Improved Apparatus for Filling and Stopping Aerated Water Bottles
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Filling and Stopping Aerated Water Bottles
I, DONALD CUFF, of 24, Mildred Street, Lower Broughton, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved hand machine for
filling and stopping such aerated water bottles as are provided with screw
stoppers.
According to my invention I support in suitable bearings or slides fixed on a
standard one above the other, a bottle block for carrying the bottle and an
elastic screw plunger fitted with spring grippers for taking hold of the stopper
and either screwing-in or unserewing the stopper; and between the two I fix
a socket provided with an india rubber ring for holding against a flange outside
the mouth of the bottle with which is connected a force pump for supplying the
aerated water or syrup.
The bottle block or table is pressed upwards by means of a coiled spring and
is drawn down again by means of a treadle. To this block or table is fixed a pin
which is connected by a rod to one end of a lever, the other end of which is keyed
on a short shaft on which is fixed a bevil wheel.
This bevil wheel gears with a similar wheel keyed upon an upright shaft which
carries a shield or guard and is so arranged that when the bottle block is drawn
down by the treadle to place a fresh bottle thereon the shield is moved out of the
way, and when the spring is allowed to push the bottle up into the fixed socket
the screen is interposed between the bottle and the attendant before the pressure
is admitted.
u
The screw plunger works vertically through the top of this socket and is moved
and down and caused to revolve by the following means: The spindle of
plunger is carried in a fixed bearing being so mounted that it can rise and fall
and also revolve therein. Above the syrup supply pump is supported in bearings
a short horizontal shaft which can be caused to oscillate through an arc of a circle
by means of a hand lever. On the inner end of this shaft is a bevil wheel in
gear with a small bevil wheel (say in proportion of about two and a half to one)
fixed on the vertical plunger so that as the handle is drawn towards the operator
the plunger is caused to revolve. The upper end of this plunger is formed with
a quick threaded screw corresponding with that of the screw stopper employed
and this quick threaded screw works through a similarly threaded nut fixed to
the frame or standard, so that as the bevil wheel is caused to partly revolve and
turn the plunger the latter is caused to revolve and thereby to screw itself up or
down through the fixed nut.
To the lower end of the plunger is fixed a spindle squared at the bottom and
furnished with a jaw or fork carrying four grippers in the form of bell crank
levers their upper arms being horizontal and the lower arms vertical.
The upper arms are acted upon by a grooved block which embraces their inner
ends and the lower ends of the levers are formed to grip the fluted edges of the
screwed bottle stopper, a spring washer being interposed between the bottom
of the plunger and the top of the stopper.

page_text: Gulf & Improved Apparatus for Filling and Stopping Aerated Water Bottles.
On the short horizontal shaft above named is also fixed a cam for working the
plunger of the syrup supply.
The action is as follows: The attendant first places his foot on the treadle thus
lowering the bottle block and removing the shield or guard.
He then places a bottle with the stopper lightly screwed in on the table and
removes his foot when the spring will lift the table up pushing the upper part
of the bottle into the socket and bringing the shield or guard into proper position;
then taking hold of the hand lever he causes the plunger to descend and fix the
grippers onto the stopper, on reversing the movement causes them to unscrew
the stopper and raise it above the mouth of the bottle. The cam then immediately
opens the syrup supply thus filling the bottle, when the attendant reverses the
lever and thus brings down the stopper again and screws it firmly into the bottle
neck.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Filling and Stopping Aerated Water Bottles.
I, DONALD CUFF, of 24, Mildred Street, Lower Broughton, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to the construction of an improved hand machine for
filling and stopping such aerated water bottles as are provided with screw stoppers.
The manner in which my said invention is to be performed or carried into
practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the two sheets of draw-
ings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 of the drawings is a front elevation of the improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 a vertical sectional elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 a transverse section
taken through about the line A-A on Fig. 1.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views drawn full size, of
parts of the apparatus hereinafter more particularly referred to.
According to my invention (see Sheet 1 of the drawings) I support in suitable
bearings or slides fixed one above the other on a standard or frame a a bottle-
block for carrying the bottle and an elastic screw plunger e fitted with spring
grippers d for taking hold of the stopper and either screwing-in or unscrewing
the same (see Figs. 4 and 5 Sheet 2)."
The construction and action of which elastic screw plunger will be found fully
described in the Complete Specification No. 22,453 filed November 10th, 1899
with Application for Letters Patent the Official Acceptance of which Specification
was dated January 6th, 1900.
Between the bottle block b and the plunger I fix a filling head or socket e
provided with an india rubber ring f for holding against the outside of the mouth
of the bottle with which filling head or socket is connected the valve 9 for supply-
ing the aerated water and the pump h for supplying the syrup. (See also Fig. 1).
The bottle block or table is pressed upwards by maus of a coiled spring i
and is drawn down again by means of a treadle k. To the rod 7 which supports
this block or table b is connected a lever m the boss of which is keyed upon a short
shaft on which is keyed a bevil wheel n.
This bevil wheel gears with a similar wheel o keyed upon an upright shaft p
which carries a curved shield or guard 7 and is so arranged that when the bottle

page_text: block bis drawn down by the treadle to place a fresh bottle thereon the shield q
is moved out of the way, as shown by the dotted lines on Fig. 3, and when the
spring i is allowed to push the bottle up into the filling had or socket e the
screen is interposed between the bottle and the attendant as shown at Fig. 1
before the pressure is admitted.
The rod of the screw plunger works vertically through the top of the socket e
and is moved up and down and caused to revolve by the following means: the
plunger rod or spindle is carried in a fixed bearing r being so mounted that it
can rise and fall and also revolve therein. Above the syrup supply pump h is
mounted in bearings a short horizontal shafts which can be caused to oscillate
through an are of a circle by means of a hand lever t.
On the inner end of this shaft is a bevil wheel in gear with a bevil pinion t
(say in the proportion of about 2 or 2 to one) fixed on the vertical plunger rod e*
so that as the handle is drawn towards the operator the plunger rod is caused
to revolve. The upper end of this plunger rod is formed with a quick threaded
screw, corresponding with that of the screw stopper employed, and this quick
threaded screw works through a similarly threaded nut fixed to the frame or
standard a so that as the bevil wheel is caused to partly revolve the plunger rod (*
is caused to revolve also and thereby screw itself up or down through the fixed
nu ir as the case may be.
To the lower end of the plunger rod * (see Fig. 4) is fixed a spindle squared
at the bottom on which works the plunger provided with jaws carrying four
grippers in the form of hell-crank levers & the upper arms of which are horizontal
and their lower arms vertical. The upper arms are acted upon by a grooved
block 2 which embraces their inner ends, and the lower ends of the levers are
formed to grip the fluted edges of the screwed bottle stopper 3 a spring washer
being interposed between the bottom of the plunger and the top of the stopper.
On the short horizontal shaft above named (see Fig. 1) is also fixed a cam 4
for working the plunger of the syrup supply pump h. The action is as follows:--
The attendant first places his foot on the treadle k, thus lowering the bottle
block and removing the shield or guard 7. He then places a bottle with the
stopper slightly screwed in on the block b and removes his foot from the treadle k
when the spring i will lift the block, pushing the upper part of the bottle into
the socket e, causing the grippers d to take hold of the stopper, and bringing
the shield or guard into proper position. He then takes hold of the hand
lever and draws it forwards so as to unscrew the stopper and lift it clear of the
bottle mouth and by the same motion the cam 4 causes the pump to force the
syrup into the bottle. He then opens the aerated water valve and snifts"
when required by easing the treadle & gently with the foot till the bottle is full.
He then pushes the handle back again sharply thus bringing the stopper down
again and screwing it tightly into the bottle and by the same motion takes a
fresh charge of syrup into the pump h. He then puts his foot firmly again on
the treadle k bringing down the block with the charged and stoppered bottle
and withdrawing the guard 7. changes the full bottle for an empty one and pro-
ceeds as before.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improved hand apparatus for filling and stopping aerated water bottles
constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the drawings annexed.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.