IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH AERA WATERS, AND FOR INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITY OF WORK PERFORMED
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Duckworth and Saul Wright, both of
Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Soda Water Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR
FILLING BOTTLES WITH AERA WATERS, AND FOR INDICATING THE AMOUNT
OF PRESSURE AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITY OF WORK PERFORMED."
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 14th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Duckworth
and Saul Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th
August 1878.
THOMAS HENRY DUCKWORTH and SAUL WRIGHT, both of Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Soda Water Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH AERATED WATERS, AND
FOR INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITY OF
WORK PERFORMED."
This Invention relates,—
First. To the arrangement of pump employed for "charging" or aerating the
water.
Secondly. To a self-acting valve for shutting off the pressure when the bottle is
filled.
And, Thirdly. To an apparatus for indicating the amount of pressure in the
bottle, and for registering the number of bottles filled.
'
We employ a double-acting force pump fixed firmly upon a bed supported on the
masonry which carries the steam engine, the said pump being provided with double
sets of valves and a single piston acting between them. To the piston rod is
attached a cross head to which reciprocating motion is given direct by a forked rod
from an excentric keyed upon the main shaft of the engine.
Secondly. We employ a "screw down" or other suitable valve, and on the spindle
of this we fix a toothed wheel provided with a catch. An india-rubber or other
spring is fastened to the catch, and another similar spring is attached to the valve
handle or lever. On the swivel tube which carries the bottle holder is a finger or
[Price 6d1

page_text: projection which lifts the catch out of the teeth of the wheel whenever the bottle is.
raised up.
The attendant having placed a bottle in the holder and depressed the latter,
pulls the valve lever and admits the aerated water, the catch holding the valve
open. As soon as he sees that the bottle is full he raises the bottle holder to
allow the glass ball to fall into the seating in the neck of the bottle, and in the act
of raising the bottle holder the finger or projection releases the catch and the spring
closes the valve.
Connected with the swivel tube we employ a spring or other pressure gauge, and
connected to the indicator of the gauge we have a compound lever which acts upon
a connecting and registering apparatus which records the number of times that
the pressure gauge acts, that is to say, the number of bottles that have been filled;
and in order to prevent this apparatus from registering any movement of the bottle
holder, excepting when à bottle has at the same time been actually filled, we insert
in the passage between the swivel tube and the gauge, a valve so contrived that the
aperture is only open so long as the aerated water is passing into the bottle and
the air from the bottle is escaping, and as soon as the bottle is filled the increased
pressure closes the valve and prevents the indicator from acting.
By means of these improvements we can bottle much quicker and get the same
pressure in the bottles that we have in the reservoir, instead of having to work at
about thirty per cent. higher pressure as heretofore, and hence a great saving is
effected, and breakages not being so frequent the work is much safer and less
unpleasant for the operatives.

page_text: SPECÍFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Henry Duckworth and Saul Wright in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th February 1879.
THOMAS HENRY DUCKWORTH and SAUL WRIGHT, both of Oldham, in the
County of Lancaster, Soda Water Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES WITH AERATED WATERS, AND
FOR INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND REGISTERING THE QUANTITY OF
WORK PERFORMED."
This Invention relates,-
First. To the arrangement of pump employed for "charging” or aerating the
water.
Secondly. To a self-acting valve for shutting off the pressure when the bottle is
filled.
And, Thirdly. To an apparatus for indicating the amount of pressure in the
bottle and for registering the number of bottles filled.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly under-
stood, we have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof:-
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view of
the pump which we use for charging or aerating the water.
We employ a double-acting force pump a, a, fixed firmly upon a bed b, b,
supported on the masonry c, c, which carries the steam engine, the said pump being
provided with double sets of valves and a single piston acting between them. To
the piston rod d, d, is attached a cross head e, e, to which reciprocating motion is
given direct by a forked rod f, f, from an excentric g, g, keyed upon the main
shaft h, h, of the engine.
Fig. 3 is a detached section (enlarged) showing the method of connecting and
disconnecting the cross head by means of the tapered bolt i, i.
The second and third parts of our Invention are exhibited on Sheet 2 of the
Drawings, Fig. 4 being a front view, and Fig. 5 a section of the bottling
apparatus and its adjuncts; and Fig. 6 a back view of indicator with the dial
plate removed.
"
""
We employ a screw down or other suitable valve, and on the spindle k, k, of
this we fix a toothed wheel l, l, provided with a catch m, m. An india-rubber or
other spring n, n, is fastened to the catch m, m, and another similar spring o, o, is
attached to the valve handle, or lever p, p. On the swivel tube q, q, which carries
the bottle holder r, r, is a finger or projection 8, 8, which lifts the catch m, m, out
of the teeth of the wheel l, l, whenever the bottle is raised up.
The attendant having placed a bottle in the holder r, r, and depressed the
latter, pulls the valve lever p, p, and admits the aerated water, the catch m, m,
holding the valve open. As soon as he sees that the bottle is full he raises
the bottle holder r, r, to allow the glass ball to fall into the seating in the neck
of the bottle (see dotted lines), and in the act of raising the bottle holder the
finger or projection 8, 8, releases the catch m, m, and the spring o, o, closes the
valve.
Connected with the swivel tube q, q, we employ a spring or other pressure
gauge t, t, and connected to the indicator of the gauge we have a compound lever u, u,
which acts upon a counting and registering apparatus which records the number of
times that the pressure gauge acts, that is to say, the number of bottles that have
been filled; and in order to prevent this apparatus from registering any movement
of the bottle holder, excepting when a bottle has at the same time been actually
filled, we insert in the passage between the swivel tube q, q, and the gauge t, t, a
i

page_text: valve v, v, so contrived that the aperture is only open so long as the aerated water
is passing into the bottle and the air from the bottle is escaping, and as soon as the
bottle is filled the increased pressure closes the valve v, v, and prevents the indicator
from acting.
By means of these improvements we can bottle much quicker and get the same
pressure in the bottles that we have in the reservoir, instead of having to work at
about thirty per cent. higher pressure as heretofore, and hence a great saving is
effected, and breakages not being so frequent the work is much safer and less
unpleasant for the operatives.
To relieve the pressure above the ball valve when the full bottle is raised we
provide a valve w, w, (see section, Fig. 7) which is kept closed by the pressure of
the gas; but as soon as the full bottle is raised, the end of the valve rod comes against
an inclined plane x, x, (see Fig. 5) and the valve is thus opened and the pressure
allowed to escape.
As another means of preventing splashing of the bottler we make the mouth-
piece y, y, conical (see Fig. 5) so as to fit bottles of various sizes and insert therein
a conical washer z, z, of india-rubber to make a good joint.
.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention,-
First. The arrangement of pump employed for charging or aerating the water, as
shown and described with reference to Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
Secondly. We claim the use of the self-acting valve arrangement for shutting off
the pressure when the bottle is filled and raised, as shown and described with
reference to Figs. 4 and 5 on Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings.
+
And, Thirdly. Connecting to the indicator of the pressure gauge a counting and
registering apparatus which will indicate each time that the pressure gauge acts,
together with the self-acting valve for preventing the registering apparatus from
acting excepting when aerated water is passing into the bottle; we also claim the
escape valve u, w, and the conical mouth-piece y, y.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Duckworth (on behalf of
myself and the said Saul Wright), have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-nine.
THOMAS HENRY DUCKWORTH. (L.S.)