AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH LIQUIDS AND FOR CORKING THE SAME
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH LIQUIDS
AND FOR CORKING THE SAME."-A communication from abroad by
Jeremiah Bond Bradford, of Boston, Massachusetts, and George
Harrison Ferry, of the City and State of New York, both in the
United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th February 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.

page_text: have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have
made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from
abroad by Jeremiah Bond Bradford, of Boston, Massachusetts, and
George Harrison Ferry, of the City and State of New York, both in the
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
part of this Specification :-
In the process of bottling liquids it is customary to fill each bottle
separately by means of a measure and tunnel, or by a flexible spigot,
one end fitting into or snugly around the neck of the bottle and the
other end connecting with the faucet of the barrel or receptacle from
which the supply is to be drawn; in both cases however the bottles are
filled singly, and are afterward removed to an apparatus which corks
them separately, one at a time.
These methods of filling and corking are objectionable for the reasons
that considerable waste of the liquid is occasioned and the operation is
slow and tedious. To overcome these objections is the purpose of the
said Invention, which comprises a series of measuring receptacles con-
nected with the supply reservoir and provided with valves that control
their inlet and outlet passages: each receptacle is provided with a
central passage or tunnel extending vertically through it, and each
receptacle is of the exact capacity of the bottle to be filled, a number of
bottles corresponding to that of the receptacles being brought up in a
box or carrier, so as to cause the neck of each bottle to fit snugly into
the bottom of its tunnel a short distance below the junction of the
outlet passage therewith, the tunnels also serving as conductors for the
corks, which, after the bottles are filled, are pressed down into their
necks by the simultaneous descent of a series of plungers connected
together to perform the operation of corking.

page_text: a transverse vertical section through the same. Figure 3 shews a
sectional detail of the said apparatus.
A represents a platform supported by uprights B. A short distance
above this platform are placed a series of cylindrical receptacles C each
of which is provided with a taper opening a passing vertically through
its centre and through the circular base 6 which screws into and forms
its bottom, the lower end of the base b passing through and projecting
a short distance below the platform and having a hollow nut D screwed
over it to keep the receptacle securely in place. From the outside of
the base 6 of each receptacle and extending in toward the centre of the
machine is a rectangular enlargement c through which and the bottom
of the receptacle is formed a passage à which communicates with the
taper opening a a short distance above its bottom, and forms the outlet
of the receptacle. Entering the top of each receptacle is a short vertical
pipe e, the several pipes e, e, being connected by horizontal pipes E, E,
placed parallel to each other and extending in a longitudinal direction
and being united by a short pipe G extending transversely with the
apparatus or machine. From the centre of the transverse pipe G rises
an upright tube H, over which is fitted one end of a hose or pipe which
is connected with the outlet of the supply reservoir (not shown.)
Within each vertical pipe e slides a central spindle f, surrounded at its
top by a spiral spring / and carrying two valves h, i, the upper valve h
fitting snugly up against a valve seat formed around an opening / with
which the interior of the pipe E communicates, the opening leading
down into the receptacle C and forming the inlet passage by which it is
filled. To the lower end of the spindle fis secured the valve i which
fits snugly on a seat formed around the top of the outlet passage d when
the spindle is pressed. down against the resistance of the spring / by
mechanism now to be described. Rising from the horizontal pipes E, E,
and the vertical pipes e, e, at points in close proximity to the valve
spindles are upright arms m, m, bent in slightly at their tops, to which
are pivoted bent levers n, n, of the form shewn, tho lower ends of these.
levers being pivoted to parallel bars I, I, joined by a cross piece pat
their outer extremities, by which construction as the bars I, I, are drawn
in the direction of the arrow, the upper or bent ends of the levers n, n,
are brought down upon the caps of the spindles which are thus depressed
simultaneously against the resistance of the springs k, k, whereby all
of the inlet passages 1, 1, to the receptacles are opened and are so kept.

page_text: by securing the movable bars I, I, in this position in any convenient
manner. Simultaneously with the opening of the inlet passages 1, 1, the
outlet passages d, d, are closed by the descent of the spindles f, carrying
the valves i down upon their seats. As cach receptacle is being filled
the air within it is expelled through an opening q in its top, in which is
placed a triangular plug r, having a hollow spherical ball K secured to
its bottom, the form of the plug being such as not to fill the opening
but leaving sufficient room for the air to escape as the liquid rises.
When the receptacle becomes full the pressure of the liquid lifts the ball
K till a valve 8 on its upper side is brought against a seat of correspond-
ing form made at and around the bottom of the vent opening q, thus
closing it and preventing the overflow of the liquid from the receptacle.
The several receptacles are intended to be of exactly the same capacity,
being precisely that required to fill a bottle.
I will now describe the manner of filling a number of bottles corre-
sponding to that of the receptacles; L is a platform provided at its
corners with short sleeves that fit around the uprights B, which thus
serve to guide it as it is raised and lowered by winding up cords u around
a shaft M by turning a crank N, the upper end of each cord being
secured to the shaft and the lower end to the platform, the shaft being
provided with a ratchet wheel v, into which engages a pawl for keeping
the platform at any desired height. The upper side of the movable plat-
form L is provided with a pair of parallel rails w, upon which rest the
wheels P.of a rectangular carrier Q, in which the bottles are placed in
sockets in an upright position; the carrier is rolled upon the rails of the
platform till it comes into contact with a stop 8, which is carefully
placed at such point as will insure the proper fitting of the neck of each
bottle within an elastic ring x sprung into the lower end of the taper
opening a, the top of the bottle being situated just below the outlet d of
the receptacle, and the ring a serving as a packing to prevent the liquid
from leaking out through the bottom of the opening a; the contents of
the several receptacles are now allowed to flow out into their respectivo.
bottles by simply releasing the parallel bars I, I, which are immediately
returned to their normal position by the upward pressure of the
caps
the spindles fupon the upper bent extremities of the levers n, n, brought
about by the recoil of the spiral springs k.
of
The operation of corking the bottles will now be described. R is a rect-
angular frame provided at its córners with tubes or sleeves q surrounding

page_text: four posts. S rising from the platform A, by which means it may be
made to slide up and down thereon by turning the handle y of a crank
T connected with a cross bar U of the frame by a pitman V; projecting
down from the under side of the frame R and in line with the vertical
axes of the central openings a, a, through the receptacles, are a number
of cylindrical plungers W corresponding thereto. These openings a, a,
are as herein-before stated taper, and beside the offices fulfilled by them
above described, serve as tunnels or conductors for the corks used in
corking the bottles; after the bottles are filled the corks are placed
in their conductors and the plungers brought down upon them forcing
them gradually into the necks of the bottles, each cork in its passage
down its conductor being compressed sufficiently to enable it to fit
tightly as required. The crank N is now turned to allow the sliding
platform L with the carrier Q and its bottles to descend, when the latter
are removed and a corresponding number of empty ones are placed in
position to be filled in a similar manner. Should a bottle be accident-
ally broken during the filling process the liquid will flow into the carrier,
from which it can be saved by pouring it back into the supply reservoir.
Each receptacle is provided with an opening in its side to afford access
to its interior to cleanse it if desired. The capacity of one or more of
the receptacles may be reduced to conform to the contents of smaller
bottles by introducing through the top of the receptacle a vertical tube
closed at it's bottom, this tube being lowered or raised therein to different
heights to occupy more or less of its area.
4
From the foregoing description it will be seen that I am enabled to
perform in one and the same apparatus the three following operations,
namely, first, the accurate measurement of the liquid for a bottle of
any capacity before filling it; second, the filling of a number of bottles
at once; and, third, corking them simultaneously, whereby the waste,
inconvenience, and delay incident to the methods heretofore practised are
avoided.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. A series of measuring receptacles C, C, of predetermined capa-
city connected with the supply reservoir, and provided with inlet and
outlet passages 1, d, controlled by valves as herein set forth and for the
purpose described.

page_text: second. A series or plungers W, W, acting simultaneously in com-
bination with a corresponding number of measuring receptacles C, C,
provided with central tunnel-shaped openings or cork conductors a, a,
as herein set forth and for the purpose described.
Third. The bottle carrier Q, raised and lowered by suitablo mechanism
in combination with a series of measuring receptacles C, C, as herein set
forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The platform L and bottle carrier Q¹ in combination with the
measuring receptacles C, C, as herein set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth. The spindles f, f, with their springs k, k, and valves h, i,
operated by the levers n, n, connected with the movable bars I, I, as
herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The elastic rings x, x, in combination with the tunnel-shaped.
conductors a, a, of the measuring receptacles C, C, as herein set forth 1
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
2
Witness,
H. JA. NoONE.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.8.)