
Passing through the packed gland o in the cover b is a tubular spindle p carry-
ing the plunger or presser foot q adapted to press down on the stopper of the
bottle, the tubular stem being guided at its top end in the arm s rigidly connected
to the vertical spindle m.
Within the vertical spindle of the presser is a compression spring bearing
against the cap nut and tending always to force the presser downwards against
its limit stop w.
Between each fixed arms and sliding arm / carrying the cap 6 is another com-
pression spring tending to force the arms apart, the downward travel of the
arm being limited by the presser foot q engaging the top of the cover b.
Each lid or cover is provided with a rubber lip y adapted to engage within the
recess of the bottle receptacle to make a tight joint when the cover is lowered
as shown in Fig. 2.
Eacli vertical spindle m passes through and slides within a pinion a a working
through a bearing in the table e in which, during a certain period of each revolu-
tion, it is rotated by engaging the quadrant ab Figs. 3, 4; but is locked during
the remaining period by the disc a centering the recess a d formed on the under
side of the pinion.
The lower end of each spindle m is guided through a bearing ae projecting from
the rotating table e and is provided with a roller af engaging within the groove
of the stationary arm a g by which, on the rotation of the table e vertical move-
ments are imparted to the said spindle. The roller is carried by a casting a h
furnished with curved projections a i adapted to rest upon the periphery of the
fixed cam a g and fits freely between shoulders as shown so that, while the cast-
ing a hand the spindle m are constrained to move together in a vertical direction,
the spindle may be rotated independently of the casting.
By the rotation of the table each bottle receptacle is in turn opened and closed
to the vacuum and to the atmosphere through a stationary face valve al pressed by
a helical spring a m against a rotating seating an secured to the table c, said valve
being provided with horns a o engaging in notches a p formed in the back of the
cam ag to prevent its. turning while it is free to slide vertically to take a true
bearing on its seat.

page_text: Decured to the valve
referred to.
IS THE TOCAINE
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The valve seat is provided with three ports a q connected to their respective
bottle receptacles by separate pipes ar as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The vacuum is led to the interior of the valve al by the pipe a s and then passes
through the port a t into the channel a v and thence through the ports a q to the
bottle receptacles.
aw is the port for admitting the atmosphere.
In describing the action of the machine it will be necessary to consider the cycle
of operations in respect of any one of the bottle receptacles only.
The various operative parts in all the figs. are shewn in the same relative
positions.
The receptacle shewn in section in Fig. 2 is under vacuum, the relative position
of its admission port to the channel in the vacuum valve is indicated by the dotted
circle a Fig. 3 and the relative position of the spindle of its cover or lid with
'the cam is shewn in Figs. 3, 4.
By the further rotation of the table in the direction indicated the roller af is
first drawn down the incline ay thus lowering the spindle m and with it the
presser until the presser engages the stopper when any further descent of the
spindle only compresses the spring t: the vacuum port a will then have passed
away from the channel aand by a further rotation, during which period the
roller will be travelling along the circular portion a z of the cam, the port a a
in the seat will come over the port a win the valve and thus destroy the vacuum
in the receptacle and effect a seal of a bottle therein. By a further rotation of
the table the roller will next travel up the incline b a causing the lid or cover of
the receptacle to rise vertically until the top of the incline is reached when the
pinion aa will meet the quadrant ab by which, with the continued rotation of
the table, it will be given a complete revolution as indicated in Fig. 1 during
which period the roller af is passing along the circular path 6 6 of the cam, the
machine operator at the same time removing the sealed bottle and inserting an
unsealed bottle. On the roller reaching the end of the circular path 66 the
pinion a will again become locked by the disc ae, the lid or cover 6 being verti-
cally over its receptacle. The roller next travels down the incline b c drawing
the cover on to its receptacle when the vacuum port will again pass over the
channel thus admitting the vacuum.
The vertical fall of the incline b c is such that the cover b meets the receptacle
before the movement has ceased, thus the spring is compressed and assists in
making a good joint between the cover and the receptacle.
It will be understood that the table may be intermittently rotated without
departing from the nature of this invention.
Preferably more than three receptacles would be employed on one machine.
The receptacles are readily changed to suit bottles of greater or less height.
The vacuum producer may be a pump driven from the shaft or the supply may
be obtained from a separate source.
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 a machine for the exhausting and sealing of bottles, jars and the like, a
receptacle adapted to receive the vessels to be sealed and to be rotated around
a central axis, a valve opening and closing the receptacle to the exhaust or vacuum
and to the atmosphere automatically as it is rotated, a lid or cover to the receptacle
adapted to close the receptacle before it is opened to the vacuum and to be opened
when the vessel is sealed, and a plunger or presser to automatically engage with and
force down the vessel stopper before the vessel is opened to the atmosphere.
2. In a machine for the exhausting and sealing of bottles, jars and the like,
the improvements whereby the exhausting of two or more bottles proceeds simul-

page_text: taneously consisting in a rotating table provided with bottle receptacles rotating
around a common axis, a connection from each receptacle to a valve successively
and automatically opening and closing the receptacles to the exhaust or vacuum
and to the atmosphere as they are rotated, a lid or cover to each receptacle that
by the rotation of the table automatically closes the receptacle before it is opened
to the vacuum, is automatically opened when the vessel is sealed and remains
open while the sealed vessel is being replaced by an unsealed vessel and the
remaining receptacles are under vacuum and a plunger or presser to automatically
engage with and force down the vessel stopper before the receptacle is opened to
the atmosphere.
3. In a machine for the exhausting and sealing of bottles, jars and the like
where the vessels to be sealed are carried by a rotating table, a series of receptacles
adapted to receive the vessels to be sealed and to be rotated with the table, a lid
or cover to each receptacle that closes the receptacle before it is opened to the
vacuum and is automatically opened when the vessel is sealed, a valve opening
and closing the receptacles to the exhaust or vacuum and to the atmosphere as
they are rotated, a plunger or presser to automatically engage with and force
down the vessel stopper before the receptacle is opened to the atmosphere and a
communication from the valve to a vacuum producer or reservoir.
4. The improved machine for exhausting and sealing bottles, jars and the like,
whereby two or more bottles are being subjected to the vacuum while a sealed
bottle is being replaced by an unsealed bottle substantially as shown and described
with reference to the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
5. The improved machine for exhausting and sealing bottles, jars and the like,
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
noted this 16t 1 T1000
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.