Improvements in or connected with Machines for Bottling Liquids.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1594
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machines for Bottling Liquids.
TOM SUTCLIFFE 19 Kings Road Brownswood Park London N. Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in filling and stoppering machines such
as are employed for bottling beers, mineral waters and the like.
The machine has an arrangement for filling the bottle and an arrangement for
stoppering the bottle when filled. The filling arrangement consists of a vessel
preferably cylindrical and large enough to hold more than one charge, into the
base of this vessel working through a stuffing box is a tube which has sufficient
travel to go right to the bottom of the bottle which is placed beneath it for filling
an automatic spindle valve is placed in this tube and so arranged as to open only
when the tube is pressed down, the motion of the tube is regulated by levers
worked either by foot or band as desired, attached also to this tube is a sliding cap
which presses over the mouth of the bottle during the process of filling and this
prevents escape of the gas. The sliding cap has a small valve attachment for the
purpose of snifting, and is kept in position by a suitable spring.
The stoppering arrangement consists of a vertical spindle having thereon a quick
thread, and has a lever at one end and a chuck for holding the stopper at the
opposite end. This spindle revolves through a suitably fixed nut so that when the
lever moves downwards gives a circular motion to the chuck, the said chuck
is furnished with cam grips to automatically grip the stopper and receives its
pressure through the medium of a spring which prevents the breaking of the stoppers
and bottles, the levers may be worked either by foot or by hand.
The bottle is placed on a base of the usual form with adjustment for varying
sizes but which base is pivotted so as to have a rocking motion and is regulated by
suitable stops and actuated by a lever. The stoppering arrangement is preferably
fixed vertically and the filling arrangement at its side but at a slight angle being
radial from the centre of the pivot of the cup in which the bottle is held, by
this arrangement the bottle is filled while at a slight angle and then when the
filling tube is withdrawn it is instantaneously moved to the vertical position and
stoppered. The whole of these arrangements are fixed preferably on one standard
or frame, and the levers are so arranged as to be actuated by one man.
Provision is also made for the neration of fluids bottled by this machine in an
attachment similar to an injector which is fixed to the side of the receiver on the
filling arrangement in which the fluid and gas co-mingle similar to the way in which
the steam and water are mixed in an ordinary injector.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1894.

page_text: 1 TOM SUTCLIFFE of 19 Kings Road Brownswood Park London 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 relates to improvements in filling and stoppering machines such as
are employed for bottling beers, mineral waters and the like.
The machine consists of two parts an arrangement for filling and an arrangement
for stoppering the bottle when filled, the two parts being arranged side by side on one
standard or frame so as to bring the cup at the end of the filling tube, and the
chuck for holding the stopper as near together as it is conveniently possible.
The bottle is placed on a platform beneath the above mentioned parts fitted with
clips which hold the bottle firm on the platform, the said platform having an
automatic motion which moves the bottle from the filling apparatus instantaneously
to the stoppering apparatus, and to fully describe the same, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of a complete machine.
Fig. 2. is a sectional view of the complete machine.
Fig. 3. is the back view,
Fig. 4. is the chuck for holding the stopper.
Fig. 5. is a section of the said chuck.
Fig. 6 is a section of the filling tube and valve.
A. is the frame or standard, a is a lever which is attached by means of a rod a³,
to a foot pedal a, a link at is attached at the end of the lever a which is connected
to a tube b. by means of a cross bar & Fig. 2, the said cross bar being suitably
shaped at the back to correspond with the guide Fig. 2 along which it works.
Above the cross bar and situated directly in line with the tube . is a small
receptacle, preferably cylindrical 63 having an inlet at a suitable place preferably
at the top as at c. At bottom of the tube b. which I enlarge at the bottom as in
Fig. 6. arrange a seating c Fig. 6, of sufficient size, and a valve preferably ball
shaped of india rubber metal or other suitable material c' Fig. 6. Through the
senting passes a pin Fig. 6 which runs on a guide at the bottom of the tube b.
and has small collars on it to regulate the amount of its travel. When the tube b.
descends into the bottle to be filled as hereinafter described, the pin e pressca
against the bottom of the bottle and raises the ball e' thereby allowing the liquor
to flow through. When the tube rises the back pressure of the liquor forces the
ball on to its seating and makes a tight joint. By this contrivance I gain the
important object of admitting the liquor into the bottle only when the filling tube
has reached the bottom of the bottle, and further by having the valve at the bottom
of the filling tube prevent any flow of the liquor in the tube after the valve
is shut. The lower end of the tube b. is provided with a cap d. to cover the
bottle mouth which has a lining of rubber or other pliable material to enable a
tight joint to be made over the mouth of the bottle; is a small valve used for
snifting is a cock which regulates the supply of gas to the bottle during the
process of filling. The cap d. is pressed down on to the mouth of the bottle either by
means of a spring placed on the outside of the tube b. or preferably, as shown in
my drawings, it may be actuated by a spring e. on the back part of the frame as
shown at Figs. 2 and 3. A lever works through a slot in the frame directly
behind the cup d. one end of the said lever being attached to the spring e. and the
other to the cup d, the pin on which this lever works is fixed to the frame A; the
lever operates by the lever (by means of connecting link e') a rod et attached

page_text: to the pedal a³ so that when the pedal is pressed down the spring e. is brought
into operation causing the lever e¹ to press the cap d. over the bottle mouth.
When the foot pedal is released the cup d. is raised from the bottle mouth by the
opposite action of the said levers and spring.
is the platform on which the bottle is placed, is the holder in which the
bottle is placed and it has a pin at the bottom passing through the centre of the
platform and fastened to the platform by n set screw f³ and it can thus be regulated
to take different sizes of bottles. The said platform has a pin affixed at the
back as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 which passes through the frame A. At the end of
the pin and at the back of the machine is affixed a short lever Fig. 3, which
is actuated by a spring and a rod affixed to the hand lever of the stoppering
arrangement as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 and is so arranged that the least travel of
the band lever g. causes the platform f. to move alternately in a line with the
filling and stoppering contrivance. The first portion of the travel of the hand
lever J. throws the platform from the filling to the stoppering contrivance and
the after travel completes the stoppering as hereinafter described. The return
travel after the operator looses his hold of the hand lever g. is caused by a weight g
attached to the opposite end of the lever g. and removes the platform to its
normal position which is in a line with the filling contrivance and ready for recharging
the bottle.
1
k. is a spindle which is preferably fixed in a vertical position as shown in Figs. 1
and 2 having therein a quick thread or worm which runs through a fixed screwed
bush, the said spindle being operated by the lever 9. herein before described
and attached to same by a link and swivel which allows the spindle to revolve
when the lever is being pressed down; at the lower end of the spindle k. is n chuck
or stopper holder L shown in Figs. 1, & 2,-Figs. 4. and 5. showing the bottom and
sectional views. L' in Fig. 5 is the body of the chuck which is preferably round in
shape having a rim or disk L in Figs. 1 & 5 at the end so that the bottom surface
is large enough to accomodate cams L³ Figs. 4 & 5 which are used for the purpose
of gripping the head of the stopper and which are placed as shown in Fig. 4.
Although three cams are shown in the drawing one or more will serve the purpose
if the face of the chuck is provided with suitable stops or apertures to take their
places so that when the single or double cam is pressing on the stopper it is being
tightly held, but I find in practice that three cams are preferable.
The object of these cams is that when the stopper is being turned into the bottle
the cams become more and more tight but the least reverse motion at once releases
their hold upon the stopper. L' Fig. 4 is a rubber band which is used to keep the
cams in position. The chuck L is attached to the spindle k. so that it will slide up
and down on the plain end of the spindle k, and the pin L' which is fixed in
the side of the chuck L. runs in the key-way or groove L provided in the plain end
of the spindle k. so that vertically the chuck has a few inches play but it revolves
with the spindle. It will be seen that the extra travel which is caused by the quick
thread on the spindle over the travel required by a screw stopper is thus disposed
of by the spindle & running into the chuck.
k
If the pitch on the quick screw and that on the stopper are the same the plain
end of the spindle can be dispensed with, if desired and the spindle can be fixed by
a screw into the chuck.
Having now particularly described my invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed I declare what I claim is :-
1. The combination of an apparatus for bolding the bottle to be filled with an
arrangement for imparting thereto a rocking motion as and for the purposes
described.
2. The combination of a lever with a quick threaded screw with or without a
slide on the end of the spindle to take up the travel of the quick screw operating as
& for the purposes described.
3. A chuck for holding screw stoppers with moveable cam or cams as herein

page_text: described holding the stopper firmly in position when in the act of screwing and
releasing it on the upward motion of the screw when the stopper is firmly fixed.
4. A filling tube with ball valve at the bottom raised automatically when the
filling tubo approaches the bottom of the bottle and closing automatically at the
commencement of the return motion substantially as and for the
purpose described.
5. The filling and stopping apparatus substantially as described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 16th day of November 1894.
THEO
MCKENNA,
17 & 18, Basinghall Street, London, Agent.