Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Bottling Liquids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Bottling Liquids.
A communication from JOHN HENES, Brewer of Menomonee, County of Menomonee
and State of Michigan, and FRANK CHARLES KELLER, Machinist of Milwaukee
in the County of Milwaukee State of Wisconsin U.S.A.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tain in and by the following statement:
The main objects of this invention are to facilitate the bottling of carbonated
or effervescing beverages or liquids, and to avoid foaming and loss of such liquids
in the operation of bottling.
It consists of certain novel features in the apparatus hereinafter particularly
described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the
several figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section on the line 1, 1, Fig. 2, of apparatus embodying
the aforesaid invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation and partial vertical longi-
tudinal section on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1, of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a vertical
cross section of a portion of the apparatus 'on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a
vertical section on the line 4, 4, Fig. 2 of the gas connection of one of the filling
heads; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5, 5, Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a
vertical section on the line 6, 6, Fig. 1, of one of the bottle holding clamps.
The difficulty experienced in transferring effervescing or carbonated liquids
from one receptacle to another is that when they are relieved of pressure the gas
which they contain escapes, causing the liquid to foam, thereby not only impair-
ing its vivacity and keeping qualities, but also greatly hindering the operation
of bottling and tending to waste. It is the aim of this apparatus to overcome
these difficulties.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, A designates a closed chamber
or reservoir for holding under pressure at the desired level the liquid to be bottled.
It may be conveniently made of metal in cylindrical form, and of any desired
length according to the number of filling connections desired. It is provided with
a supply connection a, which communicates with the lower part thereof through
a strainer a¹, and is provided with a cock a²; and it has one or more delivery
connections a³ leading out of the lower part thereof to the filling heads, as herein-
after explained. Said reservoir is supported, according to its size, by one or
more legs at, which are adjustable vertically in stands a5, and held therein when
adjusted by set screws aº.
B designates a similar closed chamber or reservoir for holding gas under
pressure. It is preferably located above and supported by the liquid reservoir A,
and has a gas supply connection b. This connection is provided with a pressure
regulating device which comprises a diaphragm chamber C, containing a flexible
diaphragm c, and communicating above said diaphragm with the gas reservoir B

page_text: through a pipe or hose c', and below the diaphragm with the upper part of the
liquid reservoir A. A supply valve 2 controls communication between the gas
supply connection 6 and the upper part of the diaphragm chamber, and a waste
valve controls a vent opening or passage out of the upper part of said chamber.
The diaphragm is attached to a stem e guided in the lower neck of the diaphragm
chamber and provided at its upper end with a head or collar c, adapted to engage
with a lever c and open the waste valve c³ when the diaphragm descends. The
head cor upper end of the stem c¹ being arranged in line with the supply valve 2,
engages and opens it when the diaphragm is flexed upward. A spring, the
tension of which is adjusted by a screw c, holds the valve c³ normally closed and
serves to vary the pressure in the gas reservoir B as desired with reference to
the pressure in the liquid reservoir A. The chamber C has a vent or waste
ccck 8 and is connected by a cock with the gas supply pipe b below the
diaphragm c, whereby gas may be admitted into or discharged from the reservoir A,
and the level of the liquid therein regulated as desired.
D D are oscillatory filling heads and bottle holders. They are formed on
each side with trunnions which are fitted and adapted to turn in chambered
bearings dd communicating respectively with the delivery connections a a
of reservoir A and with the gas reservoir B through connections 61 61. Each
head is formed or provided on the under side with a cap d³, which is supplied
with a ring d of soft rubber or other suitable packing material having a down-
wardly flaring opening to receive and close the mouths of the bottles to be filled.
Into a central opening in the cap of each head is screwed a filling tube or nozzle E,
which communicates at its upper end through a passage d' with the chamber in
bearing d. The chamber in bearing communicates through a passage d³ in
each head with the central opening therein outside of the nozzle E.
To the lower ends of vertical tubes or passages de formed with the bearings d,
are attached valve cases F containing upwardly closing weighted valves f which
have upwardly projecting stems terminating with heads f in the tubes do, as
shown in Fig. 3.
The passages in the filling heads open through lateral slots into the chambered
bearings d opposite openings into the tubes do, and in the ends of said passages d
are inserted tubular springs f² which are slotted to correspond therewith and
are bent outwardly to engage the edges of the trunnions on both sides of the slots
therein, the upper out-turned edges or flanges projecting into engagement with
the heads f¹ and holding the valves f, normally, closed. The delivery con-
nections a³ are attached to the lower ends of the valve cases F.
The bearings are formed with upturned necks and valve cases G containing
valves g, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The valves are arranged to be opened
against the pressure in reservoir B by projections on the adjacent trunnions
of the filling heads D. The gas connections are attached to the upper ends
of the valve cases G which are provided above the valves g, as shown in Fig. 4,
with disks or partitions having restricted openings g to check the flow of air
or gas into the filling heads, and to prevent fall of pressure in reservoir B or loss
of gas in case a broken or defective-bottle-is placed in the machine or broken in
filling.
Each filling head D is formed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with a rearwardly
and downwardly projecting arm d8, and to the lower end of this arm is pivotally
and adjustably secured by a screw and thumb nut h, a rest H, adapted when
properly adjusted, to support a bottle near the base in the proper relation to the
nozzle E and the cap da. With a rearwardly projecting car on the arm are
connected by universal joints or double pivots, two jaws I I, as shown in Figs. 1,3
and 5, adapted to engage the opposite sides of the neck of a bottle below the
shoulder thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The arm d8 is formed, as shown in
Figs. 6, on opposite sides with downwardly diverging inclines hh, which are
adapted to engage with said jaws and to spread them apart when they are turned
downwardly on their pivot connections with the filling head.

page_text: Levers J are pivoted, as shown in Fig. 1, at their front ends to upwardly pro-
jecting arms on the filling heads, and are connected by links j with tie-rods j¹
which hold the bearings d and d together above and parallel with the trunnions
of said heads.
Tubes K are pivoted at their upper ends to the rear ends of levers J and extend
downwardly therefrom through vertical holes in the arms de in which they are
guided. Rods & inserted in the tubes K and surrounded by spiral springs
which bear at their upper ends against heads on said rods and at their lower ends
against shoulders in said tubes, are provided at their lower ends with cross
heads formed with upwardly diverging inclines 2. These inclines are arranged
to engage with corresponding inclines on the outer sides of the jaws I I, and to
draw the jaws together against the necks of bottles and upwardly against the
shoulders on the bottle necks when said rods are raised, as hereinafter explained.
Nuts secure the cross heads, which rest normally against the lower ends of the
tubes K, upon the rods and serve to adjust the tension of springs k¹.
The tubes K, rods k, springs and nuts 3 constitute adjustable yielding con-
nections between the levers J and inclines, allowing for variation in the location
of the shoulders on the necks of the bottles, or in the distance of the shoulders
from the mouths of the bottles.
Stops a projecting from the reservoir A arrest the downward movement of the
bottles, by engagement with the arms 8 in proper position for filling, and
the arms by engagement with the hubs of links j, arrest the movement of the
filling heads in the opposite direction in the proper position for receiving and
removing bottles therefrom. The gas and liquid supply and delivery connections
of the reservoirs A and B and filling heads D are preferably made with sections
of rubber or flexible hose, as shown, to facilitate their detachment and the
thorough cleansing of all parts of the machine. The filling heads with their
bearings and valves are secured to arms a8 on reservoir A by means of screws and
thumb nuts a which permit of their separate and easy removal from the machine
for cleansing or repairs.
The gas reservoir B is provided with a pressure gauge or manometer 62, and
the liquid reservoir A may also be provided with a similar gauge if desired,
although it is not necessary.
The improved apparatus operates as follows:
The
The reservoir A is supplied through its connection a, with the liquid to be
bottled under pressure of say, eight pounds, the air or gas contained in said
reservoir being compressed in the upper part thereof and maintaining the liquid
at a level approximately with the mouth of a bottle held in the cap of either
of the rotary heads D in position for filling. The supply tube or pipe b
of the gas reservoir B is connected with a source of compressed gas under a
pressure equal to or greater than that on the liquid in the reservoir A.
bottles to be filled are then placed on the nozzles E when they are in the positions
shown in Fig. 3, with their bodies against the rests H, their necks between and
their shoulders above the jaws I I. They are then turned downwardly at the
bottom into the position shown in Fig. 1, their initial movement in that direction
operating through the levers J and their connections hereinbefore described, to
force the inclines upwardly in engagement with the outer sides of the jaws I I
and to draw said jaws together against the necks and shoulders of the bottles
and to force and hold their mouths upwardly against the packing rings d³, thus
closing and hermetically sealing the bottles. The continued movement of each
filling head D operates to open the associated valve by the engagement of the
shoulder or projection with its stem and to turn the spring f2 out of engagement
with the head f¹ on the stem of valve f. Compressed gas now rushes from
reservoir B through connection and passage into the bottle, creating a
counter pressure therein, preferably slightly below the pressure in reservoir A.
When the pressure in the bottle nearly equals that in reservoir A, it opens the
valve f, allowing the liquid to flow from said reservoir into the bottle. The

page_text: weight of the valve f is sufficient to hold it open against the current of the liquid
flowing past it, and may be increased or diminished to vary the counter pressure
required to open the valve. It is, however, preferably adjusted so that the counter
pressure will be approximately equal to or a little below the pressure on the liquid
in reservoir A. This slight excess of pressure in said reservoir will serve to force
the liquid through the filling heads into the bottle without materially reducing the
pressure on the liquid or allowing it to come into contact with the atmosphere.
The escape of gas with which the liquid is charged and the foaming of the liquid
are thus avoided. As the liquid flows into the bottle it displaces the gas and
forces it back through passage d³ and connection b¹ into reservoir B. When
the bottle is filled it is swung outwardly at the bottom, turning the head D and
nozzle E and their connections into the positions in which they are shown in
Fig. 3. The initial movement of the filling head in this direction operates first
by engagement of the spring f2 with the head f¹ to close the valve f and cut off.
the flow of liquid to the bottle, and by the disengagement of the projection d
from the stem of valve g, permits said valve to close and cut off the supply of gas
to the bottle. A further outward movement of the bottle carries, the lever J
and its connections into the position in which they are shown in Fig. 3, releasing
the jaws I, which, being turned downward by their own weight and the weight
of the bottle and its contents, are spread by engagement with the inclines h¹,
thereby releasing the neck and shoulder of the bottle and permitting it to be
readily withdrawn from nozzle E. Whenever the pressure in reservoir B rises
above the desired limit, approximately equal to or a little below the pressure
in reservoir A, it forces the diaphragm e downward, moving the head or collar c
on the upper end of its stem into engagement with the inner end of lever c, and
opens the vent valve c³.
As the pressure above the diaphragm falls, the diaphragm
rises and allows the vent valve to close. When such pressure reaches the
lower limit at which it is desired to maintain it, the valve 2 is opened by
the upward movement of said diaphragm, and the engagement of its stem with the
stem of said valve, and the pressure in reservoir B is restored through the supply
connection b, from any convenient source with which it communicates. As the
gas employed to create a counter pressure in the bottles to be filled is displaced
by the inflowing liquid and forced back into the reservoir B, it is desirable,
especially if carbonic acid gas is used, to allow for variation in the pressure in
said reservoir within certain limits, to avoid unnecessary waste of gas through
the frequent opening of the vent valve c³, since in the operation of a machine
having a number of filling connections, if a number of bottles are filled simul-
taneously a greater volume of gas will be withdrawn from the reservoir at a given
time than when the bottles are filled successively. To provide for such variation
in volume and pressure without unnecessary waste of gas, the head and the
supply and waste valves and may be arranged so as to allow the diaphragm a
considerable range of movement without affecting said valves. To increase or
reduce the pressure in reservoir B relative to that maintained in reservoir A,
the screw is turned in or out. The spring f permits the head D to be turned
into position for the removal of a bottle after the valve f is closed, and thus
insures the seating of said valve without strain upon or injury to its operating
connections.
The term "gas" is employed in its generic sense, including air, carbonic acid gas
and any other gas that may be suitable for producing the desired counter pressure
in the bottles or like receptacles to be filled with liquid.
The minor details of the apparatus herein shown and described may be
variously modified within the spirit and intended scope of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of a closed liquid reservoir

page_text: having a supply connection, a filling tube or nozzle having a valve-controlled
connection with said reservoir, a gas reservoir having a supply connection, a
pressure regulating device in said connection controlled by the pressure in said
liquid reservoir, a valve controlled connection with the gas reservoir adapted to
be put in communication with a bottle or vessel to be filled while liquid is being
admitted thereto from said liquid reservoir, and means of operating the valves in
said connections, whereby the liquid may flow into the bottle or vessel against
a counter pressure approximately equal to the pressure in the liquid reservoir,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination with closed liquid and
gas reservoirs having supply and delivery connections, of a movable head with
which the delivery connections of said reservoirs communicate, a valve in the
delivery connection of the gas reservoir adapted to be automatically opened by
the operation of said head, and a valve in the delivery connection of the liquid
reservoir adapted to be automatically open when the pressure of gas in the bottle
reaches a certain point, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination with liquid and gas
reservoirs, of a movable filling head having valve-controlled connections with said
reservoirs and provided with a cap to receive and .close the mouth of a bottle,
and jaws adapted to be engaged with the shoulder on the neck of the bottle by
the movement of the bottle into filling position and to hold its mouth in engage-
ment with said cap, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of a closed liquid
reservoir having supply and delivery connections opening into the lower part
thereof, a gas reservoir having one or more delivery connections, and a pressure
regulating device consisting of a diaphragm chamber provided with a flexible
diaphragm and communicating on opposite sides thereof with said reservoirs,
gas supply and waste connections with that part of the diaphragm chamber in
communication with the gas reservoir and valves in said connections arranged to
be operated by the movement of said diaphragm, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
5. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of gas and liquid
reservoirs having supply and delivery connections, an oscillatory filling head in
communication with the delivery connections of said reservoirs, and a valve in
the delivery connection of the liquid reservoir, adapted to be opened by a counter
gas pressure against the liquid pressure and to be closed by the turning of the
filling head to remove a bottle therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
6. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of gas and liquid reservoirs
having supply and delivery connections, an oscillatory head having a filling
nozzle in communication with a delivery connection of the liquid reservoir and
a separate passage in communication with a delivery connection of the gas
reservoir, a valve in the delivery connection of the liquid reservoir adapted to be
released by turning said head in one direction and opened by counter gas pressure
and to be closed by turning the head in the opposite direction, and a valve in
the delivery connection of the gas reservoir adapted to be opened by turning said
head into position for filling a bottle, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
7. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of gas and liquid reservoirs
having supply and delivery connections, an oscillatory head having separate
passages communicating with the delivery connections of the liquid and gas
reservoirs respectively, and a valve in the delivery connection of the liquid
reservoir arranged to open towards said reservoir and having a yielding operating
connection with said head whereby the initial movement of said head in one
direction closes said valve, and a further movement thereof for the disengagement
and removal of the bottle is permitted after said valve is closed, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 8. In apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of gas and liquid reservoirs
having supply and delivery connections, an oscillatory head provided with a filling
nozzle in communication with the delivery connection of the liquid reservoir, a
cap around said nozzle for closing the mouth of a bottle, and a passage in com-
munication with the delivery connection of the gas reservoir opening into said
cap outside of said nozzle, jaws arranged to embrace the neck of a bottle and to
engage with the shoulder thereon, and valves in said delivery connections, said
jaws being connected with said head and arranged to be closed upon the neck
of a bottle and forced upwardly against the shoulder thereon by the initial
movement of said bottle in turning it into position to be filled, the valve in the
gas delivery connection being arranged to be opened by the further movement of
a bottle in the same direction, and the valve in the liquid delivery connection
being arranged to be closed by the initial movement of said head in the opposite
direction, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 11th day of May 1897
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.