Improvements in Bottle Filling Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bottle Filling Apparatus.
We, WILLIAM CHILDS, Jr., of 19 Concord Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, and
State of New York, and SAMUEL SHANNON CHILDS, of 19 Concord Street,
Brooklyn, Kings County, and State of New York, United States of America,
Restaurant Keepers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation of bottling milk or other
liquids, to render the operation more easy and convenient, to reduce the cost of
manufacturing the apparatus, to secure a uniform result in filling and to obtain other
advantages and results some of which will be hereinafter set forth in connection
with the description of the working parts.
The invention consists in the improved bottling apparatus or machine and in the
arrangements and combinations of parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinafter
set forth and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate corre-
sponding parts in cach of the several figures,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved bottling mechanisms, showing a
single row of bottles therein,
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section showing the construction of certain
valves, and
Figure 3 is a detail of a lever for forcing the valves against the bottles.
In said drawing, a, indicates a wheeled or movable tank arranged on a bottling
table,, of any suitable construction, the said table being preferably provided with
centering blocks, ', or other devices for bringing the bottles into proper relation
with certain stoppers and thus facilitating the operation of filling. The tank is
movable longitudinally over the table, its movement being controlled by tracks,
guides or other mechanisms whereby the tank will be prevented from moving
laterally from a direct course as it is drawn or pushed successively from series to
series of bottles. The particular arrangement preferred for the purpose is the one
shown in the drawings in which, e, e, are guides, secured to the legs d, d, of the
tank, made of strips of iron and extending downward from said legs and below the
latter furnishing bearings for said wheels.
From said bearings the said strips are continued downward and engage the sides or
edges of the table so as to slide on the same and prevent lateral displacement.
The extremities of the strips are bent or turned to extend beneath the table, and
engage the underside of the same and thus prevent the tank-holding frame from
being lifted when pressure is brought to bear on the bottles in the operations
hereinafter described.
The tank is elevated above the table to form a space beneath, the space being
greater than the height of the bottles. Said tank is provided with a series of
depending stoppers which are of peculiar construction and are provided with outlet
valves to allow the milk or liquid to flow into the bottles at the proper moment.
Said depending stoppers, e, are adapted to rest on the tops of the bottles and, when
pressure is exerted, to form impervious joints therewith or joints through which the
milk cannot flow and be wasted.
The valved stoppers are arranged in a row at the forward part of the tank and
correspond in number to the number of bottles in the series extending across
the table.
A number of such series are placed on the table, sufficient in number to carry all
the milk of the tank and the operator, beginning at one end, fills the series

page_text: successively, all the bottles in each series being filled simultaneously as will be
understood.
The valve employed is shown in detail in Figure 2, in which e, indicates a bell-
shaped rubber casting, the small upper end of which is nicely secured in an
opening, f, in the bottom of the tank. The larger lower end is substantially flat on
the underside and, is of a size sufficient to cover the mouth of the bottle as
indicated, the soft elastic rubber, being pressed against the mouth of the bottle
forming an impervious joint therewith.
A metallic washer or ring, h, is preferably cast into the rubber, over the flat
bearing for the bottle, to serve as a stay or stiffener and effect a more perfect and
certain closing or stopping of the bottle.
At
The centre of the rubber casting is vertically perforated, a channel or duct, k,
being formed to allow a copious flow. of fluid from the tank into the bottle beneath.
Through said channel in said stopper, a tubular venti, extends upward through
the milk chamber in the tank to a point above the line of fluid in said tank.
the lower end of said tubular vent, which lies at or in the month of the bottle to
receive and carry off the air therein as the bottle fills with liquid, the said vent is
provided with an enlargement or plug, j, of sufficient size to close the channel, k,
and prevent the milk or fluid from flowing therethrough. Said enlargement extends
into the mouth of the bottle and occupies considerable space therein and thus, when
removed from the filled bottle, the milk is lowered considerably, and of a uniform
distance or degree, below the edge of the bottle, an end deemed to be desirable.
The vent tube, i, is held from moving vertically by a hooked holder 1, adapted to
allow of the removal of the same for cleaning or other purposes, and when the
stopper, e, is brought to bear on the bottle and downward pressure is exerted, the
elastic stopper is raised from engagement with the plug, or the plug is lowered from
engagement with the stopper, so that the valve is opened and the fluid is allowed to
flow freely through the channel into the bottle until the latter is full.
When relieved of pressure, the stopper springs again into engagement with the '
plug, and automatically closing the channel, after which, the stopper is raised from
the bottle ready to be brought into engagement with another. It may be noted
that the operation of closing the channel and that of raising the stopper from the
bottle involve but a single exertion on the part of the operator, and are practically
simultaneous.
The forward end of the tank is vertically movable in relation to the supporting
frame consisting of the front legs and a horizontal connecting bar m
To said frame, which is held to the table by the bent guides before referred, is
fulcrumed a hand lever, n, which is connected to a pivoted bar, o, fastened to the
tank but allowed a short pivotal movement thereon. By turning the lever, which
is shown in detail in Figure 3, on its fulcrummed bearings on the frame, the tank is
either raised from the bottles so that the device can be wheeled to the next series,
or by turning the lever in the opposite direction, the said tank is lowered, the
clastic 'stoppers are brought to bear on the bottles, forming impervious joints
therewith and the channels are opened as heretofore described.
The pivoted, bar, o, is or may be provided with a series of perforations to allow of
adjustment to suit bottles of larger or smaller sizes and at the rear of the tank,
the leg may be slotted, as at p, and adjustably fastened to the tank body as will be
understood.
'Outside of the central duct, the elastic block is hollow to reduce the pressure
necessary to close the bottle.
I am aware that various changes may be made in the device without departing
from the scope of this invention.
"Th operating the device,, when the same is of the construction shown in the
drawing, "to fill the bottles with milk or other liquid, the bottles are first arranged
in order on the table, the same being in a series of rows, the number in each row
corresponding with the number of valves depending from the bottom of the tank.
At the first row in the order of filling; the handlen, is operated and the tank forced'

page_text: slightly downward, in ordinary practice from one half to one inch more or less, thus
bringing the valves into engagement with the tops of the bottles closing the same
and opening the valves so that the liquid quickly flows into the bottles and the air
therein passing off through the vents, leaving the bottle free from froth or air
bubbles. When the first row is thus filled the handle lever is reversed and the
forward part of the tank is again raised in its relation to the bottles, and the valves
closed automatically, the bearings or supports and guides of the tank being
constructed to admit of the operations described under the operation of the
handled lever.
The valved tank is then wheeled to the next row of bottles and the operations
are repeated, and this wheeling and filling is continued until the bottles are all full
or the liquid is exhausted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In combination with the table, an elevated tank movable thereover having
depending from the bottom thereof a series of rubber blocks each of which is
perforated and is provided with a vented plug, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. The improved milk bottle filling apparatus herein described, combining with a
table, a tank movable toward or from the bottle and elevated above said table and
provided with depending elastic blocks, e, plugs, j, and vent tubes fastened to the
tank, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The improved milk bottle filling apparatus, herein described, combining with
a table having guides or ways and centering devices, a wheeled tank controlled in
its movements by said guides or ways, and at one end being vertically movable and
provided with automatic valves adapted to be opened by the downward pressure of
the tank on the bottle, substantially as set forth.
4. In a bottle filling device, the valve herein described combining with a
perforated elas ic block or casting, a vent tube having a plug secured thereto and
adapted to close the perforation, substantially as set forth.
5. In combination with the table, b, a frame d, d, m, and slotted rear logs, a tank
adjustably secured to said rear legs and held by said frame but vertically movable
therein, a lever, n, fulcrumed on said frame but carrying said tank by means of a
pivoted rod, o, said tank being provided with a series of valves, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
6. In combination with a table, a valved tank, a wheel frame d, d, m, having.
means for forcing the tank downward and the valves of the tank into engagement
with the bottles and having guides, c, bent to hold the frame to the table when said
tank forcing means are operating, substantially as set forth.
7. In combination with the table, a wheeled frame held to the table, a tank
having valves, and a lever fulcrumed on said frame and adapted to press the tank
down and to press the valves into impervious contact with the bottles, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
8. In a bottle filling apparatus, the combination with the tank, elastic block, e,
vent, j, and slug, a hook, l, adapted to support said vent substantially as set forth.
Dated this 8th day of June 1891.
WILLIAM CHILDS, JR.
SAMUEL SHANNON CHILDS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.