IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING BOTTLES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thompson, of Clare Hall, Raheny, in the County
of Dublin, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING
BOTTLES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES."
aled the 8th March 1878, and dated the 2nd January 1878.
«
IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd January 1878.
WILLIAM THOMPSON, of Clare Hall, Raheny, in the County of Dublin.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING BOTTLES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES."
According to my present Invention I construct a machine for washing bottles
and other receptacles of a similar character as follows:-An open frame is mounted
with a horizontal axis in bearings on the uprights of a framing, so that the frame
can be moved into any desired position by turning its axis. In bearings on the
frame is mounted a shaft carrying at its opposite ends two sets of discs of large
diameter for receiving the bottles, and arranged as will be presently described, so
that by turning the axis of the framing the shaft can be brought either into a
vertical position with its discs horizontal, or into a horizontal position with the
discs vertical, or into any intermediate angular position. The one axis of the frame
is hollow, and through it passes a spindle provided at its outer end with a pulley or
other gear, by which rotary motion can be imparted to it. The inner end carries a
bevil wheel which is in gear with a bevil pinion upon the before-mentioned shaft.
carrying the dises. Thus by imparting rotary motion to the said spindle a rapiā
rotary motion is imparted to the shaft with its discs, while these are held in a
vertical, horizontal, or angular position by a wheel, lever, or other suitable con-
trivance, fixed on the outer end of the hollow axis and turned by hand into any
desired position.
Each set of the before-described discs for holding the bottles consists, firstly, of a
hollow disc fixed on the shaft near the central frame, within which disc is a second
disc rotatable therein and fitting against the outer surface of the hollow disc.
This outer surface has a number of holes near its circumference, against which are
fitted the necks of the bottles to be washed, the interiors of which are thus made to

page_text: communicate with the interior of the hollow disc through the said holes, which are
by preference surrounded with sockets, or provided with other suitable devices for
securely holding the necks of the bottles.
The rotatable inner disc has holes corresponding with those in the hollow disc,
and communicating with these holes are pockets or receptacles containing the slot
or other granular substance used for cleansing the bottles. The bottoms of the
pockets are perforated so as to establish a communication with the interior of the
hollow disc without permitting the shot to pass into it. The hollow disc being
charged with water by means of an opening communicating with a water supply,
it will be seen that if the discs be held in the position in which the side against
which the bottles fit is undermost, and the inner disc be turned so that its holes and
pockets correspond in position with the holes in the hollow disc, then the shot or
other granular substance will pass from the pockets into the bottles together with
water passing in from the hollow disc through the perforated bottoms of the
pockets. On the bottles being thus charged the inner disc is turned so as to close
the communication with the bottles, thus confining the water and shot therein.
The bottles are held securely in the position described, with their necks fitting
against the holes of the disc by any suitable known means; but by preference, I
effect this by another disc or plate sliding on the end of the shaft, and made to
press against the bottoms of the bottles by means of a nut or collar screwed upon
the outer end of the shaft so as to press against the disc. This is also by preference
provided with cups or sockets into which the bottoms of the bottles fit, resting
upon elastic or spring pads or washers therein.
By preference, the hollow fixed disc and the last-described adjustable disc of the
one set are in the reverse position on the shaft to that of the other set, that is to
say, the hollow disc is outermost on the one side and innermost on the other side,
so that the two sets of bottles held by the two sets of discs are always in similar
positions with the necks upwards or downwards when operated upon.
By the above-described apparatus any desired motion may be imparted to the
bottles while these are in any desired position. Thus for washing the bottoms, the
discs may be placed so that the bottles are vertical or slightly inclined from the
vertical position with the necks upwards and then rotated, or the framing with
its shaft and discs may be made to rock to and fro from the vertical to an inclined
position.
For washing the sides of the bottles the discs are placed so that the bottles are in
a more or less inclined or horizontal position, and for washing the necks they are
placed so that the bottles are inclined with the necks downwards.
Another kind of action may be obtained by rotating the frame with its shaft and
discs instead of holding it stationary, the shaft with its discs being either rotated
at the same time or not. When the washing operation is completed the inner disc
is again turned so that its openings and pockets correspond with those of the hollow
discs, whereupon the discs being brought into the position in which the bottles are
inverted, the shot will fall out of these into the pockets again, and these are again
closed as described and the bottles removed; or if it be desired to rinse the bottles
by the apparatus before removing them, this may be effected by allowing the water
to flow from the bottles back into the hollow disc, which is then discharged and
filled with clean water that passes into the bottles again, and these may then have
motion imparted to them again to effect the rinsing.
Although prefer the arrangement described for charging the bottles with water
and shot, yet the arrangement of the frame mounted on an axis and carrying a
shaft with rotatable discs carrying the bottles may be used for the purposes of my
Invention without such charging arrangement.
Also, instead of having only two sets of discs mounted in the frame, there may be
three or more sets of discs mounted on independent shafts, all driven by bevil
gearing from the driving spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July
1878.
"IN-
WILLIAM THOMPSON, of Clare Hall, Raheny, in the County of Dublin.
PROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for WASHING BOTTLES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.”
According to my present Invention I construct a machine for washing bottles
and other receptacles of a similar character as follows:-An open frame is mounted
with a horizontal axis in bearings on the uprights of a framing, so that the frame
can be moved into any desired position by turning its axis. In bearings on the
frame is mounted a shaft carrying at its opposite ends two sets of discs of large
diameter for receiving the bottles, and arranged as will be presently described, so
that by turning the axis of the framing the shaft can be brought either into a
vertical position with the discs horizontal, or into a horizontal position with the
discs vertical, or into any intermediate angular position. The one axis of the frame
is hollow, and through it passes a spindle provided at its outer end with a pulley or
other gear, by which rotary motion can be imparted to it. The inner end carries a
bevil wheel which is in gear with a bevil pinion upon the before mentioned shaft
carrying the discs. Thus by imparting rotary motion to the said spindle a rapid
rotary motion is imparted to the shaft with its discs, while these are held in a
vertical, horizontal, or angular position by a wheel, lever, or other suitable con-
trivance, fixed on the outer end of the hollow axis, and turned by hand into any
desired position.
.
The construction of the said apparatus will be readily understood on reference to
the accompanying Drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 shews a front view; Fig. 2, a side view; Fig. 3, a plan of the disc E or E¹
partly in section; and Fig. 4, a plan of the disc F or F'.
An open frame A is mounted with a horizontal axis B, B¹, in bearings in the
uprights C, so that the frame can be moved into any desired position by turning its
axis.
In bearings A¹ on the frame A is mounted a shaft D carrying at each end the
discs E, E, F, F¹, between which the bottles G to be washed are secured as will be
presently described, so that by turning the axis B, B¹, the shaft D can be brought
either into a vertical position with the discs horizontal, or into a horizontal position
with its discs vertical, or into any intermediate slanting position. The part B¹ of
the axis is hollow, and through it passes a spindle H provided at its outer end with
a pulley or crank wheel I by which it can be rotated, while at its inner end it
carries a bevil wheel K inside the framing which is in gear with a pinion L on the
shaft D. Thus by imparting rotary motion to the spindle H a rapid rotary motion
is imparted to the shaft D, and discs E, E, F, F, while these are held in either a
vertical, a horizonal, or an inclined position by the hand wheel M on the axis B, B¹.
The discs E, E, are hollow and contain a second disc N fitting against the face e of
the hollow disc, which face has a number of holes e', against which are fitted the
necks of the bottles G, so that the interiors of the latter are thus made to communi-
cate with the interior of the hollow disc through the said holes e¹, which are by
preference surrounded with sockets as shewn, or provided with other suitable means
for holding the bottles securely in place. The disc N has pockets n round its
circumference, corresponding in position with the holes e', and it is capable of being
turned to a limited extent, so that in the one position the pockets are over the
holes and communicate therewith by an opening as shewn, while in the other
position the surface of the disc closes the holes e¹.
In the pockets is contained a quantity of shot, gravel, or other suitable granular
substance, so that when. the disc N is moved into the first-described position, and
the apparatus is in the position shewn at Fig. 1, such shot can fall into the bottles,
and can then be confined therein by turning the disc N into the other position, as

page_text: shewn at Fig. 3. The hollow discs E are filled with water, and the back surfaces
of the pockets n are perforated as shewn, so that when they are made to communi-
cate with the holes e¹, the water can pass through them into the bottles together
with the shot.
The bottles may be held securely against the holes of the discs E by various
means; but by preference, I effect this by means of the discs F, F, which have cups
or sockets f, into which the bottoms of the bottles fit, and which may be provided
with elastic or spring pads f¹. Of these discs, F' can slide upon the shaft D, while F¹
is fixed; and in like manner the hollow disc E is fixed on D, while E' can slide thereon,
F being made to approach or recede from E, and E' to approach or recede from
F¹ by means of screw nuts O, O', screwed on to the ends of D, as shewn. Thus F
and E¹ having been removed sufficiently from E and F, the bottles are introduced
into the cups on F, F, and F and E¹ are then advanced until the bottles are
securely held in the sockets on E, E¹; thereupon the discs N are turned so as to
cause the bottles to be charged with shot and water, and are then turned back so as
to close the communication; and the axis B having been turned so as to bring the
discs and bottles into the desired position a rapid rotary motion is imparted to them,
whereby they are effectually cleansed. After this operation, the discs N having
again been turned so as to bring the pockets n opposite the bottles, the discs are
turned into the reverse position from that shewn in the Drawing, so that the shot
will fall from the bottles back into the pockets, while the water will flow through
the perforated bottoms back into E, E¹, and on again turning the discs N so as to
close the hole e¹, and inverting the apparatus, the discs E, F, are withdrawn so as
to allow the bottles to be removed.
The water is charged into and discharged from the discs E, E¹, through the
openings P, P, closed by screw caps, as shewn at Fig. 2; and if it be desired to
rinse the bottles after washing, the discs may be connected by a flexible hose
screwed on to one of the nozzles P to a supply of water under pressure so as to
charge the discs and bottles with a fresh supply of water, the dirty water escaping
from the second nozzle. These nozzles also serve to allow access to the inner discs
N for turning them as described.
It will be seen that by the above-described apparatus any desired motion may be
imparted to the bottles while they are in any desired position. Thus for washing
the bottoms, the shaft D and discs are brought into position so that the bottles are
vertical, or slightly inclined, with the bottoms downwards, and then either rotated
continuously in one direction, or turned backwards and forwards; or the discs
being either rotated or remaining stationary relatively to the axis of their shaft, the
axle B may be turned somewhat backwards and forwards by the wheel M, so as to
rock the discs and bottles backwards and forwards from a vertical to an inclined
position. For washing the sides of the bottles these are brought into a more or less
horizontal position, and for operating on the upper part and necks they are brought
into a more or less inclined position with the necks downwards.
It will be evident that instead of only having two sets of discs, three or more
may be arranged round the frame A, all being carried on shafts driven by one
and the same bevil wheel K; also the inner moveable discs N or the shot
pockets thereon may in some cases be dispensed with, the bottles being in this
case each provided with a charge of shot before placing them in the machine, and
the holes el being covered with perforated plates so as to retain the shot in the
bottles while allowing the water to pass in and out.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of the apparatus for washing bottles and
such like receptacles,―
First. The arrangement of discs, between which the bottles are held upon a shaft
carried by a horizontal axis, by which the shaft and discs can be brought into any
desired position, or be rocked to and fro, while at the same time a rotary or
reciprocating motion can be imparted to the shaft and discs, substantially as herein
described.

page_text: Second. In apparatus constructed as described in the preceding claim, making the
disc against which the necks of the bottles fit as receptacles for water, with holes
through which they communicate with the interior of the bottles, substantially as
herein described.
Third. Providing the above-named hollow discs with inner moveable discs,
having pockets containing shot or other granular substance, substantially as and for
the purpose herein described.
Fourth. The apparatus for washing bottles and other receptacles arranged, com-
bined, and operating, as. herein described, and shewn on the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thompson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM THOMPSON.
(L.S.)