Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles.
We, THOMAS BENJAMIN BOOTH, and ALEXANDER ROBINSON both of
25 Amory Street, Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Gentlemen, 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 has relation to bottle-filling mechanism and apparatus, and the
purpose or object is to provide an apparatus for effecting the object which will fill
the bottle or bottles under pressure and cork them while the pressure is in force,
thus preserving all the gases the liquid contains and keeping the liquids from
atmospheric exposure and contact during the whole operation.
We accomplish the objects of the invention by the means and appliances
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein :
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete apparatus and associated
mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation.
Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through one of the bottling heads
showing the corking channel, the liquid and gas ports or conduits and the corking
plunger.
Fig. 4 is a detail illustration of the lever mechanism and corking plunger, and
Fig. 5 is a front view in elevation of the same.
It will be premised that the invention is illustrated as applied to a duplicate
bottling mechanism but it is apparent that it is equally applicable to mechanism for
filling a single bottle at a time.
Referring to the drawings, A designates a suitable standard or support of any
desirable shape and of such height and dimensions as to adapt it for the purpose
intended. Secured to the top of the support A is a strong metal casting or frame
having a rectangular lower portion 1 which is supported and to which is secured
the bottle-holding and adjusting mechanism and having intermediate of its length
lateral extensions 2 2*, which support the filling-heads, and also having at the top
lateral extensions 3 3x, which support the corking mechanism, all of which are
specifically described hereinafter.
The filling-heads C C are duplicates in construction, the two being used only to
increase the capacity of the machine. They are made of any suitable material and
are provided with a vertically-arranged cork-way 4, slightly tapering from top to
bottom, and opening into a flaring seat or socket 5 adapted to take on the head of
a hottle, substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In the filling-heads are
formed conduits 6, 7, the former of which conveys the liquid to the bottle, and the
latter conveys the air or gas, and also serves to permit the escape of the overflow,
which may occur when the cork is forced down in the bottle.
The ports, ways or conduits 6, 7, are preferably inclined in direction, as shown, and
open at their lower ends into the cork-way adjacent to its lower end, so that the
cork in its preliminary disposition in the way may sit well down toward the lower
end and adjacent to the point of entrance to the bottle.
D designates a tank, barrel or cask containing the liquid to be drawn therefrom
and bottled. A suitable pipe connection is made with this vessel as 9, provided
with a turning plug or cut-off 10, and this pipe is carried to the bottle heads by
means of branches 11, 11*, and their ends closely fitted, secured and seated in the

page_text: liquid conduits of the filling beads, substantially as shown in the drawings, each
pipe being provided with a stop-cock 12 to admit and shut off the flow of the
liquid.
E designates the pressure tank for air or gas, of any suitable size and contour.
From the upper end of this pressure tank runs a pipe 13 having thereon a suitable
pressure regulator 14 arranged therein, which constitutes the high pressure
regulator to control and regulate the pressure on the liquid in the cask, the effect
being produced through the pipe opening into the bung of the cask, substantially as
indicated in the drawing. In the pipe 13 is fixed a pressure gage 15 which serves
to indicate the status of pressure as usual.
On a bracket 16 secured to the frame, is seated and secured thereon a glass
cylinder F constituting a tank or reservoir into which the air or gas from the
compression tank finds its way through a branch pipe 17 led from the main pipe 13.
and opening into the cylinder F as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the pipe 17
is interposed the low pressure regulator 18 to regulate the pressure of the gas or
air flowing into the cylinder F. On the cylinder F is mounted a low pressure
gage 19 and suitably mounted on the cylinder is a safety valve 20 of any suitable
construction. We have shown it as consisting of a lever 21 with an adjustable
weight 22 thereon and a valve on the lever setting in a valve seat opening into the
cylinder.
In the bottom of the cylinder is secured a pipe 23 branching in opposite directions
as at 24 24*, the ends of the branches opening into the filling-heads, and being
provided adjacent to their points of entrance into the filling-heads with turning
plugs 25 by which the flow of air or other substance may be cut off. The glass
cylinder F not only serves as a sight glass to observe the extent of the contents
but it also serves as a receptacle to receive the overflow of liquid and gas which
may be thrown or forced back when the corks are forced down into the bottle
neck.
It will be perceived from the foregoing description that the liquid pressure and
the air pressure in the cylinder are not in equilibrium, the former being heavier
than the latter, the purpose being to insure the escape of the excess of liquid and
air from the neck of the bottle when the cork is forced into the glass cylinder, and
to be returned to a bottle when placed under the filling heads, and the branch pipes
are opened before the liquid pipes are opened for the purpose of filling the bottles.
GG designate the brackets on which the bottles are placed preparatory to
being lifted upwards and their heads forced into the seats in the filling heads. These
brackets are duplicates in construction and means for operating them consist of the
following described mechanism: On the frame are arranged and secured two
vertical parallel bars 26, 26x having a flanged way 27 between them, in which is
slidingly disposed a rack-bar 28 having formed or secured to its upper end a seat 29
adapted to hold a bottle as indicated. Journaled in suitable bearings 30 30x,
fixed to the face of the frame is a shaft 31 carrying a gear wheel 32 meshing with
the rack-bar and on the bearing 30x, is secured a sector-rack 33 which is engaged
by a pawl 34 on a lever 35 having its lower end mounted on the shaft 31 as shown
in the drawings. It will be observed from the foregoing taken in connection with
the drawings, that the rack-bar with the bottle seat may be raised and lowered
by moving the lever to turn the gear wheel and thus when a bottle is placed on the
bottle seat by moving the rack upward, the head of the bottle will become seated
in the filling head directly under the cork way therein, in position to receive the
charge and to have the cork inserted.
The corking mechanisms are also duplicates in construction and consist of the
following described parts or elements: To each of the lateral extensions 3 3*, is
fixed an arm 36 arranged at right angles to the face of the extensions and formed
with a sleeve 37 at the outer end in which is slidingly arranged the stem 38 of the
cork-plunger 39 formed at its lower portion with a tapering plug 40 which fits in
the cork-way in the filling head. To the top of the frame or extensions is a lug 41
in which is fulcrumed a hand lever 42 carrying a link or bar 43 having its upper

page_text: end pivotally hung to the lever and its lower end similarly connected to the stem
of the plunger, substantially as shown in the drawings. By moving the lever 42
down on a cork in the cork-way in the filling head, the cork is pushed in the head
of the bottle.
The operation of the machine is as follows: The air or gas is turned on from the
pressure tank by turning the two pressure regulators to the required pressure,
which varies according to the kind of fluids to be bottled, ranging from ten to one
bundred pounds on the high pressure regulator, and from five to seventy-five pounds
on the low pressure regulator. The bottles are then placed on the bottle seats, and
forced up with their heads tight into the seats in the filling heads by means of the
mechanism provided for that purpose. The corks are then placed tight in the
cork-ways of the filling heads, the cocks in the branch pipes leading from the sight
glass cylinder are then opened to permit the air or gas to flow into the bottles,
which operation is continued until the bottles are under the same pressure indicated
as that originally shown in the sight cylinder, when the cocks in the liquid pipes are
turned on and the liquid permitted to flow into the bottles until they are full, when
the liquid cocks are closed, and the corks driven down by the corking mechanism,
any overflow passing up through the branch pipes to the glass cylinder and
returning to the next set of bottles.
By this mode of procedure the liquid be it wine, water, ale or beer, is sure to be
uniform and retain all its original gas, and is bettered by not coming in contact with
the external atmosphere.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In a bottle filling machine, the combination with the filling head, of a corking
and bottle-holding mechanism comprising a vertical standard having an arm 36
projecting therefrom formed with a sleeve 37, a cork plunger 39 having its stem 38
slidingly arranged in the said sleeve and formed with a tapering corking plug 40,
a hand lever 42 fulcrumed to the vertical post 1, and a link 43 having its respective
ends pivotally connected to the said lever and to the stem of the cork plunger
below the said sleeve, and the co-acting bottle holder comprising a suitably supported
vertical guide, a rack-bar 28 arranged in said guide and formed with a bottle seat
on its upper eud, the shaft 31, a gear wheel on the shaft to mesh with the rack-
bar, a suitably supported sector-rack, a lever to turn the said shaft, and a pawl to
engage the sector-rack, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.