Vements in Apparatus for wasning Bottles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left. 21st Jan. 1898 Accepted 26th Mar
1898
Vements in Apparatus for wasning Bottles.
I, WILLIAM BEETHAM, of Llanrwst, Denbigh, North Wales, Mineral Water
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to further improvements in bottle washing apparatus of
the kind described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me
No. 14077 of 1894. By my present invention the certainty and smoothness of
working of the machine are increased and the risks of breakage of bottles and
jamming of parts of the machine are reduced.
According to the said former specification the bottles are pushed out of the
carrier rings of the chain in the soaking tank by means of a rod F attached to
the reciprocating carriage or cradle H. I find that by this arrangement there is
not sufficient time allowed for the movement of the bottles from one position.
of rest to the next and I have therefore devised the following arrangement for
pushing out the bottles to overcome this objection. That is to say, I employ a
small rack constructed to enter the bottle neck and furnished with a collar to
bear against the end of the bottle neck. The rack is worked by a half wheel
which receives continuous motion in one direction and which actuates the rack
and then becomes disengaged whereupon the rack is instantly drawn back to its
initial position by a weight; a spring or its equivalent is provided to check the
impact when the rack is drawn back. The beforementioned collar on the rack is
supported by a spring which yields and allows the collar to slide back on the rack
when the bottle arrives at the end of its journey on the receiving table. In order
to ensure that each bottle as it comes to the position of delivery shall be in line
with the rack so that the latter will enter the bottle neck without fail, I provide
an oscillating lever or arm worked by means of a cam and controlled in such a way
that it rises under the bottle neck and elevates the neck and so adjusts the bottle
that the rack will properly enter it. The chain mechanism is of course so
arranged that the bottles are never brought to rest in a position which is too high
but rather so that the bottles come to rest in a position below their proper level
so that the final adjustment may be effected by the oscillating arm aforesaid.
After the rack has entered the bottle neck, the arm descends so as to be out of the
way of the next bottle.
I provide two brushes for brushing the outsides of the bottles in the soaking
tank, said brushes being arranged so that the bottles in turn come to rest between
them, and both brushes then operate upon the bottle at the same time. I also
work the arm 66 of the beforementioned specification by means of a crank fixed on
a suitable rotary shaft of the machine.
A further improvement according to my present invention relates to a device for
transferring the bottles from the inclined table E of the beforementioned specifi-
cation to the reciprocating cradle. This is done by means of a crescent shaped
oscillating block or piece worked by means of a cam. Each bottle in turn is
received against the concave part of the crescent block which then turns
and moves over the top of the bottle SO as to bring the convex

page_text: side of the crescent block against the second bottle on the inclined table and so
hold back the same while the first bottle is delivered by the positive action of the
concave side of the crescent and placed on the cradle. In this movement the
bottle is controlled positively and is not allowed any freedom so that it cannot
become misplaced. After the cradle has moved forward to push the bottle on to
the brush for cleaning the inside, the crescent block turns back and receives the
next bottle on its concave side.
Another improvement relates to the means for delivering the bottles from the
rinser. For this purpose I employ two travelling bands upon which the bottles
are successively placed by the rinser as the latter turns round, and when so
placed on the bands the said bands operate to draw the bottle off the nozzle and
deliver it at the end of the machine.
I have also improved the brush holder for cleaning the insides of the bottles.
I make the said holder with a screw threaded hole at the end adapted to screw
on to the twisted wire forming the stem of the brush. The rotation of the
holder is in such direction that the tendency is for the brush to screw further
in so that it does not become detached in use. The holder is connected to its
spindle by a knuckle joint that allows the brush to wobble and so have freedom
to work properly against the sides of the bottle and in the corners at the bottom
of the bottle. A sleeve is provided as before for the holder and brush to retire
into so that the holder is held straight while the bottle is being pushed thereon.
Dated this 21st day of April 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, WILLIAM BEETHAM, of Llanrwst, Denbigh, North Wales, Mineral Water
Manufacturer, 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 further improvements in bottle washing apparatus of
the kind described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me
No. 14077 of 1894 whereby the certainty and smoothness of working of the
machine are increased and the liability to cause breakages of the bottles and
jamming of the parts of the machine is minimised.
According to the said prior specification the bottles are pushed out of the carrier
rings of the chains in the soaking tank by means of a rod attached to the re-
ciprocating carriage or cradle which brings the bottles up to the brush for cleaning
the interiors. With this arrangement the rod is liable to foul the rings on its
return movement and moreover the bottle cannot be pushed through a greater
distance than the length of travel of the carriage so that inconvenience arises and
jamming of the parts is sometimes caused. To overcome these objections I have
devised an arrangement for pushing out the bottles whereby the push rod returns
very quickly after it has pushed out a bottle and thus clears the rings with
certainty, and the length of travel is independent of the travel of the carriage.
A further improvement according to my present invention relates to the pro-
vision of novel means for ensuring that each bottle as it comes to the position
of delivery shall be exactly in line with the push rod so that the latter will enter
the bottle neck without fail. For this purpose I provide an oscillating arm

page_text: worked by means of a cam and controlled in such a way that it rises under the
bottle neck when the latter has come to rest and so adjusts the bottle that the
rod will properly enter it.
Another of my present improvements relates to a crescent device for trans-
ferring the bottles from the receiving table at the side of the tank to the recipro
cating carriage. Each bottle is received in turn against the concave side of the
crescent which then turns over the top of the bottle so as to bring its convex
side against the next bottle and hold back the same while the first bottle is trans-
ferred by the positive action of the concave side of the crescent and placed on the
carriage in a line with the brush for cleaning the inside. In this movement the
bottle is controlled positively and cannot become misplaced. After the first bottle
has been so placed on the carriage, the crescent turns 'back and receives the next
bottle against its concave side.
Another improvement relates to the means for delivering the bottles from the
rinser. For this purpose I employ two parallel endless travelling bands upon
which the bottles are successively laid by the rinser as the latter turns round. As
soon as each bottle rests on the said bands the latter operate to draw it off the
nozzle and deliver it at the end of the machine.
A still further improvement relates to the holder for the brush that cleans the
insides of the bottles. I make the said holder with a screw-threaded hole at the
end to form a nut into which the twisted wire stem of the brush can screw, and I
connect the holder to its spindle by a knuckle joint that allows the brush to wabble
and so have freedom to work properly against the sides of the bottle and in the
corners at the bottom of the bottle.
My invention also includes other improvements in detail as hereinafter described.
I will now describe my invention in greater detail with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan of so much of the machine as is necessary to illustrate my
present improvements.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the machine, certain of the parts being
removed to ensure greater clearness.
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic front view of the arrangements for taking the bottles
from the rinser.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rod and its driving gear for pushing the bottles
out of the carrier rings in the soaking tank.
Fig. 5 is a partly sectional and partly perspective view on an enlarged scale of
the socket or holder for receiving the stem of the brush that cleans the interiors
of the bottles.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of the crescent device for transferring
the bottles to the carriage.
:
Fig. 9 is a side view, looking from the right of Fig. 2, of a part of the mechanism
for raising the bottles into alignment with the push rod, and
Fig. 10 is a front view of the mechanism for oscillating the crescent device.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures.
A is the soaking tank containing the hot water through which the bottles are
carried by means of an intermittently moving chain as described in the before-
mentioned specification. B, B denote two adjacent pairs of rings for holding the
bottles, the lower pair being opposite the push rod C which it is supposed has
just pushed out a bottle and returned again, the chain being ready to move to
bring another bottle opposite the push rod. D is the main driving spindle
carrying the brush for cleaning the interiors of the bottles, and E is the recipro-
cating carriage for pushing the bottles on the brush and rinser as described in the
abovementioned specification.
The rod C has the form of a toothed rack which is capable of sliding to and
fro in a stationary guide F. Its forward end is reduced in size and made circular
and pointed so that it may enter the mouths of the bottles. c¹ is a collar capable
of sliding on the reduced part of the rod and supported at the back by a spring c

page_text: which yields and prevents damage to the bottle should the latter be pushed hard
against the flange at the side of the inclined receiving table a.
The rack gears
with a toothed pinion G which is driven by a segment wheel G¹ keyed on a
shaft H. The said shaft is driven through wheels h, h¹ and worm wheel 2, the
latter being driven by a worm h³ on the main driving spindle D. Since the
wheel G is incomplete it follows that the pinion G will be driven intermittently
and when it is out of gear with the segment wheel the rack is instantly drawn
back by a weight which is suspended from the rack by a cord c¹ that passes
over a guide pulley c5. The outer end of the rack guide F is closed by a plate F¹
to form a stop for the rack when the latter is pulled back. c is a spring which
acts as a brake and reduces the impact of the rack on its return. Owing to the
rapidity with which the rack is withdrawn its forward pointed end easily clears
the rings before the chain moves round to the next position.
My device for ensuring the correct alignment of the bottle with the forward
pointed end of the rack consists of an arm J attached to a spindle J¹ which
oscillates in its bearing J and is actuated by a cam like projection J³ (Fig. 9)
fixed on the boss of a wheel J which is keyed on the shaft H. On the spindle Ji
is an arm J5 which is connected by a link J6 to one arm J7 of a bell-crank lever
pivoted at J. The other arm Jo.of the said 'bell-crank lever (see Fig. 9) lies in
the path of the cam projection.J3 and is actuated thereby to raise the arm J once
each revolution of the shaft H, the parts being pulled back by a spring J10 when
the cam has cleared the lever. When the .arm.J is depressed, as indicated in
Figs. 1 and 2 the next bottle can rise without fouling it, and when the chain has
come to rest, the arm J rises under the bottle neck and lifts the bottle until its
mouth is exactly opposite the pointed end of the rack, so that the latter will be
sure of entering the bottle. With this arrangement it is not necessary to provide
such an accurate chain as would otherwise be necessary. I arrange the chain so
that the bottle to be pushed out does not come to rest at a higher level than the
rack, but rather just a little below the level of the rack, so that the arm J may
effect the final adjustment of the bottle with great accuracy.
The said arm is
preferably a spring arm. After the pointed end of the rack has entered the bottle
neck, the arm J descends so as to be out of the way of the next bottle.
When
K is the oscillating crescent-shaped device for transferring the bottles suc
cessively from the receiving table a to the reciprocating carriage E. The ends of
the crescent block may be complete circles, and its spindle k which is carried by
suitable bearings is driven by gear wheels k¹, (indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 2 and by full lines in Figs. 1 and 10) the wheel being oscillated through
a suitable angle by means of a grooved cam disc which actuates a lever
pivoted at and connected to the wheel by a link . The lever, link 16
and pivot are not shown in Fig. 2. The bottles are received successively
against the lower horn of the crescent on the concave side, and are transferred to
the carriage by the oscillation of the crescent. The action is illustrated by the
diagrammatic views Figs. 6 to 8. In Fig. 6 the bottle 1 is resting against the
lower horn of the crescent and the bottle 2 is resting against the bottle 1.
the crescent turns, it passes over the top of the bottle 1, and the upper horn of
the crescent pushes the said bottle laterally on to the carriage into alignment
with the spindle D, and the bottle rolls down until it rests against the convex
side of the crescent; this position is shown in Fig. 7. Next, the crescent turns
back (without disturbing the bottle 1) until it arrives at its first position where-
upon the bottle 2 rolls into the hollow of the crescent and rests against the lower
horn, and a third bottle is delivered on to the table a and takes up its position
against the bottle 2 as shown in Fig. 8, and the action is then repeated. By the
next oscillation of the crescent the bottle 2 is pushed laterally on to the carriage,
and the bottle 1 is pushed further aside and comes opposite the rinser. The
lateral movement of the bottles is thus effected by a positive action.
The rinser N is constructed and actuated as described in the beforementioned
prior specification, but the bottles, instead of sliding off the nozzles down a chute

page_text: as therein described, are removed by a pair of parallel endless travelling bands M, M.
The rinser is situated midway between the said bands near one end, and the bottles
on the delivery side of the rinser are laid by the rinser on the bands successively,
as indicated in Fig. 3, and are then withdrawn by the bands while the rinser is
at rest. The bands pass around the pulleys M, M which are driven by the worm
shaft h*. I prefer to employ chain gearing for driving the bands to ensure certain
action without slip. On passing over the forward pulleys M¹ the bottles fall upon
a travelling belt O which moves in the reverse direction to the bands M and
finally delivers them at a point near where the attendant who is feeding the
machine stands, so that one attendant can both feed the machine and remove the
clean bottles. The case M³ Fig. 3 prevents the bottles from falling sideways when
descending from the bands M to the belt O.
My improved brush socket or holder P Figs. and 5 is constructed to receive the
twisted wire stem of an ordinary brush. It is formed with a screw threaded
part p that acts as a nut into which the stem of the brush screws. The direction.
of rotation of the holder is such that the brush will not screw out when at work
but will rather tend to screw further in so that it does not become detached in
The holder is connected to the spindle D by a knucklejoint p¹ that allows the
brush to wabble and have sufficient freedom to work properly against the sides
of the bottle and in the corners at the bottom of the bottle. A sleeve is provided
as heretofore for the holder and brush to retire into so that the brush is held
straight while the bottle is being pushed thereon. This sleeve is not shown as it
forms no part of the present improvements..
use.
For brushing the outsides of the bottles in the soaking tank, I provide two
brushes arranged near together and so that the bottles in turn come to rest between
them. Both brushes operate upon the bottles at the same time and effectually
clean the exteriors thereof. The brushes themselves are not shown, 'but they are of
the usual kind and will be understood. 9, 9 Fig. 1 are their spindles shown
broken and q¹, q¹ Figs. 1 and 2 are their driving pulleys.
The chain wheel R in the soaking tank is driven from a crank pin Figs. 2
and 9 which may be fixed in the boss of the wheel J. r is the rod which connects
the crank pin to an arm 2 which is loose on the chain wheel shaft but drives the
chain wheel by a pawl ³ engaging the ratchet wheel fixed on the chain wheel
shaft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. For pushing the bottles out of the supporting rings in the soaking tank, a rod
having a slow forward movement, and a quick return, substantially as, and for
the purposes, specified.
2. The construction of the said rod in the form of a sliding rack which is driven
in the forward direction in its guide by a segmental wheel, and is returned by a
weight or its equivalent, with or without the spring supported collar at the forward
end, and with or without the check spring at the rear end, substantially as, and
for the purposes, described.
3. The oscillating arm for raising the bottle necks into alignment with the sliding
rack, substantially as described.
4. The crescent device constructed and operating substantially as described for
successively transferring the bottles by a positive action from the receiving table
to the reciprocating carriage.
5 The arrangement of bands and belt for drawing the bottles off the rinser
and delivering them at the end of the machine, substantially as described.
6. The brush socket or holder constructed with a screwthreaded part to receive
and act as a driver for the twisted wire stem of the brush, and connected to the
spindle by a knuckle joint, substantially as described, and for the purposes
specified.

page_text: 7. A bottle washing machine. having incorporated therein the various improve-
ments substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
and operating as specified.
Dated this 20th day-of-January-1898.
GEORGE HARRISON,
35, Therapia Road, Honor Oak; London, Agent for the Applicant.