Improvements in Bottle-washing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1894-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-washing Machines.
I, HENRY LA CASSE, of Rochester, State of New York, United States of
America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to machines for cleansing and rinsing bottles and similar
receptacles, and is chiefly designed to provide for the automatic operation of such
apparatus, so that, after the bottle is placed in position and the machine started,
the machine will continue to operate automatically until the washing and rinsing
operations are completed, and will then stop; moreover certain parts of my machine
are well adapted for use on machines which are not automatic in their action.
One feature of my said invention consists in making the machine with a sliding
or reciprocating frame carrying a rotating spindle, one end of which is provided
with a brush or cleaning device arranged to enter and cleanse the interior of the
bottle, a stream of water being allowed to flow through the said bottle during the
whole or any desired portion of this operation. My said invention, moreover,
comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
A convenient and advantageous form or arrangement of my improved machine is
constructed as follows, viz. :-The main frame of the machine is composed of a
single casting having side stiffening wings or webs and a bottom or base which is
preferably depressed at the centre and provided with an aperture for waste water,
connected with any suitable outlet.
To the upper portion of the said frame is adjustably secured a suitable bracket,
between which and a spring-supported sleeve, the bottle to be washed is held; the
said sleeve slides in a guide on a bracket also adjustably connected to the main
frame, and is held in an elevated position by means of a spiral spring encircling
it, the upward movement of the said sleeve being limited by a collar or nut screwed
thereon beneath the said bracket. The bracket below the bottle is recessed in its
upper side so as to form a receptacle for waste water, and is provided with an
outlet to which any suitable flexible pipe may be connected.
Sliding vertically in suitable ways in the back or body of the main frame, is a
rack held in position by suitable plates, the said rack forming part of a movable
frame carrying a hollow rotating spindle, to the upper end of which the washing
brush, which may be of any well-known or suitable construction, is attached.. The
brush or cleaning device which I prefer to use, is made of india-rubber, and hollow
to permit the passage through it of water, and is provided with loose flexible ends
adapted to fly out by centrifugal force and come in contact with the sides and
bottom of the bottle. The lower end of the said hollow spindle passes loosely
through a stuffing-box into a cylinder or chamber in a bracket attached to the
lower end of the said movable frame. The said cylinder is provided with a lateral
aperture and a nipple to which a flexible water-pipe is connected for supplying
water to the interior of the spindle, a spring valve being so arranged in the lower
end of the cylinder that, when the spindle and frame are in their lowermost
position, the end of the valve will close the said aperture, thus shutting off the
supply of water to the spindle and preventing waste, but, when the frame carrying
the spindle is raised, the valve will open automatically and supply the necessary
water for the washing operation.
The upper portion of the said hollow spindle is supported in a bracket also
secured to the rack-bar, and the portion of the spindle passing through the said
bracket is provided with a collar between which and the lower end of a recess in

page_text: the bracket, is a spiral spring holding the spindle, normally, with the said collar
pressing against a confining cap or gland, but permitting a limited upward move
ment of the bracket independently of the collar during a part of the travel of the
movable frame, for the purpose of causing the water-brush to remain in contact
with the bottom of the bottle, for the necessary time to properly cleanse the same.
Secured to the main frame or standard of the machine, is a stationary bracket
partially encircling a driving-pulley which is mounted on the said hollow spindle
but not rigidly connected therewith, and co-operating with the tapering interior of
the said pulley is a sleeve having a tapering upper end and keyed to the said
spindle, but permitting the latter to move through it freely, the said sleeve con-
stituting a clutch-section adapted to be operated by a fork on one end of a curved
lever pivoted on the said stationary bracket, the other end of the said lever
projecting over in proximity to the under side of the upper bracket on the movable
frame, so that, when the frame moves into its lowermost position, the bracket will
strike the said lever, disengage the clutch-sections and stop the rotation of the
spindle until the said movable frame is again raised and the lever permitted to
cause the re-engagement of the clutch-sections and the rotation of the spindle, for
which purpose a spring is provided which acts on the said curved lever in such a
manner as to keep the clutch sections in engagement with each other.
Fastened upon the said hollow spindle, is a stationary collar adapted to engage
with an adjustable stop secured to the stationary bracket in which slides the sleeve
holding the mouth of the bottle, so that, when the spindle has reached its highest
position and the brush is operating on the bottom of the bottle, the said stop arrests
the movement of the spindle, although the movement of the movable frame may
continue for a short distance during the compression of the spring in the upper
bracket of the movable frame, as hereinbefore mentioned.
The means provided for actuating the said movable frame carrying the rack-bar
and hollow spindle comprise two oppositely moving driving-pulleys together with
clutch-mechanism operated automatically from the said frame, the direct actuating
device being a pinion formed upon or secured to a stud operating in bearings in
the main frame and in a bracket secured to the main frame, the said pinion engaging
the rack-bar and having formed upon or secured to it a worm-wheel, which latter
is, in turn, actuated by a worm keyed to an arbor movable longitudinally through
it, the said worm constituting in effect a driving-wheel. The shaft carrying the
worm is supported and is longitudinally movable in thimbles screwed in the webs
or wings of the main frame, and is provided on both sides of the worm with cones
or taper portions adapted to co-operate with the tapered interiors of pulleys
revolving loosely on the outside portions of the shaft between the worm and the
thimbles, so that, when the shaft is moved longitudinally in one direction, the said
pulleys being driven in opposite directions by a belt, it will engage with one
pulley, thus rotating the worm, worm-wheel and pinion, and moving the rack up or
down as the case may be, and, when moved in the opposite direction, the other
pulley will engage with its corresponding cone and the rack will be moved in the
opposite direction. The shaft carrying the worm is moved longitudinally in either
direction by a shipper-lever having a forked or slotted end arranged between two
adjustable collars secured by lock-nuts on the said shaft, the said lever being
actuated by a crank-pin operating in its slotted end arranged on the face of an
oscillating disc, the said crank-pin, when vertically in line with its centre of
oscillation, bulding the shipper-lever in mid-way position and the clutches discon-
nected, and, when at either extreme, the shaft will be engaged with one or the
other of the said driving-pulleys.
The oscillating disc is formed on or secured to a short, shaft journalled in a
bracket secured to the main frame or standard of the machine and having also an
eccentric cam thereon operating in the bifurcated end of a bell-crank-lever pivoted
on the said bracket and carrying a pawl; the outer end of the said pawl is adapted
to engage with the periphery of the said oscillating disc which is formed in the
shape of a cam preferably with two teeth. The said disc may be called a ratchet-

page_text: disc by reason of the teeth formed thereon, but in so far as the function of operating
the clutch-lever is concerned, the crank-pin might be connected otherwise to
the said shaft. The inner or forward end of the said pawl (when the machine
is at rest after having completed its cycle of operations) normally projects in the
path of an adjustable stop or arm on the upper bracket of the movable frame
carrying the spindle and rack-bar, but is adapted to be moved out of the path of
the said stop when the shaft carrying the oscillating disc and the cam operating
the said bell-crank-lever are rotated. In suitable guides attached to the main
frame or standard of the machine, is provided a sliding bar which is connected by a
link with the outer end of the said pawl, a suitable spring being arranged between
a collar on the said sliding bar and the guide-bearings thereof, tending to press the
said pawl into engagement with the teeth on the periphery of the said oscillating
disc. Upon the said sliding bar is an adjustable stop or bracket adapted to be
engaged by the said adjustable stop on the movable frame to raise the said bar and
release the pawl from the teeth on the periphery of the oscillating disc when the
said frame reaches its highest position.
The short shaft carrying the cam and oscillating disc is further provided with a
pinion engaging with a rack-bar pivoted at its upper end to a lever pivoted to the
main frame, the said lever and rack-bar being raised and the said shaft rotated,
when released by the said pawl, by a spring connecting the lever and main frame.
This rack and pinion is merely one form of connecting device, and the spring
moving the lever, as far as the operation is concerned, could be connected to
the disc.
The main driving-pulley is mounted loosely upon a rotary shaft journalled in
bearings in the upper part of the main frame or standard of the machine and is
adapted to be connected to the said shaft by a clutch-section splined on the shaft
and co-operating with the pulley, by means substantially such as described with
reference to the hollow spindle and its driving pulley, the said clutch-section being
actuated by a lever operated to effect the disengagement by a suitable spring, and
having a roller on its end which co-operates with an incline on a bar pivoted
preferably on the upper side of the lever operating the rack-bar and short shaft
carrying the said oscillating disc and cam. The connection of these parts is such,
that when the operating-lever is in its uppermost position, the clutch is thrown out
of engagement and the machine is at rest, but, when the lever is moved down to
actuate the rack-bar and the said short shaft, the clutch-section is moved and the
whole machine thrown into operation. This arrangement may be used in lieu of,
or in connection with the clutch device for throwing the spindle out of operation as
will be understood. The belt passes around the main driving-pulley, suitable
guide-pulleys on the front of the frame, thence around the pulleys driving the
worm-shaft, rotating them in opposite directions and then around the pulley for
actuating the hollow spindle in the movable frame.
It is evident that I can, if desired, somewhat modify the construction of the
machine without departing from the nature of my said invention.
Dated the 3rd day of August 1893.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
A gante
ante for the Applicant
0
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle-washing Machines.
I, HENRY LA CASSE, of 66 Hudson Avenue, Rochester, State of New York,
United States of America, Inventor, 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 relates to a machine for washing bottles or like vessels, the chief.

page_text: object being to render the operation of the machine automatic as I shall describe
referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 is a side view of a bottle washing machine
according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a back view of the upper end. Fig. 4 is a vertical section, Fig. 5 a
sectional plan on the line X X of Fig. 1.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew two positions of the clutch mechanism, and
Fig. 8 is a sectional plan on the line Y Y of Fig. 6.
In all these figures similar reference numerals are employed to denote
corresponding parts.
1 is the mainframe of the machine cast with stiffening side ribs 2; and a base 3
sloping down to a hole 4 for outlet of water. 5 is a projecting bracket fixed
adjustably at the upper part of the frame, a bottle, indicated by dotted lines in
Figs. 1 and 2 being held between 5 and a sleeve 6 which slides in a projecting
adjustable bracket 7 and is urged upwards by a spring 8 as far as permitted by a
collar 9 on the sleeve.
The bracket 7 is shaped as a funnel to receive water from above and is provided
with an outlet 10 to which a flexible tube 11 may be attached. A vertically sliding
rack 15 forms the back of a frame which carries a tubular spindle 17. To the
upper end of this spindle is attached a brush suitable for entering and cleaning, a
bottle.
The brush which I prefer is a piece of india rubber tube slit for some distance
along its sides so as to present two or more flexible ends which, when the brush is
rapidly rotated fly outwards as far as permitted by the periphery of the bottle,
scouring the periphery and also the bottom against which they are pressed when
the spindle 17 is raised.
The lower end of the spindle 17 passes through a stuffing box into the interior
space 24 of a bracket 20 projecting from the rack 15.
A lateral water supply passage 25 is closed by a spring valve 20 when the rack 15
is down, as in Fig. 4, but is opened when the rack is raised, allowing water to flow
up the tubular spindle 17.
A collar 27 on the spindle is held up by a spring within the boss of a bracket 26
projecting from the rack 15, this spring permitting the spindle to yield a little
downwards when the brush is pressed against the bottom of a bottle.
In a bracket 30 projecting from the fixed frame is mounted a pulley 31 loose on
the spindle 17 and having a tapering interior in which fits a taper sleeve 32 that
can be slid a little up or down by means of a bent lever 33 the forked lower end of
which engages in a groove of the sleeve. When the upper end of the lever 33 is
pressed down by the boss 26 the sleeve 32 is pressed down leaving the pulley 31
free, but when the boss 26 no longer presses down the upper end of the lever 33, its
lower end is raised by a spring raising the sleeve 32, which then by its taper form
acts as a friction clutch, engaging the spindle 17, and pulley 31 so as to make them
revolve together. An adjustable stop 35 projects from the pipe carried by the
bracket 7, and when the spindle 17 is fully raised, as indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 4, a collar 35" fixed on the spindle abuts against 35.
A pinion 36 gearing with the rack 15 is driven by a worm pinion 37 and worm 38
from either of two pulleys 42 and 43 which are caused to revolve in opposite
directions by a band passing round both from a driving pulley 70 mounted at the
top of the frame. The pulleys 42 and 43 are made with taper bores both loose on
the oppositely tapered spindle 39 when it is in middle position, but when the spindle
is moved a little either way by a lever 45 engaging between collars 46, as will
hereafter be described, the spindle 39 frictionally clutches the one or the other of
the two pulleys, and being itself fitted with a key to the worm 38, drives the worm
in the one direction or the other, thus raising or lowering the rack 15.
The lever 45, which has its end engaged between the collars 46, is moved by a
crank pin 48 projecting from the face of an oscillating disc 49 into a slot of the
lever 45.

page_text: The disc 49 is on a spindle 50 which is journalled in a bracket 51, and has on it
an eccentric cam 52, engaged in a forked end of a bell crank lever 53, which is
pivotted on the bracket 51, and carries a pawl 54 engaging against a shoulder 55,.
or 56 on the disc 49.
When the machine is at rest as shewn in Fig. 1 the tail of the pawl 54 projects
in the path of an adjustable tappet on the bracket 26, but when the shaft 50 and
its cam 52 are partly turned it is withdrawn to the position shewn in Fig. 6 clear-
of the tappet. A sliding bar 58 mounted on the main frame is connected by a.
link 60 to the pawl 54 and is urged downwards by a spring 61. On the bar 58 is
fixed an adjustable tappet 63 in the path of the tappet 57, so that when 57 reaches
the upper extreme of its stroke it lifts the bar 58 and withdraws the pawl 54 from.
engagement with the disc 56. On the shaft 50 is fixed a pinion 64 which engages
with a rack 65 jointed at its upper end to a lever 66 urged upwards by a spring 68.
The main driving pulley 70 is loose on its shaft with which it can be engaged by a
clutch appliance 72, similar to that described as applied to the pulley 17, the
movement of the clutch 72 being effected in the one direction by a spring, and in-
the other by the action of an incline of the rod 76 on a roller mounted on the clutch
lever 73.
When the lever 66 is pushed down by hand it partly turns the short shaft 50 and
at the same time engages the clutch 72 with the pulley 70 the band 44 from
which passes down by guide pulleys, round the pulley 42, the pulley 31 and the:
pulley 43.
The machine operates as follows.
The operator places a bottle inverted between 5 and 6, (as indicated by dotted
lines in Figs. 1 and 2) where it is held by the pressure of the spring 8; then,.
pulling down the lever 66 thus turns the shaft 50 and parts connected therewith to
the position shewn in Fig. 6, the lever 45 being thus moved so that the shaft 39-
becomes clutched to one of the pinions 42 or 43, the worm 38 and pinion 36 are-
thus caused to revolve, driving the rack 15 and raising the spindle frame and
spindle 17 thrusting the brush into the bottle, in which it rapidly revolves, and,
being expanded by centrifugal force rubs the interior and bottom of the bottle-
while water ascends by the tubular shaft 17 into the bottle and issues thence into.
the funnel 7, whence it passes away by the outlet 10. While the washing goes on
the lever 45 and parts connected with it are in the position shewn in Fig. 6, but.
when by the ascent of the rack and frame the tappets 57 and 63 meet, the pawl 54
is raised, the disc 49 returns to the position shewn in Fig. 7, moving the lever 45.
so as to cause engagement of the worm 36 with the other of the two pulleys 42, 43,
thus reversing the rotation of the worm and causing the rack to descend until the
tappet 57 reaching the lowest point of its stroke meets the tail of the pawl 54, and
raises the pawl out of engagement with the disc 49, whereupon the disc turns to
the position shewn in Fig. 1, putting the lever 45 in middle position in which
neither of the pulleys 42 or 43 is engaged with the worm 38. The clutch 72 is at
the same time disengaged, and all parts of the machine remain at rest until the
lever 66 is again depressed causing the operation to be repeated.
A number of the machines may be arranged in a row their pullies 70 on one
continuous shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
11
1. A bottle washing machine, wherein a vertical tubular spindle, carrying at its.
upper end a suitable brush, is raised and lowered while it rotates, its brush
revolving within an inverted bottle above, while water is passed up into the bottle-
through the spindle, substantially as described.
2. For the purpose of raising and lowering the spindle, the combination of a
rack on the spindle frame, a pinion and worm arranged to clutch with either of two

page_text: oppositely revolving pulleys, and tappet mechanism whereby the clutches are
automatically operated, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the mechanism referred to in the preceding claim, the
main driving pulley and its clutch, the hand lever for starting it and its connections
to the clutch gear of the worm, substantially as described.
4. In combination with the vertical spindle the pulley thereon and its clutch
and automatic clutch lever, substantially as described.
5. In combination with the vertical spindle its spring valve for water supply, its
yielding spring support in the bracket 26, and the spring sleeve 6 supporting the
bottle mouth, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd dar of Mar 1901
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.