Improvements in. Machines for Filling Bottles with Beer, Wines, Spirits, or other Liquids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sep., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st May, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in. Machines for Filling Bottles with Beer, Wines,
Spirits, or other Liquids.
WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG, of 8 Highbury Park, London, N., Wine and Spirit
Merchant, and JAMES CORNELIUS PHILLIPS BROUGHTON of 8 Highbury Park, London, N.,
Wine and Spirit Merchants Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the mode of bottling Beers and other
liquids, and the objects are to fill the bottles without the aid of syphons, while at the
same time only the necessary quantity of liquid shall flow into each bottle; that a
given number of bottles shall be filled simultaneously, and that any accidental over-
How shall be at once utilized, time and labour being economised by these several
means.
The apparatus consists of an upright frame, the two sides being connected by a bar
at the top and by two or more bars or rods at the bottom; the latter bars or rods
acting as rollers if necessary; the sides of the frame have an ordinary rack and pinion
arrangement running from about half-way up the frame to the top. The two pinions
are secured by a rod and act together when turned by one handle. From this rod is
suspended a trough or tank to receive the liquid required to be bottled. The bottom
of this tank is bored with holes corresponding to the number of bottles to be filled at
one time; to the under side of each hole is attached a tube or feeding pipe. Inside
the tank and fitting it, with only just enough play to allow of its freely moving up
and down, is a shutter or frame work horizontal to the bottom of the tank; on the
underside of this shutter are fixed conical stoppers to fit into the outlets in the bottom
of the tank when the latter require sealing. This shutter has supports which pass
over the bar at the top of the frame and help to guide or check it as required.
Underneath the tank is placed a compartment or division box to hold the number of
bottles required to be filled; underneath the bottles, and forming part of the box, is
fitted a sliding tray to catch any overflow or leakage.
The method of using the machine is as follows:-
By means of the racks and pinions the tank is raised and in its upward progress
into the suspended shutter, the stoppers on the underside of which drop into the holes
in the tank, and so prepare it to receive liquid. So soon as the tank is sufficiently
high for the feeding tubes to clear it, a box of empty bott'es is placed under; the tank
in the meantime receiving the necessary liquid to fill them; this is judged by gauge
on the sides of the tank. When sufficiently full the tank is lowered and the feeding
tubes each enter a bottle; on arriving at a certain depth the supports of the shutter
above referred to are caught by the top bar and the holes in the tank are at once
unsealed, the liquid flowing simultaneously into each bottle. When empty the tank
is again raised, the box of full bottles removed, and a box of empty ones again placed.
15 Cutomban 1806
WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG.
JAMES C. P. BROUGHTON.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles with Beer, Wines,
Spirits, or other Liquids.
We WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG, of 8 Highbury Park, in the County of London,
Wine and Spirit Merchant and JAMES CORNELIUS PHILLIPS BROUGHTON, of 8 High-
bury Park, in the County of London Wine and Spirit Merchants Manager 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 improvements in apparatus for bottling liquids of all kinds,
and the special objects of such apparatus is First to facilitate the filling of bottles
with liquids without the use of syphons, whilst at the same time only the necessary
quantity of liquid shall find its way into each receptacle. Secondly to discharge a
given quantity of liquid in equal proportions and simultaneously into any required
number of receptacles.
The means by which the foregoing results are to be obtained are substantially as
follows; and are more fully described with reference to the accompanying sheets of
drawings, of which Figure 1. represents the apparatus as viewed from the front, the
front of the tank being broken to allow of the interior being seen. In this position it
is ready to receive the necessary quantity of liquid required for discharge into the
receptacles which may be placed underneath. Figure 2 is a fragmentary portion of
the apparatus shewing the liquid being discharged into the receptacles. Figure 3 is
a plan of the Tank B. Figure 4 is a plan of the Shutter D. Figure 5 is a front
elevation of the automatic controlling apparatus C, and Figure 6 is a side section of
the same.
In Figure 1. A 1. 2 & 3 represent the frame, such frame consisting of
two uprights A 1, with cross bar A 2, and a base A 3. A tank or trough B of con-
venient size is suspended between the uprights A 1, and this tank is guided up or
down by projections at either end, b. b. fitting into grooves in the uprights, or may be
guided by some other convenient contrivance which will ensure the tank rising and
falling on a level. Registering marks can be placed on the inside of the tank to
indicate when the requisite amount of liquid has been received therein, or we make
use of an automatic arrangement C, which checks the flow when the tank is sufficiently
full. The bottom of the tank B is bored with any required number of holes,
corresponding to the number of receptacles to be dealt with at one operation (b' in
Figure 3) and into each of these holes is inserted a tube 6' the top of which is flush
with the inside bottom surface of the tank and is slightly bevelled as shewn in Figure 2;
these tubes project below the tank and correspond in numbers to those of the
receptacles to be filled at one time, they are removable for the purposes of cleaning or
for the adjustment of others suitable to the different sizes of receptacles, and are so
arranged that all the liquid in the tank shall flow through them; ba is a strainer
through which the liquid flows from the cistern C into the tank, and prevents any
foreign matter getting into the tubes and choking them. C is the automatic arrange-
ment for the control of the flow of liquid into the tank B, and is further described
with reference to Figures 1. 5 and 6; it is used in combination with the tank B as in
Figure 1; it consists of the cistern C, a tap C, two hollow balls C', working on joists
C3, the balls also being attached to the plug C6 and the two levers C5; it also has a
shifting spindle C' which enables us to raise or lower the tap and appendages so as to
gauge the amount of liquid required to fill any given number of receptacles. The
balls C work on the line of liquid, they lock or disengage by means of the levers C³ and
these levers work by themselves as the liquid rises but when thrown out of gear by
hand or otherwise allow the balls and plug to fall and open the tap C². The working
of this automatic controller is as follows:-The spindle C' is first adjusted according

page_text: to certain marks upon it so that only the quantity of liquid requisite for filling the
receptacles underneath the tank shall flow through the cistern into the tank B. So
soon as the liquid reaches a height sufficient to touch the balls C, in the position.
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 5, the balls begin to rise on the line of liquid and
reach a horizontal position as also shewn in Figure 5, beyond this point they rise
together and force the plug C into the mouth of the tap C, thus stopping the How of
liquid into the cistern and tank; at the saine moment the levers C catch on to the
teeth on the sides of the tap C and hold the plug in until they are released. This
last position is retained by each part until the tank B has been lowered and emptied,
then the levers are cast off (as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 5) by hand or other-
wise on the rising of the tank. At the same time the balls C and plugs C6 full and
allow the liquid to again flow. The plug C and consequently the attached portions
are suspended by pins working in slots inside the tap C. D in figures 1, 2 and 4
is a movable plate, or shutter as we prefer to call it, which fits inside the tank B and
runs on guides d' placed at each end of the tank inside; on the underside of this
shutter are fixed valves, pneumatic or otherwise, d of rubber or other suitable
material, these correspond in number to that of the tubes & inserted in the bottom
of the tank B and are so arranged that when the tank B is raised by means of the
lever rack and pinion F. F and F the said valves d' are pressed down and effectually
seal the top openings of the tubes 6' making the bottom of the tank B practically
water-tight as shewn in Figure 1. The withdrawing of the valves d' by the arrest of
the shutter D at a given point, as seen in Figure 2, allows the liquid in the tank B to
flow down the tubes 6 into the receptacles placed underneath. We allow this shutter (D)
in sealing the tubes b' to act either by its own weight or by the aid of springs e
as shewn in Figure 1 or we can use other suitable appliances which will effectually
cause the valves d to seal the tops of the tubes b2 and also allow of their being re-
leased simultaneously at the required moment. Attached to the upper part of the
shutter D are two or more rods E in Figures 1, 2 and 4 which pass through the plate b
and the top bar A' of the frame and act as auxiliary guides whilst the stops E¹ on
the tops of these rods are so fixed and regulated that when the shutter D is to be
checked in its downward course, to allow the tubes b to be unsealed so that the liquid
may flow through then, the contact of the stops E' with the top bar A2 effects that
purpose, as in Figure 2. The tank or trough B is raised or lowered by means of a
central lever rack and pinion F FF, F being the lever as indicated in Figure 1, or
we may use a central screw of any suitable kind, or any other ordinary and convenient
mechanical arrangement, or appliance; we may also, if found advisable, work the
apparatus automatically in which case we might use two tanks and their several parts
mounted on a double frame, so that the one tank when full shall by its own descent
raise the empty one to the point where its filling takes place. Under the tank B, and
if necessary suspended therefrom or attached thereto, we may if desired use a metal
plate bored with holes corresponding in number to the number of tubes 6 projecting
from the tank B, on the underside of this plate will be cones which will fit on
to the tops of the bottles or other receptacles to be filled so as to centre them, and
similar cones on the upper side of the plate will guide the tubes & into the mouths
of the receptacles. We can also use this plate detached from the machine for the
purpose of placing it over the box of bottles or other receptacles, in which case it will
answer the same purpose. An ordinary shaped compartment box H in Figure 1 to
contain any required number of receptacles for liquid, of any capacity, is used in con-
junction with the bottling machine before described, but with this box H instead of
having fixed compartiments we use a series of removable frames, which frames are
suited to various sizes and shapes of receptacles to be filled. We also use a metal
waste tray I which slides underneath the receptacles to be filled and between them
and the bottom of the box; by means of this tray we at once detect any overflow
from accidental or other causes and can save the waste from such causes.
Having now described the various parts of the apparatus or machine with reference
to the drawings, we will now proceed to briefly describe the mode of operation. By
means of the arrangement F F and F in Figure 1, or by any other suitable arrange-

page_text: ment as before mentioned we raise the tank B to its position in Figure 1 it being
then sufficiently high for the tubes 62 to be clear of the box of empty receptacles to
be placed underneath. In rising the inside bottom surface of the fank B comes into
contact with the valves d' affixed to the under side of the shutter D, and the top
openings of the tubes 62 and consequently the bottom of the tank B are at once
sealed, the springs e assisting in this operation; the tank B and shutter D are then
raised together, the rods E also rising through the top bar A. When the tank B is
at its proper height it is secured by a spring catch J, which locks the rack and pinion
until ready for lowering. Simultaneously with the raising of the tank B the levers C³,
locking the balls C', are released, the balls fall as shewn in Figure 5 and the
attached plug C drops sufficiently far to allow the liquid to flow from the barrel or
other source through the tap C into the cistern C and so through the strainer b' into
the tank B the liquid in the latter keeping on the same level as that in the cistern.
The automatic arrangement C having been previously set for the quantity of liquid
required (by means of the spindle & screw C) the balls C rise on the surface of the
liquid until they assume the position shewn in Figures 1 and 5 when the plug C is
forced home into the tap C2 and the levers C at the same moment lock on to the
teeth at the sides of the tap C2 (Figure 5). The tank B is then released by pulling
out the catch J and is lowered by a reversal of the process of raising. At a given
point the stops E' check the shutter D which is attached to the rods E and the tubes b²
are at the same moment unsealed as in Figure 2 the liquid from the tank B flowing
through them into the receptacles in the box below. The tank B being emptied is
again raised, the box of full receptacles removed and a box of empty ones put in its
place, the same process going on as before.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A Bottling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described, wherein the
necessity for using syphons is avoided.
2. In the apparatus for bottling liquids a tank or trough with discharge tubes
inserted in its bottom plate and projecting downwards, and its combination with an
automatic controller for the supply of liquid to the tank.
3. The shutter or plate with valves, pneumatic or otherwise, for sealing the open-
ings of the tubes in the bottom of the tank, and the combination of the shutter with
the tank, guide rods and stops to control the action of the shutter.
4. The combination of the box with a waste detector and movable compartments
for utilising any sized receptacles.
5. The combination of the whole substantially for the purposes set forth in the
foregoing specification and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of May 1807
WILLIAM STRATFORD HOGG.
JAMES CORNELIUS PHILLIPS BROUGHTON.