Improvements relating to the Cleaning or Washing of Bottles, and to Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Cleaning or Washing of Bottles, and to
Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CLARK and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of 34 Paget
Road, Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
-
In the Specification of former Letters Patent dated 13th May 1892 No. 9107,
we have described certain improved methods of and machinery or apparatus for
cleaning or washing bottles both internally and externally in large or small
quantities.
Our present invention is designed to provide for accomplishing this result in a
still more convenient, effective and expeditious manner.
Our present invention comprises improved means for soaking the bottles in water
or other suitable liquid in order to soften and loosen or dissolve any deposited
matter and detach or facilitate the detachment of any labels or the like adhering
to the bottles.
For this purpose we provide a suitable soaking tank, and we arrange centrally
over the same in suitable bearings, a shaft or spindle which can turn freely about
its axis, and upon which is fixed a wheel or frame filled with tubes each adapted to
contain two or more bottles placed end to end. Or each of the said tubes may be
adapted to contain a single bottle. The said wheel or frame preferably comprises
radial arms, to the outer ends of which are secured, by screw-nuts and lock-nuts or
otherwise, suitable bars or segments, connected by intermediate bars or segments,
thus forming a wheel or frame of octagonal or other convenient shape. The divisions
of this wheel or frame are filled with transverse tubes of galvanized iron or other
suitable material, which tubes are adapted to receive the bottles to be soaked.
The said tubes are made of any suitable length so that each of them will hold
say two or more bottles placed end to end; the number and length of the said
tubes may be varied according to the length of the time it is desired the bottles
shall be left to soak in the water or other liquid.
While the said wheel or frame is being filled with bottles to be soaked, it is
gradually rotated so that the rows of tubes are successively immersed in the liquid.
As each row of tubes rises out of the liquid, an attendant removes the front row of
bottles from these tubes and another attendant fills up the said tubes from the back,
pushing the remaining bottles forward in the tubes of the frame or wheel. The
bottles remaining in the upper part of the wheel or frame after its first revolution
will remain wet, and thus the upper part of the frame or wheel will do duty as well
as the lower part thereof, which alone has hitherto been utilized for the soaking of
the bottles.
For cleaning the bottles internally, we use rotary brushes arranged in a circular
series in or upon a rotating frame or wheel, in combination with a tank containing
water or other suitable liquid in which the lower portion of the said frame or
wheel is immersed, and we provide suitable means for slowly rotating the said
frame or wheel about its axis and for imparting rotary motion at a high velocity
to the said brushes about their axis while they are revolving slowly through the
liquid about the axis of the said frame or wheel. We also provide automatically
controlled grippers or clamps whereby the bottles will be held or restrained from

page_text: rotating with the brushes, which grippers or clamps are automatically closed before
the bottles and brushes descend into the liquid, and are automatically opened as the
bottles and brushes are raised out of the liquid, thus permitting the throwing out
of the cleansed bottles and the insertion of other bottles to be cleaned.
According to another part of our present invention, we provide improved means
whereby the pushing of the cleaned bottles out of the grippers or clamps will be
effected automatically, that is to say, as the brush-frame or wheel revolves slowly
and at a uniform speed about its axis, the bottles will be successively delivered on
to a stationary inclined platform, whence they can be removed to be brushed
externally and then rinsed by means of a rinsing apparatus such, for instance,
as we have described in our said former Specification.
The brush-frame or wheel is, by preference, made with two side-pieces which are
fixed on the central shaft at a suitable distance apart, and are divided into eight
or any other suitable number of equal divisions, each of which is provided with a
pair of automatically controlled grippers or clamps. Upon the driving side of the
frame or wheel are formed bosses or bearings for the rotary brushes. The other
side of the said wheel or frame has hollow or circular parts formed in the side-
piece to admit of the bottles being put in or taken out of the grippers or clamps.
Upon each side of these hollow or circular parts and also at equal distances from
the bosses or brush-bearings in the other side-piece of the frame or wheel are
formed projecting lugs, provided with holes in which tubes of brass or other
suitable material are secured by jam-nuts at each end. The said tubes secure the
sides of the frame or wheel together and also serve as guide-rods for carrying
saddles or slides to which are attached forked claws or ejectors for throwing out
the cleansed bottles. Upon the outerside of each saddle or slide is a stud provided
with a friction-roller arranged to run in a curved channel formed in a segmental
piece or slide-block to which reciprocating motion is imparted as hereinafter
mentioned.
There is a central shaft above the said frame or wheel, provided with a suitable
grooved pulley, beneath which passes the band that gives motion to all the brushes
on the underside of the brush-wheel, the said band passing over two pulleys on
shafts situated one at each side of the central shaft and then around the pulleys of
the brushes in the lower part of the frame or wheel. One end of the central shaft is
extended and has a suitable pulley fixed thereon for driving the brush-wheel at a
slow rate of speed by means of a band passed around a larger pulley fixed on
a short shaft running in suitable bearings. Upon the other end of this short shaft
is fixed a small pinion geared with a toothed wheel fixed on the brush-wheel shaft.
Between the two uprights or standards of the frame of the machine are fixed two
guide-rods upon which is arranged to move freely the aforesaid segmental slide-
block. This slide-block is provided at one side with a suitable circular channel to
suit the radius of the friction-rollers hereinbefore mentioned for throwing out the
cleansed bottles. At a suitable distance from the centre of the larger pulley on
the small pinion-shaft, is fixed a stud or crank-pin connected by a rod to an arm
on a weigh-shaft. Upon the other end of this weigh-shaft is fixed a lever or
arm connected by a rod to the said slide-block having the circular channel, so that,
during the continuous rotation of the brush-frame, reciprocating motion will be
imparted to the said slide-block.
When the machine is in motion, the brushes on the lower part of the wheel are
rotated about their several axes at a high rate of speed, whilst the brush-wheel is
rotated continuously at a slow uniform speed. The proportion of teeth in the
aforesaid wheel and pinion is such that one revolution of the pinion will rotate the
brush-wheel through an angle equal to the distance between two adjacent divisions
of the said brush-wheel, so that, when a bottle is ready to be thrown out, the
friction-roller on the corresponding saddle or slide carrying the fork or claw will
enter the lower end of the said circular channel. The brush-wheel with the said
saddle or slide revolving slowly about its axis, while the slide-block having the
circular channel has a transverse motion, by the time the bottle is thrown out clear

page_text: of the wheel, the friction-roller is only half way up the said circular channel, which
then performs its return-stroke carrying with it the fork or claw. When the said
friction-roller reaches the upper end of the circular channel, the next friction-
roller enters the lower end of the said channel, and so on continuously.
Our invention also comprises an improved device for cleaning the outside of the
bottles. This device comprises two or more brushes jointed to a rotating disc or
frame at the driving end of the device, and so arranged that they can be moved
towards and away from each other so as to take bottles of various sizes. They are
held together at the other end by an india-rubber band or the like. A suitable
pushing out device or ejector comprising a ring or annular piece provided with
internally projecting lugs is sometimes combined with these brushes, to facilitate
the removal of the bottles from between the same. Or the device for cleaning the
outside of the bottles is made with circular brushes with the outer edges curved to
the shape of the bottle. The bottles may pass through a series of these brushes.
The external brushes are sometimes combined with the aforesaid internal
rotating brushes and used in the aforesaid brush-wheel or in any other convenient
manner.
Dated the Ninth day of Ian 1001
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements relating to the Cleaning or Washing of Bottles, and to
Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We, WILLIAM CLARK and WILLIAM ALEXANDER CLARK, both of 34 Paget
Road, Plumstead, in the County of Kent, Engineers, 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:-
In the Specification of former Letters Patent dated 13th May 1892 No. 9107,
we have described certain improved methods and machinery or apparatus for
cleaning or washing bottles both internally and externally in large or small
quantities.
Our present invention is designed to provide for accomplishing this result in a
still more convenient, effective and expeditious manner.
Our present invention comprises improved means for soaking the bottles in water
or other suitable liquid in order to soften and loosen or dissolve any deposited
matter and detach or facilitate the detachment of any labels or the like adhering to
the bottles.
For this purpose we employ, in a soaking tank, a revolving frame in which
are placed side by side and securely clamped a large number of tubes each
adapted to contain two or more bottles placed end to end, so that the bottles,
which are pushed into the tubes at one end and, after being soaked, are drawn out
at the other end, will be left soaking until the said frame has made more than one
revolution.
Our said invention also comprises the combination, with the rotary brushes for
internally brushing the bottles, which brushes are carried by a revolving frame, of
ejectors moving on guide-rods in the said frame, and a grooved guide-block having
a movable portion which is reciprocated to cause the said ejectors to push the
bottles successively from the said brushes.
Our said invention also comprises a rotary device for brushing the bottles
externally, which device is driven by suitable gearing, such as a belt and pulleys,

page_text: from a shaft of the mechanism for the internal brushing of the bottles, and is
constructed with a disc having brushes pivoted thereto so that the bottles can be
pushed in between the said brushes, which are held together by elastic rings and
will yield more or less according to the diameter of the bottle, and can be readily
removed and replaced.
And our said invention further comprises other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan of one arrangement of our improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a section on the line a, a, Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a section on the line a¹, x1, Figure 1,
Figure 4 is a section on the line 2, 2, Figure 1,
Figure 5 is a section on the line ³, ³, Figure 1,
Figure 6 is a longitudinal central section,
Figure 7 a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 6, and
Figure 8 an end elevation, illustrating details of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
shaft a,
Upon the shaft a in the soaking tank E is fixed a wheel or frame filled with
tubes beach adapted to contain two or more bottles C placed end to end as shown
in dotted lines in Figure 3. The said wheel or frame comprises bars or
segments E connected by radial arms E³ to a hub or casting E fixed on the
and by intermediate bars or segments E³ to each other, thus forming a
wheel or frame of octagonal shape. The divisions of this wheel or frame are filled
with the transverse tubes b which are made of galvanized iron or other suitable
material, and which are firmly clamped in place by means of the bolts E. The
number and length of the said tubes may be varied according to the length of the
time it is desired the bottles shall be left to soak in the water or other liquid.
The said wheel or frame is gradually rotated, either intermittently by hand, or
continuously by means of a worm-wheel c geared with a worm c¹ on a shaft c² which
is driven through worm-gearing c³, c from a shaft to which rotary motion is
imparted by means of a pulley ce from an overhead shaft or other convenient source
of power. As each row of tubes rises out of the liquid, an attendant removes the
front row of bottles from these tubes and another attendant fills up the said tubes
from the back, pushing the remaining bottles forward in the tubes of the wheel or
frame. The bottles remaining in the upper part of the wheel or frame, after each
revolution, will remain wet, and thus the upper part of the frame or wheel will do
duty as well as the lower part thereof, which alone has hitherto been utilized for
the soaking of the bottles. Moreover, when the tubes are made of sufficient length
to contain three bottles placed end to end, each bottle will be left to soak during
at least two or more revolutions of the frame.
The mechanism for internally cleaning the bottles, comprises rotary brushes g
arranged in a circular series upon a rotating frame or wheel h, the lower portion of
which is immersed in the water in the tank F. The said frame is slowly rotated
about its axis by means of a spur-wheel i fixed on its shaft h', with which is geared
a pinion on a countershaft driven by pulleys k¹, k² and a belt k³ from a shaft f.
The brushes are provided with grooved pulleys 9' driven by a belt or band
passing under a pulley on the shaft f, over a pulley f' on a shaft f³ and also over
a pulley e on a shaft e¹ driven from a pulley e². The brushes are thereby rapidly
rotated while the bottles thereon are below the surface of the water in the tank F
the said bottles being restrained from rotating with the brushes by means of
grippers or clamps H automatically controlled by means of tail-pieces H', a cam J
and spring H2, substantially as described in the Specification of our said former
Letters Patent No. 9107.
For automatically pushing the cleansed bottles out of the grippers or clamps H
on to a stationary inclined platform F whence they can be removed to be externally
brushed and then rinsed, we provide ejectors K attached by means of arms or rods m' to

page_text: saddles or slides m which are mounted upon tubular guide-rods / secured by jam-
nuts in the side-pieces of the frame h. In the arrangement shown, the
The
said guide-rods serve as the means for connecting the said side-pieces.
ejectors K are adapted to slide concentrically over the spindles of the brushes g,
Upou
and to engage with the mouths or necks of the bottles to eject the same.
the outer side of each saddle m is a stud provided with a friction-roller m² arranged
to run in a groove or channel L formed in a circular piece or guide block L', L³, L³;
the portion L of this circular grooved piece is secured to a cross-head or carriage M
which slides upon guide-rods n secured in brackets n'. A stud or crank-pin k
is fixed in the larger pulley k¹ and is connected by a rod o to an arm o¹ on a
rock-shaft o², on the other end of which is fixed an arm o³ connected by a rod M'
to the cross-head M, so that, during the continuous rotation of the brush-frame h,
reciprocating motion will be imparted to the portion L³ of the said grooved
piece.
The proportion of teeth in the wheel i and pinion is such that one revolution
of the pinion will rotate the brush-wheel h through an angle equal to the distance
between two adjacent divisions of the brush-wheel, so that, when a bottle is ready
to be thrown out, the friction-roller m² on the corresponding saddle m will enter
the lower end of the grooved piece L' and while the brush-wheel h with the said
saddle m and the corresponding ejector K revolves slowly about its axis h', the
grooved piece L2 will have a transverse motion imparted to it in such a manner
that the said ejector pushes the bottle on to the platform F2 and by the time
the bottle is thrown out clear of the frame h, the friction-roller m³ is only half
way up the said grooved piece, which then performs its return-stroke carrying
with it the said ejector K. When the said friction-roller m² reaches the upper
end of the movable grooved piece L2, the next friction-roller enters the lower end
of the said piece, and so on continuously.
In order that the friction-rollers m² may readily pass from the stationary grooved
segments L, L³ to the movable grooved segment L' or vice versa we widen the
groove L therein at the contiguous portions of the said segments.
The bottles pushed out by the ejector K on to the inclined platform F2 are
removed by an attendant and inserted into the device for cleaning the exterior of
the bottles.
This device is shown in Figures 1, 6, 7 and 8 and comprises two or more
brushes N jointed to a rotating disc or frame p at the driving end of the device,
and so arranged that they can be moved towards and away from each other or
can be readily removed and replaced by other brushes, so as to take bottles of
various sizes. For this purpose the frames of the said brushes are extended
P the
backwards and provided with heads N' which rest in slots p' in the disc
said heads and slots being curved in such a manner as to form hinge-joints about
which the said brushes are free to turn through a small angle. The said heads
are formed with grooves or recesses N2 in which rests an india-rubber or other
elastic ring or band q. The frames of the brushes N are also provided with
grooves N near their free ends, in which rests another elastic band q'. The
brushing device therefore readily adapts itself to different sizes of bottles and the
brushes may be very easily removed and replaced for cleaning or other purposes.
The disc p is fixed on a spindle p² provided with a grooved pulley p³. We prefer
to employ two or more of the said brushing devices mounted upon the tank D
as shown in Figure 1 and driven from the shaft f' by means of pulleys f¹, p³
and belts p. Motion is transmitted to the shaft from the shaft e¹ by means
of the belt or band d passing around the pulley es on the shaft e¹ and around the
pulley on the shaft f³.
The bottles are inserted into the said brushing devices by hand and are held
therein until the labels and other matter are removed, when they are withdrawn.
A suitable pushing out device or ejector comprising a ring or annular piece provided
with internally projecting lugs is sometimes combined with these brushes, to
facilitate the removal of the bottles from between the same.

page_text: After being cleansed as above described the bottles are rinsed by placing them
over the jet-tubes of the rinser A which is made with arms A¹ each provided
with a number of upright jet-tubes on which the inverted bottles C are placed.
This rinser turns upon a taper plug B connected with the water supply pipe and
provided with suitable ways or passages so that, when the rinser is in the position
shown, water will be directed into the hottles on the arm A' at the top of
Figure 1, and by turning the rinser through an angle of 45° the water supply
will be shut off. By turning the rinser intermittently the bottles on the several
arms A may be successively rinsed, the water, after being used for rinsing, falling
into the tank D.
The tank D is connected by a pipe D' with the soaking tank E so that the
water which has been used for rinsing the bottles, which water is clean, will
flow into the said soaking tank. This tank is connected by an overflow-pipe E¹
with the tank F which contains the mechanism for internally brushing the bottles,
which tank F is provided with an overflow-pipe F connected with a drain-pipe G.
The water used for rinsing the bottles will thus be also utilized in the tanks E, F
before being drained away, and the supply of water to the said tanks will be
regulated as required by the operation of the rinser A. The drain-pipe G is also
connected with the tank F near the bottom thereof and is provided with a cock
or valve G¹ to permit of emptying the said tank. A pipe G having a controlling
cock G³ is also provided whereby the tank E may be put directly into communication
with the drain-pipe G for the purpose of emptying the said tank.
It is evident that when no bottles are being soaked and brushed as above
described there will be none to rinse, and if the rinser, when done with, is turned
so as to shut off the water-supply, no water can flow through the soaking tank E
and the tank F.
A suitable pushing out device or ejector comprising a ring or annular piece
provided with internally projecting lugs, is sometimes combined with the brushes
for externally brushing the bottles, to facilitate the removal of the bottles from
between the said brushes. Or the device for cleaning the outside of the bottles is
made with circular brushes with the outer edges curved to the shape of the bottle.
The bottles may pass through a series of these brushes.
The external brushes are sometimes combined with the aforesaid internal
rotating brushes and used in the aforesaid brush-wheel or in any other convenient
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
--
First. The employment, in a soaking tank, of a revolving frame mounted therein
and having tubular compartments each adapted to contain two or more bottles placed
end to end, for the purpose above specified.
Second. An apparatus for soaking bottles, comprising tubes placed side by side
and securely clamped together in a frame arranged to be rotated in a soaking
tank, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination, with the revolving frame provided with the rotary
brushes for cleaning the bottles internally, of ejectors movable on guide-rods in the
said frame and worked through the medium of a reciprocating grooved piece which
forms a continuation of a stationary guide-block, substantially as and for the purpose
above specified.
Fourth. The revolving frame provided with the rotary brushes and consisting of
the two side-pieces connected by the guide-rods for the ejectors, substantially as set
forth.
Fifth. The device for cleaning the exterior of the bottles, comprising brushes
secured to a rotary plate or disc so that they can be readily removed and replaced,
and held in place by elastic bands, substantially as and for the purpose above
specified.

page_text: Sixth. The combination of the soaking tank, the tank in which the bottles are
brushed internally, the rinser, the tank for receiving the water discharged from the
rinser, and the pipes connecting the said tanks, substantially as and for the purpose
above specified.
Seventh. The improved machine constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings and operating as and for the purposes
above specified.
Eighth. The improved apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as
described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings and operating as and for the
purposes above specified.
1
100
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.