IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Cameron Foster, of Hull, in the County of York,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINES."
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1881.
DAVID CAMERON FOSTER, of Hull, in the County of York.
BOTTLE WASHING MACHINES."
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to improved apparatus having for object to enable a
number of bottles to be washed and cleaned at one time, both internally and
externally.
The apparatus consists of any number of brushes fixed to horizontal revolving
spindles mounted in bearings in a trough or tub and driven by foot, steam, or other
power through band, friction, toothed, or other gear. The apparatus also comprises
rinsers or jet nozzles fixed in or upon the trough or tub, and supplied with water
under pressure, and provided with racks to hold the bottles inverted over the
nozzles whilst being rinsed. The tub or trough is supported at a convenient
height upon a frame, and is provided with the necessary appliances for supplying
and running off the water. A main shaft receives motion by hand or otherwise
from a treadle motion beneath the tub, or from a motor shaft, the band or other
gear used passing up through a hollow casting fixed to the bottom of the tub or
trough and rising above the level of the water therein, and provided with bearings
in which the said shaft is mounted. The shaft, if long, would also be supported in
bearings on other standards rising from the bottom of the trough. Short spindles
are mounted at right angles to the main shaft at either side thereof, and are driven
therefrom by bevel friction or toothed gear. In the case of an apparatus having
but four brushes, these spindles would be mounted in bearings in the same hollow
casting; but in other cases, when many brushes are used (and they may be as many
as 50 if required), they would be mounted in separate standards, forming two series
at opposite sides of the main shaft. To each extremity of the main shaft, and to
Davis C21

page_text: the outer end of each of the lateral or branch spindles, a brush is fixed, the brushes
projecting outwards towards the opposite sides of the trough or tub in a convenient
position for applying the bottles upon or against them.
The rinsers are fixed to the sides of the trough in convenient proximity to the
brushes. Each rinser consists of a number of horizontal tubes branching from a
supply pipe and projecting inwards over the trough, so that the rinsing water will
be received in the trough, each horizontal branch tube being provided with a
number of upwardly directed nozzles over which the bottles are inverted, racks
being also provided to hold the bottles in this position, the racks being removable
and fitting into boxes in which the bottles, when washed and rinsed, are carried
away.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said David Cameron Foster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1882.
DAVID CAMERON FOSTER, of Hull, in the County of York.
BOTTLE WASHING MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention relates to improved apparatus. having for object to enable a
number of bottles to be washed and cleansed at one time both internally and
externally.
The apparatus consists of any number of brushes fixed to horizontal revolving
spindles mounted in bearings in a trough or tub, and driven by foot, steam, or other
power through band, friction, toothed, or other gear. The apparatus also comprises
rinsers or jet nozzles fixed in or upon the trough or tub and supplied with water
under pressure, and provided with racks (to hold the bottles inverted over the
nozzles whilst being rinsed. The tub or trough is supported at a convenient height
upon a frame, and is provided with the necessary appliances for supplying and
running off the water. A main shaft receives motion by hand or otherwise from
a treadle motion beneath the tub, or from a motor shaft; the band or other gear
used passing up through a hollow casting fixed to the bottom of the tub or trough
and rising above the level of the water therein, and provided with bearings in
which the said shaft is mounted. The shaft, if long, would also be supported in
bearings on other standards rising from the bottom of the trough. Short spindles
are mounted at right angles to the main shaft at either side thereof, and are driven
therefrom by bevel, friction, or toothed gear. In the case of an apparatus having
but four brushes, these spindles would be mounted in bearings in the same hollow
casting; but in other cases, when many brushes are used (and they may be as many
as 50 if required), they would be mounted in separate standards, forming two series
at opposite sides of the main shaft. To each extremity of the main shaft, and to
the outer end of each of the lateral or branch spindles, a brush is fixed, the brushes
projecting outwards towards the opposite sides of the trough or tub in a convenient
position for applying the bottles upon or against them.
The rinsers are fixed to the sides of the trough in convenient proximity to the
brushes. Each rinser consists of a number of horizontal tubes branching from a
Bupply pipe and projecting inwards over the trough, so that the rinsing water will
drain into the trough, each horizontal branch tube being provided with a number
of upwardly directed nozzles over which the bottles are inverted, racks being also
provided to hold the bottles in this position, the racks being removeable and fitting
into boxes in which the bottles when washed and rinsed are carried away.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 1-1 of
the bottle washing machine as arranged for four bottle washers; Figure 3 is a plan
of a machine for 16 bottle washers. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts in all the Figures.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the washing tub or trough constructed of
wood or galvanized iron made water tight, and supported on a frame A¹; B is the
hollow casting or pyramidal shaped dome, open at top, rising from the middle of
the tub A to a sufficient distance above the water line, this casting being bolted to
the bottom of the tub A over an aperture therein which it encloses; C is the
driving shaft supported in bearings in hanging brackets or otherwise beneath the
tub. This shaft may be cranked at c and operated from a treadle D through a
connecting rod d, as shewn, or by a belt from any convenient motor shaft; E is a
belt pulley keyed on shaft C and rising partially into the casting B, from which
the brush spindles are driven at a high speed by a belt, which passes up through

page_text: the said casting B and runs on fast and loose pulleys e on the spindle F; or the
spindle F might be driven direct by belt from an overhead shaft; F is the main
brush spindle mounted to turn in pillow block bearings f, f, supported on the
top of the casting B; G are the lateral or branch spindles, each mounted to turn in
a single pillow block bearing g at right angles to main spindle F; H are the four
brushes fixed one to each end of the main spindle, and one to the end of each of
the branch spindles. These brushes may be of the ordinary kind used for bottle
washing made of wire or bristles, and the brush rod or stem his fixed in a socket
in the end of its spindle and secured therein by a set screw; I is a mitre wheel on
the spindle F gearing with a similar wheel i on each of the spindles G.
The rinsers, of which there is one at each corner of the trough, consists of a
number of short horizontal pipes K supported over the tub on brackets fixed to
the, sides or otherwise, and each provided with a row of upright jet nozzles k.
These pipes K branch from a T piece, connected by a stop cock to a pipe / branched
onto a pipe L running round three sides of the tub, to which a supply pipe from an
overhead cistern is attached at L'; M are the removable bottle racks fitting on the
rinsers and also in the boxes in which the clean bottles are packed. They are
wooden trays with holes m situated directly above the nozzles k to receive the
necks of the bottles inverted over the nozzles, as shown..
The tub A contains the water and the bottles to be washed. After the bottles.
have lain in soak a sufficient length of time, they are held on the revolving
brushes H, as indicated in dotted lines, and when brushed clean they are removed
and put upon the rinsers in the inverted position shewn. Each rinser may have
a dozen jets, and when the rack full of bottles has been rinsed sufficiently a box.
is put on the rack, and the rack and bottles are carried away therein, much time
and labor being saved.
Figure 3 is a plan of the machine provided with 16 bottle washing brushes and
a corresponding number of rinsers. In this case A is a long tub or trough, and F
is the main spindle or shaft mounted in bearings carried by standards f; G are the
branch spindles mounted in bearings in similar standards g, all rising from the
bottom of the trough. The shaft F is intended to be driven from an overhead
shaft, but it may be driven from below as before. Each pair of branch spindles is
driven from the main spindle by mitre gear, as in Figures 1 and 2. The rinsers
-are-the-same-as-before-described, and no further description is therefore required.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved bottle washing machines, constructed and arranged sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn in the Drawings.
2nd. The combination in a tub or trough of a horizontal main spindle and one
or more pairs of horizontal branch spindles at right angles to and driven from the
main spindle, as herein described, the spindles being provided with brushes pro-
jecting axially from their extremities towards the four sides of the tub, substantially
as shewn and described.
3rd. In a bottle washing machine the combination of the rinsing jet nozzles and
removable bottle racks, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Cameron Foster, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.