Improvements in Apparatus for Bottling Beer and other Liquids.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Bottling Beer and other Liquids.
1
We, EMIL FRANC, of Rosebery Avenue, London, Brewer, THOMAS COLE and
WILLIAM LAWES COLE, both of St. Ann's Road, Burdett Road, Bow, London,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain detail improvements in or connected with
apparatus by which liquids in actual fixed quantities can be drawn from a cask
or other vessel into bottles proportionately to their capacity, or desired height
of the liquid.
The invention is chiefly intended for bottling of beers and the like, and
enables the bottles to be charged without the usual loss of carbonic gas and
without loss of liquid, such as by drips or overflows during or after the removal
of the bottles.
For the purpose of this invention, we provide any desired number of filler
spouts to an air and gas tight casing to which the liquid is supplied from a cask
or other vessel preferably at a low level, or next the floor, or from above such level
for head of fall, such as by elevating the air and gas tight casing by rack and
pinions from side or end on appliances and capable of being locked at any desired
elevation for the purpose.
Each filler nozzle consists of two tubes, one open at top to the liquid but closed
at bottom except to a side hole or side holes for free passage of the liquid, and
the other as an outer tube or sleeve capable of being forced along the inner tube
by a bottle mouth when pushed against a packing ring and collar but which
returns under the action of a coiled spring when the bottle is being removed,
said outer tube then shutting off the flow with certainty and without after drip.
The outer tube or sleeve also serves as a gas and air vent when pushed along and
opens a passage to a separate vessel, or directly back to the cask from which, say,
the beer is withdrawn and so be put in equilibrium with the air or gas therein,
which in this invention is an important feature because it automatically cuts off
the flow of liquid to the bottle when it (or they) becomes charged to the required
extent, this being determined by the length of the nozzle or filling spout which
more or less occupies space within the bottle and proportionately to the quantity
of liquid to be admitted, or until the air from within the bottle is put in equi-
librium with that in the cask.
The back or air vent is provided with a non-return valve, and where several
filling spouts are arranged to the same casing, an intermediate casing can be
fitted to be common to all the vents.
The bottle support is a resilient or rubber pad on an adjustable plate which can
be placed in a hole of a slider fitted within a tube, said tube being also adjustable
as to length and fixable in a foot piece and clip, so that any ordinary bottle can be
employed, the apparatus enabling, say, pints, reputed pints, quarts, or other
size of bottle to be filled to a fixable quantity with impunity and proportionately
to the displacement of air and equilibrium action of the air or gas in connection,

page_text: The back or air vent is or may be provided with a non-return valve, and
where several filling spouts are arranged to the same casing the back or air vent
from each filling nozzle is led into this casing.
The bottle support is a resilient or rubber pad 16 on an adjustable plate 17
which can be placed in one or other of a number of holes 18 of a slider 19 fitted
within a tube 20, said tube 20 being also adjustable as to length and fixable in
a foot piece 21 by a clip 22, so that any ordinary bottle can be employed, the
apparatus enabling, say, pints, reputed pints, quarts, or other size of bottle to
be filled to a fixable quantity with impunity and proportionately to the displace-
ment of air and equilibrium action of the air or gas in connection whether from
the liquid or a separate vessel. The slider 19 is returnable by an enclosed pull
spring 23 and guided by a wheel 24 to reduce friction.
The apparatus as constructed has two uprights 25, one at each end, for carrying
the air and gas tight tank 2 by plates 26 (one at each end) which plates are
secured to the vessel 2 by screws to lugs cast on the bottom thereof and by an
undercut projection 27 secured or cast upon the tank 2.
The plates 26 also carry by bolts or screws 28 a frame 29, which frame by its
flanges 30 carries the tube 21 to which the adjustable tube 20 and its appurtenances
are affixed, the filling nozzles 1 and their appurtenances being secured to the
vessel 2. Thus it will be seen that by turning the handle 6 the pinions 5 will
operate upon the racks 4 and raise or lower the tank 2 with the filling nozzles 1
and the frame 29 with the tubes 20, 21, so that the apparatus can be set to a
height to suit either the person doing the bottling or other causes.
The tank 2 has a lid 31 which is secured in a gas and water tight manner to
the tank 2 by the screw lugs 32, the lid being also provided with a pipe nozzle 33
for conducting the vent gas or air back to the barrel.
Wheels 34 are provided to the apparatus so that it can be moved from place to
place.
The filling nozzle is connected in a water and air tight manner to a pipe 35
by a ferrule 36, and the pipe 9 is screwed into the pipe 35 at its end which is
secured to the tank 2, so that the tube 8 is limited in its movement between the
end 37 of the pipe 9 and the collar 38 on the tube 35. The end piece 37 is made
of curved or angled formation at the part inside the tube 9 so as to lead the beer
or liquor out without fear of jumps or concussion of the liquid should the valve.
or opening be closed quickly.
The collar or packing ring 12 has a recess 39 into which the mouth of the
bottle engages in a sealed manner thus preventing escape of gas or air at this
point.
Any number of nozzles and bottle supports can be arranged in the same
machine.
40 are vanes on the tube 9 for guiding the tube 8.
In practice, the nozzle 3 is connected by tubing to a tap of a barrel or cask
containing the liquor desired to be bottled and the nozzle 33 connected by tubing
to the vent of said barrel or cask and the bottle support 17 adjusted to suit the
size of the bottle to be filled, so that on the attendant placing a bottle in position
by first pressing the bottle upon the support 17 and overcoming the spring 23
for the nozzle tube 8 to enter the bottle neck and the spring in pressing the
bottle up to the resilient collar 12 will overcome the pressure of the spring 14
and move the tube 8 along so as to open the passage for the liquid to the bottle,
the liquid passing from the tank 2 down the tube 9 to the outlet 10 where it
enters the bottles; at the same time the air contained within the bottle is passing
out through the tube 8 to the branch 15 and through the tube or connection 41
back to the tank 2 from whence it passes by the outlet 33 through tubing to the
barrel containing the liquor, thus establishing an equilibrium with the air or
gas therein.
So soon as the bottle is filled, the liquor will close the air passage at the nozzle
from the bottle to the barrel and in conjunction with the column of air and gas