Improvements in Machines for Filling and Corking Bottles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Filling and Corking Bottles.
We JAMES MEADOWCROFT and W. MEADOWCROFT AND SON LIMITED of
Regent Street, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Soda Water Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in appliances for filling bottles with
aerated water or beverages, and consists of
Firstly. Improved appliances for automatically placing the bottle in position in
the machine.
Secondly. Of improved appliances for filling the bottle with aerated water.
Thirdly. Of improved appliances for compressing the cork, inserting the same in
the bottle neck, and driving it into position therein.
Fourthly. To improved appliances for disconnecting and closing the
syrup valve,
aerated water valve, and cork feed when from any cause a bottle is not placed in
the machine, or the bottle is broken before being filled, so that loss of the syrup,
aerated water, and corks is avoided.
Fifthly. To improvements in appliances for automatically removing the filled
bottles from the machine.
According to this invention on a suitable base or bed plate we fix an upright
framework for the purpose of carrying the necessary shafts, wheels, pulleys and
other fittings. On one of the shafts we mount a fast and loose pulley and to the
fast pulley we fix a small gear wheel which drives a larger wheel keyed onto a
second shaft, on which is fixed an eccentric elliptical wheel gearing with a similar
wheel fixed onto a third shaft. These eccentric wheels are for the purpose of
imparting an alternately fast and slow motion to the other parts of the machine.
The second eccentric wheel is keyed onto a shaft on which is also fixed a small cog
wheel, gearing into two larger ones, one above, and one below, the smaller wheel.
Each of these larger wheels is keyed on a shaft and to the top shaft we fix single,
or double cams for the purpose of raising or lowering the cork driver and this cam
(or cams) have the requisite form for allowing the necessary pauses in the motion
of the cork driver during the time the bottles are being filled or the full bottles
being replaced with empty ones. The cork driver and its guides are fixed to the.
front of the upright framework.
To the bottom shaft we also fix single or double cams for the purpose of
actuating the bottle holding block by depressing or lowering the levers and guide
rods, (which hold the bottle block) during the time the full bottles are being
replaced by empty ones.
The cam or cams may also be used for raising the bottle holding block for the
purpose of holding the bottles in the machine during the time they are being
filled.
The bottles may also be held in position during the process of filling by means of
a strong spring or springs attached to the guide rod and bottle holding block. For
the purpose of resisting the thrust of the cork driver when in the act of driving
the corks into the bottle necks we employ a wedge or locking arrangement worked
from the top or bottom shaft of the machine.
To one of the before mentioned shafts we fix a bevel wheel or other device for
giving a rotary motion to a shaft at right angles thereto. This shaft is mounted in
bearings and is in a horizontal position across the machine and mounted thereon is
a cam (or cams) for operating.

page_text: 3. The cork compressing bowl, lever and slide.
4. The bowl, lever and snift valve.
5. The bowl, lever and valve for washing out the cork dust and-
6. The appliances for disconnecting the above mentioned syrup pump, valves and
cork compressor, when no bottles are fed into the machine or when a bottle is
broken before being filled.
We make the cam or cams and bowls, used in connection with the aerated water
and snift valves movable, so that they may more readily be arranged for filling
different sizes of bottles and we also put one or more lifts onto each cam.
In connection with the above shaft and cam we use an arrangement of cams,
rollers and springs which are operated by the rising or falling of the bottle holding
block for the purpose of sliding or moving the said shaft cams or bowls horizontally
or endwise and their action is as follows:
When a bottle is placed into the machine the bottle block is prevented from
coming to its highest position by the hottle and this allows a spring to lower a
roller so that a cam on the cross shaft comes into contact with it and causes the
shaft and cams to slide endways and the cams on the shaft thus comes into line
with and operate upon the various rollers or bowls attached to the syrup pump,
aerated water valve, snift valve washing out valve and cork compressor.
When
the machine is allowed to work without a bottle being in position à lever attached
to the bottle holding block, guide rod, or lever, comes into contact with the holder
of the rollers and lifts it upwards; this motion brings another roller into contact
with a cam on the cross shaft and causes the shaft and cams on the cross shaft to
move out of line with the bowls or rollers attached to the various pumps, valves
and compressors, and thus effectually prevents all. waste of syrup, aerated water
or corks.
In lieu of the apparatus above described for preventing waste we attach to the
bottle holding block, guide rod, or lever, and a suitable rod on which is mounted a
spring with regulating screws and lock nuts. At the end of this rod we fix a
suitable valve which works in the passage or thoroughfare, through which the
syrup and aerated water have to pass on their way to the bottle, and when there is
no bottle in the machine, the valve is pressed firmly upwards onto its seating by
the bottle holder and it effectually prevents the waste of syrup and aerated water.
The syrup pump when working in connection with this arrangement is fitted
with an extra valve or escape valve so as to allow the syrup to pass back again
into the supply pipe to the pump.
Or behind, or near to the position occupied by the bottle during the progress of
filling we fix a lever and connect this lever to a sliding bar or shaft fixed across
the front of the machine and to this bar or shaft we fix levers or clutches which
are connected to the rollers, bowls, or cams which work the syrup pump, aerated
water valve, snift valve, washing out. valve and cork compressor.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-
When the attendant is feeding the machine with bottles, he presses the latter
against the lever moving it backwards and this movement causes the cross bar or
shaft to slide endways and thus brings all the bowls, rollers or cams into contact
with the revolving cams or rollers and the bottle is thus filled. In case the
attendant omits to place a bottle into the machine a spring causes the lever to
move forward and the cross bar to slide in the opposite direction carrying with it
the bowls, rollers, or cams and moving them out of action with the cams on the
revolving shaft, and thus preventing waste of syrup aerated water or corks.
The same lever can also be connected to the revolving shaft, so as to move the
shaft and cams endways, instead of moving the rollers.
The syrup pump is carried on the upright frame and is of the usual form.
The cork tube is readily removed and one or more sizes can be used so as to
allow various sizes of corks to be employed.

page_text: On the top of each cork tube we fix a tapered horizontal slide along which the
corks are pressed by the compressing slide and this arrangement reduces the corks
to a suitable size, previous to entering the bottles, and without the objectionable
chipping or tearing of the corks.
We fix to the lower part of the machine an automatic feed apparatus for placing
empty bottles into the machine and taking out the full ones.
This arrangement not only allows the machine to work at a higher rate of speed
but also gives greater security, to the attendant against the flying glass when bottles
burst in the machine.
This apparatus is worked by a ratchet wheel and pawl, the paw! being attached
to the bottle holding block, guide rod or lever, and at each depression of the bottle
holder, the pawl comes in contact with the ratchet wheel and causes it to move the
feed arrangement one sixth or other part of a revolution.
The amount of motion is determined by the diameter of the ratchet wheel and
the number of teeth on it.
The apparatus consists of a number of arms attached to the centre of the ratchet
wheel and on the outer end of each arm we fix bottle holders with spring clips
which hold the empty bottles in position until the bottle is gripped by the bottle
bolding block, and they also carry the full bottle away from the machine, and
at the same time act as guards for preventing broken glass flying when a bottle
bursts.
Dated thin 20th day of Cantambor 1802
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Filling and Corking Bottles.
We JAMES MEADOWCROFT and W. MEADOWCROFT AND SON LIMITED of
Regent Street, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Soda Water Engineers,
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 appliances for filling externally
stoppered bottles with aerated water or beverages and consists of improved
appliances for filling the bottle with aerated water and syrup and improved
appliances for compressing the cork inserting the same in the bottle neck and
driving it into position therein and also of improved appliances for disconnecting
and closing the syrup valve, aerated water valve, and cork feed when from any
cause a bottle is not placed in the machine, or the bottle is broken before being
filled so that loss of the syrup, aerated water, and corks is avoided.
Such being the nature and object of our said invention the following is a
complete description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine for purpose aforesaid.
Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation on line A, B, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of part of the improved machine drawn to an enlarged
scale and shewing the cams or tappets and apparatus for operating and controlling
the aerated water and syrup valves the cork feed and snift valve.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the aerated water and syrup valves cork feed and
snift valve drawn detached in order to clearly shew their construction.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of apparatus for controlling and sliding to and fro, the
cross shaft and cams for operating the valves and cork feed.

page_text: Figs. 6 and 7 are details of operating cams drawn detached in order to shew their
construction clearly.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the cork compressing device.
Fig: 9 is a view in elevation of a modified apparatus for controlling the feed and
snift valves.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of Fig. 9..
According to this invention on a base or bed plate 1 we fix an upright_frame-
work 2 for the purpose of carrying the necessary shafts, wheels, pulleys, and other
fittings. On one of the shafts 2 we mount a fast and loose pulley 3. 3 and to the
fast pulley we fix a small gear wheel 4 which drives a larger wheel 5 keyed on to a
shaft 6 on which is fixed an eccentric elliptical wheel 7 gearing with a similar
wheel 8 fixed on to a third shaft 9. These eccentric wheels 7-8 are for the
purpose of imparting an alternately fast and slow motion to the other parts of the
machine, so that bottles can be placed in the position for filling, and removed when
filled. The second eccentric wheel 8 is keyed onto a shaft 9 on which is also fixed
a small cog wheel 10 gearing into two larger ones 11. 12 one wheel 11 being above
and one wheel 12 below the smaller wheel 10. Each of these larger wheels 11. 12 is
keyed on a shaft and to the top shaft 13 we fix double cams 14 (see Fig. 2) for the
purpose of raising or lowering the cork driver 15. and these cams 14 have the
requisite form for allowing the necessary pauses in the motion of the cork
driver 15 during the time the bottles are being filled or the full bottles being
replaced with empty ones. The cork driver 15 and its guides 16 are fixed to the
front of the upright framework 2.
To the bottom shaft 2 we also fix cam 18 for the purpose of actuating the bottle
holding block 19 by depressing or lowering the lever 20 and guide rod or spindle 21
(which holds the bottle block 19) during the time the full bottles are being replaced
by empty ones.
The cam 18 may also be used for raising the bottle holding block 19 for the
purpose of holding the bottles 19 in the machine during the time they are being
filled but we prefer the bottles be held in position during the process of filling
by means of a strong spring or springs 22 on the guide rod or spindle 24 and
below the bottle holding block 19.
To one of the before mentioned shafts 6 we fix a bevel wheel 23 for giving
rotary motion to the bevel wheel 23 on a shaft. 24 at right angles thereto. This
shaft 24 is mounted in bearings 25 and is in a horizontal position across the machine
and mounted thereon are cams as follows:-
Cam 26 for operating the syrup pump roller or bowl 27.
Cam 28 for operating the bowl 29 lever 30 and aerated water valve 31.
Cam 32 for operating the cork compressing lever 33 and slide 34.
Cam 35 for operating the bowl 36 lever 37 and snift valve 38.
We make the cams 28. 35 used in connection with the aerated water valve 31
and snift valve 38 double i.e. two cams of different sizes cast side by side and the
bowls 29 and 36 moveable so that they may readily be arranged by moving them
sideways for filling different sizes of bottles and we also put one or more lifts on
the cam 28 so that the aerated water valve 31 is opened two or more times when
filling one bottle and this allows time for the air to escape by the snift valve 38.
The cam 35 may also have a duplicate lift or lifts for opening the snift valve 38
to allow the air to escape. In connection with the shaft 24 and cams 26, 28, 32
and 35 we use a double acting cam 36ª rollers 37" 38" and springs 39 which
are operated by the rising or falling of the bottle holding block 19 for the
purpose of sliding or moving the said shaft 24. and its cams for the different
valves and cork compressor horizontally or endwise and their action is as
follows:-
When a bottle 19 is placed in the machine the bottle block 19 is prevented
from coming to its highest position by the bottle 19" coming in contact with lower
part 40 of the cork feed 50 and this allows a spring 39 to lower the top roller 37"
so that the cam 36ª on the cross shaft 24 comes into contact with it and causes the

page_text: shaft 24 to slide endways and the cams 26. 28, 32 and 35 on the shaft 24 are thus
brought into line with and operate upon the various rollers or bowls attached to the
syrup pump 27 aerated water valve 31 snift valve 38 and cork compressor 34.
When the machine is allowed to work without a bottle being in position a lever 42
(see Fig. 3) fulcrumed at 43 and operated by the spindle 21 of the bottle holding
block 19. raises the guide rod 43* and lever 44 pivoted at 45 raise the spindle and
holder 46 of the rollers 37. 38 and lifts it upwards.
This motion brings the roller 38 into contact with the cam 36 on the cross
shaft 24 and causes the shaft 24 and cams 26 28. 32 and 36 on the cross shaft 24 to
move out of line with the bowls or rollers attached to the valves 27-31. 38 and
compressor 34 and thus effectually prevents all waste of syrup aerated water or
corks.
In Fig. 3 the shaft 24 is shewn as slided that its cams 26. 28 32 and 35 are out
of line with the bowls.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew apparatus whereby the rollers of the pump valves and
compressors 28. 31. 34 and 38 are themselves slided endways out of line with the
cams 26. 28. 32 and 35. and in this case the shaft 24 has no endwise motion the
tappet 36 being dispensed with. The runners or bowls are mounted on their axes
and each bowl is clipped or controlled by forks or fingers 47. 47 carried on a cross
rod 48 which has a slight endwise motion imparted to it by means of the bell crank
lever 44 operated by the rod 43 fixed to and operated by the lever of the bottle
holding block 19.
The syrup pump is carried on the upright frame and is of the usual form.
The cork frame 50 is readily removed by raising it out of its socket and one or
more sizes can be used so as to allow various sizes of corks to be employed.
At or near the top of each cork tube 50 we fix a tapered horizontal slide 51
(see Fig. 8) along which the corks are pressed by the compressing slide 34 operated
by the lever 33 and cam 32 (see Fig. 7) and this arrangement reduces the corks to
a suitable size previous to entering the bottles and without the objectionable
chipping or tearing of the corks.
The syrup enters the passage way 52 by way of the inverted valve 53 and the
aerated water enters the same passage 52 by the thoroughfare 54 and through the
valve 51. The syrup and aerated water pass down the passage 55 into the bottle 19*
the air escaping by way of the passage 56 and snift 38.
The tappet 14 which operates the cork driver 15 gives to the latter two motions
so that when a cork 57 is fed down the slide 51 into the tube 50 the driver 15 first
pushes the cork down the tube 50 until it is just above the neck of the bottle 19*
when the water and syrup passing into the bottle. When the bottle 19" is
sufficiently filled the cork 57 is by the cork driver 15 driven into the neck of
the bottle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of
our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare
that what we claim is :-
1. The general construction arrangement and combination of apparatus for
filling and corking bottles as and for the purpose herein described and as illustrated,
partly in detail by the annexed drawings.
2. In machines for filling and corking bottles the means herein described for
preventing loss of syrup water and corks consisting of the shaft for carrying the
cams having an endwise motion given it by means of a tappet 36 and runners 37.38
controlled by the bottle holding block as described and as illustrated by Fig. 3 of
the accompanying drawings.
3. The shaft 24 carrying the cams 26. 28. 32 and 35 and having an endwise
motion imparted to it such motion being controlled by levers 42. 43 in turn
operated and controlled by the bottle holding block as herein described and as
illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawings.
4. In machines for filling and corking bottles the means herein described for

page_text: preventing loss of syrup water and corks consisting of the shaft 48 for carrying the
forks or fingers 47 for controlling the runners the shaft 48 having an endwise
motion given to it such motion being controlled by the bottle holding block 19 as
herein described and as illustrated by Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of July 1894.
JAMES MEADOWCROFT,
W. MEADOWCROFT AND SON, LIMITED,
By their Agent, Walter Brierley,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.
JAMES MEADOWCROFT,
W. MEADOWCROFT AND SON, LIMITED,
By their Agent, Walter Brierley,
Penny Bank Chambers, Halifax.