Certain Improvements in Machines for Filling Screw Stoppered Bottles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Machines for Filling Screw Stoppered
Bottles.
I. EDWARD SAMUEL CHAVASSE, of Naunton, Holt, near Worcester, in the County
of Worcester, Aerated Water Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to machines for filling screw stoppered bottles
with beer or aerated or other liquids which machines are so constructed as to
remove the screw stopper from the bottle and to fill the latter and then screw the
stopper again into the bottle. Such a machine is described in the Specification of
my Letters Patent No. 19978 of A.D. 1894. My present invention consists of the
herein described improved means for gripping and removing the screw stopper
from the bottle and for holding the stopper whilst the bottle is being filled and for
rescrewing the stopper into the filled bottle and then releasing the stopper so
that the bottle can be removed from the machine. Heretofore for removing the
said screw stopper a clutch has usually been employed fixed at the bottom of
a spindle which has a combined up and down and turning movement impartedl
to it so as to screw the stopper out of and into the bottle at the proper times in
the working of the machine. The said clutch has usually been made of two or
more expanding jaws adapted to grip the head of the screw stopper between them
but this construction is not always reliable as the jaws are not certain in action.
According to this invention dispense with the said jaws and instead thereof
I fix to the bottom of the said spindle an indiarubber chuck or gripping collar
which at the bottom has a circular recess in which the head of the screw stopper
can be forced so that this indiarubber chuck will then grip the head of the
stopper all round. The indiarubber chuck is fixed in the spindle by any con-
venient means as by the latter being bored with an undercut recess and an internal
flange at the bottom of the spindle this flange engaging with a corresponding neck
formed on the india rubber chuck which latter is also made with an enlarged
part which is forced into the undercut recess in the bottom of the spindle that
part of the chuck which is to hold the screw stopper projecting from the spindle
so that it can expand as may be required to grip the stopper. Working inside
the said spindle which carries the indiarubber chuck there is a vertical rod which
by a can or other means is moved up and down inside the said spindle and
through a corresponding central hole in the chuck.
In the working of the machine the head of the screw stopper which is in the

page_text: bottle is forced into and gripped by the indiarubber chuck. The spindle which
carries the chuck then turns and rises so as to screw the stopper out of the
bottle and hold the stopper above the bottle whilst the latter is being filled. At
the proper time the spindle with the chuck and screw stopper descend and at
the same time turn so that the stopper is screwed back into the bottle neck.
Then the said rod moves down the interior of the spindle and chuck and forces
the screw stopper out of the chuck which is then ready to receive and remove the
screw stopper from another bottle.
Dated this 99nd of Novombo 100*
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Machines for Filling Screw Stoppered
Bottles.
I, EDWARD SAMUEL CHAVASSE, of Naunton, Holt, near Worcester, in the County
of Worcester, Aerated Water Engineer, 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 reference to machines for filling screw stoppered bottles
with beer or aerated or other liquids which machines are so constructed as to
remove the screw stopper from the bottle and to fill the latter and then screw the
stopper again into the bottle. Such a machine is described in the Specification of
my Letters Patento. 19978 of A.D. 1894. My present invention consists of the
hereindescribed improved means for gripping and removing the screw stopper
from the bottle and for holding the stopper whilst the bottle is being filled and for
rescrewing the stopper into the filled bottle and then releasing the stopper so
that the bottle can be removed from the machine. Heretofore for removing the
said screw stopper a clutch has usually been employed fixed at the bottom of
a spindle which has a combined up and down and turning movement imparted
to it so as to screw the stopper out of and into the bottle at the proper times in
the working of the machine. The said clutch has usually been made of two or
more expanding jaws adapted to grip the head of the screw stopper between them
but this construction is not always reliable as the jaws are not certain in action.
According to this invention I dispense with the said jaws and instead thereof
1 fix to the bottom of the spindle an indiarubber chuck or gripping collar
constructed and arranged as I will now describe by referring to the accompanying
drawings on which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the spindle and indiarubber
chuck or gripping collar and certain other parts of the head of the screw stoppered
bottle filling machine shewing also the upper part of the bottle with the screw
stopper therein; Fig. 2 shews the same parts as Fig. 1 with the spindle and
indiarubber gripping collar and screwed stopper raised from the bottle; Fig. 3
shews the same parts as Fig. 1 and with the moving parts in their lowest position
and the screw stopper screwed down in the bottle as when the bottle is filled this
figure shewing also the stopper forced out of the gripping collar by the vertical
push rod which works through the same: Fig. 4 is a side elevation plan and
sectional elevation of the indiarubber gripping collar separate from the spindle
and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the lower part of the spindle to shew the

page_text: groove in which the gripping collar fits; Fig. 6 is a side elevation plan and
sectional elevation of a slightly modified form of the said indiarubber gripping
collar.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
A is the spindle which has the combined up and down and turning movement
imparted to it, as is well known, and to the bottom of which according to my
present invention the indiarubber chuck or gripping collar B is fixed. This
indiarubber chuck or gripping collar has at the bottom a circular recess b¹ of the
proper size to receive and grip tightly the head c of the screw stopper C, that is
to say, this recess b' is of slightly smaller diameter than the head c of the stopper C
so that the indiarubber clutch B will be slightly expanded when the head c
of the stopper C is forced therein in the working of the machine as hereinafter
described. The indiarubber chuck B is fixed to the spindle A by any convenient
means but preferably by the spindle A being bored with an undercut recess a¹
and an internal flange at the bottom of the spindle this flange a² engaging with
a corresponding neck formed in the indiarubber chuck B which latter is also
made with an enlarged collar part 3 which is forced into the undercut recess (
in the bottom of the spindle A the lower part of the chuck B which is to hold the
screw stopper C projecting from the bottom of the spindle A so that it can expand
as may be required to grip the stopper. Working inside the spindle A there is
the usual vertical push rod 1) which, by the usual cam or other means forming
no part of this invention, is moved up and down inside the tubular spindle A and
through a corresponding hole in the chuck 13 for the purpose of pushing the
stopper out of the indiarubber chuck or gripping collar when the bottle is filled.
In the working of the machine the head of the screw stopper C which is in
the bottle E is forced into the recess b' of the indiarubber chuck B as shewn in
Fig. 1 and thus the stopper C is gripped by the indiarubber chuck B. The
spindle A and the chuck B carried thereby with the screw stopper C gripped by
the chuck B then turn and rise so as to screw the stopper C out of the bottle E
and hold the stopper C above the bottle as shewn in Fig. 2 whilst the latter is
being filled. When the bottle is filled the spindle A with the chuck Band
screw stopper C descend and at the same time turn so that the stopper C is
screwed back into the bottle neck as shewn in Fig. 1, the vertical rod ]) then
moves down the interior of the spindle A and through the hole 6 of the chuck B
and, acting upon the head c of the screw stopper C forces the screw stopper C out
of the chuck B as shown in Fig. 3 and the bottle is removed and the chuck B is
then ready to receive and remove the screw stopper from another bottle.
C
In case the chuck B should, after it has been in wear for a considerable time
lose its elasticity so as not to properly hold the stopper the said chuck B may
have a groove 3 moulded around its periphery as shewn in Fig. 6 so that a strong
indiarubber band can be placed in this groove around the chuck B to contract
the same and thus render it sufficiently elastic to grip and hold the screw stopper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a machine of the kind herein referred to for filling screw stoppered
bottles, the combination with the spindle A which has a combined turning and
up and down movement, of the indiarubber chuck or gripping collar B fixed to
the bottom of the said spindle and made with a circular recess underneath so as
to grip the stopper, and the vertical push rod 1) which moves up and down through
the spindle and through a central hole in the indiarubber chuck or gripping
collar and pushes the stopper out of the chuck or gripping collar when the bottle
is filled, substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine of the kind herein referred to for filling screw stoppered bottles,
the combination with the spindle A, which has a combined turning up and down

page_text: movement, of the indiarubber chuck or gripping collar B constructed and fixed
to said spindle in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described and
illustrated.
Tlated this 22nd day of suone 1908
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.